The cost of a US Harvard education: global land exploitation

Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, May 7th, 2013 - 51 comments
Categories: farming, national/act government, nz first, overseas investment, sustainability, trade, winston peters, workers' rights - Tags:

US publicly funded universities struggle to get the funds they need to maintain their educational programmes (CNN 05/05/13).  Many resort to endowment investments to raise some necessary funds.  The “Ivy League” Harvard University stands out for it’s aggressive endowment enterprises, some of which exploit the people, communities, inadequate regulations and environment in relatively poor countries.

Harvard University has also bought a significant amount of productive land in NZ, in order to support the education of its students.

The endowment activities are managed by the university’s non-profit entity, the Harvard Management Company (HMC). It engages in investment-focused, profit-making fund-raising enterprises in regions like Latin America and Africa.  There, some of the HMC’s damaging practices contradict other Harvard initiatives aimed at fostering environmental sustainability, and training African farmers to be self-sufficient.  HMC activities undermine its aim to provide support for students lacking sufficient funding.  HMC also aims to support the university’s educational and research objectives, especially in the sciences.

The Guardian reported in 2011, on the African “land grab” by US university endowment funds, with Harvard being one of the leading culprits, causing many people to be pushed off the land. According to a study by the Californian, Oakland Institute, some US universities were raising funds through the use of British hedge funds and European financial speculators.

Researchers say foreign investors are profiting from “land grabs” that often fail to deliver the promised benefits of jobs and economic development, and can lead to environmental and social problems in the poorest countries in the world. …

Much of the money is said to be channelled through London-based Emergent asset management, which runs one of Africa’s largest land acquisition funds, run by former JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs currency dealers.

Harvard african land grab Farmers-work-in-thhe-Saha-007

Image accompanying the Guardian article

Operating through “complex layers of companies and subsidiaries“, the universities were investing large endowment funds.  They were criticised for taking advantage of weak regulations in poor regions of the world and over-stating the benefits to the local communities.

The HMC to be secretive, often masking the extent and impact of the its global activities.  About a week ago, Krishna Dasartha and Sandra Y.L. Korn, published a post on the Harvard Crimson (newspaper for the university) highly critical of the recently revealed activities of the HMC logging company Agrícola Brinzal in Chile.  They conclude that Harvard University should not be involved in such damaging enterprises, and that they should, at the very least, operate within local laws.

Chilean investigative journalists Paulette Desormeaux and Josefina Court have recently revealed that, since 2004 Harvard University has created eleven companies that exploit the Chilean forestry industry.

One of these is Agrícola Brinzal, which faces two lawsuits in Ancud. The National Forest Corporation (CONAF) pressed charges against the company for the illegal clearfelling of 189 acres of native forest, and also for breaching the forest management plan – they reforested 181 acres of land with eucalyptus instead of native plant species.

The eucalyptus trees are considered more profitable for the wood market because they grow faster than native species.

Harvard accused of illegal logging in Chile

Image accompanying the Chilean article

It has only recently become known that Agrícola Brinzal is managed by the Harvard’s HMC. This company had received significant subsidies from the Chilean government.

Strongly implicated in Brinzal’s activities in Latin America, is New Zealander Andrew G. Wiltshire. Earlier in his career, Wiltshire was in charge of forest planning and management at the New Zealand Forest Service.  He has worked for HMC since 2001, and is now its “managing director and head of alternative assets“.

A Sunday Star Times article of July 2012 by Charles Anderson, reports that Wiltshire played a key role in HMC’s land purchases and related enterprises in NZ.  The article begins,

Forget movie mogul James Cameron or China’s Shanghai Pinxin, America’s Harvard University is among the largest foreign-owned landholders in New Zealand.

The big question is why the Harvard Management Company has bought almost 200,000 hectares at an estimated cost of almost $1 billion?

Wiltshire won’t talk about such buy-ups, in keeping with the HMC managers’ “veil of secrecy”.  However, the HMC chief executive has stated that they rely on expert staff, such as those with forestry backgrounds (like Wiltshire), when analysing their investments. Harvard benefited from Wiltshire’s insider knowledge, and went on to make some significant (though somewhat erratic) profits from its Kaingaroa enterprise, as well as from the Maniototo Big Sky Farm that it bought a couple of years ago.  According to Anderson,

In 2003 the company bought 162,000ha of Kaingaroa forestry estate from the Central North Island Forestry Partnership after it went into receivership.

Before his move to Boston, Wiltshire worked with Kaingaroa developers the New Zealand Forest Service, then became a partner in GMO Renewable Resources, now an investment adviser for Harvard.

