Small- and medium-sized businesses SMEs are handling more work than usual, with nearly 40 percent reporting an increase in levels normally expected in the first quarter, according to a recent survey of more than 500 businesses.The first quarter survey by accounting software firm MYOB indicates a quarter of SMEs had less work than usual in the pipeline, though there was an increase in the number expecting an increase in trade over the first three months of 2026.Several key sectors, including 38 percent of manufacturing SMEs, 37 percent of retail businesses and 33 percent of the construction and trades businesses surveyed reported an increase in orders or work commissioned before the end of March.MYOB chief customer officer Dean Chadwick said many SMEs were still navigating uneven demand and ongoing cost pressures, though the survey results suggested business activity for the new year had started on firmer footing."SMEs ended 2025 with largely steady trading conditions in the final few months of the year, though performance varied across the sector," he said."While more than a quarter of businesses exceeded their sales expectations and most met their forecasts, a quarter saw a softer-than-predicted performance."The survey indicated SMEs were moving on their own spending plans, with 44 percent of those surveyed planning to bring forward deductible business purchases on things like supplies or equipment, before 31 March."We know from our research at the end of last year that many local businesses are planning to take advantage of the Investment Boost to maximise business investment this year," he said."We can also see from the latest data that businesses are making good on the growth ambitions they signalled at the end of last year - not only seizing opportunities to increase sales before the end of the financial year, but also upping their own spending on plant, supplies and equipment to boost their operations."Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

A Warkworth man has been sentenced to 12 months home detention for distributing child sexual exploitation material.The 25-year-old appeared at the North Shore District Court on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to 21 charges of distributing objectionable material. The Department of Internal Affairs said the material included images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation and abuse of children.The Department’s Digital Child Exploitation Team opened an investigation after a report from an international law enforcement agency. The Department said the report indicated the man had been sharing links containing child sexual exploitation material through an online chat.A search warrant was carried out at his address on May 14, 2024. The Department said several electronic devices were seized and destroyed.It said examination of the devices identified 7,853 objectionable files, and that 1,053 child sexual abuse images had been shared to 12 other offenders.Digital Child Exploitation Team manager Tim Houston said offenders who possess and knowingly share this material present a risk to online and offline communities.As part of the sentence, the man will be registered as a child sex offender, and the devices used were ordered to be destroyed. The Department said that in 2024 the team conducted 69 investigations, helped safeguard 14 New Zealand children from harm, and its filtering system blocked over one million attempts to access websites hosting child sexual abuse material.Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

Coasties, here’s what the next four days have for us.Friday, 13/1Cloud builds with showers, some heavy, turning to rain later, easing easterlies.High: 25Low: 19Saturday, 14/1Partly cloudy with a morning shower risk, strong sou’wester developing.High: 24Low: 16Sunday, 15/1Morning cloud clears to fine, strong sou’wester easing later.High: 23Low: 15Monday, 16/1Partly cloudy with breezy westerlies across the Hibiscus Coast.High: 23Low: 15See the full Weather section in the app for:🌊 Tides🌬️ Wind☔ Rain radar🌞 UV levels🏖️ Safe swimming spots...and more.The Hibiscus Coast App has everything you need for the region, accessible at any time and from any location.

Police arrested a 15-year-old after an aggravated robbery in Albany on Tuesday night.Police responded to Coliseum Drive, Albany at 7.41pm following reports a teenage victim was approached outside a fast-food restaurant and had his electric trail bike allegedly stolen at knifepoint.Inspector Aron McKeown, Waitemata East Area Prevention Manager, said the bike was driven across the car park towards the mall and out of sight.The Police Eagle helicopter, already in the area for another matter, located the bike being driven at excessive speed on the Northern Busway southbound.Eagle tracked the bike as it exited at Constellation Station and travelled onto the Northern Motorway. No units pursued the bike on the ground.The rider exited at Tristram Avenue and headed towards Becroft Park, cutting through a football game before continuing towards Milford.The incident ended on Bevyn Street when the rider fell from the bike.Police arrested the 15-year-old at the scene. He was not injured.Waitemata East CIB has charged the male with aggravated robbery, reckless driving and possession for supply of cannabis.He is due to appear in the North Shore Youth Court. Police said the teenage victim is being provided support following the incident.Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

