Former Prime Minister, leader of the Opposition and Minister of Finance the Right Honourable Sir Bill English is to receive an honorary doctorate from Victoria University of Wellington.

^{30 Nov: 1339}  |  We can improve the soundness of the New Zealand banking system by requiring banks to hold more capital with no trade-off to efficiency, Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr says.

RECOUP and the British Plastics Federation (BPF) have launched new guidance to help packaging designers create easy-to-recycle plastic packaging.

Residents of Great Barrier island don't want the dredgings from Auckland's port and marinas near their island, but marinas say it has nowhere else affordable to go, reports Eloise Gibson for Newsroom.

Daily Market Update From XE:   The Kiwi opens at 0.6849

Era Polymers Corporation, an Australian manufacturer, also located in New Zealand, specializing in polyurethane chemistry, will open its first industrial facility in the United States, creating 20 new jobs in Gaston County, North Carolina. The company plans to create 20 new jobs in the town of Stanley, investing $9.2 million.

The company, with headquarters in Sydney, Australia, produces a diverse line of polyurethane products and has a worldwide distribution network. The new manufacturing operation in Stanley, the first American plant for the company, will join four other production facilities operated by the company in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Strong sales growth in North America led the company to search for a new business location in the United States.

“Era Polymers has been conducting business within the USA for more than 15 years,” said George Papamanuel, President of Era Polymers. “It became a logical step for us to establish our own presence in the USA with an advanced manufacturing facility, to better supply and technically service our growing customer base. This world class facility is the ideal platform to support the next growth stage of our company.”

According to the local chamber of commerce, a performance-based grant of $50,000 from the One North Carolina Fund will help facilitate Era Polymers’ move into Gaston County. The One NC Fund provides financial assistance to local governments to help attract economic investment and to create jobs. Companies receive no money upfront and must meet job creation and capital investment targets to qualify for payment. In addition to creating and maintaining the 20 jobs, meeting a threshold of $8 million in investment is directly tied to the company’s OneNC agreement.

“Our community welcomes Era Polymers to North Carolina,” said N.C. Representative John Torbett. “Many people and organizations in our region came together to recruit this company and we stand ready to support them as they put down roots and grow here.”

The company’s products include polyurethane elastomers, foams, coatings, machinery, and toll manufacturing of polyurethane chemistries.

Canada is the ideal North American launchpad for your tech business suggests Nick Fleming / NZ Trade Commissioner and Consul General, Canada.

^{30 Nov: 0731}  |  The Government is backing a new venture to mine garnet on the West Coast with a $10 million loan from the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF), Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced.

Māori and Pasifika Trades Training (MPTT) Auckland has more than 650 scholarships available for 2019 as part of its work to build a qualified trades workforce. Eligible candidates get their fees paid and one-on-one support from a mentor to find the right job to launch their career.

AureoGold™, developed by Plant & Food Research in collaboration with Arysta LifeScience, is a natural yeast strain that reduces growth and spread of Psa bacteria. It can be used during flowering and post fruit set, a time in the calendar when use of other controls for Psa is limited. AureoGold™ is a yeast found naturally on many different species of plants and fruits in New Zealand and is safe for bees.