Displaying 1969 - 1992 of 1992 results.

Trade Minister Todd McClay has said that New Zealand’s ongoing and future trade relationship with the United Kingdom is in good shape following agreement on the next steps for the newly established NZ-UK Trade Policy Dialogue.

The progress was made during a meeting between Minister McClay and his UK counterpart, Secretary of State for International Trade Liam Fox at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

  • Todd McClay
  • Trade

Trade Minister Todd McClay has confirmed New Zealand and Sri Lanka will progress discussions on new trade and investment opportunities, which could include a Free Trade Agreement between the two countries.

The announcement comes after a meeting between Mr McClay and Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

  • Todd McClay
  • Trade

Standard and Poor’s decision to affirm the AA foreign currency and AA+ local currency sovereign credit ratings with a stable outlook for New Zealand reflects international confidence in New Zealand’s economic and fiscal performance, Finance Minister Steven Joyce says.

“The assessment released by S & P today confirms the increasing resilience of New Zealand’s economy as we head into 2017. The Government’s careful economic management is seeing continued improvement across a range of economic measures,” Mr Joyce says.

  • Steven Joyce
  • Finance

The number of new homes consented in Auckland for the year to November has topped 10,000 for the first time in 12 years, Building and Construction Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

“The 1156 consents issued in Auckland during November makes it the strongest month in more than 10 years. It is more than treble the 325 consents issued in Auckland in November 2008, when National became Government. We need to consistently achieve more than 1000 consents per month in Auckland to match population growth,” Dr Smith says.

  • Nick Smith
  • Building and Construction

The Government has released the interim Major Projects Performance Report for the period to November last year, covering 53 complex major projects across government with a whole of life cost of $37 billion.

“The Government is in the middle of our biggest ever infrastructure spend,” Finance Minister Steven Joyce says. “We are investing billions of dollars to construct hospitals, schools, roads and courts; provide equipment for our armed forces; and develop ICT capabilities to transform public services. 

  • Steven Joyce
  • Finance

A total of 15 projects have been conditionally approved to receive around $3.5 million from the Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund, says Energy and Resources Minister Judith Collins.

The Fund was established as part of a package of initiatives to help stimulate electric vehicle uptake and meet the target of 64,000 electric vehicles on New Zealand roads by 2021. This first funding round was heavily oversubscribed with around 80 applications.

  • Judith Collins
  • Energy and Resources

Social Housing Minister Amy Adams has today welcomed data showing new help introduced by the Government is creating tangible support for struggling New Zealanders.

For the first time, the Ministry of Social Development’s quarterly benefit fact sheets have included figures on uptake of the Emergency Housing Special Needs Grant (SNG), introduced in July 2016.

  • Amy Adams
  • Social Housing

Associate Conservation Minister Nicky Wagner says a recent acquisition by the Nature Heritage Fund (NHF) will protect 14 ha of rare coastal forest in South Westland.

“The land represents one of the four National Priorities for Protection. There are significant quantities of mature rimu and kahikatea within the forest and its acquisition protects one of the few remaining blocks of intact podocarp-hardwood forest on fertile coastal plains south of Hokitika,” Ms Wagner says.

  • Nicky Wagner
  • Conservation

Transport Minister Simon Bridges says the publication of guidance on public charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs) is timely as New Zealand’s fleet reaches more than 2500, exceeding all targets.

The guidance will support public charging infrastructure by providing clear recommendations for both investors and those enabling the development of charging station sites, such as local authorities.

  • Simon Bridges
  • Transport

Social Development Minister Anne Tolley says the number of people receiving a benefit is continuing to decline year on year, with sole parents driving the biggest reduction in numbers.

“The number of people receiving a main benefit has fallen by 4,339 or 1.4 per cent in the last 12 months. This puts the proportion of the population (10.3 per cent) receiving a main benefit at the lowest it’s been in a December quarter since before the Global Financial Crisis,” says Mrs Tolley.

  • Anne Tolley
  • Social Development

Labour Leader Andrew Little's idea for a law change to give Solid Energy a legal exemption to any liabilities that might arise out of a re-entry to the mine is hypocritical and unsafe, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith said today.

  • Nick Smith
  • Environment

Twenty temporary housing units at the Rawhiti Domain used to support families through the Christchurch earthquakes are to be offered to farmers with significantly damaged homes from the Kaikōura earthquake, Building and Construction Minister Dr Nick Smith announced today.

  • Nick Smith
  • Building and Construction

Joint Statement

New Zealand and Singapore’s Defence Ministers Gerry Brownlee and Dr Ng Eng Hen today observed Exercise Thunder Warrior, an artillery live-firing exercise at the Waiouru Training Area.

