Small Business Minister Craig Foss is welcoming an online initiative to help small businesses better understand and protect their intellectual property (IP).
“Business.govt.nz and the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ) have teamed up to produce easy to understand advice on the importance and value of secure IP,” Mr Foss says.
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 say.
The rules, which come into effect on 1 August, recognise the changing environment and create a world-class framework that accommodates ongoing development while still ensuring the safety of the public, property and other airspace users.
Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss is welcoming a review of the certification process for vehicles built from scratch or modified for a specialised purpose.
The review of low volume vehicle (LVV) certification, initiated by the New Zealand Transport Agency, will be undertaken by Standards New Zealand.
“The LVV certification process is about ensuring vehicles built from scratch or modified for a specialised purpose are safe to be on the road,” Mr Foss says.
Small Business Minister Craig Foss is encouraging small businesses to utilise the Electronic Tender Service (GETS) — a free web-based service for information on New Zealand Government tender opportunities.
“Small business owners who want to be part of the Government procurement process often don’t know how to go about it — registering with GETS is a great place to start,” Mr Foss says.
Mandatory electronic stability control (ESC) for a range of new vehicles will help prevent deaths and serious injuries on our roads, Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss says.
From today, all new cars, vans, four-wheel drives and goods vehicles imported into New Zealand are required to have ESC.
“This will have a significant impact on road safety in New Zealand. Over the next two decades, ESC is expected to prevent hundreds of deaths and thousands of serious injuries.
Small Business Minister Craig Foss will travel to Melbourne tomorrow to attend the 28th Annual Small Enterprise Association of Australia and New Zealand (SEAANZ) conference.
“Small business is the backbone of the New Zealand economy. SEAANZ is an important platform for researchers, educators, policy makers and practitioners to develop and share ideas,” Mr Foss says.
Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss is welcoming an initiative to provide road safety messages to every visitor from China travelling on a general visitor visa.
“Record numbers of Chinese tourists are travelling to New Zealand — 310,000 last year alone. Many are opting to self-drive and it’s important we help them do so safely,” Mr Foss says.
Statistics Minister Craig Foss is again urging New Zealanders to share their views on 2018 Census content.
The consultation process includes online submissions and a discussion forum — a first for Statistics New Zealand.
“It’s been great to see hundreds of New Zealanders going online to discuss and debate what really matters to them,” Mr Foss says.
“I encourage anyone who hasn’t done so already to go online and have their say before the consultation process ends on 30 June.
Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss says a review of the SuperGold Card public transport scheme ensures entitlements for card holders remain the same.
“A review of the scheme’s sustainability has identified ways to ensure value for money while maintaining the public transport services that more than 662,000 card holders now enjoy,” Mr Foss says.
“The Government is focussed on delivering long-term sustainable funding and finding the best way to work with councils and transport providers.
Statistics Minister Craig Foss says the Agricultural Production Survey is going digital for the first time, saving farmers and growers time, while still providing important information on the country’s biggest industry.
The annual survey, which asks 30,000 people about their agricultural and forestry production businesses, will be available online next month after more than 80 years of paper-based surveys.
“Delivering better online services is a key focus of the Government’s Better Public Services programme,” Mr Foss says.
A Budget 2015 investment of over $1 million a year will close a critical gap in New Zealand’s financial information, Statistics Minister Craig Foss says.
Budget 2015 includes $5.75 million over the next four years for Statistics New Zealand’s Financial Flows and Balance Sheets project — a joint initiative with Treasury and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.
Veterans’ Affairs Minister Craig Foss says preparations for the Battle of Chunuk Bair centenary service at Gallipoli are progressing well.
“Chunuk Bair was the site of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force’s most significant action during the Gallipoli campaign,” Mr Foss says.
“Hundreds of Kiwi soldiers fought and died in an ultimately futile bid for control of this strategic vantage point.
“The centenary service on August 8 will honour those soldiers for their bravery and sacrifice.”
An operating funding increase that will grow to just over $5 million a year by 2018/19 will allow MetService to become more resilient, Transport Minister Simon Bridges and Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss say.
