The Guardian reports that New Zealand has the world’s most frenetic property market, with prices in Auckland now outstripping London, and possibly dashing the hopes of British buyers hoping to escape Brexit. In a global ranking of house price growth by estate agents Knight Frank, New Zealand was second to Turkey, but once the impact of inflation was stripped out it came top with 11% annual growth. Continue to full article

The country’s biggest plastic packaging manufacturer, Pact Group, has announced that it will acquire Australian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers for $90 million, continuing the company’s aggressive goal of building its revenues to $5 billion through acquisitions. News.com.au reports that the price for APM, which serves the nutraceuticals market, was 6.5 times APM’s earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation. Continue to full article

Comvita plans to acquire 51 percent of its Chinese distributor in a $30 million all-stock deal that will see the owners of Shenzhen Comvita Natural Food Co lift their holding in the New Zealand manuka honey products company to more than 11% Continue to full article

University of Otago Associate Prof Stephen Moratti has been granted $81,309 to develop new gel technology to achieve controlled drug release, including after surgery. His grant was one of 10, totalling $826,000, provided throughout the country as part of the Science for Technological Innovation National Science Challenge, and announced last week by Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce. Continue to the full article

The New Zealand government will have to work more closely with local businesses and may need to tinker with domestic policy to get the most out of the nation's free-trade agreements, Trade Minister Todd McClay says. McClay is holding a series of public meetings on a planned refresh of the government's trade policy, which includes increased efforts to get more out of existing deals covering more than half the country's exports. The minister didn't rule out negotiating new agreements or upgrading existing ones, but said the new emphasis will be on getting the most out of current deals and will…

Turboprop aircraft manufacturer ATR has renewed its contract with DHL Supply Chain to provide global inventory management and orders of aircraft spare parts. The new contract covers a three-year period and it is the third time ATR has renewed its contract with DHL. The new contract includes inventory management, international distribution of spare parts, as well as operations related to maintenance that require a very high level of responsiveness. DHL Supply Chain also ensures the management of custom operations for spare parts and equipment, in collaboration with DHL Global Forwarding. DHL relies on four logistics platforms in managing the distribution…

Leaders from the world's largest economies have agreed to promote free trade to tackle the sluggish global economy. Continue to News Clip Al Jazeera 5 September 2016

Water is typically something you want to keep out of your engine, but a new engine design from Bosch actually injects water into the combustion chamber to enhance performance. Called WaterBoost, which sounds like something you would have on a powerboat, not a car, injects distilled water into the intakes. Continue to the article on Interesting Engineering

Industrial property occupiers wanting to move or up-size their premises do not have many options left in Wellington's more popular business precincts.  An article posted on Stuff's Business Day quotes a real estate agent who says that the supply of industrial property is falling andthe  demand is high.  "[But] there isn't enough land left to construct many new buildings in Petone, Lower Hutt, Ngauranga and Grenada, which are the suburbs businesses want to be in." Continue to full article

BusinessNZ is disappointed the Government has failed to heed submissions and is allowing goods to be dumped in NZ if it is deemed to be in the "public interest", via a new public interest test. Executive Director of ManufacturingNZ, Catherine Beard says New Zealand manufacturers want a level playing field. "We want a vibrant competitive economy. Our manufacturers are globally competitive or they would not still be in business – but we can't compete against dumped product." "It sends the wrong signal to manufacturers in New Zealand that any investment they make in building a business can all be wiped…

More than 160 people gathered at Auckland’s Villa Maria Estate last night, to find out who made the cut for the 2016 New Zealand Food Awards, in association with Massey University. Sixty-five products developed by 63 companies have been named as finalists this year.   Competition stepped up a notch, with product entries up 62 per cent on last year; a record for the long withstanding and prestigious awards.  Finalists, from niche operators to large-scale food and beverage manufacturers, will compete to take out the top spot in various categories including the popular Artisan Food Producer Award, BITE Gourmet Award and…