EPMU wins for Tiwai workers

Written By: - Date published: 6:55 pm, May 17th, 2014 - 33 comments
Categories: uncategorized - Tags:

News today that NZAS appeal against the EPMU’s claim for contract shift payments at Tiwai Point has failed is another well-deserved win for workers. True to form, the company is bleating that it might cost it $20million. That would be a drop in the bucket compared to what workers have lost there since Rio Tinto moved aggressively to de-unionise the site in 1990 after the introduction of the Employment Contracts Act. They then used the same union-busting approach with individual contracts to attack mine workers in Australia.

The DomPost reports that the EPMU now has 64 members at the smelter. This will be a tribute to the hard work of organiser Trevor Hobbs who has battled away as the union’s Southland organiser for many years.

I recall as a green negotiator being very happy to have the benefit of fitter’s delegate Trevor’s encyclopedic knowledge when we were negotiating the Freezing Industry Tradesmen’s Award in the days of the Labour Relations Act in the late 1980’s, bringing seven different awards into one industry agreement – not an easy task. The other thing I remember from that experience was that the companies hated each other even more than they hated the unions – a problem that bedevils the meat industry to this day.

Thoughtful as usual, Trevor’s comment was that he was pleased for the workers, and that more should join the union as there were many other issues to sort out.

33 comments on “EPMU wins for Tiwai workers ”

  1. Blue 1

    Yes this is good news. It shows that the Governments investment to save those jobs was worthwhile, despite the shrieking we observed against it.

    • Lanthanide 1.1

      Blue, the government’s contribution guaranteed the plant would be open for, I believe, an additional 12 months longer than the prevailing contract already stipulated. Of course the government and oblivious media did not report that particular detail. Therefore it worked out to be $30M for 12 months of operation. This to a company that reported a profit of $3.7B last year.

      Maybe you don’t have a problem giving cash to very wealthy multi-national companies?

      • Blue 1.1.1

        I don’t have a problem with Government preserving jobs in skilled industries. I don’t have a problem with the downstream jobs it saves either. Perhaps you could tell the workers of Southland are not worthy of assistance in your opinion.

        • tricledrown 1.1.1.1

          Blue
          You should call yourself red then.
          So on top of the $30 million the govt gave riotinto to keep tiwar open till after the election the govt subsidized riotinto through reducing the cost of power by $476 million as well.
          $500 million subsidy to a massively profitable corporate bully.
          Just to keep southland voting National.
          While the rest of us pay a lot more for power.
          Blow me away blue/red.

          • Blue 1.1.1.1.1

            Just to keep Southlanders in work FIFY.

            • Molly 1.1.1.1.1.1

              Just to keep Southlanders in work “…in these particular precarious jobs, in this particular polluting industry, for this particular bullying and already profitable company”. FIFY.

            • Colonial Viper 1.1.1.1.1.2

              Just to keep Southlanders in work FIFY.

              The owners Rio Tinto made $4B in global profits last year and the NZ tax payer is subsidising that directly. It’s an appalling strain of corporate welfare, but I’m not surprised that you are all for it.

    • Naturesong 1.2

      The government did not pay off Tiwai Point in order to save jobs according to Bill English.
      Additionally, as part of the deal, Tiwai gets to halve their obligated wind-down period when they eventually shut the doors – pretty sure that alone would have been worth more than $30 million to the region.

      Given that Tiwai will eventually close (much sooner now thanks to National), the $30 million would have been much better spent on regional development initiatives.

      But they didn’t do any of that. Because the deal was all about making sure that New Zealanders kept paying 10% – 14% more for their power than they would if Tiwai closed.

      • Lanthanide 1.2.1

        Only 10-14%? Got any reference for that? I would’ve thought it would make a bigger dent than that in prices.

        • Naturesong 1.2.1.1

          From University of Auckland, Energy Centre; Tiwai Smelter Energy Centre Analysis

          We find that when the smelter is removed there is a significant drop in the wholesale price of electricity across the country.
          Figure 1 shows how electricity prices fall across the country.
          At the Tiwai node where the smelter is located the price of electricity falls by 18.4% over the course of the year. Whilst at the main population centres in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch prices fall by 5.4%, 9.0% and 15.0% respectively.
          These price reductions occur despite the extra line losses that would occur from having to transmit energy further up the country.

