Good News Aotearoa Digest 26/09/2025
🌿 Bright Spots From Around the Motu
Some weeks the headlines can feel heavy, like a southerly sweeping through the country. Yet beneath the gloom, all around Aotearoa, people are rolling up their sleeves, sparking ideas, and strengthening their communities. From Waikato to Northland, Nelson to Rakiura, stories of resilience, innovation and manaakitanga remind us of the unique spirit that defines this place.
Business & Innovation Taking Root
In Auckland, Cleanery continues to prove that big change can come from small packets. Their concentrated powder cleaning and personal care products slash packaging waste by around 99%, offering a local solution to a global plastics crisis. It’s a Kiwi example of innovation born of practicality: if it works better and wastes less, why not do it?
Down in Marlborough Sounds, Clearwater Mussels’ John Young took home the Minister for Oceans & Fisheries Award at the Seafood Sustainability & Innovation Awards 2025. His work shows how sustainable aquaculture can feed people, protect ecosystems, and create regional jobs all at once.
Meanwhile, New Zealand hosted an AI Summit, emphasising not just the risks but also the opportunities for Kiwi businesses and workers. The message was simple - if we lean into research and adoption now, Aotearoa can be a place where technology enhances work and creativity, rather than eroding it.
Waikato’s Forward Steps
Closer to home for the mighty Waikato, collaboration has been the buzzword. Hamilton City and Waikato District Councils have taken the significant step of forming a joint water company, streamlining delivery and easing the burden on ratepayers. It’s a reminder that working together can unlock better outcomes than going it alone.
In the south of Hamilton, the suburb of Peacocke is beginning to take shape - a long-term development expected to provide 7,400 homes for up to 20,000 people by 2070. Beyond bricks and mortar, it’s about creating a thriving community where future generations will grow up.
And while councils make plans, grassroots organisations keep spirits strong. Community Waikato is exploring a new hub in Hamilton to support marae, community groups and Māori organisations, ensuring those who hold communities together are themselves well supported.
Communities Making It Happen
Up and down the motu, everyday New Zealanders are proving that local effort makes a national difference.
In Feilding, volunteers including the Girls’ Brigade hauled nearly 40 kg of rubbish out of the town centre during NZ Clean Up Week - a small mountain of waste gone and a big lift in pride.
Kaipara District Council allocated $100,000 to 25 grassroots projects, from arts to environmental restoration, showing how even modest funding can unlock big community energy.
In Northcote, Tāmaki Makaurau, a new community hub and upgraded reserve will soon serve everyone from parents and toddlers at Plunket to local arts groups, breathing new life into a historic library site.
The Food Secure Communities Programme continues to fund local food hubs and providers, ensuring families can rely on community-based solutions to feed their whānau with dignity.
Meanwhile, in Kaingaroa Village, an ambitious revitalisation project has already delivered infrastructure upgrades, streetlights, a new community centre and safer water systems. Once a struggling forestry settlement, Kaingaroa is turning the page on its story.
In Nelson, the Maitahi Village fast-track housing project promises 180 new homes, iwi-led housing, and a retirement village - all within a development designed for long-term community benefit and Defence Force families are celebrating new builds too, as the government invests in modern housing that doubles as regional job creation.
Protecting Our Taonga
Aotearoa’s uniqueness has always been tied to its landscapes and ecosystems. That’s why the news that the Auckland Islands (Maukahuka), Rakiura, and the Chathams have joined the Island Ocean Connection Challenge is worth celebrating. It means more resources and partnerships to eradicate pests, restore habitats and help our islands stand strong against climate change.
These efforts echo the community-driven approach of Water Safety NZ, which has invested $2.3 million into 31 local projects aimed at keeping people safe in and around water - with kaupapa focused on those most at risk. From kapa haka groups teaching water safety to marae-based initiatives, this is about protecting lives through culture, knowledge and local action.
Celebrating Leadership & Storytelling
Our people are shining too. The Voyager Media Awards honoured New Zealand Geographic / Kōwhai Media and TVNZ for excellence in telling our stories, while the FSC Awards 2025 and the New Zealand Leadership Awards celebrated Kiwis making workplaces, industries and communities stronger.
On the world stage, high jumper Hamish Kerr gave us all a reason to stand a little taller, winning the world high jump title at 2.36 m - proof that Kiwi grit and talent continue to soar.
A Country Like No Other
These are not just “good news stories.” They’re threads in the fabric of who we are - practical innovators, community builders, environmental guardians and storytellers. Whether it’s a Hamilton council meeting, a group of Feilding kids with rubbish bags, or an iwi-led housing plan in Nelson, the spirit is the same.
Yes, the world is noisy and often grim. But here in Aotearoa, good things are happening - things that remind us that while challenges come and go, our uniqueness is in how we respond - together, with heart, creativity and determination.
✨ Good news travels better when it’s shared. Pass it on.
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