Update

Symposium on Rural Communications Technology Announced

A major conference to be held in Timaru next March will set out to establish a vision of how the rural economy and productivity could be improved, and rural lifestyles enhanced, if farms and agri-business throughout NZ all came on-line with broadband Internet connections. TUANZ, the non-profit Telecommunications Users Association, has organised the event as the next stage in a four year project to encourage the use of communications technology as a key driver of economic growth.

TUANZ believes that rural businesses have a bigger opportunity than most to make big gains in productivity through communications technology. It says last month's launch of the IPSTAR was a major turning point. Now, every farm and rural property in the country can access high quality broadband services - if not through landline based services such as DSL, or wireless services like those offered by BCL or Woosh, then by satellite.

TUANZ believes that the business case for farmers to use broadband as a key farm management tool is dependent on a wide range of applications being developed, and that developers have been holding off because of the slow rural uptake. The organisation thinks a classic chicken and egg situation exists; farmers won't invest because there are not enough applications in place to make the business case, but the applications are not there because of poor farm uptake.

And that's where the symposium could be important. By getting knowledgeable representatives of all the potential stakeholders together it's hope to paint a big picture and make a compelling case for early and widespread uptake by every farm and agricultural business. Sectors such as rural health and education will also have a part to play and are expected to be at the symposium, and there will also be coverage of uses that reduce the disadvantages of remote living and thereby make the rural lifestyle more appealing.

TUANZ has issued a call for papers, with responses due by the end of October. The symposium will be held in Timaru on 29/31 March. More information is available on enquiry to ruralsymposium@tuanz.org.nz

National Labour Force Projections, 2001(base)-2051 Update

The following highlights are based on series 5M: medium fertility, medium mortality, long-range annual net migration of 10,000 and medium labour force participation.

  • NZ's labour force is projected to peak at 2.39 million in the mid-2020s, before declining slightly to 2.38 million in 2051.
  • Half the NZ labour force will be older than 42 years in 2012, compared with a median age of 39 years in 2001 and 36 years in 1991.
  • In 1991 there were two people aged 25-44 years in the labour force for every one person aged 45-64 years. By 2013 these age groups will be equal in number.
  • The labour force aged 65 years and over is expected to increase from an estimated 25,000 in 1991 and 38,000 in 2001 to 102,000 in 2021.
  • The male labour force is projected to increase from 1.07 million at 30 June 2001 to 1.30 million in the mid-2020s. With labour force participation rates remaining constant (after 2011), the male labour force would grow only slightly after 2026, reaching 1.32 million in 2051.
  • The female labour force is projected to increase from 890,000 at 30 June 2001 to 1.09 million in the early 2020s. The one million mark would be passed in 2007. With labour force participation rates remaining constant (after 2011), the female labour force would decrease slightly after 2024, reaching 1.06 million in 2051.

More information on these projections can be found at: http://www.stats.govt.nz/

NZ Easy Place to Do Business: World Bank

The "Doing Business" World Bank report ranks NZ as the most business-friendly country of the 155 studied, based on assessments of a range of regulatory benchmarks related to business operations, including start-up, paying taxes and access to credit. Singapore, the US, Canada, Norway, Hong Kong, Denmark, the UK and Japan make up the rest of the top 10. The Democratic Republic of Congo was at the bottom of the list, with Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Chad and Sudan just above.

The World Bank said the formerly Communist nations of Central Europe had made some of the biggest advances in supporting private business. Lithuania, in 14th place, and Estonia, in 15th, ranked ahead of Switzerland, Belgium and Germany. Among the countries that made the biggest changes in 2004 were Serbia, Montenegro, Slovakia, Latvia and Romania. Overall, the report found the top countries regulate businesses in "less costly and burdensome ways", encouraging business activity, while poorer countries tend to over-regulate, deterring economic growth.

