The magnitude of the pandemic hasn’t taken the cheer out of the summer holiday season, with more than half of New Zealanders planning to spend as much this year as they did last year. A survey of 777 consumers by professional services firm Accenture indicates nearly one-in-six were feeling more optimistic and will spend more […]

The global pandemic has New Zealand wool carpet manufacturers spinning, with demand increasing from customers here and in the US. Over the past decade, wool carpets have lost ground to synthetic floor coverings with national sales dropping from 80 percent of the market to only 15 percent now. But Godfrey Hirst general manager Andre May […]

The Reserve Bank (RBNZ) is warning about the threats posed by a sharp fall in house prices or a rise in unemployment. In its six-monthly financial stability report the governor, Adrian Orr, said the big financial shocks from the pandemic have yet to be felt because of various official support measures. “The relatively resilient economic […]

With the border remaining closed to seasonal workers, cherry growers fear huge losses during January’s peak harvest time. In the run-up to Christmas, orchards hope to entice local labour with free food and higher wages. But the growers fear that won’t be enough to secure the several thousand people needed during the busiest picking time. […]

Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr says the central bank wants to introduce debt to income ratios in New Zealand. It comes in the wake of a letter from Finance Minister Grant Robertson to the RBNZ suggesting a change to the rules under which it operates, to take heed of the impact of any monetary policy […]

New Zealand has posted its biggest annual trade surplus in 28 years as Covid-19 led to a sharp fall in imports. Official numbers show a surplus of $2.2 billion for the year ended October, the biggest since July 1992. The surplus was driven by a 10 percent slump in imports during the period, notably in […]

Businesses are being advised to get up to speed with changes to the Privacy Act, which come into effect on 1 December. The new law would require businesses, sports clubs and other organisations that collect personal data to have a privacy policy and officer in place. The new Act gives the Office of the Privacy […]

Flood protection for Whakatāne’s town centre is about to get a much-needed upgrade to protect people and property against a one-in-100-year flood. Project Future Proof has been drawn up to upgrade stopbanks and floodwalls surrounding the central business district and address seepage issues. It was presented to Whakātane District councillors yesterday by staff from the […]

Ngāti Awa iwi is opposing plans for a petrol station near Whakatāne, four months after battling two resource consents in the Rotorua High Court. Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa and Lysaght Developments have each sought a judicial review of Whakatāne District Council’s decision in April to grant consent for an unmanned Mobil petrol station opposite […]

Māori electorates have been a feature of national politics for more than 150 years, but at a local level just three of New Zealand’s 78 local authorities have Māori wards – the Bay of Plenty and Waikato regional councils and Wairoa District Council. The Bay of Plenty Regional Council was the first council to introduce […]