Founded by Max Farndale 1947 - 2018
Dec 18, 2017 - The boss of New Zealand’s census is confident Stats NZ's IT system is up to the job. But internal emails from October paint a shambolic picture of the $121 million project, with contractors pulled in to fix bugs in a key system, delays to crucial testing and blown budgets for individual projects. David Williams reports.
On October 20, a day after Winston Peters announced New Zealand First would form a government with Labour, the head of New Zealand’s 2018 census, Denise McGregor, emailed her staff the management team’s newly drafted list of cultural principles.
“We are one team, not a series of projects,” was the first of 11 principles inspired by a speech from legendary rugby sevens coach Gordon Tietjens. Others included “when things go wrong we collectively fix without blame”, “share the load” and “escalate early”. In a sign of the sweat being expended on Stats NZ’s momentous project, the bigwigs vowed to lead by example by having time off to “ensure we are fit for the job” and “getting out” at lunchtime.
Optimism turned to grim realism, however, in the “IT update” section of McGregor’s email, which focused on the crucial Salesforce system, used to manage field staff work. “The Salesforce issue continues to provide challenges for resolution and is impacting the delivery of the overall programme,” McGregor’s email said. “There are a number of priority one work packages blocked from completion, and a backlog of testing is starting to build.”
Salesforce testing had improved, she said. The full file of 2.1 million records – all street addresses in New Zealand – had loaded and “a number” of errors were being investigated.
Lurching from success to doom
Two hours later, McGregor wrote an unvarnished assessment to Stats NZ deputy chief executive Teresa Dickinson. The “good news”, she said via email, was that 2 million records loaded. However, 103,000 records failed and performance issues
Continue here to read the full article by David williams on Newsroom
Dec 18, 2017 - A major report released today shows that New Zealand has a significant and growing digital skills shortage, primarily due to the speed and scale of the increase in demand for tech skills. The report, commissioned by the New Zealand Digital Skills Forum, should sound a warning bell to industry, government and the education sector, the Forum’s chair Victoria MacLennan says. More than 120,000 people were employed in the tech sector last year and about 14,000 new jobs were created. However, only 5,090 tech students graduated in 2015, and 5,500 tech visas were granted in same period, demonstrating a shortfall. At the same time, New Zealand is facing an 11 per cent annual increase in demand for software programmer jobs, the report says. We also face a diversity challenge – in 2016, 36 per cent of tech students were female and only eight per cent were Māori “The growing skills shortage in New Zealand’s IT industry and broader economy is very real. Industry, government, and the education sector need to continue working closely together to accelerate plans and activities to address it, otherwise the future prosperity of New Zealand will suffer greatly,” MacLennan says. “However, it’s important to note the digital skills challenges our economy faces are not new and are certainly not limited to New Zealand. “This report represents a great opportunity. Technology is such an important part of day-to-day life for all New Zealanders, meaning that just about everyone has a stake in our success as we respond to the challenges of our changing digital world. “We need to continue working together to help nurture and develop local talent, and at the same time make sure that we fill any gaps from the best talent we can find worldwide. If we do this well then we have the opportunity to make New Zealand a technology powerhouse on the world stage. “The findings in this report show that the supply of people with advanced digital skills doesn’t meet demand and this gap is growing. Through the Digital Skills Forum, a collaborative group of leading tech industry and government agencies, we’re working together to address digital skills shortages. But more must be done. “There has never been a better time than now for action. Our school education sector has this year been reformed to give every Kiwi child a digital education. Through targeted reviews and industry recognition, our tertiary sector is better positioned than ever before to deliver the quality graduates needed. There are also more alternative pathways into digital roles than ever before. “As a country, we must help younger New Zealanders discover a prosperous future working in the technology roles where the median salary is $82,000, almost twice the average median salary. “Together, we need to remove barriers for our graduates finding their first job, make it easier for those seeking a career change, and improve the gender and cultural diversity in digital roles. None of us can do this on our own. “As a result of this report, we now have tangible and concrete data on the size, scale and nature of the digital skills shortage in our sector and across the New Zealand economy. This report identifies both a challenge and a massive opportunity, but it will take all of us to realise it. The New Zealand Digital Skills Forum includes NZRise, NZTech and IT Professionals NZ from the tech sector, and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, the Ministry of Education, the Department of Internal Affairs and the Tertiary Education Commission from government.
| A MakeLeomonade release || Dec 18, 2017 |||
Dec 18, 2017 - The Government is investing $14.9 million in tourism infrastructure and cycle trails around the country, Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis announced today. $14.2 million has been awarded to various local councils for 30 visitor-related infrastructure projects and four feasibility studies.
