Update

Update

NZ as a Place To Live

The UN Development Report 2002 ranks NZ as the 19th best country in which to live. The report’s index attempts to measure broad categories of quality of life such as education, life expectancy, as well as per capita income. Norway took first place, with a number of western European countries, including Canada, Australia (in 5th place), the US and Japan, ranking ahead of NZ. Sierra Leone came in last in 173rd place.

Thanks to “NewsRoom”

NZ and Aussie Cities Good Places to Live

An international survey on the cost of living and standard of living in cities has revealed that NZ and Australian cities score well for cheap but high quality living. The survey, carried out by Mercer Human Resource Consulting, also shows that Hong Kong is the world’s most expensive city, followed by Moscow and then Tokyo. London and St Petersburg in Russia are the two most expensive cities in Europe, while in the US, New York is by far the costliest city, followed by Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco. The survey measured the comparative cost of over 200 items such as housing, food, clothing and household goods, as well as transport and entertainment in 144 cities.

Thanks to “NewsRoom”

Coaster’s Pay Packets Go Further

New research shows that people living on the South Island’s West Coast have a higher disposable income than those in major cities. The West Coast’s Grey District Council commissioned the research as part of its drive to attract more skilled workers to the region.

Business and Economic Research Limited, which carried out the research, was asked to compare house prices and disposable income on the West Coast with those in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. The firm found that because West Coast house prices were lower, the disposable income for residents, after tax and mortgage payments, was significantly higher than for the other areas.

Thanks to “NewsRoom”

Record Low Road Deaths

Fewer people have died on NZ roads in the first six months of 2002 than in any half year on record. The 34 road deaths recorded in June took the half-yearly figure to 214, down 31 from the same time last year and the fewest road fatalities for any January to June period since monthly recording began in 1965. The previous half-yearly low of 236 was recorded in 2000, while the worst January to June figures on record are 439 deaths in 1973 and 423 in 1987.

The Social Cost of Crime

The Corrections Department has compiled figures of the social cost of crime, using statistics from the 1998/99 year. These combine the cost to victims, such as the loss of quality of life, income and insurance, and the cost to taxpayers through police, courts and prisons.

Overall there were more than 60,000 criminal cases during the year, costing an average of $32,000 each. The total cost to victims and taxpayers was an estimated $1.9 billion. A murder is the costliest at $5.5 million, with manslaughter second at $1.5 million, while an armed robbery costs nearly $400,000. Most of the crimes were property offences, which cost a total of more than $500 million. Thanks to “NewsRoom”

Unbuckled Men Let Down the Side

Men who refuse to buckle up are keeping NZ’s seatbelt wearing rates from topping 95%, according to the Land Transport Safety Authority’s (LTSA) latest survey. The 2002 national survey of front seatbelt use by adults has found that men are twice as likely to neglect to buckle up as women. Ten percent of male drivers and 12% of male passengers observed in the survey were unrestrained, compared with just 5% of female drivers and passengers.

Crash data shows that 29% of male drivers and passengers killed last year were unrestrained (66 of 228), compared with 15% of females (20 of 130).

This year’s survey shows overall front seatbelt wearing rates holding steady at 92% nationally, the same figure recorded in 2001. Wearing rates have risen from 86% in 1995, when the Police/LTSA road safety enforcement and advertising campaign was introduced.

Regional figures show that several areas which had wearing rates well below the national average in 1996 and 1997 have now caught up. Northland, Bay of Plenty and West Coast wearing rates have all shown large improvements, from 1997 rates around 75%, to 90% or higher this year. The wearing rate in Hawke’s Bay has also increased significantly – now at 90%, after fluctuating around 80% for several years. Auckland and Dunedin recorded the highest wearing rates for metropolitan areas, both at 98%.

Slowing Traffic Outside Primary Schools

A scheme aimed at slowing traffic outside primary schools is about to become available nationwide. The scheme has been trialed outside five Christchurch schools for more than two years. The Land Transport Safety Authority (LTSA) says the scheme was worth considering for schools on major roads where speed was a problem. It involves 40 kilometre-an-hour part-time speed zones outside schools. Signs are activated when children enter or leave school grounds.

