Are the super-rich leaving London? Tax reforms could spur wealth exodus
Not long after the Labour Party swept to power last summer, Charlie Mullins, a British entrepreneur who made his millions in plumbing, packed
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NZ Herald
19 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Shotover Jet marks 60 years, eyes electric future for jetboat fleet
Ross Melhop, one of the two brothers who started the Shotover Jet business back in 1965. Originally revealed back in 2022, a prototype of the carbon-free jet made a splash around Lake Wakatipu before it was tested on the Shotover River. Boyer explained that while the data gained from the test was very useful, they learned the weight limit is a key challenge in making the boats electric. He said fixing that issue relies on new technologies being created. 'It's only a case of holding on for a few years and then the technology will be where we need it to be. While we wait for that, there's still quite a lot of mahi going on in the background with design and research of electric motors and controllers. 'One of the big changes we've had since I've been managing this business is moving to a V8 engine that uses around 30% less fuel than the previous model.' Originally a baker before joining the team in Queenstown, Boyer has worked in various roles across the business over the last 10 years, including as groundskeeper, before he eventually drove full time for eight years. He has completed roughly 5500 trips in his time at the business. 'I'm very fortunate to have had this journey because when the team talk to me about something they experienced on the river or challenges with the system at the front desk, I've probably worked in their role or a role that's similar, so I understand what they're talking about,' Boyer said. The training regime for drivers is intense: they have to complete a minimum of 120 hours of training with an instructor over three to four months before they can drive passengers. It's more than double the 50 hours needed to get a licence with Maritime New Zealand. 'Once you become proficient, the most enjoyable part of your day is when you're driving down the river with 14 passengers on board. 'You need to be driving very precisely and very accurately, but it's like any job, once you get your head around it and you get proficient, you're just making sure you're sticking to those standards and it becomes like the back of your hand.' Sixty years of thrills Famous passengers who have taken a spin over the last 60 years include members of the British royal family and NZ's own Emirates Team New Zealand, but as Ngāi Tahu Tourism general manager Jolanda Cave explained, the most important passengers have come from the local community. 'When we have our open days for our local community and start to see those who live in Queenstown get on board and enjoy what it is that we offer, they're actually the most rewarding days,' Cave said. Cave has been working with Shotover for 10 years, originally relocating her entire family from Auckland to live in Queenstown. She remembers being 'incredibly happy' in her previous job, but the opportunity to work for Shotover and Ngāi Tahu was too big to pass up. Trevor Gamble, who owned Shotover Jet for 16 years with his wife Heather until 1986, pictured here getting ready to take some passengers out on the water. Ngāi Tahu became majority shareholders of the Shotover Jet operation in 1999, before securing full ownership in 2004. The iwi has built up a portfolio of tourism and other businesses with its $170 million Treaty of Waitangi settlement, employing 261 people across the division. Its portfolio includes the All Blacks Experience, Hollyford Wilderness Experience, Guided Walks NZ, Dart River Adventures, Dark Sky Project, Franz Josef Glacier Guides, Hukafalls Jet, Agrodome and the National Kiwi Hatchery. In its 2024 annual report, the iwi stated the tourism division had increased its revenue 49% year-on-year, delivering an operating surplus of $4.8m. The group reported total revenue across its seven business units of $347.3m for the 2023-24 financial year, down from $372.8m the year prior. Prince William and Kate rode the Shotover Jet in Queenstown during their royal tour in 2014. Photo / Supplied The Covid-19 pandemic had a substantial impact on the business, as with many others in the Queenstown region. At the time, 309 jobs were cut across Ngāi Tahu Tourism's operations. Thankfully, green shoots are now appearing, Cave believes. 'I think for Shotover absolutely, they've been really fortunate that Queenstown as a destination has returned a lot quicker than the rest of Aotearoa, and it's just had numbers slightly above a pre-Covid environment. 'But with that we also need to be really mindful of our licence to operate, because in those years in a post-Covid environment it was our local domestic market that kept our doors open and really looked after us.' Cave said the business has a unique point of difference that she can't help but be proud of. 'You can't help but fall in love with the product itself and the fact that it's been around for so long and it always continues to try and be better and evolve. 'Every time of year that you go on it, it'll be a completely different trip. We have so many multi-generations that come with their children, their grandchildren, or they did it when they were young and they want to do it again. Every time it blows their mind and it's the trip of a lifetime.' As part of Shotover's 60th birthday celebrations, a newly produced documentary tracing its journey from humble beginnings aired in Queenstown on Saturday. It will also be screened throughout October aboard Air New Zealand via the Tiaki Channel. Tom Raynel is a multimedia business journalist for the Herald, covering small business, retail and tourism.