There is a World Bank-affiliated site where you can find more information: http://www.doingbusiness.org and you can find out more about the World bank itself from: http://www.worldbank.org/

NZ's International Competitiveness

The World Economic Forum's latest global competitiveness survey shows that NZ's overall ranking improved, rising two places to 16th in terms of competitiveness. NZ ranks number one for public institutions: tax collection, judicial independence, property rights and absence of organised crime. But, according to Business NZ, a low savings rate places us at a disadvantage, along with high real interest rates and inadequate priority given to information technology. Business NZ also says the tax regime penalises us internationally, as does red tape. Other findings include:

  • Australia jumped four places to number 10 this year;
  • Finland was number 1 (for the second consecutive year) and four other Nordic countries made up the top 10;
  • The US was number 2;
  • Taiwan rated 5th and Singapore 6th, and Japan dropped from ninth to 12th place (because of bad management of public finances);
  • Hong Kong slipped from 21st to 28th, China rated 49th and India 50th;
  • Among European states, Britain ranked 13th, Germany 15th, Spain 29th, France 30th and Italy 47th; and
  • Estonia was the highest-ranked former communist state, in 20th place.

More details can be found on the Forum's website at: http://www.weforum.org/

NZ's International Investment Position: Year ended 31 March 2005

In a nutshell:

  • NZ's most important investment relationships continue to be with Australia, the US and UK.
  • The level of NZ investment abroad rose $7.8 billion, and the level of foreign investment in NZ rose $21.9 billion between 31 March 2004 and 31 March 2005.
  • The finance and insurance industry continues to hold the largest proportion of NZ's international assets and liabilities. At 31 March 2005, this industry held $67.4 billion (63.1 percent) of NZ's international assets, and $138.6 billion (59.5 percent) of NZ's international liabilities. The finance and insurance industry includes the Reserve Bank, registered banks, fund managers and other financial institutions.
  • The manufacturing industry increased its international assets by $2.4 billion between 31 March 2004 and 31 March 2005. The manufacturing industry accounted for $18.0 billion (16.9 percent) of NZ's international assets and $24.2 billion (10.4 percent) of NZ's international liabilities as at 31 March 2005.
  • The stock of NZ investment abroad was $98.0 billion at 31 March 2005. The main destinations continued to be the US (with $26.4 billion or 26.9 percent) and Australia (with $25.5 billion or 26.1 percent). Germany ($10.4 billion) and the UK ($7.4 billion) were other significant destinations for NZ's investment abroad.
  • The stock of foreign investment in NZ was $224.1 billion at 31 March 2005. The main source of foreign investment in NZ is Australia, which accounted for $59.4 billion (26.5 percent) at 31 March 2005. Investment in NZ from Australia increased by $6.7 billion between 31 March 2004 and 31 March 2005. The other major sources of investment in NZ were the US (18.2 percent, up from 15.7 percent in the previous year) and the UK (14.0 percent, down from 19.4 percent in the previous year).

A link to more information on this can be found at
http://www.stats.govt.nz

Latest Smoking Rates

The Ministry of Health's annual "Tobacco Facts" publication has been released and it is estimated that in 2004 the percentage of adult NZers smoking decreased to 23.4 percent.

Other findings include:

  • at the same time, tobacco consumption per capita has also continued to fall, decreasing by almost 16 percent from 2002 to 2004;
  • \while smoking prevalence remains high among Maori and Pacific peoples (at approximately 50 percent and 30 percent, respectively), these ethnic groups have shared in the steepening decline in recent years; and
  • especially heartening is the continuing decline in youth smoking rates seen in recent ASH surveys (prevalence has been falling among European/Other teenagers (14-15 years) for some time and in the most recent surveys (2003 and 2004) such falls are seen among Maori and Pacific boys and girls as well).

"Tobacco Facts" can be downloaded from http://www.moh.govt.nz/

Prescribing Rights for Nurse Practitioners

Approved Nurse Practitioners across the health sector will be able to prescribe a range of medicines under new regulations approved recently by the government. The Medicines (Designated Prescriber: Nurse Practitioner) Regulations 2005 give qualified nurse practitioners, who have met rigorous requirements set by the Nursing Council, the right to prescribe a range of prescription medicines and controlled substances. Previously, only nurse practitioners practising in aged care and child family health had prescribing rights, and even those were limited.

Of the nurse practitioners in NZ, one currently has prescribing rights, and others will be assessed by the Nursing Council once the regulations come into effect on 1 November 2005. At least another 100 nurses have already expressed an interest in completing nurse practitioner qualifications and applying for accreditation.

Examples of where nurse practitioners will be able to prescribe medicines are in the treatment of chronic conditions such as diabetes. They will now have access to a wider range of medicines to manage diabetes including insulin, as well as medicines to treat coexisting medical conditions such as high cholesterol.

