Refund money for 3G-only phone now, Consumer NZ says; Auckland Council says it's not responsible for Amazon's deserted construction site
Another hassle with a recently purchased phone that's only capable of calls on the soon-to-be-shuttered 3G networks; the council updates on Amazon's Quiet Earth Auckland build; an AWS exec jumps to the opposition; and the Government names an AI advisory panel.
Another customer has found themselves stuck with a '4G'
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2 hours ago
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Metropolitan Wellington Councils Confirm New Water Services Delivery Model
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Across all five councils, submissions showed solid support for the preferred option of a multi-council-owned water organisation, ranging from 69 to 84 percent of submissions in favour. The five councils have now all voted to go ahead with the new organisation, which will take accountability for water services on 1 July 2026. Mana whenua iwi Ngāti Toa Rangitira and Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika support this decision and are partnering with councils on improving water services delivery. The new organisation, with the interim name Metro Water, will own and operate public drinking water, wastewater and reticulated stormwater assets for a population of around 430,000 people. Advisory Oversight Group chair Dame Kerry Prendergast says councils and mana whenua have been clear throughout the process that the intent is to provide better levels of service for communities through reduced leaks, outages and unplanned disruptions, while also enabling growth and delivering cleaner harbours and waterways. 'By establishing a council-owned organisation, we are ensuring assets are retained in public ownership and there is no privatisation. It also means councils, representing their communities, and mana whenua will have ongoing oversight.' 'Metro Water will have the resources, independence and region-wide perspective to effectively manage and improve three waters services for current and future communities,' says Dame Kerry. The next steps are to finalise key foundation documents for the new organisation, finalise a Water Services Delivery Plan for submission to the Government, and appoint interim board directors and an interim Chief Executive. Factsheet – what's planned for water services in Metropolitan Wellington New water organisation accountable for water services from 1 July 2026 There will be a new multi-council-owned water organisation that will take charge of drinking water, wastewater and reticulated stormwater services within the boundaries of Hutt City, Porirua City, Upper Hutt City and Wellington City, from 1 July 2026. For planning purposes, a temporary, placeholder name of Metro Water is being used for the new organisation. This is not intended to be the permanent name. Metro Water will have new governance and ownership arrangements, new leadership and new strategic direction that will distinguish it from Wellington Water. To ensure ongoing service delivery and to retain expertise and experience, it is the intent of councils that Metro Water will absorb Wellington Water operational and support staff below senior management (known as tier 3 and below). Governance and oversight Metro Water will have an independent Board, appointed by a steering committee of representatives of the five council owners and representatives of Ngāti Toa Rangitira and Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika. Councils and mana whenua will set the framework for Metro Water through foundation documents (currently being developed) – Stakeholder Agreement, Constitution, Statement of Expectations and Consumer Charter. These will be in final draft by October 2025 and ratified by councils in late 2025. Metro Water will operate in line with new water services legislation and regulatory oversight will be provided by the Commerce Commission (consumer protection and charging), the Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai (water standards) and Greater Wellington Regional Council (environmental compliance). Charging Metro Water will charge directly for water services. Initially, interim billing arrangements are likely to be in place until Metro Water has established systems and processes. Regardless of billing arrangements, water charges will be clearly separate from rates. Charges will have to increase over the next decade, as the backlog of long-overdue upgrades is tackled. Economic and financial modelling indicates that Metro Water will keep costs about a third lower than would be the case if the status quo continued. That's because Metro Water will have greater ability to borrow money than councils currently do and costs can be spread over a longer period of time. It's also expected to deliver economies of scale and efficiencies. The exact amount of water charges will be influenced by a number of factors including how costs are shared between commercial water users and households, the scheduling of upgrade works and investment, and moving to consistent charges across the metropolitan area. Currently households and commercial water users pay different amounts through rates in each city. Water services delivery plan All councils are required to present a Water Services Delivery Plan to Government by 3 September 2025. The Metropolitan Wellington Water Services Delivery Plan will set out how the five councils will meet requirements of the Government's Local Water Done Well reforms, including statutory requirements under the Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Act 2024. Implementation Interim Board Directors will be appointed prior to October 2025 by the council representatives on the existing Advisory Oversight Group. The interim board will appoint an interim Chief Executive and oversee establishment of Metro Water. In due course, the interim board will be replaced by an enduring board appointed by the Stakeholder Committee. Some initial work is already underway on interim director recruitment and planning for IT and customer systems and processes for Metro Water. Implementation is being jointly funded by the five councils.