For a while there, electric vehicles felt inevitable in New Zealand, attracting a growing number of Kiwi drivers.The future, humming quietly along city and rural roads, was silent, clean, and cheaper to run.Then the brakes went on.The Detail looks at why, talking to long-time EV-user Ed Harvey, founder and CEO of Evnex - an EV smart charging company in Christchurch.He says in the space of a couple of years, electric vehicle sales have slumped, with the blame trail leading straight to Wellington. The government scrapped the clean car discount, introduced EV road-user charges, and, most recently, weakened the clean car standards."They [government ministers] would say they didn't think it was working - they would probably say, look, the market share is way down, that's proving Kiwis don't really want electric vehicles, but I think the government has... really leveraged the politicisation of EVs to their advantage," Harvey tells The Detail."And they haven't shown leadership in a technology that is actually going to save kiwis money."Harvey built his own EV car, converting his Honda Accord, while at university in 2013.He's since sold it, upgrading to another EV.But he says fewer Kiwis are joining him for the silent drive on New Zealand roads."We are definitely not soaring. 2025 was not the best year; I would say it was sort of flat, if not a very moderate growth."In terms of pure B-EVs (battery electric vehicles rather than hybrids) just over 9000 were sold in the New Zealand market last year. That's just over a four percent market share, a slight increase on 2024 but a big dip on the year before. In 2023, which was the last year of the clean car discount, B-EVs had a 10 percent market share, translating to 26,000 sold."And even the year before that, in 2022, we had just under 20,000 [sold], and, again, compare that with just over 9000 last year, it's a huge drop, which is really disappointing for those of us in the industry," Harvey says.After the government scrapped the clean car discount - the rebate that knocked thousands of dollars off the price of an electric vehicle - EVs were brought into the road user charge net.For years, EV drivers had been exempt - a deliberate incentive to encourage uptake. That advantage disappeared - fairness, the government argued. Everyone pays their way.Then late last year, penalties under the Clean Vehicle Standard - designed to push importers toward low-emission cars - were slashed, and the pressure to prioritise cleaner vehicles eased.The government insists the slowdown reflects global trends and tight household budgets.But Harvey says it has come at a devastating cost to the environment and for EV businesses."It's done huge damage to the industry. There were a lot of fledgling businesses that were building, whether it be EV charging infrastructure, like us, or battery recycling, or EV service specialists that were starting to grow quite well back in 2022/23. It's done a huge amount of damage to those businesses, and they have lost a lot of confidence."It prompted him to write opinion pieces for The Post and on LinkedIn, saying "the New Zealand government's lack of strategy and ambition around electrification is nothing short of embarrassing. Our transport minister is capitulating to the interests of lobbyists and short-term political gains".He tells The Detail that transport remains a large source of emissions in New Zealand. And EVs are an answer to reduce this.The Port of Auckland has noticed a drop in the number of EVs arriving in New Zealand.Between 15,000 and 18,000 vehicles - a mix of EVs, hybrids, petrol, and diesel - arrive in Auckland every month - that's about 200,000 a year.But for December last year, only 600 vehicles were EVs."A year before that, December 2024, that was over 800, so we are talking about a decrease of around 30 percent for EVs," Chris Mills, general manager, marine, multi-cargo and cruise at Port of Auckland, tells The Detail."And we are also seeing similar numbers, in terms of reductions, around plug-in hybrids."He says he's seen a bump in non-plug-in, self-charging hybrids - the petrol-hybrid equivalent."We have seen those numbers really boom. In December, there were 2700 units registered in New Zealand."Ed Harvey doesn't mind hybrids but would still prefer drivers committed to full electric vehicles.He says they are the future ..... the technology is there, the chargers still work, it's just that the road ahead is a lot less clear.Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

