The adoption of digital technology has accelerated in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, with a 40 percent increase in the number of businesses giving priority to innovation. An Asia Pacific survey by Microsoft has found about a quarter of 420 New Zealand organisations were leaders in promoting innovation, which was significantly more than the […]

The Film Commission says border exemptions for Hollywood actors and crew have kickstarted what could be a record year for the New Zealand screen industry. More than 200 overseas cast and film workers were allowed into New Zealand in the three months to July. Avatar, Lord of the Rings, Cowboy Bebop and Sweet Tooth are in production, another […]

The Minister of Immigration is adamant the government will not let oveseas workers cut corners through border controls to fix a horticulture labour shortage. Growers around the country are facing a crisis like they’ve never seen before. Usually, about 14,000 workers come in to the country to work the apple season, taking part in the […]

The Reserve Bank says any further easy money policy measures will have the simple aim of lowering the cost of borrowing and ensuring banks have enough cheap liquidity to back investment by businesses and spending by households. In a briefing on its two favoured mechanisms – funding for lending (FLP), and negative interest rates – […]

Businesses are optimistic about the future for the first time since Covid-19 emerged. ANZ’s preliminary monthly survey for October, titled “Party like it’s 2019”, shows businesses have reported improving confidence in their markets. The responses come as Auckland and the rest of the country get closer to a return to regular life, with decreasing alert […]

Prior to COVID-19, the PGF focused on initiatives in priority sectors and surge regions. During lockdown, the government reset the PGF to enable it to play a vital role in helping the country recover from the economic impact of COVID-19. Around $600 million of PGF funding has been reallocated into initiatives which will create jobs […]

As part of the recent PGF reset we announced an allocation of $60m for road and rail projects across the country that will focus on worker redeployment. This is made up of $27.2m for local roading projects, $26m for rail projects and nearly $6.8m for the Ministry of Social Development to support workers into training […]

Digital connectivity is something many of us take for granted, yet some communities still have limited ability to access the internet or the tools to use it. The COVID-19 lockdown proved that good internet connectivity is crucial as the internet provided a key point of contact for working, shopping, paying bills, learning and keeping in […]

The projects funded by the Provincial Development Unit will help build the local economy, create hundreds of jobs, attract future investment and unlock tourism, cultural and commercial opportunities. They include: a new commercial boat harbour ($19.6m equity stake, loan and grant from Provincial Growth Fund (PGF)), revitalisation of the riverfront and town centre ($9.6m loan […]

PGF announced $400,000 for a regional digital hub in Ōpōtiki and visited the Whakatōhea mussel factory site blessing. Construction is about to start on the factory site thanks to a previous $19.85m PGF investment. Digital connectivity is an essential part of doing business while lifting regional productivity, economic development and the wellbeing of communities. The […]