Thanks to “NewsRoom”

Regional Funding for Hawke's Bay

Industry NZ has approved $2 million in funding under its Regional Partnerships Programme to help establish Hawke’s Bay as a centre of innovation and excellence in food production, processing and exporting. A further $980,000 will be funded by local industry and the Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT). Food Hawke’s Bay is the fourth Major Regional Initiative to receive $2 million funding under Industry NZ’s Regional Partnership Programme. The others are: Waikato Innovation Park in Hamilton; the Wood Processing Centre of Excellence in Rotorua; and the Wine Research Centre of Excellence in Marlborough.

Vet Student Debt Increase

A Massey University survey of last year's veterinary graduates has found students are carrying, on average, more than $36,000 in student debt, the highest level of vet student debt since monitoring began. It is believed increased level of student debt is likely to be contributing to the current shortage of vets in NZ, especially in rural areas. It’s pointed out that higher salaries, coupled with favourable exchange rates against the NZ dollar, make Britain and Australia attractive destinations for veterinary graduates carrying significant student debt. There is a consistent trend for a third of NZ vets to go overseas within three years of graduating.

US Accepts Massey Vet Accreditation

The American Veterinary Medical Association has awarded accreditation to Massey University’s veterinary school. The accreditation means that the Massey qualification will be accepted throughout the US. It is already accepted in Commonwealth and Asian countries.

Massey is one of only four universities outside of the US to have received the accreditation, and is the only one in the Southern Hemisphere. Until now, veterinarians trained in NZ had to undertake a year of study in the US before they could practise there.

Thanks to “Newzgram”

Road Spending

Transfund is to spend a record $1.1 billion on roading and other land transport projects in the new financial year. The increase in planned spending includes $348.6 million for new roading construction projects, for example:

  • improvements to Auckland’s central motorway junction, at a total cost of $156.5 million;
  • a second upper harbour bridge between Hobsonville and Greenhithe in Auckland;
  • improvements to State Highway One in Wellington, between Plimmerton and Mana; and
  • completion of the four-laning of the Main North Road in Christchurch.

More Pocket Money, More Cigarettes

A study published in the NZ Medical Journal shows that the more pocket money a young person receives, the more likely he or she is to smoke. The anti smoking group ASH surveyed almost 30,000 14 and 15 year olds nationwide in an anonymous questionnaire, which was analysed by Auckland University researchers. They found that girls given more than $30 a month pocket money were almost twice as likely to smoke daily than those receiving $10.

Boys were also more likely to smoke if they were given larger amounts.

Thanks to “NewsRoom”

Statistics NZ to Keep an Eye on Injuries

No one knows just how many people are injured or killed in NZ each year. There is information, but it is fragmented across several different agencies. However, that will change. Statistics NZ now has the job of reporting comprehensive information on people who are killed or severely injured. Eventually this information will be used to help much better targeting of injury prevention programmes. At present it’s often hard to tell which programmes are working. When it is clear who is getting hurt, how and where, the impacts of those injuries, and what the injury trends are, then government agencies and other concerned groups can put effort and money into where it will do most good.

Vaccine to be Tested

A new vaccine to prevent infection with the human papilloma virus – the virus that causes most cervical cancer – is to be tested in NZ for the first time. Three hundred women aged between 16 and 23 years are being sought in Auckland and Christchurch for clinical trials over the next four years. Those women who choose to participate would be given three doses of the vaccine and regular health checks as part of the third phase of international trials.

The human papilloma virus is an extremely common sexually transmitted disease, and is present in 100% of cervical cancers. Merck Sharp and Dohme developed a vaccine that targets the four main types of the virus, which cause cervical cancer and genital warts.

The study freephone number is 0800 16 00 00, and information about the study is available by emailing hpvstudy@fpanz.org.nz

Thanks to “NewsRoom”

Kiwis Sceptical About Internet

A survey of four countries by a recruitment agency found NZ workers are the least convinced that Internet and email increase productivity. Kelly Services surveyed workers in NZ, Australia, Malaysia and Singapore. According to the survey, Asian countries were well ahead of NZ in using email and Internet tools effectively. And although 80% of managers in this country said they used both email and the Internet a lot – less than two-thirds believed emails increased productivity.

Thanks to “NewsRoom”

Taranaki Internet Project

Taranaki is the latest region to push ahead with high speed Internet access before the Government begins its tender programme to upgrade rural telecommunications. In mid July, three district councils in Taranaki launched a regional broadband initiative with Telecom, which covers most of the region. It upgrades 15 telephone exchanges to ADSL, or Asymmetric Digital Subscribers Line, technology. New Plymouth, Stratford and South Taranaki District Councils will underwrite the project. Northland and Southland have already started getting broadband technology into rural areas.

