Auckland Rail Upgrade: The City Rail Link officially opens, with passenger services set to begin and businesses along the corridor hoping for smoother trading after years of disruption. Transport Governance: Transport Minister Chris Bishop and Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown have appointed members to the new Auckland Regional Transport Committee, aiming to reduce fragmented decision-making. Hospitality Regulation: The Ministry for Regulation’s Hospitality Sector Review flags alcohol licensing as a major drag on cafés and restaurants, with reform aimed at cutting delays and costs. Immigration Overhaul: New Zealand First unveils sweeping immigration proposals, including an annual resident visa cap referendum and tighter citizenship and asylum pathways. AI Security: A new report says AI systems are increasingly exposing sensitive data to unauthorised users in Australia and New Zealand, with downstream policy breaches now a major share of incidents. Manufacturing: BusinessNZ’s BNZ Performance of Manufacturing Index shows manufacturing expanding for a 14th month, with growth spreading across more regions and sub-sectors. Pokies Compliance: The Department of Internal Affairs says about $28m was misspent by pokie trusts, with $11.5m recovered so far and more repayments expected. Tourism & Local Funding: National’s visitor levy reset is being debated by councils, including Ōpōtiki, as communities weigh how much funding flows to local needs. Wildlife Park Rescue: Orana Wildlife Park seeks about $4.1m support to avoid running out of cash by March 2027, citing a credible recovery plan after governance and culture reviews. Markets Watch: New Zealand bond yields jumped to the highest level since April 2024 as oil prices surged amid Middle East tensions, feeding rate and inflation worries.