Travel Alerts: NZ tops list, Aman Rosa Alpina opens and writer's festival return
Plan your next trip with these travel highlights. Photo / 123rf
Each week in Travel, we check out some of the latest happenings from Aotearoa and beyond to inspire your next adventure.
NZ tops life-work balance list
New Zealand has been named the top country for work-life balance, according to a 2025 study by Remote, a global HR platform. In an article by Conde Nast Traveller, Remote analysed 60 of the world's highest GDP nations, looking at factors such as paid leave, minimum wage, healthcare, average working hours and inclusivity.
New Zealand ranks highest thanks to the number of annual leave days, minimum wage and 26 weeks of paid maternity leave. This recognition shows why Kiwis enjoy a lifestyle where work and personal time blend seamlessly. This solidifies New Zealand as not just a beautiful destination but also an ideal place to live, work and recharge, offering the perfect backdrop for adventure and wellbeing. cntraveller.com/gallery/top-countries-world-for-life-work-balance
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1News
13 hours ago
- 1News
Noel Leeming charged over alleged Fair Trading Act breaches
Technology and appliance retailer Noel Leeming says it is "baffled" and "perplexed" by the Commerce Commission filing charges alleging it misled consumers on its promise to match prices. The Commerce Commission announced it had filed criminal charges in the Auckland District Court against the wholly-owned subsidiary of The Warehouse Group Limited, alleging it had breached the Fair Trading Act. Deputy chairperson Anne Callinan said its "price promise had many limitations and conditions which weren't made obvious to customers". "For over a decade Noel Leeming has prominently promoted their 'Price Promise,' which is their commitment to match any competitors' price. We believe their price promise claim was misleading and in breach of the Fair Trading Act," she said. "Price match advertising gives the impression that customers will be able to show up and get a match for competitor's prices. It's crucial that businesses promoting any price match offer factor in the overall impression of the claims they make, and that all information is clear to customers." The Commission has also filed charges against Noel Leeming regarding promotions where the advertised product or price was different to what could be purchased, and allege the company gave incorrect or misleading information about consumers' rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act when customers complained about faulty products. Callinan said Noel Leeming had previously been "one of our most complained about traders, and we were concerned about the range of issues consumers raised". Noel Leeming's chief operating officer Jason Bell said the company was "baffled" by the decision to press charges. "We firmly maintain that we have committed no offence and will vigorously defend this," he said in a statement. Bell said "our terms and conditions are fair and presented just like other retailers, and when we can't price match, we often don't get the sale". "We're perplexed by the Commission's claim that price matches were difficult to obtain, when over 250,000 Kiwis saved money with our Price Promise between 2019-2021. "Price matching is widely used by the industry, and it helps drive competition, and without it, Kiwis will end up paying more. He said if the business doesn't get something right, it would work hard to ensure fair resolutions for our customers. The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, Mama Hooch rapists appeal, Ukraine's new message to Russia, and Jason Momoa's plans here. (Source: Breakfast) "Some of the additional matters raised by the Commission occurred during the Covid-19-pandemic, when all businesses experienced unprecedented pressure, and our team went to extraordinary lengths to help Kiwis access the products they needed, handling over ten million transactions. "It is concerning that significant public resources and time have been spent on this matter for over three years, while overlooking more pressing potential harm to consumers from overseas online retailers operating outside of the rules. The system needs to evolve and hold all retailers selling to New Zealanders to the same standards of care." Callinan said "price match advertising gives the impression that customers will be able to show up and get a match for competitor's prices. "It's crucial that businesses promoting any price match offer factor in the overall impression of the claims they make, and that all information is clear to customers." The maximum penalty for breaches of the Fair Trading Act, is $600,000 per charge for businesses.
