New Zealand-Hong Kong tax treaty updated
Inside NZ’s mysterious fuel price plunge
Statistics captured on electric vehicles
Ecentre wins Callaghan Innovation contract
Otago's economic confidence solid
Regulatory battle: New Zealand manufacturers hit out at health bill ‘detractors’
Dalton's TeamNZ defeating a Goliath software giant highlights other battles
Exploding Glass can equal Serious Injury
This young child was badly injured due to an invisible contamination that could be lurking inside ANY piece of toughened glass in. It can cause the whole pane to explode without warning. Luckily installing clear safety window film to the glass can minimise the risk if it breaks as the film will hold the glass shards and stop the lacerating risk.
Click here to read more and view the TV clip
| A Solar Gard release | Thursday 29, June 2017 |||
Palmerston North City is the quintessential university town. It is the second youngest city in New Zealand per capita with an average age of 33, due to its large student population of nearly 20,000 tertiary students, Grant Smith, the Mayor of Palmerston North City, tells GovInsider.
The city has plans to attract young people not just to study, but to live in the city. “We’ll grow by another 20-30,000 people in the next twenty years,” says Smith. For a city with a population of 90,000, that is a substantial 30% increase.
But Smith notes that the council “[needs] to be mindful that just being a good city to live in will not retain young talent or attract investment”. In the coming years, Palmerston North will embrace technology, improve sustainability and create jobs to attract millennials to the city.
Going digital
With a great number of young people, Smith says, “you get take-up of technology [that is] greater than you would in an older demographic, or even in a metropolitan city”. “We have a great uptake of ultra-fast broadband here, one of the highest in New Zealand,” he notes.
The city council is going paperless in a number of ways, according to Smith. Firstly, similar to Tauranga City Council, building consent documentation will be done digitally from this week, on a cloud-based system. “The system enables building consent to be tracked from when they’re launched through to when they’re completed. That’s quite a big thing for us internally,” Smith explains. He adds that the council itself is going paperless too: “We conduct all our meetings electronically.”
The city also has a big focus on agricultural technology. Building on a “good agricultural reputation”—70% of the world’s sheep meat comes from within two hours of Palmerston North—the council is now in negotiations with Microsoft to establish an agritech centre in the city, he shares.
“They have honed in on New Zealand because of our good agricultural reputation and footprint. I’ve looked at different regions and we’ve probably got the most diverse agricultural sector here,” says Smith, adding that besides sheep meat, the city produces dairy, beef, produce, venison and deer.
Creating jobs
The council plans to accommodate more people through “intensification”, rather than building suburbs outwards, in a phenomenon called ‘urban sprawl’. “In terms of the district plan which enables the growth to develop, we prefer to look at buildings and more CBD [Central Business District] living rather than just continuing to grow suburb after suburb,” Smith says.
And for this growth to be sustainable, creating and retaining jobs are big on the agenda for the council. To that end, Smith believes the city is “very well-positioned” to host big data centres. “It is something we’ve been talking to some of the major players about,” he says.
“They generally don’t go into big cities, because the power is too expensive. They need lots of water to cool their facility,” Smith adds. “If you look overseas in places such as Europe, they are traditionally based in a rural but well-connected area.” To illustrate, Palmerston North is strategically located on the central lower part of the North Island of New Zealand, allowing it to be the “logistics distribution hub that we’ve become known for”, he says. “Our geological location really helps us.”
Clean energy
Technology also enables the council to achieve its sustainability goals, which are a big priority for them. “We’ve embraced electric vehicles, we have a number of them in our fleet now,” Smith says. Building inspectors and general officers now use electric vehicles, and so does the council’s eco advisor, who helps the public and businesses make better use of energy within their homes and buildings.“We will be looking to going electric rather than petrol in the coming years,” he adds.
There is also a focus on clean energy and lowering carbon emissions; the council produces 30% of its own energy. “We like to see ourselves as a eco-city, and we are future-focused,” Grant shares.
And in the next ten years, there will be a “major wastewater plant upgrade”, which will move away from the traditional method of simply discharging wastewater into a waterway. “We’re looking at all sorts of different options,” Grant explains.
