Today in Business: September 17, 2025

Welcome to Today in Business - Powered by Spark for Business, an experimental AI podcast by the New Zealand Herald.
Each weekday, we bring you five stories, the best of the New Zealand Herald business journalism, summarised and delivered by an AI voice as an easily digestible recap.
It's Wednesday, September 17, 2025, and here are five stories you should know about.
The International Energy Agency says global oil and gas fields are declining faster, requiring nearly 90 percent of upstream investment just to offset falling supply. Executive director Fatih Birol says, "Decline rates are the elephant in the room." The Paris-based agency analyzed 15,000 fields worldwide, noting shale and deep offshore resources decline quickly compared with major Middle East producers. New Zealand is also facing sharper reserve declines. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment reports gas reserves fell 27 percent in 2024, with production forecasts cut. Gas use dropped 19.8 percent last quarter after Methanex paused production to conserve supply.
In other news, Auckland Airport will have its busiest domestic day of the year this Friday. The airport expects one million passengers during school holidays, up six percent from last year. Domestic departures could exceed 15,000, alongside heavy international traffic. Chief customer officer Scott Tasker urges travelers to allow time and follow airline check-in requirements. New scanners now allow laptops and phones to stay in bags. Parking is limited, but pre-booking is encouraged. Top domestic destinations are Christchurch, Wellington, and Queenstown. Tasker says additional staff and contingency plans are in place to manage congestion during the busy holiday travel period.
Turning to markets, the latest Global Dairy Trade auction recorded its third consecutive fall, with overall prices down zero point eight percent. The previous auction dropped four point three percent. Cheddar was the only product to rise, gaining two point two percent. Whole milk powder, which has the biggest impact on Fonterra's farmgate milk price, fell zero point eight percent. The steepest fall came from mozzarella, plunging 9.6 percent.
Moving to the aviation sector, Air Ruatōria founder and chief executive Mahanga Maru is promoting bilingual safety briefings in Māori. Speaking at the Aviation Industry Association summit in Wellington, Maru says "Te reo Māori is part of who we are." His East Coast airline operates three Cessna aircraft on scenic and charter flights. Safety cards now feature Māori terms such as "kahu kautere" for lifejacket and "putanga ohorere" for emergency exit. Maru, a veteran pilot of 40 years, urges aviation to embrace Māori language and culture. He says aviation remains vital for regional connectivity, especially where road or rail alternatives are limited.
In property news, Christchurch-based Brooksfield Homes is debuting in Auckland with eight colonial-style townhouses across Pt Chevalier. Managing director Vinny Holloway confirms five have already sold before construction. The two sites, Moa Road and Smale Street, have a combined projected value of $11.6 million. Homes feature pitched roofs, tall gables, verandas, and classical architecture. Prices range from $1.2 million for a two-bedroom unit to 1.58 million for three bedrooms. Brooksfield has delivered more than 600 homes since 2019. Holloway says demand in Auckland reflects interest in heritage-style designs, with more projects planned in Westmere, Mt Albert, and Mt Eden.
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