The 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season kicks off in Dunedin on Friday, February 13, with the Highlanders hosting defending champions the Crusaders in a southern derby.Later that night, attention turns to Sydney where the NSW Waratahs face the Queensland Reds at Allianz Stadium.Saturday, February 14 continues with the Fijian Drua opening their campaign at home in Lautoka against Moana Pasifika. The round also includes the Blues hosting the Chiefs at Eden Park, while the ACT Brumbies meet the Western Force in Canberra.The season launch was held in Auckland, bringing together players past and present to mark 30 years since Super Rugby began. The 11 clubs were represented by Patrick Tuipulotu (Blues), Patrick Pelligrini (Moana Pasifika), Tom Wright (ACT Brumbies), Manasa Mataele (Fijian Drua), Du’Plessis Kirifi (Hurricanes), Nic Dolly (Western Force), Codie Taylor (Crusaders), Fraser McReight (Queensland Reds), Wallace Sititi (Chiefs), Eamon Doyle (NSW Waratahs) and Fabian Holland (Highlanders).Super Rugby Pacific CEO Jack Mesley said the anniversary season would reflect on the competition’s history while looking ahead to its future, with clubs planning celebrations across the year.For Hibiscus Coast rugby fans, the opening weekend includes a prime-time Eden Park clash on Saturday night as the Blues begin their 2026 campaign against the Chiefs.Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

There’s a steady kind of pride when someone local takes on a national job.Whangaparaoa College principal Steve McCracken has recently become Chairperson of the Secondary Principals Council (SPC) in Aotearoa New Zealand, the body that advocates for the unique needs of secondary and area school principals.The Council is made up of elected representatives from across the country.It also has specific roles for Maori, women, and Area School principals, so a wider mix of voices is built into its leadership.As chair, McCracken will help steer that advocacy work and represent principals’ interests at a national level.For the Hibiscus Coast, it is a simple reminder that local school leadership can carry real weight well beyond the school gate.Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

Waitemata Police have arrested five teenagers after reports of vehicle crime in Hillcrest and a later stop in Massey.Police say it began just before 3.30am, after a member of the public reported vehicles being interfered with on Stanaway Street in Hillcrest. Inspector Jason Edwards said a group of males fled the street in another vehicle. Police found four vehicles had been interfered with and an ignition barrel on the ground.About 30 minutes later, the Police Eagle helicopter tracked the group as they abandoned a stolen vehicle in Massey. Edwards said the group was seen walking onto Zefiro Drive. Ground units were directed to the location and all five were taken into custody.Police say the group had been travelling with two stolen vehicles in tandem, before colliding with each other on the Royal Road offramp. One vehicle was abandoned and the group continued a short distance.Those arrested are aged between 13 and 16. Four males have been charged with unlawfully getting into a vehicle and will appear in the Waitakere Youth Court today. Police say the group is also being spoken to in relation to other vehicle crime across west Auckland and the North Shore.Police thanked frontline teams from the North Shore and Henderson, and the Crime Squad. Police also acknowledged the member of the public who reported the suspicious activity.Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

Auckland will host a larger SailGP race stadium when the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix returns in February 2026.The Wynyard Point Race Stadium will expand its record-setting grandstand by 30 percent, building on the 2025 event that reshaped Auckland’s waterfront skyline and brought racing metres from shore.The expanded structure is designed to intensify crowd noise and sightlines as SailGP’s high-speed foiling fleets race directly in front of packed grandstands.The near-shore format is central to SailGP’s appeal, allowing spectators to follow every manoeuvre as teams race at speed on the Waitemata Harbour.New Zealand’s Black Foils, led by Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, will again compete against the world’s top sailing nations as teams set the pace for the 2026 season.For Hibiscus Coast residents, the Auckland leg places an international sporting event within easy reach, with afternoon race windows suited to same-day travel.Race Day 1 takes place on Saturday, February 14, with the Race Stadium open from 1:30pm to 7:00pm and racing scheduled between 4:00pm and 5:30pm.Race Day 2 follows on Sunday, February 15, with the same stadium and race window times.Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

Two Auckland students are in Starship Hospital after being struck by cars before school on Monday.Police said one intermediate-aged student was hit by a car at about 8.15am while crossing Whangaparāoa Road in Stanmore Bay.In a statement, Whangaparāoa College confirmed one of its students was hit.It said the student was receiving medical treatment and would make a full recovery.Police said another intermediate child was hit by a different car on Onewa Road in Northcote at 8.26am.St John said both children who suffered moderate injuries were taken to Starship in ambulances.Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