Among medicines and controlled substances nurse practitioners will not be able to access are anaesthetic agents, such as Neuro-muscular Blockers, Anaesthetic Inhalants and Anaesthetic Induction agents. The Ministry of Health will be responsible for maintaining and updating the lists of medicines nurse practitioners can prescribe.

More information about nurse practitioners can be found at: http://www.nursingcouncil.org.nz/

Vaccination Update

More than 600,000 young NZers have now completed their MeNZB vaccination and have received all three doses needed to help protect them against the country's meningococcal B epidemic. That takes to nearly 2.5 million the total number of doses that have now been administered through schools and clinics as part of the Meningococcal B Immunisation Programme.

The Ministry of Health runs a comprehensive website on the programme, at: http://www.moh.govt.nz/immunisation

Housing Tenure Aspirations and Attainment

The Centre for Housing Research, Aotearoa NZ (CHRANZ) and Building Research have released research that investigates housing tenure aspirations and attainment in NZ. The key findings include:

  • Despite declining home ownership rates, NZers continue to aspire to own their own homes.
  • NZ's home ownership rates are projected to continue to fall from 68 percent of households in 2001 to 61.8 percent by 2016. While the actual number of households owning is increasing, the growth in the number of households renting is growing faster.
  • Household demand projections to 2016 estimate strong growth in both owned and rented accommodation (approximately 20,500 households per annum between 2006 and 2016).
  • The housing demand, centred on the Auckland region and upper half of the North Island, will require significant government and non-government capital. Private sector investment in the growing rental housing market will be critical.
  • A significant increase is also estimated in the number of households headed by persons aged 65 years and over.

Copies of the research report and CHRANZ Research Bulletin are available from the CHRANZ website at www.chranz.co.nz under "Media"

Total Mobility Scheme Gets Funding Boost

The government has approved a $9.49 million funding increase for the Total Mobility scheme, which provides a subsidised taxi transport service to people with serious mobility constraints. The scheme is operated by local authorities and jointly funded by central and local government. The new money will allow for improved services and a 60 percent increase in the number of users from 43,000 to 69,000 over the next three years. The scheme's total budget will rise from $9.18 million to $18.67 million. The extra money will see the scheme improve and expand.

Effects of Air Pollution

A study of the health effects of air-borne pollution in Christchurch has confirmed the conclusions of similar studies overseas but has, for the first time, quantified the specific impact on a NZ city. The report "Health and Air Pollution in NZ" concludes that air pollution from domestic fires, industry and vehicle emissions causes 158 premature deaths in Christchurch annually and costs the local economy $168 million annually. The greatest effect - and greatest cost - is a consequence of premature deaths caused by long-term exposure to fine particulates from combustion sources. In Christchurch, the primary source of the particulates is open, solid fuel fires.

The 157-page report can be downloaded, as a PDF file, from www.mfe.govt.nz

New Air Quality Standards

New national environmental standards, designed to improve air quality and health for all, came into effect on 1 September. A key standard requires regional councils to reduce pollution from fine particles (that is, smoke) to a set level by 2013 in our towns and cities. Fine particles are the most concerning air pollutant, as they cause the most significant health problems.

To help meet the fine particle standard, a new design standard for domestic wood burners also took effect, greatly reducing the amount of fine particles new wood burners can produce in urban areas. The other standards set maximum levels for carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone and sulphur dioxide in outdoor air, to protect public health.

For more information, including questions and answers, go to the national environmental standards page on the Ministry for the Environment website at: www.mfe.govt.nz

New Drinking-Water Standards

Recently released, new drinking-water standards come into effect on 31 December 2005. They apply to public and private supplies, but not bottled water. The new Standards (DWSNZ2005) replace the current 2000 drinking water Standards (DWSNZ2000). They detail how to assess the quality and safety of drinking-water. The characteristics that define whether water is safe to drink have changed very little from earlier editions. However, the criteria for demonstrating compliance have been refined. The key changes from the 2000 Standards are:

  • a new section specifically dealing with small water suppliers (that is, those serving populations under 500 people);
  • a new section specifically covering tankered water suppliers;
  • a new section dealing with cyanobacteria (previously known as "blue-green algae");
  • amendments to the compliance criteria for Cryptosporidium;
  • minor changes to bacteriological compliance; and
  • inclusion of a section on disinfection using ultra-violet light.