Thanks to “NewsRoom”

Telephone Interpreting Service

A new telephone interpreting service, to allow better communication between NZ’s growing ethnic community and key government departments, is scheduled for introduction in the first half of next year. The scheme will link staff at the Ministry of Social Development, including Work and Income, Accident Compensation, the Police, Immigration Service, Housing NZ and Internal Affairs including the Identity Services, Ethnic Affairs, and the Community Development Group, with professional interpreters to support clients with few English language skills. The scheme would initially operate for 12 months and start with around ten languages.

Charging for False 111 Calls

False calls to the 111 emergency service are now being charged for, in an effort to reduce the huge number of false calls and ensure the service is always available for emergencies. Telecom fixed-line customers will be charged $6.00 for every false 111 call they make after the first false 111 call they make in a month. Although making a false 111 call is against the law, about 70% of all calls to the 111 service are false and Telecom answers about 1.8 million of these calls a year.

Pilot Job Seeker Accounts

Individual Job Seeker Accounts are to be trialled over the next 12 months in two Work and Income regions. The individual accounts place the onus on the job seeker to take more responsibility for identifying and participating in decisions about the most suitable form of assistance that will get them into sustainable employment. The accounts will contain an amount of money allocated to individual job seekers, but held by Work and Income, to use to access all forms of employment assistance to which the job seeker would otherwise be eligible. This may include programmes or services provided through Work and Income or other employment related assistance that the job seeker has identified. Wage subsidies or other post-placement support may also be available.

Funding for Maori TV

Te Mangai Paho has allocated $7 million of funding for productions to air on the new Maori television channel. There is an emphasis on programmes for youth and children, along with taking te reo Maori into new areas such as the use of the language in sport. There are planned to be, for example, youth sports programmes, ranging from those that focus on skateboarding through to others which will identify new sports terms for coaches, teachers and players. Other youth-orientated productions include:

  • an insight into the rapidly changing technological world and how it relates to Maori; and
  • a rangatahi (young people’s) show that recognises the hip-hop phenomenon in NZ and its transformation into a sound that is intrinsically Maori.

Other productions are aimed at children and adults learning to speak te reo, including a programme aimed at strengthening the skills of teachers and parents. There is also funding for Maori language lifestyle programmes, with travel, cooking, gardening, health, fitness and arts shows going into production. Other projects with funding include more films re-versioned into te reo Maori and a series of archival footage which will recall the memories and messages of elders.

Americans Drawn to Luxury Lodges

At a recent meeting in Los Angeles where 50 NZ tourism companies met with potential clients, a growing interest in the NZ market was reported. Predictions are that the number of American visitors will increase this year by up to 10%.

An American travel wholesaler at the meeting said NZ’s luxury lodges are one thing that stand out in the highly competitive tourism market. He said the country’s small up-market lodges, with easy access to outdoor activities, do not exist in other countries and they show the country in its best light. The numbers of tourists staying at luxury lodges has almost doubled in the past three years.

Thanks to “NewsRoom”

Small Cars and Crash Tests

Small cars have earned mixed marks in the latest crash test results from the independent Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), according to the Land Transport Safety Authority (LTSA). The Toyota Corolla and Peugeot 307 were awarded four out of a possible five stars in tests measuring occupant protection in serious frontal and side impact crashes. The Ford Laser and Alfa Romeo 147 earned three stars, while the Mitsubishi Lancer and Mazda 121 received two star ratings.

The LTSA joined the ANCAP crash testing programme two years ago, with the aim of improving NZ consumers’ access to vehicle safety information and encouraging manufacturers to make further safety improvements to their vehicles.

Detailed crash test results for over 100 vehicle models are now available on the LTSA website at www.ltsa.govt.nz. Brochures with test results can be ordered at no charge by ringing the LTSA Helpdesk on 0800 699 000

Waka Used for Drink-Drive Message

Promoters of a drink-driving message to Maori say old traditions are helping to find solutions to a contemporary problem. Te Wakahauora - Public Health South is running a programme based around the rules and regulations associated with paddling a waka, in which participants are encouraged to adopt the traditions of the waka when they get behind the wheel of a car. That means no alcohol or drugs, taking care of others, and adopting all necessary safety requirements.

