SYDNEY, Sept 11 (Reuters) – New Zealand’s manufacturing activity continued to expand in August, though at a slower pace than the previous month, as businesses cited cost-of-living pressures and the Middle East conflict as factors weighing on growth. The Bank of New Zealand-BusinessNZ seasonally adjusted Performance of Manufacturing Index dipped to 53.1 in August, down from 54.3 in July, though it remains above the survey’s long-term…