The significant labour costs and geographic isolation of the New Zealand manufacturing industry has meant that in order to compete with international players, local manufacturers must look to innovate with new technologies and automate their production processes.
To compete with global manufacturing hubs, leading Auckland based injection moulding company, TCI New Zealand (TCI) were looking for an automated solution that would offer a more cost-effective means of producing its customer’s products.
For the first time ever, next year's graduate intake at engineering giant Aecom will reflect society's 50/50 gender split.
It took a concerted effort by the global firm's Australian and New Zealand businesses to hit this target, especially given that many of the company's specialisations still don't attract large numbers of women at tertiary level.
Leading Australasian automotive accessory company, Best Bars Ltd, has introduced a series of upgrades at its high-tech factory in New Zealand which have resulted in improved efficiencies and better quality towbars being produced.
Best Bars only moved into its state-of-the-art facility at Wiri in South Auckland three years ago, but has already implemented changes that are designed to maintain its position as a world-class manufacturer.
The latest include improvements to the welding process, new plasma steel cutting equipment and a more comprehensive powder coating system.
These investments follow on from the installation of a brand new paint shop at the Best Bars site in 2014 costing three-quarters of a million dollars.
Stephen de Kriek, CEO of Best Bars, says the object of the newest changes is to further raise the quality and consistency of the towbars it produces.“Our production systems are already world-class, but you never stop trying to make improvements that will keep you ahead of the competition and satisfy the needs of our customers,” he says.
The welding process has come in for the greatest attention at the Best Bars factory. The company now has six robotic welders and a seventh is soon to be added to the production line to automate the most repetitious tasks, thereby ensuring product consistency day-in, day-out and freeing up welding staff for more specialised roles.
Investment has also been made in a series of new manual welding machines for jobs that cannot be easily automated, which improves the ease of work and makes it more efficient. This move, together with other changes in this area, has contributed to improving the working conditions for manual welders, according to Mr de Kriek.
That’s especially important, since the company has now introduced five night shifts per week for its welding team in order to keep up with customer demand for towbar products.
Other investments include the installation of an automated nesting system for profile cutting, which used to be a five-step manual job. The new nesting system is not only more productive from a time-saving point of view, it can also make more products from a sheet of steel, which reduces wastage.
Three new, highly efficient plasma cutting machines have been installed, too. These are faster, more accurate and more efficient in cutting steel plate.
In the paint shop, the powder coating process has been upgraded to include a three-step pre-treatment before the under-coat and then the final coat, which is baked at 240 deg C. The upgraded paint process delivers a superior finish that complements modern vehicle design and will look good for years to come.
Along with the upgrading of equipment, Best Bars is also making further investments in its staff, to develop leadership skills among those who wish to progress to the next level.
Staff leadership courses have been introduced across each department in the company, consisting of a ten-month business management study programme accredited to NZQA level 3.
“Those who are taking part in the course are seeing a lot of benefit from it personally, so it’s a win-win for them and for Best Bars,” adds Mr de Kriek.
The latest developments are part of a carefully planned strategy of continuous reinvestment made in recent years by Best Bars in cutting-edge technology and staff enhancement to ensure customers are provided with products that employ the latest innovations, whilst also ensuring best quality, best value and best service.
WorkSafe New Zealand is consulting on the proposal to revoke the Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) for Managing Hazards to Prevent Major Industrial Accidents (1994).
The New Zealand Gazette has the notice of intention to consult on revocation of this ACOP.
Consultation closes 5pm on Friday, 23 September 2016
It doesn't check for code vulnerabilities, but for configuration options and security mechanismsLucian Constantin (IDG News Service) 27 August, 2016 01:14
In order to help webmasters better protect their websites and users, Mozilla has built an online scanner that can check if web servers have the best security settings in place.
Dubbed Observatory, the tool was initially built for in-house use by Mozilla security engineer April King, who was then encouraged to expand it and make it available to the whole world.
Auckland Airport has today announced its financial results for the 12 months to 30 June 2016.