Thanks to “NewsRoom”

Supporting Gifted and Talented Children

The official response to the gifted and talented students’ working party, which reported to government in November last year, is out. A number of the report’s recommendations are to be put in place, including:

  • recognising gifted and talented learners in the National Administration Guidelines (NAGs) in 2004;
  • establishing of a Gifted Education Advisory Committee;
  • professional development for teachers and a tripling of the number of advisers (from 4 to 12);
  • a contestable funding pool to help schools get new programmes, which support gifted and talented students, off the ground; and
  • research into existing provision for gifted and talented students.

Further Lake Alice Patients to Claim

A further 90 former patients of Lake Alice psychiatric hospital who believe they were mistreated in the 1970s are seeking compensation. The Government last year paid out $6.5 million to 95 former Lake Alice patients and apologised for mistreatment that took place there. The Government also set up a scheme to allow other former patients who did not want to take legal action, to apply for a cash award.

The Ministry of Health says 81 people lodged compensation claims before the scheme's June 30 deadline, and another nine have indicated they will file claims soon. The claims centre around the hospital’s Child and Adolescent Unit that closed in 1978 following complaints about inappropriate treatment, including the use of electro-convulsive therapy.
Thanks to “NewsRoom”

Catholic Priest Abuse Hotline

A Catholic order (the Society of Mary) has set up a hotline for people who may have been sexually abused by priests or brothers. Its launch coincided with the NZ Catholic Church’s first-ever official public apology to sexual abuse victims, which was read at services throughout the country at the start of July. The hotline runs from nine-to-five on weekdays, and the number is 0 800 SMHELP or 0 800 764 357.

Thanks to “NewsRoom”

Eradicating Cats and Rats from Raoul Island

NZ’s largest combined feral cat and rat eradication project has got underway on Raoul Island, 1000 km northeast of Auckland. DOC had an aerial drop of poisoned baits for rats over the 2941 ha island early in July, and that was followed later in the month by the hand-laying of toxic baits along tracks and in coastal areas for feral cats. A specially-trained dog will comb the island for signs of cats before the 16-person DOC team leaves Raoul in October. It will be two years before the success of the operation can be determined, because any surviving rats will be difficult to detect in the rugged forests on the island

Removing the last predators from Raoul Island will allow threatened species on our most remote nature reserve to recover. This project will make the long-term survival much more certain for threatened birds such as the Kermadec storm petrel, white tern, masked booby, and the Kermadec kakariki. Most of these birds have been forced to live and breed on nearby small predator-free islets, but are expected to return to Raoul Island once the feral cats and rats have been eliminated.

Raoul is the largest island in the Kermadec Island Nature Reserve – an internationally significant chain of oceanic islands formed by volcanic action. Its isolation has given rise to unique biological communities. At least 23 plant species and five of the 35 bird species on the islands were found nowhere else in the world. Raoul, like other Kermadec islands, is uninhabited apart from a small team of DOC staff and volunteers stationed there to undertake weed control work, take weather readings, and monitor regional seismic activity.

One Billion and Counting

Computer industry analyst firm Gartner Dataquest announced last month that the PC industry has shipped the 1 billionth PC in April 2002, roughly 25 years after the debut of the first commercially successful and widely available personal computer, the 1974 Altair.

Coast Seeks New Residents in UK

A skill shortage on the South Island’s West Coast has prompted local councils and employers to plan a recruitment drive in the UK. Representatives from the Greymouth and Westland District Councils will be attending a jobs expo in London in October to try to entice people to live and work on the West Coast. The drive is particularly aimed at young, skilled expatriate NZers who want to return home and settle down. The expo stand will be manned by West Coasters living in London, who will be advising people on everything from the cost of living to the weather.

Thanks to “NewsRoom”

Tasman Tourist Operations on Hold

Tasman District Council has announced a ban on new tourist operations in NZ's busiest national park, the Abel Tasman. The council said its moratorium on commercial licences would be reviewed in October, when management of the park's foreshore was due to come under the Reserves Act. The ban on further applications is meant to alleviate concerns about peak season overcrowding in the park.

Thanks to “NewsRoom”

Air NZ to Upgrade International Fleet

Air NZ is acquiring 15 new Airbus A320 aircraft and purchase rights on a further 20 A320 aircraft, exercisable over the next 10 years. The first of the new A320 aircraft will be inducted into the Air NZ fleet at the end of October next year, and the 15th aircraft is scheduled to be delivered towards the end of 2006.

