New Zealand Government stories
Severe weather clean-up costs in Tairāwhiti have been eased, with Gisborne District Council securing the largest share of a new grant.
Earnings fell as lower margins squeezed Kiwibank, even though home loans and deposits climbed faster than those of bigger rivals.
More New Zealand cyber incidents are now being escalated for specialist help, even as total reports stayed broadly steady in the June quarter.
Canterbury councils say fast-track housing could strain local infrastructure, after the minister rejected their call for a pause and review.
The move gives under-18 users stronger safeguards and homework support as regulators and parents scrutinise AI chatbots' impact on teens.
The default filter could spare 2degrees customers from scams and phishing attempts without any sign-up, app or settings change.
The Government says large schools could save about NZD $8000 a year as solar panels are fitted over three years.
The move should cut electricity bills and emissions, with Oxford Area School among 500 schools to get rooftop panels over three years.
Officials will still assess Tauranga's bid for a new unitary authority, despite Western Bay of Plenty District Council refusing to join it.
Students in Years 12 and 13 will gain school qualifications tied to jobs and training as the government seeks to ease skills shortages.
New Zealand's tech growth is being constrained by a deepening talent shortage, with firms struggling to fill AI, cyber and cloud roles.
The Crown will free up NZD $702 million for roads, hospitals and classrooms by cashing in Chorus loans earlier than planned.
Smaller airports could cut compliance costs as revised rules allow shorter runway safety areas and, in some cases, arresting systems.
Most of the Crown's mining income still comes from older permits, clouding the impact of any future royalty changes on revenue and investment.
The regulator's expanded remit comes as New Zealand moves to deepen capital markets and tighten oversight of consumer credit.
Businesses in New Zealand can now verify wallet-held IDs on one integration, with age checks possible without revealing full identity.
Smaller firms risk being left behind as medium-sized companies in New Zealand are far more likely to have AI embedded in daily operations.
Many New Zealand firms say they could ride out an outage, but fewer than four in ten have tested recovery of critical systems recently.
The first 26-kilometre stretch is due to open in 2033, after the Government closed a NZD $3.649 billion deal for the route.
Federal digital controls are reshaping technology spending and services, with Canberra scoring 88.3 to outpace New South Wales by almost 15 points.
