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There have been hundreds of brilliant entries from around New Zealand for local businesses; but have we received yours yet?
Make sure you share a few words about your favourite local to give them a chance to be this year's Prospa Local Business Hero because it's the LAST WEEK TO … View moreThere have been hundreds of brilliant entries from around New Zealand for local businesses; but have we received yours yet?
Make sure you share a few words about your favourite local to give them a chance to be this year's Prospa Local Business Hero because it's the LAST WEEK TO NOMINATE! It'll only take you a couple of minutes and they could win a prize package worth over $30,000! And you could win great prizes too.
Nominate a business making an impact in your community now.
A Tauranga man has filed a complaint with the Commerce Commission, claiming that due to dynamic pricing, it’s cheaper for him to fly to Los Angeles than to book a flight for his daughter from Tauranga to Wellington.
Do you think their pricing needs addressed to encourage more people to fly?
Whether it's craft, haberdashery, woodwork or upcycling, we'd love to see what you've been working on lately.
You may even spark someone else's creativity...
Tell us about your current project or show us a picture in the comments below...
ANZAC Day is a time to reflect, remember, and honour those who served.
It’s also a powerful reminder of the impact of war and the courage of those who stood for something greater than themselves.
We're interested to hear what ANZAC Day means to you and your whānau, and about any … View moreANZAC Day is a time to reflect, remember, and honour those who served.
It’s also a powerful reminder of the impact of war and the courage of those who stood for something greater than themselves.
We're interested to hear what ANZAC Day means to you and your whānau, and about any special traditions you follow each year.
Perhaps you have a loved one who served? If you feel comfortable, we’d love for you to share their story here with us.
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This Mother's Day, save up to 35% on subscriptions – perfect for Mum, Grandma, a special mother figure, or even as a treat for yourself!
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Banks must reimburse fraud victims up to $500,000 and introduce new scam prevention measures.
The changes include technology to identify risky transactions and the ability to freeze suspect accounts.
Compensation applies if banks fail to meet prevention commitments, with the new rules effective … View moreBanks must reimburse fraud victims up to $500,000 and introduce new scam prevention measures.
The changes include technology to identify risky transactions and the ability to freeze suspect accounts.
Compensation applies if banks fail to meet prevention commitments, with the new rules effective from November.
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Banks will be required to reimburse fraud victims up to $500,000 and introduce new rules to crack down on scammers in a suite of measures unveiled today.
The changes include new technology to identify risky or unusual transactions based on a customer’s banking history and the ability to freeze payments and suspect accounts.
The moves are in response to Government demands to improve customer protections or be regulated in the face of Kiwi victims losing hundreds of millions of dollars to scammers each year.
The Herald has been campaigning for new safeguards to protect victims, highlighting dozens of cases in which Kiwis were tricked into losing their life savings through elaborate investment scams – many involving local “money mule” accounts.
Advocates have repeatedly warned that New Zealand was lagging behind other jurisdictions in terms of consumer safeguards. Today’s announcements aim to bring us into line with the likes of the UK.
The New Zealand Banking Association says it is rolling out a package of new protections in line with international best practice, which will be in place by November.
They include:
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A confirmation of payee service for customers to check that the name of the person they are paying matches the account number. Rollout of this has already commenced.
Pre-transaction warnings to consumers based on the payment purpose, for instance, higher-risk investments.
Identification of high-risk transactions or unusual account transaction activity, and the ability to block or delay payments.
A 24/7 reporting channel for customers who think they’ve been scammed.
Sharing scammer or “mule” account information with other banks to help prevent criminal activity, and freezing funds where appropriate.
New fraud reimbursement rules would also see victims who were tricked into authorising payments to fraudsters reimbursed up to $500,000, provided they met certain criteria.
The compensation would not apply to international money transfers, third-party payment services or purchases on social media.
Compensation would only apply if a bank failed to meet the new scam prevention commitments outlined above.
A decision on whether victims were compensated would also depend on whether they had taken “reasonable care” when making payments.
In the UK, the test is a much higher bar of “gross negligence”.
Association chief executive Roger Beaumont said scam prevention was the best way to protect consumers from scam losses. The new measures were a huge step up in the fight against online fraud.
“Banks already do a lot to identify and help prevent scams, and these new measures will enhance tech solutions to help protect customers from increasingly sophisticated scams.”
The new rules and policies are being written into the Code of Banking Practice, which will go live on November 30.
This means the Banking Ombudsman will be able to hold banks to account against the new code and determine if compensation should be awarded to complainants.
