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Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce and Labour Minister Simon Bridges today welcomed the completion of the major policy programme to respond to the recommendations of the Royal Commission on the Pike River Coal Mine Tragedy.

“With the completion of this critically important work, the Government has met the commitment we made in December 2012 to respond to all the Commission’s recommendations by the end of this year,” says Mr Joyce.

The Government today announced changes to the structure and level of support for overseas and New Zealand film and television productions to ensure the further development of New Zealand’s screen industry.

The new changes are designed to encourage the growth of mid-sized New Zealand-based productions that can compete successfully on the world stage; while also increasing the competitiveness of our incentives for international productions in the short to medium term.

The Government today announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Lightstorm Entertainment and Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation that will see the next three Avatar films made in New Zealand.

The announcement was made by Prime Minister John Key, Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce and Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Christopher Finlayson at Wellington alongside Avatar Director James Cameron, Producer Jon Landau, and Twentieth Century Fox Film co-President of Worldwide Theatrical Marketing and Distribution Paul Hanneman.

The rising wealth of neighbouring Pacific Rim countries presents a great opportunity for New Zealand tourism, a new Government report says.

The Tourism Sector Report was today released in Auckland by Prime Minister and Tourism Minister John Key and Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce. The Report is the fifth in a series of seven that make up the NZ Sector Reports Series.

The construction sector is one of largest in the New Zealand economy employing 7 per cent of the workforce and growing, a new Government report shows.

New Zealand’s economic recovery continues to be led by the regions, the latest ANZ Regional Trends report released today shows.

The report highlights that 12 out of 14 regions recorded a rise in economic activity in the September quarter and year-on year this was the strongest rate of increase since December 2004.

The Government’s comprehensive Business Growth Agenda is helping New Zealand build a productive and competitive economy to deliver more jobs and higher growth for people around New Zealand, Finance Minister Bill English and Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce say.

Ladies, gentlemen and distinguished guests, I’d like to thank the organising committee for inviting me here today. I am delighted to be here at the China Hi-Tech Fair, China’s largest and most important hi-tech event which has been presenting the latest scientific, technological and economic developments for the last 15 years.

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce today gave the keynote speech at the opening of the China Hi-Tech Fair in Shenzhen – the leading technology show in China.

Eight New Zealand companies are exhibiting at the Fair, which is China’s largest and most important hi-tech event and is jointly hosted by 10 Chinese Government ministries including the Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Science and Technology.

Legislation to give effect to the agreement to build a $402 million international-standard convention centre in Auckland today passed its third and final reading in Parliament.

“The New Zealand International Convention Centre Bill is another example of this Government's drive to create new investment, jobs and growth for New Zealanders,” Mr Joyce says.

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce will travel to China tomorrow to highlight the New Zealand-China trade, science and education relationship.

The six-day visit will take in the cities of Shanghai, Hangzhou, Beijing and Shenzhen.

“The New Zealand-China trade relationship has grown quickly in the last decade, reflecting both China’s increasing importance to the world economy and the benefits to New Zealand of the New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement” Mr Joyce says.

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce today announced the appointment of a New Zealand Story Group who will be responsible for promoting and protecting the ‘New Zealand Story’.

The Group comprises an advisory board, an operational management team within New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, and New Zealand Way Limited, who administer the Fern Mark.

The Government today launched the ‘New Zealand Story’ which will help companies gain competitive advantage by building a strong, consistent profile for New Zealand exporters in international markets.

The ‘New Zealand Story’ was first outlined in the Building Export Markets progress report in August 2012 as part of the Government’s Business Growth Agenda, and received initial baseline funding of $1 million plus a further $2 million in May as part of Budget 2013.

The World of Wearable Art (WOW) event will receive $900,000 from the Government’s $10 million Major Events Fund to help raise its international profile and grow to the next level, Minister for Economic Development Steven Joyce announced today.

“The WOW spectacle offers a world-class experience that enhances New Zealand’s creative image, offers a different kind of experience for tourists and expands the NZ brand,” Mr Joyce says.

The Labour Party seems determined to continue ignoring all the evidence that New Zealand is on the right economic track, by promoting a radical shift into a state-controlled economy reminiscent of the 1970s, Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce says.

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce today launched a new NZTE-led initiative to help New Zealand digital technology firms compete and grow globally, and lift exports further.

The Government will invest more than $3 million over the next three years to take advantage of the opportunity created by the global boom in demand for the digital technologies that are revolutionising the nature of businesses in all sectors.

Economic Development and Small Business Minister Steven Joyce today welcomed a new international report that puts New Zealand third in the world for ease of doing business.

The World Bank’s Doing Business report, released today, is an annual study measuring government regulations and their effect on business across 189 economies.

“This is excellent news. Only Singapore and Hong Kong are higher than us overall and we still rank first in the world for starting a business and investor protection,” Mr Joyce says.

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce and Energy and Resources Minister Simon Bridges have welcomed the Environment Court’s decision to grant resource consents to Bathurst Resources for their Escarpment Mine on the West Coast of the South Island.

“The Escarpment Mine and associated works are expected to create 225 direct jobs and approximately $85 million each year will go to employees, suppliers, contractors and transport providers,” Mr Bridges says.

The Government is making an interim investment into Team New Zealand to retain key team members while a decision is made on a challenge for the 35th America’s Cup, Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce announced today.

Cabinet today agreed to provide $5 million in bridging funding to Team New Zealand to ensure key team members including designers, sailors, support crew and administration staff are secured until May 2014, by which time Team New Zealand plans to finalise a decision on its involvement in the next regatta.

Results from the 2013 Census shows Labour and its leader have been caught making stuff up with population growth spread right across the country, Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce says.

“Population growth occurred in 15 of the country’s 16 regions between 2006 and 2013 – hardly the widespread exodus from the regions as claimed by the Leader of the Opposition,” Mr Joyce says.

The first ever snapshot of central government spending by region shows that taxpayers’ dollars are being evenly distributed across New Zealand.

Ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys, and of course the members of Emirates Team New Zealand.

What a fantastic welcome home for the team. These guys deserve this.

I told you guys it was getting pretty big.

I had the honour of witnessing on behalf of the New Zealand Government first-hand the talent, the perseverance, the relentless hard work and the highs and the lows of Emirates Team New Zealand in San Francisco.

This whole team, on and off the water, threw every single thing they had into this event.

The Government is investing $530,000 through the Major Events Development Fund to support the 2014 and 2015 Art Deco Weekends in Hawke’s Bay, Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce announced today.

The Hawke’s Bay annual event is held on the third weekend in February to mark the anniversary of the 1931 Napier Earthquake, and attracts up to 30,000 attendees.  Associated events before and after the main event extend the festival duration to eight days.

Hospitals will now be able to cut their energy bills by approximately $18 million over the next three years following a recent tender by the All-of Government procurement programme.

The new contracts are part of a public sector-wide Government Procurement Reform Programme aimed at making government buying as efficient as possible and reducing costs. It includes all public sector agencies, councils and up to 2500 schools.