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  • 18 Aug 2023 10:47 AM | Mike Hearn (Administrator)

    HON DR AYESHA VERRALL

    Today’s passage of the Therapeutic Products Bill marks the most significant change to the regulation of medicines, medical devices and natural health products in nearly 40 years, Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall says.

    “This is a milestone for the regulation of therapeutic products in Aotearoa New Zealand, and will better protect, promote and improve the health of New Zealanders.

    “The Bill provides New Zealanders with the assurances they deserve about the safety and quality of therapeutic products. It strikes the right balance in regulating these products according to their different risks and benefits,” Ayesha Verrall said.

    As well as replacing and modernising the regulatory arrangements for medicines, the Bill will provide fit-for-purpose regulation of medical devices and cell, gene and tissue therapies which, until now, have not been fully regulated.

    It will also be the first time New Zealand has comprehensive risk-proportionate regulation in place for natural health products.

    “The Bill will bring our country into line with our international counterparts, support innovation and ensure effective control over quickly evolving  health technologies,” Ayesha Verrall said.

    “Without legislation like this to help guide, evaluate and test emerging health technologies, New Zealand would continue to face difficulties developing or introducing to market necessary and high-quality therapeutic products.”

    Changes made to the Bill during its final progress through the House this week strengthen the controls that can be placed on advertisements involving therapeutic products. Currently medicines, including prescription medicines, can be advertised subject to strict controls under the Medicines Act.

    “The changes come as a result of talking and listening to experts about their concerns that direct-to-consumer marketing causes undue harm, and allow for future regulations restricting these practices,” Ayesha Verrall said.

    “I acknowledge direct advertising of medicines is a controversial area and I am confident the Bill strikes the right balance in regulating advertising in a manner that respects the right of New Zealanders to share and receive information.”

    As previously signalled, the Bill includes an exemption scheme for small scale natural health product manufacturers and removes obligations which might otherwise have applied to rongoā [traditional Māori medicine] practitioners, services and activities.

    “Proposed changes to the Bill will ensure whānau can continue to use, create, and manage rongoā as they have for generations.”

    Most provisions in the Bill will come into force in mid to late 2026, with the establishment of a new, independent regulator to oversee the regime.

    This will follow the development of secondary legislation, including regulations and rules, involving consultation with stakeholders.

    The Therapeutic Products Bill was introduced to the House on 30 November 2022.

    The Health Select Committee considered the Bill, reviewing more than 16,500 submissions and hearing submissions from more than 300 organisations and individuals.

    The purpose of the Bill is to protect, promote and improve the health of all New Zealanders by providing for the:

    1. Acceptable safety, quality and efficacy or performance of medicines, medical devices and active pharmaceutical ingredients across their life cycle; and
    2. Acceptable safety and quality of natural health products across their life cycle and the substantiation of health benefit claims.

    The Bill will replace the Medicines Act (1981) and the Dietary Supplements Regulations 1985.

    The Medicines Act currently provides insufficient coverage of the many products used in modern healthcare delivery. And the Dietary Supplements Regulations are not fit for purpose, are inflexible and out of date.

    Source: https://www.beehive.govt.nz/

     

  • 15 Aug 2023 1:38 PM | Mike Hearn (Administrator)

    A US lobby group is calling for increased tariffs on New Zealand lamb in a bid to help the struggling local industry.

    R-CALF USA, the largest body representing producers of cattle and sheep in the United States, said the sheep industry there has been decimated over the last three decades with an explosion of lamb and mutton from Australia and New Zealand pushing down returns for local producers.

    It is petitioning the United States trade ambassador - calling on her to slow imports of lamb.

    Speaking from Montana this morning the group's chief executive Bill Bullard said lamb production in the US has declined by 60 percent in the last 30 years.

    "We began to see an increase in imports back in the early 90s and while the imports increased, our domestic production began to fall because the imports were cheaper and our domestic sheep meat couldn't compete with it.

    "Farmers have left the industry, packing plants have closed and we've seen a drastic reduction in the economic viability of our sheep shipping industry in the United States."

    Bullard said the country only has about five million sheep left.