‘Important win for bank customers’
============================
Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Scott Simpson said banks had responded to the Government’s expectation to better protect consumers by introducing stronger safeguards and a compensation scheme.
“New commitments from banks mean that if a bank fails to adequately warn and protect a consumer from a scam, they will reimburse the victim up to $500,000.
“This is an important win for bank customers, who have been advocating for some time for better recognition from banks of the role they play as the final gate between a consumer and a scammer.”
The Government wrote to banks last year demanding improvements to protect customers, threatening regulation if the sector did not bring in voluntary measures.
Simpson said scams caused immense harm to the economy as consumers lost confidence in transacting online.
“While people still need to remain vigilant and take responsibility for their own online safety, these changes will enable consumers to check a payment is legitimate before transferring money.
“I have been clear with banks that the journey doesn’t stop here. I expect banks to continue to prioritise security and adapt to the ever-evolving scams environment.”
‘Emotional and financial cost of scams’
================================
Banking Ombudsman Nicola Sladden said her office had been calling for stronger consumer protections. While the new measures were welcome, the “devil is often in the detail”.
“We see firsthand the emotional and financial cost of scams. Beyond the monetary impact, victims endure the distress of being deceived, leading to a loss of confidence to operate online.
“Consumers are doing more and more online, making it increasingly vital they have a safe digital environment in which to make payments and transfer money.”
Confirmation of payee was an obvious way to fight back against scammers, Sladden said.
Other initiatives like greater sharing of intelligence, improved fraud detection systems and warnings for high-risk transactions would also help keep Kiwis safe.
Reimbursement scheme comes with caveats
====================================
Consumer NZ chief executive Jon Duffy has been a vocal critic of lax bank scam protections.
He said many of the measures announced today were already common overseas, which meant NZ banks had until now failed to respond adequately to increased scam activity.
The progress was welcome, but bank customers should note the new measures did not guarantee reimbursement if they were scammed, Duffy said.
“Banks will not be liable if they make reasonable efforts to alert a customer to risks. Customers will need to pay attention to warnings from their bank about risky transactions and be cautious if confirmation of payee checks return ‘no match’.
“Consumers should also note that protections do not apply to purchases made on social media or online marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace.”
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Be in to WIN a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a young Blues fan!
Tell us why your youngster should be the special coin toss guest at the next Blues home game.
The Prize includes:
- Tossing the coin with the referee and team captains.
- x2 Silver Stand tickets so you and your child can … View moreBe in to WIN a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a young Blues fan!
Tell us why your youngster should be the special coin toss guest at the next Blues home game.
The Prize includes:
- Tossing the coin with the referee and team captains.
- x2 Silver Stand tickets so you and your child can watch the game.
- x2 food & beverage vouchers
- x1 goodie bag and blues jersey.
- Visiting the commentary box
- Being taken to the field side-line where you can watch the team warm-up.
Terms and conditions apply
New Zealand First wants to clarify the definition of a woman and a man in law, introducing a Member’s Bill to ensure “our country moves away from the woke ideology that has crept in over the last few years”.
The move follows the UK Supreme Court ruling last week that the term “women” as … View moreNew Zealand First wants to clarify the definition of a woman and a man in law, introducing a Member’s Bill to ensure “our country moves away from the woke ideology that has crept in over the last few years”.
The move follows the UK Supreme Court ruling last week that the term “women” as referred to in the British Equality Act refers only to biological women. It’s also the latest in a series of legislative proposals from NZ First in its so-called “war on woke”.
The party wants to see “women” defined in law as an “adult human biological female” and “man” defined as an “adult human biological male”.
“The purpose of this amendment is to uphold legal certainty, protect the integrity of sex-based rights and ensure that language in law reflects biological reality,” an explanatory note within the legislation says.
“This definition will apply in all contexts where the terms ‘woman’ and ‘man’ are used, unless explicitly stated otherwise in specific legislation.”
The legislation is a Member’s Bill in the name of NZ First MP Jenny Marcroft. That means it’s not a Government bill and will need to be pulled from Parliament’s ballot before it’s debated and voted on.
Marcroft currently has a bill in the ballot to require local authorities to have a binding referendum when deciding whether to add fluoride to drinking water. MPs can only have one bill in Parliament’s ballot at a time and NZ First confirmed that bill would be swapped out for her new one.
NZ First leader Winston Peters said the legislation was “not about being anti-anyone or anti-anything” but “about ensuring we as a country focus on the facts of biology and protect the term ‘woman’ in law”.
