Best of Business

Northland businesses are hoping it's not too late to profit off the summer period.  The region moved out of the Red Traffic Light setting this morning - joining the rest of the country at Orange.  It means businesses can now operate at capacity if they use vaccine passes.   Hospitality New Zealand Northland President John Maurice told Tim Dower he hopes businesses will be able to recover sooner, r...

No green light from Auckland, or the rest of the country – for the time being.  Health officials will provide advice to Cabinet this week on the current traffic light settings – following confirmation that a border worker has the Omicron strain.  However, Cabinet isn't expected to meet this week to review those settings, as originally planned.  Viv Beck – the Chief Executive of the Heart of the Ci...

Businesses may soon be required to make public the details of what they're paying staff.    It's part of a government effort to close pay gaps between men and women - and different ethnic groups.  More than 6,000 businesses would be impacted.   Labour MP Camilla Belich told Tim Dower generally two-thirds of OECD countries have pay transparency regimes.   She says its not about compromising individ...

A movement dubbed The Great Resignation is expected to grow.   Internationally, the number of workers wanting to leave their jobs has risen during the pandemic, and Labour shortages have made recruitment difficult in a number of industries.   Employment relations expert Max Whitehead told Tim Dower the word is that people are ready for change – but there's some risk involved in moving jobs.  “Will...

New Zealand scientists have helped discover a new gene that could be a game changer for farmers.  The P-A-R gene allows some plant species to clone themselves and hold on to favourable traits that might otherwise get lost in the natural reproduction process.  Dr Ross Bicknell is one of the scientists who worked on this research, he joined Tim Dower.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

Summer is putting the heat on Whangamata's rental market.   Demand for holiday homes is creating a shortage of rentals, and pushing up prices.  Whangamata Real Estate principal Murray Cleland says a lot of people are also selling, rather than having to upgrade old baches to meet rental regulations.  He says that's impacting locals.  “Some of the retailers are having to rent houses to house their s...

One of the Government's most popular private sector partners isn't shying away from the title.   According to numbers compiled by Newstalk ZB, Robert Walters has made more than 40 million dollars from the Government through consulting and contracting.   Chief Political Reporter Jason Walls has more.  “In the last financial year, the public sector spent close to 1 billion dollars on contractors and...

There are sales galore right now, with retailers desperate to make up ground lost during lockdowns.  And the prospect of a bargain has upwards of 500,000 New Zealanders turning to buy now, pay later schemes.  It's doubled in the past two years.  But there's concern over the potential consequences down the track.  Chartered Accountants financial services leader, John Cuthbertson joined the Summer B...

It has turned from a questionable novelty just a few years ago to a regular part of the Christmas cycle.  Thousands of unwanted gifts are already up for sale on trade me.  Ruby Topzand from Trade Me joined the Summer Breakfast.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More businesses are expected to be caught failing to comply with the Covid-19 Protection Framework.  Worksafe has slapped Auckland martial arts gym, Oliver MMA, with a $12,000 fine for allowing unvaccinated staff to work.  Under the red traffic light setting, gyms can only open - with limits - if staff and customers are jabbed.   Head of General Inspectorate Simon Humphries told Tim Dower they've...

Strong calls for the country to switch to using its own local ships and crews – to ensure a reliable service.  That's the message from the New Zealand Merchant Service Guild representing maritime workers.  Covid-19 has wreaked havoc on the global supply chains – sparking shipping delays.   Merchant Service Guild vice president Iain MacLeod told Tim Dower being stuck down the bottom of the world, N...

What a weird year for any government.   An historic election win, but it all came crashing down in August when Delta arrived – Auckland has had more than 100 days in lockdown.   So, with the traffic lights now in place, the borders gone – how does the government feel the year went? And what does 2022 have in store?  We had a talk with Sir Ian Taylor yesterday, you'll likely know his thoughts on th...

