Open mike 20/02/2021

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, February 20th, 2021 - 56 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

56 comments on “Open mike 20/02/2021 ”

  1. Pat 1

    What regional development could look like….I hope the PGF is backing these types of initiatives in spades

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/countrylife/audio/2018784336/miro-bringing-jobs-home

  2. Morrissey 2

    The man who gave the world the term "feminazi" is dead at 70.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtjFrCGFzu4

  3. Sacha 3

    How those supermarket 'collectable' campaigns work. https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/124260714/the-summer-of-smeg–why-new-worlds-knife-promotion-worked-so-well

    Most of us tend to shop regularly at the same supermarket. Promotions are the supermarkets’ attempts to break that behaviour.

    There is data to show it works, [AUT marketing lecturer] Phillips says. In 2016, My Little Garden triggered a lot of what the experts call “switching behaviour”. New World had a 3.6 per cent sales increase (worth $14.4 million) during the promotional period. Pak ’n Save dropped 1.9 per cent and Countdown fell 0.6 per cent, Phillips says.

    The experts say customers don’t instantly and automatically switch back at the end of a promotion but the chains are engaged in a constant “Cold War” to keep them. It is why, when one chain runs a promotion, the other will roll one out shortly afterwards.

  4. Ad 4

    Quite a chunk of the Australian wine industry has simply collapsed due to Chinese trade retaliation for alleged price dumping.

    https://edition.cnn.com/2021/02/16/business/australia-china-wine-tariffs-dst-intl-hnk/index.html

    And yet the price of Penfolds hasn't dropped here. I think it should.

    • Incognito 4.1

      And yet the price of Penfolds hasn't dropped here. I think it should.

      You know it is not quite like the international oil market but laughyes

    • weka 4.2

      Maybe people should consider not using nature to make money from the unreliable global economy.

      Love to see the carbon footprint of shipping wine across the planet too.

      It's almost like people don't understand there's an massive crisis on the horizon.

    • Ad-so Australia takes a moral stand on human rights issues in China (while NZ keeps sucking up to China) and all you can see is a chance for cheap wine from Oz because China has retaliated.

      Some moral compass you have there Ad.

    • RedLogix 4.4

      This isn't hard – the world is waking up to the fact that Xi Xinping's regime is acting like an enemy not a trade partner.

      Once this has sunk in – everyone will start to work out ways of decoupling existing trade and supply chains out of the CCP's reach – ASAP.

      Aussie wine producers have been done a favour here with an advanced heads up.

      • aom 4.4.1

        Wait until China controls the international monetary system and endlessly imposes illegal sanctions like the US, instead of deciding who it will trade with and when.

    • Gabby 4.5

      More likely to go the other way though isn't it.

    • Nic the NZer 4.6

      Say you were to discover that a majority of prices in the economy are set via some form of cost + markup pricing, and not supply and demand. Would you still expect Penfolds to give you their wine at a discount?

      http://socialdemocracy21stcentury.blogspot.com/2014/05/mark-up-pricing-in-20-nations-and.html

      • Ad 4.6.1

        That would, I hope, depend on a completely unregulated market free from any other constraint other than my perfect knowledge of the market, a Licensing Trust able to attend to me needs without thought for its internal mass buyers, the market's perfect knowledge of Penfold's, and and zero impact from any government or regulation, anywhere.

        That would just be so sweet.

  5. Incognito 5

    @ Sacha @ 3:

    Yes, I read that one too.

    I reckon it is no different with the stories we weave and the necessary narratives to tell and develop these stories. The story must be complete, an integrated self-consistent set of facts and factoids. Some people will go to great lengths to make sure no pieces are missing and sometimes people will force a piece into the whole/hole even though it doesn’t fit neatly.

  6. Incognito 6

    People worry about schools closed or not closed or not closed long enough due to Covid-19.

    Maybe they should worry more about this instead:

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/124183902/rising-tides-put-up-to-94-schools-at-risk-of-flooding-and-closures

    Yes, I know, very mischievous of me to phrase it as a binary but when in Rome …

  7. Muttonbird 8

    What a lovely bloke landlord Andrew McKenzie is.

    After recently putting up the rent 14%, he then kicks out a mother and her son who has learning disabilities on the eve of a law change to protect tenants because "he deciding what to do".

    He says it is business first, but then other landlords say theirs is an important public service, first.

    Who to believe, or should we believe none of them?

