Latest news with #FNDC
Scoop
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Far North Mayor Calls On New Zealanders To Vote For Māori Wards In October
Far North Mayor Moko Tepania is calling on all New Zealanders to vote to keep Māori wards at the October local elections polling. On October 11 polling will close at 42 councils on whether to continue with Māori wards. Earlier polls have typically resulted in councils' (SUBS: correct plural apostrophe) Māori ward plans being canned. But the Far North mayor has predicted that will change, because in places like his district people have had a chance to see their Māori wards in action. Tepania predicts Far Northerners will poll in favour of keeping Far North District Council (FNDC)'s Ngā Tai o Tokerau Maori ward and Northland Regional Council (NRC)'s Te Raki Māori constituency. 'I am optimistic that because of (Te Tai Tokerau's) Waitangi, the home of the nation where He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni /Declaration of Independence of New Zealand and Te Tiriti o Waitangi were signed, there'll be a positive vote by electors to keep our Māori ward. 'If anywhere in New Zealand can do it, we can,' Tepania said. Almost 52% of people in the Far North identify as Māori, one of New Zealand's highest percentages. Tepania, who is Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ)'s Northland board member, said he did not agree with the requirement for his council to have to poll electors about its Māori ward. The council in September said it was not a foregone conclusion (SUBS: hyperlink not a forgone conclusion ) polling would happen after it chose to recommit to its Māori ward. FNDC first polled its electors on setting up a Māori ward during a 2015 representation review. Two-thirds of electors voted against this, one-third for. The binding poll precluded the establishment of a Māori ward in the following two elections - 2016 and 2019. Tepania said that rejection was because Far Northerners had not had a chance to see a Māori ward in action. That had changed with Ngā Tai o Tokerau starting life three years ago. The council's first term Māori ward had surpassed expectations. He claimed there were many achievements that had been made - for all constituents - with the presence of the ward and its four councillors. Māori ward councillors' connections into the community had helped make significant infrastructure improvements for all in the Far North, he said. Examples of this included working towards resolving longstanding Kaitāia Airport land ownership issues. Māori ward Cr Hilda Halkyard-Harawira had received an award from LGNZ's Te Maruata Māori council politicians' group for her mahi including the airport where she championed the return of the land the airport sits on to Ngāi Takoto and Te Pātu, and Government funding She'd also had a key role in working towards a more environmentally and culturally sustainable solution to address growing local community concerns over wastewater discharging into Hokianga Harbour, Tepania said. Māori ward Cr Tāmati Rākena had played a key role in the North Hokianga roading working group, successfully dealing with the Panguru and Motuti slips. The group was formally set up in 2024 between the council and mana whenua to address local roading issues. Northland Māori ward politicians currently make up 20% of the region's elected representatives. Tepania said Māori wards went towards council meeting its requirements to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi under the Local Government Act. Polling outcomes will take effect from the 2028 local elections, with the decision being binding for the 2028 and 2031 elections. Northlanders across Far North District Council (FNDC), Whangārei District Council (WDC) and Northland Regional Council (NRC) are among electors at 42 councils who will get to have their say in the binding poll with the following words: 'I vote to keep the Māori ward / constituency' 'I vote to remove the Māori ward / constituency' FNDC's Cr Kapa said Ngā Tai o Tokerau Māori ward had given Māori a voice they'd not had previously. He said it offered a path inside the council chamber for those who had sat outside. And it brought new opportunity for Māori outside traditional leadership roles to take part. He said it was important all local election voters in the Far North voted and also had their polling say in October. Kapa said the council was now working more closely with Northland iwi as a result of the new electoral areas. Its Te Pae o Uta policy underpinning how the council included Te Ao Māori in its operations had boosted responsiveness to the local community. Te Kahu o Taonui (Northland Iwi Chairs Forum) member Pita Tipene co-chaired the council's Te Kauaka Māori committee.