These aircraft will replace four Boeing 767-200 aircraft that are currently being retired from the Air NZ fleet and nine Boeing 737-300 aircraft that will be progressively retired from the fleet between September 2003 and December 2006. However, it’s envisaged that Air NZ will continue using Boeing aircraft for domestic and long-haul international services.

Fonterra/Bonlac Merger

Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited and Melbourne-based Bonlac Foods Limited have agreed to merge their consumer food products operations in Australia and NZ. It brings together the Mainland and Tip Top businesses in NZ with the Bonland Dairies and Peters and Brownes businesses in Australia, under the name of Australasian Food Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd (AFHL), employing about 4,000 people, and annual sales of more than NZ$2.3 billion (A$2.0 billion).

The merged group will market leading brands such as Mainland, Tip Top Ice Cream, Meadowfresh, Tararua, Galaxy, Ferndale, Huttons, Kiwi, Bega, Bodalla, Perfect Italiano, Western Star, Cadbury Ice Cream and Brownes, in Australia, NZ and Oceania. Its brand portfolio will cover milk, ice cream, cheese, butter, yoghurt, processed meats and convenience foods.

Reduced Fonterra Payout…

Fonterra suppliers have been advised that the forecast milk payout for this season has been reduced from $4.00 to $3.70 per kilo of milk solids. The new co-operative has just posted a deficit of $50 million and it has blamed the lower payout on a further fall in world dairy prices and the stronger dollar. The drop to $3.70 from $4.00 is expected to cost the average dairy farmer $21,000 (with flow-on effects in terms of how farmers will choose to spend their money, and how much of it). The $3.70 advanced figure will be further reduced by 3 cents to fund the industry-good body, Dairy Insight.

Thanks to “NewsRoom”

…and Tatua's Big Payout

The small Waikato Dairy Co-operative has announced a final payout to its 132 farmer shareholders for the past season of $6.80 per kilo of milk solids. That includes a cash payment of $6.60 and a tax credit from a supplementary payout received from the Dairy Board that the company has also passed on. Tatua’s payout is a $1.50 above Fonterra’s, and $1.37 above Westland Dairy Products, which is paying its suppliers $5. 43 per kilo of milk solids produced last season.

Tatua’s chairman said the high return was the cumulative result of at least a decade of investment and development into more specialised non-commodity products. About 30% of Tatua’s production was now higher value non-commodity products and that was growing. Tatua was not forecasting a payment for this season yet, but said it would aim to keep its traditional margin above the other dairy companies' payment prediction of below $4.00. Thanks to “NewsRoom”

Easier Access to EU for Organic Products

After two years work by the NZ Food Safety Authority (NZFSA), formerly MAF Food, and the Organic Products Exporters of NZ Incorporated (OPENZ), NZ has had its Official Organic Assurance Programme accepted for organic exports to the European Union (EU) and has been rewarded with a “third country listing”. As a result NZ's organic exporters will have greater long-term market access stability in Europe.

The third country listing means that there is a government to government agreement between the European Commission and the NZFSA (still known as MAF offshore) for NZ organic products exported to EU member countries.

The programme will simplify access for organic products exported to the EU, as it will avoid the need for NZ exporters to obtain import licenses from individual states within the EU. It provides an official government to government assurance to the EU that organic products exported from NZ have been produced under organic rules that are equivalent to the EU’s regulations.

Largest NZ Wood Processing Plant for Gisborne

Gisborne will be home for NZ’s largest wood processing plant. It will be built by Hikurangi Forest Farms, which is owned by Malaysian company Samling Ltd. This facility will process wood products from Hikurangi Forest Farms' own forestry resource on the East Coast. The new processing plant will be nearly double the size of NZ’s current largest plant (Waipa in Rotorua), and will result in hundreds of new jobs. It will process the equivalent of the volume of logs currently shipped out from the Gisborne Port per year, and will be three times the size of the largest plant in the region.

Venison Production Drops

Venison production has slowed dramatically after record production last year. For the first six months of 2002, venison production was down 28% to throughput of 168,000 animals, compared with 233,000 animals for the same period last year. Production for May and June was down 50% and 37% on the same months last year, with June’s production a record low for any month in more than 10 years.