          Unfortunately I cannot find the original published, and came across this linked in Gareth Morgans blog post about Why You Should be Worried About Labour/Greens Electricity Proposal
          I don’t agree with Gareths opinion on this, or the Greens / Labour proposal and would have rather seen the power companies back under public ownership, restructured as utilities and pricing returned to a cost plus model.

          There is also the alternative put forward by Tim Hunter as Chalkie that Tiwai would not have closed, and that Key, Ryall and English were simply taken for a ride, the taxpayers having paid for their political pride.

          If you google about you can see 10% bandied about at around the time this was in the press, but I’ve not been able to locate the sources of the 10% figure used.
          With Tiwai consuming 13%-14% of the national electricity supply, a 10% average reduction in price seems a reasonable estimate (my truthiness detector is flashing now)

  2. Bruce 2

    It might cost the company 20 million because they will pass the union win onto non-unionised employees as well. Bad anti-union employers have got away with this union busting behaviour for way too long. The company could have done the right thing in the first place and complied with the law.
    Stuff has kindly implied the win puts the future of the business in doubt – the usual tory parrot to smear trade unions as greedy and counter productive for businesses.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/10054598/Union-victory-puts-cloud-over-smelter

  3. Philj 3

    xox
    Great news for Tiwai, such a generous offer to pay out the non union workers as well as those unionists and boost the local economy! Such largesse is rare in multi nationals. Top marks Rio. Your workers really appreciate it and look forward to company loyalty to the Southland region /sarc. Top marks also to the Union for winning this case.

  4. Skinny 4

    A great result well done EPMU!

    Which highlights the point of unionised worksites and the follow on effect for free loaders. Those non unionised workers at Tiwai should do the honourable thing and either join the EPMU or another union covering that site, and or repay fees from the time they signed on as an employee.

    The direct consequences of union busting by Thatcher, Regan, and here in NZ, Ruth Richardson’s ECA have contributed massively to the inequality gap that has taken off like a run away train. Sooner or later the trian will derail or hit the end of the line, either way it’s going to be a train wreck on an epic scale.

    • Zeroque 4.1

      Slightly off topic but freeloading is a problem in most places where there is union membership present. And in my experience with the current employment legislation in place it’s almost impossible to eliminate, or even minimise. Employers pass on the benefits gained by unionised workers from collective bargaining and other activities to non-members and this undermines a unions ability to recruit new members. Employers pass these terms on under the guise of treating all employees equally irrespective of union affiliation status. The sooner we get some better employment law that helps this situation the better.

  5. Tiger Mountain 5

    The aluminium smelter has always been a ratbag operation with the only positive spin off being jobs–and those came at a significant cost to the local environment and community and the rest of us taxpayers and electricity users. Corporate welfare.

    But well done EPMU; potential freeloaders should think hard about Skinny’s suggestion. Most of the countrys workers are freeloaders these days coasting on the efforts of those that remain organised.

    • Lanthanide 5.1

      What damage is there to the local environment from the smelter?

    • Naturesong 5.2

      The flipside is that when the Union gets wins that are not passed onto non-union members they get viciously attacked in the press.

      I wasn’t surprised by Rodney Hide‘s article.
      But was that it also appeared as a general article: Bonus for Parliament’s unionists ‘bizarre’

      I first realised that the Herald prints outright lies when I was a teenager.
      I had witnessed unprovoked police violence on a mass scale from a position of safety, on high ground with a clear view of the entire scene as it played out over a couple of hours.

      When I returned to Auckland, on the front page the event I had witnessed was reported as a band of drunken rioters controlled by police action.
      I still remember the chill I felt when I read the lies in the paper, and the sense of powerlessness I felt over the next few days when I tried to tell people what had really happened, only to be told that I was mistaken / drunk / involved and just trying to excuse my own behaviour.

      I’m a lot older now, but I’m still surprised everytime I see lies printed in the paper.

