Harbour Bridge lane closure - protests
The Treaty Principles Bill was introduced to parliament last week and could have ramifications on the partnership between the Crown and Māori.
Hīkoi mō te Tiriti (March for the Treaty of Waitangi) set off from Cape Rēinga on Monday morning and is expected to reach Wellington next Tuesday. It has now passed through Kaitaia, Kawakawa, Whangārei, Dargaville and is passing through Auckland on Wednesday.
What you need to know today:
- The hīkoi is due to cross the Auckland Harbour Bridge about 9.30am on Wednesday. Two northbound lanes will be closed at some point before the crossing, and remain closed during it.
- NZTA shared at 8:50am Wednesday:
'Curran St northbound on-ramp will be closed shortly, with two northbound lanes on the Harbour Bridge expected to close from approx 9.30am this morning. Allow extra time for likely delays through this area.'
- The hīkoi is expected to go across the Harbour Bridge, in a controlled fashion before marching through parts of the CBD towards Okahu Bay.
- Auckland commuters should expect traffic disruption in vicinity of both sides of the Harbour Bridge.
Stuff reporter Steve Kilgallon was at Stafford Park on the north side of the Harbour Bridge at 8.30am Wednesday and shared:
"I just walked through Stafford Park, where there’s about 400-500 people quietly assembled and more arriving; and about 20 police standing over near the motorway off ramp. Lot of Tino Rangatira flags in evidence, local streets very busy with parked cars."
Police have shared that they will respond accordingly to any issues that may arise along the route.
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Immigration: Kiwi brain drain has peaked despite another year of record departures
Migrant departures reached a record 122,800 in the year to January 2025, up 18%.
Migrant arrivals were 155,300, down 31%, with a net migration gain of 32,500.
Economists warn low net migration could impact the housing market and economic recovery.
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The number of people leaving the country long-term hit another new record in the year to January – but monthly data suggests the brain drain has peaked.
Stats NZ provisional data for the January 2025 year (compared with January 2024) showed migrant departures up 18% to 122,800, the highest on record for an annual period.
Migrant arrivals, at 155,300 were down, 31% for the year.
There was an annual net migration gain of 32,500 (± 1500), compared with a net gain of 121,800.
Down from around 33,317 in the year to December, that was the lowest rate of net migration since 2014 (outside of the Covid-19 era).
In the past few weeks, economists have warned that low levels of net migration are providing a headwind for the residential housing market and may slow the overall economic recovery.
“Over the past few months, we’ve seen net migration stabilise at annualised rates around 25-35k. It leaves us with a view of positive but below average expansion in the population over the next 18 months or so,” BNZ chief economist Mike Jones said in a note last month.
“That adds to the list of factors likely to check the pace of recovery this year.”
Commenting on the latest numbers, ASB senior economist Mark Smith noted that weaker net immigration had “eroded a key leg of support for the New Zealand housing market, domestic demand, and labour market capacity”.
“Easing economic support from net immigration will weigh on economic growth and translate into greater spare capacity,” he said.
Annual migrant arrivals peaked at 234,800 in the year ended October 2023. Annual net migration peaked in the year ended October 2023 with a gain of 135,500.
For New Zealand citizens, the net migration loss of 44,200 in the January 2025 year shows a stabilisation of the ‘brain-drain’ trend.
It was a slight improvement from a net migration loss of 44,700 Kiwis in the January 2024 year, and a loss of 44,375 for the year to December 2024.
The monthly data shows the rate of Kiwi departures peaked in the year to August 2024 when a net 47,147 departed long-term.
That was still high compared to an average annual net migration loss of 27,100 in the January years 2002 to 2013 and an average annual net migration loss of 7500 in the January years 2014 to 2019, Stats NZ said.
For migrant arrivals in the January 2025 year, citizens of India were the largest group, with 25,800 arrivals. The next largest groups were citizens of New Zealand, 25,000; China, 17,600; and the Philippines, 14,000.
For migrant departures in the January 2025 year, citizens of New Zealand were still the largest group, with 69,200 departures.
The next largest groups were citizens of China, 7900; India, 5800, and the United Kingdom, 4500.
Citizens of India, the Philippines, and China drove net migration gains in the January 2025 year, Stats NZ said.
Country of citizenship is the nationality of the passport used to arrive in or depart from New Zealand and is not necessarily the country of previous or next residence.
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