Statistics New Zealand and accounting software firm Xero have signed a trial data supply agreement that could improve the quality of statistics and produce new ones for the benefit of both government and business, Statistics Minister Craig Foss says.
“This is an excellent example of the government working better for business,” Mr Foss says.
“Data is an invaluable resource. It has the potential to revolutionise the way we govern and the way we do business — the opportunities are endless.”
Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss is reminding all road users to take extra care travelling over Queen’s Birthday weekend.
“This week we’ve had our first blast of wintry weather — a timely reminder to drive to the conditions,” Mr Foss says.
“Rain, snow and ice can make the road a treacherous place. As always, I urge drivers to take care out there.
“The message remains the same: drive sober, slow down and buckle up. It could be the difference between life and death.
ACC Minister Nikki Kaye and Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss say car owners can now visit the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) RightCar website to see the reduced ACC levy they’ll pay from 1 July, when ACC introduces risk rating.
“From 1 July, all car owners will pay a reduced ACC annual licence levy,” says Ms Kaye.
“Levies will also reflect how safe a car is in a crash, and the RightCar site makes it easy to see the specific levy that will apply to your vehicle.
Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss will represent the New Zealand Government at the third Transport and Infrastructure Council meeting in Sydney this week.
Mr Foss will join representatives from Australia’s federal, state and local governments to discuss a range of transport issues.
“This is an excellent opportunity for New Zealand to learn from the challenges and experiences of our close neighbour,” Mr Foss says.
Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss is welcoming a trial of a rental vehicle Code of Practice to inform visiting drivers and improve safety for all road users.
In March, the leaders of 25 rental vehicle companies agreed to develop the Code to help address concerns over the safety of visiting drivers.
One of the Code’s key elements is an assessment of drivers’ experience. The assessment process will be trialled by a number of rental vehicle operators next month.
Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss says Road Safety Week 2015 will focus on some of our most vulnerable road users — children.
“This year’s theme — Look out for kids — is a reminder to all road users to slow down and take extra care around schools, parks and playgrounds,” Mr Foss says.
“Very young children are especially vulnerable on our roads, especially when walking or cycling. In the car, appropriate child restraints are a must.
Statistics Minister Craig Foss says a new online discussion forum is a great way for New Zealanders to help shape the 2018 census.
“This is the first time Statistics NZ has done this type of online consultation,” Mr Foss says.
“For about 150 years, the census was primarily about people going door to door delivering paper forms. We want to turn that around in 2018, with at least 70 per cent of New Zealanders completing their census online.
Small Business Minister Craig Foss today welcomed a report showing tax compliance costs for small to medium-sized businesses (SMEs) continue to fall.
Inland Revenue and Research New Zealand surveyed 1206 SMEs about tax compliance costs in 2013/14 and compared results from two earlier surveys in 2004 and 2009. The report shows tax compliance costs have reduced by 11.7 per cent since 2004.
“This is excellent news for New Zealand’s small businesses but there is still more work to be done,” Mr Foss says.
Statistics Minister Craig Foss says a new online resource can help small businesses succeed by identifying their customers, markets and competition.
Statistics New Zealand has launched a new section on its website dedicated to small businesses.
“Statistics NZ and the data it provides is a valuable resource for the hundreds of thousands of small businesses in New Zealand,” Mr Foss says.
Veterans’ Affairs Minister Craig Foss says final preparations for the centenary commemorations at Gallipoli this Anzac Day are well underway, with the Gallipoli 2015 ballot now complete.
“The allocation and reallocation of passes for the commemorative services was a massive undertaking. I’m pleased to say the ballot is now complete,” Mr Foss says.
“I look forward to sharing this once-in-a-lifetime experience with nearly 2000 other Kiwis.”
No matter what you get up to over the Easter break, you can help keep yourself and your loved ones safe on the road, water and around trains by following a few simple steps, Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss says.
“The Easter holiday is the last long weekend for a while. Many people will be travelling on our roads and boaties may be heading out on the water one last time before winter settles in,” Mr Foss says.
“Taking the time to get the safety basics right will help ensure everyone has a safe and accident-free Easter break.”
