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We’re excited to welcome Wei from Compost Collective back for the final workshop in this free series: Free Introduction to Composting Workshop – Epsom
• Tuesday 11 November
• 11.30am-1.30pm
• Epsom Community Centre, 202 Gillies Ave
Learn about three easy composting systems for … View moreWe’re excited to welcome Wei from Compost Collective back for the final workshop in this free series: Free Introduction to Composting Workshop – Epsom
• Tuesday 11 November
• 11.30am-1.30pm
• Epsom Community Centre, 202 Gillies Ave
Learn about three easy composting systems for home and garden -traditional bins, worm farms, and Bokashi buckets. Afterwards, enjoy a visit to our community garden and share some food together. Please bring a plate to share.
Free workshop – bookings essential.
Register here: compostcollective.org.nz...
It now costs up to $8.49 to buy a block of Whittaker’s chocolate after the company upped its prices.
New World stores across Auckland were selling regular 250g blocks for $8.49 on Monday. Just last Friday, they were $7.69, 80c cheaper.
The cheapest Auckland price the Herald could find was $6.39… View moreIt now costs up to $8.49 to buy a block of Whittaker’s chocolate after the company upped its prices.
New World stores across Auckland were selling regular 250g blocks for $8.49 on Monday. Just last Friday, they were $7.69, 80c cheaper.
The cheapest Auckland price the Herald could find was $6.39 at Pak’nSave in Botany.
Blocks at Sylvia Park and Ormiston were $6.49, while other Pakn’Save supermarkets were selling them for $7.09.
Woolworths stores were selling the blocks for $7.69 on Monday.
Prices of other Whittaker’s products have also increased.
Last week, New World was selling 100g blocks for $5.99. Today, they cost $6.99.
The 45g bars, including “Peanut Slabs”, last week cost $2.09. Now they are $2.69.
Hike driven by a jump in ingredient and operating costs
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The company announced prices would be increased across its range of products last Friday.
“At Whittaker’s, we’re proud to craft all of our chocolate right here in New Zealand, using the finest ingredients,” the company said on its social media.
“For us, increasing our prices is always a last resort, however, over the past year, the cost of ingredients and operating costs have continued to rise.
“We’ll never compromise on the size or quality of our products so this price increase will enable us to continue bringing you our delicious chocolate made with the very best, ethically sourced ingredients.”
The announcement comes after Statistics NZ yesterday revealed food prices had increased 4.1% in the 12 months to September.
The average price of milk was 15.1% higher than a year ago. Stats NZ said the 3.9% increase in prices in the grocery food category had driven the overall food price.
Butter prices were 28.9% higher than a year ago and cheese prices rose 31.4%.
The social media response to Whittaker’s announcement appeared to be understanding of the cost pressures and appreciative of the company’s commitment to quality and block size.
“I’ll give credit where credit’s due. You are always up front when increasing prices and very clear in not compromising on quality, unlike competitors who slowly reduce their sizing and quality and hope the customer won’t notice. Will always buy Whittaker’s,” one social media user said.
“Consistent quality and transparency means I will always buy your chocolate,” another said.
“Love your chocolate, love that it never shrinks, and the recipe never changes. Happy to support local. We’re loyal to Whittaker’s,” another social media user said.
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Here's wishing all neighbours celebrating this festival a very happy Deepavalli. May millions of lamps illuminate your life with joy, prosperity, good health and more wealth.
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We’ve all felt it – that small thrill when you spot a yellow “special” tag on the shelf or see a loyalty discount appear on your receipt. But in New Zealand, not every bargain is what it seems. Watchdogs say pricing errors and misleading promotions may be costing shoppers millions each … View moreWe’ve all felt it – that small thrill when you spot a yellow “special” tag on the shelf or see a loyalty discount appear on your receipt. But in New Zealand, not every bargain is what it seems. Watchdogs say pricing errors and misleading promotions may be costing shoppers millions each year, and some supermarkets are now facing criminal charges for alleged breaches of the Fair Trading Act.
What the law says
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Under the Fair Trading Act 1986, retailers must not mislead or deceive consumers about prices or promotions. Advertising a discount that is not genuine, or charging more at the checkout than the shelf price, can breach the act.
The Commerce Commission has warned that supermarket pricing inaccuracies “can lead to consumers paying more than they should”. Grocery Commissioner Pierre van Heerden said in May 2024 that if even a small percentage of transactions are wrong, “New Zealanders could be losing tens of millions of dollars a year from supermarket pricing errors”.
In December 2024, the Commission announced it had filed criminal charges under the Fair Trading Act against Woolworths New Zealand Ltd and the operators of Pak’nSave Silverdale and Pak’nSave Mill Street for alleged inaccurate pricing and misleading “specials”. The companies have said they are cooperating fully and the proceedings are ongoing.
The consumer push-back
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Public frustration over scanning errors and endless specials led Consumer NZ to launch its Price It Right campaign in 2024. The organisation is calling for a mandatory pricing-accuracy code and automatic refunds where scanned prices exceed shelf prices. It reports receiving hundreds of examples from shoppers through its website.
