BluffGeld

Written By: - Date published: 3:41 pm, January 14th, 2021 - 46 comments
Categories: Economy, Politics - Tags: , , ,

No Right Turn has an apt way of putting things some times. The way that the smelter operates is the exact equivalent of some thuggish barbarians with big swords extracting tribute for not burning, raping and pillaging. In other words Danegeld or any other form of protection racket. I’ll repeat his succinct post here and then follow up with a few of my comments.

Paying the BluffGeld

So, Rio Tinto has supposedly reached a deal with Meridian and Contact to give them cheaper electricity prices and keep the Tiwai Point smelter open. Down south, they’re celebrating. But the rest of us shouldn’t be. I’ve argued before that the best thing this foreign polluter can do is close. It uses 12% of our total electricity generation, effectively making it responsible for that entire sector’s carbon emissions, while receiving huge carbon subsidies (latest figures: 1.7 million tons in 2019, worth $65 million at today’s prices if they’re getting an equivalent amount this year, a huge whack of their annual “profit”, and enough for us to pay every worker there $65,000 a year for the rest of their lives to find something else to do). Added to that, their constant threats of closure to extort ever-more-favourable terms from governments who want it to close, but not on their watch, plays havoc with our electricity market, deterring renewables investment as no-one can be sure whether there will be a glut in three or four years time. The smelter seems to exist solely as a machine for extorting subsidies from the New Zealand government – subsidies paid by you and me, in the form of higher taxes and electricity prices. And our chickenshit politicians keep falling for it, and paying the BluffGeld, to avoid the horrific situation of us not having to pay them anymore.

Rio Tinto says this deal “mak[es] the smelter economically viable and competitive over the next four years.” Naturally it expires in 2024, just after the next election, so next election time we can expect them to be claiming that the smelter is economically unviable and uncompetititve and asking for another subsidy. And I expect our chickenshit politicians to roll over and pay them off again, dooming us to higher emissions and more expensive electricity. Because once you pay the DaneGeld, you never get rid of the Dane.

No Right Turn: “Paying the BluffGeld“

The point about the level of risk is especially valid. Markets are horrible at dealing with longer term uncertainty. This on again, off again extortion damages the current electricity markets. As NRT says “…their constant threats of closure to extort ever-more-favourable terms from governments who want it to close, but not on their watch, plays havoc with our electricity market…”.

It isn’t hard to find statements by renewable companies and analysis on the electricity market (which looks about as free and fair as any other semi-monopolistic cartel) to support the havoc argument. I don’t have the time to do it right now. But I’m sure that some will come up in comments.

The generating capacity at Manapouri isn’t going away. At some point this extortion and blackmail by the Tiwai Point operators will have an unhappy ending – the Electricity Authority needs to perform its basic mission, providing an efficient market.

They need to continue to fund Transpower to fund a line direct from Manapouri towards the alternate use sites around Christchurch. In other words the “Net Zero Grid Pathways: Accessing Lower South Island Renewables“. The first part of that is underway…

Clutha Upper-Waitaki Lines Project

In the immediate-term, Transpower has committed to deliver the Clutha Upper Waitaki Lines Project (CUWLP) by May 2022. The project is set to deliver benefits in the order of $100m per year by enabling low-cost renewable electricity generated in the lower South Island to be transported north.  For more information visit the CUWLP project page here

Transpower: “Net Zero Grid Pathways“

But I’m sure that the usual short-sighted responses from National’s shareholder community will want to divert the costs of that and the follow up projects to get rid of the structural into immediate rewards like short term lower prices and larger dividends to shareholders (including the government itself). After all National prefers tax cuts over long term planning – you only have to look at the disaster of their immigration without building housing ‘policy’ of their last terms in office to see that.

But I also suspect that there needs to me more of a user pays incentive for Meridian and Contact as well. To speed the grid reconstruction in the lower South Island up, the infrastructure levies on them should increased. After all, the reason for putting the infrastructure into the lower South Island si to provide some choices when inevitable the government or Rio Tinto decides to give up on playing chicken. The shareholders of Meridian and Contact should carry the can for that.

In the meantime, I think that I need to send a consumer message to gutless short-sighted wonders at Meridian and terminate our power account. I’m interested in a long-term sustainable power supply to run this site and this country with. Clearly Meridian isn’t being sustainable over the long term. They are wasting their asset of generated power into an unsustainable industry and effectively charging me higher prices to support that.

For the country as a whole we need to increase our available power generation and distribution to target non-fossil fuel systems. Like electric vehicles. Having Meridian and Contact need to focus on the longer term infrastructural issues instead of the shorter term in the way that they appear to have been doing. Clearly the dumb arse market solution that National foisted on us in electricity isn’t achieving that.

