
$157m resolution of Canuck dairy dispute is not so black and white
Trade Minister Todd McClay says the negotiated resolution of the Canada-New Zealand dairy dispute will deliver up to $157m a year for Kiwi dairy exporters. That would nearly quadruple the $58m in dairy products we sold in Canada last year.

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RNZ News
9 minutes ago
- RNZ News
No penalty clauses paid on stalled Waiouru army base housing project
Waiouru military training camp Photo: Google Maps The Defence Force (NZDF) says it has not paid any penalty clauses associated with its housing project at Waiouru army base . Penalty clauses can be paid when contractors or subcontractors sign up to projects that do not then go ahead. The $50 million-plus project has stalled , though both defence and Ngāti Rangi iwi consider it urgent, and the force issued a tender over a year ago for 50 new homes. No building has taken place. The NZDF once again refused to tell RNZ why it was still in negotiations with the iwi over the housing. It had appeared the talks were settled before it issued last year's tender. "Negotiations in relation to this matter remain underway. Accordingly, this information is withheld in full... to enable negotiations to be carried out without prejudice or disadvantage," it said in a response to a request under the Offiicial Information Act. "The NZDF's relationship with local iwi has not changed and remains vital to our use of the Waiouru Military Training Area," it added. It also said no penalty clauses had been paid, either related to the new builds or the retrofit upgrade of existing army rental houses. Defence housing and other facilities were very rundown, interfering with its military performance and leading to some personnel quitting, its own reports showed. It had an Estate Investment Committee that "provides performance monitoring, oversight, and direction", according to its annual report. But when RNZ asked for the latest three performance management reports by the committee, NZDF replied: "No reports are generated by the New Zealand Defence Force's Estate Investment Committee." It repeated this in relation to its Technology Governance Committee, when RNZ asked for its latest reports, too. A lot of the NZDF's information technology was old and needed replacing, or were in the middle of years-long projects. Funding was set aside in Budget 2025 for this.

RNZ News
10 hours ago
- RNZ News
Smeg New World giveaway smart move, says marketing expert
Photo: RNZ / Dom Thomas Being part of New World's latest promo is unlikely to hurt Smeg's higher-end image, even if people are picking up its products for nothing, marketing experts say. The supermarket is offering baking dishes and utensil organisers in return for stickers collected at a rate of one per $20. Some items, such as the cast iron braiser, require cash on top of stickers. Kitchen Things is selling Smeg casserole dishes for more than $450 and a set of three containers for $439. Sarah Dodds, a senior marketing lecturer at Massey University, said it was a smart move for Smeg to be involved in the New World giveaway. "It gives them exposure to a broader target market, a sensible growth strategy in today's market to increase market share. "Although Smeg is typically positioned as a premium, designer appliance brand, partnering with a major supermarket like New World offers widespread visibility across New Zealand, creating brand awareness and interest from aspirational consumers who may not have previously considered high-end appliances." She said giveaways could often generate excitement and goodwill. "Associating the brand with a Kiwi supermarket can personalise the brand and increase its relatability. "The key will be to preserve the brand's premium appeal while benefiting from New World's broad reach to grow the brand in New Zealand. Having said that, New World is positioned as a supermarket that offers quality product and a full-service, premium shopping environment, so in that sense, Smeg fits reasonably well with New World." University of Auckland marketing professor Michael Lee said, if it was a new type of promotion, it could be detrimental to the Smeg brand, but the model was well known. "New World has done enough of these now, all with high-end brands, that they have sort of become pseudo status promoters of the brands involved." Foodstuffs said the promotion was a successful one, with 92 percent awareness among New World shoppers. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

RNZ News
13 hours ago
- RNZ News
'It's all go, everyone's really buzzing' on Mt Ruapehu
October at Whakapapa ski field, Mt Ruapehu, 2023. Photo: Supplied/ Ruapehu Alpine Lifts Ruapehu's mayor is happy with how this years ski season is shaping up, under new operators . Whakapapapa Holdings now manages Whakapapa ski field on Mount Ruapehu while Pure Tūroa manages Tūora field. Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (RAL) which oversaw both ski fields, went into insolvency in 2022. Mayor Weston Kirton said while the start of the 2025 season was slow due to low snowfall, things are looking better now. "June was a bit spasmodic but kicked in a bit more with July. So from my understanding is that they're good to go, they've got enough snow to allow people to go up there and enjoy both at the beginning level, if not in the intermediate level. "I think it's all go, everyone's really buzzing, everyone's excited and both sides of the mountain with new ownership, but they got new ideas and I think they've had a huge number of people over the school holidays for example, both visiting and also skiing. "So from the point of view of ski season, we're off to a pretty good start," Kirton said. The Delta Chair is likely to open on Saturday, and Tūora ski field is also opening its upper mountain facilities. Kirton also reflected on the journey to secure government funding that enabled the continued operation of both Whakapapa and Tūroa ski fields following the collapse of Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (RAL). "The snow industry is critical to our economy and regional tourism. It's fantastic to see Whakapapa and Tūroa up and running again, but we must keep building on this success." Kirton said he was hopeful for a few more snowfalls to help extend the season and encouraged people to visit the maunga [mountain] and enjoy all the experiences Ruapehu has to offer - on and off the slopes. He also stressed the need to keep building on the economic momentum generated by the ski areas. "Council is committed to working with government and others to complete our cycle and hiking trail networks which are turning Ruapehu into a true year-round destination while providing much-needed economic resilience." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.