Transport Minister Simon Bridges says the publication of guidance on public charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs) is timely as New Zealand’s fleet reaches more than 2500, exceeding all targets.
The guidance will support public charging infrastructure by providing clear recommendations for both investors and those enabling the development of charging station sites, such as local authorities.
“This guidance is an important step towards developing a safe and consistent nationwide charging network that EV drivers can depend on,” Mr Bridges says.
“It not only marks an important milestone in the Government’s EV programme, but will help reassure drivers that EVs are the way of the future and here to stay.
“While we expect most charging will continue to take place at home or the workplace, reliable public charging infrastructure is crucial to provide drivers with the confidence to make longer trips. It can also influence the decision to buy one.
The Transport Agency worked closely with local and central government and industry to identify recommendations that will best meet the long-term needs of EV drivers.
“Central to the recommendations was ensuring they took into account emerging fast-charge technology and overseas market shifts, learning from the failures and successes of other countries,” Mr Bridges says.
This guidance supports the development and roll-out of public charging infrastructure and is part the government-industry programme to help reach 64,000 EVs in New Zealand by the end of 2021.
The guidance and information about the programme of work can be found at www.nzta.govt.nz/ev and www.electricvehicles.govt.nz.
Trade Minister Todd McClay has confirmed New Zealand and Sri Lanka will progress discussions on new trade and investment opportunities, which could include a Free Trade Agreement between the two countries.
The announcement comes after a meeting between Mr McClay and Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
“Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and I have instructed officials to consider how New Zealand and Sri Lanka can build the right framework to grow our economic relationship through a trade arrangement, including the possibility of working with other like-minded countries,” Mr McClay says.
“Sri Lanka and New Zealand are complementary economies. There is potential for greater trade both ways and I welcome the Prime Minister’s commitment to this.”
“Prime Minister Wickremesinghe has agreed to open a diplomatic post in New Zealand and we are doing the same in Sri Lanka. This is an important step in strengthening trade and economic ties as well as increasing our bilateral engagement.”
| A release from the Beehive |
Donald Trump has been crowing as companies including Ford Motor Co. (IW 500/4) renounce plans to move factories to Mexico. But the main beneficiaries of this shift back to the U.S. aren't saying much by way of celebration -- industrial robots don't tend to speak.
While globalization's detractors blame countries such as China and Mexico for stealing the factory jobs of the West, experts point to less obvious culprits which are harder to scapegoat and to overcome in an interconnected economy with complex supply chains.
Since U.S. manufacturing employment peaked in the late 1970s, according to Michael Hicks of the Center for Business and Economic Research at Ball State University in Indiana, "95% of job losses were due to productivity improvements including automation and computer technology, rather than trade."
Indiana is one of the rust-belt states where Trump triumphed in November, and the president-elect has promised a punitive border tax against outsourcing companies as he bids to become "the greatest jobs producer that God ever created." > > > Continue to read full article on Industry Week |
∩ Lyttelton Port container terminal union workers back on strike
∩ NZ govt's $87.3B investment focused on transformational projects
∩ Revised design for Dunedin hotel
∩ EV charging infrastructure guidance released
∩ NZ and Sri Lanka discuss trade opportunities
∩ Half of U.S. Wineries Might Be Sold in the Next Five Years
∩ While you were sleeping: Upbeat US jobs, housing
∩ Management friction, unpaid bills sink promising pre-fab housing builder ABT in Auckland
∩ NZ manufacturing activity ends 2016 with above-average reading
Shawn Wasserman who is the author of this e-book is the simulation editor at ENGINEERING.com. Computer-aided engineering applications (CAE apps) help analysts offload expertise and reparative work to non-experts.
These tools come in various types, from templates to stand-alone apps and job-specific CAE tools.
In this 16 page e-book you will learn about:
| Continue here to download the e-book |
Outside of Moldova’s capital of Chisinau lies Cricova, the second-largest wine cellar in the world. The stuff of legends, Cricova is more of an underground city than a cellar, occupying over 820,000 feet of space while extending over 75 miles. Situated 262 feet underground at it’s deepest point, the sprawling former limestone mine is a labyrinth that houses over 1.25 million bottles of wine, including its own brand of sparkling wine.
Putin stores his private collection in these chalky corridors and chose the site for his 50th birthday celebration. But Putin is not the only world leader with a penchant for this wine cellar.
