Founded by Max Farndale 1947 - 2018
Glazing film coating confers cost –effective temperature control plus safety-at-work benefits
The latest New Zealand Manufacturers and Exporters Association (NZMEA) Survey of Business Conditions completed during July 2016, shows total sales in June 2016 decreased 0.43% (year on year export sales decreased by 0.53% with domestic sales decreasing by 0.17%) on June 2015.
For results table and historical series, click here.
In the 3 months to June, export sales decreased an average of 1.5%, and domestic sales increased 5.5%. The NZMEA survey sample this month covered NZ$305m in annualised sales, with an export content of 70%. Net confidence fell to 20, down from 33 in May.
The current performance index (a combination of profitability and cash flow) is at 99, down from 102 last month, the change index (capacity utilisation, staff levels, orders and inventories) was at 99, down from 101 in the last survey, and the forecast index (investment, sales, profitability and staff) is at 105.33, up on the last result of 104. Anything over 100 indicates expansion.
Constraints reported were 53% markets, 33% production capacity and 13% skilled staff. A net 20% of respondents reported productivity increases for June. Staff numbers for June increased 0.17% year on year.
Supervisors, tradespersons and, managers, professional/scientists reported a moderate shortage and operators/labourers reported a minor shortage.
“Year on year export sales experienced a slight fall, after a modest increase in May, leading to an average monthly fall of 1.5% in the last 3 months. Domestic sales are flat in June, though significantly lower than the nearly 14% year on year increase last month that led growth for manufacturers. These results gave a monthly average growth of 5.5% for domestic sales in the last 3 months.” Said Dieter Adam.
“The index and sentiment measures this month show some falls on last month, with the confidence measure down from 33 to 20, and both the performance and change index moving into contraction. However, in contrast to this, the forecast index moved even higher than last month, staying in expansion. Despite current pressure on sales and sentiment, manufacturers still have a positive expectation of the future – hopefully this eventuates into stronger sales results throughout the rest of 2016.
“Production capacity is becoming more of an issue for manufacturers, with the constraint reaching the highest level since February 2015. The market constraint increased on last month – the currency remains overvalued and well above expectations.
“It was great to see the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) propose more lending limits in the housing market to promote financial stability against building private debt, and the Auckland Unitary Plan appears to be a solid step forward needed to increase the supply of housing. We hope this gives the RBNZ the confidence to follow through on their talk and start to move our exchange rate on the much needed downward correcting trend.
“There were also a number of comments regarding challenges competing with low cost, low quality imports into New Zealand, which may be adding to pressure on domestic sales. As we have seen in the steel industry, this is an area which needs to be watched to ensure Kiwi consumers are protected and manufacturers are operating in a fair environment.“ said Dieter.
International airfares have been falling in real terms for decades, with discounting and sales periodically pushing them lower, but some fares currently on offer are truly astonishing.
Finder.com.au draws attention to a current deal offering airfares to London (Heathrow) from Melbourne, available from AUD 898 return. The carrier is Royal Brunei and the site http://iwantthatflight.com.au is pushing the offers.
About 20 years ago, it cost more to fly Sydney/Perth.
Travel dates are limited to departures between 2 October and 9 November 2016, but finder.com.au points out that for AUD 926 return, travellers can also travel from 1 May until 8 June 2017.
The flights include 30kg of checked luggage (as opposed to the 23kg some airlines offer). The Melbourne-Brunei-London route is flown by the airline’s fleet of Dreamliners, the site says.
The route heads through Brunei and Dubai, with a 2.5-hour stop in the first and an hour’s stop in the second, making for reasonable connections.
The same site is offering discounted flights to London from other cities in Australia, including Sydney from AUD 996 return, Perth from AUD 1108 return, Brisbane from AUD 1208 return.
Written by Peter Needham, eGlobal
Communications Minister Amy Adams says demand for the Government’s Ultra-Fast Broadband continues to grow as the rollout forges ahead.
“More than one million households, businesses, schools and hospitals are now able to access Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) services. This means 2.4 million New Zealanders are now able to connect to UFB, which is an outstanding achievement this far into the build,” says Ms Adams.
“There are now more than 830 new households and businesses connected to fibre every working day – more than one every minute – as New Zealanders realise the benefits of the Government’s investment in high-speed broadband.”
Ms Adams today released the latest quarterly report on the UFB and RBI programmes that highlights the enthusiasm New Zealanders have for faster and more reliable internet.
Nationwide uptake of UFB is just under 24 per cent, and over 240,600 New Zealanders are now connected.
“Internet connectivity has become an essential part of day to day life, and access to faster broadband opens up opportunities across business, health, education and within the local community,” says Ms Adams.
“Faster and more reliable broadband is transforming the way New Zealanders live, work and learn.”