Details of the new Standards, the recently announced Drinking Water Assistance Programme, and procedures for developing Public Health Risk Management Plans, are available on the Ministry of Health's website: www.moh.govt.nz/water

Holcim seeks Negotiated Greenhouse Agreement

The cement and aggregates company, Holcim NZ, and the government are to enter talks for a Negotiated Greenhouse Agreement (NGA). The government has already signed NGAs with gold mining company OceanaGold and the NZ Refining Company. It is in negotiations with ACI Glass Packaging, NZ Steel, Carter Holt Harvey, Fletcher Building, NZ Aluminium Smelters, Newmont Waihi, and Norske Skog Tasman.

Background information about NGAs can be found at www.climatechange.govt.nz/

Proposed Geothermal Project Awarded Kyoto Credits

The government has awarded over 1.2 million internationally tradable emissions units to Mighty River Power's proposed 70 MW Kawerau geothermal electricity scheme. The steam for the proposed scheme will be drawn from under land owned by the Putauaki Trust and Norske Skog Tasman under agreements with Mighty River Power. Mighty River Power's proposal is for the project to come on stream at the end of 2007 with an anticipated life of 25 years. The project is subject to the normal resource consents process.

Under the Projects to Reduce Emissions programme, units are awarded to projects that lead to a net reduction in emission against business as usual and that would not otherwise be financially viable. Units are awarded through a tender process. NZ's net emissions position is improved, as under the programme fewer emissions units are awarded than the total amount of emissions abated.

Managing Environmental Effects of Fishing

The newly-released Strategy for Managing the Environmental Effects of Fishing arises from government concerns about the voluntary regime for protecting the marine environment and a recognition that the Ministry of Fisheries has "no strategy describing how the Ministry will meet environmental obligations across all its processes and activities".

The strategy will apply to all fish stocks, whether managed in the QMS or not, and whether considered target, bykill, or incidentally affected by fishing. However, it is focused on principles and processes and does not contain any specific limits, or performance standards - those will follow after consultation with the industry.

The strategy, amongst other things:

  • emphasises the need to assess the effects of fishing on all parts of the aquatic environment, not just respond to obvious adverse effects;
  • establishes environmental standards as the key mechanism for defining acceptable limits of the effects of fishing on the aquatic environment;
  • identifies key stages for setting environmental standards in a transparent and clearly defined way;
  • provides for social values, including Maori values, to be incorporated into setting environmental standards; and
  • establishes a requirement for fishery managers to demonstrate that a fishery is meeting environmental standards.

The strategy document can be downloaded from: http:// www.fish.govt.nz/

Seven New Schools

The Ministry of Education has begun consulting local communities over a proposal to build seven new schools in the Flatbush area of Manukau in South Auckland. It is proposing four new primary schools (years 1-6), two junior high schools (years 7-10) and a senior high school (years 11-13), which it expects to meet the needs of the fast-growing area for the next 20 years.

Getting Digital Education Right is Hard

An analysis of four ICT projects in schools has revealed that computers make little difference in learning for students and often produce frustration for teachers unless a number of factors are optimised. The Digital Opportunities Pilot Projects were conceived as a three-way partnership between the Ministry of Education, businesses and schools and were trialled over 2001- 2003 through four pilot projects - Generation XP, FarNet, Notebook Valley and Digitally Boosted Study Support Centres.

Although each project operated differently and each had specific goals, they all had common objectives - reducing the digital divide; improving student outcomes, particularly in science, mathematics, and technology; and providing an opportunity for trialling a government/industry/schools partnership model.

However, an analysis of the projects ("A Summary of the Key Findings of the Evaluations of the Digital Opportunities Pilot Projects") just released, shows a range of results. Among the findings are:

  • "There was little direct evidence to link student achievement to the implementation of the projects, with the researchers noting the difficulties in trying to establish such causal links".
  • "The available evidence for student retention indicates that none of the projects had a significant impact on either encouraging students to continue their studies in the target subject areas of mathematics, science and technology or on students' decision to stay at school".
  • "Some students ended up not taking their laptops to schools because they found the laptops too heavy, there was nowhere to store them when they were not in use, or teachers did not encourage, or in some cases did not allow, the use of laptops in class".
  •  " … there was little evidence that any of the ICT projects had a significant impact on the way teachers taught".
  • "In most projects the roll-out took longer than anticipated.