RNZ News
a day ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Far North Mayor calls on New Zealanders to vote for Māori wards in October
Far North Mayor Moko Tepania (fourth from left) and Deputy Mayor Kelly Stratford to his right, at the council's 2022 pōwhiri at Waitangi for the incoming 2022-2025 council, including its first-time Māori ward politicians (from left)Babe Kapa, Hilda Halkyard-Harawira, Tāmati Rākena and Penetaui Kleskovic. Photo: LDR / NZME Far North Mayor Moko Tepania is calling on all New Zealanders to vote to keep Māori wards at the October local elections polling. On 11 October polling will close at 42 councils on whether to continue with Māori wards. Earlier polls have typically resulted in councils' Māori ward plans being canned. But the Far North mayor has predicted that will change, because in places like his district people have had a chance to see their Māori wards in action. Tepania predicts Far Northerners will poll in favour of keeping Far North District Council (FNDC)'s Ngā Tai o Tokerau Maori ward and Northland Regional Council (NRC)'s Te Raki Māori constituency. "I am optimistic that because of (Te Tai Tokerau's) Waitangi, the home of the nation where He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni /Declaration of Independence of New Zealand and Te Tiriti o Waitangi were signed, there'll be a positive vote by electors to keep our Māori ward. "If anywhere in New Zealand can do it, we can," Tepania said. Almost 52 percent of people in the Far North identify as Māori, one of New Zealand's highest percentages. Tepania, who is Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ)'s Northland board member, said he did not agree with the requirement for his council to have to poll electors about its Māori ward. The council in September said it was not a foregone conclusion polling would happen after it chose to recommit to its Māori ward. FNDC first polled its electors on setting up a Māori ward during a 2015 representation review. Two-thirds of electors voted against this, one-third for. The binding poll precluded the establishment of a Māori ward in the following two elections - 2016 and 2019. Tepania said that rejection was because Far Northerners had not had a chance to see a Māori ward in action. That had changed with Ngā Tai o Tokerau starting life three years ago. The council's first term Māori ward had surpassed expectations. He claimed there were many achievements that had been made - for all constituents - with the presence of the ward and its four councillors. Māori ward councillors' connections into the community had helped make significant infrastructure improvements for all in the Far North, he said. Examples of this included working towards resolving longstanding Kaitāia Airport land ownership issues. Māori ward Cr Hilda Halkyard-Harawira had received an award from LGNZ's Te Maruata Māori council politicians' group for her mahi including the airport where she championed the return of the land the airport sits on to Ngāi Takoto and Te Pātu, and government funding. She'd also had a key role in working towards a more environmentally and culturally sustainable solution to address growing local community concerns over wastewater discharging into Hokianga Harbour, Tepania said. Māori ward Cr Tāmati Rākena had played a key role in the North Hokianga roading working group, successfully dealing with the Panguru and Motuti slips. The group was formally set up in 2024 between the council and mana whenua to address local roading issues. Northland Māori ward politicians currently make up 20 percent of the region's elected representatives. Tepania said Māori wards went towards council meeting its requirements to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi under the Local Government Act. Polling outcomes will take effect from the 2028 local elections, with the decision being binding for the 2028 and 2031 elections. Northlanders across Far North District Council (FNDC), Whangārei District Council (WDC) and Northland Regional Council (NRC) are among electors at 42 councils who will get to have their say in the binding poll with the following words: "I vote to keep the Māori ward / constituency" "I vote to remove the Māori ward / constituency" FNDC's Cr Kapa said Ngā Tai o Tokerau Māori ward had given Māori a voice they'd not had previously. He said it offered a path inside the council chamber for those who had sat outside. And it brought new opportunity for Māori outside traditional leadership roles to take part. He said it was important all local election voters in the Far North voted and also had their polling say in October. Kapa said the council was now working more closely with Northland iwi as a result of the new electoral areas. Its Te Pae o Uta policy underpinning how the council included Te Ao Māori in its operations had boosted responsiveness to the local community. Te Kahu o Taonui (Northland Iwi Chairs Forum) member Pita Tipene co-chaired the council's Te Kauaka Māori committee. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Is Schwab Fundamental International Small Company Index ETF (FNDC) a Strong ETF Right Now?