“We need to make sure we have the basics right – so that visitors continue to have high quality experiences at every point of their holiday and want to return,” Mr Davis says
“Increasing tourist numbers, while good for New Zealand, is putting pressure on infrastructure in many areas around the country. The projects selected for funding are essential for some of the communities that really need help to develop infrastructure – those places with high numbers of visitors in comparison to ratepayers, for example.
“As a starting point we are co-funding carparks, toilets and other facilities in popular visitor spots from Kaimaumau, north of Kaitaia, to Lumsden in Southland. It includes co-funding for a new carpark and toilets to support the growth of tourists at Mt Taranaki’s Pouakai Crossing trail; facilities at Blackball on the West Coast to support the planned Paparoa and Pike 29 Memorial tracks, and a new carpark and walkways at Lake Tekapo’s Church of the Good Shepherd.
“Other areas require more significant infrastructure. In Hanmer Springs the wastewater system will be upgraded, in Gisborne new carparks and walkways will be constructed in preparation for the 250th commemoration of the arrival of James Cook, and in Tauranga enhancements will be made to provide safe public access to the bottom of Omanawa Falls.”
This investment is made through the first round of the Tourism Infrastructure Fund. A second $10.7 million funding round is expected to be held in early 2018.
A further $700,000 will be invested in the upkeep of seven Great Rides of Nga Haerenga, the New Zealand Cycle Trail.
“We know that Nga Haerenga is delivering significant economic benefit to communities around the country – $37.4 million per year according to the latest estimate,” Mr Davis says.
“These trails are becoming an important part of New Zealand’s tourism offering, drawing high-value visitors off the beaten track and helping provide employment and new business opportunities for our regions. We want to ensure that they are well looked after.”
The investment comes from the Maintaining the Quality of Great Rides Fund, which aims to ensure New Zealand’s premier rides are maintained to their current world class standard.
Further information and funding details can be found on the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment website.
Tourism Infrastructure Fund: http://www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/sectors-industries/tourism/tourism-infrastructure-fund/round-one-funding-recipients
Maintaining the Quality of Great Rides Fund: http://www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/sectors-industries/tourism/nga-haerenga-new-zealand-cycle-trail/maintaining-the-quality-of-great-rides-fund/round-seven-funding-recipients
| A Beehive release || December 18, 2017 |||
Dec 18, 2017 - Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter today announced a short term boost in road safety funding this summer and signalled a renewed focus from the Government on introducing safer speed limits. Over summer the NZ Transport Agency will roll out an additional $22.5 million worth of low-cost safety improvements on rural State highways across Northland, Taranaki, Manawatū-Whanganui, Canterbury, Otago and Southland. The funding has been re-allocated from within the State highways budget. “The number of people losing their lives on our roads has increased every year for the past five years. When things are this bad government has a responsibility to act,” said Ms Genter. “The Boost Safety Programme is the first step. Improvements will include rumble strips, signage and safety barriers on rural roads where there is a real risk of death and serious injuries. “Many deaths and injuries can be avoided on these roads by making some relatively simple changes. For example, we know rumble strips can reduce all crashes by around 25 percent and fatal run-off-road crashes by up to 42 percent. “Despite what many people think, improving road safety is not just about getting people to drive better. It’s also about making our roads much safer, so that when people make mistakes lives aren’t lost. On too many of our roads a simple error, such as taking a corner too fast or being momentarily distracted, can be fatal. “That is why the government will be investing more in safety barriers, rumble strips and targeted speed limit changes. Next year, the Government will further increase funding for road safety improvements as we revise the overall transport budget. “I’ve also written to the NZ Transport Agency Board and all local councils to make it clear that setting more appropriate speed limits on high-risk stretches of road will be a priority for this government. “The Government will hold a road safety summit early next year so that we can hear directly from councils about the barriers to and opportunities for improving road safety,” said Ms Genter. The NZ Transport Agency will begin engagement with communities on the proposed safety improvements before Christmas, with work starting in February.
| A beehive release || December 18, 2017 |||
Dec 18, 2017 - The Hub will house a dedicated Emergency Operations Centre EOC. Queenstown Airport has opened the doors to ‘The Hub’, the airport’s first dedicated operations centre, marking a new era in the organisation’s growth.
The modular-style building, named The Hub via an airport staff competition, houses a new dedicated Operations Centre, Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), Operations Control room, training room, offices and houses all the Queenstown Airport Operations team in one fit for purpose office.
