Wealth & Business: The 2026 NBR Rich List puts New Zealand’s top wealth creators at a combined $129b, up from $102.1b last year, with 19 newcomers adding $10.22b and Zuru founders Mat and Nick Mowbray retaining the $20b top spot. Tourism & Transport: New Zealand’s car rental market is riding the tourism recovery, reaching NZ$2.3b in 2025 with 7.6% annual revenue growth, as operators expand fleets for families, groups and corporate travel. Dairy Outlook: Global milk supply growth is expected to stall in 2026 as energy, fertiliser and financing costs squeeze margins, raising the risk of a first quarterly output contraction since mid-2024. Agribusiness Climate Policy: At Fieldays, PM Christopher Luxon backed farm emissions-reducing tech rollouts with up to $51m and said NZ will stay in the Paris Agreement, while NZ First pressed harder on climate and trade. Economy Watch: GDP data is set to show the “calm before the storm” after early-quarter momentum, but oil-price shocks could hit later. Health Funding: Psychiatrists say the Government’s $100m mental health package is piecemeal and lacks a system-wide plan, with key prevalence data still missing. Labour Market: Youth unemployment has climbed to 17.3% for 15–24-year-olds, the highest in more than 30 years, as trades academy funding ramps up. Environment Court: A Whangārei plastic-burning case has raised questions about whether pyrolysis is meaningfully different from landfill. Infrastructure & Rail Safety: KiwiRail says a contractor stood down over faulty track welding has been retrained, after RNZ revealed higher-than-normal defect rates in Auckland tunnels. Skills Pipeline: Bay of Plenty’s Young Grower Competition is set to bring 400-plus students together to showcase modern horticulture careers.