The Spinoff
a day ago
- The Spinoff
Windbag: The clown car of candidates vying to be Wellington's next mayor
Twelve candidates – including at least one actual clown – have put up their hands for the worst job in local politics. As the clock struck noon on Friday, August 1, the candidate nominations closed for the Wellington mayoral race. The capital entered a new era. The transition of power has begun. By October 11 (or October 16 if it's a really close race), the capital will have a new overlord. A new man or woman will seize the chains of power – and with it, the ability to grant the key to the city to any cat they choose. There are 12 candidates in the race, ranging from very serious to not serious at all. This is my rough attempt to sort them into tiers. Serious candidates Andrew Little You know him, you love him (or more realistically, have no particularly strong feelings about him)… It's Andrew Little. The former Labour Party leader and senior cabinet minister under the Ardern government is by far the most credible and experienced candidate in the race. He has left-wing bona fides but a conservative temperament. He's unlikely to propose any game-changing reforms, but he's a steady hand who promises stability. He's announced policies to introduce a weekly cap on bus and train fares, committed to funding community facilities, and proposed some boring-but-sensible rules to make council decisions more transparent. Alex Baker Pitches himself as a Green-aligned candidate with a free-market approach to housing policy and business regulation. A former director of sustainability at Kāinga Ora and a chartered accountant at KPMG, he has solid back-room experience, but this is his first time seeking public office. He's pushing a switch to land value rates and cuts to commercial rates. He wants more bike lanes and bus lanes, further reforms to encourage high-density housing development, and an overall focus on growing the city's population. Diane Calvert A third-term city councillor, Diane Calvert entered the race after Ray Chung's campaign self-destructed, and immediately became the most credible candidate on the centre-right. She typically takes fiscally conservative stances and is a fan of more extensive community consultation on most council decisions. She has generally opposed bike lanes and the Golden Mile, and supported community projects in her Wharangi/Onslow-Western ward, such as the Khandallah Pool and Karori Event Centre. Her campaign policies so far are based around a 'back-to-basics' approach, with lower council expenditure, more regional collaboration with other councils, and a focus on suburban voices. Karl Tiefenbacher The founder of the Kaffe Eis ice cream chain and former banker has run twice unsuccessfully in Pukehīnau/Lambton ward. This year, he's seeking the mayoralty as well as running in Motukairangi/Eastern ward, which should be more receptive to his centre-right views. He's become a regular attendee at council meetings, and his opinion pieces on Scoop show a good grasp of council functions (which in this race is saying a lot). He's campaigning on reduced spending, cutting cycleways, and reforms to encourage faster housing consents and to incentivise the growth of the tech sector. Unserious candidates (who think they're serious) Ray Chung A few months ago, Ray Chung was the highest-polling candidate. Then his campaign blew up with the emergence of tawdry emails he'd written about the mayor, which he repeated in live radio interviews. He handled the backlash ineptly and candidates started fleeing his ticket so fast that Independent Together became Independent Not Together. He's campaigning on zero rates increases but has not provided any numbers to show how he would do that. Ray Chung has never been fit for office Rob Goulden Goulden was a Wellington City Councillor for four terms from 1998-2010. According to reporting by Stuff in 2009, he was accused of being 'too combative, too aggressive, too intimidating' and was eventually trespassed from the council offices. Then mayor Kerry Prendergast said councillors were concerned by 'his increasingly erratic behaviour and his mood swings' and '[Some of the] women staff will not meet with him one-to-one.' Then-councillor John Morrison, a former political ally, said he was 'unfit for public office'. Goulden is running on a fiscally conservative platform, but no one is paying much attention to him. Kelvin Hastie Came a distant sixth in the 2022 mayoral election and is running again despite doing little to