13 Feb 2026

Morning Report Essentials for Friday 13th February

From Morning Report, 10:00 am on 13 February 2026

An investment expert says retiring before the age of 70 is increasingly unaffordable, warning many New Zealanders may need to rethink their retirement expectations; Federated Farmers is concerned the Government's proposed RMA reforms could leave the door open to the introduction of a future water tax; Recent severe weather has exposed vulnerabilities in the country's roading network, prompting calls from the New Zealand Shipping Federation for greater investment in coastal shipping as a more resilient freight alternative; The Government has lifted the annual cap on space launches from 100 to 1,000, with Space Operations New Zealand saying the move will support growth in the sector; The Black Foils have repaired their damaged hull after a high-speed collision in Perth, with skipper Blair Tuke looking ahead to the Auckland round of SailGP.