New Zealanders should head to www.broadbandmap.nz to check their connectivity availability.
UFB at a glance:
The quarterly update is available here: http://goo.gl/dxMBmn
A tax Bill to simplify tax processes, reduce compliance costs for smaller businesses, and tighten foreign trust disclosure rules was introduced in Parliament today, says Revenue Minister Michael Woodhouse.
“Business tax changes proposed in the Taxation (Business Tax, Exchange of Information, and Remedial Matters) Bill deliver on the Government’s Budget 2016 SME-friendly tax package announcement and will reduce compliance costs and make tax simpler for small businesses,” Mr Woodhouse says.
“Changes include new business-friendly measures to simplify the provisional tax rules, which will provide a new pay-as-you-go option for small businesses to pay their provisional tax, from 1 April 2018.
“The Bill also proposes to remove the 1 per cent monthly incremental late payment penalty on new GST, income tax, and the Working for Families tax credit debts, from 1 April 2017. This will help strike a better balance between penalties encouraging taxpayers to make timely payment without becoming overwhelming.
“Small businesses are the backbone of the New Zealand economy. We want to help them spend more time focused on their business, not their taxes and these changes will help make that happen.”
The Bill also includes measures to further strengthen and update New Zealand’s international tax rules with new disclosure requirements for foreign trusts. It proposes to introduce a register that is searchable by Internal Affairs and the Police, as well as annual disclosure requirements.
“Following the Shewan Inquiry, the Government committed to moving quickly on the changes to foreign trust disclosure rules and the inclusion of those changes in this Bill reflects that.”
Finally, the Bill includes the necessary measures to implement the G20/OECD standard for the Automatic Exchange of Information, which New Zealand financial institutions will have to comply with.
The copy of the Bill can be found at https://taxpolicy.ird.govt.nz/.
Industrialist sees tie-up as turning point in public asset policy nationwide
The Port of Auckland can no longer be expanded because of the growing opposition from a coalition of leisure and environmental groups commented Napier industrialist Ken Evans who also drew attention to the increasing pressure on the Auckland port to release land for high density housing.
Mr Evans (pictured) of Napier Engineering was commenting on the alliance between the ports of Auckland and Napier.
The deal between the two port authorities had the strength he said of recognising Napier’s position as the obvious alternative port in the North Island.
In contrast to Auckland he said Napier had the ability to expand its deep water capacity without infringing on leisure and environmental sensitivities. Neither is Napier’s port in competition for residential land.
The port alliance coincided with Napier Engineering’s own promotion of the port as a centre for ship repairs.
“You look at Auckland’s situation now and Napier is the obvious single discharge/ load alternative.”
In terms of congestion, Mr Evans stated that Auckland ratepayers, who owned the port of Auckland were already stretched seeking to cope with an “unmanageable” road traffic problem.
Auckland’s port management he said had recognised their core infrastructure problem of being congested and unable to expand.
The alliance with Napier gave Auckland a “workable solution advantageous to both ports.”
The notion of moving Auckland's port somewhere else he described as “utterly unfeasible” both politically and economically.
He said that the flexibility and resource-sharing of the Auckland – Napier port alliance was going to be regarded as a set piece solution in other cases where immense public infrastructure investments could neither be expanded nor abandoned.“So often in the past we have seen local public authorities saying in effect ‘if we can’t have it – neither can you.’
“The Auckland – Napier tie up now sets an important precedent in the matter of the nation obtaining by sharing and cooperation the optimum value from infrastructure investment.”
FRom the MSCNewsWire reporters' desk, Monday, 8 August 2016
The importance of systematic maintenance and proper fault management of machinery in workplaces has been highlighted at the sentencing of the Lyttelton Port Company (LPC) for failing to take all practicable steps to ensure its employees’ safety.
Gordon Anderson, of Hasmate, pointed out that this is not an isolated case. Planned and scheduled maintenance is just one of the requirements of good H&S management. He has observed over the past 25 years that very few business even consider it and too many work on the principle of, if it’s not broke, why fix it.We plan for maintenance in our homes, vehicles, boats and personal fitness, so why not plan for it in our businesses?
Speech by New Zealand First Leader and Northland MP Rt Hon Winston PetersPublic meetingCelebrating Age Centre, 30 Victoria St, HamiltonMonday, 8 August, 201610.45amGovernment deaf to the harsher realities of what is happening in New Zealand
It must now be apparent to all New Zealanders that we are too dependent on China.
We have got so close to them, they are telling us what to do.
In 2008 I warned the then Labour Government as well as the National Party, as Labour negotiated the China Free Trade deal that we would rue the day that our largest exporters became perilously dependent on China.
At the time it was clear far too much of the economy would be dependent upon one exporter, Fonterra, one product, milk powder and one market, China.
