1997 days ago

Labour proposes making Matariki a public holiday?

Reporter Community News

Wellingtonians, what do you think of Labour's plan to make Matariki a public holiday?

Labour will make Matariki New Zealand’s twelfth public holiday if re-elected.

The new winter public holiday would fall at some point during the Matariki period, with an expectation that it would always happen on either a Monday or a Friday.

The exact timing of Matariki shifts every year as it relates to a star cluster reappearing and has traditionally varied between Iwi.

It would be the first new public holiday since the Third Labour Government made Waitangi Day a public holiday in 1973, although then Prime Minister Norman Kirk called it “New Zealand Day”.

Please mark any comments Not For Publication if you do not want to be quoted in a story.

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More messages from your neighbours
L
23 minutes ago

in need of Hydrangeas for wedding

Linda from Avalon

Hello everyone
My daughter is getting married this Saturday 28th February and the venue was battered by the storm and destroyed a lot of the flowers we were allowed to use. I'm reaching out to see if anyone has any green white or baby pink hydrangeas in their garden that they wouldn't mind parting with ?
Would be very much appreciated

Thank you
Linda

21 days ago

Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!

Mei Leng Wong Reporter from NZ Gardener & Get Growing

Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.

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2 hours ago

Step by step for a great cause!

Shona McFarlane Retirement Village

Our amazing Hillary Hikers from Edmund Hillary Village showed their support for Bowel Cancer New Zealand's Move Your Butt campaign this month!

Sporting the bright purple and orange campaign shirts, these wonderful walkers hit the Auckland waterfront and marched from Mission Bay to Kohimarama, raising awareness for bowel cancer and the importance of early detection along the way.

Click read more to read the full story.

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