The system of managed self-isolation has failed in the case of the two women who arrived from the UK, David Clark said, and the government wants to ‘strengthen the oversight’ of the process. The “failing in the system”, which saw a recent arrival from Britain who later tested positive for Covid-19 being approved to drive … Read more
Since the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment relaxed the rules around the supply of essential non-food items last week, more businesses are announcing that their online stores are up and running. Some things, however, are not what leaps to mind as ‘essential’. Under the new policy allowing essential non-food items to be supplied, MBIE … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Minister proposes big jump in dumping levy, Reserve Bank declines to loosen LVRs, and timeline slips out on major Porirua redevelopment programme. With the volume of rubbish being dumped continuing to increase, the government is planning to put a much higher levy in place, reports Anan … Read more
Among the hundreds of Extinction Rebellion activists who blockaded a street in Wellington today, there was a teenager who got temporarily kicked out of his school for protesting too much. Alex Braae reports. “My mother, when she first found out, was a little enraged that I was skipping classes to go and hang out with … Read more
Right now, ministers are envisioning a future in which an over-supply of renewable energy is captured, stored in hydrogen cells and exported. Is that realistic? Jenée Tibshraeny from Interest takes a hard look at the potential and possibilities. The government wants to position New Zealand as a front-runner rather than a fast-follower on the development … Read more
It’s landlords who are finding themselves out in the cold as property managers begin to walk away from clients who haven’t insulated their rentals, reports Don Rowe. Two weeks after the first of New Zealand’s healthy homes deadlines, property managers are dropping landlords who refuse to insulate. David Faulkner, director of property management consulting firm … Read more
Landlords face a $4000 fine if their properties are uninsulated on July 1 – but insulation companies say time’s run out and if they haven’t done it by now, bad luck. Don Rowe reports. Two weeks out from the Residential Tenancies Act insulation deadline the industry has reached total capacity, with businesses warning there is … Read more
‘Dependent contractors’ say they are forced to fight numerous battles against corporates like the Australasian company owing to New Zealand’s lack of regulation, reports Maria Slade There are those who can’t face the day before they’ve had their Vogel’s toast. Maybe you want your Molenberg. Or perhaps your kids refuse to eat bread with “bits” … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Serious fallout from inquiry into government agency use of spy firm, changes announced to migrant worker system, and new developments in Karel Sroubek saga. An inquiry has confirmed that ordinary New Zealanders were spied on by a security firm, on behalf of the government. The inquiry … Read more
Recalls typically result in fewer than half of affected products being returned, leaving plenty of dud toasters and dodgy kettles still in circulation. Consumer NZ’s Jessica Wilson proposes a couple ways we can change that. Already this year, close to 80 household products have been recalled because of the safety risk they present to consumers. … Read more
From kettles and candles to laptops and lamps, hundreds of common household items have been recalled over the last few years. But chances are, you never even knew about it. In part one of The Spinoff’s great recall list, we look at various items in the heating, small appliance, electronics and homeware categories. Earlier this … 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