1News
13 hours ago
- 1News
Govt trumpets billions being spent on infrastructure in coming months
The Government has released an infrastructure update showing $6 billion of state-funded construction is due to start between now and Christmas. The ministers who were visiting a construction site in Drury spoke to media this morning. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon also took part in the briefing. Minister for Economic Growth Nicola Willis and Minister for Infrastructure Chris Bishop said in a media release that the projects would drive economic activity and create thousands of jobs across the country. "The projects getting underway include new roads, hospitals, schools, high-tech laboratories and other government buildings," Willis said. "That means spades in the ground, jobs throughout the country and a stronger economy. ADVERTISEMENT "Improving the quality of New Zealand's infrastructure is critical to growing the economy and helping Kiwis with the cost of living. "Good roads, schools and hospitals help business to move goods and services to market quickly and efficiently, children to learn and doctors and nurses to get patients back on their feet." The projects getting underway would create thousands of employment opportunities for New Zealanders, Bishop said. "Numbers vary according to the nature of projects, but data sourced from the Infrastructure Commission suggests each billion dollars of infrastructure investment per year equates to about 4500 jobs. "In total, workers are expected to start construction on $3.9 billion worth of roading projects in the next few months. "They include the Ōtaki to north of Levin expressway, the Melling interchange, the Waihoehoe Road upgrade, and the new Ōmanawa bridge on SH29. All will help to lift productivity by getting people and freight to their destinations quickly and safely. "Health projects kicking off include upgrades to Auckland City Hospital, Middlemore Hospital, and the construction of a new acute mental health unit at Hutt Valley Hospital. ADVERTISEMENT "Construction work on the new inpatients' building at the new Dunedin Hospital has also just begun." Projects focused on improving school properties nearly $800 million in value would also be underway before the end of the year, he said. "Other government infrastructure projects due to start before the end of this year include a massive new state-of-the-art biosecurity facility in Auckland for the Ministry of Primary Industries and the Papakura District Court interim courthouse. "Importantly, this is just the start. The National Infrastructure Pipeline, managed by the Infrastructure Commission, now shows planned future projects totalling $207 billion across central government, local government and the private sector." Alongside the infrastructure update, Nicola Willis today released an update on the Government's Infrastructure for Growth work programme. The update is the first refresh of the Going for Growth agenda launched in February to drive economic growth by backing business, improving infrastructure and skills, and removing barriers to innovation. The projects beginning construction include: Hutt Valley Te Whare Ahuru Acute Mental Health Unit, Wellington Kidz First and McIndoe Building Recladding, Middlemore Hospital, Auckland Linear Accelerators Replacement, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland Plant Health & Environment Capability Laboratory, Auckland Papakura District Court Interim Courthouse, Auckland Waihoehoe Road Upgrade, Auckland SH22 (Drury) Corridor Upgrade - interim works, Auckland SH29 Tauriko - Omanawa Bridge - Bay of Plenty SH1 Ōtaki to north of Levin, Horowhenua SH2 Melling Interchange, Wellington SH76 Brougham Street, Canterbury Rolleston Access Improvements - Package 1, Canterbury Parliamentary Library - south building and underground carpark seismic strengthening & rebuild, Wellington School property projects across the country including roll growth classrooms, upgrades and redevelopments & learning support satellite classrooms, administration blocks and gymnasiums.