As Palmerston North gears up to welcome 30,000 new citizens into its fold, millennials studying there may one day want to live there, too.
|I nterview with Mayor Grant Smith, Palmerston North City Council by Nurfilzah Rohaidi, GovInsider || June 28, 2017 |||
Gears, motors and drives specialist Bonfiglioli says that its expanded New Zealand warehouse optimises stock availability and accessibility.
Bonfiglioli is expanding its New Zealand branch with a 25% bigger warehouse, workshop and freight transitioning area as part of an overall plan to streamline logistics, optimise stock availability and better serve customer needs.
The Auckland-based branch serves all of New Zealand, by providing gears, motors and drives to customers in many industries and sectors, including bulk handling and mining.
“We typically work on shorter lead times than other branches anyway, due to the nature of the business in New Zealand. We need to be able to pack and assemble for three to four day deliveries at times,” said Neil Pollington, Bonfiglioli New Zealand country manager.
“Our competitive advantage is why this upgrade is vital to the continuous improvement of our business. It gives us greater flexibility in the handling, warehousing and assembly of products, which optimises stock availability and lead times,” he said.
The expansion of the NZ branch is part of a strategic plan to grow the entire operation with a strong focus on stock availability, to meet customer needs. Other initiatives include in-country assembly in both Australia and New Zealand, which further enhances lead times.
“Being able to understand customers’ needs is crucial to the success of our business. As an Italian owned company, a lot of our suppliers are based in Europe, so we have long lead times for parts. Our close relationships with our valued customers mean that we are often ordering parts in advance, so that we can deliver on-time,” said Mr Pollington.
| Written by Charles Macdonald in Bulk Handing || June 28, 2017 |||
The Waikato-Tainui owned Ruakura inland port development has taken a major step forward with the announcement today of a joint venture partnership with a world-class port operator.
The tribe’s commercial company Tainui Group Holdings (TGH) and LINX Cargo Care Group have joined forces to develop and operate the new port, which is currently under construction and expected to bring significant economic return to Waikato-Tainui and the region.
LINX Cargo Care Group and one of its subsidiaries, C3 Limited, New Zealand’s largest on-wharf logistics company, are owned by a Brookfield Consortium which brings together global experience in port operations and infrastructure development.
Rukumoana Schaafhausen, Chairman of the tribe’s executive committee Te Arataura, welcomed LINX Cargo Care Group to the Waikato-Tainui whaanau and acknowledged their mutual commitment to long-term investment.
“Waikato-Tainui is an inter-generational investor. What we achieve today will reverberate for generations of our mokopuna. LINX brings not only significant expertise in port development and operation but also a long-term vision that matches our view of the positive environmental, social and economic advantages that must and will come from this project,” she said.
TGH Chief Executive Chris Joblin said the conditional agreement reached this week will bring the full force of LINX Cargo Care Group’s world class experience to bear at Ruakura through a new joint venture to develop and operate the port.
“We are delighted to confirm this agreement with LINX Cargo Care Group following a comprehensive RFP process over the past ten months which attracted expressions of interest from seven potential port operators,” Mr Joblin said.
“LINX and C3 share our long-term vision to help transform North Island freight flows, driving new levels of productivity, efficiency and speed to market for the rapidly growing export and import community in the golden triangle of Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga,” he said.
The 50/50 joint venture of TGH and LINX Cargo Care Group will take an initial 30 year lease on the inland port land at Ruakura, subject to the OIO (Overseas Investment Office) approval for the participation of LINX Cargo Care Group which operates extensively across Australia and New Zealand.
Waikato-Tainui will continue to own the land on which the Ruakura Inland Port is built, and benefit from ground lease payments for its use.
Anthony Jones, Group CEO for LINX Cargo Care Group and Chairman of C3 said the transformative nature of Ruakura was a major attraction.
“Ruakura will be transformational for the New Zealand logistical supply chain. It will offer stable, efficient and cost effective networks for importers and exporters to grow with confidence in the future. We are extremely excited to be part of this project for New Zealand’s North Island communities, which will deliver long-term benefits such as safer roads, employment opportunities and reliable inland transport networks,” he said.