An article on Wealth Daily at the end of last year, claims that “Andy Wiltshire”, is the highest paid employee at Harvard.  This is apparently the result of HMC, “playing the insider game” by rubbing “elbows” with people in the know about the kind of private investment opportunities they pursue.  Certainly, the Harvard Management Company includes people with experience and connections in speculative and investment banking in its Executive Team and its directors.

Given its record of damage and exploitation, it is worrying that the HMC is one of the largest foreign landholders in NZ, and is expanding its operations.  The Otago Daily Times reported on May 1st, that the Overseas Investment Office (OIO) consented to Harvard’s Dairy Farms Partnership buying another farm in the Maniototo:

In its decision, the OIO said Harvard planned to upgrade the property to operate as a dairy and dairy support farm, which would create jobs in the area.

However, HMC’s dubious track record of failed promises in Africa and Latin America should make us cautious.  Their activities result in profits being siphoned off to pay for US education, while universities in the host countries (as in NZ) operate with relatively meagre funds.

We need to ensure that there are regulations to prevent NZ’s land and resources being exploited and damaged by ruthless profit-seeking entities.

 

51 comments on “The cost of a US Harvard education: global land exploitation ”

  1. vto 1

    .
    There is no benefit to having foreign landlords.

    • tinfoilhat 1.1

      There is no benefit in having landlords.

      • vto 1.1.1

        correct.

        A community that is owned by the people that live and work in that community is the strongest community.

        This should guide policy on foreign ownership of our land. This is where we should be aiming. Let the Harvard money spend it all in the US. That is where it is printed so they should keep it there – we don’t want their dunny paper.

      • Bill 1.1.2

        Hallelujah – consistency! Both foreign landlords and domestic landlords are private landlords content to have us remain as landless ‘others’ with no effective sovereignty.

        • karol 1.1.2.1

          Note, the final line of my post didn’t specify that the “ruthless profit seeking entities” were foreign. I stated it that way on purpose. ie:

          We need to ensure that there are regulations to prevent NZ’s land and resources being exploited and damaged by ruthless profit-seeking entities.

          There are several angles to the issues raised by Harvard’s global activities.

          But there is also an element of Harvard siphoning off profits to help pay for the education of, largely middle and upper-class Americans.

  2. Peter 2

    Most these assumptions are incorrect Karol. I deal with Harvard employees and managers most weeks in my day job, and from my experience, their environmental and people management is definitely a cut above what they replaced. That’s the view from most of the community too.

    • karol 2.1

      If that’s so, Peter, is that the result of the government’s regulations, or the Harvard managers? Can we trust the Harvard managers in the long term and in all their NZ enterprises? Note, not all their activities in relatively poor countries have been damaging, but some have.

      There are a couple of other angles to my post as well:

      the fact that the profits are being siphoned off overseas to help pay for the higher education of Americans;

      the actual numbers of productive jobs and opportunities available to Kiwis under the Harvard management.

      • Peter 2.1.1

        Mostly the responsibility of the Harvard managers, who have direct KPIs based on environmental performance of their properties.

        One or two of the good things are regulations imposed by the OIC, which actually exceed anything put in place by local councils.

      • Peter 2.1.2

        Employment has also increased on their farms, from what I know of, as has pay, and conditions.

      • Populuxe1 2.1.3

        “the fact that the profits are being siphoned off overseas to help pay for the higher education of Americans;”

        Which would be you selectively ignoring that there is nothing to prevent, for example, New Zealanders (and people from many other countries) studying at Harvard provided they meet the academic standards. Here, for example, is a Harvard scholarship for Commonwealth students. http://www.frankknox.harvard.edu/newzealand.html
        There are other more general scholarships for US study as well, like the Fulbright.

        Indeed the Ivy League universities have expressed surprise that so many New Zealand postgrads choose Oxbridge over American equivalents, mainly for reasons of snobbery rather than excelence of tuition and resources.

        “the actual numbers of productive jobs and opportunities available to Kiwis under the Harvard management.”

        I believe Harvard’s New Zealand farms are administered by a New Zealand manager and staff – I’m not entirely sure what you’re getting at?

        • karol 2.1.3.1

          Yes I know about the scholarships. It’s only a minority of NZ individuals that benefit from them. I know people who applied for Fullbrights. Many want them – few get them.

          It’s all part of the international competitive “free market” that has taken over the unis. The US unis benefit at the expense of the unis in smaller countries like NZ.

          Basically those scholarships are one of the means by which top US and European unis try to attract the most capable high flyers from overseas. Its part of the way they aim to maintain their internationally competitive edge. And the US government supports it to enable them to maintain their economic edge.

