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 […]

Three Whakatāne women who led the charge for Māori wards in the district are ecstatic legislation change has been signalled. Toni Boynton, Mawera Karetai, and Danae Lee said they were stunned and excited to hear that Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta had made removing the poll provisions on Māori wards one of her top priorities. […]

Ōpōtiki will be asked at the next local body election whether it would like to have Māori wards. Despite most councillors believing Ōpōtiki District Council has no need for Māori wards, they have decided to ask the community what it thinks and will be undertaking a poll at the 2022 elections. The council is required […]

Transport Minister Michael Wood has committed to bilingual traffic signs across New Zealand by the end of this term of government, but says the current rules are not racist. Wood was in Rotorua on Friday to meet with Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick. He said the reason for his visit was primarily to discuss bilingual traffic […]

The government has launched a $70 million fund to help industries switch from fossil fuels to cleaner energy for process heat. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the fund while in New Plymouth this morning. It will allow businesses to access financial support to switch away from boilers run on coal and gas, to cleaner electricity […]

A new multi-agency campaign is being launched to promote New Zealand overseas amid border closures and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The campaign is a joint effort by Tourism New Zealand, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), Education New Zealand and New Zealand Story. Tourism New Zealand said ‘Messages from New Zealand’ […]