    "It's still being eaten and in fact lamb consumption in the US is increasing significantly year after year, but imported meat makes up 74 percent of the market and domestic supply is only 26 percent - something we want to see changed."

    New Zealand lamb exported to the US currently faces tariff rates of between 0.7 and 2.8 cents depending on the product.

    Bullard would like to see that increased as well as stricter quantity restrictions on imports which would provide space for the domestic industry to rebuild - creating more of an even playing field.

    "We're proposing this is done over a 10-year period because we're not trying to stop imports, because if we did, we could not meet domestic demand for lamb. But what we need to do is provide space for our industry so it can recapture at least half of the domestic market share.

    "We have no ill-will towards New Zealand or Australian sheep producers. We understand that prices have been depressed there as well and so we have an international problem in that we have a high level of concentration on a global scale and as a result, it's the middleman that is capturing much of the profits."

    The New Zealand Meat Industry Association has been approached for comment.
    Source: https://www.rnz.co.nz/

  • 14 Aug 2023 2:30 PM | Mike Hearn (Administrator)

    Close to 10,000 of Amway China’s top achievers will visit Aotearoa New Zealand, spread throughout October, November and December 2023. The main visit programme is centred in Auckland and Queenstown, with visits to Rotorua and Aoraki Mount Cook. The programme incorporates training sessions, reward activities plus a half-day business meeting and gala dinner.

    A range of agencies and industry including Tourism New Zealand, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, and industry operators worked together to attract the event and are working together to support the visits.

    Incentive travel programmes attract high-quality visitors to New Zealand who tend to stay longer, spend more and travel to multiple regions and activities, says Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive Rene de Monchy.

    “Tourism’s contribution is critical to New Zealand’s economic recovery. Securing the Amway China visit is not only a win for our industry but will help to provide a cash injection into New Zealand’s retail, accommodation, hospitality and transport sectors during our off-peak season.”

    Ken Pereira, the Head of the Auckland Convention Bureau, a division of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, says: “Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland has long been a popular destination for visitors from China. We cannot wait to welcome Amway China’s distributors to Auckland for the first time, extend our manaakitanga, and showcase the amazing experiences and attractions across our region.

    “A business event programme of this scale will deliver a range of significant outcomes for our region, and we look forward to working with Amway China to demonstrate how Auckland delivers a world-class experience in a sustainable and culturally meaningful manner.”

    Prior to COVID-19, China was New Zealand’s second largest market, and contributed over $1.7 billion to New Zealand’s economy. Chinese visitors are high-quality, often travelling in off peak seasons, engaging in a range of activities and cultural experiences.

    Source: https://www.tourismnewzealand.com/

  • 13 Aug 2023 2:31 PM | Mike Hearn (Administrator)

    ANZ Investments today announced it has signed a non-binding memorandum-of-understanding (MOU) with Mercer, as it moves to evolve and grow its business.

    Managing Director of ANZ Funds Management, Fiona Mackenzie, says the MOU is a development which proposes to leverage ANZ Investments’ local expertise with Mercer’s global capability and scale for the benefit of customers.

     “Since KiwiSaver’s inception in 2007, ANZ Investments has successfully grown to become the country’s biggest provider. We are proud of the service we provide to our more than 670,000 customers.

     “We take our responsibility to support their financial wellbeing seriously, through accelerating ownership of their first home, growing their investment balances, and improving outcomes for life after 65.

     “However, to ensure we stay competitive and continue to meet the changing needs of our customers, our business model needs to continue to adapt and evolve,” Ms Mackenzie said.

     ANZ Investments’ arrangements with Mercer are intended to leverage Mercer’s global expertise in investments and investment governance.

     Mercer is a global leader in investments and retirement, with US$393 billion of assets under management [1] and US$16.45 trillion in assets under advisement [2] globally.

     ANZ Investments also announced a separate non-binding memorandum-of-understanding with BlackRock. The arrangements with BlackRock include the provision of risk management services to support portfolio resilience.  

     BlackRock offers global investment expertise across risk management and innovative investment portfolio solutions.