This year marked the 20th anniversary of the Singapore Armed Forces’ (SAF) exercise.

The ministers also conducted the inaugural Singapore-New Zealand Defence Ministers’ Meeting.

  • Gerry Brownlee
  • Defence

The Government is proposing to ban personal care products containing plastic microbeads, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith announced today.

“We are proposing a ban on the sale and manufacture of personal care products in New Zealand containing microbeads because of the long-term risk they pose to our aquatic and marine environments,” Dr Smith said.

  • Nick Smith
  • Environment

A newly launched joint data sharing system between New Zealand and Chinese Customs will give kiwi exporters a competitive advantage, says Customs Minister Nicky Wagner.

“Having the Joint Electronic Verification System operational gives New Zealand a big advantage over other exporters to China as we are only the second country in the world to have this sort of system in place with them.

  • Nicky Wagner
  • Customs

Trade Minister Todd McClay will visit the State of Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to press for a conclusion to the free trade negotiations between New Zealand and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

During his visit to the Middle East, which begins tomorrow, Mr McClay will meet bilaterally with ministerial counterparts and business leaders, including the UAE Minister of Economy, Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoor and Kuwaiti Minister of Commerce, Khalid Nasser Al Roudhan.

  • Todd McClay
  • Trade

Tourism spending continued to grow throughout most regions in the year to November 2016, providing a solid base ahead of the high summer season, Tourism Minister Paula Bennett says.

According to the Monthly Regional Tourism Estimates released today by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), tourism expenditure grew in most regions over the year to November 2016. The fastest growing region was Nelson, which increased 15 per cent over the year to $337 million, followed by Otago (up 14 per cent to $3.5 billion) and West Coast (up 11 per cent to $475 million).

  • Paula Bennett
  • Tourism

The spirit of unanimity in which the United Nations Security Council passed resolution 2334 on December 23 stands in sharp contrast to the condemnation and accusations that have dominated subsequent commentary from Israel and that country's supporters.

New Zealanders deserve to know why the issue of settlements has become so challenging, and why it came before the council in December 2016.

  • Murray McCully
  • Foreign Affairs

Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne today thanked Chief Executive & National Commander of the New Zealand Fire Service (NZFS) Paul Baxter for his 35 years work with New Zealand’s fire services.

Mr Baxter has been appointed Commissioner of Fire and Rescue New South Wales (NSW), Australia's largest urban fire and rescue service.

“Paul’s leadership and commitment has been critical in ensuring New Zealand’s fire services are ready for the significant transformation ahead.

  • Peter Dunne
  • Internal Affairs

Prime Minister Bill English has accepted the invitation of iwi leaders to lead a delegation of ministers to Waitangi to meet ahead of Waitangi Day celebrations, and announced he will not attend the annual powhiri at Te Tii Marae.

“I am looking forward to meeting with the leaders of the 60 iwi who comprise the Iwi Chair’s Forum, to progress a range of issues of importance to Maoridom and New Zealand,” Mr English says.

  • Bill English
  • Prime Minister

More local businesses looking to expand into Korea will benefit from the latest round of tariff reductions under the New Zealand-Korea Free Trade Agreement, Trade Minister Todd McClay says.

The start of 2017 saw two thirds of New Zealand’s exports to Korea become duty free, up from 46 per cent in 2016.

“Thanks to this continued progress under the FTA, even more New Zealand businesses can compete favourably in the Korean market,” Mr McClay says.

  • Todd McClay
  • Trade

Prime Minister Bill English will travel to Brussels, London and Berlin next week to meet with leaders to discuss issues including trade and security.

“This is an opportunity to exchange views on a range of issues facing Europe and the world, and to reaffirm that New Zealand remains a committed friend and partner,” Mr English says.

“The focus of my trip will be to advance New Zealand business and trade opportunities in the region, including starting the negotiations on an FTA with the European Union this year.”

  • Bill English
  • Prime Minister

The provisional road toll for 2016 is 326, Associate Transport Minister David Bennett says.

“The road toll is not just a number — every figure represents a life needlessly lost and family, friends and communities grieving. Our thoughts are with those that have lost loved ones on our roads over the past year” Mr Bennett says.

  • David Bennett
  • Transport

Some of New Zealand’s most inspiring women have been recognised in the 2017 New Year’s Honours list released today.

Olympian Valerie Adams, Maori educator Georgina Kingi and former Wellington Mayor Fran Wilde were all made Dames Companion and were among 81 women to receive a New Year Honour. Minister for Women Paula Bennett says all New Zealanders will be celebrating their achievements.

  • Paula Bennett
  • Women