Praised for its ability to deal with “human anxiety in times of great distress”, the winners of the Most Innovative Hi-Tech Service award for 2018 is using technology and engineering to help businesses make informed decisions after an earthquake hits (and it only takes two minutes). From Kaikoura to Canterbury, New Zealand has had its … Read more
GDP came out today, and it was fine – but that’s yesterday’s sales. The real question is, how does business feel about the future? It sounds a bit like one of those earnest startup pitches. Gross domestic product (GDP) provides a snapshot of the performance of the economy. GDP is New Zealand’s official measure of economic growth. GDP … Read more
Every week on The Primer we ask a local business or product to introduce themselves in eight simple takes. This week we talk to Steven Korner, co-founder of Method Recycling, whose aim is to encourage better waste disposal habits by making beautifully designed rubbish bins for modern workplaces. ONE: How did Method Recycling start and what … Read more
Fonterra rejects claims by Chinese media that formula maker Beingmate reportedly failed to check additives came from licensed suppliers. Chinese media have reported that Fonterra’s troubled investment Beingmate failed to check additives in its infant formula came from licensed suppliers, and the additives were certified for use. On Friday 15 June, Chinese authorities announced the … Read more
With up to 80% of faulty indoor electric heaters potentially still in use, is the recall system in need of a major shake-up? UPDATE: As of June 2019, two more heaters have been recalled. An open flue space heater and an open flued gas log fireplace, both for producing potentially high levels of carbon monoxide. … Read more
Facebook knows everything about you, and by extension, so do a million marketers and corporations. And now so do I. Eighteen months ago, in a sudden fit of self-importance, I decided it was time to get myself a Facebook ‘brand’ page. That way I could share some of my blog posts and journalism with whomever … Read more
Spend money to make money? Not really. It turns out there’s very little in the Commonwealth Games for a host other than cost. In 1896, the first modern Olympic Games took place in Athens and shared a similar fate to many of its successors: the initial costs were vastly underestimated, they were plagued with cost … Read more
Thinking about consumption is sometimes easier said than done, so we’re here to help: check out The Spinoff’s guide to buying ethical clothing for men. Last weekend we posted about a number of stylish and purpose-driven New Zealand womenswear brands, but some of our readers were feeling left out, so we brought forward the next instalment: … Read more
Following a campaign on The Spinoff about dragged out payments to small business, a members’ bill has been lodged to name and shame corporate late-payers. We did it! Just this week Labour MP Deborah Russell announced she was putting a members’ bill in the biscuit tin of democracy. The bill had the snappy title of … Read more
Every week on The Primer we ask a local business or product to introduce themselves in eight simple takes. This week we talk to David Bowes, CEO of insights agency Zavy, which helps businesses understand in simple, visual terms what all this social media fuss is about. ONE: How did Zavy start and what was the inspiration behind it? … Read more
Having axed nearly all the people he follows on Twitter, rich-lister Sam Morgan is proudly down to fewer than ten. They’re all men. In the interests of broadening his horizons, here are some real life female humans he might like to add. Hey Sam, We don’t know you, but everyone in New Zealand sort of … Read more
Chicken without the bird, milk without the cow: meet the five Kiwi startups catapulting vegan alternatives into the mouths of mainstream consumers. Eggs Benedict, mac ‘n’ cheese, and spaghetti bolognese. I’m not just listing random foods – they’re a selection of meals over the past year that I’ve tried in a 100% vegan state. And … Read more
Welcome to the Cheat Sheet, a clickable, shareable, bite-sized FAQ on the news of the moment. Today, Auckland Council wants you to help buy trains. What’s the deal, and can they be trusted with your money? What’s all this then? Auckland Council has announced they will be making an offer of five year ‘green bonds’ … Read more
After years of disappointing wage growth, and income growth more broadly, are the stars aligned for a lift? We all know it. It’s the feeling of busting your gut day-in day-out to finally get to payday, only to feel when you wrest open that little payslip, defeated and a little deflated: I worked all those … Read more
Every week on The Primer we ask a local business or product to introduce themselves in eight simple takes. This week we talk to Craig MacGregor, one of the founding developers of NavCoin, an alternative cryptocurrency that’s gaining steam around the world. ONE: How did NavCoin start and what was the inspiration behind it? NavCoin first … Read more