Every statesman who visits the winery is accorded the honor of a personal collection, but Mr. Putin’s stash is noticeably bigger. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is a frequent visitor—having hosted a few private galas here herself. With political heads of states boozing it up in the Moldovan crypt, it is no wonder that Cricova has become one of Moldova’s leading tourist attractions. But Cricova was not always a wine cellar.
> > > Continue to full article here |
UAE, January 18, 2017 - H.E. Eng. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, UAE Minister of Economy (MOE), affirmed that the economic relations between the UAE and New Zealand continue to grow and are expected to develop further as the two countries aspire to strengthen cooperation in a number of economic sectors of common interest and prioritized within their respective development plans.
The announcement came during a meeting between the UAE Minister of Economy and H.E. Todd McClay, New Zealand Minister of Trade, and his accompanying delegation at the MOE’s Dubai headquarters. Both parties demonstrated the potentials of increasing trade and strengthening cooperation in a number of areas, most notably agriculture and food, renewable energy, innovation, civil aviation, and tourism. The officials also discussed the current status of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the GCC and New Zealand. They touched on major issues that could be raised at the next meeting of the Joint Economic Committee which is set to take place this year in New Zealand.
Among the MOE officials who attended the meeting were H.E. Eng. Mohammed Ahmed Bin Abdulaziz Al-Shehhi, Undersecretary for Economic Affairs; H.E. Humaid bin Butti Al Muhairi, Assistant Undersecretary for the Corporate Sector and Consumer Protection; Abdullah Sultan AlFan AlShamsi, Assistant Undersecretary for Industrial Affairs; and other senior officials and advisers. New Zealand was represented by Jeremy Clarke-Watson, New Zealand's Ambassador to the UAE; H.E. Kevin John Mckenna, Consul General of New Zealand; and the New Zealand Embassy Deputy Head of Mission, Rebecca Wood.
H.E. Eng. Al Mansoori stated that the country's leadership prioritizes innovation and thus places great importance on the National Innovation Strategy. He highlighted the strong interest of the UAE Ministry of Economy to closely work and cooperate with New Zealand on innovation initiatives, as it looks to complete the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the parties.
The Minister further explained that the next meeting, the 6th session of the Joint Economic Committee, will be an important platform for accelerating the pace of current cooperative agreements. The session will also facilitate discussions on ways to increase development opportunities and overcome potential challenges that may affect the productive bilateral relations, particularly their economic, trade, and investment ties and partnerships with the private sector.
The UAE Minister of Economy added that cooperation in the agricultural and food industries and enabling the UAE's agricultural investments in New Zealand through the latest innovative tools top the list of the Committee’s agenda for its upcoming meeting given their major roles in addressing the country’s food security. The meeting will also focus on cooperation in civil aviation, which is a key factor for the mutual development of trade, investment and tourism.
Both Ministers discussed the latest updates on the FTA between New Zealand and the GCC, with H.E. Eng. Al Mansoori clarifying that the agreement is now in its final stages and is currently undergoing legal review by some of the GCC countries before final approval. He noted the importance of the agreement in enhancing trade and investment exchange between the two parties.
H.E. McClay expressed his country’s paramount interest on the approval of the FTA because of its significant impact on increasing trade volumes with the countries in the region, and commended the UAE’s major role through the Ministry of Economy in making this agreement a reality.
The Minister also discussed the possibility of bilateral cooperation in gaining access to new regional markets by capitalizing on the economic benefits and the strategic geographical location of both countries. The UAE Minister noted the importance of the UAE as a commercial gateway that ably facilitates New Zealand’s trade access to the Middle East, African and European markets, and New Zealand’s value as a significant link for the UAE to access South American markets. He called for sustained communication to open up more trade prospects for both countries.
Total foreign trade between the UAE and New Zealand reached USD 1.6 billion in 2016, and is expected to increase dramatically in the coming years as both countries continue to push bilateral trade and economic cooperation initiatives.
H.E. McClay said that New Zealand will soon push ahead with the development and expansion of hospitality projects in several cities, noting that this move opens an important opportunity for UAE investments that have successfully built a global reputation in this sector.
In response, H.E. Eng. Al Mansoori urged New Zealand companies to explore the prospects of doing business in the UAE which offers an advanced economic environment, facilities, benefits and development incentives particularly conducive to the growth of high-value industries.
H.E. Eng. Al Mansoori said that these form part of the government’s directives towards establishing a knowledge-based economy focused on innovation, creativity and technology, particularly in transport, renewable energy, infrastructure, and small- and medium-sized enterprises.