Also, the teachers who were to be most directly involved with the projects were often not consulted or included in the planning, and there was little inter-school collaboration within projects".

The summary of key findings can be downloaded from www.minedu.govt.nz

Te Roroa Deed of Settlement Ready for Ratification

The Crown and the Te Roroa negotiators have finalised the Deed of Settlement for the settlement of Te Roroa's historical claims. The finalised Deed of Settlement follows the signing of an Agreement in Principle on 20 December 2004. The settlement includes:

  • acknowledgements of, and a Crown apology for, historical breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles;
  • a cultural redress package including the transfer of several sites of cultural significance to Te Roroa; and
  • financial redress totalling $9.5 million, which Te Roroa will receive either as cash or in Crown-owned properties.

The Deed of Settlement is available online at www.ots.govt.nz

Retirement Village Management

A tightening up of the rules governing the management of retirement villages is being prepared by the Department of Building and Housing. Officials expect the new regulations (to take effect under the Retirement Villages Act 2003) to be signed off by the government by year's end and to come into effect in March next year. It is likely a draft of the regulations will be published for industry feedback in advance of being sent to the government.

More information on this can be found at the Department of Building and Housing Website at: http://www.dbh.govt.nz/

Multilingual Road Rules Booklet Available for New Residents

An easy-to-read booklet released recently by Land Transport NZ (LTNZ) aims to help new residents adjust to the often demanding conditions of NZ roads. The booklet is available in English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Fijian, Samoan, Hindi and Malay. This new booklet concentrates on the aspects of NZ driving which new residents most commonly cite as problematic. These are:

  • driving on the left;
  • navigating roundabouts;
  • NZ's unique give-way rules;
  • the diverse range of driving conditions - from busy city streets to winding rural roads; and
  • adjusting from the often chaotic driving cultures of their home countries to NZ's more controlled driving environment.

The new resident drivers booklet will be distributed in information packs sent to all new migrants by the Immigration Service, through English language schools, secondary schools and tertiary institutions, and through refugee and orientation courses. The booklet will also be available from LTNZ offices and the Citizens Advice Bureau. The booklet can also be viewed online at http:// www.landtransport.govt.nz/overseasdrivers/

Filling Cylinders with Compressed Gases

New Hazardous Substances (Compressed Gases) Regulations, which took full effect from 1 October, cover the filling of compressed gas cylinders. The Regulations affect everyone who fills compressed gas cylinders, including scuba cylinders. From 1 October, a person must not fill a compressed gas container unless that person is an "Approved Filler" and has a properly issued Test Certificate. Test Certificates can only be issued by a Test Certifier.

An Approved Filler must, for the gases they deal with, be able to demonstrate the procedures for safe filling of compressed gas containers. In addition, they must know about and be able to describe:

  • different forms of compressed gases, notably, low pressure liquefiable gas, high pressure liquefiable gas, permanent gas and gas that may be held at cryogenic temperatures;
  • factors that can cause failure of a compressed gas container;
  • the consequences of a failure of a container associated with the different forms of compressed gas, including asphyxiation; and
  • the need for visual inspection and safe charging of compressed gas into a container.

If you have already attended a training course or have received instruction and have experience filling cylinders this should be sufficient. You will, however, need to confirm your level of training and experience - get your supervisor and/or trainer to sign it off - and provide this to a Test Certifier to get your Approved Filler Test Certificate.

If you fill your own cylinders you will still need to be an Approved Filler, with the necessary Test Certificate. You should always take your cylinders to an organisation with the necessary skills and qualifications to fill cylinders correctly.

For more details see the ERMA NZ website at www.ermanz.govt.nz/hs/compliance/cg-cylinders.asp, contact their HS compliance line 0800 376 234, or email hsinfo@ermanz.govt.nz

Better English Teaching for International Students

A re-assessment of how the government can best help schools and the English language sector to build the quality and scope of services for international students is about to get underway. It will be a joint project between the Ministry of Education and the private sector body, Education NZ, over the coming six to eight months. The objective is acquiring better knowledge about the pathways and movements within and between the various components of international education, and acquiring hard data on levels of student achievement. International students currently contribute about $2 billion annually to the economy.

The government wants to hear from you about what your priorities are for improving student support and where you think particular changes should be made. Your views should be received by 30 October 2003.

