The power companies are rorting us

Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, November 15th, 2022 - 25 comments
Categories: assets, climate change, Economy, energy, Environment, global warming, privatisation, Privatisation, uncategorized - Tags:

Over the years I have written a number of posts about the consequences of the great power company and Air New Zealand share selloff that National engaged in during its last term.

In my last post in January 2019 I calculated that the privatisation had cost New Zealand Inc the sum of $2.3 billion in lost dividends and the the shares that were sold were then worth $4.2 billion more than what we sold them for.

FIRST Union, NZCTU, and 350 Aotearoa have just released a joint report suggesting that the privatisations were not only disastrous for the country’s finances but also disastrous for the planet.

From the NZCTU website:

A new report co-authored by FIRST Union, NZCTU, and 350 Aotearoa argues that since the partial-privatisation of our electricity companies, the four big generator-retailers (“the gentailers”) have delivered billions in excess dividends to shareholders. Excess dividends are payments to shareholders in excess of the profits earned by the gentailers.

“From 2014 to 2021 these firms have collectively paid out $3.7 billion more in dividends to their shareholders than they have earned in profits – an average excess dividend of $459 million a year,” said FIRST Union Researcher and Policy Analyst Edward Miller.

“Excess dividend distribution has starved our electricity network of the investment needed to build new generating capacity, hiking prices on households in the midst of a cost of living crisis, and keeping coal and gas-powered generating assets on life support”, said Miller.

“In December 2020 the NZ Government declared a climate emergency, but we are yet to see the kind of urgent action required to match the scale of the threat”, said Miller.

“Private ownership of the electricity industry has lost us almost a decade of possible progress in the fight for a just transition to a low-emissions economy”.

Miller said the era of excess dividends must now end.

“As the largest gentailer shareholder, we’re calling on Government to propose resolutions at shareholder meetings that will channel profits into building new renewable generating capacity, and using any dividends to buy back the gentailer shares”, said Miller.

CTU Economist Craig Renney said “The government has recently acted on the banking sector, and on petrol companies to ensure that they are delivering better outcomes for New Zealanders. This report demonstrates that there is a pressing need to do this for the electricity sector as well.

New Zealand now generates more electricity through coal and gas than we did in 2018. Prices for customers are rising, but new renewable electricity generation that might tackle rising bills and our climate commitments has been missing in action”.

“If the Government wants to honour its commitment to a just transition, it needs to continue to be proactive in holding companies to account.”

The report also calls on the Government to commit the equivalent of its excess dividend into financing new community and household generation ($1.35 billion), and to levy a windfall tax on the gentailers for their remaining excess dividend ($2.36 billion).

350 Aotearoa Executive Director Alva Feldmeier said the Government had a crucial role to play in establishing a solution.

“We can’t expect the market to fix itself. The gentailers feel more accountable to their shareholders than to their consumers which is delivering neither fast emission reductions nor addressing the huge levels of power poverty in Aotearoa”.

Miller said “A majority of people opposed partial-privatisation in the 2013 asset sales referendum; ignoring those voices has come at great cost. It’s time for an electricity system that serves people and planet, not shareholders.”

The associated report contains the calculations behind the conclusions and for the purpose of its analysis includes Contact Energy which was privatised by a previous National Government in 1999 and excludes Air New Zealand.

The conclusions in the executive summary for the report are damning:

  • From 2014 until 2021, the four big generator-retailer firms (the gentailers) have distributed $8.7 billion in dividends off only $5.35 billion earned in profits. Collectively, the gentailers have delivered $3.7 billion in excess dividends to shareholders over this period, averaging $459 million a year.
  • The NZ Government is a major beneficiary of this, collecting$1.35 billion in excess dividends as part of the$3.75 billion collected from its 51 percent shareholding over this period. This is an average of $150 million per year.
  • Systemic underinvestment in generating capacity has enabled excess dividend distribution, leaving New Zealand’s generating capacity practically flat over the last decade.
  • Underinvestment in renewable generation enables high-cost high-emission fossil fuel electricity to set the prices for cheaper renewable electricity, dragging prices up across the market and bolstering profits.
  • Excess dividend distribution’s impact is offset by a process of asset revaluations, itself the result of rising electricity prices. Asset revaluations now account for 56 percent of the value of fixed assets held by the three mixed ownership gentailers ($10.9 billion out of $19.6 billion)

Next time a National Party politician criticises the Government for Aotearoa still burning coal or for the high cost of electricity remind them that their sell off of the country’s electricity companies led directly to this situation.

25 comments on “The power companies are rorting us ”

  1. millsy 1

    Quite frankly, our high level of hydro dams (built to a high standard over the past venture) should mean that the level of power prices should be similar to that of gas prices in Turkmenistan. Zero.

