New Zealand natural health and beauty products retailer HealthPost has snapped up two Australian competitors after their parent company went broke.

The price of labour is falling in the United States, Britain and Europe, as the balance shifts back to employers from employees in a number of major markets.

The commission says in most cases there were options that did not incur a fee – and any surcharge should be in line with the cost of accepting the transaction.

Air New Zealand wants oil companies to explain why bad batches of jet fuel keep being delivered.

Retailers in North Canterbury say they don’t know how much more they can take due to constant burglaries and crime in the area.

Delivery times for new and used cars have blown out by weeks or months in New Zealand as ships stack up off Australian ports.

The rapid rise in migration and the resurrection of the tourism industry could see the economy cling on to growth for longer than expected, though an economic downturn is still forecast for later this year.

The country’s financial system is still in good shape although some households are feeling the stress of higher mortgage repayments, the bank says.