Founded by Max Farndale 1947 - 2018
Have you ever thought of applying the principle of “Caveat Emptor” when hiring a H&S advisor?
The other day I was chatting with a friend and he was telling me about a business associate who was rather concerned about the amount he was having to pay for his Health and Safety consultant along with the down time he was experiencing having being told that weekly H&S meetings were essential under the new Health and Safety at Work Act. Not to do so could see him incur expensive penalties.
What my freind could not understand was that a colleague of his, who is also a buisness owner, could get away with running just one H&S meeting a month.
It so happened that I was preparing an article on Caveat emptor and how important it is to take heed of this especially it in the area of health & safety. Effectivly he has no come back on the cosultant who prescribed the weekly meeting so enter Caveat emptor. Take time to work through the H&S swamp of nonprescriptive legislation with your consultant.
So if you are thinking of hiring an external H&S consultant or you already use one, I suggest you follow this link to my article. Hopefully you will gain from it.
|| A Hasmate release by Gordon Anderson | Wednesday 22 March 2017 |||
Huawei, the Chinese technology giant, has announced a new investment plan to extend its cloud computing infrastructure, research and development (R&D) partnership and local procurement in New Zealand.
Huawei will work with local partners to build a New Zealand Cloud Data Centre, and will open an innovation lab this year, the company said without disclosing the value of the deal.
The lab, located at Victoria University of Wellington, will concentrate on the deployment of big data and Internet of Things (IoT) themed future technology including 5G.
Huawei will build another innovation lab in Christchurch to seek local R&D partnership there, and open a regional office in the country’s capital for local procurement and help businesses in New Zealand which will be integrated into Huawei’s global supply-chain network.
Huawei’s Founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei said it is seeking further investment opportunities in New Zealand due to its open and fair trade environment and emphasis on developing new technology.
The digital transformation empowered by advanced ICT technology will enable New Zealand’s traditional strengths, including tourism resources, agricultural and trade sectors, into new driving forces of economic growth, he said.
Over the next five years, Huawei will also fund a total of 100 New Zealand undergraduate students to travel to China and learn about latest technology and participate in cultural exchanges.
|| A Huawai release, | March 22, 2017 |||
NZ’s investment in infrastructure creating jobs
Global engineering and advisory firm Aurecon, will be recruiting approximately 30 graduates around the country[1] in 2017, as part of its annual graduate recruitment programme.
With the release of the latest instalment of the Government’s Ten Year Capital Intentions Plan (CIP) in 2016, the Government is showing its commitment to a pipeline of $100.9 billion worth of infrastructure projects over the next decade in New Zealand.
Aurecon’s New Zealand Regional Director, Carl Devereux, said, “While the majority of the investment over the past few years has been in road infrastructure and the restoration of key services in earthquake affected areas such as Canterbury and Kaikoura, there has also been good investment in major infrastructure projects such as the Auckland City Rail Link.”
“In addition, New Zealand has seen continued economic growth, which bodes well for those working in the engineering industry.”
Aurecon is looking for new staff to support a range of infrastructure projects, including the Auckland City Rail Link, a series of dairy plant projects for Fonterra, and the Northland Bridges project.
|| An Aurecon release | March 22, 2017 |||
At large in the northern hemisphere Brent Marris of Waihopai Valley’s Marisco Vineyards answers Five Questions......
Brent Marris and his family have been part of Marlborough vineyards and wine making since the inception of the terroir and its associated appellation. In recent years the family has focused on developing in the Waihopai Valley its Marisco Vineyards and its marques The Ned & The Kings Series. We caught up with Brent Marris (pictured) in Europe........
What has been the impact of Brexit on your business?
The Brexit effect is huge and is due to the weak pound. Because we trade in UK pounds it has impacted on bottom line. A movement of approx 20%. Our fingers our crossed that it bounces back. Or, prices will have to go up, we fear. .
What are your hopes and/or fears for the in-progress NZ-EU trade agreement?
With the NZ-EU trade agreement it is simply that the closer we can get to reducing tariffs and other such charges the better. The more open freedom to do trade, the better from our point of view.
You have just been notably visible on the trade scene in London, and now we have found you at Prowein in Dusseldorf. How valuable are these trade fairs to New Zealand exporters and as a long time exhibitor can you spell out some dos and don’ts for the benefit of NZ industry at large?
