Founded by Max Farndale 1947 - 2018
ACC and WorkSafe New Zealand today launched the inaugural ‘Reducing Harm in New Zealand Workplaces Action Plan’. The Plan supports their collaborative efforts to meet the government’s target of reducing serious injuries and fatalities in the workplace by at least 25 percent by 2020.
“Our agencies are committed to working in partnership with industry to meet the government’s target and achieve positive health and safety outcomes for all New Zealanders” said ACC’s Chief Customer Officer, Sid Miller. “Partnering with industry gives us a more in-depth understanding of what causes harm and severe injury across all New Zealand workplaces, rather than just single problems in single sectors.”
WorkSafe’s CEO, Gordon MacDonald, said input from both agencies would ensure better outcomes. “What businesses want to see from WorkSafe and ACC is clear advice and a consistent, practical approach. That’s what the Plan will help us deliver – smart, targeted injury and harm prevention programmes based on the best available evidence.”
However government agencies cannot do it alone. Everyone has a role to play in keeping themselves, their co-workers and their working environment safe. “Good health and safety is about making sure we all take the right steps to keep ourselves and our workmates safe and healthy at work” said Mr MacDonald.
The ‘Reducing Harm in New Zealand Workplaces Action Plan’ is taking a new look at how, together, we can better support the agriculture, construction, forestry, manufacturing and health sectors to make significant improvements to keep their workers safe. The Plan also focuses on the most common causes of injury across all sectors – slips, trips and falls; working in and around vehicles; body stressing, and respiratory health risks. Underlying this is a new focus on fundamental changes that support health and safety culture, such as worker engagement and participation.
There are a number of programmes in the Plan already underway, including Safetree, Safer Farms and the Canterbury rebuild programme. Other programmes are in the development stage, which means we are engaging with stakeholders and gathering evidence and data to support interventions.
“Industry and business can have confidence that we’ve taken an evidence-based approach to severe injury and harm prevention; that what we are delivering for and with industry are agreed, targeted and smart approaches to tackling the causes of severe injury and harm” said Mr Miller.
“Businesses, workers and the public rightly expect government agencies to work together and the three-year Plan is a major step towards a smarter, more co-ordinated approach to keeping New Zealanders safe and healthy,” said Mr MacDonald.ACC and WorksafeBackground
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Hawaiian Airlines has launched a new auction service, in partnership with Plusgrade, which allows passengers to bid for available First Class seats.
The service, which is called ‘Bid Up’, is designed to be simple to use for travellers and is available to those in the main cabin, who are flying between Hawaii and North America. Those eligible receive an email 10 days before the flight and if they win, they are contacted 48 hours before the flight is set to depart.
For the winners, they will be able to utilise some of the extra features in First Class such as Priority Baggage handling, access to the airline’s Premier Clubs, faster check-in and free access to a range of TV shows and films whilst in flight.
Miranda Scott, Managing Director – Travel Products for Hawaiian Airlines, said: “We’re extremely excited to introduce Bid Up to our guests. We understand travellers have different options when planning trips to Hawaii, which is why we’re committed to providing each guest with unique offerings and exceptional benefits.”
Source: Future Travel experience
Chinese airliners have been splashing out on new aircraft as they look to expand their passenger capacity.
China is expanding the its civil aviation infrastructure as part of its "Belt and Road Initiative", its plan to recreate the historic Silk Road trade route connecting it with Central Asia, Russia and Europe.
This year China claimed to have its largest participation in the Farnborough Airshow to date. The biannual airshow is an important showcasing event for the international aviation industry.
Among the announcements made by China Daily, a state run news agency, Kunming Airlines, a domestic carrier, is said to have signed an agreement with Boeing at the airshow to buy 10 new 737 Max passenger aircraft for an undisclosed sum.
Meanwhile Xiamen Airlines has signed a memorandum of understanding with Boeing to buy 30 new Boeing 737 Max passenger planes estimated to be worth US$3.4bn.
Donghai Airlines, predominantly a freight company is also said by China Daily to have signaled its intent to buy 25 Boeing 737 Max aircraft and five Boeing Dreamliners, potentially worth $4bn, as it expands its passenger capacity.
"Under the Belt and Road Initiative, we will accelerate our fleet expansion plan to satisfy the rapidly growing air travel market and help build our home base at Shenzhen as the transportation hub for southern China," said Wong Cho-Bau, chairman of Donghai Airlines, in a statement.
