It’s been a tough run for the economy this year, but the Finance Minister is celebrating the progress that was made.

Nicola Willis told Kerre Woodham the economy is growing, which means that when they look back on 2025, they’ll be able to say it ended a lot better than it started.

She says that looking into next year, it’s set to grow much faster, with many more jobs being created.

“People can look forward to their incomes rising faster than inflation and ongoing low interest rates – that's a positive way to start the next year.”

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Trains will be offline across the Auckland rail network from December 27 to January 28.

KiwiRail says the closure is needed to allow for urgent repairs and maintenance which is needed for the upcoming City Rail Link, set to open in the second half of 2026.

Public Transport Users Association National Coordinator Jon Reeves told Kerre Woodham that shutting down the trains over the summer for maintenance purposes is the classic cliché that's been going on for about 25 years.

He says it's become a bit of a joke, and a different way to make these upgrades needs to be found.

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New Zealand's economy grew more than expected between July and September.

But between April and June, it shrank more than previously thought.

GDP rose 1.1% in the September quarter, surpassing all expectation but Stats NZ has revised the numbers for the June quarter, finding GDP actually fell 1%, not the previously-reported 0.9%.

That means the economy shrank 0.5% in the year to September.

NZ Herald Business Editor Liam Dann told Kerre Woodham the data is showing there’s some momentum in the economy, especially within manufacturing and business services.

He says consumers take a bit longer to feel upbeat, but the business core of the economy is picking up.

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