A smart beta exchange traded fund, the Schwab Fundamental International Small Company Index ETF (FNDC) debuted on 08/13/2013, and offers broad exposure to the Foreign Small/Mid Value ETF category of the market. Products that are based on market cap weighted indexes, which are strategies designed to reflect a specific market segment or the market as a whole, have traditionally dominated the ETF industry. A good option for investors who believe in market efficiency, market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns. If you're the kind of investor who would rather try and beat the market through good stock selection, then smart beta funds are your best choice; this fund class is known for tracking non-cap weighted strategies. This kind of index follows this same mindset, as it attempts to pick stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance; non-cap weighted strategies base selection on certain fundamental characteristics, or a mix of such characteristics. While this space offers a number of choices to investors, including simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies, not all these strategies have been able to deliver superior results. Because the fund has amassed over $2.91 billion, this makes it one of the larger ETFs in the Foreign Small/Mid Value ETF. FNDC is managed by Charles Schwab. This particular fund, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the Russell RAFI Developed ex-U.S. Small Co. Index (Net). The RAFI Fundamental High Liquidity Developed ex US Small Index measures the performance of small non-U.S. developed market companies based on their fundamental size and weight. Since cheaper funds tend to produce better results than more expensive funds, assuming all other factors remain equal, it is important for investors to pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. With one of the cheaper products in the space, this ETF has annual operating expenses of 0.39%. FNDC's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 3.01%. Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis. When you look at individual holdings, Evolution Mining Ltd (EVN) accounts for about 0.21% of the fund's total assets, followed by Israel Corporation Ltd (ILCO) and Ssc Government Mm Gvmxx (GVMXX). The top 10 holdings account for about 1.34% of total assets under management. So far this year, FNDC has added about 19.16%, and it's up approximately 16.44% in the last one year (as of 06/03/2025). During this past 52-week period, the fund has traded between $32.97 and $40.68. FNDC has a beta of 0.80 and standard deviation of 16.36% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a low risk choice in the space. With about 1748 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk. Schwab Fundamental International Small Company Index ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Foreign Small/Mid Value ETF segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider. Dimensional International Small Cap Value ETF (DISV) tracks ---------------------------------------- and the Avantis International Small Cap Value ETF (AVDV) tracks ----------------------------------------. Dimensional International Small Cap Value ETF has $3.06 billion in assets, Avantis International Small Cap Value ETF has $9.19 billion. DISV has an expense ratio of 0.42% and AVDV charges 0.36%. Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Foreign Small/Mid Value ETF. To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Schwab Fundamental International Small Company Index ETF (FNDC): ETF Research Reports Avantis International Small Cap Value ETF (AVDV): ETF Research Reports This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Sign in to access your portfolio
Scoop
28-04-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Far North Fluoridation Expansion On Horizon As Non-Compliance Continues
Article – Susan Botting – Local Democracy Reporter Far North drinking water fluoridation for more than 30,000 people is under the spotlight. More than 30,000 Far North residents could eventually be drinking fluoridated water at a cost of more than $6 million, as the Government looks to expand its public health mandate. Residents drinking council-supplied water in Kerikeri (6,700 people), Kaitāia (5,400 people), Kaikohe (4,200 people), Paihia (4,000 people), Kawakawa/Moerewa (3,500 people), Omapere (900 people), Ōkaihau (800 people) and Rawene (600 people) could be affected. Far North District Council (FNDC) has already been ordered to fluoridate Kerikeri and Kaitāia drinking water, among 14 councils told to do so for 19 water treatment plants in 2022. But the rest of FNDC's water treatment plants are in the pipeline too, part of already-notified directives to FNDC among 27 councils told do so for 92 water treatment plants in a second tranche later the same year. Implementation of community water fluoridation Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021. Some local authorities have been fluoridating the drinking water they supply for a number of years. Six of the 27 councils were also in the first tranche, but like FNDC have new water treatment plants added. Director General of Health Audrey Sonerson is now considering already-notified second tranche of fluoridation directives water services sector reform and local government service delivery pressures. The potential expansion comes as Far North District Council (FNDC) continues not to comply with the June 2022 directive from then Director-General of Health Dr Diana Sarfati to fluoridate its Kerikeri and Kaitāia drinking water, affecting 12,000 people – which had a June 30 2024 deadline. The council is risking a fine of up to $200,000 per plant and $10,000 for each day it fails to comply. The Ministry of Health is paying the two towns' initial $2.8 million fluoridation infrastructure build costs. But ratepayers will have to stump up for their annual $239,000 maintenance and ongoing operational costs – $129,000 for Kaitāia and $110,000 for Kerikeri. Mayor Moko Tepania has this month written to current Director-General of Health Audrey Sonerson seeking to extend her predecessor's initial June 30 2024 deadline for the two plants to June 30 2026. Tepania said in his first unsuccessful April 2024 deadline extension request letter the $6 million cost of introducing fluoridation to the district presented a significant financial challenge for the Far North, categorised as an area of high economic deprivation. Council fluoridation concerns included cost implications, potential health risks and the need for comprehensive community consultation. He said it was important to engage with the community to ensure a transparent and inclusive decision-making process, as had been recommended by other councils. Sarfati, in turning down this initial request, directed the council to work closely with the Ministry of Health's Public Health Agency to put together a plan to comply with the legal requirement to fluoridate. Compliance dates would be reconsidered once a plan was agreed upon, the council says. The council's latest decision to request an extension was made in a closed-door council meeting earlier this month. It followed a workshop looking into the financial and legal implications of complying or otherwise with the directive. The April 2025 meeting came hard on the heels of a High Court hearing and Whangārei District Council finally capitulating and fluoridating on March 28 after major pressure from the Director General of Health because it staunchly refused to add the chemical to the council's drinking water since November, in the wake of the same 14-council directive. The Ministry of Health is funding the construction of standalone fluoridation rooms for Kerikeri and Kaitāia water treatment plants, built to a design it has approved. A 5kg canister sodium fluoride dosing system will be used. Tender documents have also been drawn up. FNDC said it would no longer be non-compliant if the fluoridation direction extension request was approved. It was seeking the compliance date extension to June 2026 now that the preliminary design had been finalised. Te Tai Tokerau oral health data from the former Northland District Health Board for children aged 0-12 in its area showed that overall, 58% had experienced tooth decay at age five. Māori and Pacific children had significantly worse outcomes. NZ health survey results from 2017-2020 for FNDC showed 58.6% of adults (15 plus) had an abscess, infection or gum disease and one or more teeth removed in their lifetime due to tooth decay. Of adults (15+), 11.8 per cent had one or more teeth removed in the preceding 12 months due to decay, an abscess, infection or gum disease.