The 737 Max is Boeing’s latest generation of aircraft due to go into commercial use next year. Boeing claim it is 8% more fuel efficient than its competition.
China Daily said China is hoping to build 300 new airports by 2020, roughly doubling its current capacity.
As well as aeroplane operators, a host of Chinese manufacturers were displaying wears at the airshow.
Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac), a state owned company, took 90 orders of its short range ARJ21 plane potentially worth $2.3bn.
Comac is currently developing China’s first medium-hall commercial airplane.
SourceL Supply Management
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* A grande dame of the Pacific gets a facelift.
Robot bag drop being trialled at Geneva Airport’s Terminal 1
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Emirates has launched the world’s first interactive amenity kit in Economy Class providing a more comfortable travel experience. The stylish new amenity kits utilise augmented reality (AR) technology to unlock immersive content on mobile devices.
The kit bags come in six designs inspired by six regions in Emirates’ global network – Australasia, Latin America, Middle East, Africa, Europe and the Far East. The designs incorporate the colours and patterns of each of these regions and the Middle East design, in particular, features Arabic calligraphy by UAE-based artist, Tagelsir Hassan.
The kits include all the necessities for additional comfort on long-haul flights including an eye mask, earplugs, toothbrush and toothpaste, and socks - each tailored to the style of the kit bag. The multipurpose pouches are made of Neoprene material - a water resistant fabric - and is designed to be reused after the flight to store anything from devices to cosmetics or stationery.
Emirates is the first airline to introduce AR technology with the amenity kits making it the world’s first interactive kit bags. By downloading the Blippar mobile phone app, and using it to scan the bags, customers will be able to unlock a world of entertainment on their mobile devices. Emirates partnered with Blippar, the world’s leading AR and visual discovery platform, to create exclusive content including activities and health tips for a more comfortable and relaxing travel experience. The content will continually be refreshed every six months so customers can look forward to new updates.
More broadly, the Blippar app is a Visual Browser which enables customers to discover more about the world around them. Customers can point at thousands of objects already recognised by Blippar (laptops to clothing and food to pets) to get additional information on those items. The content explains the object, the context and other useful and interesting facts – and is sourced from Blippar’s knowledge graph called Blipparsphere. Both the Blippar app and Blipparsphere are powered through Artificial Intelligence technology.
The cutting edge bags are part of Emirates’ continued product enhancement to improve comfort and convenience for Economy Class passengers. The entertainment on the app complements Emirates’ award-wining inflight entertainment system – ice Digital Widescreen - which has recently clinched its 12th consecutive award for ‘World's Best Airline Inflight Entertainment’ at the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2016. Passengers across all classes can enjoy over 2,500 channels of entertainment and free Wi-Fi on board all A380s and most B777s.The amenity kits are available on selected long-haul routes and on all ultra-long haul services starting from August.
To activate the augmented reality technology with the amenity kits:
1. Download the Blippar app from the Apple Store or Google Play on your mobile device 2. Scan the designs on the amenity kits 3. Enjoy immersive content on your mobile devices
An Emirates press release
In a first for airlines in the South Pacific, Air New Zealand is giving customers the freedom to use Bluetooth devices ‘gate to gate’ across its entire fleet.
In line with the airline’s commitment to drive innovation, from Thursday customers flying on any service across the airline’s domestic and international network will be able to operate Bluetooth devices from the departure gate to the arrival gate, provided their devices are set to flight mode.
This means customers can remain connected with their wearable Bluetooth tech such as Fitbit devices, Apple watches and Bluetooth headsets, as well as operate a wireless mouse and wireless keyboard during cruise.
Air New Zealand’s General Manager Customer Experience, Carrie Hurihanganui says enabling Bluetooth powered electronic devices onboard is further evidence of the airline’s customer-centric thinking.
“We’re continually working to enhance our customers’ journeys in every way we can. Enabling customers to use their Bluetooth devices from the departure gate right through to arrivals is part of our dedicated focus to meet the needs of our travellers.”
Air New Zealand secured approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand for Bluetooth use onboard following comprehensive testing conducted across its fleet.
Use of Bluetooth devices gate to gate will be limited to common lightweight, handheld personal electronic devices (PEDs), or for large PED devices during cruise. High-power industrial devices are not permitted to be used on Air New Zealand aircraft.
Air New Zealand customers will be able to use Bluetooth devices onboard from Thursday July 21st.
