The New Zealand government has launched a new plan to boost the country’s primary sector export earnings by NZ$44bn (US$28.8bn) over the next decade. Earlier this week the government released its ‘Fit for a Better World – Accelerating our Economic Potential’ action-plan. The document outlines how the country will place primary industries at the core […]

Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway has announced the government is extending temporary work visas by six months for some migrants. About 16,500 “Essential Skills” and “Work to Residence” workers with visas due to expire by the end of 2020 will be provided a six-month extension.

There are two new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand. The new cases are women who arrived in New Zealand on the 2nd July from Afghanistan. Both women were staying at the Sudima Hotel in Christchurch. There are 22 active cases of Covid19 in New Zealand.

The government and Air New Zealand have agreed to manage bookings of air tickets to travel to New Zealand. The government wants to ensure that New Zealanders arriving home can be safely placed in a controlled isolation or quarantine facility. People who had already booked flights with Air New Zealand would still be able to […]

A group of locals from the Waikato town of Huntly are trying it renamed to its original Maori title of Rāhui Pōkeka. Huntly’s name was changed from Rāhui Pōkeka​, after the first postmaster James Henry arrived in town, information from Waikato’s Coalfield Museum shows. The story goes that either Henry himself, or his boss the […]

A long-planned transformation of the Taupō town centre has been given a $20 million shot in the arm. Taupō Mayor David Trewavas welcomed the “huge boost” saying the council and district were incredibly grateful for it, but also that much work had gone into the planning. The $20 million  will be used for a reorientation […]

Waikato has secured more than $5 million in taxpayer funding to fast-track a suite of freshwater restoration projects. The projects will be managed by the Waikato Regional Council. Of the funding package, $2.825m will be used to create a green corridor along the lower Piako River, from the Kopuatai wetland to the Hauraki Gulf; $1.74m […]

From this week, Waipā residents are paying half the previous fare to catch a bus from Cambridge, Te Awamutu or Ōhaupō to Hamilton as a new bus ticketing system is introduced. On Monday, Waikato Regional Council launched the new Bee Card system to replace the BUSIT card. While it is rolled out over the next six […]

Waikato District Council this week adopted its 2020/21 Annual Plan with a slightly reduced rates increase when compared to what was originally proposed in the council’s 2018-28 Long Term Plan. The Annual Plan also spread a proposed rent increase for tenants living in the council’s pensioner houses over two years instead of one, and introduced […]

Five years after it was abolished, Hauraki District Council has voted to reintroduce a policy that sees developers pay money to fund growth-related infrastructure. Councillors on Wednesday adopted a development contribution policy, following five years of a “significant” increase in population. With a policy in place, people applying for consents or connections for development – […]