     Ms Mackenzie said customers can be confident any potential investment partnerships will be designed with the aim of improving customer outcomes in the long term and that ANZ Investments remains accountable for its investment decisions.

     “ANZ Investments remains an active investor and will continue to select assets that we believe will perform strongly over the long term.”

     In addition, ANZ’s current Chief Investment Officer Paul Huxford has decided to take the next step in his career and will be leaving ANZ in December.

     Ms Mackenzie said Mr Huxford has been a valued member and leader of ANZ Investments for the last five years.

     “Paul has contributed immeasurably to the growth of our investment business, and we’ve valued his expertise. Having built a strong team and delivered several important initiatives, he felt this was the natural time for him to hand over to a new leader.”

    Ms Mackenzie says he will continue to perform his regular duties until December to ensure a smooth transition.

    Source: https://news.anz.com/new-zealand/

  • 08 Aug 2023 11:13 AM | Mike Hearn (Administrator)
    • Government and BlackRock work together on first of its kind climate infrastructure fund in New Zealand to unlock investment to support 100% renewable electricity generation. 
    • Goal of fund is to support New Zealand to become one of the first countries in the world to reach 100% renewable electricity
    • Fund will provide access to greater pools of capital for New Zealand businesses, supporting the creation of highly skilled local jobs
    • Fund to accelerate green energy options like solar, wind, green hydrogen and battery storage to fuel a low emissions economy

    The Government has worked with BlackRock, one of the world’s largest investors in climate infrastructure and clean technology, to launch a $2 billion fund with the goal of making New Zealand one of the first countries in the world to reach 100% renewable electricity.

    Prime Minister Chris Hipkins announced the first of its kind New Zealand net zero Fund alongside Minister of Energy and Resources Megan Woods and representatives of BlackRock in Auckland today.

    “This is a first of its kind fund in the country that demonstrates the huge economic potential of New Zealand being a climate leader and our goal of generating 100% renewable electricity,” Chris Hipkins said.

    “It proves again that we can grow our economy while we lower emissions. This fund is a massive opportunity for New Zealand innovators to develop and grow companies. 

    “I’m absolutely stoked about what this means for Kiwi ingenuity in renewable energy; it shows that our ambitious climate targets have the world’s attention, and that they are good for the climate, good for the economy, and will help create highly skilled jobs.

    “With countries around the world experiencing the impacts of climate change on a daily basis, it’s never been more urgent to invest in technology that will help address the climate crisis, and New Zealand is well positioned to be a home for that investment.

    “Cyclone Gabrielle and the Auckland floods were reminders we must speed up our own climate action, and the fund will super charge investments in clean technology that might otherwise not have happened.

    “This is a game changer for the clean tech sector and another example of the pragmatic and practical steps the Government is taking to accelerate climate action while growing our economy,” Chris Hipkins said.

    “This fund will accelerate New Zealand’s emissions reductions, with a particular focus on our path to 100% renewable electricity, enabling our businesses to access greater pools of capital to develop and grow,” Megan Woods said.

    “With record levels of renewable electricity generation in recent years, New Zealand is well-positioned to be one of the first countries in the world to deliver a fully renewable electricity system.

    “Investors in the green economy can see our potential and recognise our commitment to climate commitments and goals, such as our banning of further offshore oil and gas exploration.

    “New Zealand is now an investment magnet for capital that will unlock technology such as battery storage, wind and solar generation, green hydrogen production and more electric vehicle chargers across New Zealand.

    “We’ve already making significant progress on New Zealand’s decarbonisation transition, partnering with the likes of NZ Steel and Fonterra to reduce emissions while retaining jobs here in New Zealand.

    “The New Zealand net zero Fund will look to crowd in investment from Crown companies and entities, including superannuation funds, and private sector funds to accelerate New Zealand’s transition to 100% renewable electricity. 

    “This arrangement means we will get there faster, with opportunities for local investment in a low emissions economy. That will be a significant selling point for New Zealand businesses as consumers demand more sustainable products and services.

