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Major disruptions in world events over the last year have not dented New Zealanders’ confidence in financial markets. The FMA today released its annual survey into the public’s attitude to financial markets. The survey shows that confidence has risen significantly to 65% among all respondents, from 56% in 2016.
Investor confidence in the markets has reached its highest level (69%) since the FMA started the survey in 2013, when the score was 58%. Confidence in the effective regulation of the markets has improved to 69% from 63% last year.
Rob Everett, FMA Chief Executive, said: “Since the survey started 5 years ago the portion of investors who said they were not confident has shrunk from 32% to 20%. All these scores show we are starting to see a shift in the public’s historic mistrust about markets and financial services. Investors seem to have started paying attention to the presence of regulators, as well as ripples from world events, when expressing confidence.”
Confidence rose most sharply among people with investments. Investors with a superannuation scheme (81%) managed funds (80%) and shares (78%) were the most confident.
Mr Everett said that sentiment had typically been a big ingredient in these confidence scores. “Prior to 2015 confidence built quite steadily and then, with market ructions last year, it dipped. While market performance has been broadly positive this year, there’s been plenty of upheaval and uncertainty from Brexit and other international events.
“Despite these issues, confidence seems to have been more resilient. One of the factors influencing perceptions is likely to be the transformation of the regulation of financial service providers, completed in December 2016.
“We hope to see a continuing trend of investors retaining confidence in the conduct within, and integrity of the markets, even if the performance of their investments goes up and down.”
Over half of investors find the investment materials they receive helpful in making informed decisions. The scores are much higher for people investing in shares (67%) or managed funds (65%) than they are for investors in bonds (51%) or KiwiSaver (51%).
“Considering managed funds and KiwiSaver have similar characteristics and both are licensed managed investment schemes, there’s clearly some improvements that could help make KiwiSaver communication materials more useful for investors. Good conduct includes ensuring your customers are fully-informed about the risks and benefits of a product and they understand how market performance and costs impact the final outcome,” said Mr Everett.
One of the FMA’s statutory objectives is to promote the confident participation in NZ’s markets. The FMA commissions and publishes this survey every year as part of its efforts to measure levels of confidence in financial markets. The survey also tests the levels of confidence in the effective regulation of the markets.
| A FMA release || may 29, 2017 |||
Associate Transport Minister Tim Macindoe will tomorrow travel to Germany to attend the 2017 International Transport Forum (ITF) Summit of Transport Ministers.
The Summit is being held from 31 May -2 June and will bring together members from approximately 57 countries to explore the trends shaping transport governance and to identify the most pressing challenges in the global transport sector.
“I look forward to being able to further strengthen the connections we have with our international counterparts and to be part of shaping the transport policy agenda on a global level,” Mr Macindoe says.
Mr Macindoe will be speaking on a panel focusing on the regulation required for automated and autonomous driving.
“Among other benefits, if automated and autonomous vehicles are adequately managed they have the potential significantly to improve road safety and reduce road trauma in New Zealand, so it is vital to be part of this global discussion.
“During the panel session I will be looking both to promote New Zealand’s regulatory framework, which allows and encourages innovation, and to learn from the experiences of other members.”
Mr Macindoe will also attend meetings with ministers and technical experts from a range of countries.
| Abeehive release || May 29, 2017 |||
Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits (“Southern Glazer’s”) — the largest North American wine and spirits distribution company — today announced that it is expanding its existing distribution agreements with Delegat, a leading global super premium wine company. With the new agreements, Southern Glazer’s will be distributing Delegat brands in 15 additional markets. As a result, Southern Glazer’s will be Delegat’s exclusive distributor partner in a total of 32 U.S. market.
In addition to the 17 markets that were already represented by Southern Glazer’s, Delegat is adding Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, South Carolina, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Washington D.C.
“We are excited to extend our business relationship and represent Delegat’s world-class super premium wines across our unmatched national network,” said Mel Dick, Senior Vice President of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits and President of the Company’s Wine Division. “This significantly expanded relationship further enhances our world-class wine business and enables us to introduce these great wine brands to a broader base of Southern Glazer’s customers.”
“Delegat’s Oyster Bay and Barossa Valley Estate wines are poised for growth in light of strong consumer demand for super premium brands,” added Steve Slater Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Company’s Corporate Wine Division. “Leveraging this trend, and with our new national alignment, we are confident that we can accelerate Delegat’s presence within Southern Glazer’s key national account customer base.”
“Delegat USA has worked very successfully with Southern Glazer’s over the past decade to achieve strong growth with our category leading brands Oyster Bay and Barossa Valley Estate,” said Graeme Lord, Managing Director of Delegat Group Limited. “Extending our relationship with Southern Glazer’s will provide a powerful distribution platform across 32 markets in the United States. We are looking forward to working with Southern Glazer’s to serve our customers, grow distribution and realize the significant growth potential of Oyster Bay and Barossa Valley Estate.”
| Delegats release || May 25, 2017 |||
There’s something about the crisp smoky air in Hanmer.
There’s no other place like it. In winter, it is heaven...strolling to the thermal pools in the still cold atmosphere and, after an hour of blissful soaking, ambling back up the hill, taking in the dizzy aroma of the smoke from many of the burning house fires. Our ‘home’ on St James Ave is toasty when we talk inside. We rack open a bottle of Veuve Clicquot and put our feet up by the fire. We feel so relaxed and make plans for things to do tomorrow.