Chief executive Jon Duffy said at the launch: “Shoppers deserve confidence that the price they see is the price they pay.”
Loyalty maths – small print, small returns
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Supermarket loyalty schemes are legal but often over-promised. Programmes such as Onecard, Clubcard and Flybuys offer member pricing or points that typically return around 0.5–1% of spending, depending on redemption. In other words, a $100 shop may yield roughly $1 in value.
Consumer NZ’s 2024 supermarket survey found more than half of respondents don’t trust specials or loyalty discounts, and many dislike how their data is shared with partner companies. These arrangements are permitted, but the perception gap suggests loyalty perks should be viewed as modest bonuses, not game-changing savings.
Four red flags to watch for
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The phantom “was” price: When a product says “was $10, now $8”, the higher price must have been charged for a reasonable period. Otherwise, it may be misleading under the Fair Trading Act.
The multibuy trap: “Two for $5” isn’t always cheaper. Compare the unit price – the cost per 100g or per item printed on the shelf label.
Shelf-to-till mismatch: If an item scans higher than the displayed price, you are legally entitled to pay the lower one. Consumer NZ argues supermarkets should automatically refund the difference.
Perpetual specials: When an item is almost always “on special”, that may suggest the “regular” price is theoretical. The act requires discounts to represent genuine, time-limited reductions.
Five quick ways to check a deal
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Compare unit prices. It’s the fairest way to judge value across sizes and brands.
Keep photos of regular buys. A quick snapshot shows whether a current special is truly cheaper.
Do the maths. If the saving is marginal, it may just be marketing.
Mind expiry dates. Deep discounts on near-dated stock aren’t bargains if half goes to waste.
Check your receipt before leaving. Pricing mistakes are easiest to fix on the spot.
Why it matters
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Supermarkets process thousands of price changes every day, so occasional mistakes are inevitable. But repeated errors or perpetual specials undermine trust, especially when grocery costs are rising faster than inflation.
Stats NZ data shows food prices increased 4.6% in the year to June 2025, driven largely by higher dairy, meat and produce costs. That makes accurate pricing and transparent discounting more important than ever.
The Commerce Commission’s ongoing grocery market study aims to improve competition and clarity. Until stronger safeguards arrive, individual vigilance remains the best defence.
A genuine bargain is one you can verify, not just one wrapped in yellow signage. If the maths works, enjoy the saving. If it doesn’t, walk away.
True deals still exist – they just take sharper eyes and a little arithmetic to find them.
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Follow @groundednz_ on Instagram for the latest updates
Heated towel rail and slide shower - in working condition. Pick up asap from Hillsborough.
Tens of thousands of households will see their gas prices hiked by an average of 17% as Contact Energy says the decline in production has hit faster and harder than expected.
“We work hard to ensure our customers are on a competitive gas rate,” Contact’s chief retail officer Carolyn Luey … View moreTens of thousands of households will see their gas prices hiked by an average of 17% as Contact Energy says the decline in production has hit faster and harder than expected.
“We work hard to ensure our customers are on a competitive gas rate,” Contact’s chief retail officer Carolyn Luey said.
“We are balancing the need for energy security with a constrained gas supply as the country transitions to a renewable energy future.”
Contact has “committed more than $2 billion on building the critical energy infrastructure New Zealand needs”, Luey said.
“In the past financial year, our entire net profit – and some – was invested in developing renewable energy projects.
“The more power stations we build, the faster prices will come down over time. And this will help ensure New Zealand has a secure, sustainable renewable energy supply for households and businesses.”
A letter to one affected customer in Wellington said their prices would rise more than 20% on December 1, the Post reported.
One of Contact’s energy plans will see prices increased to 14.9 cents per kilowatt hour, excluding GST or prompt-payment discounts, the Post said.
It would see each gigajoule (GJ) of gas priced around $41.40, excluding GST, the Post said.
The latest spot price for gas today was $13.12, Transpower-owned EMS Tradepoint showed. The average price for the quarter was listed today as $15.98.
Statistics NZ last week revealed September price figures.
Gas was 17% more expensive than a year ago and 1.4% more expensive than the month before, the data showed.
The Post reported the country’s largest gas user, methanol producer Methanex, was believed to pay $6/GJ. Other businesses are paying $25 or more per GJ, a BusinessNZ survey from August found.
Contact Energy chief executive Mike Fuge told the Herald in August: “No one foresaw the collapse on the upstream gas market, and how rapid it was going to be.
“The answer is to get off base load gas [for continuous power generation], as we’ve done, and to build more renewables as we’re doing.
“And the answer is to actually keep going.”
Contact earlier reported a net profit of $331 million and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortisation and financial instruments (ebitdaf) of $872m for the 2025 financial year.
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Wesley College was placed under statutory management in 2023 after allegations emerged of bullying and violence at the school, including reports of “coverings”, in which students were made to cover their faces before being punched, kicked and slapped by older students.