    “The projects funded through investment in the New Zealand net zero Fund will not only decarbonise our energy use, but will also create highly-skilled jobs here in New Zealand, and opportunities to grow New Zealand companies,” Megan Woods said.

    Source: https://www.beehive.govt.nz/

  • 05 Aug 2023 11:00 AM | Mike Hearn (Administrator)

    Who doesn't love a bit of good wine news on a Friday - the bottle can already be heard opening.

    Invivo's Sarah Jessica Parker sauvignon blanc has just won tenders for US airlines – to be served on international premier and business class across the US.

    The Disney cruise line will also be arriving in New Zealand soon and Invivo have secured the wine onboard.

    Invivo co-founder Tim Lightbourne joined the Mike Hosking Breakfast.

    https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/tim-lightbourne-invivo-co-founder-on-securing-deal-to-supply-us-airlines-and-disney-cruises/

  • 31 Jul 2023 1:31 PM | Mike Hearn (Administrator)

    The American Chamber of Commerce in New Zealand is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2023 AmCham-DHL Express Success and Innovation Awards, the 24th year of these awards celebrating success and innovation for companies doing business with the USA.

    This year we are pleased to see the return of our Contribution to Tourism with the USA award return and one of the finalists will also be presented with a Commitment to Sustainability award.

    AmCham Executive Director, Mike Hearn said that “bilateral trade with the US continues to grow, up by over $2.6b last year or 18.77%, with services and technology also growing significantly. With more flights than ever before tourism numbers are up both ways. We have also seen a strengthening of NZ US relations with a series of high-level government to government visits including the recent visit by US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.”    

    Commenting on the awards, Mark Foy, Managing Director New Zealand & Pacific Islands, DHL Express, said “DHL Express is proud to celebrate our 14th year of partnership with AmCham to deliver the 2023 AmCham-DHL Express Success & Innovation Awards. As the leading international express service provider, we are committed to supporting Kiwi businesses in navigating the global trade market, particularly in exports to the USA. Kiwi export success stories are a testament to our ingenuity and the success of the United States export market. We extend our congratulations to all the finalists for 2023.”

    This year’s awards and finalists are:

    Exporter of the Year to the USA - Innovation
    Havelock Wool
    Heilala Vanilla Ltd
    Huntaway Wild Ltd
    New Zealand Mint Ltd

    Exporter of the Year to the USA - Technology
    Fingermark Ltd
    Goodnature Ltd
    Quantifi Photonics Ltd
    Nui Markets Ltd

    Exporter of the Year to the USA - High Growth
    Aroa Biosurgery Ltd

    Auror Ltd
    Xtend-Life Group Ltd

    Bilateral Connections with the USA
    Global Cities New Zealand
    Norris Echetebu Law
    Palmerston North City Council

    Investor of the Year to or from the
    USA
    Intel Capital for their investment in Quantifi Photonics Ltd
    JW Marriott Auckland
    Te Arai Links/Ric Kayne

    Contribution to Tourism with the USA
    Active Adventures & Austin Adventures
    JW Marriott Auckland
    The Hotel Britomart

    One of the above will be chosen as the Supreme winner. 

    One other award will be presented on the night:  The AmCham Supporter of the Year

    We will also be recognising four key members who have completed 25 years of membership:
    Minter Ellison Rudd Watts
    Pfizer New Zealand
    Wendy Pye Publishing
    Zespri International

    The awards will be presented at a black-tie gala dinner at the Pullman Hotel Auckland on 29th August with 5 times Oscar winner, Joe Letteri, ONZM, Senior Visual Effects Supervisor of Wētā FX as the keynote speaker. For details and tickets see www.amcham.co.nz

    In addition to AmCham, DHL Express, United Airlines, the awards are supported by ANZ Bank, Ironside McDonald Intellectual Property and Lockheed Martin New Zealand. Media sponsor - The Business. Wine sponsor - Constellation Brands. Event Manager and sponsor – DD Events.

    Previous winners of the Supreme Award have included Peace Software; Airways Corporation; HumanWare; Tenon; Orion Health; Zeacom; SMI Group; Fonterra; Pratt & Whitney Air New Zealand Services t/a Christchurch Engine Centre; Buckley Systems; Greenshell New Zealand; Vista Entertainment; Fisher & Paykel Healthcare; Zespri International; Tourism Holdings; Peter Beck, Seequent Ltd and Oritain Global.