46 comments on “BluffGeld ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Cricklewood 1
    14 January 2021 at 4:20 pm

    You just know, that out there somewhere in the political abyss Winston is taking credit for this…

  2. Bearded Git 2
    14 January 2021 at 5:07 pm

    Labour pushing this issue out till after the next election by abjectly caving-in to a wealthy multinational. Shoddy politics.

  3. peter sim 3
    14 January 2021 at 7:51 pm

    Pure Rio Tinto MUSCLE. COVID- 19 will come back and bite RT where it hurts.

    We were never in a position to confront RT in the current pandemic and the climate change already happening.

    Meridian and Contact have been raped. We the tax payers subsidise this?

  4. Tricledrown 4
    14 January 2021 at 9:21 pm

    Demand for Aluminium is well down with the airline industry in hibernation c19.

    To keep tiwae going until alternative uses for the power are ready makes a lot of sense.

  5. Jimmy 5
    15 January 2021 at 8:18 am

    As stated in the article, you can pretty much guarantee that in 2024 they will again decide it is uneconomical to continue and will use the same black mailing tactics.

  6. Steve Bradley 6
    15 January 2021 at 1:09 pm

    Rio Tinto probably the number one resource extraction stand-over merchant worldwide.

    Our Labour government has four years to get our country into a position where we can tell them to get lost, and don't come back.

    • Phillip ure 6.1
      15 January 2021 at 1:28 pm

      I don't get this..

      the smelter is there..

      for the gummint ..the energy used to power it is essentially free…

      wave bye-bye to Rio tinto..

      and hire industry experts to run it..

      for the end benefit of the new zealand people..

      • Andre 6.1.1
        15 January 2021 at 1:39 pm

        That would only make sense if we had a vast surplus of electricity we were desperately trying to get some value from rather than wasting it.

        We're not in that situation.

        The power used by Tiwai Point is roughly the same as the amount generated at Huntly. Shut down Tiwai Point and use the freed up power to shut down Huntly, and our electricity supply goes very nearly emissions-free. That's a much bigger benefit to NZ than a few jobs and receiving a pittance in return for about 1/7 of our total electricity supply.

        • alwyn 6.1.1.1
          15 January 2021 at 1:58 pm

          I assume you will take this up with the Prime Minister and our Minister of Finance.

          It seems to be a bit too hard for them to understand. Sigh.

          • Andre 6.1.1.1.1
            15 January 2021 at 2:12 pm

            In a feeble possible defense of those in government and Meridian that have cravenly capitulated, the grid upgrade to get the Manapouri power to Benmore (southern end of the HVDC link) wasn't scheduled to be complete until 2023 IIRC. So had Tiwai shut down this year, there would have been significant wasted power in late 2021, 2022, and some of 2023.

          • Incognito 6.1.1.1.2
            15 January 2021 at 4:00 pm

            It’s a tad presumptuous of you to pretend to know more and better than the PM and the Minister of Finance, that they are incompetent, and that they could be ‘enlightened’ by TS commenters such as yourself.

            Does it irk you that it’s only mid-January 2021 and Labour has already delivered on one of its Election Campaign Policies?

            In any case, the deal is a commercial deal between the smelter and Meridian. Maybe that’s a bit too hard for you to understand?

            https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/434490/tiwai-point-aluminium-smelter-to-keep-operating-until-end-of-2024

            • alwyn 6.1.1.1.2.1
              15 January 2021 at 7:18 pm

              I presume you were replying to Andre.

              He is the one who was pointing out that in his view the new deal doesn't make any sense if we really want to reduce out carbon emissions.

              As far as being a commercial deal between the smelter and Meridian, of course it is.

              However when you, Meridian, are negotiating with a private company it makes it a little difficult when your majority shareholder, the New Zealand Government has already told the refinery that you are going to give them what they want. Before the election Meridian had given the smelter their lowest price offer. The refinery said it was too much and the Government stepped in and promised that the price would drop.

              A commercial deal? Where did you ever go to school?

              If you were referring to me I would have to tell you that there are many things about which my knowledge is a great deal better than our PM and our Minister of Finance. Not everything but certainly some things.

              • Incognito …
                16 January 2021 at 8:17 pm

                Well, now I’m not so sure if I was replying to you or to my parsnip.

