Olam Food Ingredients (OFI), has confirmed it will establish a new dairy plant in Tokorua. The plant will employ between 50 and 60 staff and become part of a global network that spans 20 major milk consumption markets, including South-East Asia, China, the Middle East, and Africa. South Waikato District Council welcomed the announcement. Mayor […]

Small businesses say they are at breaking point and are pleading with the government to give them additional support. Business New Zealand and the National Party want the government to urgently set up a fund targeted at small business owners and their employees to access mental health support. Meanwhile, Hospitality New Zealand wants the wage […]

Today’s decision to keep Auckland in a higher COVID Alert Level triggers a third round of the Wage Subsidy Scheme which will open for applications at 9 am this Friday. “The revenue test period for this payment will be the 14th to the 27th of September. A reminder that this is available for those in […]

According to a new survey, the latest lockdown is having a disproportionately higher impact on the mental health of business owners than non-business owners. Perceptive’s latest Covid-19 Tracker Survey has revealed 33 per cent of business owners and key decision makers reported concerns around mental health compared with 17 per cent among the general population. […]

From 11.59pm on Tuesday September 7, every person in Aotearoa New Zealand over the age of 12 will be required to keep a record of their whereabouts, either by scanning QR codes or signing paper registers Mandatory record-keeping is part of an effort to strengthen contact tracing, in response to low numbers of people who […]

New Zealand Post is limiting the volume of parcels it accepts from online retailers to manage the expected surge in deliveries, as parts of the country’s move to alert level 3. Customers were asked for patience as the state-owned enterprise worked through the existing backlog and ramped up to cope with greater volumes at level […]

Electric vehicle charging company ChargeNet has secured investment from a Swiss energy trading firm Mercuria, to expand its charging network across the country for a 20 per cent stake in the company. ChargeNet owns the country’s largest charging network, with 256 stations, and had a further 24 in its pipeline. Co-founder Steve West said “Right […]

Alpha Group, a health supplement business in China, has opened its first supermarket, Kiwiso Store. Kiwiso will introduce premium New Zealand products to the Chinese market. Kiwiso offers 30 New Zealand wellness products, including natural foods, personal care, skincare, intimate care, and mum and baby products. The intention is to grow its offerings over the […]

Waikato businesses are optimistic the consequences of the Covid lockdown will not be as severe as expected. A coalition of the northern Chambers of Commerce recently put out a joint survey to 100 different member organisations in each region. The Waikato businesses had the most positive outlook compared to counterparts in Auckland, Tauranga and Taupō. […]

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has today released a new reporting process for influencer ad identification breaches. Advertising content must be clearly identified, regardless of where it might be seen. This includes ad content posted by influencers. The law came into effect in September 2020, followed by an education period. The law came into full […]