      • One thing to note about the Parliamentary union staff’s “bizarre” bonus is that negotiating for cash payments instead of across-the-board pay rises is actually fairly common in collective agreement negotiations. It’s funny, you’d expect the parties which pride themselves on “real life business experience” to know that, wouldn’t you?

  6. Tiger Mountain 6

    • Coastal Study, Environment Southland, “Tiwai Pt is Considered to have outstanding natural features”, the problem is visual pollution, the smelter is the “only human element to an otherwise natural landscape”.

    • NZ Aluminium Smelters Ltd, is roughly New Zealand’s third largest point source of greenhouse gas emissions but gets a free pass on ETS. The Ministry for the Environment allocated 437,681 units to NZ Aluminium Smelter Ltd for the 2011 calendar year. That’s 136,996 more units allocated than surrendered or alternatively the units allocated to NZ Aluminium Smelter Ltd exceeded the units surrendered by 146%. So that’s even more excessive than 2010′s 135% over-allocation.
    source: Hot-Topic.co.nz

    • withdrew from partly funding Kakapo recovery programme

    • in 2011 the smelter used 20.6% of all electricity in industry making it the largest individual consumer

    • Jenny 6.1

      Kia ora Tiger

      A unified and principled response to Rio Tinto Zinc, Sumitomo Chemicals and the National Government is what is needed.

      1# The unionists need to engage in an active campaign to trade this victory into getting all other workers or at least the majority of other workers on this site into the union.

      2# Their first priority on achieving majority union coverage is to engage in a fight for a proper redundancy package to help these workers cope with the long announced and pending closure of the plant which is hanging over all their heads.

      3# The redundancy agreement should set as its target, at the very least, the $30 million given by us the taxpayer to the Smelter which the government argued was not a gift to their billionaire mates in the company but to “help these workers”.

      4# To set a precedent for the coal miners and other workers in climate destroying industries also facing closure, the CTU must promise to deliver full economic and industrial support for these workers so that they, and the others that follow them, can get a just transition to jobs that don’t fry the planet.

      5# All other political parties and NGOs that share in common with the unions the interests of the people and the planet and not the polluters and plutocrats interests, should also give their full financial and physical backing to these workers to help them achieve a just transition away from Tiwai and to a better future for themselves their children and their grandchildren.

    • Lanthanide 6.2

      So the only ‘local’ environmental damage is the “visual pollution”, then.

      • Tiger Mountain 6.2.1

        Picky, picky Lanthanide, I never used “damage” I used “cost” as in impact to the environment. Once a natural setting is changed to industrial use there is rarely any going back. Green house emissions impact everyone locally one way or another from adverse weather to financially.

        Also the rocks at the tip of Tiwai Point have been identified as an Important Bird Area, by BirdLife International because they are home to a breeding colony of Stewart Island Shags. There is also the Māori history of the site to delve into as well.

        • Lanthanide 6.2.1.1

          You’re right, you used cost, not damage. I said damage myself.

          I’m not picking on you or anything, I’m just trying to learn the facts around this smelter. It was my understanding that they weren’t going around digging up aluminium in massive open-cast mines somewhere in Southland, and you have confirmed that they are indeed not doing that.

      • Jenny 6.2.2

        The damage caused by Tiwai is long term and intergenerational, as long as this plant runs it prevents this country from becoming the world’s first example of a fully industrialised country with an electricity grid powered solely by renewables.

        The artificial extension of its life with taxpayer funds, just like the $160 million bail out of Solid Energy is a nonsensical environmental crime against future generations.

        • Lanthanide 6.2.2.1

          as long as this plant runs it prevents this country from becoming the world’s first example of a fully industrialised country with an electricity grid powered solely by renewables.

          Regardless of whether Tiwai Point is in operation or not, we’re never going to achieve that lofty goal because Iceland has beaten us to it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity_sector_in_Iceland

          Unless you’re trying to claim that Iceland is not “fully industrialised”? Note that 71% of their electricity goes towards aluminium production…

          • felix 6.2.2.1.1

            Still, you’d be pretty happy with 2nd place wouldn’t you?