                Just for you, yes you, Alwyn:

                http://www.sharechat.co.nz/article/ed74ab08/meridian-energy-limited-nzx-mel-rio-tinto-confirms-tiwai-exit-in-december-2024.html

                http://nzx-prod-s7fsd7f98s.s3-website-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/attachments/MEL/366175/338755.pdf

                If you were referring to me I would have to tell you that there are many things about which my knowledge is a great deal better than our PM and our Minister of Finance. Not everything but certainly some things.

                😀

                “many things”, “some things”, “[n]ot everything” 😀

                This is pure comedy gold!

                laugh

                • alwyn …
                  17 January 2021 at 2:14 pm

                  From your first link we have

                  "Meridian Chief Executive, Neal Barclay says, “We have worked hard to provide solutions that we believe were of lasting value to the Smelter and acceptable to our shareholders."

                  Well I'm a shareholder and I wasn't consulted. I think that we should just tell the smelter to take a hike.

                  On the other hand, when you look at page 114 of the Companies Annual Report we see the list of the largest shareholders. Number 1 is

                  "Her Majesty The Queen In Right Of New Zealand Acting by and Through Her Minister of Finance And Minister for SOEs"

                  Share holding 1,307,586,374

                  Percentage of outstanding shares 51.018

                  The Ministers are of course Grant Robertson and David Clark. I'll bet they were pleased.

                  • Incognito …
                    17 January 2021 at 10:51 pm

                    Well, thank you for making your point so succinctly.

                    Are you suggesting that shareholders ought to be at the negotiating table when drafting an agreement?

                    Unless it is confidential, you can let us know how the other shareholders voted when the proposal is ratified – I am assuming it will be ratified. Has a date been set yet?

                    For the record, I am not a shareholder of any of the companies involved nor do I live in Southland. However, as a voter I was consulted in the General Election. I’ll bet they were pleased with the stunning result.

            • KJT 6.1.1.1.2.2
              16 January 2021 at 7:57 am

              A "commercial deal" that continues the general practice of power companies since privatisation.

              Ripping off domestic users to subsidise their "competitive" discounts to big users of power.

              • alwyn …
                16 January 2021 at 8:35 am

                You are really going to have to decide who you believe. Is it the incognito who says that it was a purely commercial decision made by the Power Company management, and that the Government had nothing to do with it. Alternatively was it the Government fulfilling one of their election promises and that it was the Government who made the deal and the company simply did what the Government ordered them to do?

                I think the deal was done because the Government Ministers ordered it to be done and that the Government is responsible. It is only my belief of course and I could, as I sometimes am, be wrong. The last time that happened was when I believed that Rob Muldoon only had the good of the country at heart in all his actions

                [When you engage in debate in good faith, you don’t apply false dichotomies, you don’t appeal to ‘believe”, and you don’t put words in mouths of others, as you did here; I did not say these things.

                I did say this:

                In any case, the deal is a commercial deal between the smelter and Meridian.

                This is absolutely correct! It is not even my opinion but taken directly from the link that I provided. In fact, I’ve stated that it was an Election Policy of Labour and I provided a link as well for that. If you cannot comprehend and reconcile these things as consistent and compatible with each other and feel the urge to change them into false dichotomies to suit your narrative I can come to only one conclusion …

                You’re entitled to your orifice plucks thinking they’ll pass the sniff test but you’re not welcome to mischievous comments and false allegations. You know where this will end you – Incognito]

                • Incognito …
                  16 January 2021 at 9:03 pm

                  See my Moderation note @ 8:35 AM.

                • alwyn …
                  17 January 2021 at 2:18 pm

                  I really thought that " Is it the incognito who says that it was a purely commercial decision made by the Power Company management" was an accurate paraphrase of " the deal is a commercial deal between the smelter and Meridian".

                  • Incognito …
                    17 January 2021 at 8:14 pm

                    Paraphrasing doesn’t mean twisting the meaning of words and/or extending their meaning way beyond the original meaning and context based on assumptions and reckons to suit your narrative.

                    Expect to be moderated for it as well as well as for the other two faux pas.

                    Please lift your game, thanks.

              • Incognito …
                16 January 2021 at 7:05 pm

                There are no subsidies involved, it was a commercial deal.

                https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/434490/tiwai-point-aluminium-smelter-to-keep-operating-until-end-of-2024 [same link as above]

              • Incognito …
                16 January 2021 at 8:28 pm

                In an ideal case, closure of the smelter would lead to lower electricity prices for customers.

                https://www.newsroom.co.nz/tiwai-point-closure-benefits-and-fishhooks

                • Sacha …
                  16 January 2021 at 11:12 pm

                  Huge wasted opportunity just reducing existing power bills (even if the privatised energy companies do not just intercept the savings for their shareholders rather than customers).