During a yummy Powerhouse Café cooked breakfast we considered going mountain-biking, jetboating, horse trekking, quad biking through forests, rafting, golfing or fishing but instead choose the easy way out with a simple round of mini golf.
Skipping too much junk food recreation, we decide to walk to the summit of Conical Hill. It starts off steep but it is a breeze and so peaceful, taking 20 minutes or so through the giant conifer trees, Oregon and pine, listening to the constant whistle of bellbirds till we get to the lookout at the top. It’s a stunning view.
With the air cooling down fast on our return, we headed back to the pools and slipped into our private thermal pool looking out to the native ferns. The water temperature was 40°C...divine.
Shut your eyes. Imagine lazing in the giant hot tub with your partner. The sun is setting over picture postcard snow-capped mountains. Not a sound can to be heard but the occasional native bird chirp. Mmmmm.
We found out the iconic award-winning attraction sees more than half a million visitors annually. It has an array of thermal pools to suite all desires; aqua therapy, atmosphere, heat or adventure and boasts a luxurious spa with 12 treatment rooms, including a couples’ rooms.
In a bizarre dichotomy of experiences we’re shifted from moments of blissful relaxation to pure intense adrenaline as we head to the hydro slides. Hanmer has the South Island’s only SuperBowl ride which offers a cool two-person tube experience for those keen to share the rush.
It’s thirsty work relaxing so we quaffed down a pint of lager at Monteith’s Brewery Bar and munched on a tray of chips, sweet bay scallops and tiger prawns.
On our final night we enjoyed the best restaurant in town – Malabar. They say it’s a restaurant that’s broken rules because it embraces Asian and Indian cooking. They say people first eat with their eyes and then their mouth – this is what Malabar is trying to achieve.
The quality of the food and service at Malabar was first rate and we had the most pleasurable and most authentic Murgh Makhani (butter chicken) we’ve ever tasted in New Zealand. Front-of-staff Gurjeet as extremely polite, helpful, passionate and both a credit and asset to the restaurant. We will return.
Hanmer, this tiny slice of NZ paradise is a popular tourist area or get-away resort because it’s largely a place to blob out and wash away any of life’s pressures. Leafy Hanmer – hot in summer and sometimes snowy in winter – is a place for lovers, for romantic weekends and a place to unwind.
| A makeLemonade release || May 28, 2017 |||
The lives of rural New Zealanders are at risk every day because of poor connectivity and inequitable health services, a rural health leader says.
Dr Martin London, chair of the Rural Health Alliance of Aotearoa New Zealand (RHAANZ), says government needs to help remove barriers so rural people’s health be considered just as important as those who live in cities.
RHAANZ has 47 national member organisations encompassing rural health providers, agribusiness groups, universities, rural community groups and local government. This week it held a series of national rural conferences and meetings in Wellington.
Later, London met Health Minister Jonathan Coleman outlining RHAANZ’s priorities for improving health services in rural areas: rural wellbeing, rural connectivity, rural research and policy, rural health services and the rural health workforce.
“We reminded him that with at least 600,000 people living in rural regions, effectively New Zealand’s second largest city, we are an important constituency from an economic and political perspective.
“Overseas evidence links health and wellbeing to economic productivity. Intuitively this will apply in NZ so it is an imperative rural people receive their fair share of publicly funded health services and have equitable access to health services.
“We asked him to reinstate rural proofing across all government departments and we want to fast track a new definition of rurality as it pertains to health services in New Zealand. These are two of the most important ways we can hold policy makers to account for equitable health outcomes for rural people.
“Mobile blackspots remain a serious issue across rural New Zealand, especially in case of emergencies. Poor broadband connectivity is a barrier to education and the slow pace of UFB and RBI2 roll-outs are dampening progress, production and innovation,” London says.
The responses to major disasters such as last year’s Hurunui-Kaikoura-Marlborough earthquake show what can be done in an innovative way to bring services to rural areas. Much can be learned from these adverse events and needs to be carried over into business as usual. It’s just a pity it takes a major earthquake to do it.
“We also know there are simply unrealistic expectations placed on the rural health workforce especially in regard to emergency and after-hours services. Our rural health workforce is ageing, tired and burnt-out and we need better retention and recruitment. We need greater workforce flexibility, nurse practitioners and pharmacists for example, as a key way to improve access to health services for rural people.
“We also need to make our small towns liveable so that people want to come and to stay. If we can make our rural communities vibrant again many of our issues will be solved,” London says.
“We want a national virtual health care service for rural New Zealanders, bringing services closer to rural people and helping rural people to age in their own homes. The technology and expertise is there. We need, in an election year, evidence of the political will to see it happen.
“Agriculture and tourism are the powerhouses of our economy. Each year, more than two and a half million tourists visit rural New Zealand. In 2011-2012, $40 billion, or 19 percent of GDP, was generated directly or indirectly by the agri-food sector.
“The Government needs to work with our ideas on rural health and social services if it wants the sector to thrive,” London says.
“We will meet Minister Coleman again at the inaugural Health Hub at the annual Mystery Creek Fieldays in the Waikato next month.”
| A MakeLemonade release || May 28, 2017 |||
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