Founded by Max Farndale 1947 - 2018
Over Auckland Anniversary weekend, Ports of Auckland invites you behind the iconic red fence to discover your port from land, sky or the glistening sea. Captain Cook Wharf is transformed into a bustling summer carnival with family-friendly rides, tours and day-long entertainment on and off the water, including the SeePort Sunset Symphony & Fireworks with the Auckland Symphony Orchestra and special guests.
Following on from the success of the 2016 festival which saw over 60,000 people visit Captain Cook Wharf, 2017 is set to be bigger and better than ever with in-air helicopter displays, the chance for a lucky few to experience the port from the heights of a crane and the Royal New Zealand Navy's inshore patrol vessel, HMNZS Taupo, Open Days. The festival will kick off with an official opening at 10am on the Sunday morning, following the gates opening at 9am.
SeePort is a chance to sneak a peek behind the red fence and discover your port; learn, explore, eat, have fun and be entertained over the only two days of the year the port is open to the public. Sun and sea are the perfect mix for a long weekend, and best of all it's mostly free! See a full schedule of events at www.seeport.co.nz
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The White House website has been updated with a new trade strategy in the wake of President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
“This strategy starts by withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership [TPP] and making certain that any new trade deals are in the interests of American workers,” the website states.
“President Trump is committed to renegotiating NAFTA,” it continues. “If our partners refuse a renegotiation that gives American workers a fair deal, then the President will give notice of the United States’ intent to withdraw from NAFTA.
Many critics argue that Trump’s desire to withdraw from the 12-country TPP, which includes Canada, Mexico and Japan, contradicts his anti-China attitude on trade.
They see the trade deal — which excludes China but includes other Asian countries like Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam — as an attempt to limit China’s economic influence.
Scrapping the deal in essence strengthens China’s economic dominance in Asia, critics say.
And the U.S.’s withdrawal from the TPP has not yet killed the deal entirely. > > > Continue to read the full article
| From The Huff Post, Canada - January 21, 2017 |
Worldwide the consumption of news continues to esculate and New Zealand is not immume
There is an old saying "you can't see the wood for the trees" which something we all suffer from at various times. Now I have had such an attack, its not painful, not even frustrating, no physical signs at all and in fact I didn't even know I had it until now.
Fortunately the remedy is nearly at hand with no prescriptions, pills or vile medicine to take , just a dose of goodwill is all thats required. And this could very well come from you, yes it could.
Now this is a remedy of many parts each of equel strength and importance. Each part will compliment the other yet be completely different in their individual make-up. Some will be responsible for what is being made every day on the factory floors and workplaces country wide and others will be aware of what is happening.
However there is one common element - each part has an interest in sharing information with the others thus completing the remedy.
So if you have an interest in what is happening in the productive sector in New Zealand, and by that I mean an interest in any of the many engineering disciplines (including digital apps and games development), any of the trades, manufacturing, construction, those who have seen an opportunity and gone for it, then you can help me recover. You see the answer is simply this - would you like to become a contributor to MSCNewsWire and share what you may already post on social media?
The bad news first: it dooesn't come with an annual salary, or even an hourly rate for that matter or payment by the word, no company car or expenses and you have to provide your own mobile, laptop or tablet, social media account and bursts of coffee!
But the good news is that your contributions will be viewed on MSCNewsWire that presently enjoys over 50,000 views a month plus you will be helping promote our productive sector to an interested global audience. A thought - if we do this right together then there is absolutely no reason why commercial opportunites can't be developed. You just never know what tomorrow will bring.
So thats it really. With a bit of luck I'll get the medicne to fix the condition and you'll get to start what could be an interesting and rewarding journey, along the way contributing to the growth in the consumption of news in a positive way.
If you would like to join the team then first of all skoot me through an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your contact details and an indication of the topics you are interested in. Oh yes meantime you are welcome to join The Factory Floor Exchange.
It's free and members get to post questions and share knowledge through the various forums. It's also very new so members are urgently required to help it grow with a personaility of its own. Do recommend it to your friends and peers.
Look forward to hearing from you and with a bit of luck be able to walk through the trees and learn what each have to offer.
| From beside the MSCNewsWire reporters' desk | Saturday 21, January 2017 |
Transport Minister Simon Bridges says the publication of guidance on public charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs) is timely as New Zealand’s fleet reaches more than 2500, exceeding all targets.