That warning has come to pass.
Two weeks ago Mataura Valley Milk announced it had given China Animal Husbandry Group (CAHB) a 71.8 per cent ownership share in a new $200 million dairy plant to be built near Gore.
New Zealand First welcomes overseas investment when the controlling interests are held by New Zealanders.
It is economic lunacy to give over control of our wealth to foreign interests.
In April the prime minister went to China and promised the Chinese he would speed up decision making so it would be easier and quicker for Chinese to buy land and assets here.
Let’s remember China is a country which refuses to allow foreign nationals to buy land there.
At the time of his visit Chinese media warned Mr Key that if he raised the issue of the South China Sea, he could risk compromising New Zealand's trade relationship with China.
In recent weeks China has not been happy with New Zealand inquiries into a glut of Chinese steel imports flooding the market "and threatened retaliatory measures" against New Zealand trade, warning it will slow the flow of dairy, wool and kiwifruit imports.
China was also unhappy an international tribunal in The Hague rebuked them over its behaviour in the South China Sea, and found its expansive claim to sovereignty over the waters had no legal basis.
The question you need to ask from all this is: Why is New Zealand surprised?
Melamine, Chinese steel in our motorways, asbestos trains bouncing off our rail tracks and now a billion dollar threat to New Zealand’s dairy and horticulture industry, were all predictable events except to New Zealand’s political and economic leadership.
How ordinary New Zealanders are meant to react to the appalling failures of both must surely be at issue.
How well they must remember the cacophonous cheerleading of the New Zealand China Free Trade ‘industry’ and its derisory response to anyone who dared question the wisdom of what they were doing.
We are sycophantic in our relationship with China.
It’s time for Mr Key’s Government to demand China abide by international trade rules.
It’s time the government told China you are not our master: we will not be bullied around.
IMMIGRATION
It has taken a long time but New Zealand is beginning to wake up to the implications and impact of massive immigration.
How long can the National government encourage record numbers to come into New Zealand and ignore what is happening as a result?
Even when Treasury six months ago sounded warnings about the negative impact of immigration the government would not listen.
They are the only people in this country who continue to deny that mass immigration is contributing to Auckland’s crisis and to other dire problems.
Treasury advised Finance Minister Bill English that immigration could push Kiwis out of low-skilled jobs, depress wages and increase housing pressures.
ANZ chief executive David Hisco said he wanted to see an immigration review.
But the government won’t listen.
In the past year immigration to New Zealand is up to 125,000 with a net gain of 69,100.
Add to this, thousands of international students from 176 countries that came here last year, many of them having visas allowing them to work.
Auckland has climbed from being the world’s ninth most expensive city for housing to the fifth.
It’s still climbing.
It’s ordinary Kiwis who suffer by struggling to find homes, losing jobs or having wages reduced because many of the foreign students are desperate for work to pay for their education and will take any amount that is offered – even as low as $4 an hour.
Our hospitals are bursting at the seams; schools and infrastructure are under massive pressure.
The Auckland Primary Principals Association says they are crying out for teachers because New Zealand trained and qualified teachers rule out Auckland as a place to live and work because it is too expensive.
We have the crazy situation of a chronic shortage of primary school teachers in Auckland and a surplus around the country.
But the Ministry of Education are like the government.
Their solution to the Auckland teacher shortage is not to try and make it easier for Kiwi teachers, instead they are “working to smooth the way for overseas teachers to work in Auckland.” (RNZ, Recruiting Auckland teachers ‘a nightmare’, July 19)
That’s how ludicrous it has become.
The same thing is happening in the building sector.
The Minister for Housing Nick Smith said it was crucial to have skilled workers in Auckland for the building boom.
But at the same time the skilled workers are leaving the city or not going to work because it is too expensive. So the government says we will have to bring in builders from overseas.
Ordinary New Zealanders cannot get their foot on the housing market in Auckland and at the same time we have companies like Ray White linking up with Lianjia, also known as Homelink, China’s largest real estate agency, to market Auckland and New Zealand property to 260 million Chinese.
If you picked up a copy of The Straits Times recently (Saturday July 30, 2016, pA36) you would find a full page advertisement marketing New Zealand property in a “Prime New Zealand Properties Expo.’
The advertisement said “No stamp duty; no restrictions on resale to foreigners.”
The advertisement was targeting off-shore investors.
Again the government refuses to listen to this sort of thing.
They should listen.
The results of the Brexit referendum in the UK, the American presidential election and the recent Australian early election showed that.
The UK’s decision to leave the European Union – has shaken the political world.
The British public told their leaders that they have had enough of not being listened to.
It is the same in the United States also.
Donald Trump, despite his approach, has upset the applecart by achieving what many did not expect and securing the Republican nomination in the presidential race.