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4 hours ago
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Foodbanks struggling with winter demand
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1News
6 hours ago
- 1News
KiwiSaver, Jobseeker and more — what's changing on July 1
Explainer: It's July 1 tomorrow and believe it or not we're halfway through 2025, which means the Government will roll out several new changes to policies and regulations. Here are some of the highlights you need to know: Healthy Homes standards come into effect One big change is mandatory Healthy Homes standards which all rental properties must now comply with. The rules set basic standards for heating, insulation and ventilation. ADVERTISEMENT Among them: Landlords need to provide one or more fixed heaters that can directly heat a home's main living room. These need to meet the minimum heating capacity Properties need to be insulated in the ceiling and under the floor, unless the design of the home makes this impossible Every liveable area needs a window or door that opens to the outdoors and can be fixed open Kitchens and bathrooms need extractor fans All rental properties also need efficient drainage, guttering and downpipes and any gaps or holes need to be blocked. There is a tool on MBIE's Tenancy Services website landlords can use to check their compliance. Parental leave payments The maximum weekly rate of paid parental leave will go up as of July 1. The maximum parental leave payment rate for eligible employees and self-employed people will increase from $754.87 to $788.66 gross per week, Employment NZ said. The minimum parental leave payment rate for self-employed parents will also increase from $231.50 to $235 gross per week, to reflect the minimum wage increase on April 1. ADVERTISEMENT There have also been changes to broader parental leave requirements which will take effect that will clarify certain details around how leave is counted and who is eligible. Jobseeker tightens up Jobseeker is making changes to how people can get support. From Tuesday, people will only get Jobseeker Support for 26 weeks — six months — before they need to reapply. Currently, people need to reapply once a year. Those who are already getting Jobseeker Support may still be on a 52-week reapplication before they move to the shorter period depending on their situation, Work and Income said. There will also be changes to two groups of people already on Jobseeker - sole parents who are the primary caregiver and whose youngest dependent child is 14-18 years, and people who were "grandparented" and getting benefits before 2013. KiwiSaver changes ADVERTISEMENT The Gvernment announced several changes to KiwiSaver in this year's Budget. As of July 1, the government contribution will drop from 50 cents to 25 cents for each dollar you contribute to KiwiSaver each year, lowering the maximum government contribution from $521.43 to $260.72. You'll need to contribute at least $1,042.86 to get that. The government contribution will be extended to include 16- and 17-year-olds from July 1 2025, and they will be eligible for mandatory employer contributions as well, from 1 April 2026. The age for auto-enrolment will remain at 18. Those enrolled in the scheme with an income of more than $180,000 will no longer receive the government contribution. Eligibility for this will be tested according to one of the last two tax years based on the member's income, once their final tax return is finalised. ACC payments to increase ACC has raised some payments starting July 1 as part of their annual review. Clients who have been receiving weekly compensation for more than 26 weeks will have their payments increased by 2.89%. ADVERTISEMENT The new gross maximum rate of weekly compensation payable will be $2418.55 per week. Transport fees to increase Public transport fees are changing in many locations as councils try to meet a directive from the government to pay more of the cost of delivering the services. Fares will increase in Waikato, Taranaki, Wellington, Canterbury and Invercargill. Northland's bus fares are going up in August. Auckland Transport increased its fares in February. The BayBus service around Tauranga and Bay of Plenty increased prices in April, while the Otago Regional Council has agreed to raise prices but it hasn't set out when that will happen. In Wellington, Metlink fares will rise 2.2% while in Christchurch, fees will also rise. Check with your own local public transport for details in your area. ADVERTISEMENT Raw milk records From July 1, it will be a requirement to keep records of the movement of raw milk to and from farms. It's part of the National Pest Management Plan for Mycoplasma bovis which aims to prevent the spread of the disease. Weight loss drug Wegovy available The weight loss and diabetes drug Wegovy (also known as Ozempic) which is only available on prescription, should be on pharmacy shelves as of July 1, drug maker Novo Nordisk confirmed. It ends a years-long wait for the much-hyped medication.