In addition to the range of services Ruakura will provide to the region’s exporters and importers, it has the potential to support 6,000-12,000 jobs within the precinct once fully-built.
A Maori Television Online News Team release | June 28, 2017 |||
Gull NZ will continue business as usual despite Caltex’s acquisition.
Australian fuel retailer Caltex is all set to take over New Zealand fuel retail chain Gull, as part of its plans to expand its retail business.
The deal, worth $325 million, is now expected to be completed by July 3, after it received regulatory approval from the New Zealand Overseas Investment Office.
Under the terms of an agreement entered into in December 2016, the transaction will result in Caltex acquiring Gull’s Mount Maunganui import fuel terminal and retail operating assets.
According to Caltex, the acquisition will optimise its infrastructure position, build trading and shipping capability, grow the supply base and enhance the company’s retail fuel offering through low risk entry into a new market.
As part of the agreed terms of the transaction, Caltex will retain Gull’s brand, management and employees across the current newtwork of 78 Gull stores, and the six currently under construction.
A spokesperson for Gull said the company would be running business as usual, without changes or interruption to service.
Gull sells around 300ML of petrol and diesel fuels per year, representing five per cent of the New Zealand market.
Earlier this year Caltex received approval to purchase Victorian petrol and convenience retailer Milemaker and its 46 operating sites.
The $95 million Milemaker deal was finalised in May, with Caltex entering into long-term leases with an opt-out to 30 years.
Caltex chief executive Julian Segal said the Milemaker and Gull acquisitions were part of the company’s plan to mitigate the impact of losing its 13-year alliance with Woolworths, incurred after BP struck a $1.79 billion deal with the supermarket giant.
Mr Segal said the purchases would help transform Caltex from simply being a transport fuels provider, to grow into a larger convenience retail offering.
| A C-store release || June 27, 2017 |||
The Reserve Bank's commitment to price and financial stability in an uncertain global environment is underlined in the Bank's Statement of Intent (SOI) for 2017-2020.
The Reserve Bank supports economic growth by targeting price stability, promoting a sound and efficient financial system, and meeting the public's currency needs.
The SOI, signed off on 16 June, outlines the nature of the Bank’s work programme over the next three years. The Bank’s nine strategic priorities are framed around three themes: enhancing the Bank’s policy frameworks; continuing to strengthen the Bank’s internal and external engagement; and improving infrastructure and reducing enterprise risk.
"The outlook for New Zealand’s economic growth remains positive, albeit with considerable uncertainty remaining, especially internationally,” Governor Graeme Wheeler said.
"We are working to deepen the Bank’s understanding of the evolving conditions affecting the New Zealand economy and their implications for monetary policy.”
The New Zealand financial system remains sound and continues to perform its functions effectively. The International Monetary Fund’s Financial Sector Assessment Programme (FSAP) review has provided useful input for the on-going development of the Reserve Bank’s prudential regime.
“We will review key elements of the prudential policy framework to better meet the Bank’s soundness and efficiency objective,” Mr Wheeler said.
The Bank will also review the macro-prudential policy framework in line with the five-year requirement set out in the Memorandum of Understanding between the Bank and the Minister of Finance.
“Throughout, the Bank will maintain a high level of engagement with its stakeholders and communicate widely on its policies, their rationale and impacts. The Bank will monitor the effectiveness of engagement through an External Stakeholder Engagement survey in 2018.”
As well as working to complete the implementation of replacements for the Exchange Settlement Account System (ESAS) and the securities settlement and depository system (NZ Clear) – both enhancements to the payments system – the Bank will also be implementing the roadmap for best-practice management of its balance sheet and finances.
The SOI outlines other key projects, including improving the resilience of the Bank’s operations and developing a plan for the future custody and distribution of currency.
"We continually seek to strengthen our performance and we believe these strategic priorities position the Bank well to face the challenges ahead,” Mr Wheeler said.