  • 24 Jul 2023 2:35 PM | Mike Hearn (Administrator)

    Rimini Street, Inc. (Nasdaq: RMNI), a global provider of end-to-end enterprise software support, products and services, the leading third-party support provider for Oracle and SAP software, and a Salesforce and AWS partner, today announced that University of Auckland, New Zealand’s largest higher-learning institute, has expanded its use of Rimini Street’s portfolio of services to include Rimini Support™ for Oracle software, Rimini Manage™ and Rimini Protect™, becoming one of more than 100 clients leveraging Rimini ONE™, the end-to-end, unified and integration solution for enterprise applications, databases and technology software. This strategic decision has allowed the university to dedicate its IT team’s focus towards its upcoming ERP migration, a transformational project expected to take 10 years for completion across multiple phases, and greatly enhance the end user experience and capabilities for its growing number of students and staff.

    Rimini ONE Enables a Smart Path Forward

    While University of Auckland’s core Oracle application was being expertly supported by Rimini Street, the complexity the university encountered of managing competing applications with a very limited number of IT staff, coupled with a shrinking pool of skilled engineers familiar with their current ERP investments, became the catalyst for the decision to review its technology roadmap strategy. Based on a cost and resource needs analysis, the university decided against upgrading its Oracle applications as the ROI was insufficient. Instead, the university elected to migrate to a next-generation, composable ERP platform.

    As a trusted support provider with intimate knowledge of their technology landscape and years of proven success, Rimini Street was the university’s first choice when selecting a managed service provider to take on the day-to-day operation of its HR system – allowing the university to re-allocate their IT team’s time and focus to the ERP migration project.

    “The value of Rimini ONE isn’t just about enabling the move to a new system, but to build out a roadmap that is proactive and designed to last,” said Jo Batchelor, head of product engineering at University of Auckland. “It’s really empowering to have Rimini Street as a true and trusted partner, giving us greater confidence and capabilities as we go through this complex ERP migration journey.”

    Rimini Protect Helps Safeguard Critical Data and the University’s Reputation

    Based on Rimini Street’s analysis and Smart Path™ recommendations, the university performed an internal audit of its ERP platforms, learning the scope and amount of data in their HR and finance systems that they would need to protect.

    “There is a huge amount of data in our HR, finance and campus solutions that we need to make sure is absolutely safe and secure. The extra layer of security that Rimini Protect provides us is a solution we cannot afford to be without,” said Batchelor.

    “Rimini Street is proud to continue partnering with and delivering excellence for the University of Auckland, allowing them to positively impact the community by offering more robust learning programs that greatly benefit the next generation of professionals and members of society at affordable costs,” said Daniel Benad, group vice president and general manager of Oceania, Rimini Street.

    Explore the full Rimini Street portfolio of ultra-responsive, trusted and proven supportmanaged servicessecurityintegrationobservabilityprofessional services and Rimini ONE™ outsourcing solutions for SAPOracle and Salesforce applications to support competitive advantage, profitability and growth.

  • 22 Jul 2023 9:27 AM | Mike Hearn (Administrator)

    Cloud technology plays a critical role in solving complex problems for Aotearoa — across both national and local levels and today, I’m pleased to share that Google Cloud has signed an All-of-Government Cloud Framework Agreement with the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), to accelerate public sector cloud adoption to deliver improved digital experiences for Kiwis.

    Simply put, this means that eligible government agencies will have standardised and simplified access to our technology and services so they can modernise their legacy systems and build new applications that serve New Zealanders quickly and securely. 

    The agreement covers Google Cloud Platform (GCP) including data and analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) tools, Google Workspace, as well as professional cloud services and Security Operations Services (SecOps). 