Prowein has proven to be excellent from our point of view especially as both more UK and US trade buyers are attending. If you can afford your own exhibition stand then that of course is the best option. But starting out on a New Zealand shared stand is a good beginning. A tip? Having enough meeting spaces on your stand is vital because it offers more chance of serious discussions, the ones with worthwhile results. This is imperative, incidentally, in our experience in terms of selling in the UK and in the EU.
A problem in your sector has been in actually getting paid by importers. What measures do you take to ensure payment?
Payments have not been an issue for us simply because we deal with large reputable buyers in the UK. In the EU zone we have own warehouse space and staff so everyone we deal with we know personally. Communication is the key here, hardly surprisingly.
You produce Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Gris. Define for us current international tastes and preferences?
Consumers happily enough still love our Sauvignon Blanc while Pinot Gris, Rosé and Pinot Noir are gaining traction. In regard to preferences it is our experience that people love stories and if you can attach a good story to your wine brand then you are ahead. In general, we find our brands are seen as good, honest wine brands of quality that have been around for a good length of time therefore are reliable.
|| From the MSCNewsWire reporters' desk | Wednesday 22 March 2017 |||
Carl Bass left Autodesk with big shoes to fill. Autodesk has decided to fill each shoe with one person. Until the company names a new CEO, Andrew Anagnost will share CEO duties with Amar Hanspal, who is responsible for all product development. We had not heard of an engineering and design software company splitting and sharing CEO duties, so we rang up Autodesk to see how this would work. Answering his phone was Andrew in his San Francisco Market Street office.
A series of Q & A's with engineering.com
Congratulations, Andrew!
It had only been last November at Autodesk University that we congratulated Andrew for his promotion to head of Autodesk marketing. While it was a big step up on the career ladder, Andrew, with his education and background (a PhD in aeronautical engineering and computer science from Stanford, for example), is not the same as other marketers. But Andrew, new in his role as co-CEO, claims he is not far from his roots.
> > > continue to read the full article here
CADPRO SYSTEMS represent Autodesk in New Zealand running a full suite of services
Today, we announced that Rocket Lab has closed a $75m Series D financing round, led by Data Collective, with additional investors Promus Ventures and an undisclosed investor.
We’ve partnered with this esteemed group of investors because of their experience in the space industry. We also had renewed participation in this round from our existing investors - Khosla Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners and K1W1 - who have provided continued expertise and support as we work to make space accessible to everyone. The closure of the round brings the total funding Rocket Lab has received to date to $148 million, with the company value now in excess of $1 billion (USD).
Currently, small satellite companies wait years to get on orbit, often at the mercy and schedules of larger payloads. With Electron, they will be provided a high-frequency, quality launch service that will take customers where they want to go, when they want to fly. The commercial and humanitarian applications this will open up are endless. The satellites Electron will launch are used to provide optimized crop monitoring, natural disaster prediction, Internet from space, improved weather reporting, up-to-date maritime data and search and rescue services.
Today, we also welcome Matt Ocko of Data Collective to Rocket Lab’s board. We’re delighted to work with Matt and his team, including Chris Boshuizen, who have extensive knowledge of this industry and will bring added expertise to our leadership.
You may have seen that just last month, the first Electron vehicle arrived to Launch Complex 1, our private launch facility on the Mahia Peninsula. As we speak the team is hard at work commissioning the site. In other words, they’re completing hundreds of tests to ensure that all systems are safe and ready for launch.
The test flight program will begin with our first Electron rocket, “It’s a Test,” where we’ll aim to get Rocket Lab’s own flying laboratory, complete with 20,000 data channels, into Low-Earth Orbit. The insight it will gather will prove invaluable as we seek to learn from the first flight and iterate on the vehicle so as to optimize its performance in advance of future launches. We fully expect to meet a few challenges along the way but this will only leave us better prepared as we enter the commercial phase of launch.
Our priorities are safety and security first and foremost. This may mean that as we enter different launches we may decide to “scrub” or delay a launch to ensure these priorities are met. There’s a lot of work to be done and we’re not going to fly unless we’re ready. We’ve got a big year ahead and the team are excited to work through the test phase of our program and begin manufacturing Electron at scale.