Last year’s production reached a record level of 504,000 deer on the back of strong demand for venison arising from European concerns about BSE and Foot and Mouth Disease. This strong demand also saw schedules paid to farmers reach record levels of $10.17 – almost 50% higher than the 10 year average schedule for that time of year. After its record highs last year, the schedule is now at $5.29 – 17% below the 10 year average for this time of year.

The slowdown in production reflects the significant drop in schedule, the growing national deer herd and farmers’ confidence, and their ability to keep stock on farm as a result of good feed conditions and good returns over the last three years.

Success for Japanese Tourism Programme

The Japan Tourism Recovery Campaign launched post-11 September, aimed to stimulate the Japanese market through competitive pricing of NZ as a destination and raising demand through targeted promotional activity. 23,906 bookings were received during the 6-month campaign, 13% more than the target of 21,150.

Tourism NZ committed $2 million to the joint marketing campaign, which saw another $7.5 million invested by Japanese industry partners and a significant contribution by Air NZ in discounted airfares. The marketing campaign focused on three key Japanese segments: the “silver market” (over 50’s), the free independent traveller, and the wedding and honeymoon market.

Japan is NZ’s fourth largest tourism market with 150,000 visitors for the year ended June 2002. Japanese visitors are also the largest spenders while in NZ, spending an average of $4,556 per visit.

Tranz Rail Quits Passenger Services

Tranz Rail is quitting its passenger business. It wants to complete the sale of its Wellington commuter network by the end of the year and it plans to quit its Auckland passenger service when its contract expires next July. It also says it intends to give up its half share in the long distance Transcenic passenger service. Tranz Rail will continue to operate its Cook Strait passenger and freight ferries and says it will again consider shifting the South Island terminal from Picton to Clifford Bay, near Blenheim.

Thanks to “NewsRoom”

Green Light for Mussel Farm

The green light has been given for Napier Mussels to establish a 2,500 hectare mussel farm in Hawke's Bay. The Ngati Kahungunu iwi, which is the major shareholder, hopes the farm off Waipatiki beach north of Napier, will create up to 300 jobs if a processing facility is built in the region. The proposed farm now needs a permit from the Ministry of Fisheries before it can be developed in stages.

Strict conditions to reduce the chance of whales and other marine mammals getting tangled up in underwater structures have been set, and Napier Mussels will have to consult with the Department of Conservation on developing an environmental monitoring programme.

Thanks to “NewsRoom”

Prawn Industry Development

Hamilton-based company Vela Fishing Limited is to research the possibility of developing a NZ cold-water prawn industry. The initial survey work starts in September and Vela Fishing hopes the cold water prawn fishery can be assessed and developed under a sustainable managed method.

At present the main markets for cold water prawns are in Europe, North America and Asia.

If NZ could capture even one percent of the world’s prawn and shrimp market it would be worth around $200 million a year and create around 200 jobs.

Thanks to “NewsRoom”

Draft Animal Welfare Code Released

MAF has released its draft Animal Welfare code for layer hens, which sets out minimum standards for hens or chicks raised for laying eggs. The code considers all aspects of animal welfare, ranging from shelter, food and water, cage systems, ventilation, beak trimming and disease and injury control. The draft code requires hens in cages to be able to stand up and be able to be moved in and out of the cage without being injured and be protected from droppings from birds kept above them.

Cage floors are not to slope more than eight degrees and quality assurance systems are to be put in place so layer hen facilities can be proved to be following the code's guidelines.

The code recommends, but does not stipulate, that egg packaging be labelled according to whether the eggs were cage laid, barn eggs, or free range.

It will now go before the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee, which will make recommendations to Government later this year.

Foster Buys Ponder

Fosters is adding to its extensive wine interests with the purchase of Ponder Estate Wines in Marlborough for $11.1 million. The Australian brewer made its first move into NZ wine last year with a 51% stake in Matua Valley, and has since acquired Hawkesbridge Vineyard, which is also in the Marlborough region.

Thanks to “NewsRoom”

NZ to Take US to WTO over Steel

NZ is to pursue a legal challenge at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against the safeguard measure on steel imports imposed by the US, in March, for a 3-year period. The US safeguard measures meant that the vast bulk of NZ steel exports to the US now incurred an additional 30% tariff (last year our exports of steel to the US were worth around $70 million).