They should be sent to: Student Support Responses, Tertiary Education Policy, Ministry of Education, PO Box 1666, Wellington, email: studentsupport.responses@minedu.govt.nz. A copy of this discussion document is available on the Ministry of Education website: http://www.minedu.govt.nz

Tenure Review Reviewed

Land Information NZ (LINZ) is to overhaul its methods of valuing land for the South Island's high country tenure review programme. Following feedback on the terms of reference on two papers ("Review of Valuation Methodology" and "Implications of Introducing Market Rents"), it has now appointed three valuers to come up with a methodology to strike valuations which "should, at all times, reflect all aspects of the market".

Their work will include interviews with a range of lessees, their representatives, government officials, non-government organisations and valuation professionals. They are to report back to LINZ by the end of October. A report to the Minister will follow shortly afterwards.

The first of the two above papers can be downloaded (as a PDF file) from www.linz.govt.nz and the second paper from www.linz.govt.nz. Contact: Kevin Kelly, tel (04) 498 3500

Tourism and Conservation

A major cross-agency project (involving thirteen agency groups) is gathering momentum to improve the interface between tourism and conservation, including the rapidly escalating problem of tourism waste on conservation land. The work is being carried out through a multi-agency forum called the Tourism on Public Conservation Lands Industry Forum. The purpose of the forum group is to:

  • discuss tourism within the public conservation estate and other natural resources for which the Department of Conservation (DoC) has responsibility;
  • transfer information and views between entities in the industry;
  • provide a resource for DoC, Ministry of Tourism and others to get feedback on specific initiatives and proposals affecting the tourism industry;
  • provide for the development of pan-industry accords or agreements relating to tourism activities in protected areas; and
  • develop positive working relationships between government and industry.

For more information, contact: Sharon Flood, tel (04) 498 7440; email sharon.flood@tourism.govt.nz

DoC Concessions

For the first time ever, the Department of Conservation (DoC) is earning more money from tourism than any other source. In the year to March 2005, DoC pulled in $10.7 million from concessions, as against $9.6 million in the previous financial year - an 11 percent growth rate. Virtually all the growth came from existing concessionaires taking more visitors on guided tours of the conservation estate (fishing, hunting, tramping, walking, climbing/ski tours and kayaking/canoeing), although the number of new concessionaires also rose.

DoC's other main sources of revenue from the conservation estate come from such things as concessions to telecommunications companies (which site their equipment on high spots on conservation land), fees paid by tourist bus operators, grazing leases and services such as shops, restaurants, garages, or hire services. In the year to June, DoC received 720 applications for concessions, of which 13 (1.8 percent) were declined.

More information on DoC concessions can be found at www.doc.govt.nz

Lake Wanaka Weed Control Strategy

Much stronger controls on recreational boating on Lake Wanaka, including the possibility of boat registration, are planned following the finalisation of a strategy to control the invasive Lagarosiphon weed. The 10-year strategy has three central objectives:

  • halting the spread of Lagarosiphon further north and reducing the extent of existing weed beds by treating the weed itself;
  • preventing the transport of Lagarosiphon around the lake and to other lakes; and
  • preventing the accidental re-introduction of more Lagarosiphon into the lake.

Besides restricting boat movements, the plan also calls for continued use of the herbicide, diquat, and suction dredging of the weed beds.

The strategy can be downloaded from the Land Information NZ website (as a PDF file) from: www.linz.govt.nz. Contact: Chris Hawker (03) 441 0482

Beehive Database

The Hawke's Bay Regional Council is hosting a beehive register after concerns that beehives in the region are being poisoned by agrichemical sprays. It was developed as a cooperative venture between the council, Pipfruit NZ, Hawke's Bay Fruit Growers' Association and the Hawke's Bay Pollination Association.

The register can be accessed at www.hbrc.govt.nz

Mandatory "Pop-Up" Messages on Gaming Machines

The Department of Internal Affairs recently released details of how gaming machines in casinos, pubs and clubs must display mandatory, on-screen messages to gamblers about how long they have been gambling and how much they have won or lost. Gaming machines will interrupt play for at least 15 seconds to display the messages. The messages will pop-up at intervals of up to 30 minutes. Gamblers will be able to resume play after the 15 seconds, or they can wait longer if they wish. They will also be able to end that session of gambling. The messages will be displayed for 30 seconds if the gambler has not chosen either to continue or end that session of gambling.