An Air New Zealand press release Tuesday 19 July 2016
Victoria University of Wellington’s Robinson Research Institute has signed a four-way agreement that further cements the role of New Zealand in China’s drive to boost development of green technologies and high-value manufacturing.19 July 2016
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) follows a multi-million-dollar deal between Robinson and Chinese company Beijing Milestone Science and Technology Development Co Ltd.
The deal will see Robinson’s high temperature superconducting (HTS) technology underpin a ground-breaking device that could cut the heavy energy use of Beijing’s subway system by forty percent.
Robinson will also be working on a portable compact magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system for use in China’s regional hospitals.
The MOU is between Robinson, assisted by University commercialisation office Viclink; Milestone; Jiangsu Zhongguancun Science and Technology Industrial Park; and Suzhou New District Economic Development Group Corporation.
Jiangsu Zhongguancun Science and Technology Industrial Park is in Liyang near Shanghai and is where two of the three companies created by the Robinson-Milestone deal will be located. The third will sit alongside Robinson in the Gracefield Innovation Quarter in Lower Hutt, where it will develop and manufacture HTS sub-assemblies for the subway device and MRI (known as a podMRI). Components will be sourced from other New Zealand companies.
Suzhou New District Economic Development Group Corporation invests in and operates technology parks in China, including Jiangsu Zhongguancun, and manages funds to invest in the parks’ companies.
Mi Wang, Milestone chairman and Chief Secretary of the Zhongguancun Superconductor Research Alliance, says Jiangsu Zhongguancun is not only a research and manufacturing base for superconducting-related companies but will also include a superconducting research institute.
“The institute will provide public testing and other services so companies in the park can evaluate their manufacturing standards. On top of this, it will facilitate connections to financial institutions in order to jointly establish a superconducting industrialisation trust to provide support for the park's companies to develop fully."
Robinson Director Professor Bob Buckley says HTS is a key enabling technology of the future and New Zealand is a leader in its development.
“China, through Milestone and the other MOU signatories, is keen and ready to adopt these two HTS applications and to work with us on developing a range of others. This is a wonderful opportunity for New Zealand and China alike.
“The Chinese Government is committed to growing its high-value manufacturing sector and encouraging HTS and green technologies. As a globally minded capital city university, Victoria is committed to making whatever contribution we can to New Zealand’s own high-value manufacturing sector and to improving the environment and health and wellbeing in the Asia-Pacific region as a whole.”
The seniority of those at the MOU signing is a measure of its significance for opening up scientific, technological and investment activities between the organisations and countries, says Professor Buckley.
Those attending included:
Funding over many years from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and its predecessors and KiwiNet has supported Robinson’s HTS research and development.
A Victoria University press release Tuesday 19 July 2016
Mercedes-Benz has unveiled its “Vision Golf Cart” – a luxury golf cart that only weighs 440 kilograms (970 pounds), largely in part due to its carbon fiber roof, rear spoiler and diffuser. Carbon fiber is also used for aesthetics on the cart, as the trim is a combination of leather, wood, carbon fiber and metals.
The Vision measures 92.5 x 47.2 x 67.7 in. In addition to composite construction, the cart comes equipped with all the equipment necessary to drive on an actual road. It has a real automotive design that features turn signals, working headlights, taillights and windshield wipers. It also comes with a built-in refrigerator below the driver seat, a high-resolution touchscreen with apps, and an audio system with Bluetooth.
It’s propelled by an electric motor and has a top speed of just 18.6mph. It has a lithium-ion battery that can be fully charged in six hours, and its overall range is 49.7 miles – enough for several rounds of golf according to Autoexpress.
Back in 2013, Mercedes-Benz showed the world what the cart might look like. Mercedes calls the Golf Car a show car, but it seems prepared to make it more than a design concept. Luxury golf car manufacturer Garia will first build two drivable examples of the Vision. Mercedes says it will rely on a largely digital retail model if it does go through with production.
“The vehicle can be experienced absolutely virtually,” says Susanne Hahn, head of Daimler Business Innovation. “This means that wherever customers are in a dealership or on a golf course they can look at the vehicle on a tablet and order it with three clicks.”
To see the car in action, visit http://www.garia.com/a-real-sports-car/.
Award-winning restaurateur Michael Meredith is set to take his culinary expertise to the skies as Air New Zealand’s newest consultant chef.
Renowned for his adventurous approach to food and degustation menus at Auckland’s fine dining restaurant Merediths, the Samoan-born chef will work with the airline to design dishes for its Business Premier menus.