    The Framework Agreement builds on Google Cloud’s deep investment in New Zealand. Last year, Google Cloud announced plans for its first ever cloud region in New Zealand, offering resiliency, low-latency connectivity, and scalability to Kiwi customers. According to a recent Economic Impact Report by Access Partnership, the new Google Cloud region will support the country’s economic growth, with a predicted NZD$4.2 billion in productivity benefits being generated between 2025 and 2030. 

    Google has been supporting New Zealand businesses and communities since 2007. With government initiatives such as the Google in Schools Agreement, Google Cloud has worked with the Ministry of Education to provide schools using Google solutions, with digital tools that support safe modern digital learning environments. Google is also part of the Digital Boost Alliance with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), offering digital training and expertise to support the digitisation of small businesses. 

    We’re committed to working closely with the New Zealand Government to provide secure and sustainable solutions to all Kiwis. This government agreement is a welcome addition to Google Cloud's rapidly growing presence in New Zealand's Enterprise, Education and SME sectors and we are aware that security of data and the digitisation of government are critical to building trust in the public sector. 

    Source: https://newzealand.googleblog.com/



  • 20 Jul 2023 12:56 AM | Mike Hearn (Administrator)

    Next stop, the United States of America.

    A Hawke’s Bay pet food start-up company, Animals Like Us, only launched in late 2020 but now has its dog and cat food products in hundreds of supermarkets across New Zealand and Australia.

    It also has ambitious plans to launch in the US early next year.

    The company is turning plenty of heads as a rising Hawke’s Bay exporter, and has been named a finalist in three out of four categories at the upcoming Hawke’s Bay Export Awards being held on August 10. Those awards also encompass Gisborne and Dannevirke.

    Animals Like Us co-founder and CEO Rob Achten said the start-up company was “very ambitious with our plans for the US” after rolling out in Woolworths supermarkets across Australia earlier this year.

    “A lot of New Zealand companies want to start off small, and we can get criticised a little bit for not thinking big enough, but I hope that does not apply to us.

    “We are ambitious and want to grow quickly.”

    The company has been named a finalist for the Best Emerging Business Award and Excellence in Innovation Award, while head of operations Rebecca Klee has been named a finalist for the Inspiring Women in Export Award.

    Animals Like Us has its headquarters in Hastings and manufactures its dog and cat food products, through a contractor in Waipukurau.

    The company decided early on to target supermarkets as opposed to solely selling in pet stores, which Achten said was rare for premium pet food.

    “About 75 per cent of pet food is sold in supermarkets but most of it is at the budget end,” he said.

    “People said that is not going to work [selling our product in supermarkets] it is just way too expensive. But two and a half years on we are in over 300 supermarkets in New Zealand and we are also in the very best pet stores as well.”

    Pet food giant Ziwi also operates out of Hawke’s Bay, having opened its $85 million mega kitchen in Awatoto last year, and Achten said the region “is becoming a good hub in terms of raw material supplies”.

    Klee said it was an honour to be recognised as a finalist for the Inspiring Women in Export Award.

    “It’s hard to believe that we are not quite three years in and what we have achieved,” she said.

    “To be nominated alongside someone like Sally [Gallagher, from The Apple Press] is really humbling.”

    Animals Like Us was co-founded by Achten, Jeremy Moon and Craig Hickson.

    2023 ExportNZ ASB Hawke’s Bay Export Awards finalists

    Best Emerging Business: Animals Like Us (Hastings), Senator Boats (Napier), Wisewool (Gisborne) Rare New Zealand (Hastings) and Nibblish (Havelock North)

    Excellence in Innovation: Prevar (Havelock North), T&G Global (Hastings), StardustME (Gisborne) and Animals Like Us (Hastings)

    Best Established Business: Pultron Composites (Gisborne), Metalform (Dannevirke) and Fingermark (Havelock North)

    Inspiring Women in Export Award: Anna Holdsworth (Pultron Composites), Sally Gallagher (The Apple Press), Rebecca Klee (Animals Like Us), and Sue de Bievre (Beany)

    The winners of each business category will contest the supreme award of ASB Exporter of the Year and will automatically go to the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) International Business Awards in Auckland in November.

    Last year’s ASB Exporter of the Year was Rockit Global from Hastings.

    Source: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/




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