                  Also does nothing much for employment in that part of the country, which has long been the main negotiating hostage.

                  • Incognito …
                    16 January 2021 at 11:42 pm

                    What was a viable alternative, in your opinion? Flick the switch off now or do it in an orderly well-planned manner in four years’ time?

                    • Sacha …
                      17 January 2021 at 12:13 am

                      Have said before that I'd like to see the freed-up electricity directed to decarbonising all our public transit – and small commercial vehicles like courier vans, farm utes, and small service vehicles used by local and central govt agencies. Transport is our biggest non-farming sector needing climate action.

                      Add a focused engineering cluster in Dunedin and maybe Christchurch to install, maintain and even build those types of drivetrains in Aotearoa. Farm vehicles might be a good export niche too.

                      Will take longer than 4 years but needs to start with a clear vision and political comms process.

                      Looks like hydrogen is stealing some of the limelight right now but it's not the most efficient use of the energy, nor the best sustainable job creation.

                    • Incognito []
                      17 January 2021 at 3:02 pm

                      Yes, that all makes good sense, but only realistic in the medium term, don’t you think?

                      I think that a transition period is well-placed in which the many invested parties can work together, despite any differences of opinion and (economic and/or socio-political) interests, to devise a good plan that serves people locally, regionally, and nationally.

                    • Incognito []
                      17 January 2021 at 3:25 pm

                      When Government signalled a halt to oil & gas exploration, they did this in similar way, to give people and itself enough time to adapt to the inevitable changes. In this way, they flattened the curve of political and socio-economic pain and gave people some certainty in the short-term and interim. While we’re in the midst of a global pandemic, the worst of which doesn’t seem to be over yet, I think it makes more sense to play it safe, at least from a political and economic perspective. Now might not be the time for grand experiments or grandiose promises that always fall way short of expectation.

                    • Sacha …
                      17 January 2021 at 5:05 pm

                      I do not want to see a repeat of the wasted opportunities in the 2020 'shovel-ready' projects that swallowed so much money that could have been used for transformation without scaring the horses.

                    • Incognito []
                      17 January 2021 at 6:19 pm

                      I 100% agree with that, and I’d like to think that is true too for this Government; it was more or less what I tried to convey in my last sentence.

        • Phillip ure 6.1.1.2
          16 January 2021 at 7:45 am

          I see it as an asset that could benefit the country…

          we are told the smelter produces some of the highest quality aluminium on the planet…

          and the plan is to just let it all rust away??

          the infrastructure is all there…the power is all there..

          I find it difficult to believe this cannot be used/re-purposed..

          has that option even been looked at..?

          • Andre 6.1.1.2.1
            16 January 2021 at 8:14 am

            Your mention of the "highest quality aluminium" just shows your susceptibility to psychological manipulation by corporate spin-meisters. There is nothing special about the equipment or energy supplied to Tiwai Point that causes the high purity outcome. It's how they choose to operate the smelter, in particular the choice of consumable electrodes, that results in the high purity.

            As far as the actual equipment in place, its lack of value is clearly shown by the way none of the other players in the global industry is interested in buying it.

            As far as the electricity goes, you seem to be wilfully ignoring the key point. That is, New Zealand has much more valuable uses for the electricity consumed at Tiwai Point than smelting aluminium to be sold overseas at give-away prices.

            That you find something difficult to believe reflects your ignorance and lack of awareness of that ignorance much more than reflecting any kind of factual reality.

            • Phillip ure 6.1.1.2.1.1
              16 January 2021 at 8:34 am

              doesn't really matter how…but yes it makes high quality aluminium..

              to argue that closing tiwai means we are able to then close huntley .seems somewhat shortsighted/short-term..ill thought out..as the/a reason to abandon tiwai..

              that other aluminium manufacturers don't want tiwai could be for a raft of their reasons/dynamics .

              it is not automatic that it could not be made to work for us. .for that aluminium to be used also here in nz…

              and the aircraft industry is in a state of dissaray..

              this will not last…and I find it hard to believe the next generations of aircraft…likely to be as lite-weight as possible..will not need aluminium…and lots of it..

              so to make that judgement only on the current situation..also seems somewhat shortsighted..

              I'll let yr personal abuse lie where it fell..

              • alwyn …
                16 January 2021 at 8:54 am

                " I find it hard to believe the next generations of aircraft…likely to be as lite-weight as possible..will not need aluminium"

                That is a very debatable statement Phillip. The fuselage of a 747, the long haul workhorse of the 80's and 90's was primarily aluminum, about 81% in fact. It had 1% composites. The next generation, the 777 reduced this to around 70% aluminum and 11% composites. This was the standard long haul plane of the first part of this century.