Scoop
28-04-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Far North Fluoridation Expansion On Horizon As Non-Compliance Continues
More than 30,000 Far North residents could eventually be drinking fluoridated water at a cost of more than $6 million, as the Government looks to expand its public health mandate. Residents drinking council-supplied water in Kerikeri (6,700 people), Kaitāia (5,400 people), Kaikohe (4,200 people), Paihia (4,000 people), Kawakawa/Moerewa (3,500 people), Omapere (900 people), Ōkaihau (800 people) and Rawene (600 people) could be affected. Far North District Council (FNDC) has already been ordered to fluoridate Kerikeri and Kaitāia drinking water, among 14 councils told to do so for 19 water treatment plants in 2022. But the rest of FNDC's water treatment plants are in the pipeline too, part of already-notified directives to FNDC among 27 councils told do so for 92 water treatment plants in a second tranche later the same year. Implementation of community water fluoridation Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021. Some local authorities have been fluoridating the drinking water they supply for a number of years. Six of the 27 councils were also in the first tranche, but like FNDC have new water treatment plants added. Director General of Health Audrey Sonerson is now considering already-notified second tranche of fluoridation directives water services sector reform and local government service delivery pressures. The potential expansion comes as Far North District Council (FNDC) continues not to comply with the June 2022 directive from then Director-General of Health Dr Diana Sarfati to fluoridate its Kerikeri and Kaitāia drinking water, affecting 12,000 people – which had a June 30 2024 deadline. The council is risking a fine of up to $200,000 per plant and $10,000 for each day it fails to comply. The Ministry of Health is paying the two towns' initial $2.8 million fluoridation infrastructure build costs. But ratepayers will have to stump up for their annual $239,000 maintenance and ongoing operational costs - $129,000 for Kaitāia and $110,000 for Kerikeri. Mayor Moko Tepania has this month written to current Director-General of Health Audrey Sonerson seeking to extend her predecessor's initial June 30 2024 deadline for the two plants to June 30 2026. Tepania said in his first unsuccessful April 2024 deadline extension request letter the $6 million cost of introducing fluoridation to the district presented a significant financial challenge for the Far North, categorised as an area of high economic deprivation. Council fluoridation concerns included cost implications, potential health risks and the need for comprehensive community consultation. He said it was important to engage with the community to ensure a transparent and inclusive decision-making process, as had been recommended by other councils. Sarfati, in turning down this initial request, directed the council to work closely with the Ministry of Health's Public Health Agency to put together a plan to comply with the legal requirement to fluoridate. Compliance dates would be reconsidered once a plan was agreed upon, the council says. The council's latest decision to request an extension was made in a closed-door council meeting earlier this month. It followed a workshop looking into the financial and legal implications of complying or otherwise with the directive. The April 2025 meeting came hard on the heels of a High Court hearing and Whangārei District Council finally capitulating and fluoridating on March 28 after major pressure from the Director General of Health because it staunchly refused to add the chemical to the council's drinking water since November, in the wake of the same 14-council directive. The Ministry of Health is funding the construction of standalone fluoridation rooms for Kerikeri and Kaitāia water treatment plants, built to a design it has approved. A 5kg canister sodium fluoride dosing system will be used. Tender documents have also been drawn up. FNDC said it would no longer be non-compliant if the fluoridation direction extension request was approved. It was seeking the compliance date extension to June 2026 now that the preliminary design had been finalised. Te Tai Tokerau oral health data from the former Northland District Health Board for children aged 0-12 in its area showed that overall, 58% had experienced tooth decay at age five. Māori and Pacific children had significantly worse outcomes. NZ health survey results from 2017-2020 for FNDC showed 58.6% of adults (15 plus) had an abscess, infection or gum disease and one or more teeth removed in their lifetime due to tooth decay. Of adults (15+), 11.8 per cent had one or more teeth removed in the preceding 12 months due to decay, an abscess, infection or gum disease.
