Author: Press Room
The government has announced plans to reform the Overseas Investment Act “and make it easier for New Zealand businesses to receive new investment, grow and pay higher wages”. Associate Finance Minister David Seymour today said New Zealand had “woeful” productivity growth and was “one of the hardest countries in the developed world for overseas people to invest in businesses”. “Those two facts are closely linked. We are introducing reforms to improve New Zealand’s overseas investment laws. The package will speed up decisions and provide more confidence to investors, while protecting our national interests. “Overseas investment can support economic growth because…
Wellington woman Jessica Hammond-Doube says she often reaches for a non-alcoholic RTD, particularly the zero-alcohol Pals range.She stopped drinking alcohol for dry July last year and never started again.She said, although some of her new drink options seemed “outrageously expensive” she justified it as a way of saving money compared to alcoholic options, and of enjoying an alcohol-free life.”I also appreciate how the packaging of some of them closely resembles alcoholic beverages so I’m less likely to be interrogated about not drinking alcohol.”She said it was boring always drinking water and she wasn’t a fan of sweet fizzy drinks. “So…
An international relations professor is warning China’s activity in the Tasman Sea shows it wants to establish a permanent military presence in the Pacific, and New Zealand must prepare for that.Canterbury University’s Anne-Marie Brady said it served as a serious threat, and New Zealand must boost defence spending to protect the region, and respond with its own “show of force”.The Chinese navy has three ships in international waters off the coast of Australia, and has been conducting live firing exercises at short notice, forcing aircraft to divert their flight paths.Brady, who specialises in China and the Pacific, said it was…
A 26-year-old man has been arrested and charged in relation to a stabbing in Auckland’s North Shore suburb of Birkenhead almost three weeks ago.Detective Sergeant Matt Bartlett said man was arrested during a search warrant at a Northcote address on Saturday morning and was due to appear in the North Shore District Court on Monday, charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Police said they would be opposing bail.A man was found with serious injuries on Birkenhead Ave by a member of the public at around 2pm on February 4.A witness told 1News that they saw a…
A planned six year wait for new bridges to be built after Auckland’s City Rail Link opens is disappointing, the Automobile Association and National Road Carriers say.On Friday, the government allocated another $200 million dollars to remove several level crossings, to build three new road bridges, and access bridges at three stages.The level crossings are expected to close in 2026 with the opening of the City Rail Link, but the bridges will not be built until 2032.An artist’s impressions of the proposed level crossing road bridge at Taka St in Takanini from 2023. (Source: Supporting Growth/NZTA/AT)Automobile Association policy director Martin…
The suspect was arrested by the police. According to the public prosecutor, the suspect, a 37-year-old man, was already known to the authorities and had been on a terrorism watchlist. ADVERTISEMENTA knife attack in the eastern French city of Mulhouse has left at least one person dead and several persons injured.The attack took place near a market in the city on Saturday afternoon, February 22, and on the sidelines of a demonstration, according to local media. “Horror has just gripped our city,” the city’s mayor, Michèle Lutz, lamented in a message posted on Facebook.Two municipal police officers suffered serious injuries,…
An honesty box that was stolen earlier this week from a tennis club on Auckland’s North Shore has been returned. On Wednesday, Campbells Bay Tennis club members were shocked to find a hole in the ground where the honesty box for court fees had been. CCTV footage released from the club at Centennial Park showed two people dragging the honesty box away in a wheelie bin. In a statement today, a police spokesperson said a 25-year-old man had been arrested and charged with theft. He would appear in North Shore District Court on February 28, police said. “Police would like…
Shoppers are demanding supermarkets limit their profit margins on foodstuffs to less than 30% and want a law that regulates prices. ADVERTISEMENTConsumers in Bulgaria have embarked on a boycott of major food retail chains and supermarkets in the country over discontent with rising grocery prices. Last Thursday’s 20 February boycott, the second of this year, led to a nearly 30% drop in the turnover of the stores, according to local media. Many consumers in the country say they hope the boycott will bring about a change in prices.”I hope it works out. I don’t approve of the extremely aggressive policies of the big…
An Auckland lawyer has been fined $275,000 for helping oversea businessmen avoid rules around foreign ownership.Andrew Jarvis was ordered to pay the penalty for his role in facilitating the sale of 271 hectares of sensitive forestry land in Gisborne and Auckland in 2011 and 2014.An investigation by Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand found that two overseas investors set up company structures and used local associates to hide their ownership.Land Information NZ discovered Jarvis helped to structure these deals and gave advice that enabled the purchases. A statement from Land Information NZ said Jarvis admitted that his actions were…
Police have urged motorists to pay close attention to road safety after a series of fatal crashes.In the Southern District, five people have died in four crashes within the last two weeks. Three of these crashes were in the Otago Lakes area, and one was in Southland.The most recent crash occurred on Glassford Rd, near Omakau, around 11pm yesterday.One person was found dead at the scene of the single-vehicle crash. “These crashes have a ripple effect in the community, affecting other motorists, witnesses and the people who are first on scene,” said Southern District road policing manager inspector Craig Brown.Brown…