                The latest generation of long haul aircraft is the 787. That is only about 20% aluminum and 50% composites.

                These 3 types of aircraft first flew in 1969, 1994 and 2009 respectively.

                There may not really be as much demand to aluminum as we might think.

                https://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/12958/what-materials-make-up-most-of-the-weight-of-an-aircraft

                • Phillip ure …
                  16 January 2021 at 9:02 am

                  thanks for clarifying that ..

                  but of course that is not the only use for aluminium..

                  it is strong..it is lite-weight..

                  it lasts forever…

                  how can this not be an asset to be realised ..?

                  • gsays …
                    16 January 2021 at 9:13 am

                    Building framing is something I keep thinking of for aluminium, studs, lintels, flashings and claddings.

                    None of the above means we shouldn't get rid of the parasite that is Rio Tinto.

                    Edit, well done on not rising to the regular, constant flow of the personal stuff.

                  • Stuart Munro …
                    16 January 2021 at 8:58 pm

                    The Saudi smelters were producing aluminium car bodies, among other things – stronger per unit weight than steel, and resistant to some kinds of corrosion.

                    But the profitability of smelters, as with most metals, is a function of the production costs of the second most efficient operator. Depressed demand and shipping volumes will have flooded the market also – the only way Tiwai can be profitable is as a state pensioner, or by developing a downstream manufacturing capacity they have not pursued to date.

              • Incognito …
                16 January 2021 at 8:24 pm

                I'll let yr personal abuse lie where it fell..

                There was no “personal abuse”. Your comment @ 6.1.1.2 was bathing in ignorance and you don’t even realise it. Please inform yourself before you comment here and don’t give us that BS again about ‘common sense’.

      • Gabby 6.1.2
        15 January 2021 at 5:12 pm

        And where would the bauxite come from?

      • mikesh 6.1.3
        17 January 2021 at 9:01 am

        I assume NZ does not have a built in supply of bauxite.

  7. Forget now 7
    15 January 2021 at 11:58 pm

    The toxic waste was supposed to be gone by Christmas, but then it was never supposed to be there in the first place. Six years is a long time for Mataura to rest under that sword of Premixacles. Nearly the anniversary of the February floods that threatened to asphyxiate the town. Guess we're just hoping the fine weather will continue?

    So long as NZAS is a going concern, then there's someone to sue. If the smelter closes, then I imagine that; corporate mask for Rio Tinto, will be discarded alongside any remaining obligations; as fast as Taha-AP folded when the costs outweighed the benefits.

    https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/123676064/matauras-toxic-substance-to-be-shifted-overseas

  8. Ad 8
    17 January 2021 at 10:09 am

    In August 2020 the MacDiarmid Institute set out five good alternatives to Tiwai Point's current use. It would have been better for us all if the best of them had been given a year to develop further, with assistance from Southland development agencies, Ngai Tahu, and central government.

    https://www.newsroom.co.nz/five-possible-replacements-for-aluminium-at-tiwai

    But it didn't happen. And actually right now that's good.

    In our currently exceedingly perilous economic state it would be the wrong thing to change the operation that exists there. So the deal is a good move for New Zealand, which also happens to be the right commercial decision for them both.

    Instead the pressure should be on Transpower to accelerate development of the Clutha-Waitaki Lines Project which is now underway. Incidentally that also employs several hundred people during the Covid19 employment crisis, so Transpower are doing their bit there.

    There are also two consented wind farms with a total capacity of 400 MW in the Otago / Southland regions that would benefit from the transmission upgrade.

    James Shaw's climate Change Commission has just dodged the largest bullet they are likely to face in this government, and can now focus on smaller items.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • PM announces changes to portfolios
    Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • New catch limits for unique fishery areas
    Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago

  • Minister welcomes hydrogen milestone
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment Bill
    The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Overseas decommissioning models considered
    Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Release of North Island Severe Weather Event Inquiry
    Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Justice Minister to attend Human Rights Council
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order.  “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facility
    Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024
    Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing  At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin    Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho    Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today.    I am delighted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government to introduce revised Three Strikes law
    The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • New diplomatic appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions.   “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says.    “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Humanitarian support for Ethiopia and Somalia
    New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today.   “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Arts Minister congratulates Mataaho Collective
    Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale.  “It is good ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Supporting better financial outcomes for Kiwis
    The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Trade relationship with China remains strong
    “China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.   Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • PM’s South East Asia mission does the business
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-04-24T19:13:23+00:00