    We should be looking to abundance, not scarcity. Our power prices should reflect that. The money men need to be thrown out

  2. Incognito 2

    Any comment from the Nats? Something about the free market and tough times for the poor power companies? Anything?

    • Andy 2.1

      I have heard from some right-wing types that there is insufficient regulation in controlling the prices.

      It is a quasi-monopoly anyway.

      • lprent 2.1.1

        It is a quasi-monopoly…

        Of course it is. All power generation and transport infrastructure is some form of monopoly economically. However the problem isn’t with the pricing. If you read the post, it shows that the dividends being paid to shareholders are larger than their profits.

        Basically the post shows that the gentailers are mining the previous asset values in infrastructure to generate excessive dividends to shareholders. They aren’t investing in the new capacity that their customers need now and into the future. For basic things like having the capacity to power electric vehicles or to make green hydrogen (if that ever gets safe enough to use).

        For the last 3 decades there has been limited investment into the infrastructure relative to the value of the infrastructure to maintain it. Effectively the grid and generation is being run down for dividends.

        The simplest short-term solution would be to just raise the costs to the power generator companies to transport the power over the grid to about 2-4x the current take from Transpower. That will allow the grid to be actually upgraded rather than patched to stop it failing.

        We should have had the high capacity lines from Manapouri to upper South Island decades ago. It is ridiculous that the upper SI imports power from the North Island through a lot of the winters. While we need more lines across the Cook Strait to handle extremes, it shouldn’t be something that should encouraged as being normal. It becomes a single point of failure in a tectonically unstable region.

        Raising the transport charges would also allow Transpower to subsidise new generation initiatives as the cost of connecting to the grid is considerable. Reduce the cost of new generation capacity and the profitability incentives change.

        Set a plan to drop short-term (~5 years) to outlaw power generation by coal. And a longer term (decades) to do the same for gas.

        I’d also dump the electricity market as well simply because that is increasingly looking like a manipulative system for rorting artificial shortages.

        Alternatively just put an absolute upper limit on the spot prices, with a capacity for the electricity commission to demand capacity from hydro at a fixed prices when capacity shortages (and large fines for any generator who doesn’t comply immediately).

        The risk for insufficient capacity and transfer needs to get dropped on to the generators rather than consumers, business or public.

        FFS: When was that last hydro system put into NZ? 2013 were the last commissioning. Basically they stopped after National removed the incentives to start making them when they sold off the gentailers.

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_power_stations_in_New_Zealand#Hydroelectric

        And could we please get rid of the smelter or at the very least raise their power price to something similar to what NZ businesses pay.

        • alwyn 2.1.1.1

          "When was that last hydro system"?

          Meridian tried to build one about 10 years ago. Of course the Green Party opposed it and got Dunne to support them. Can't have Hydro stations you know. They might bother some fish who currently live in a river, or affect some scenery, or snails, that no one ever visits.

          https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/west-coast-hydro-scheme-approval-upsets-govt-ally/LS5FEFARCUS73PDSE7DIO26SKQ/

          Meridian ended up scrapping the proposal, as they also had had to do with Project Aqua on the Waitaki and a wind farm project in Central Otago.

          https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/meridian-axes-mokihinui-dam/TYXMTGM3B6NVBDC2WQNHVJYE3I/

        • Shanreagh 2.1.1.2

          Something has gone wrong with my reading/brain….I keep seeing gentitalia and not gentailer. I'd better come back later as it is not going to make much sense with this reading! laugh

          • Hanswurst 2.1.1.2.1

            I keep seeing gentitalia and not gentailer.

            Actual genitalia, or just the word?

            • Shanreagh 2.1.1.2.1.1

              Just the word thankfully but even the word makes a strange read. smiley

              It has passed now as I am consciously reading gentailers now. I may even have enough of my wits about me to comment on gentailers.

              I have been sad that this crock that is the electricity system has not been tackled by this Labour Govt. Though it will be difficult because the whole system is tied down tight, by interlocking relationships. Possibly one of the more immovable monuments to neo lib we have.

        • Poission 2.1.1.3

          The simplest short-term solution would be to just raise the costs to the power generator companies to transport the power over the grid to about 2-4x the current take from Transpower. That will allow the grid to be actually upgraded rather than patched to stop it failing.

          The profits and taxes from the 100% Government monopoly,are used for general use rather then reinvested in the grid (where it uses debt ) over 750m under this government.

          We should have had the high capacity lines from Manapouri to upper South Island decades ago. It is ridiculous that the upper SI imports power from the North Island through a lot of the winters. While we need more lines across the Cook Strait to handle extremes,

          Go round transmission is nearly complete joining the Clutha and Waitaki transmission systems with duplex.Upper south is supplied most nights when sufficient wind is generated to sustain hydro levels,

          Top of the South especially Tasman needs more local distributed generation as they already pay over 10$mwh extra for transmission.CS cables is in the capital plan ( big $$$$$) .

