NewsRoom Digest: Top NZ News Items for September 1, 2015

This edition of NewsRoom_Digest features 13 resourceful links of the day and the politics pulse from Tuesday 1st September. NEWSROOM_MONITOR Top stories in the current news cycle include the four designs for the alternative New Zealand flag being revealed- three feature a silver fern and one a koru, new $5 and $10 bank notes being set for circulation next month and Prime Minister John Key deferring any move for New Zealand to revisit its refugee intake until a scheduled review next year . Note: As well as providing a precis of leading broadcast bulletins each day, our NewsRoom_Monitor service does a daily paper round with succinct ‘news picks’ from the main metropolitan papers emailed by 9am each morning. If you’re interested in a free trial please email monitor@newsroom.co.nz POLITICS PULSE Media releases issued from Parliament by political parties today included: Government: Bids open for Ultra-Fast Broadband expansion; Update on recovery in storm-affected regions; Extra $2.6m support for storm-affected regions; New chiefs of Army and Navy announced; Fifth Children’s Team goes live in Hamilton; Government Grant For East Coast Stream Restoration; Appointment of Judge of the Court of Appeal; Key to unlocking Tauranga congestion underway; Red tape reduced for veterans; Court rules changed to support family violence information sharing; Air New Zealand – Air China alliance authorised Greens: Protect bees from pesticides this spring; John Key once again wrong on refugee numbers Labour: Government must do more to help global refugee crisis; New figures show speculators rampant New Zealand First: Goodbye Publicly Funded R&D As Chinese Eye Silver Fern Farms; Apology accepted; Barriers to Salisbury School enrolment must come down United Future Party: Dunne Speaks – Government has got Refugee Stance Wrong LINKS OF THE DAY Links of the day have been a feature of NewsRoom_Digest since we first started production in August 2014 at newsroom-nz.tumblr.com. We are currently building an archive of these at:http://newsroomplus.com/resources/resourceful-links/ 4 ALTERNATIVE FLAGS FOR REFERENDUM: The Flag Consideration Panel announced today the four flag designs that eligible voters will rank in the first binding postal referendum this year, between 20 November and 11 December. Go here to view the four flags: https://www.govt.nz/browse/engaging-with-government/the-nz-flag-your-chance-to-decide/ ANTI-DUMPING LAWS: The New Zealand Government has announced that it intends to amend the Dumping and Countervailing Duties Act 1988, to introduce a bounded public interest test but not an automatic termination period. Read more here: http://www.bellgully.com/resources/resource.04051.asp DAIRY LIFTS TERMS OF TRADE: The merchandise (goods) terms of trade rose 1.3 percent in the June 2015 quarter, due to export prices rising more than import prices, Statistics New Zealand said today. This rise follows a 1.2 percent rise in the March quarter. More information is available at:http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/industry_sectors/imports_and_exports/OverseasTradeIndexesPricesAndVolumes_HOTPJun15qtr.aspx EAST COAST STREAM RESTORATION: An $89,700 grant from the Community Environment Fund for the restoration of the Whangawehi stream on the Mahia Peninsula was announced today by Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith during a visit to the catchment. Further information on the Fund is available at:www.mfe.govt.nz/more/funding/community-environment-fund KIWISAVER: A survey of New Zealanders approaching retirement has found one in four people are unsure of how to manage the money in their KiwiSaver funds when they reach 65. Click here for the survey:http://fma.govt.nz/news/reports-and-papers/research-papers/fma-and-cffc-survey-into-older-nzers-planning-and-expectations-for-and-experiences-of-retirement/ MĀ TE REO FUNDING ROUND EXTENDED: Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, the Māori Language Commission, is extending this year’s Mā te Reo Funding Round for another week, with applications now closing Monday, 14 September 2015 at 10am. Language funding is provided across the three categories: Community events; Language resources; and Language courses. Registration to the Fund can be completed at:http://ww.funding.tetaurawhiri.govt.nz MAUNGATAPU UNDERPASS PROJECT IN TAURANGA: The first sod on the $45 million Maungatapu underpass project in Tauranga today, bringing the $100 million Hairini Link one step closer to completion. For more information on the project click here: http://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/hairini-link/ MONETARY POLICY: From next year, the Reserve Bank will let go one chance each year to meet and set interest rates. That means the Reserve Bank could easily fall behind the run rate on the interest rate settings required to manage the economy. Read more on what NZIER (New Zealand institute of Economic Research) has to say here:http://nzier.org.nz/publication/speed-dating-central-bank-style-nzier-insight-52 NEW BANKNOTES LAUNCHED: The Reserve Bank today launched the first two denominations in a series of new banknotes that include new security features. Take the banknote for a spin at this interactive websitehttp://www.brightermoney.co.nz SPECIAL LICENCES REGIME: LGNZ and its member councils across New Zealand have confirmed support for the intent of the Bill passed in Parliament last week, to extend the licensing hours of businesses during the 2015 Rugby World Cup. A copy of LGNZ’s submission on the Bill is available here: http://www.lgnz.co.nz/assets/Uploads/LGNZ-Submission-RWC-Bill.pdf TOP SAFETY PICKS FOR USED CARS: Kiwi motorists have a fresh set of information to assist them in assessing the safety of their next used vehicle with the release of the 2015 Used Car Safety Ratings guide today. The report is available at : http://www.aa.co.nz/assets/motoring/pdf/individual-pages-2015-16.pdf?m=1440993851%22%20class=%22type:{pdf}%20size:{353%20KB}%20file VETERANS RECEIVE SUPPORT: Veterans will soon find it easier to claim their recreational travel concession. From December 7, eligible veterans can claim up to $200 per year for travel costs by filling out a statutory declaration, rather than keeping track of numerous receipts. For more information:http://www.veteransaffairs.mil.nz/resources/information-sheets-and-forms/claiming-for-travel-concession-html/ WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES: An international research team led by University of Otago scientists has documented prehistoric ‘sanctuary’ regions where New Zealand seabirds survived early human hunting. The team’s findings have been published this week in the leading international journal Molecular Ecology available at:http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mec.13338/abstract And that’s our sampling of “news you can use” for Tuesday 1st September 2015. Brought to EveningReport by Newsroom Digest. –]]>