Air New Zealand is expecting to make profits in the coming financial year, after a year of losses. As demand for air travel returns, the airline is forecasting pre-tax earnings of between $200m and $275m. This is in contrast to last year’s loss of $367m. However, the airline cautioned that the forecast was dependent on […]

A South Island business is successfully exporting sea cucumbers to China. James Parfitt, CEO of Wild Catch, says that his company is exporting nearly one million sea cucumbers per year, and that business has recovered after a slump during the Covid-19 pandemic. Speaking to The Spinoff, Parfitt says that he first got the idea for […]

A project that aims to turn seaweed into a gel for use in cosmetics, wound care and plastics has been awarded government funding. The government will provide a loan of $750,000 towards the $1.5-million project, which will see the world’s first commercial seaweed-based nanocellulose manufacturing plant being built in the Waikato town of Paeroa. “This […]

Māori tourism businesses are reporting that a targeted government funding boost is assisting their post-pandemic recovery. Last year the government announced funding support of $15 million to be delivered over two years. The goal of the fund is to safeguard the businesses of Māori tourism operators in the short term, and to help them prepare […]

A new sushi restaurant opened in Queenstown last Saturday – the first in the country to include a miniature train for delivering orders. Soki Sushi Train, in Queenstown’s CBD, boasts a custom-made model of Japan’s bullet train, which travels around the tables of the restaurant to deliver food to the diners. Restaurant owner Ting Li […]

A new initiative is helping Rotorua businesses become more sustainable and work towards carbon neutrality. The project, coordinated by RotoruaNZ and the Rotorua Sustainability Charter, includes support packages of more than $2000, tailored workshops and focused consulting. The businesses would commit to benchmarking and lowering their carbon emissions. Rotorua Sustainability Charter advisor Desirae Kirby said […]

Air New Zealand expects to reach 75% of its pre-pandemic international capacity and 100% of its pre-pandemic domestic capacity by the end of this year, as the demand for air travel returns. “At this stage, there’s some pent-up demand that we’ve seen. People wanting to not just visit friends and relatives, but increasingly business people […]

The Government has made financial support available for businesses and organisations affected by the Omicron outbreak. Small Business Cashflow Scheme On 21 March the Small Business Cashflow Scheme loan amount will increase to $20,000 (from $10,000), plus $1,800 per full-time equivalent employee. A top-up loan will also be available for businesses and organisations that currently […]

You can apply for support if your employees need to self-isolate, as long as you meet the criteria and agree to meet your obligations. The support payments you can apply for are to contribute to the costs of the wages or salaries of your employees. You can also apply if you are self-employed. Your employees […]

The upgraded New Zealand – China Free Trade Agreement enters into force on Thursday the 7th of April. The FTA Upgrade delivers improved access for New Zealand industries, including the wood and dairy sectors: tariff-free entry for about 99% of New Zealand’s nearly NZ$3b wood and paper trade to China, and all New Zealand dairy […]