The Blues have re-signed loose forward Anton Segner through to the end of the 2027 Super Rugby Pacific season.Segner is the first German-born player to feature in Super Rugby. He arrived in New Zealand in 2017 on a school exchange and has played 38 games for the Blues.“I’m incredibly proud to be staying on at the Blues,” Segner said. “This club has backed me from the start and given me the chance to grow my game in a great environment. I’m really settled in Auckland, it’s my home away from home and the Blues are my second family. I love being part of this group, and I feel like I’m in the best place to keep developing as a player. I’m excited about what the next few years will look like.”Blues GM Rugby Murray Williams said the extension reflects Segner’s progression and his growing leadership within the group. “Anton’s story is pretty unique, but what’s impressed us most is how he’s gone about his work since arriving at the club,” Williams said. “He’s taken every opportunity to learn, to improve and to add layers to his game. He’s a team-first player who brings versatility and energy to our loose forward group, and we believe his best rugby is still ahead of him.”The Blues open their 2026 Super Rugby Pacific campaign on Saturday, February 14, against the Chiefs at Eden Park.Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

The Government has moved to the next phase of a proposed LNG import terminal, drawing criticism from Rewiring Aotearoa.Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey says the plan relies on “expensive foreign molecules” rather than “locally-generated electrons”. He says, “You cannot make cheap electricity with expensive fuels,” and describes LNG as “one of the most expensive fuels there is”.Rewiring Aotearoa says dry year risk is a major issue, but argues an LNG terminal would lock New Zealand into an expensive overseas dependency. It says all electricity users would pay a levy for dry year certainty, not just gas users, and claims this would load costs onto households while having minimal impact on bills.Minister Simon Watts says removing dry year risk delivers $265 million in savings, or $50 per household per year, as referenced in the statement. As he told RNZ: “I'm not going to guarantee, based on the advice I've been given the benefits outweigh the costs.”Rewiring Aotearoa says the solution has two parts. First, more solar on homes, farms and businesses, more renewables like wind and geothermal, and coal and diesel peakers only if required. Second, it says New Zealand should make better use of existing gas reserves and spend money to help businesses electrify, claiming this could extend existing gas supplies by about a decade.For Hibiscus Coast households and local businesses, Rewiring Aotearoa’s message is to cut grid demand by generating more power on site and switching more energy use to electricity.What Hibiscus Coast residents can do, under Rewiring Aotearoa’s approach:Price rooftop solar and compare expected savings with your current annual power spend.Consider a battery if you want more self-supply, especially for evening use.Shift home energy use to electric options mentioned in the statement, including heat pumps and hot water heat pumps.Watch for any move on the Ratepayer Assistance Scheme model Rewiring Aotearoa is calling for, which it says would offer loans for solar, batteries, heat pumps and hot water heat pumps.If you run a business, map your gas use and get quotes to electrify where it pencils, which the group says is already possible for a share of large users based on EECA RETA reports.Rewiring Aotearoa says it will ask to see the Government’s modelling and analysis, including scenarios with high renewable uptake.Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

