His job is to help facilitate seasonal recruitment in an industry that is growing fast and facing ongoing and significant labour shortages. Over the past few months, Gavin has been working with the industry including labour contractors to coordinate the sector’s worker requirements. He has also been championing in an industry that has kept him […]

Local tourism business Motu Trails Trust has donated materials for three one-bedroom units to be built by students at Ōpōtiki College, who are part of a pre-apprenticeship programme. The programme is funded by the Government’s He Poutama Rangatahi (HPR) scheme and teaches construction skills to help students transition into a formal apprenticeship after school. The […]

Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) is managing this initiative on behalf of the Provincial Development Unit following an announcement that the Provincial Growth Fund will invest up to $19 million to expand 3D mapping in the regions. The eight regions which will receive co-funding from the Provincial Growth Fund are Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s […]

Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones made the announcement in Ōpōtiki, which will benefit from a large investment in its local aquaculture industry. The Fund is supporting three aquaculture projects including a proposal to establish a deep water mussel farm and on-land mussel processing factory. Once complete, this has the potential to create more than […]

Provincial Growth Fund investment to support a range of redeployment projects as part of the Kia Kaha Whakatāne programme. This includes roading, infrastructure and environmental projects that are providing urgent economic relief for the local workforce, particularly those who have lost jobs through COVID-19. So far, 100% of contractors appointed for the projects are from […]

The plans for a new trades centre in South Waikato is being developed with the aim to train local youth and fill almost 1000 jobs in the region in the next five years. In August, the Government announced funding of up to $10.84 million for the project which will be built in the town of […]

Immigration Minister, Kris Faafoi, is considering extending visas for overseas workers for the third time to help the wine industry with next year’s harvest. This would be the third time the visas would be extended and it could push their expiry date into next year. During the wine industry’s downtime, overseas vineyard workers who stayed […]

On the evening of May 25, guided by a light from a hovering helicopter, Brad Walters and his surf rescue team headed into the water off Kariaotahi Beach, south of Auckland. They had received a call that three people, including a child, had been tossed into the water after their boat capsized. It took the […]

A Waikato student has created an app aimed at making Waiata an accessible, easy and fun experience. The Wintec Wiata app was launched this week as part of Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori – Maori Language Week. The app features seven well-known Waiata on it, where users can sing along to the vocals or […]

Millions of Japanese commuters will soon be sipping on Kiwi tea, featured in the fourth busiest railway station in the world. Waikato tea plantation, Zealong, has successfully signed a deal with West Japan Railway Company to establish a “luxurious” tea and cheesecake store in the Osaka Train Station. Zealong Tea Estate CEO, Gigi Crawford, said […]