The Hub has been designed to accommodate the airport’s continued growth and is an adaptable, sustainable and affordable building solution in line with the company’s guiding principles. The movement of essential operations services into The Hub will also free up much-needed space in-terminal for use by border agencies, who are also expanding as part of the airport’s continued growth.
The new building is accessed via the rental car park landside with secure access on the airside frontage. The landside location ensures easy access for non-security cleared personnel to the EOC should this be activated and will also now be the check-in point for all contractors and suppliers working at the airport.
GM Operations and Safety Mike Clay said: “As Queenstown Airport continues to grow, the airport Operations team has adapted and expanded to accommodate growth within the current footprint.”
“Currently the Operations team have operated from five different office locations across the terminal, including the Info Desk which acts as a control room and administration point. The time has come for a dedicated location to better house the team and associated operational services and facilities”.
Careful consideration has been given to the design of the exterior paneling to ensure each module can be repurposed if and when needed without affecting the overall appearance. The interior has been designed fit-for-purpose, ensuring the team has the best vantage points to monitor activity. The airport team has been integral to the design of the facility, contributing extensively to its functionality and layout.
“The Hub will be the nerve centre of the airport’s operations function,” said Mr Clay.
The Operations Centre provides the following under a single roof:
The centre also has additional facilities for use by all QAC staff including:
| A Queenstown Airpport release || December 15, 2017 |||
Dec 18, 2017 - Air New Zealand is set to grow the number of seats available on the Wellington-Queenstown route by around 50 percent from April next year.
The airline will operate an extra five A320 direct services a week between Wellington and Queenstown, the equivalent of 38,000 extra one-way seats compared with the previous year.
The five new services are in addition to the airline’s existing daily direct jet service and will operate between Thursday and Monday, taking the total number of jet services per week to 12. In addition to this, a number of other Wellington-Queenstown services are operated by the airline’s ATR turboprop aircraft.
Air New Zealand’s Chief Revenue Officer Cam Wallace says the airline is delighted to be able to offer more direct services between Wellington and Queenstown, particularly over the weekend.
"Queenstown is a hugely popular destination on our domestic network so it’s great to be able to match growing demand with these extra jet flights."
Air New Zealand’s Wellington - Queenstown schedule from April 2018 is as follows:
Flight Number / Departs / Arrives / Days of week
NZ603 / Wellington 9:15am / Queenstown 10:35am / Monday - Sunday
NZ605 / Wellington 12:15pm / Queenstown 1:35pm / Thursday - Monday
NZ604 / Queenstown 11:10am / Wellington 12:30pm / Monday - Sunday
NZ606 / Queenstown 2:10pm / Wellington 3:30pm / Thursday - Monday
The additional services will be available to purchase at www.airnewzealand.co.nz
| An Air New Zealand release || December 15, 2017 |||
Dec 18, 2017 - Travellers from France, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands now have the green light to use the Customs eGates (formerly known as SmartGate) from today.
“We extended eGate to ePassport holders from China last month, and with a significant number of visitors coming to New Zealand from Europe, it makes sense to extend the facilities to eligible passport holders from these European countries,” says Group Manager Border Operations, Anne Marie Taggart. “Expanding eGate to more countries will help to manage the increasing number of travellers arriving and departing New Zealand.
“The e-Gates allow eligible passengers to complete their customs and immigration checks quickly and easily, so they can get on their way. It also means that Customs officers can focus on travellers that may present a risk,” More than 24 million people have used Customs’ eGates since they were introduced at New Zealand airports in 2009, and the additional nations will take the number of countries eligible to use the eGates from six to 10.
“We expect this number will continue to grow, with plans underway to enable ePassport holders from more countries to have access to eGates in the near future.”
There are eGate facilities in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown available to ePassport holders aged 12 years and over from New Zealand, Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, China and from today, France, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.
| A New Zealand Customs Service release || December 18, 2017 |||
Meguerditch Bouldoukian is considered in the West the leading Arabic-language authority on banking in the Middle East. He now takes our Five Questions on the pending flotation of Aramco and the economic circumstances in which it will take place……
The Saudis appear to have valued Aramco at US$2 trillion. Western commentators have claimed that it is over valued?
The issue of valuation of a company in investment banking criteria has more than six methods. We can say here though that if the two or more sides agree on a method to value ARAMCO then we can wish them good luck. From a conservative approach to the most liberal, its market capitalization is reported to extend from $1.5 trillion to $10 trillion.
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
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