Kaipara District Council (KDC) wants the creation of a combined Kaipara-North Rodney Council to be considered in the Government's major local government shakeup.The council is backing North Rodney Action Group's proposal to form a unitary authority by merging the area governed by Kaipara District Council (KDC) with the northern two‑thirds of the former Rodney District Council, now part of Auckland Council.KDC is including the proposal in its submission on the Government's plan it calls simplifying local government - which is due by February 20 - in spite of the Government not allowing Auckland Council, which was set up in 2010 under its own legislation, to be part of its local government reforms.These plans are New Zealand's biggest local government restructure since the sector's nationwide 1989 amalgamations.KDC Deputy Mayor Gordon Lambeth said the proposal gave the Government an option worth exploring.Kaipara Deputy Mayor Gordon Lambeth.Kaipara Deputy Mayor Gordon Lambeth. Photo: LDR/SUPPLIEDHe did not personally support amalgamation but he said the council had to look at what worked best for ratepayers as part of the Government change push.Kaipara-North Rodney Council would become a standalone electoral area - changing the existing regional boundary between Northland and Auckland and reflecting Auckland's continued growth northward.It would take over both district and regional functions currently split between KDC and Northland's regional council, which the Government intends to dissolve. It would also assume equivalent functions currently delivered in north Rodney by Auckland Council.The proposed council would be largely rural and coastal and include service towns such as Dargaville, Helensville, Warkworth and Wellsford.It would also include the growth-challenged coastal settlements of Northland's Mangawhai and Auckland's Matakana coast.KDC's draft submission says the council is committed to working with neighbouring authorities to ensure local government in Northland remains cohesive, efficient and cost‑effective while still providing strong services to communities.Kaiwaka-Mangawhai councillor Luke Canton told a recent KDC briefing meeting that the council, with a population of just under 30,000, risked being overshadowed in a Northland‑wide amalgamation."We want to make sure we don't get swallowed up. We need to make sure we get as much control as we can for our local area in any amalgamation," Canton said.KDC is one of four Northland councils - also including Whangārei District Council (WDC), Far North District Council (FNDC) and Northland Regional Council (NRC) - jointly looking at amalgamation under the Government's plans and between them catering for about 200,000 residents.The proposed Kaipara-North Rodney Council's footprint would cover the current Kaipara District Council and north Rodney which currently comprises about 30% of the footprint of Auckland Council Photo: LDR/SUPPLIEDKDC is Northland's smallest council with 26,800 residents. Kaipara-North Rodney Council would have about 80,000 residents, also including about 50,000 from north Rodney.The proposal would tip Northland's restructuring into being between only WDC, FNDC and NRC.North Rodney Action Group is a lobby group long pushing to separate from Auckland Council.Group chair Bill Foster, from Leigh near Warkworth, said Northland did not need Kaipara to create an effective new regional government under the Government's plansHe said combining KDC with north Rodney made more sense than Kaipara joining a much larger Northland entity.North Rodney Action Group chair Bill Foster from Leigh near Warkworth Photo: LDR/SUPPLIEDFoster said a combined Kaipara and north Rodney council would better be able to deal with preserving the areas' predominantly rural-coastal essence in the face of the intensifying urbanisation expanding north from Auckland.This had already changed Warkworth as the 18km Pūhoi-Warkworth SH1 four-laning extension opened, in 2023.People were already speculating on Wellsford property as construction of SH1's next northward extension step loomed.Mangawhai too is also already experiencing growth impacts from the SH1 four-laning.SH1's four laning heads north from Johnstones tunnels into Puhoi and beyond. Photo: LDR/SUPPLIEDThe next four-laning step creating a new 26 km stretch of SH1 from Warkworth-Te Hana is expected to begin by the end of this year and take eight years, finishing in 2034.Foster said it was important that intense metropolitan, city development did not consume lower Northland as Auckland moved north.He said urbanisation was being encouraged through Government planning changes, but local communities and their ratepayers were being left to foot the bill for massive resulting infrastructure changes.Foster said Kaipara had local control but lacked scale. North Rodney had scale without local control."The merger option responds to both sets of constraints by realigning governance to geography, community structure and service realities," Foster said.The proposed new council's footprint would cover the existing Kaipara district and extend south toward the Waitākere Ranges in the west and Waiwera in the east.Its southern boundary would begin near Muriwai on the west coast then head inland to Waiwera.Puhoi would be part of the new council, but SH1's Johnstone's Hill tunnels would remain under Auckland Council.Warkworth, Wellsford and Helensville would also be included in the new council.The plan does not include the area around the former Rodney District Council's Orewa head office.Hibiscus Coast, Dairy Flat and Kumeū would also remain with Auckland.LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

Trade Me Property has become the first New Zealand company to launch inside ChatGPT, allowing buyers to search live property listings without leaving the chat.The new integration means users can describe what they are looking for in plain English and view matching properties on an interactive map, all within ChatGPT. It follows OpenAI opening its ChatGPT App Directory to third-party developers in late 2025, with apps rolling out globally from early 2026.Trade Me Property says the tool is designed to make searching and comparing homes simpler. Instead of adjusting filters across multiple screens, buyers can refine their search through conversation, narrowing by location, budget, property type, or features as they go.The launch places Trade Me alongside a small group of early partners inside ChatGPT, which is operated by OpenAI. The directory gives users access to external services directly inside chat, rather than sending them out to separate websites.For Hibiscus Coast buyers, this could change how early-stage searching happens. Someone looking in Orewa, Millwater, or Gulf Harbour can ask for an overview of the current local market, then drill down to specific streets using the map view. The tool can also explain what current pricing means in practice and flag common checks buyers often miss.Trade Me notes the experience is intended for shortlisting, not final decisions. Listings should still be opened and reviewed in full, with buyers doing their usual due diligence around flooding, access, noise, and title structure.The company says users should expect follow-up questions in chat to narrow results and clarify trade-offs, rather than a single fixed search.Trade Me has not said if it will build ChatGPT apps for other parts of its marketplace, but it positioned this launch as a move toward conversational, AI-led search.Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