“New Zealand First is the only party that campaigned on keeping men out of women’s sports, keeping men out of women’s and girl’s changing rooms, and we have received two petitions this term calling for protecting the term ‘woman’ in legislation.
“We were told at the time that we were going down a ‘rabbit hole’ and ‘on another planet’. But if you look at recent events, both internationally and in New Zealand, the pendulum is swinging back towards common sense and is proving us right.”
He said this would “ensure our country moves away from the woke ideology that has crept in over the last few years, undermining the protection, progression and safety of women”.
The Herald has sought reaction from Women’s Minister Nicola Grigg to last week’s ruling in the UK and whether she agreed with the definition it has put forward.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said NZ First was just looking for populist causes.
“At a time when New Zealanders are struggling with the cost of living, more New Zealanders are losing their jobs by the day, the health system is descending further into crisis, we have more people living rough on the streets because they are homeless, I don’t think this is a priority.”
Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick also said there were other issues to focus on, such as the cost of living and climate change, and NZ First’s proposal was intended to “distract” people from these challenges.
The Act Party said it believed in both free expression and “biological reality”.
“These values can sometimes be in tension, but when rights conflict, the role of the state is to draw clear lines that protect everyone’s freedom.
“People are free to present themselves however they like in a free society. But the right to self-expression does not override the rights of others, especially when it comes to women’s privacy, safety, and fairness.
“For example, biological women should not be forced to share public bathrooms, changing rooms, or prisons with men.
“For the sake of public services and legal clarity, the law should reflect the reality that sex is biological and binary. Any shift in focus towards self-declared gender risks confusion, conflict, and undermines hard-won sex-based rights.”
In 2020, the Ministry for Women said it defined “women” as “people who identify as women”.
“This definition is inclusive of transgender women,” it said.
The ministry’s website said it “represents the interests of all women, including transgender women, and we recognise the right of all people to self-identify”.
“We acknowledge the diversity of women and girls in Aotearoa New Zealand and focus on improving outcomes for wāhine Māori, Pacific women, migrant women, women who are former refugees, women with disabilities and the rainbow community.”
Last month, NZ First MP and Associate Health Minister Casey Costello directed Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora to use the term “women” instead of “pregnant people” in communications.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he supported having “common-sense language” and believed most people would consider pregnant people are women.
NZ First has introduced several pieces of legislation intended to counter “woke” elements of society, including a bill to remove diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) aspects from the public service.
===================================================
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Warm, fragrant hot cross buns are always a firm favourite in Ryman villages over the Easter holidays. It’s also the perfect time to spend with family – and what better way to create a festive atmosphere than by baking some delicious hot cross buns with your grandkids?
Nothing beats … View moreWarm, fragrant hot cross buns are always a firm favourite in Ryman villages over the Easter holidays. It’s also the perfect time to spend with family – and what better way to create a festive atmosphere than by baking some delicious hot cross buns with your grandkids?
Nothing beats home-made, and this recipe, shared by Ryman chef Matt Orr, will make a perfect Easter treat. As they bake, your home will be filled with the sweet aromas of Easter, and you’ll have a wonderful snack to enjoy together. So, let’s get baking!
Click read more for the full recipe.
Rolling up their sleeves and getting stuck into a ANZAC woodwork project has been the perfect way to forge a friendship, say Patrick Hogan Village residents Roger and Tony.
“We’ve made eight soldiers and 20 poppies plus the smaller poppies that go on the soldiers’ chests which we will … View moreRolling up their sleeves and getting stuck into a ANZAC woodwork project has been the perfect way to forge a friendship, say Patrick Hogan Village residents Roger and Tony.
“We’ve made eight soldiers and 20 poppies plus the smaller poppies that go on the soldiers’ chests which we will place around the gardens and outside the resident lounge here,” Roger says, agreeing that they will make a perfect backdrop for the village’s planned remembrance morning tea.
Click read more for the full story.
It might not be too late for you, but some people look back and wish they had taken a different career path.
If you could go back in time, would you choose something different? Let us know what you would have chosen in the comments below.
We hope you have a wonderful long weekend!
Maybe you have done some Easter baking, created an Easter egg hunt or decorated the house Easter themed - whatever your plans, share a photo of your Easter weekend moments below.
You'll be in to win a $100 Prezzy® card which you can spend on … View moreWe hope you have a wonderful long weekend!
Maybe you have done some Easter baking, created an Easter egg hunt or decorated the house Easter themed - whatever your plans, share a photo of your Easter weekend moments below.
You'll be in to win a $100 Prezzy® card which you can spend on chocolate, or whatever else your heart desires!
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