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/housing-affordability/124297655/rental-law-change-casualties-evicted-tenants-fear-homelessness

    • RedLogix 8.1

      A quick search on the govt tenancy website shows the range of rents for 3bed homes in Wainuiomata is $500 – 550pw.

      Increasing the rent to $430 pw shows that McKenzie had let the rent fall well behind market. It never does anyone any favours in the long run – and I can well understand the dismay of the mother who not only has to try and find a new home in a very tight market, but faces a rental jump in the order of $100pw at the same time.

      A 3 bed home in Wainui is probably worth north of $700k if he'd been getting a rent of $380pw – gross income about $19.7k pa – that's a yield of under 3%. His net in the pocket after fixed costs, mortgage and tax was almost certainly less than $5kpa.

      No wonder he wants to sell.

      • Incognito 8.1.1

        No wonder he wants to sell.

        Apparently, he has not yet decided what to do with the property except to ‘renovate’ it AKA“a paint and a tidy up”.

        • Muttonbird 8.1.1.1

          Another ghost house.

          By evicting when he did he avoided having to sell or move in. The new law requires him to do this.

          Looks like he wants to sit on an empty house and enjoy capital gain. Nikki And Cole Prier don’t come into it for landlords.

          • Incognito 8.1.1.1.1

            At least it will have a nice fresh lick of paint and be tidied up. That’s all aspiring new tenants wish for nowadays and they won’t mind paying the price because beggars can’t be choosers.

            Yup, the CG is already locked in.

          • RedLogix 8.1.1.1.2

            Nikki And Cole Prier don’t come into it for landlords.

            Given how far behind the market their rent had fallen – I'll bet you that their unfortunate personal position actually did 'come into it' for McKenzie.

            We've got one older couple who've been with us for over a decade and they pay way below market – but we deliberately choose to carry them because they both contribute to their community magnificently.

            But as I said above – in the long run it may not be doing either party any favours.

        • RedLogix 8.1.1.2

          Make what you will of this:

          “I am now deciding whether to get out of being a landlord, or not,” he said.

          “With the uncertainty of what’s coming up, I’ve had a guts full. I’ll renovate the house, then make a decision about whether to put it on the market.”

          As I indicated the other night – my own average rent at the present is $384 pw – a very similar number to the story above, and the properties are newer and in a more desirable suburb. Any thoughts on whether I should sell up and 'evict' a whole bunch of people from their homes?

          Because honestly that's what's going through my mind. Our equity would do a whole lot better for us in Australia at the moment.

          • Muttonbird 8.1.1.2.1

            Will someone not think of the poor landlords!

            • RedLogix 8.1.1.2.1.1

              That's pathetic. I'm giving you real life facts and figures from my experience as a real world landlord for almost 20 yrs. If you don't understand how the business works then anything you say is going to amount to little more than pious, futile prattle.

              I'm not asking for anyone's pity – how I choose to run my business is precisely my responsibility and no-one else's. But I am prepared to educate you in some basic numbers and their consequences.

              • Muttonbird

                Stop with the ridiculous claim you are under so much pressure then.

                And your real life facts and figures is simply virtue signalling.

                • RedLogix

                  Why do you think this is a 'ridiculous claim'?

                  As I mentioned the other night – one of the reasons why we moved to Australia 8yrs ago was because our mortage was indeed putting us under considerable pressure.

                  Essentially over the past 20yrs we've actually had to put money into the business to keep it afloat, and our tenants in their homes. We're now in the position of having shitloads of equity, but crap cash flow, and because I'm close to retiring that isn't something I can sustain anymore.

                  What would you do? Sell and evict – or hold on and hope the business environment doesn't continue to become more hostile?

                  • Stuart Munro

                    Sell and evict – or hold on and hope

                    When the legal balance between landlords and tenants is about right, selling with a sitting tenant will be a plus, not a minus.

                    • RedLogix

                      I get where you're coming from, but from the perspective of an investor they will often be looking to add value, usually a significant renovation, and vacant possession will be important to them.

                      And if the new owner wants to live in it ….

                  • aj

                    Essentially over the past 20yrs we've actually had to put money into the business to keep it afloat, and our tenants in their homes. We're now in the position of having shitloads of equity, but crap cash flow, and because I'm close to retiring that isn't something I can sustain anymore.

                    The trouble with this is that I've heard this description from not only landlords but farmers as well, except farmers don't like to flaunt their equity in public.

                    The total values of assets that can be realised is the figure that most people will focus on. If you have $10M in equity but moan your a**e off about pitiful cashflow, then you generally won't get a lot of sympathy.