Auckland Airport Chair, Sir Henry van der Heyden, says, “The company has had an excellent 12 months and delivered strong results for its community and city, its country and investors.”
“It has been another year of growth right across our business. We have seen a significant lift in the number of international airlines and capacity servicing Auckland. We have added new retailers and passenger products and we have also completed several large property developments this financial year. To support this growth, we have commenced a major upgrade of our international departure area, and have continued the planning and design work required to successfully construct our 30-year vision’s combined domestic and international terminal building and second runway. Finally, we have continued to focus on playing a leadership role for New Zealand’s tourism and aviation industries.”
“Our ongoing strong performance is a result of the commitment and hard work of Auckland Airport’s people ̶ staff, contractors and consultants – our greatest assets. It is also the result of the combined efforts of the people in our local community, our airline and other commercial partners, the government’s border agencies and every other business that plays an important part in the airport’s day-to-day operations. To recognise the efforts of our team and the exceptional performance in the 2016 financial year, we will pay a performance bonus of $1,500 (before tax) to all permanent employees who do not participate in the short-term incentive scheme.”
In the 12 months to 30 June 2016, the total number of passenger movements was up 9.1% to 17.3 million. International passengers (excluding transits) were up 8.1% to 8.8 million, and domestic passengers were up 9.8% to 7.9 million.
Revenue was up 12.9% to $573.9 million, while expenses were up 11.8% to $143.6 million. Earnings before interest expense, taxation, depreciation, fair value adjustments and investments in associates (EBITDAFI) increased 13.2% to $430.3 million. Total profit after tax was up 17.4% to $262.4 million, while underlying profit was up 20.6% to $212.7 million. As a result of this, Auckland Airport’s underlying earnings per share was up 20.6% to 17.9 cents for the 2016 financial year.
The final dividend is 9 cents per share. This results in a total dividend this financial year of 17.5 cents per share − representing an increase of 19.9% compared with last year. The final dividend is imputed at the company tax rate of 28% and will be paid on 13 October 2016 to shareholders who are on the register at the close of business on 29 September 2016.
Revenue growth was achieved, once again, through strong performances by retail (up by 19.3% to $157.5 million), aeronautical (landing and passenger charges up by 10.3% to $258.3 million) and transport (up by 11.8% to $52.1 million). The strong growth in retail revenue this financial year provides the company with confidence to construct a new international retail hub, part of the upgrade of our international departure area.
Operating expenses increased by 11.8% to $143.6 million this financial year, in part due to professional services related to our infrastructure projects, airline marketing and increased out-sourced transport and hotel activity.
Including the impact of valuation changes, our share of profit from associates was a loss of $8.4 million. This included our share of North Queensland Airports’ asset impairment of $16.0 million, its fair valuation loss on financial instruments of $8.1 million and its investment property revaluation gain of$1.7 million, as well as our share of Novotel Auckland Airport’s gain on investment property of $2.3 million and its fair valuation loss on financial instruments of $100,000.
After adjusting for non-cash valuation impacts, the total share of underlying earnings from our associates was $11.5 million this financial year, an increase of 7.5% on the previous year. Our share of underlying earnings from North Queensland Airports increased by 8.2% to $7.9 million. Our underlying earnings share from Queenstown Airport was down by 6.0% to $1.9 million due to the settlement of its Inland Revenue litigation. Our underlying earnings share from Novotel Auckland Airport was up by 30.8% to $1.7 million.
“Our continuing strong growth and performance means that we are confident that the company will continue to deliver strong financial results in the next 12 months. We expect underlying net profit after tax (excluding any fair value changes and other one-off items) for the 2017 financial year to be between $230 million and $240 million. This guidance would deliver an increase in underlying earnings per share of between 8.1% and 12.8%,” says Sir Henry.
“As always, this guidance is subject to any material adverse events, significant one-off expenses, non-cash fair value changes to property and deterioration as a result of global market conditions or other unforeseeable circumstances.”