Meredith joins Air New Zealand’s current consultant chef Peter Gordon, of SkyCity’s Sugar Club and The Providores and The Tapa Room in London, who has partnered with the airline for more than 20 years.
The role is a first for the top chef, who took out Metro’s Restaurateur of the Year and Best Fine-Dining Restaurant award for Merediths this year.
“It’s a huge privilege to be given the chance to showcase my take on New Zealand cuisine to people from all over the world. I have a lot of respect for Peter and to create a menu alongside him is an honor.”
“There’s a bit of pressure but I’m also really excited to see what we can do together. I think Air New Zealand punches above its weight in all aspects of its inflight experience, including food.”
Air New Zealand General Manager Customer Experience Carrie Hurihanganui says New Zealand has built a reputation around the world for its fresh, high-quality and diverse cuisine and great New Zealand wine.
“For many visitors to our country Air New Zealand offers their very first taste of New Zealand and we take this responsibility very seriously.
“Michael will bring a fresh perspective to the table. We’ve long held a farm to plane philosophy where menus are crafted around the best seasonal, fresh produce on offer. Michael has a similar ethos at Meredith’s and we’re excited to see how he translates his expertise from the restaurant to meals served at altitude.”
The airline’s Business Premier menus will include both Michael Meredith and Peter Gordon designed dishes from early next year.
Peter Gordon, known as the “godfather” of fusion for his ability to pair food influences from around the world, said Meredith’s appointment is another step in Air New Zealand’s work to offer an unparalleled inflight experience.
“There are definitely some interesting challenges with airline cuisine, it takes a lot skill and thinking outside the square to work with how the palette changes at 30,000ft, and to prepare fresh ingredients to taste their absolute best on a long-haul flight.
“Michael is extremely talented and I’m so pleased he’s coming on board. New Zealand’s biodiversity is extraordinary and Air New Zealand is a fabulous platform to show it off to the world.”
Air New Zealand first formed a relationship with Meredith last year when it signed on as the first corporate to appoint his community initiative Eat My Lunch as a preferred supplier for staff catering.
The online business works on a ‘buy one, give one’ model, where for every lunch purchased, another is given to a Kiwi child in need.
An Air New Zealand press release Wednesday 20 July 2016
Alibaba Group, the world’s largest e-commerce company, plans to ratchet up its Asia-Pacific cross-border retail activities with the launch of operations in Melbourne to serve online merchants in Australia and New Zealand.
New York-listed Alibaba announced on Tuesday the planned opening of its new office in the capital of the Australian state of Victoria later this year, following this week’s four-city roadshow by company president Michael Evans in the two countries.
“A stronger presence [in Australia and New Zealand] will advance our global goal of serving two billion consumers, while supporting tens of millions of small businesses, brands and retailers across the world,” Evans said.
Cross-border retail e-commerce sales in mainland China are forecast to reach US$85.76 billion this year, up from US$57.13 billion last year, on the back of growing domestic demand for quality merchandise from foreign markets, according to research firm eMarketer.
It attributed the rapid surge in cross-border e-commerce purchases by mainland consumers over the past two years to increased activity on Alibaba’s Tmall Global platform and the JD Worldwide site of Tencent Holdings-backed JD.com.A stronger presence [in Australia and New Zealand] will advance our global goal of serving two billion consumersMichael Evans, Alibaba president
Data from eMarketer showed that the number of cross-border online retail buyers in China are projected to swell to 128 million this year, a 71.7 per cent increase from 74.6 million last year.
The best-performing products from Australia and New Zealand sold on Alibaba’s local Tmall site and Tmall Global include food and beverage, cosmetics, and a range of goods for mothers and infants, the Hangzhou-based company said.
Alibaba, which owns the South China Morning Post, estimated that there are a total of 1,300 Australian brands already found on Tmall and Tmall Global.
Maggie Zhou, the managing director of Alibaba Australia, said the new Melbourne office and expanded team there “will be well-positioned to support Australian and New Zealand merchants already on our platforms, as well as new merchants looking to expand into China”.
In April, Alibaba entered into a memorandum of understanding with business development agency New Zealand Trade and Enterprise to support the expansion of that country’s brands in China.
Evans said Alibaba’s “infrastructure support” in areas such as payment, cloud and logistics for Australia and New Zealand merchants provide “the tools they need to access international consumers, while at the same time improving the experience of consumers who want to shop globally”.
Source: South China Morning Post
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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