This edition of NewsRoom_Digest contains 8 media release snippets and 5 links for the day of Thursday 23rd July.
Top stories in the current news cycle include a report from ACClaim Otago, a support group for injured people that has concluded it is futile for ordinary people to fight ACC decisions through the courts, concerns about the Government’s plan to have sole parents re-apply for their benefits after a year, coverage of new rules from the Civil Aviation Authority for flying for umanned aerial vehicles (drones) – and the Mt Eden/ Serco saga.
This afternoon the Asthma Foundation New Zealand in collaboration with University of Otago and the Ministry of Health launched the “He Māramatanga Huangō: Asthma Health Literacy for Māori Children in New Zealand.” A report that looks into the main barriers to optimal health literacy, and therefore optimal care for Maori children with asthma.
SNIPPETS OF THE DAY
* Politics
Media releases issued from Parliament by political parties today included:
Government: Early successes for new Screen Production Grant; Minister demands assurances from Serco; New Māori aquaculture agreements signed; New world-class framework for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs); SmartGates to more than double; Tool to help GPs diagnose & manage TIA/Strokes
Labour: ACC must remove barriers to appeals; OCR rate cut a result of flagging economy; Six months’ paid parental leave back on the agenda; Sole parents at risk of having no income
Greens: Green Party Questioning Of Lotu-Iiga Reveals More SERCO Failures; Government must act to fix ACC rot
New Zealand First: English concedes NZ farms better off in NZ ownership; Minister of Corrections’ report card reads fail; Official cash rate belies National’s soothing words
ACT Party: Drone laws a step towards future of transport
* Business
Official Cash Rate Reduced To 3.0% : The Reserve Bank today reduced the Official Cash Rate (OCR) by 25 basis points to 3.0 percent. New Zealand’s economy is currently growing at an annual rate of around 2.5 percent, supported by low interest rates, construction activity, and high net immigration.
* Primary Industries
Seafood research hub: Plant & Food Research has signed an agreement for Port Nelson to develop a purpose-built facility for its seafood research as part of a new collaborative industry hub.
Support For Farmers: Industry body DairyNZ is offering one-on-one support to help dairy farmers grow and harvest an extra tonne of pasture. If this is achieved the average operator could make an extra $30,000 of milk income in the lead up to Christmas.
LINKS OF THE DAY
EXCITING PROGRESS FOR EDUCATIONAL: Education Minister Hekia Parata says a regional breakdown showing the proportion of 18-year-olds with NCEA Level 2 rising in each of the country’s 16 local body regions is exciting. For more information visit: http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/home
TRADE ME INDEX: The latest Trade Me Property Index was released today. The median Auckland rent rose by another $5 a week in June to $495 per week, while the rest of the country held steady at $360 per week. This represents a premium of $7,020 per annum for tenants in New Zealand’s largest city. For details see:http://www.trademe.co.nz/property/price-index/for-rent/june-2015/
RABOBANK AGRIBUSINESS MONTHLY: The Agribusiness Monthly provides timely information and analysis on agricultural conditions, commodity price updates and commentary on the latest sectoral trends and developments. View the full report here:http://www.rabobank.co.nz/Research/Documents/Agribusiness_monthly/2015/Agri_Monthly_Jul_2015-NZ.pdf
NEW FRAMEWORK FOR UAVs: New rules on the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) will enable innovation and put New Zealand at the forefront of regulating a rapidly evolving industry, Transport Minister Simon Bridges and Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss says. For more information, visit http://www.caa.govt.nz/rpas andhttp://www.airshare.co.nz
VULNERABLE MIGRANT WORKERS: A new research report from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has found migrant workers – especially Filipino workers – involved in the Christchurch rebuild are vulnerable to exploitation and poor living conditions. You can download the report here:http://dol.govt.nz/publications/research/migrant-workers-canterbury/vulnerable-temporary-migrant-workers-canterbury-construction.pdf
And that’s our sampling of the day that was on Thursday 23rd July 2015.
Brought to EveningReport by Newsroom Digest. –]]>