                    • RedLogix

                      I've made it clear I'm not asking for sympathy. I chose to get into this business and have stuck at it for 20 years now. That's my responsibility and no-one else's. All I'm doing here is explaining how the business works in order that people can make informed sense of these stories they read.

                      Rule No. 1 in all businesses is that cash flow is king. No matter how much shareholder funds you have, how much capital, stock, ring-fenced tax loss, forward orders or anything else – if you cannot meet this month's cash burn the business is bankrupt. And what I've explained here – overshared if you will – is that most residential rental businesses, like many NZ businesses (certainly those with substantial debt), are running on pretty thin cash flow margins. Or are being propped up by the owner's PAYE income.

                      Just as an extra data point – fixed costs used to run at about 20% of rental income, and here in Australia we can see this is still the case. By contrast in NZ they've risen to somewhere between 35 – 40% in recent years. And in the past most people could reasonably run the business themselves, but increasingly the environment has forced owners to use professional managers – and there's another 10% of cashflow gobbled up.

                      So even small extra costs imposed by new govt rules, or bad tenants, or even just letting the rent fall too far behind market because you felt sorry for a tenant, can have a big impact on the bottom line cashflow.

                      The total values of assets that can be realised is the figure that most people will focus on.

                      Equity means nothing unless I either sell or borrow more against it – and neither is a non-trivial decision. It's this background that helps decode what was going on with the original Wainui story above.

                      Stepping back, this is as you've pointed out, a wider theme with the whole NZ economy, too much has over the past three decades has tilted toward capital gain for profit, rather than cash flow. It's a structural flaw across many sectors that has distorted our decision-making and tends toward market failure. (I recall writing on this here at TS over a decade ago.)

                      It's especially chronic in agriculture. About that time we had looked at diversifying into a small horticultural business – and I recall one offer that was priced at over $2m for a business that barely turned over $160k. Utterly nuts – literally.

                      Which is why I was a strong supporter and promoter here of TOP's Comprehensive Capital Tax proposal. Not so much because I thought the party was a ripper – but because in my view it was a intelligently designed tax that would actually achieve what it was intended to do.

          • Incognito 8.1.1.2.2

            I was going to reply to your comment the other night about landlords creaming it but decided not to – it is sitting there half-finished. I think it is much better this way.

            Why you would want to evict your tenants from your rentals is unclear to me except to free up equity. If you need (to do) that, then you can justify it, at least to yourself. It is your decision.

            Don’t ask for business advice here, unless you really want/need it and intend to follow it. Ask a professional instead.

            Don’t share your business wheeling and dealing here unless you want to cop the flack for it. Over-sharing carries many risks online for little gain/benefit even though your intention might be to provide a different PoV to guide/inform discussion and lift to a ‘higher plane’ than the usual ‘landlord-bashing’, which I respect and understand, but it doesn’t get you far, does it?

            I could do similar things on discussion topics here but I’m not prepared to die in the ditch for those unless it is about a core value of mine – details are less important and there are other ways to get your point across without divulging too much personal information or history; arguments should be able to stand on their own legs of merit and persuasion.

            These are my genuine well-meant thoughts for you.

            Make of it what you will.

            Bye

            • RedLogix 8.1.1.2.2.1

              Fair enough.

              Don’t ask for business advice here, unless you really want/need it and intend to follow it. Ask a professional instead.

              In effect I am the professional here and I've been sharing information on how the residential rental business actually works. I've been doing this solely in the hope that some people here might stop treating their landlord as some spawn of the devil – and start focusing on the real reasons why the housing market in NZ has gotten into the mess it has.

              But maybe you're right – the effort was doomed to be futile from the outset.

              • Incognito

                … and personal stories that rehumanize each other to each other.

                There is no We if we see each other through partisan caricatures and don’t engage directly. When we hear each others’ stories, we know that in real life, good versus evil is rarely the truth, …

                HT to Robert Guyton.

              • gsays

                The other important tension that exists in this landlord/tenant discussion is for one party it is a business. The tax benefits, passive income etc, the leverage available…

                The other party it is home, a place for family, a garden, pets, to love, laugh weep. A turangawaewae.

                Failing to acknowledge the other view is where the argy barty begins.

                Like Kiwi attitudes to land. One view is my property, my rights etc. The other is stewardship, a responsibility to pass it forward in better knick, to treat and see it as if it were alive. A strong spiritual bond.

          • Ad 8.1.1.2.3

            Well Red, you've made tonnes of equity over the years.