In the Democratic Party, Bernie Sanders gave Hillary Clinton a hard run for her money.
This mood of discontent is evident here in New Zealand also.
And one of the common threads that run through this mood of change is the unhappiness over one thing in particular.
Immigration.
This is an issue that political parties tip toe around in spite of what the people think.
The people are being told – “keep in your place”; it’s not politically correct to touch on this issue – and if you do you can be quickly labelled racist or xenophobic.
The New Zealand media toe the line also – never looking for the deeper story but grabbing and running with the political spin which emanates from the beehive.
Ordinary New Zealanders know what the consequences of open door immigration are.
And one of the biggest impacts is on housing.
New Zealanders are seeing their dream of home ownership disappearing over the hill as foreign buyers clean out the market and send house prices through the roof.
NZ First has no issue with immigrants – it’s the open door immigration policy that is wrong.
We do not blame people for wanting to come to New Zealand
But we must address this issue of open door immigration and comprehend the impact it is having on our country.
The Reserve Bank knows this.
The Reserve bank deputy governor Grant Spencer told the Government to take another look at its immigration to stem rising house prices.
When New Zealand First said this, and we have for a long time, we were called racist and xenophobic.
But no-one accused the Reserve Bank of that.
Mr Spencer said New Zealand could not ignore that the 160,000 net inflow of permanent and long-term migrants over the last three years had generated an unprecedented increase in the population and a significant boost to housing demand.
But, again the government refused to listen. Again the government is concocting a poisoned chalice which others will have to deal with.
Brexit showed what happens if you do not listen to the people, and if you treat them as though their views do not count.
NZ being used
Overseas countries cannot believe how generous we are.
Where else in the world can a migrant come to a country at the age of 55, as happens here, live here 10 years and contribute nothing to our economy and qualify for full superannuation?
In the last 15 years over 82,000 people have done this.
That’s the equivalent of Palmerston North’s population.
New Zealand First says only New Zealanders and those who have qualified by length of stay and other requirements should get full superannuation.
Changes must be made in entitlement criteria so that payments are adjusted directly proportionate to the years of residence.
Labour and Greens
Even Labour and the Greens are getting worried about immigration and have buddied up with an agreement.
But New Zealand First will not be part of it.
We are not going to compromise our beliefs by buddying up with other political parties.
Before the election you should know what political parties stand for.
We’ll stand on our own feet.
We’ll concentrate on growing our vote and not waste time with cobbled together pre-election arrangements.
We have never liked this type of politics and never will.
We have an old fashioned view of democracy which is – we wait until the votes are counted.
We are not signing up to any pre-election deals.
Voters need to be fully aware of what an individual party’s policies are and not be confused.
Conclusion
When the views of the general public are ignored – dismissed and brushed aside on fundamental issues like immigration the scene is set for deep fault lines to emerge in a society between the people and those who govern them.
Next year New Zealanders will have their say – in the election
New Zealand First is a party of moderation and inclusion.
We have never stopped listening to the New Zealand public; their concerns, their hopes and their aspirations.
So we are confident that our policies – on immigration and on other issues vital to our country – reflect the view of the public.
Vitaco Health Group will need more capital if it goes ahead with plans to expand its Auckland manufacturing and warehousing, which it says shareholders should be aware of in contemplating a $A313.7 million takeover bid from a Chinese-led consortium.
The ASX-listed food supplements maker has entered into a scheme of arrangement with drugmaker Shanghai Pharmaceuticals and private equity firm Primavera Capital which would see the buyers pay $A2.25 a share, including any final dividend declared when it reports annual earnings this month. That was 28% higher than the closing price on Wednesday before the deal was announced yesterday, although a more modest 7.1% premium to the $A2.10 initial public offering price when Vitaco listed last year. The shares closed at $A2.11 yesterday, gaining 20% after the deal was announced.
The march to New Zealand becoming an efficient digital nation is being strangled by selfish interests, charges Bennet Medary in an iStart release written by Donovan Jackson.
While government is frequently seen as both the solution for large scale issues and simultaneously the obstacle, Medary believes the current administration is on the right track. “One of the biggest advocates for a more effective nation is Bill English [and his ‘data highway’]. I can’t tell you how much I support his policy initiatives, programmes and work through Treasury, where he is looking to gain insights from public sector information to identify and target interventions that make a difference on an individual basis. With information technology, we can do that now.”
The ‘data sharing’ projects initiated by the government don’t generally benefit from the enthusiasm of a tech industry insider. Indeed, they tend to drive fear-mongering headlines (like ‘The government is watching you’) in the mainstream media and inspire shrieks of outrage from some on the more lunatic fringe.
But in Medary’s view, it is precisely this sort of approach which has to continue . . .
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
|
|