NZ’s concerns are by no means isolated ones. A number of other WTO members, including the European Communities, Japan, Korea, China, Switzerland, Norway and Brazil, are pursuing dispute settlement action against the US. Don’t expect a quick answer though. A WTO dispute settlement panel could take until early next year to arrive at a decision on the legality of the US measure, and then the US could lodge an appeal.

South Korea Drops Trade Barriers

Korea has decided to allow the freezing down of chilled product once it enters the distribution system. The action is thought to assist NZ exporters, by giving them increased opportunities to develop high-end markets for chilled beef and lamb. Korea’s actions follow longstanding representation by NZ and other meat exporting countries on this issue, and other restrictive practices in the distribution and sale of imported meat.

The changes also follow the removal last year of retail restrictions on imported beef, as required by the WTO, and the ending of all quantitative restrictions on beef imports from January 2001. Korea is NZ’s fifth largest market for meat exports, most of this being frozen beef.

Pacific Radio Network Provider Announced

Pasefika Communications Network Limited (PCN) will run the new national Pacific radio network, due to go on air in September, broadcasting on the FM frequency on 100-108 Mhz. The Government has allocated almost $7.7 million over 4 years to establish and run the network. It will be broadcast from Invercargill to Whangarei and provide for regional input.

Fungi Breaks Down Soil Pollutants

Researchers say they are well on the way to a natural solution for cleaning up contaminated sawmilling and timber-treatment sites. There are about 8,000 chemically contaminated sites in NZ, and about 800 are timber industry sites polluted with chemicals that include PCP.

Eight years of research into the potential of using native white-rot fungi, to attack and breakdown pollutants in soils, is starting to bear fruit. A team of HortResearch scientists identified three fungi that are highly effective in dealing with PCP in trials. The researchers have taken some contaminated soil that has about 1000 PPM pentachlorophenyl in it, and over a period of 40 or 50 weeks, that soil level has dropped right down to 40 or 50 PPM, which then opens up other avenues for its safe disposal and use. It may be possible to start using white-rot fungi for cleaning up contaminated sites in 1-2 years.

Thanks to “NewsRoom”

EnergyWise Rally

The EnergyWise Rally, to be held between 11 and 14 November 2002, will test the combination of driver skill and advanced vehicle technologies in a race against the fuel gauge, not the clock. Over 4 days, up to 50 new cars will follow a 1500 km route from Auckland to Wellington and back. The cars will be competing against each other in classes determined by a formula which balances fuel consumption and CO2 emissions against the vehicle’s size and practical ability to carry people and luggage.

Entry forms for the rally, together with detailed information about the event, will be available through new car distributors

Montana Book Awards

This year’s main awards are:

  • Lynley Hood won the Montana Medal for Non Fiction for her “A City Possessed: The Christchurch Civic Creche Case” (published by Longacre Press). Hood’s book was the winner of the History category as well as the Reader’s Choice Award;
  • the winner of the NZ Society of Authors Hubert Church Best First Book Award for Fiction is “Stonedogs” by Craig Marriner, published by Vintage;
  • the winner of the NZ Society of Authors Jessie Mackay Best First Book Award for Poetry is “Husk” by Chris Price;
  • the winner of the NZ Society of Authors E H McCormick Best First Book Award for Non Fiction is “Fool’s Paradise” by Steve Braunias, published by Random House;
  • the recipient of the A W Reed Lifetime Achievement Award 2002 is Maurice Shadbolt;
  • the Reviewer of the Year Award goes to Jane Hurley (who reviews primarily for the NZ Listener); and Chris Bourke was highly commended for his reviews written for North & South; and
  • the Review Page of the Year Award has been won by North & South; and The Otago Daily Times was highly commended.

Prehistoric Snake Find

The fossilised remains of a snake have been found by scientists at a site in Central Otago. The find proves that these reptiles once lived here. This is particularly significant because it has long been thought that NZ did not have snakes. Preliminary examination suggests that the snake found was similar to a python.

Cosmic Colour Chosen

The colour of the universe has been decided – it’s Cosmic Latte. The original astronomers who figured out the universe had a colour had originally called it beige. But they picked the coffee-inspired shade from numerous email entries. Other colours considered were Cosmic Cream, Astronomical Almond and even Primordial Clam Chowder. Cosmic Latte won because “latteo” means “Milky Way” in Italian, the native language of the early astronomer, Galileo.

Thanks to “NewsRoom”

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