          There is also a project from the Wairakei with go round power and interconnections to duplicate supply North.A full electric project to meet the Governments aspirational goals by 2030 ( can only reach 98% renewable) will cost 11b$ for transmission,and 11b$ on distribution with additional costs going forward as Liquid fuels are substituted.This does not include generations costs.

          I’d also dump the electricity market as well simply because that is increasingly looking like a manipulative system for rorting artificial shortages.

          Real time pricing (with supply/demand smoothing) has reduced window blocks to 5 minutes from 30, has been in place since the 1st November,and reduces pricing risks from wind forecasts (with a probability 90%)

          • lprent 2.1.1.3.1

            Interesting. I wasn't aware of the cross connections being that close. I also need to look at the wind power reliability for the SI.

            In the NI the effective baseload is now geothermal which has no storage. The mix is quite different.

            I will have another look at your comment on the weekend.

            • Poission 2.1.1.3.1.1

              Wind power comes south (hvdc) where it reduces both water and transmission loss.

              Two wind projects to be activated in South island (planning and finance approved)

              Hydro NI is mostly run of river,there needs to be more generation capacity north of auckland, some with battery storage for marsden point,and a good use of existing transmission with refinery closed.

  3. arkie 3

    There are proposed solutions:

    “The Green Party is clear that the imperative to invest in a climate-friendly future is too important to outsource.

    “Massive electricity profits should be reinvested into renewables, action to reduce household bills, and local clean energy projects, such as shared or community energy.

    “An excess profit tax can help address the immediate challenges we face, while work is done to redesign the electricity market to build the better, cleaner and more equal future our children deserve.

    https://www.greens.org.nz/fix_electricity_market_to_help_both_climate_and_cost_of_living

    Have they been ruled out yet?

  4. Tiger Mountain 4

    Power generation and supply needs to be returned to full public ownership and control. Any compensation should depend on the bludging Gentailers pissing off very quietly indeed.

    Hydro power was built with public money, along with NZers labour and skills. It is a travesty that some working class people could not heat their homes adequately in 2022.

    “Winter Energy” transfers like WFF transfers from other taxpayers show the neo liberal emperor wears ripped jeans.

    • millsy 4.1

      One of the greatest dissapointments of Jacinda's govt is that fact that they are/were too soft on the power companies. Corporate greed in this country is too far embedded.

    • Johnr 4.2

      Yes definitely renationalise the generators.

      They do not deserve any compensation as their whole rort is based upon asset returns.

      They didn't have any assets until the public of NZ gave them to them. So all of those returns should belong to the public for further investment.

  5. Ad 5

    I've gone back to reading Bruce Jesson's 'Only Their Purpose is Mad' from 1999, where he and Alliance colleagues successfully resisted (for the most part) privatisation.

    He goes through the bureaucratic ideological capture, political capture, commercial fee capture, and legal capture of the proposed liquidation of Auckland's assets.

    And here we are with Mayor Brown 2 decades later spouting the same nonsense, preparing to do the same.

  6. Poission 6

    There is a significant use of selective statistics in this spiel,by changing time series for selective quotes.

    New Zealand now generates more electricity through coal and gas than we did in 2018. Prices for customers are rising,

    FF (including oil) generation reduced from 2014-2021 by 707 gwh.

    Residential customers in real terms (including gst.)

    2014 the energy cost (incl levys) was 19.07 c kwh,

    2022 the energy cost (inc levy) is 18.62 c kwh

    The energy cost is the generation,regulator levy,retailers margin.

    The remainder of the bill is transmission and distribution.

    Both generation and consumption are flatlined since 2014.

  7. tc 7

    Dividends in excess of profits with no investment in the business year on year is wreckless.

    I'm sure that nice Mr key has an explanation for it mickey. As the party of fiscal responsibility I'm sure they'll want to respond as to why it's not their fault.

  8. Descendant Of Smith 8

    It should be simple enough to legislate that dividends can be no more than 30% of profit.

    I'd rather see it renationalised. Pay the share holders the equivalent of the original price less the excess dividends they have received.

  9. Ed 9

    The power companies are rorting us.

    The banks are rorting us.

    The supermarkets are rorting us.

    Welcome to neoliberalism.

  10. Thinker 10

    I think I read somewhere that some of the cool free trade agreements clauses work to prevent regulation. We are beyond making decisions just to suit ourselves. Anyone else know about that? Is it true?

  11. Jackel 11

    So I take it that there is currently no carbon offsetting system specific to the electricity industry?

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
    11 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
    12 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
    13 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
    15 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
    15 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
    18 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
    18 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
    19 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
    19 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
    20 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
    21 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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    7 days ago
  • 2024 Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships announced
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 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
    7 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
    7 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
    7 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
    7 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 2024-03-28T15:43:34+00:00