The guidance will support public charging infrastructure by providing clear recommendations for both investors and those enabling the development of charging station sites, such as local authorities.
“This guidance is an important step towards developing a safe and consistent nationwide charging network that EV drivers can depend on,” Mr Bridges says.
“It not only marks an important milestone in the Government’s EV programme, but will help reassure drivers that EVs are the way of the future and here to stay.
“While we expect most charging will continue to take place at home or the workplace, reliable public charging infrastructure is crucial to provide drivers with the confidence to make longer trips. It can also influence the decision to buy one.
The Transport Agency worked closely with local and central government and industry to identify recommendations that will best meet the long-term needs of EV drivers.
“Central to the recommendations was ensuring they took into account emerging fast-charge technology and overseas market shifts, learning from the failures and successes of other countries,” Mr Bridges says.
This guidance supports the development and roll-out of public charging infrastructure and is part the government-industry programme to help reach 64,000 EVs in New Zealand by the end of 2021.
The guidance and information about the programme of work can be found at www.nzta.govt.nz/ev and www.electricvehicles.govt.nz.
Trade Minister Todd McClay has confirmed New Zealand and Sri Lanka will progress discussions on new trade and investment opportunities, which could include a Free Trade Agreement between the two countries.
The announcement comes after a meeting between Mr McClay and Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
“Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and I have instructed officials to consider how New Zealand and Sri Lanka can build the right framework to grow our economic relationship through a trade arrangement, including the possibility of working with other like-minded countries,” Mr McClay says.
“Sri Lanka and New Zealand are complementary economies. There is potential for greater trade both ways and I welcome the Prime Minister’s commitment to this.”
“Prime Minister Wickremesinghe has agreed to open a diplomatic post in New Zealand and we are doing the same in Sri Lanka. This is an important step in strengthening trade and economic ties as well as increasing our bilateral engagement.”
| A release from the Beehive |
Donald Trump has been crowing as companies including Ford Motor Co. (IW 500/4) renounce plans to move factories to Mexico. But the main beneficiaries of this shift back to the U.S. aren't saying much by way of celebration -- industrial robots don't tend to speak.
While globalization's detractors blame countries such as China and Mexico for stealing the factory jobs of the West, experts point to less obvious culprits which are harder to scapegoat and to overcome in an interconnected economy with complex supply chains.
Since U.S. manufacturing employment peaked in the late 1970s, according to Michael Hicks of the Center for Business and Economic Research at Ball State University in Indiana, "95% of job losses were due to productivity improvements including automation and computer technology, rather than trade."
Indiana is one of the rust-belt states where Trump triumphed in November, and the president-elect has promised a punitive border tax against outsourcing companies as he bids to become "the greatest jobs producer that God ever created." > > > Continue to read full article on Industry Week |
∩ Lyttelton Port container terminal union workers back on strike
∩ NZ govt's $87.3B investment focused on transformational projects
∩ Revised design for Dunedin hotel
∩ EV charging infrastructure guidance released
∩ NZ and Sri Lanka discuss trade opportunities
∩ Half of U.S. Wineries Might Be Sold in the Next Five Years
∩ While you were sleeping: Upbeat US jobs, housing
∩ Management friction, unpaid bills sink promising pre-fab housing builder ABT in Auckland
∩ NZ manufacturing activity ends 2016 with above-average reading
Shawn Wasserman who is the author of this e-book is the simulation editor at ENGINEERING.com. Computer-aided engineering applications (CAE apps) help analysts offload expertise and reparative work to non-experts.
These tools come in various types, from templates to stand-alone apps and job-specific CAE tools.
In this 16 page e-book you will learn about:
| Continue here to download the e-book |
Outside of Moldova’s capital of Chisinau lies Cricova, the second-largest wine cellar in the world. The stuff of legends, Cricova is more of an underground city than a cellar, occupying over 820,000 feet of space while extending over 75 miles. Situated 262 feet underground at it’s deepest point, the sprawling former limestone mine is a labyrinth that houses over 1.25 million bottles of wine, including its own brand of sparkling wine.
Putin stores his private collection in these chalky corridors and chose the site for his 50th birthday celebration. But Putin is not the only world leader with a penchant for this wine cellar.