Omicron – heading into summer are you worried about the new variant?   The Lowlights/Highlights of the political year   Christmas wish list for 2022  1News senior reporter Katie Bradford and political commentator Ben Thomas joined Francesca Rudkin.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hong Kong voters are preparing to vote for the first time this weekend since election laws were changed, amid a dearth of opposition candidates months after the city began cracking down on dissent. The legislative elections, to be held Sunday, come after Beijing in March passed a resolution for electoral reform in Hong Kong that gives Beijing more control over who is elected to Hong Kong's legisla...

A company that specialises in a seaweed that reduced methane has got Sir Stepehn Tindall’s backing. He was an early investor in CH4, and he’s just gone in for more in a recent round of funding. Business commentator Rod Oram joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A kiwi business is reaping the rewards of making apples cool again.  Rockit Global has grown 45% this year, as demand for its snack-sized apples continues to increase around the world.  Rockit Global CEO, Mark O'Donnell, told Heather du Plessis-Allan most of the export market is into Asia.  “Well, it’s just the overall freshness, the taste, the sweetness, they’re quite a unique little apple.”  LIS...

It's been a good year for farming – income wise – but not such a good year for the government in the eyes of farmers.  Carbon farming is seeing vast tracks of good quality sheep and beef pastoral country heading into forestry. Is this going to turn into a big problem?  Host of The Country, Jaime MacKay, joined Heather du Plessis-Allan.   LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

Gross Domestic Product has fallen 3.7 percent in the September quarter.  Stats NZ says it's the second largest fall since the current series began in 1986.  Business Editor at Large, Liam Dann joined Heather du Plessis-Allan.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Hamilton real estate company says the market's well and truly cooling down and vendors need to manage expectations.  With the Reserve Bank lending restrictions, bank preapprovals with less than 20 per cent deposits are now hard to come by.  At a recent auction four out of five bidders had their bank preapprovals removed the same day as the auction.  Lodge Real Estate Managing Director, Jeremy O’...

Omicron is in NZ; is there a chance the government will revise the plans to reopen to travellers who self-isolate?  There’s been another freedom protest in Wellington.  Should New Zealand have a claim on the trademark Manuka Honey?  Clare de Lore and Josie Pagani discuss this and the rest of today's news with Heather du Plessis-Allan.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...

New Zealand honey producers have lost an important legal case against Australia. Trying to secure a trademark for the term Manuka Honey.   New Zealand producers were trying to stop Australian beekeepers from selling their manuka branded honey in Britain.  But the UK Intellectual property office found there is no evidence the public believes manuka honey is exclusively from New Zealand.   Unique Ma...

One of the big lessons that I’ve learnt during this pandemic – but especially this year – is that most of the pandemic predictions are too gloomy.  Look at the GDP numbers out today; a contraction of 3.7% in the economy.  Granted, that’s bad. That’s the second biggest we’ve ever experienced since records started.  But it’s not as bad as we were talking about a few weeks back or even yesterday. The...

Plans to begin re-opening our border from next month could be at risk.  New Zealand citizens and residents in Australia are set to be able to travel here and isolate at home from January 17, skipping MIQ.  Covid-19 modeller Rodney Jones told Heather du Plessis-Allan based on the sheer volume of omicron cases and the speed it moves, you have to worry it will scupper plans.  “If you look at South Af...

Hospitals across the country are getting more ICU beds ... but we don't have nurses to staff them.  The Government has announced there'll be 23 new ICU or HDU beds, and eight temporary bed conversions to ICU.  It will take about six months to implement.   Australia New Zealand Intensive Care Society's Andrew Stapleton told Heather Du Plessis Allan it's a start, but real obstacles remain.  “There a...

Gross domestic product has fallen 3.7 percent in the September quarter.  Stats NZ says it's the second largest fall since the current series began in 1986.  It says this reflects a widespread drop in economic activity due to the Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns, in the second half of the quarter.  The fall follows a 2.4 percent rise in the June quarter.  Stats NZ says some industries were more...