NZ Herald
15 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Government's $6b infrastructure push faces criticism from the Opposition
The projects would create thousands of jobs and lift productivity by getting people and freight to their destinations quickly and safely, Bishop said. But Green Party infrastructure spokeswoman Julie Anne Genter said spending billions of dollars on roading projects would not solve the country's productivity crisis. 'They're trying to distract from the fact their actions cancelling heaps of projects has led to a crisis in the construction industry here in Aotearoa, where last month almost a third of business liquidations were construction companies. 'The coalition Government has cancelled far more projects than any other government that I'm aware of. They cancelled the ferries, they've cancelled lots of public house builds, and other decisions they've made to cut public spending have led to a longer and deeper recession. 'This is really a Government trying to govern with PR stunts and slogans, and no real commitment to solving the challenges we're facing.' Green Party infrastructure spokeswoman Julie Anne Genter. Photo / Mark Mitchell A majority of New Zealanders wanted to take action on climate change, so getting off fossil fuels and on to more sustainable transport was a win-win that would do more for productivity, she said. Willis said the projects due to get under way included new roads, hospitals, schools, high-tech laboratories and other government buildings. 'That means spades in the ground, jobs throughout the country and a stronger economy.' Improving New Zealand's infrastructure was critical to growing the economy and helping with the cost of living, Willis said. Luxon said the Government was 'on the side of the Kiwis who need roads to get to their jobs at the crack of dawn, deliver essential goods like food and get their kids to school'. He said the Government would partner with the private sector 'where it made sense'. 'We're obviously doing a huge amount of investment ourselves as Government, but it's a combination of both of those things.' Labour's infrastructure spokesman Kieran McAnulty characterised the announcement as nothing more than a distraction. 'Just this morning ... the Associate Housing Minister [Tama Potaka] finally admitted the Government's policies have contributed to an unprecedented rise in homelessness and the best distraction they can come up with is an announcement of an announcement – I think that speaks volumes,' McAnulty said. 'There's nothing new in today's announcement. People knew that was happening, and some of it was actually started under the previous government. What the infrastructure sector actually want is certainty ... because we've already lost 15,000 workers in construction, many of them have gone to Australia, and every week we've got civil construction firms going under because of the lack of work. Labour's infrastructure spokesman Kieran McAnulty. Photo / Mark Mitchell 'Today's re-announcement isn't going to help any of those people. 'It would have been preferable for the Government to announce new work, or bring projects and maintenance work forward to give firms confidence and certainty, so they can either keep their workers or attract them back.' References to private investment and collaboration rang hollow, McAnulty said. 'We've been hearing the Government talking about public-private partnerships since the day they came in – we still haven't seen any of them signed or under way. I'd like to see the Government actually come up with something tangible. 'Announcing things and making a big deal about things that they already had been announced or under way under the previous Government is not going to give people the certainty they want.' Infrastructure New Zealand chief executive Nick Leggett welcomed the announcement, which he said came at a time when the industry was 'bleeding capability'. Infrastructure New Zealand chief executive Nick Leggett. An Infrastructure New Zealand survey found 65% of firms had reduced staff over the past 12 months, and nearly half had lost workers to overseas markets. 'New Zealand has an infrastructure deficit, and we need our skilled workforce here to close it.' He said the country has a 'perennial problem' with start-stops when it comes to building infrastructure, and he wanted to see a more 'bipartisan approach'. Leggett acknowledged the projects announced were not new, but said the industry association's focus was on the increase in projects under way by December this year, compared to last year. 'And we're hopeful that in December of 2026, there'll be even more work. 'We've got very skilled, professional people in different parts across the infrastructure industry that are keen to get their teeth into those projects announced today, some of them, of course, have been paused or cancelled previously. But the point is they're going to be in the market quickly.' He wanted to see more work on smoothing out the infrastructure pipeline. 'What we need to do is get agreed on what the pipeline looks like and never have the kind of stops we've seen in the last decade or so that pause or cancel projects. 'Our economy needs this stimulus, and it needs these projects so people can get health and education results and be able to move around on transport projects that actually get built rather than just get argued over.' The full list of projects due to get under way this year includes: Hutt Valley Te Whare Ahuru Acute Mental Health Unit, Wellington Kidz First and McIndoe Building Recladding, Middlemore Hospital, Auckland Linear Accelerators Replacement, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland Dunedin Hospital Sterile Services Unit, Dunedin Plant Health & Environment Capability Laboratory, Auckland Plant Health & Environment Capability Laboratory, Auckland Papakura District Court Interim Courthouse, Auckland Waihoehoe Road Upgrade, Auckland SH22 (Drury) Corridor Upgrade – interim works, Auckland SH29 Tauriko – Ōmanawa Bridge – Bay of Plenty SH1 Ōtaki to north of Levin, Horowhenua SH2 Melling Interchange, Wellington SH76 Brougham Street, Canterbury Rolleston Access Improvements – Package 1, Canterbury Parliamentary Library – south building and underground carpark seismic strengthening & rebuild, Wellington School property projects across the country, including classrooms, upgrades, redevelopments, learning support satellite classrooms, administration blocks and gymnasiums The Government said there was also a small number of 'significant projects' which could not be named for 'a range of commercial reasons', but were included in the $6b total. – RNZ
