Jan 15, 2018  -  New Zealand’s mediocre ranking in a new index of electoral freedoms is embarrassing and shows the need for electoral reform, says constitutional lawyer and electoral reform campaigner Jordan Williams, who is now the Executive Director of the Taxpayers’ Union.  Mr Williams said, “New Zealand usually performs well on indexes of economic strength, non-corruption, and general freedoms, but the first World Electoral Freedom Index (WEFI) identifies an area for serious improvement.”

Jan 12, 2018 - Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates, completed a year of strong growth in 2017. The air cargo carrier’s robust performance, set against the backdrop of a resurgent global air cargo market, was underlined by the introduction of specialised customer focused air transportation solutions across a number of industry verticals and by continued investment in infrastructure.

Jan 12, 2018 - People are spending more online to rent a taxi, or a house for a night, and less on in-car satellite navigation and DVDs, Stats NZ said today. As a result of these changes in technology, the consumers price index (CPI) basket of goods and services used to measure inflation is changing after a three-yearly review.

"More people are going online to buy shared ride services, such as Uber, and shared accommodation services, like home-rental operators Airbnb and BookaBach," prices senior manager Jason Attewell said.

"We’re introducing the sharing economy to the CPI to keep it relevant for New Zealand."

"People are changing what they buy to keep up with changes in technology, and as a result, we’re removing several items from the CPI basket. These items are still available to buy, but New Zealanders just don’t spend as much on them."

As a result of the 2017 CPI review:

• in-car satellite navigation systems have been removed (they were added to the basket in 2008)
• DVDs and Blu-ray discs have gone (added to the basket in 2006 and 2011, respectively) along with the hire of DVDs, set-top boxes, and external computer drives
• MP3 players are out (they were added to the basket in 2006).

"At the same time, we’re seeing increased spending on technology accessories like headsets and cellphone cases. We’ve added these items to the CPI basket as part of the latest review."

"The CPI basket is really a reflection of New Zealand society and how it has changed over time," Mr Attewell said.

"We added the electric lightbulb to the basket in the 1920s, televisions and record players in the 1960s, microwaves and car stereos in the 1980s, and MP3 players and digital cameras in the 2000s. As these items go out of fashion they are removed from the basket."

Housing and food remain the most important items in the basket, accounting for almost half of people’s spending. Housing includes rent, new builds, and other house improvements.

Craft beer and massages join the inflation brew

People are also spending more on craft beer and massages, so these are joining the CPI basket too.

"New Zealand used to be called a country of rugby, racing, and beer – but spending patterns are changing and Kiwis are increasingly keen on craft beer, body massages at beauty spas, and football club memberships," Mr Attewell said.

At the same time, sewing machines are out of the inflation basket, but clothing alterations are now in.

"People don’t have as much time to do things themselves, and are prepared to pay others to do jobs for them," Mr Attewell said.

Stats NZ reviews the CPI basket of goods and services every three years to ensure it remains relevant. This is done by surveying people to find out what they spend their money on.

See Consumers price index review: 2017

View our Consumers price index review: 2017 video.

| A StatsNZ release  ||  January 12, 2018   |||

Jan 12, 2018  -  After failing to launch last month, US spaceflight startup Rocket Lab will try again at the end of January to get its experimental rocket to orbit. The company plans to launch the vehicle, called the Electron, from its New Zealand facility sometime during a nine-day window that begins on January 20th. If all goes well, it could be the last test flight before Rocket Lab begins commercial flights in the coming year.

Jan 12, 2018  -  WICHITA, Kan. – Koch-Glitsch and INVISTA Performance Technology (IPT), affiliates of Koch Industries, announced today a new partnership to offer innovative DTL™ process technology, allowing refineries to capture the value spread between replacement fuel costs and high-octane gasoline blend stock.  DTL process technology converts light olefins, present in fluidized-bed catalytic cracking (FCC) off-gas, coker off-gas and other refinery streams, into high-octane gasoline blend stock, significantly increasing their value.

Jan 12, 2018  -  Statistics reveal the number of passengers through the terminal was the highest number for any month on record.  Chief Aeronautical and Commercial Officer Justin Watson says 638,043 passengers used the terminal during December, up 4.8% on the previous December. "This equates to more than the entire population of Canterbury and the West Coast through the terminal during the past month alone," he says.

Jan 11, 2018  -  The Ministry for Primary Industries has introduced new treatment requirements to stop brown marmorated stink bug arriving into New Zealand in sea containers from Italy.  All sea containers from Italy now require treatment for the invasive pest before arriving in New Zealand or on arrival.

Jan 10, 2018  -  Miller Electric, a manufacturer of arc welding equipment, is expanding its ClearLight Lens Technology to all digital welding helmets. ClearLight enhances clarity for welding operators so they can produce better welds with less rework.

Jan 10, 2018  -  Lucas Oil Products, the world leader in heavy-duty and high-performance lubricants, has brought together its New Zealand and Australian operations to form a single market.  The American oil company has given New Zealand-based Logan Distribution the rights to distribute its products in Australia, as well as the Kiwi market as from January 1, 2018.

Jan 10, 2018  -  Kiwi businesses are having to substantially change how they operate with the rapid arrival of the digital age, a leading New Zealand business expert says.  Ian Christie, a former head of Saatchi and Saatchi New Zealand and a member of WPP's global leadership team in the UK, says it’s now a matter of survival now for New Zealand companies and organisations on how they change their modus operandi.

“Large or small, every part of all business operations has been touched by digitisation, says Christie, who is now chief executive of the software company Boma, in Auckland.“It’s not just the customer being able to purchase goods and services online, but all through the supply chain, from raw material sourcing to manufacturing, to distribution and sales. No part of business is escaping the digital disruption.“The good news is that this revolution is bringing down costs dramatically in some areas, but on the other side, is driving business owners to completely rethink about the way they interact with customers, suppliers and stakeholders.“Making things accessible that previously cost a lot or required specialist skills will benefit the New Zealand public. That’s our aim is to make things better for Kiwis, through what we are good at.“At Boma we harness this technology and thinking to provide high quality messages that previously one needed an agency or various experts to do for companies and organisations. Boma does the lot now.“Changing the way we think in business, going forward, is the biggest challenge. In the past an owner had to think about being more efficient within a well-defined scope of operation. These days an owner can completely customise their operation based on any core dimension - geography, cost, speed to market, customer care. There are apps for all of that.“We can and want to help businesses by simply and regularly communicating with their customer base without the time and expense of old-school type agencies. What companies are seeking to create in business this year must be unrivalled and unprecedented.“Companies can now use machine learning and artificial intelligence to create something that was firstly very manual - even if created on a computer by someone - and who’s quality and impact was directly proportional to how much a business owner was spending. “The big difference in 2018 is the removal of market barriers. They have gone. Digital software has provided the tools to create a business online. You no longer need to be huge to run a successful business you just need the right attitude. Customers now go to the web to search for a product or service online. To succeed, businesses need to be found, liked, shared and engaged with.”Christie says he started Boma to give small to medium enterprises access to technology as a democratising force and the opportunity to harness that was too good to pass up.

| A MakeLemonade release  ||  January 10, 2018   |||