Bay of Plenty’s unemployment landscape is shifting as businesses grapple with rising operational costs and economic uncertainty, according to Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen. While employment numbers grew by 9,200 year-on-year to reach 185,000, the region’s labor market is struggling to absorb an increasing number of job seekers. Economists and local business leaders attribute this … Read more
New Zealand businesses are moving on from the hope of a post-Covid recovery, according to the 2026 2degrees Shaping Business study. Surveying 555 decision-makers between March 10 and April 10, 2026, the research indicates that firms have shifted their focus away from waiting for a return to pre-pandemic conditions and are instead adapting to a … Read more
The New Frontier of Parliamentary Diplomacy: Navigating Geopolitical Sanctions When Act MP Laura McClure found herself on the receiving end of a travel ban from Beijing following a trip to Taiwan, she didn’t mince words. Describing the move as a form of “foreign interference,” McClure signaled a shift in how backbench politicians are navigating the … Read more
The El Niño Surge: Understanding the Impact of Shifting Pacific Patterns on Water and Weather Climate patterns are never static, but when the Pacific Ocean begins to shift, the ripples are felt far beyond the shoreline. We are currently tracking a significant trend: the intensification of El Niño cycles. While these events are a natural … Read more
A Legacy of Harmony: The Enduring Impact of the Topp Twins In the landscape of Aotearoa New Zealand’s cultural history, few figures have loomed as large—or as joyfully—as Jools and Lynda Topp. For over four decades, the Topp Twins were more than just entertainers; they were a mirror held up to the Kiwi soul, blending … Read more
Beyond the Hass: Why New Zealand’s Avocado Diversity is Booming For decades, the dark, pebbly skin of the Hass avocado has been the gold standard for shoppers worldwide. But in the lush orchards of New Zealand, a quiet revolution is taking place. Growers are increasingly looking beyond the Hass, championing “greenskin” varieties that offer unique … Read more
Beyond the Balance Sheet: The Future of National Aviation in a Remote World For decades, we have viewed airlines through a narrow lens: as commercial enterprises that should either make a profit or fail. But for nations separated from the rest of the world by thousands of miles of ocean, an airline is not just … Read more
The Evolution of JDM: From Street Tuners to Million-Dollar Assets For decades, the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) was a niche obsession for gearheads and underground racers. Today, it has transformed into a high-stakes asset class. We are seeing a fundamental shift where iconic vehicles, specifically the Nissan Skyline GT-R R34, are no longer viewed merely … Read more
The Great Trade-Off: From Smog to Sludge For years, the cruise industry has touted a victory in the war against air pollution. The introduction of “scrubbers”—exhaust gas cleaning systems—was presented as a silver bullet to meet global sulphur emission requirements. But as many environmentalists now argue, this wasn’t a solution so much as a shell … Read more
The Fragility of the Digital Campus: Lessons from the Canvas Breach For years, the modern university has operated on a silent assumption: the Learning Management System (LMS) is an invisible, unbreakable utility. Whether it is Canvas, Moodle, or Blackboard, these platforms are the central nervous system of higher education, housing everything from syllabi and grades … Read more