Every statesman who visits the winery is accorded the honor of a personal collection, but Mr. Putin’s stash is noticeably bigger. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is a frequent visitor—having hosted a few private galas here herself. With political heads of states boozing it up in the Moldovan crypt, it is no wonder that Cricova has become one of Moldova’s leading tourist attractions. But Cricova was not always a wine cellar.
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UAE, January 18, 2017 - H.E. Eng. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, UAE Minister of Economy (MOE), affirmed that the economic relations between the UAE and New Zealand continue to grow and are expected to develop further as the two countries aspire to strengthen cooperation in a number of economic sectors of common interest and prioritized within their respective development plans.
The announcement came during a meeting between the UAE Minister of Economy and H.E. Todd McClay, New Zealand Minister of Trade, and his accompanying delegation at the MOE’s Dubai headquarters. Both parties demonstrated the potentials of increasing trade and strengthening cooperation in a number of areas, most notably agriculture and food, renewable energy, innovation, civil aviation, and tourism. The officials also discussed the current status of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the GCC and New Zealand. They touched on major issues that could be raised at the next meeting of the Joint Economic Committee which is set to take place this year in New Zealand.
Among the MOE officials who attended the meeting were H.E. Eng. Mohammed Ahmed Bin Abdulaziz Al-Shehhi, Undersecretary for Economic Affairs; H.E. Humaid bin Butti Al Muhairi, Assistant Undersecretary for the Corporate Sector and Consumer Protection; Abdullah Sultan AlFan AlShamsi, Assistant Undersecretary for Industrial Affairs; and other senior officials and advisers. New Zealand was represented by Jeremy Clarke-Watson, New Zealand's Ambassador to the UAE; H.E. Kevin John Mckenna, Consul General of New Zealand; and the New Zealand Embassy Deputy Head of Mission, Rebecca Wood.
H.E. Eng. Al Mansoori stated that the country's leadership prioritizes innovation and thus places great importance on the National Innovation Strategy. He highlighted the strong interest of the UAE Ministry of Economy to closely work and cooperate with New Zealand on innovation initiatives, as it looks to complete the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the parties.
The Minister further explained that the next meeting, the 6th session of the Joint Economic Committee, will be an important platform for accelerating the pace of current cooperative agreements. The session will also facilitate discussions on ways to increase development opportunities and overcome potential challenges that may affect the productive bilateral relations, particularly their economic, trade, and investment ties and partnerships with the private sector.
The UAE Minister of Economy added that cooperation in the agricultural and food industries and enabling the UAE's agricultural investments in New Zealand through the latest innovative tools top the list of the Committee’s agenda for its upcoming meeting given their major roles in addressing the country’s food security. The meeting will also focus on cooperation in civil aviation, which is a key factor for the mutual development of trade, investment and tourism.
Both Ministers discussed the latest updates on the FTA between New Zealand and the GCC, with H.E. Eng. Al Mansoori clarifying that the agreement is now in its final stages and is currently undergoing legal review by some of the GCC countries before final approval. He noted the importance of the agreement in enhancing trade and investment exchange between the two parties.
H.E. McClay expressed his country’s paramount interest on the approval of the FTA because of its significant impact on increasing trade volumes with the countries in the region, and commended the UAE’s major role through the Ministry of Economy in making this agreement a reality.
The Minister also discussed the possibility of bilateral cooperation in gaining access to new regional markets by capitalizing on the economic benefits and the strategic geographical location of both countries. The UAE Minister noted the importance of the UAE as a commercial gateway that ably facilitates New Zealand’s trade access to the Middle East, African and European markets, and New Zealand’s value as a significant link for the UAE to access South American markets. He called for sustained communication to open up more trade prospects for both countries.
Total foreign trade between the UAE and New Zealand reached USD 1.6 billion in 2016, and is expected to increase dramatically in the coming years as both countries continue to push bilateral trade and economic cooperation initiatives.
H.E. McClay said that New Zealand will soon push ahead with the development and expansion of hospitality projects in several cities, noting that this move opens an important opportunity for UAE investments that have successfully built a global reputation in this sector.
In response, H.E. Eng. Al Mansoori urged New Zealand companies to explore the prospects of doing business in the UAE which offers an advanced economic environment, facilities, benefits and development incentives particularly conducive to the growth of high-value industries.
H.E. Eng. Al Mansoori said that these form part of the government’s directives towards establishing a knowledge-based economy focused on innovation, creativity and technology, particularly in transport, renewable energy, infrastructure, and small- and medium-sized enterprises.
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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