The highway linking the West Coast and Otago closed after 7 am this morning due to a rockfall on the Otago side.

Technical mining experts gather in Greymouth for the next two weeks to look at risks involved in each of the three re-entry options the Pike River Recovery Agency is investigating for the Pike River Mine.

The Employment Relations Amendment Bill as reported back to Parliament today remains harmful and oppressive, says BusinessNZ.

Following MPI’s revised directions issued under s122 of the Biosecurity Act, the affected apple and stonefruit industry group is taking some time to fully review the new directions and the accompanying testing plan.

Kiwi businesses can now afford to protect themselves against intellectual property (IP) risks, thanks to an audacious move by Delta Insurance.

Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling for a comprehensive Rental Warrant of Fitness (WOF) scheme to ensure that everyone in New Zealand lives in a warm, dry, healthy home.

“I am proud to say that this Government is now taking major steps to ensure that people who live in rented accommodation are guaranteed the right to a warm and healthy home, submissions are now open on the Healthy Homes Guarantee which will see a major lift in the legal standards for housing.“Unfortunately, at the moment, the enforcement of housing standards to protect our older citizens as well as our younger ones is just not fit for purpose. Tenants currently have to take their landlord all the way to the Tenancy Tribunal to make sure the laws are abided by. That’s a pretty high barrier to enforcing laws designed to make sure people aren’t living in homes that make them sick, that can cause very serious respiratory disease.“A Warrant of Fitness for rented homes would ensure that New Zealanders living in those homes have confidence that the house is dry, warm and healthy to live in, no matter what. And that if a home cannot pass the standard it cannot be rented out. We have a warrant of fitness for cars, we need them for homes.“A Rental WOF would be a regular check on rented homes by independent approved inspectors to make sure they meet the healthy home regulations for warmth, dryness and ventilation so our tamariki, our old people, and all our citizens living in rented accommodation don’t get sick.

“This would mean all of us would live in a warm, dry, healthy home - that’s why it’s crucial we have a comprehensive Rental Warrant of Fitness scheme to uphold the Government’s Healthy Homes Guarantee”.

New Zealand’s local government sector stands on the front line in the fight against climate change, according to the initial findings of a new report, which shows that billions of dollars of roading, water, and public transport infrastructure are at risk from as little as a half a metre sea level rise.

Montreal – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced industry performance statistics for 2017.

Published today by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, the Tourism Data Domain Plan sets out the main priorities for tourism statistics. Based on agreement by industry and government stakeholders, it provides the strategy for addressing these priorities over the next five to eight years.

Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has today announced an investment of up to $137 million from the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) to help unlock Tairāwhiti’s economic potential through stronger, safer and more resilient transport connections.