New Zealand shares fell, nudging the NZX 50 Index down from a record high. Air New Zealand was the biggest decliner while Pumpkin Patch led some retailers lower. Fletcher Building fell as the central bank signaled concern at the overheating housing market. The NZX 50 dropped 35.76 points, or 0.8 percent, to 4397.20. Within the index, 34 stocks fell, nine …

Environmental protests against oil, gas and gold mining have broken out from one end of the country to the other in the last two days. Shell New Zealand closed down a public meeting in Dunedin this morning about its plans to explore in the Great South Basin, offshore Otago and Southland, after a group said to number eight to 10 …

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand would raise interest rates if there were signs that an overheated housing market in Auckland and Christchurch was spilling over into broader inflation pressures and consumer spending, says Deputy Governor Grant Spencer. The nation needs to avoid another housing boom, which “could potentially be more costly than the last, particularly at a time when …