            • Lanthanide 6.2.2.1.1.1

              Sure, just surprised Jenny is so into this environmentalism jig but doesn’t bother to do her research first.

          • Jenny 6.2.2.1.2

            Well I’ll be!

            Iceland’s electricity is produced almost entirely from renewable energy sources: hydroelectric (70%) and geothermal (30%). Less than 0.2% of electricity generated came from fossil fuels (in this case, fuel oil). In 2012 there was no wind power installed in Iceland. Electricity production increased by 24 MWh/person from 2005 to 2008, an increase of 83%.

            Thanks for that link Lanth,

            It just shows it can be done.

            New Zealand is already 70% there.

            The electricity sector in New Zealand uses mainly renewable energy sources such as hydropower, geothermal power and increasingly wind energy. 73% of energy for electricity generation is from renewable sources, making New Zealand one of the lowest carbon dioxide emitting countries in terms of electricity generation.

            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity_sector_in_New_Zealand

            The main stumbling block that stops us from getting to 100% is Tiwai smelter.

            With a super secret super low price for their electricity and massive government subsidies, Tiwai is a huge drain on the economy as well as the grid.

            On top of being a climate crime.

          • Jenny 6.2.2.1.3

            Unless you’re trying to claim that Iceland is not “fully industrialised”? Note that 71% of their electricity goes towards aluminium production…

            Great. So instead of aluminium production propping up the fossil fuel industry as it does here it is much more sustainable in Iceland. It seems it should all go there.

            • Lanthanide 6.2.2.1.3.1

              Yes.

              It does show you though, just how insanely energy-intensive aluminium production is. So you can see why effectively building a power plant and running it at a subsidy price is what got the smelter built in the first place.

  7. tricledrown 7

    blue
    Fu
    2 electorates both National if Tiwae closed sooner ie no $500 million election bribe(paddy gowers words).
    1 seat would turn Labour and clutha southlands National majority would leave National with 10 to 20,000 less list votes as well.
    Indefensable corporate welfare and electoral gerrymandering .
    Total cost to taxpayers 500 million dollars!
    Blue what’s your best spin.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • EV road user charges bill passes
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April.  “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Bill targets illegal, unregulated fishing in international waters
    New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Reserve Bank appointments
    Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates.  Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Stronger protections for apartment owners
    Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Travel focused on traditional partners and Middle East
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend.    “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says.   Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Keep safe on our roads this Easter
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Cost of living support for over 1.4 million Kiwis
    About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Tenancy reviews for social housing restart
    Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary plan halted
    The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Cutting all that dam red tape
    Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track.  “Dam safety regulations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Drought support extended to parts of North Island
    The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Passage of major tax bill welcomed
    The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Lifting economy through science, tertiary sectors
    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government announces Budget priorities
    The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.  The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government to consider accommodation solution
    The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government approves extension to Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care
    Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says.                                         “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • $18m boost for Kiwis travelling to health treatment
    The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says.   “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM’s Prizes for Space to showcase sector’s talent
    The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Concerns conveyed to China over cyber activity
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government.     “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry
    Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function.  The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Brynderwyns open for Easter
    State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech to the Infrastructure Funding & Financing Conference
    Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Parliamentary network breached by the PRC
    New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to provide support for Solomon Islands election
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ-EU FTA gains Royal Assent for 1 May entry to force
    The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union.    “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • COVID-19 inquiry attracts 11,000 submissions
    Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says.  “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Families to receive up to $75 a week help with ECE fees
    Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Unlocking a sustainable, low-emissions future
    A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Chief of Army thanked for his service
    Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders
    25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government commits nearly $3 million for period products in schools
    Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech – Making it easier to build.
    Good morning, it’s great to be here.   First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning.  I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Pacific youth to shine from boost to Polyfest
    Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • 2024 Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships announced
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Breast Cancer Foundation – Insights Conference
    Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Kiwi research soars to International Space Station
    New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to the New Zealand Planning Institute
    Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Support for Northland emergency response centre
    The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed.  “Northland has faced a number ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Celebrating 20 years of Whakaata Māori
    New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Some commercial fishery catch limits increased
    Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-29T12:36:03+00:00