grow his profile in the intervening years. Describes himself as a ' predator-free hero ' and ' community champion '. Has promoted some ambitious but questionable policies, including a six-lane tunnel underneath the CBD, a roof on Sky Stadium, and selling the council's social housing to first home buyers. Joan Shi Previously ran in the Pukehīnau/Lambton ward byelection, during which she seemed well-intentioned but didn't have a particularly strong grasp of the issues. Says she wants to fix the pipes, cut rates, and make public transport cheaper. Donald 'Newt' McDonald A beloved figure on local Facebook groups and a star guest on Guy Williams' New Zealand Today podcast. McDonald has some big ideas for how to fix the city. Unfortunately, most people struggle to understand what he is trying to say. Unserious candidates (who know they're unserious) William Pennywize (Pennywize the Rewilding Clown) Wants to turn the Basin Reserve into a swamp, repopulate the Golden Mile with moa, and use genetically enhanced tuna as the foundation for a new public transport network. Josh Harford (Aotearoa New Zealand Silly Hat Party) Campaigning on subsidised pizza delivery, publicly accessible cows, a lazy river on Courtenay Place, anti-rain dances to keep the sky sunny, a legally enforced no-hat-no-play policy, and mandatory optimism. Scott Caldwell Founder of the Scoot Foundation, which, depending on who you ask, is either a shadowy global cabal of Yimbys whose power and influence rivals the Atlas Network, or a Twitter account that he runs. He's a spokesperson for the Coalition for More Homes and is a genuine expert on housing density and infrastructure. There's just one problem: he lives in Auckland, and according to The Spinoff's sources, has only been to Wellington once.
Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Trump plans $340m White House ballroom
After paving over the Rose Garden and adding gold leaf in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump will embark on his most dramatic addition to the White House yet: a new, multimillion-dollar ballroom to be built adjacent to the mansion's East Wing. Trump, a former real estate developer with a penchant for decorating, has long complained the White House lacked a large-scale ballroom for entertaining. The White House on Thursday announced plans to break ground in September on the project, which could prove to be the most extensive one since Harry Truman completed an entire renovation in 1952. The White House was originally finished in 1800 and partially rebuilt after being burned by the British during the War of 1812. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that work on the 8360 sq m facility will be completed "long before" Trump's four-year term ends in January 2029. The $US200 million ($NZ340 million) cost of the ballroom, which will be able to seat 650 people, will be donated by Trump and other donors, she said. Presidents have used the intimate State Dining Room for events, as well as the larger East Room for bigger VIP lists, and sometimes will have a tent temporarily constructed on the South Lawn to host big dinners. "When it rains, it's a disaster," Trump said of the tents when asked about the new ballroom on Thursday. Trump's home at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, has a grand ballroom and a smaller one, both with glittering chandeliers and white walls decorated with gold flourishes. The Republican president has been determined to put his stamp on the executive mansion. He installed gold-filigreed decorations in the Oval Office and erected giant flagpoles on the north and south lawns. The Rose Garden is currently a construction site with the grass uprooted and replaced by a concrete patio of the type Trump enjoys at Mar-a-Lago. Trump first offered to build a $US100 million ballroom at the White House back in 2010, an offer to then-President Barack Obama that went unanswered. The East Wing of the White House will be "modernised" as part of the project. Offices there, including the one used by First Lady Melania Trump, will be temporarily relocated, Leavitt said. As if to reassure traditionalists, the White House said the theme and architectural heritage will be "almost identical" to the rest of the house. It said Trump in recent weeks held meetings with members of the White House staff, the National Park Service, the White House Military Office and the US Secret Service to discuss design features and planning. "It'll be a great legacy project," Trump said on Thursday.