Our European Correspondent (see “ Reporter at Brentry & Brexit says Ted Heath was the Genuine Article”) touched upon a statesman he considered genuine. We asked him to look through the tunnel of time, and distance, and identify some authentic New Zealand counterparts.
John A Lee: The “A” was always obligatory. He was the last active living member of the original Labour Party to survive into recent times, and to still remain a force in them. He lost a forearm in the First World War and is widely credited with being the politician behind implementing State Houses. When I met him in the 1970s he was still running his Vista bookshop in Upper Symonds Street in Auckland. From time to time he would visit Wellington and he would proclaim each visit to the capital as definitely “my last”. The point everyone still misses about Lee was that when he resigned from Parliament on a matter of principal, he had no pensions to fall back on. He resigned because he believed he had to in spite of his being responsible for quite a large family. He now earned his living from his bookshop and from his writings which, in his early books especially, demonstrate a sparseness of style still to be emulated to this day.
Keith Holyoake: Leadership like charm remains impossible to define. Someone has it or they do not. Popular history has not been kind to Keith Holyoake tending to dismiss him as a relic of bygone times. Yet in my view he possessed that deft touch with people that adds up to leadership. Here is an example. He was due to deliver an address to the party faithful on his home turf in Dannevirke. There was a threat of disruption by a cadre known as the Progressive Youth Movement. I was assigned to cover it. He saw me loitering in the vestibule. “Hold this, will you?” He said thrusting a modernistic (for those days) slimline briefcase toward my chest. I held onto it while Holyoake rummaged inside for something. Anxious to fill the void I piped up that there was likely to be a big disturbance that night. Holyoake carried on rummaging and I thought my observation had gone unheard, or was unworthy of a response. Holyoake now found whatever it was that he was looking for, and across the briefcase now looked me straight in the eye. A prime ministerial eyebrow raised quizzically. “In Dannevirke?” he boomed.
Norman Kirk: Norman Kirk felt every New Zealanders’ pain. Even if they were not on his side. He was the last working class prime Minister. One of the reasons for his early death was his refusal to single himself out for the specialist treatment that was his due. He refused to pull rank and jump the medical queue. I bumped into him at the top of the elevator in the days when the only venue big enough for major international business gatherings in Wellington was the Overseas Terminal. The occasion was for the Pacific Basin Economic Council. “I’m surprised to see you here, Mr Kirk,” I ventured, looking out on the truly big-time collection of US, Australian and Japanese ironmasters. “I feel like a mouse at the cats’ dinner,” responded Kirk.
Mike Moore: His extraordinary ascent from boy labourer in Northland to become for one brief shining moment prime minister and then the head for rather longer of the World Trade Organisation is an achievement that still goes unrecognised. Especially in a nation in which seemingly mandated by law rations unqualified public recognition only to those deemed to possess rapidly acquired wealth, or to have demonstrated prowess in some sporting endeavour. How did Mike do it? To use a French saying, he always hid his Marshal’s baton under his private soldier’s tunic. He never let his ambition show. Or his ability to apply it. He doggedly kept his feet to the fire. The eternal underdog who always knew that he would be top dog. Another clue. He never made an unnecessary enemy, always managing to leave most of us smiling.
From the MSCNewsWire reporters' desk - Monday 29 August 2016
Mark Ratcliffe has today given notice of his intent to step down as Chorus CEO and Managing Director around the middle of next year.
Chorus Chairman Patrick Strange thanked Mark Ratcliffe for providing a long notice period.
“I would like to thank Mark for signalling his intentions very early, which will give the Board the time to undertake a thorough search for his successor and also ensure a smooth transition with the minimum of disruption,” said Patrick Strange.
“Mark remains fully committed to his responsibilities as CEO and retains the full backing of the Board. I have no doubt that he will continue to drive Chorus for the next year with the same passion and energy that he always has,” he said.
Chorus CEO Mark Ratcliffe said Chorus would continue to operate as business as usual.
