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Sarah Court has been appointed as the new chair of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (Asic) and will take over from the retiring Joe Longo from June 1.
Court, who will be first woman to lead the regulator in its 35 year history, has been deputy chair of Asic since 2001.
She also served in senior roles at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission with responsibilities in litigation and enforcement.
Longo, a former corporate lawyer, has led Asic since 2021.
The Asic chair position is one of the best paid in the Australian public sector, with remuneration of almost A$880,000 ($1m) a year.
New Zealand building consents bumped higher in 2025, helped by increased activity in Auckland.
Stats NZ data today showed there were 36,619 new homes consented in New Zealand in the 12 months ended December last year, up 9% on 2024.
Consents in Auckland helped drive that increase, with more than half coming from that region alone, with other annual gains recorded in Canterbury, Waikato, Otago, and Wellington.
On a monthly basis, there was volatility in December, with consents falling 4.6%, after rising 2.7% in November.
In December, there were 3128 new dwellings consented, with 1494 townhouses, flats, and units; 1299 stand-alone houses; 263 retirement village units; and 72 apartments.
The data suggests a turning point for builders and tradies amid lower interest rates and inflation last year. The RBNZ is widely expected to hold the official cash rate steady for much of this year before contemplating a hike.
Briscoe Group sales have lifted into record territory after a ‘strong’ fourth quarter.
Sales for the NZX-listed retailer during the fourth quarter rose 4.58% to a record $256.6m, up from $245.3m year on year.
Homeware sales rose 3.45% on the previous corresponding period, while sales for sporting goods rose 6.46%.
Unaudited full-year sales through to January 25 also crept into record territory, up just under 1% to $798.8m from $791.5m last year
Briscoe group managing director, Rod Duke said: “In a year marked by persistent pressure on consumer sentiment and discretionary spending – coupled with the group tracking behind last year’s sales for the first nine months – delivering strong fourth-quarter growth and achieving record full-year sales is an outstanding result."
The group’s full-year net profit after tax was expected to fall within the range of $59m to $60m, in line with previous guidance.
Briscoe Group will report its full-year result on March 11.