            Rent + tax preferences + equity increases = a reasonable rate of return.

            You sound like you're in a steady place.

            This is a leftie site so few will have patience to give non-Socialist advice.

            But you are still of sufficiently sound mind that you can throw the dice another way than real estate.

            In New Zealand, Victoria, or Queensland we need more people prepared to cash up and invest in fresh local growing business that's better for the whole economy.

            You've done good. Do even better.

      • Jester 8.1.2

        Reading the article, he actually comes across as a pretty decent landlord. If Red Logix's numbers correct, then he has been giving her a very good deal for a long time.

        Unfortunately, this is a consequence of the new rental laws. If he was intending to sell or do a major upgrade, I thought under the new rules he could still give the 90 day notice?

        So it seems a bit like he 'panicked' and gave notice now when in fact if he decides to sell in a years time he could still give notice.

        • Muttonbird 8.1.2.1

          More reason for rent controls then. More regulation around the cowboy residential industry would give surety and guidance to both tenant and landlord.

          • Jester 8.1.2.1.1

            More rent controls will probably make more landlords sell which may be ok as possibly first home buyers would buy. But could be less rentals available. This tenant has been paying $380 per week up until recently which sounds extremely cheap, so he has been subsidizing her for some time now, so he sounds like a very reasonable landlord. He possibly could have given her notice several years ago and rented it out for far more if he had been greedy.

            • Muttonbird 8.1.2.1.1.1

              Just a hunch but I don't think he's reasonable at all, I think he's disorganised.

              [RL: Deleted. Damaging speculation that puts the site at risk. Be more careful in future.]

              • Jester

                So you think the landlord is disorganized because for example, he decided to charge her $380 per week instead of the going market rate for the last few years? Well you will be pleased to know that there are many landlords out there that are well organized, and will charge as much as they can, and also raise the rent as often as possible. Many other people would refer to them as greedy rather than organized!

              • Muttonbird

                Lol. RedLogix flexing his muscles from Brisbane.

            • Cricklewood 8.1.2.1.1.2

              I guess the elephant in the room is that no doubt the tax payer will subsidize the next rental through accomodation supplements.

              I can't help but think that a big part of the issue we have is that public funds are paid to enable tennants to meet rents far above their normal income allows.

              The policy came from a good place but the unintended consequence of the scheme sas that it has in effect acted as a wealth transfer and helps fuel the house price increases.

              Imagine if there had been no supplements from govt, the money required to pay the huge rents required to pay the equally huge mortgages/provide a return just wouldnt be there, ergo banks would have been far more reluctant to lend and price increases would have closer matched incomes.

              The govt getting out of social housing and essentially contracting it out to the private sector was a huge mistake and one that is not able to be undone in a hurry. Nonetheless the only solution I can see is that we get stuck in on a massive state backed building program aimed at sucking air out of house price increases. Pouring more money in to help first home buyers or renters for that matter will not help.

      • McFlock 8.1.3

        Given that he's also pissy about the healthy homes regulations anf the july deadline for that, and that timeframe means it's likely that most of the bonds issued in the last 6 months will be for healthy homes, it's possible he was keeping up with the market rates.

  8. Incognito 9

    When myopic birdwatchers can’t tell the difference between a Kea and a Kiwi.

    https://www.engadget.com/twitter-birdwatch-fact-checking-crowdsourcing-partisanship-citation-173611388.html

    Still, it is an experiment in its early days so let’s watch & learn from it.

    Some of the findings are not at all surprising if you have been around the block more than once 😉

  9. Adrian Thornton 10

    here is a civil debate that is well worth taking the time to watch…

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEq_1eKcph8

    Taibbi & Eskow: The Marcuse Match

  10. AB 11

    Nice to see MIQ workers getting first doses of Covid vaccine today – gratitude and respect are due for the work they do.

  11. Anker 12
    • Complete gratitude and respect for the work the MIQ workers. They should all get some sort of significant award….give them a knighthood, a ceremony like the oscars. True hero’s and heroines

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
    5 hours 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
    6 hours 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
    7 hours 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
    9 hours 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
    9 hours 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
    12 hours 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
    12 hours 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
    12 hours 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
    13 hours 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
    13 hours 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
    14 hours 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    5 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
    6 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
    6 days ago
  • 2024 Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships announced
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days 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
    6 days 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
    6 days 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
    6 days 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
    6 days 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
    7 days 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
    7 days ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-28T09:21:17+00:00