More information:Read the Statement of Intent for 2017-2020
| A RBNZ release || June 28, 2017 |||
Energy and Resources Minister Judith Collins has today released the New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy 2017-2022.
The Strategy, Unlocking our energy productivity and renewable potential, is a companion to the New Zealand Energy Strategy 2011-2021. It sets the overarching direction for Government and specific actions for the promotion of energy efficiency and renewable sources of energy.
Ms Collins says the goal of the Strategy is for New Zealand to have an energy productive and low emissions economy.
“Through this Strategy, we are encouraging businesses, individuals, and public sector agencies to take actions that will help New Zealand make the most of its clean, renewable energy sources and use energy more productively, which will benefit all New Zealanders,” says Ms Collins.
The Strategy focuses on three priority areas that will provide the most cost-effective opportunities for energy savings and emissions reductions for New Zealand: process heat, transport and electricity.
“Importantly, the targets are measurable, reasonable and practicable by 2022, and the Strategy includes a range of actions to help achieve them including the development of a new process heat action plan.
“The Strategy also works in conjunction with the Energy Innovation Bill and other Government policies and programmes, including the Electric Vehicles Programme.
“It is designed to provide clear direction for the energy sector over the next five years and will move New Zealand towards better energy productivity and lower emissions. I would like to thank all those who took the time to make written submissions on the Strategy earlier this year,” says Ms Collins.
The New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy, Unlocking our energy productivity and renewable potential, is available at www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/sectors-industries/energy/energy-strategies
| A Beehive release || June 27, 2017 |||
Early stage technology businesses in the regions can expect an easier pathway to support, thanks to the expansion of Callaghan Innovation’s founder incubators, says Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith.
Founder incubators are, as the name suggests, centred around a start-up founder, and bring groups of start-ups together, sometimes in a shared working space, to provide services to help with technology and market validation, business planning and investment preparation, among other support.
“Following an extensive tender process, Callaghan Innovation has awarded six providers one and two-year contracts for founder incubator services, beginning 1 July 2017,” Mr Goldsmith says.
The six successful applicants are:
“These successful applicants will significantly increase the extent of regional coverage. Our main cities are well served by multiple incubators and accelerators, but it has been much more difficult for regional start-ups to gain access to the same services.
“This regional expansion recognises that the tech sector’s best ideas do not only come from the main centres, and that improvements such as ultra-fast broadband mean that an export-focussed start-up could be based just about anywhere from Kaitaia to Bluff.”
Waikato-based founder incubator SODA Inc will work with partners to deliver services to start-ups in the Bay of Plenty, Gisborne/Tairawhiti and Hawkes’ Bay. The North Shore based ecentre will work with Northland Inc to deliver services to start-ups from the Te Tai Tokerau region. Wellington’s Creative HQ will look to bring services to several regions in the South Island.
Callaghan Innovation has also finalised contracts for business accelerators for the 2017/18 year, which includes the continuation of contracts for agritech accelerator Sprout, The Icehouse’s Flux, Creative HQ's Lightning Lab, and provision for a number of other sector-specific options in the coming year. Callaghan is also continuing the technology incubator pilot programme with funding confirmed for another two years.
The programmes demonstrate the Government’s commitment to encouraging more technology start-ups in New Zealand as a means to diversifying the economy and increasing productivity.
“These contracts underpin the Government’s commitment to readying the New Zealand economy for the technological disruption to come. Technology businesses create high value jobs, tend to be export-focussed form day one, and ensure that seismic shifts in global consumer demand will not consign our economy to the dustbin.
“I can’t wait to see the new Kiwi businesses that these incubators will help bring to market.”
More information on Callaghan Innovation can be found HERE.
| A Beehive release || June 28, 2017 |||
Mid-2018 opening for Lorneville venison plant
Jobs go as part of Taharoa iron sands mine is shut down
Industry president calls on Government to back cup defence
Statement of Intent outlines RBNZ’s priorities
Petroleum and vehicles lift May 2017 imports - StatsNZ
Major refurbishment for Holiday Inn Auckland Airport Hotel
Business incubators expand to regional NZ
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