Jan 17, 2018 - Fonterra has launched a new fresh milk product in China in partnership with Hema Fresh, Alibaba’s innovative new retail concept which combines traditional bricks-and-mortar shopping with a digital experience. The new Daily Fresh milk range is now available in Hema’s 14 stores in Shanghai and Suzhou in 750mL bottles, sourced directly from Fonterra’s farm hub in Hebei province. The product boasts unique product labels to match each day of the week in order to emphasise freshness, with stock being replenished overnight ready for each new day.
Jan 17, 2018 - Calven Bonney, the prominent Auckland road transport operator has been recognised in the New Year’s Honours list with the award of a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. (MNZM). The larger than life Bonney’s award recognises his more than 40 years of voluntary service to the trucking industry and his involvement in motorsport.
Bonney has been a National Road Carriers Board Member since 1974 for 44 uninterrupted years and was its President between 1997 and 2000. Calven also played a key role in the formation of the Road Transport Forum in 1997. The RTF brought together the seven individual trucking organisations which represented 5000 trucking companies to represent the road transport industry in Wellington.He has served on the RTF’s board since its inception and was its chairman from 2000 to 2002.
Calven’s work with the NRC has focussed on the development of the organisation to provide all members, whether they have one truck or a fleet of hundreds, with the support, expertise and scale to run their businesses effectively and successfully.He is well known for providing counsel, advice and a sounding board for all road transport operators and has helped the NRC negotiate the many supplier agreements and discounts for services provided to the organisation’s members.
Through his work with the RTF Calven has worked with both national and local government to ensure the road transport industry has a voice to usher through regulatory changes and to make roads safer and easier to use for trucking.Calven has championed improvements in the overall professionalism of the industry and fostered strong working relationships for the industry with the New Zealand Transport Agency, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Team (CVST), the Ministry of Transport and other local and regional authorities.
Passionate about motorsport, he started out crewing for other drivers, including Denny Hulme and then raced at the speedway in most classes before getting involved in Super GTs, endurance events and Formula 5000.But Calven is perhaps best known for his involvement in the establishment of truck racing in New Zealand, helping to negotiate rights from international promoters to start the sport here and then building his own truck for the first season to make sure the sport got off the ground with as many trucks racing as possible.
As a long time sponsor of the annual Festival of Motorsport, Calven has made sure that millions of dollars of historic cars make it off the ships, through customs and are ready to race.Bonney has also been a keen supporter of the Variety Club and was a regular participant in its events for more than 15 years, raising significant funds for the charity.
On a personal level, after selling his first 3 trucks in 1981, he went on to buy his father and uncle’s business in 1984 at a time when it had three trucks. Today Bonney’s has over 100 trucks on the road, servicing a variety of customers in different industries.National Road Carriers is the largest nationwide organisation representing companies involved in the road transport industry. It has 1700 members, who collectively operate 15,000 trucks throughout New Zealand.
| A Wright Communications release || January 17, 2018 |||
Jan 17, 2018 - Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor travels to Europe today to speak at the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture, held during International Green Week in Berlin.
The forum’s theme is “shaping the future of livestock – sustainably, responsibly, efficiently”.
New Zealand’s leading role in the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases was a large factor in the invitation to take part in the forum.
“The global challenge is to produce more food with less emissions intensity – this requires research and innovation and is key to meeting the projected increase in worldwide food demand of 70 per cent by 2050,” says Mr O’Connor.
At the forum, Mr O’Connor will highlight New Zealand’s leadership credentials in sustainable livestock production and build relationships with other agriculture ministers from around the world, including through bilateral meetings with counterparts from Argentina, Brazil, the European Commission, France, Germany, Lithuania, Mexico and Poland.
While there he will also engage with key European and New Zealand stakeholders with interests in the launch of EU-NZ free trade agreement negotiations, and Brexit.
“Rural communities across the world are often the life-blood of our societies and heritage. New Zealand is confident that an FTA between our country and the EU will provide opportunities for farmers in both Europe and New Zealand and facilitate greater agricultural cooperation, benefiting rural communities on both sides.”
He will also travel to Ireland, Denmark and Spain to meet his counterparts and discuss mutual issues affecting agricultural production and trade.
“Speaking of international influences on our primary sector, it’s good to see an uplift in dairy prices in the latest GDT overnight. Farmers will welcome this, especially those doing it particularly tough in our regions in drought.”
| A Beehive release || January 17, 2018 |||
Jan 17, 2018 - The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that a small government agency spent over $300,000 on ‘entertainment’ in 2015/16 – including a drag queen dinner and show for staff. The Union gained receipts (available here) for Callaghan Innovation’s entertainment purchases via the Official Information Act.
Jan 17, 2018 - International shipping firm A.P. Moller-Maersk is partnering with IBM to build a blockchain-based platform that seeks to make global trade more efficient.
Jan 16, 2018 - Airbus has strengthened its position following a record year for jet sales, extending an order lead over rival manufacturers such as Boeing. The European company booked contracts for 1,109 airliners in 2017, Airbus announced, widening its margin over its US competitor to 197.
Jan 16, 2018 - Its Monday evening just on 7:00PM with dinner and dishes done and dusted so its now time for a bloke to relax in front of TV. On goes TVOne, first choice really, being a bit loyal and now its a habit. However change is in the wind!
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