Background information on gambling and running a gambling operation can be found at; www.dia.govt.nz

Parallel Importing Should Continue Says MED

The gains to NZ from parallel importing exceed any observable detriments and should continue, according an analysis by the Ministry of Economic Development (MED). In a paper to Cabinet "Parallel Importing of Copyright Goods for Creative Industries", the Ministry said its review of the government's parallel importing policy confirmed previous findings that parallel importing had resulted in "improved choice and quality and timeliness of service to retailers and consumers through an actual or threatened increase in competition". The only caveat was in relation to children's books. However, the extent of the impact in that area was unclear. The Ministry has recommended another review in 2008.

The Cabinet Paper can be downloaded, as a PDF file, from: www.med.govt.nz

NZ to Join International Passport Security Initiative

NZ is joining an international initiative to share information about lost and stolen passports. All reports of lost and stolen passports will be electronically provided to Interpol on a daily basis. Interpol makes this information available to border control authorities internationally.

This will have some impacts for the travelling public. It means that once a passport is reported as lost or stolen it cannot be used again under any circumstances. Customers will need to apply for a new passport, even if they subsequently recover their passport after reporting it lost. If they attempt to use their passport again they are liable to face significant problems including being apprehended by overseas border authorities.

If customers have questions about the new reporting system for lost and stolen passports they should contact Freephone number 0800 22 50 50 or visit the website www.passports.govt.nz

NZ-Singapore Double Tax Agreement Updated

NZ's double tax agreement (DTA) with Singapore is being updated to cover NZ entities providing consultancy services in Singapore and Singapore entities providing those services in NZ.

Double tax agreements are designed to reduce tax impediments to cross-border trade and investment. They ensure that businesses are not taxed twice on income earned in another country, and help enforce the tax laws between the countries involved.

The DTA with Singapore is one of NZ's earliest DTAs, and was signed between the two countries in 1973. Last year Singapore's direct investments in NZ totalled more than $1,300 million, with NZ exporting more than $331 million of merchandise to Singapore.

The text of the DTA and updated Protocol can be viewed at: www.ird.govt.nz

NZ is Top Country for UK Travellers

NZ has been voted the best country in the world for the first time ever at the Conde Nast Traveller Awards 2005 in the UK. NZ also took out the top overall prize, beating out winners of 23 other categories. Readers graded their chosen country in 10 separate categories. These included climate, culture, food and scenery.

With an overall rating of 97.33 (out of a possible 100), NZ beat Thailand, Australia and Italy to take out the top country spot. NZ received top marks for scenery (99), environmental friendliness (98.87) and safety (97). Visitor arrivals from the UK for year ended July 2005 were 308,000, an increase of over 10 percent from 2004.

Strong Outlook for Tourism Growth

The new forecasts of the Tourism Research Council NZ and Ministry of Tourism covering the period 2005 to 2011 have been released. Total international visitor arrivals are forecast to increase by 37.5 percent to reach 3.21 million in 2011, with international spending to increase 52.3 percent to $9.6 billion. International visitor nights are forecast to increase by 33.3 percent to 59.5 million.

Domestic tourism is also forecast to increase with domestic visitor nights increasing by seven percent to 62.3 million in 2011. Total domestic spending is forecast to increase by 28.9 percent to $9.3 billion. Total expenditure is forecast to increase by 39.8 percent to $18.9 billion in 2011.

Thanks to "Tourism Leading Indicators Monitor"

Web Access to Tourism Data & Research

The Tourism Research Council NZ (TRCNZ) prepares the Tourism Leading Indicators Monitor as an ongoing mechanism for tracking the state of the NZ tourism industry.

For further tourism research and information, you can access the following research and information-focused websites:

  • Tourism Research Council NZ - www.trcnz.govt.nz - Access to inbound, outbound and domestic tourism data, forecasts, tourism research and strategy papers, and Tourism Leading Indicators Monitor;
  • Tourism NZ - www.tourismnewzealand.com - Access to Regional Rap and market research papers;
  • Statistics NZ - www.stats.govt.nz/tourism - Access to data on inbound and outbound travel, accommodation and Tourism Satellite Account.

All of these outputs are assessable through the TRCNZ website.

NZ Visitor Spending: Visa Results

Strong growth in tourist arrivals and spending in NZ is being offset by a worldwide trend in a decline in average visitor spending, according to new research from Visa International. The research shows 2004 was a strong year for NZ tourism, with a 10.7 percent increase in visitors, who spent $6.6 billion during that time.