Within the next decade New Zealand will achieve at least 90% renewable energy. So we have nothing to fear from the Zero Carbon Act other than opportunity, argues Meridian Energy CEO Neal Barclay. While New Zealand remains small in global terms we can’t underestimate how powerful it is to work as individuals, organisations and as … Read more
Measure twice, cut once. New Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi is on a mission to make our laws fit for purpose. Unfair clamping fine from a private carpark: $760. Phone call from a debt collector: $30. Interest on a short-term loan: 400%. These are the sort of consumer outrages in the sights of Commerce and … Read more
Buying New Zealand made matters to you? All about ethical gear and sustainable materials? Read on. If the outrage over World’s practice of selling clothes manufactured in Bangladesh and China has taught us anything, it’s that if you make a claim about your clothes you should to be able to back it up. World founder … Read more
For close to three decades, Eftpos has been New Zealand’s preferred payment method. But how long will it last? Justin Gregory for RNZ looks back on the growth of electronic banking and what comes next. A few years back, a Kiwi actor flew out to Shanghai to film a TV ad. The shoot would only … Read more
Online shopping is great, but sometimes you just can’t beat a good old trip to your favourite local. Why Knot Outlet Shop, Auckland – Duncan Greive There’s an unbelievable amount to love about Why Knot Outlet Shop, an East Tāmaki institution buried near the end of a long string of light industrial buildings alongside Springs … Read more
Welcome to the Cheat Sheet, a clickable, shareable, bite-sized FAQ on the news of the moment. Today, the latest on New Zealand’s efforts to fight plastic pollution. What’s all this then? It’s a wrap on plastic, with everyone from Countdown to Coca-Cola joining a pledge to (eventually) eliminate things like straws and bags from their … Read more
It’s an unfurling scandal which saw tenants evicted and millions spent on cleaning homes. Now it appears a tenant was kicked out after seeking help for his addictions, writes Russell Brown. In June 2015, Jesse B became one of the hundreds of Housing New Zealand tenants to have an order made against them at the Tenancy Tribunal … Read more
How can we be sure catching the tuna we’re eating hasn’t also harmed humans? At the moment we can’t. But could new technology bring transparency to the fishing industry, and help stamp out unsafe conditions? Sushi. We Kiwis love it. Incredible to think that in the 1980s it was still something many of us baulked … Read more
Phil Goff’s 10-year ‘build it’ budget finally got the green light on Thursday, with one of the provisions being that the infamous ‘bed tax’ is now set to be extended to homes listed on sites like Airbnb. What does this mean for hosts? And are other regions set to follow? (PLUS, other things you should … Read more
She’s the founder and CEO of beauty-booking app Flossie, controls the agency for social media influencers and sits on the board of Kiwisaver darling Simplicity. So why did Jenene Crossan hit rock bottom? Content warning: this post contains discussion of suicide and suicidal thoughts. I’d been keeping my powder dry on writing this. But today, having … Read more
We sell great mass-produced milk products – the best, even. But it’s sumptuous leathergoods, made from farmed deer nappa specifically, that’s getting a new generation of made in New Zealand brands into the hands of Chinese consumers. When The Spinoff’s Jihee Jun visited Alibaba in Hangzhou, she discovered that our biggest sellers on ‘the Chinese Amazon’ were … Read more
We need to stop arguing about whether the government has made the right decision to cull more than 100,000 cows and get on with supporting those affected, says Gore farmer Bernadette Hunt. My husband Alistair I own 430 acres just north of Gore, and farm a total of 1500 acres with leaseblocks included. We bought … Read more
The government is proposing to reshape research and development incentives, with MBIE proposing to phase out the Callaghan Growth Grants and replace them with R&D tax credits. Nathan Torkington has some concerns. As the FAQ says, there are differences in the definition of eligible expenditure between the Growth Grant and the proposed R&D tax incentive (for instance, overseas expenditure … Read more
Innovation Minister Megan Woods says the Government’s new R&D tax incentive is far from a startup killer. In fact, she says, it will open up R&D funding to more businesses than ever before. We want New Zealand to have a vibrant, innovation-led economy that will give us new solutions to old problems. Developing our innovation sector … Read more