Latest news in New Zealand? September 25th, 2026

Key developments and news from New Zealand on September 25th, 2026:

• Defence Science Agreement with Australia: Australia and New Zealand signed a new Innovation, Science & Technology Statement of Intent during the Five Eyes Science and Technology Principals meeting hosted in New Zealand. The agreement deepens cooperation between New Zealand’s Defence Science and Technology (DST) organisation and Australia’s DSTG, focusing on joint research and personnel exchanges.

  Defence+ 1

• Reserve Bank Appointment: Minister of Finance Nicola Willis appointed Rebecca Williams, Senior Manager of Economics at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ), to the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) for a one-year term starting in October.

  Reserve Bank of New Zealand

• Transport & Infrastructure Updates: Ministerial statements from the Beehive addressed ongoing Cook Strait ferry reliability and contingency planning, with Rail Minister Winston Peters commenting on the operational readiness of the Interislander fleet.

  Beehive.govt.nz

• Economic Indicators: Economic reports released later in the September quarter point toward gradual economic stabilization, marked by moderate quarterly GDP growth and an uptick in business and consumer confidence indicators.

  BusinessNZ