Other major findings include:

  • International Visa cardholders spent $2.1 billion last year, representing 31.8 percent of the total spend by inbound visitors.
  • The number of transactions by international Visa cardholders has doubled in the past five years to 13.5 million in 2004 from 6.4 million in 1999.
  • Of all international visitors, tourists from the UK spent the most in NZ in 2004, using their Visa cards - $571.4 million.
  • A total of $1.6 billion was spent through Visa cards on eight key broad categories, and this represented 75.1 percent of all Visa spend by visitors in NZ. Transport and general retail and trade took up the lion's share of the $1.6 billion. Visitors spent $NZ427.9 million on transport through Visa, $NZ 407.3 million on general retail and trade, and $NZ243.9 million on accommodation.

Although spending figures show a major rise, when they are viewed over five years and inflation and the appreciation of the NZ dollar is taken into account, the average spending by tourists to NZ has actually declined. This is a global trend. The NZ situation has been further exacerbated in recent years as the NZ dollar has appreciated against the US dollar and the currencies of other important inbound markets.

Copies of Trends in International Visitor Spending in NZ are available on Visa International's website: www.visa.co.nz

New Project to Better Understand Tourist's Needs

The project involves the development of a regional-level data collection system to measure visitor's travel motivations, expectations, behaviour and satisfaction. Up until now there has been a gap in the tourism sector which has not looked into international and domestic customer-oriented information at a regional level. The project is a partnership between the Ministry of Tourism, Tourism NZ and six participating regional tourism organisations - Tourism Auckland, Destination Rotorua, Positively Wellington Tourism, Christchurch and Canterbury Marketing, Tourism Dunedin and Destination Queenstown. The initial agreement between the partners is for three years and it starts this month. Once the project is fully developed, it's hoped to bring on board other parties. Tourism NZ is NZ's tourism international marketing organisation.

It's website is at: http://www.tourisminfo.govt.nz/

Legislation Notes

NZ Signs Treaty Against Nuclear Terrorism

NZ has signed a United Nations treaty strengthening international efforts to reduce the risk of nuclear terrorism. The International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism calls for states to ban the use, or threat of use, of nuclear materials for terrorist purposes and to co-operate with international nuclear terrorism investigations and prosecutions. The convention is the 13th international anti-terrorism treaty NZ has signed. It will enter into force after 22 countries have ratified it, and 62 other countries have indicated they will sign the convention.

Appointments

Ian McHardy of Auckland has been appointed as a Family Court Judge. Tom Broadmore of Wellington is a new District Court Judge. Eduardo Gustale has been appointed NZ's Honorary Consul in Paraguay. Vivian Kloosterman has been appointed to the Standards Council. David Hunt is the new Chief Executive of Contact Energy.

Resources Available

Engaging With Asian Communities

"Engaging with Asian Communities" is the title of a report prepared for the Asia NZ Foundation. The research considers the nature and models of engagement of Asian communities and characteristics of successful engagement.

The types of engagement considered have indicated what elements and components are needed in programmes. There are good examples of engagement but few that are all-encompassing in their effectiveness. Some programmes have been included as examples of what is good and capable of imitation.

The report can be found on the Asia NZ Foundation website: http://www.asianz.org.nz

Report Explores Research and Development

"Research and Development in NZ 2004", a report based on the results of the 2004 Research and Development Survey, is a joint report by Statistics NZ and the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology (MoRST). Information on business, government and higher education sector research and development (R&D) is contained in the report. It investigates in detail the type of R&D expenditure, type and purpose of research, and personnel involved in R&D in NZ.

Research and development expenditure in NZ in the 2004 reference year has been measured at $1,593.1 million (revised from $1,603.1 million). Of this, the business sector spent the largest amount on R&D, at $677.1 million (revised from $648.1 million). The government sector spent $461.2 million (revised from $498.4 million) and the higher education sector spent $454.8 million.

A copy of the report can be downloaded, as a PDF file, from: www.stats.govt.nz

Cultural Wellbeing

The Ministry for Culture & Heritage has published two new documents prepared for regional and local government:

  • "Regional Cultural Statistics" - mch.govt.nz; and
  • "Literature review: Cultural Well-Being and Local Government (June 2005)" - http://mch.govt.nz

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