In April that year, the … View moreWesley College was placed under statutory management in 2023 after allegations emerged of bullying and violence at the school, including reports of “coverings”, in which students were made to cover their faces before being punched, kicked and slapped by older students.
In April that year, the Herald reported that Oranga Tamariki was working with police to investigate a “report of concern”.
The Education Review Office (ERO) launched a special review due to “significant concerns” about the school and its hostels, and warned the college had a duty of care to ensure students are “physically and emotionally safe”.
Today, the school issued a statement announcing the closure of its boarding hostels from the end of this term “for a period sufficient to ensure meaningful and lasting improvements are achieved”.
Wesley College Trust Board chair Jan Tasker said the decision followed “ongoing concerns about student safety and hostel culture”.
“While significant progress has been made in recent years – including improved supervision, safeguarding measures, and upgraded facilities – the Trust Board accepts that further deep, structural change is required.
“Student safety and wellbeing are our highest priority.
“We acknowledge that our hostel provision has not yet met the consistent standard we expect. Closing the hostels is a decisive step that will allow us to reset the culture, systems, and facilities once and for all.”
Tasker said the closure would take effect at the end of term 4, after students had completed NCEA and other end-of-year assessments, in order to minimise disruption to their academic success.
During the closure period, the trust board would undertake a comprehensive review of hostel operations, including culture, staffing, safeguarding and infrastructure.
“The goal is to ensure that when the hostels reopen, they provide a safe, inclusive, and values-based environment.
“Wesley College will work closely with families, staff, and the Methodist Church during this transition, and is committed to supporting boarders with accommodation and pastoral care options.”
School rocked by allegations of violence
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The Methodist school, which champions the importance of learning institutions that are “real communities” with a “family feel”, was rocked two years ago by allegations of violence against pupils and the appointment of a limited statutory manager (LSM).
At the time, principal Brian Evans said the school’s trust board welcomed the support “to assist us in our progress towards being an exemplary model of change”.
The Ministry of Education appointed Dr Shane Edwards as statutory manager after concerns emerged about violence and management of the school’s hostels.
The school’s hostel licence was revoked in November 2022 for potential breaches of regulations – understood to relate to the “active supervision of boarders” – but was later reinstated for five of its six hostels.
1News reported allegations of students receiving violence “coverings”, with claims by students that it was normal to be assaulted by older students for making mistakes, with “coverings” occurring almost weekly.
In response to “significant concerns”, ERO said it commissioned a special review of the college and its hostel operations.
“The school board and hostel management of Wesley College have a duty of care to ensure all learners at the school and all boarders in the hostel are physically and emotionally safe.”
In a statement on the school’s website, Evans says, “You always know your son or daughter is capable of great things. At Wesley College, we can take them beyond that to be among the best in the world. In the words of John Wesley, ‘Every child matters’.”
A trust board document relating to “abuse, harassment or neglect of boarders” says any report or suspicion that a boarder is experiencing abuse must be taken seriously.
The document says that, if the principal believes such abuse or neglect has occurred, written notice must be made within 24 hours to the child’s parents, Oranga Tamariki or police.
When the statutory manager was appointed, the Herald asked Evans how many written referrals had been made to police or Oranga Tamariki, whether any students had been suspended or expelled for violence, and what guarantees the school could give parents that students in its care were safe.
He provided a short statement that did not address the questions. It said ERO launched its special review after the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care and media coverage.
“ERO and the Ministry of Education [MOE] continue to work closely with the school.
“We welcome this support as we feel it will assist us in our progress towards being an exemplary model of change.”
Ministry of Education North leader Isabel Evans said the statutory manager could advise the board on the health and safety of staff and students, and help the school return to self-management once recommendations had been met.
She confirmed the ministry had received one complaint about bullying, which was forwarded to Wesley College for investigation.
In October 2022, the Methodist Church told the royal commission it wanted to apologise unreservedly to historic abuse victims.
It acknowledged people who had suffered abuse in former children’s homes and other schools overseen by the Methodists.
The church admitted some children were horribly abused and neglected, and said 20 redress claims were being resolved.
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Big news! Ryman has won Best Provider Nationwide at the 2025 Seniors New Zealand Awards - for the 6th time!
Leading the way in retirement living and aged care, again and again.
Beach scene picture
This can stand alone on a shelf, or, there is a hole on the back to hang.
Eden Ripley
Made in NZ
14 x 6 cm… View moreBeach scene picture
This can stand alone on a shelf, or, there is a hole on the back to hang.
Eden Ripley
Made in NZ
14 x 6 cm
2 cm depth
Collection is from Herd Rd, Hillsborough
Picture of NZ wax eye bird
By Kirk O'Donoghue
Made in NZ
This picture can stand alone on a shelf, or, there is a hole on the back which you can use.
10 x 10
2 cm depth
Collection is from Herd Rd, Hillsborough
Counted cross stitch kit
Christmas Minnie mouse
Everything needed is included.
Collection is from Herd Rd, Hillsborough
© Neighbourly 2025
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