That moment when a mum cat finally relaxes, after her kittens have been scooped up, is the part most people never see.SPCA says kitten season is in full swing, and Centres across the country are overflowing. It is launching the Super Mums adoption campaign from February 9 to March 29. It is also starting regional walk-in Caturdays, so people can meet cats and kittens without an appointment.For Hibiscus Coast locals, it is a prompt to look past the tiny kittens. They can be adopted within days. Their mums often wait much longer. Adult cats are usually calmer than kittens. Their personalities are already formed, so you know who you are bringing home. Many are also litter-trained, which makes the first week easier.SPCA says many of these mums have survived outdoors through summer. Some gave birth under houses or in gardens. Some protected their kittens from the elements, while still kittens themselves. SPCA CEO Todd Westwood says the campaign is about giving those mums their turn. Every Super Mum is desexed, microchipped, vaccinated, and health-checked.Caturdays will run for the next 11 weeks. Different Centres will host each week. Each event will be announced 10 days ahead. Adoption appointments still apply for dogs, small animals, and farm animals. If you want to move quickly on the day, SPCA suggests applying online first for any cat or kitten you like. Then check your nearest SPCA Centre in Hobsonville, or your regional SPCA Facebook page, to see when the next walk-in Caturday is on. One Super Mum you can view right now is Marissa: https://www.spca.nz/adopt/animal/655246/cat-marissa-hobsonvilleGet the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

Auckland mayor Wayne Brown says the government is unqualified to lead the city's economic recovery and should leave it to local council.The comments came as Brown again renewed calls for a bed levy tax, despite the government's opposition to the move.A suite of events were set to be held in Auckland throughout the year, as major infrastructure projects neared completion.The long-delayed International Convention Centre was finally due to open on Wednesday.Photo: New Zealand International Convention CentreConstruction of the Convention Centre began back in 2015 and was initially supposed to take 38 months, but had been plagued by a budget blow-out and legal wrangling."We've been waiting for such a long time. [Convention centres] are hard to make money out of."I understand it's booked up pretty well, so it will bring in conventions and it will be part of the tourist offering. But that whole tourist thing is a bit of a question for us."The New Zealand leg of SailGP also returned to the waters of Waitematā Harbour this weekend.Brown told Morning Report both events were a positive for the supercity."Those are two good things on this week, that's for sure," he said."It's a big year really when you think about it."The Polo finals and the Blues and Chiefs are playing shortly. There's a lot of sport," he said.Another long overdue milestone, the City Rail Link was also due to be completed later this year.The Ocean Race, formerly known as the Round the World Race, was scheduled to return to the City of Sails in 2027.Brown wasted no time pointing to the small matter of the Election, another major event pertinent to Auckland residents, he said."If you don't win Auckland, you don't get to be the government."Brown had long campaigned for a bed tax on visitors to help fund destination marketing and events.He again expressed his desire for the scheme."The government can't bring itself to do that yet, so that they're raiding tourists at the border. And then central government will tell us how we spend on things, which is something we don't like."All these big events want some money up front. And if we have the bed night levy we will have the money up front."Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston, said a bed tax was not something she was pursuing this term."Our government has already announced a number of initiatives to boost tourism and events across New Zealand and in Auckland, including our $70 million major events and tourism package and a regional tourism boost announcement which invests in campaigns to market New Zealand (and Auckland) to overseas visitors."Upston said the government was firmly focused on growing the economy, including the Auckland economy, and tourism and major events remained integral to that."I recognise there's been an interest in bed tax and am also aware of Wayne Brown's recent comments."In response to Auckland's lagging economy and high unemployment rate, the mayor said "it had its own ideas".Council-led initiatives such as the Auckland Innovation & Technology Alliance showed the council was better suited than the government in driving investment into the city, Brown said."Economic development; we've decided that council will lead this, because the government doesn't quite know how to do that."When asked if he felt the government had dropped the ball, he replied "they hadn't didn't pick it up"."They're not quite sure where it is/ There's a lot we can do ourselves as well. Instead of them initiating things, we just want them to help with what we're going to initiate."There's too much centralised decision making in this country."Minister for Auckland, Simeon Brown said the government was focused on rebuilding the economy and Auckland was central to that."That's why we're fast-tracking major infrastructure like the $200 million Port of Auckland extension and incentivising business investment through Investment Boost and our Going for Growth agenda."The opening of the International Convention Centre and the City Rail Link later this year will further lift jobs and economic activity."Simeon Brown said business confidence in Auckland was at its highest in over a decade."GDP is up 12.1 per cent on 2019, labour force participation is 72.8 per cent, and CBD office vacancies have fallen for the first time since 2022 - a clear sign businesses are backing the city again.The Mayor and Auckland Council would be wise to focus on keeping costs down for Aucklanders."Supporting a rates cap last week would have been a good first step, Simeon Brown added.Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