          Note that the Harvard endowment investments (the HMC) aims, not just to give grants/scholarships to students, but also to fund research and especially science research – that’s what the US wants to have as an edge for science and technology innovations. Unis international kudos comes largely from their research profile. And in the sciences, that feeds into business.

          So, Harvard uses it’s significant wealth and funds to make even more money out of NZ through its agricultural investments here – this so that it can continue to maintain its global competitive edge.

          Meanwhile, the most capable Kiwis scholars get drawn into the US/European unis – part of the brain and skills drain from NZ.

          And NZ unis then have to struggle to maintain a competitive international profile, on less funds (bigger classes etc). NZ uni researchers need to publish in major international journals to keep their competitive edge. But, I know some Uni academics who have complained about how they have to conduct research on topics of interest to the leading Uni countries – research on specific NZ issues can get marginalised.

          etc, etc…. I could continue on with more points in this direction, but I’m tired.

          it’s all part of the global neoliberalisation of Universities, and US neocolonialism.

          • Populuxe1 2.1.3.1.1

            Oh FFS, why shouldn’t New Zealanders study overseas? Suprisingly enough, not all gifted scholars born in this country give a flying fuck about New Zealand subjects. Really hard to do nuclear physics or study obscure Renaissance artists here. The parochialism is making my head hurt. I know people who applied for Fullbrights and got them – so the fuck what? Does it possibly occur to you that there might have been better candidates? Quelle horreur! As it is there are almost too many universities in New Zealand – I doubt we would need more than two, and academic entry standards are too low anyway… etc, etc….. but I’m bored. My academic successes must be blinding me to the whole injustice of only a small portion of the population being academically outstanding.

            • karol 2.1.3.1.1.1

              Mate. I’m happy for you for your success and others. I have nothing against them/you getting a good education.

              It’s not about you and them.

              It’s about NZ and what’s best for the country.

              But, I guess you just don’t give a fuck about NZ and having NZ universities delivering a quality education for as many Kiwis as possible, and then being able to keep as many of the most productive and capable people as possible.

              • Populuxe1

                Your assumptions that every New Zealander wants, needs, or is capabable of the academic rigor of a university education is astounding. It was that reasoning that brought about the collapse of academic standards in the first place, a rot that eventually spread to high schools and the introduction of NCEA. What we need is higher university standards, not the devolution of universities into glorified trade schools with diplomas in eating lunch.

  3. KAROL says.

    “We need to ensure that there are regulations to prevent NZ’s land and resources being exploited and damaged by ruthless profit-seeking entities.”

    This will never happen while John Key is Prime Minister.

    • Colonial Viper 3.1

      But is there a potential PM in Parliament from any party which would be different in this regard.

      • Peter 3.1.1

        No one I can see. Shearer wouldn’t be any better.

        • Peter 3.1.1.1

          There is also this weird assumption that somehow Kiwi owners will run the land better. That isn’t backed up by past experience. What we want is an environmental ethic amongst farmers, and for people to realise that pissing nutrients off land into rivers isn’t good for either the bank balance nor the environment. That applies regardless of who owns or manages the land.

          • DH 3.1.1.1.1

            Well personally I want an end to the internationalising of NZ land so Kiwi residents who have to earn $NZ incomes can afford to buy it.

            The only way a foreigner can buy NZ assets is by paying more than a Kiwi buyer. The Kiwi buyer who loses out to the foreigner looks at the next cheapest land and pushes the price of that up. The Kiwi who loses on that deal goes to the next cheapest, pushes that price up… and so on.

            The more foreign buyers there are the higher the prices go. It’s schoolboy economics; when demand for a finite resource increases the price must go up. Land is a finite resource and foreign buyers add to the existing domestic demand. Add up 1+1.

            By world standards NZ is a medium-income nation and we’re facing high-income prices for land because of foreign buyers. Just who is the Goverment working for?

            Harvard can fuck off along with the rest of the foreign parasites who contribute nothing to this country.

  4. FFS Karol, get the chip of your shoulder, you couldnt give a sh*t about what you copied and paste, you just hate Harvard because its American.

    • karol 4.1

      Ah, Brett – the old “anti-American” aggressive defense.

      And yet, even some Harvard staff and students are concerned about, and disapproving of, the secretive activities, and sometimes damaging impacts of the university’s Harvard Management Company.

      Do you have anything of substance to contribute?

      And please don’t try to tell my what I give a shit about.

      • Brett Dale 4.1.1

        How come you never write about about negative items about universities or organizations outside the USA. No, its always big bad America with you, isnt it?

