This edition of NewsRoom_Digest contains 5 media release snippets and 4 links for the day of Friday 26th June.
Top stories in the current news cycle include responses to Auckland Council getting set to hike its rates and its contentious transport levy, a story that the Reserve Bank has been told in official documents to stick to its knitting by the Treasury – with officials warning that rules on mortgage borrowing need to be within its mandate, and opposition from nutrition and obesity experts to meal replacement shakes being marketed for children.
NEWSROOM_PLUS extra – get a handle on further details of the Government’s cycleways announcement and media releases from around the country at: http://newsroomplus.com/2015/06/26/cycling-1/
SNIPPETS OF THE DAY
* Politics
Diplomat Unfairly Targeted: A New Zealand diplomat is unfairly in the spotlight for the government’s extravagant purchase of an $11 million apartment in New York, says New Zealand First Leader and Member of Parliament for Northland Rt Hon Winston Peters. “The two men responsible for this out-of-control spending are Foreign Minister Murray McCully and Finance Minister Bill English, the latter being in charge of one of the biggest borrowings by a government on record. Our United Nations representative, who will live in the apartment, is simply doing his job.”
Greens Oppose Continuation Of Ruataniwha Project : The Ruataniwha dam project should not proceed, as it has already sucked up $12million of Hawke’s Bay ratepayers’ money and $6m from the taxpayer, and questions still remain about the dam’s viability in the wake of yesterday’s Board of Inquiry decision, the Green Party said today.
* Business
NZX Sells Its 50% Stake In Link Market Services NZ: After more than 10 years in a successful joint venture partnership, NZX today announces that its partner Link Market Services of Australia, a member of the Link Group, will purchase NZX’s 50% shareholding in Link Market Services (Link NZ). Link NZ is New Zealand’s leading provider of share registry services, with 12 of the S&P/NZX 20 issuers as clients.
Freightways Announces Upgrade: Freightways Limited (NZX:FRE) has announced a fleet upgrade of its airfreight service to meet the growing demands for its expanding express package business.
* Primary Industries
Biosecurity Pups Name:Fudge (girl) and Fritz (boy) are the winning names for two new biosecurity detector puppies that have been especially bred to stop pests and diseases from entering New Zealand.The Ministry for Primary Industries announced the beagle names today after running a public competition to name two puppies from its “F-litter”.
LINKS OF THE DAY
TOTAL GOODS EXPORTS FALL IN MAY: Total goods exports fell $214 million (4.7 percent) to $4.4 billion in May 2015 compared with May 2014, Statistics New Zealand said today. Milk powder, butter, and cheese exports led the fall, down 28 percent ($346 million). For more information about these statistics:http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/industry_sectors/imports_and_exports/OverseasMerchandiseTrade_HOTPMay15.aspx
LOCAL GOVERNMENT TAXATION REVENUE INCREASES: Local government finance statistics (GFS) had a net operating surplus of $0.9 billion for the June 2014 year, Statistics New Zealand said today. For more information about these statistics:http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/government_finance/local_government/GovernmentFinanceStatisticsLocalGovernment_HOTPYeJun14.aspx
WORKERS NOT SAFE: There is a ‘it won’t happen to me’ attitude among workers and employers operating in New Zealand’s highest-risk industries.The Health and Safety Attitudes and Behaviours in the New Zealand Workforce survey studied New Zealand’s highest risk industries where most workers are injured or killed – agriculture, construction, forestry, manufacturing and commercial fishing. See overal survey results herehttp://www.business.govt.nz/worksafe/research/research-reports/reports/attitudes-and-behaviours-survey-qualitative-construction-report.pdf and results for the maritime industry herehttp://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/Publications-and-forms/Commercial-operations/Shipping-safety/Health-and-safety/MNZ-commercial-fishing-report-2014.pdf:
SUCCESSFUL PRODUCTION PLANS NEEDED AFTER FALL IN MILK PRICE: With milk prices down, the dairy industry needs to focus on the fundamentals of successful dairy production which have given the country its competitive advantage. Go here for more: http://www.dairynz.co.nz/news/latest-news/back-to-basics-to-sustain-dairys-competitiveness/
And that’s our sampling of the day that was on Friday 26th 2015.
Brought to EveningReport by Newsroom Digest. –]]>