Hibiscus Coast households are part of a system where New Zealand recovers less than 1 percent of materials flowing into the economy.A circular economy is designed as a loop. Products are made to stay in use through repair, reuse, remanufacturing, or being remade, so they do not become waste. The goal is to design waste and pollution out from the start, keep materials in use, and regenerate the natural systems the economy relies on.University of Auckland Professor Saeid Baroutian says most people think circular economy means recycling, but it is much broader. He says it should be treated as industrial strategy, not just waste policy.Research commissioned by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment found New Zealand operates one of the most linear and wasteful economies in the developed world. University of Auckland Professor Saeid Baroutian. Photo: SuppliedIt reported that less than 1 percent of materials are recovered through recycling. It also found around 700kg to 750kg of waste per person goes to municipal landfills each year, among the highest rates in the OECD.Construction is a major driver. It is responsible for about half of New Zealand’s total waste. PricewaterhouseCoopers has reported that 80 percent of waste is effectively determined before a building leaves the drawing board, which points to design and procurement decisions as a key lever.Other sectors show similar gaps. An Auckland University of Technology-led study into major food manufacturers found firms are starting to adopt circular ideas, but recovery of materials or energy remains the weakest link. Companies reported they still lack working knowledge of circular processes, and the traditional linear model still dominates.Overseas, regulation is moving faster. The European Union has rolled out circular economy requirements since 2018, including eco-design rules, right-to-repair, digital product passports, and stricter sustainability reporting. Across Asia-Pacific, many countries have introduced extended producer responsibility schemes that make manufacturers accountable for products across their full life cycle.New Zealand has taken some steps, including product stewardship for tyres and e-waste, plastic phase-outs, and a higher landfill levy.But University of Waikato researchers concluded central government has mostly adopted a “weak” model of circularity, focused on end-of-pipe waste and voluntary action rather than strong regulation and long-term investment. The study also argues momentum has slowed since the 2023 election.MBIE warned that tightening standards in Australia and the EU, including recycled-content rules, packaging requirements, and life-cycle disclosures, could raise trade costs or reduce market access for New Zealand exporters if the country does not align.MBIE estimates circular interventions across construction, manufacturing, and food could cut 1.5 million to 1.9 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions each year, about 3 percent of New Zealand’s net emissions. On the Hibiscus Coast, Coasties can back the shift by choosing repair before replacement, buying durable goods with minimal packaging, reusing or selling items before they become waste, and asking tradies what can be salvaged on renovation jobs.Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

Consumer spending across New Zealand rose slightly in January, offering a tentative positive signal for the economy despite sharp drops on days hit by extreme weather.Figures released by Worldline NZ show core retail spending processed through its payments network reached $4.023B in January 2026. That is up 0.6 percent on the same month last year, after adjusting for changes in the merchant base. While the lift is small, the return to annual growth suggests consumer spending may be stabilising rather than continuing to slide backwards.Worldline NZ Chief Sales Officer Bruce Proffit said the modest growth would be welcomed by retailers after a tough year, but warned the overall result masks sharp weather-related impacts.Spending dropped heavily on Wednesday, January 21, the day storms and heavy rainfall hit several regions. Core retail spending that day fell 5.6 percent, from $125m on the comparable Wednesday last year to $118m this year.The disruption carried through the Auckland Anniversary long weekend in regions affected by severe weather, including Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Waikato, Auckland and Northland. Total hospitality spending across those regions over the four days to January 26 was $71.2m, down 8.7 percent on the same weekend last year.Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

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