        Your bigorty is quite clear.

        • Peter 4.1.1.1

          I wouldn’t attack her personally, just focus on the facts. On the whole, the Harvard properties I know are better managed than when they were kiwi-owned, largely due to the fact that Harvard have invested in them in order to improve their enviromental performance, instead of the capital starved kiwi owners.

        • karol 4.1.1.2

          Sigh: if you care to check, most of my posts are against the “neoliberal” revolution, corporate power, social inequalities, the war on the poor – mainly focused on NZ.

          The US wealthy and powerful do tend to play a major role in pushing corporate power eg Obama through the TPPA, etc.

          But I also have also been critical of Ian Fletcher’s role in the false info provided by his UK boss, MP Andrew Turnbull in falsifying the reasons for the UK going to war in Iraq.

          Margaret Thatcher

          Aussie Banks

          Kiwis and Aussies involved in the global money maze.

          I was also critical of Chinese companies buying land in NZ.

          Now do you have anything of substance to offer on the topic, other than your hypersensitivity to any criticism of powerful US entities?

  5. Leopold the Viper 5

    ‘I was also critical of Chinese companies buying land in NZ.’

    He’ll accuse you of being racist now….

  6. Sosoo 6

    Harvard is basically a hedge fund with a small university attached to it (not original claim).

    • Populuxe1 6.1

      Nor an accurate one.

      • Colonial Viper 6.1.1

        It’s like Apple is a hedge fund with a medium sized technology company attached to it.

        • Populuxe1 6.1.1.1

          Yup

          • Colonial Viper 6.1.1.1.1

            Well, I was being serious.

            • Populuxe1 6.1.1.1.1.1

              Christ, I hope not.

              • Colonial Viper

                Yep. Apple has more hard cash and convertible assets on hand than the reserve banks of most countries.

                • Populuxe1

                  I would still say the company has had a greater impact on the world through its products, however.

                  • Colonial Viper

                    However that’s the past IMO; now that Jobs is gone I think the Apple revolution is going to give way to incremental product revisions and playing it safe. Conservative hedge fund behaviour.

                    Also check out their latest financial engineering – borrowing billions of dollars to distribute to shareholders. See what I mean.

  7. Binders full of viper- women 7

    I was thinking about the Harvard set up as I drove past the Kaingaroa Forest recently.. Said to my pal ‘I reckon they’ll be good owners… I imagine they’re like Maori tribes .. in to it for the long hall .. and pretty conservative’. And I don’t like isolationist ideas. I must be happily neo-liberal (whatever that means).

  8. Colonial Viper 8

    Basically, Harvard are smarter and more enterprising than most NZers are, who seem to just want to sit back and bank consistent annual returns every year doing fuck all.

  9. RedLogix 9

    Another example of New Zealand losing more of it’s economic sovereignty.

    We are constantly told that “we don’t pay our way in the world”; yet in term of goods and services alone our current account deficit is modestly positive over the long-term. It’s only when you include “investment income”, ie overseas owners extracting their profits back overseas… that our deficit tumbles to something in the range of 7-9% of GDP pa.

    That is one of the things that is hurting this country as much as anything else; we’re at the wrong end of a giant global wealth pump, constantly sucking off the cream of our productivity every year. And so far no government has dared mention it, much less attempt to fix it.

    • Populuxe1 9.1

      Ok, and how did the Cullen Fund work again?

      • Colonial Viper 9.1.1

        How is that relevant?

        • Populuxe1 9.1.1.1

          So it wasn’t investing in foreign assets, then?

          • Colonial Viper 9.1.1.1.1

            Yes it was. So…?

            • Populuxe1 9.1.1.1.1.1

              So you don’t see a slight hypocrisy in praising one and condemning the other?

              • Colonial Viper

                Uh, no, I think it’s an entirely consistent position…

                To be clearer, I’m only interested in the direction of the wealth pumps located in NZ.

                • Populuxe1

                  How quaintly parochial.

                  • Colonial Viper

                    yes, I’m very parochial about being a New Zealander. Major wealth pumps need to point into the nation, not out of it.

                    • Populuxe1

                      Just so long as it isn’t other people’s countries thinking the same thing, eh? Why that’s entirely fair and logical… Yeah, right.

              • RedLogix

                Pop. It is the gross imbalance that is the problem. The Cullen fund returns are a small fraction of the net investment flows in/out of this country.

                As long as that imbalance persists we need more Cullen funds and fewer Harvards. Nothing hypocritical at all.

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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    2 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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 2024-03-29T09:21:18+00:00