This brings me to our next exciting piece of news. We’re incredibly pleased to announce the opening of our new Huntington Beach, California office. While we’ve had a presence in the LA area since 2013, this new facility will enable us to triple our production rate. We’re actively hiring for our engineering and business units and we’re committed to rapidly growing and scaling in both our Huntington Beach HQ and Auckland, NZ office. If you're interested in open positions please take a look at our careers page.
Join us as we work to make space accessible and follow along here!
Cheers,Pete
| A RocketLab release | March 22, 2017
Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith has today announced the winners of New Zealand’s most valuable and prestigious annual science awards, the Prime Minister’s Science Prizes.
“The Prime Minister’s Science Prizes celebrate scientific achievement, highlight the impact science has on New Zealanders’ lives, and aim to attract more young people into science careers,” Mr Goldsmith says.
“The awards were introduced to raise the profile and prestige of science careers and previous winners have become excellent ambassadors for science here in New Zealand and overseas.
“A prominent part of the Government’s science strategy is encouraging more engagement with science and technology among our young people and the wider community.
“The awards are a key part of the Curious Minds work programme - a national strategic plan for science in society launched in 2014 to help all New Zealanders engage with science and technology.
“The award recipients are role models, educators and communicators, who all play a part in inspiring others to become involved with science, I want to congratulate all of them on their awards, and for their commitment to promoting science,” Mr Goldsmith says.
The prizes were presented by Prime Minister Bill English at a ceremony at Parliament today:
More information about this year’s winners is available at www.pmscienceprizes.org.nz.
| A Beehive release | March 21, 2017 ||
Finance Minister Steven Joyce, and Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Paul Goldsmith have welcomed the release of the Productivity Commission’s report New models of tertiary education.
“We would like to acknowledge the Commission’s time and effort in considering this issue, and the wide engagement of the tertiary sector in the inquiry,” Mr Joyce says.
“We share the Commission’s commitment to further improving the way that tertiary education delivers relevant skills for New Zealanders, and will review the recommendations and opportunities identified in the report.”
“The Government will carefully consider the Commission’s recommendations over the coming months. We have work underway on some of the matters raised such as improving the accessibility of information for prospective students,” Mr Goldsmith says.
The Commission’s report is wide-ranging, and makes 49 recommendations. These focus on:
“The Government will keep an open mind on all of the recommendations, with the exception of the Commission’s view that interest should be reintroduced on new student loan borrowing.
“The Government is committed to retaining interest-free student loans for borrowers residing in New Zealand,” says Mr Goldsmith.
“We do not want to see young people starting their working lives with unmanageable debt. We know that for those who stay in New Zealand after graduating, half will have repaid their loan in under six and a half years.”
“Tertiary education provides students with the skills and qualifications to get good jobs and good incomes, contribute to the country’s economy, and be part of an innovative and successful New Zealand,” Mr Joyce says.
The Government will respond formally to the Productivity Commission’s recommendations in due course. The report will be tabled in Parliament at 9am today, and can be found on the Commission’s website www.productivity.govt.nz.
| A Beehive release | March 21, 2017 ||
The Government has welcomed today’s release of the OECD 2017 Environment Performance Review, saying it highlights New Zealand’s green credentials and the strong progress we have made over the past decade, as well as the challenges we need to address, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith says.
“This report highlights that New Zealand fares well in terms on environmental quality of life. We have good air quality, an exceptionally high proportion of renewable electricity, easy access to pristine wilderness and an advanced and comprehensive natural resource management system,” Dr Smith says.
“This report shows how far we have come over the past decade. We introduced environmental pricing on waste in 2009 and on greenhouse gas emissions in 2010. We have introduced new national policy statements in areas of freshwater management, urban development and coastal management, as well as national environment standards on air quality. We have also made important institutional changes with the creation of the Environmental Protection Authority, new laws regulating activities in New Zealand’s huge EEZ and the new Environment Reporting Act 2015.
“We also concur with the OECD assessment of New Zealand’s future environmental challenges of climate change, freshwater management, biodiversity, reducing the complexity of urban planning and transport funding reform. This report reinforces the importance of the significant work programmes the Government has under way in each of these areas.
“This environmental report card will help us sharpen our future direction and environmental aspirations, as well as learn from the experiences of other countries. I thank the OECD reviewers and the examining countries of Australia and the UK for their contribution to this thoughtful report.”
| A Beehive release | March 21, 2017 ||
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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