“Aside from allowing the Board to start a recruitment search, it is business as usual for me and for the Chorus team,” said Mark Ratcliffe. “I am very happy to keep leading a great team of talented people and my hand remains very firmly on the steering wheel.”
Before his appointment as Chief Executive of the new Chorus in 2011, Mark was Chief Executive Officer of Chorus as an operationally separate business unit within Telecom.
Mark led the transition of Chorus through the demerger, and was also Telecom’s executive lead for the Ultra-Fast Broadband initiative.
The new scholarship programme announced by the New Zealand government puts Latin America in a prominent position, promoting educational cooperation with the region. Latin American educational institutions will welcome Kiwi students starting next year.
As of September 1 New Zealand students can apply to the first round of the "Prime Minister's Scholarships for Latin America" programme, open to those interested in studying in the region.
This initiative was created by the Government of New Zealand in 2013 to support studies in Asia, but after a visit to Santiago, Chile, by the Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce in April 2015, it was decided to extend this programme to Latin America.
The selected students will have the opportunity to stay from four weeks to two years in selected Latin American countries to study a programme of their choice: undergraduate, graduate, academic exchange, research or languages.
They can also do internships for a period of up to 12 weeks.
"These scholarships will provide Kiwi students the opportunity to live and study in Latin America, a region with a rich history and an incredible culture.
"They will support the creation of strong links between people, which are essential to strengthen the relationship between New Zealand and Latin America", said Jacqui Caine, Ambassador of New Zealand in Chile.
Candidates will be selected according to academic merit, the relevance of their programme to the objectives of the scholarship, their ability to represent New Zealand overseas in a positive way and to establish lasting ties with their Latin American colleagues.
"This initiative confirms the strong relationships that New Zealand has in Latin America.
"We are very happy with the programme because it will increase the number of New Zealand students in that region, who will have the opportunity to witness a new culture and learn from it, in the same way that more and more Latin American students are choosing New Zealand as a study destination”, said Lisa Futschek, Regional Director for the Americas and Europe for Education New Zealand.
For more information visit the Education New Zealand web page (external link).
About Education New Zealand (ENZ)
ENZ is the agency of the Government of New Zealand for international education. ENZ works to increase awareness of New Zealand as a study destination and to support education providers and companies in New Zealand in exporting their products and services.
New regulations are being proposed to better enable space rocket launches from New Zealand by simplifying the process for dealing with jettisoned material deposited on the seabed in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith announced today.
“We need to update the environmental regulations in the EEZ to better accommodate the space industry. The existing regulations make provisions for activities like minerals exploration and seismic surveying but did not contemplate a space industry in New Zealand when they were written. The key change in the proposals announced today is that jettisoned material from space launch vehicles will be a permitted activity under the EEZ Act subject to certain controls.”
“We have undertaken an environmental risk assessment that concludes the effects and ecological risks are low. Some of the rocket material will burn up in the atmosphere but some may reach the sea and settle on the seabed. It would be excessive to require a full EEZ consent process costing over a million dollars and taking nine months for each rocket launch when the effects from a small amount of rocket debris on the seafloor would be small.”
The discussion paper includes the findings of an environmental risk assessment, which considered the impact and risks at different levels of launch activity. Copies of the discussion paper and the process for providing feedback on it are available at www.mfe.govt.nz
“Space rocket launches are a new activity for New Zealand. The government wishes to help develop a peaceful, safe and responsible industry. These proposals are about enabling a new technologically advanced industry to locate in New Zealand while also ensuring we maintain our high environmental standards.”
Palace of the Alhambra, Spain
By: Charles Nathaniel Worsley (1862-1923)
From the collection of Sir Heaton Rhodes
Oil on canvas - 118cm x 162cm
Valued $12,000 - $18,000
Offers invited over $9,000
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242
Mount Egmont with Lake
By: John Philemon Backhouse (1845-1908)
Oil on Sea Shell - 13cm x 14cm
Valued $2,000-$3,000
Offers invited over $1,500
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242