Law that lets workers discuss salary set to pass
To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following:
See terms of use.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
4 hours ago
- RNZ News
'Wave' of Conservation Act concessions, foreign visitor charge for high-volume DOC sites
The announcement was made at the National Party annual conference. Photo: Samuel Rillstone / RNZ The government plans to make it easier to get a concession to operate on Conservation land and will bring in a foreign visitor charge at some popular tourist spots. "First, we're going to fix the Conservation Act to unleash a fresh wave of concessions - like tourism, agriculture, and infrastructure, in locations where that makes sense," Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said. Luxon said the current concessions regime "is totally broken" and could take years for a business to obtain or renew. "Many New Zealanders already run outstanding businesses on the conservation estate - from guided walks and ski fields, to filming documentaries, grazing sheep and cattle, or hosting concerts and building cell phone towers. "Outdated rules mean we've got examples of modern E-bike users being turned away from potential touring opportunities because they have to be considered as proper vehicles. "And tourism on the Routeburn is being held up because the trail crosses artificial boundaries, with different rules and different limits." Luxon also announced the government will introduce a charge for foreign visitors to access high volume sites. Cathedral Cove / Te Whanganui-a-Hei, Tongariro Crossing, Milford Track, and Aoraki Mount Cook will be the locations initially looked at, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka said. He said this is where foreigners often make up 80 percent of all visitors. "It's only fair that at these special locations, foreign visitors make an additional contribution of between $20 and $40 per person." New Zealanders will not be charged. Tama Potaka says initially, four sites will have charges for foreign visitors. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone The Prime Minister has addressed National members at the annual party conference, capping off a week in which MPs attempted to steer public minds back toward the government's cost-of-living policies. When asked earlier this week what his message to party faithful would be, [Luxon said the nation was " turning the corner]". "This country's got great potential and a great future ahead of it, and we've just got to keep working at it." National's deputy leader Nicola Willis said the conference would be focused on the steps the government was taking to make the country "an easier, better place to do business, to hire people, to create well paying jobs". Party ministers will hold panels on health, education, law and order, agriculture, and the economy and cost of living as part of the annual event. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
NZ Herald
6 hours ago
- NZ Herald
National Party president: Voters aren't seeing PM Christopher Luxon's ‘humanity'
National Party leader and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon claps alongside his party colleagues during last year's party conference. Photo / Claire Trevett Luxon will also be partnering Speaker of the House and long-time National MP Gerry Brownlee to give the members some entertainment. Speaking to the Herald from Christchurch, Luxon said his party was in 'very good heart' and believed its membership was feeling upbeat. 'We've been able to raise funds and we've got very good support, the members and supporters are very energised.' He said his central messages would be squarely focused on the Government's long-term economic plan. 'We're making progress. There's more to do, but we've got a very good economic plan that's doing the right things for the long-term.' Espousing National's economic management while in Government has been a common theme for Luxon and Finance Minister Nicola Willis in recent weeks as cost of living issues, such as the high price of butter, dominate public concern. In June, the Ipsos Issues Monitor found voters believed Labour was better equipped than National to manage the cost of living, which was ranked the issue of highest concern. National Party president Sylvia Wood spoke to the Herald ahead of the party's annual conference. Photo / Mark Mitchell Sitting down with the Herald ahead of the conference, Wood echoed her party leader by noting polls 'bounced around' but acknowledged the strain New Zealanders were under. 'We're good at economic management, but it's tough and you know, Liberation Day (US president Donald Trump's tariff announcement) didn't help,' she admitted. 'I'm very comfortable that we're working at the macro-level to get the fundamentals right that will really pay dividends downstream.' President since 2022, Wood would be putting herself forward to continue in the role as part of the party board selection process, which would include former president Peter Goodfellow stepping down as a board member. At last year's conference, Wood declared National should be polling in the mid-40s before the 2026 election after receiving 38% of the vote in 2023. Across several opinion pollsters, National hasn't registered above 40% since January last year and hasn't breached 35% since April. National Party president Sylvia Wood believed her party could achieve a mid-40s party vote percentage in the next election. Photo / Mark Mitchell Wood maintained a target in the 40s was feasible but said it relied heavily on the economy. 'When New Zealanders can see the cost of living easing and the economy thriving and the confidence that that will continue, I see party vote going up.' She believed the same would apply to Luxon's preferred PM ratings. Taxpayers' Union – Curia polling, which also conducted polling for National, found Luxon had dropped more than 15 percentage points in the last year to be neck-and-neck with Labour leader Chris Hipkins. Wood argued she saw a side to Luxon that often wasn't seen by the public. 'I think perhaps that the humanity of the man is perhaps not as visible,' Wood said. 'He's business-like and business isn't always seen as a hero in New Zealand. 'I would love the public to see the warmth and the humanity.' She recalled the popularity of Key and Ardern, and believed Luxon could match them, by leading economic recovery. 'We've had a couple of engaging leaders, Kiwis pretty much loved them in broad terms. 'But we've got someone who will thrive on that competency factor because he is really good at that.' Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has dropped in preferred PM ratings in some polls. Photo / Mark Mitchell Wood credited Luxon with managing what she described as a 'challenging' three-party coalition. 'We've got two [party] leaders who are clear about their particular positions, and our job is to address the cost of living and restore law and order … Erica [Stanford] is doing a wonderful job in education. 'The members are very, very comfortable with the progress we're making, but we appreciate it's difficult for people out there at the moment, the cost of living pressure is tough.' Adam Pearse is the Deputy Political Editor and part of the NZ Herald's Press Gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for NZME since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland.
RNZ News
7 hours ago
- RNZ News
Lack of planning led to Kaitāia's aquifer project budget blow-out and delays, review finds
Work gets underway in 2020 on a pipeline bringing bore water to Kaitāia's water treatment plant. Photo: Peter de Graaf A report on a Kaitāia water project that took 14 years instead of five and cost millions of dollars more than expected has found a lack of planning was one of the key reasons for the project's troubles. In 2011 the Far North District Council, under the former mayor, decided to drill two bores into the Sweetwater aquifer north of Kaitāia to stop the town running out of water during its frequent summer droughts. However, bore water only started flowing through the town's taps early this year, prompting councillor Mate Radich to call for a judicial review. Radich had also become frustrated by being unable to establish the project's total cost. In May this year, councillors voted to seek an internal review instead, given the high cost of a judicial review. The report, presented at Thursday's council meeting in Kaikohe, finally provided a definitive project cost of $18,016,070. Of that, just $2.4 million was spent developing the initial bore site from 2011-17. The bulk of the money, $14.9m, was spent on bore improvements and pipeline construction between 2020 and 2024. A significant part of that, just under $2.5m, went on "access costs" including land purchase ($250,000) and easements/compensation payments to landowners ($1.63m). Another $708,000 was spent this year on a membrane bio-reactor treatment trial, when it became apparent Kaitāia's existing treatment plant was unsuited to the silica-rich water from the aquifer. The town's water is usually drawn from the drought-sensitive Awanui River. The money came from rates and reserves ($3.3m), loans ($11.7m) and external grants ($3m, mostly from the Provincial Growth Fund). The report found the key reason for the delays was "the absence of a single, over-arching project plan". The project lacked a proper business case, which would have identified all the components required, provided an overview of the expected cost and delivery timeframe, and established key milestones for reporting and decision making. Failing to engage early with affected property owners and mana whenua forced re-designs and cost time, while the use of external project managers increased the expense. The report also found delays resulted from inadequate asset management and the "stop-start effect" caused by staff turnover. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
