Rural Bulletin

Rural Women New Zealand - informing New Zealand each month www.ruralwomen.org.nz

March 2010

Rural Bulletin is a free publication produced by Rural Women New Zealand.

It aims to build community capacity by circulating relevant information,

giving people in rural and other communities an opportunity to have their say
on issues and changes that may affect them.

Rural Bulletin may be copied in full, or individual items reproduced, providing

the source is acknowledged.

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Rural Women New Zealand
phone 04 473 5524
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Craig Matthews/Paddy Twist
phone 04 473 5524
email ruralbulletin@ruralwomen.org.nz

Rural Women New Zealand aims to strengthen rural communities. For further
information and membership enquiries go to www.ruralwomen.org.nz.

Rural Bulletin is published by Rural Women New Zealand with the support of the NZ Lottery Grants Board,
telecomnz, Totalspan and Versatile Buildings, Access Homehealth Ltd, TaxRefunds.co.nz, Farmside and Landcorp.

Contents
Consultation
Child and Family Protection Bill........................................3
Victims Rights: Proposals.................................................3
Effectiveness of Child Offender Programmes’..................3
Misuse of Drugs Act .........................................................3
Tree Weed Exemptions....................................................3
Standards for Maori-Medium Education ...........................4
NZ/India Free Trade Agreement ......................................4
Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement...............................4
National Soil Contamination Standard? ...........................4
Human Rights and the Treaty ..........................................4
Joining the Student Association .......................................4
Financial Service Providers Bill ........................................5
Price Fixing: Increased Penalties? ...................................5
Fair Trading: Fundraising for Charities .............................5
Pharmac: Special Foods Consultation .............................5
Inland Revenue Consultations .........................................5
Department of Labour Consultations................................5
Standards NZ Consultations ............................................6
ERMA Consultations ........................................................6
LINZ Consultations...........................................................6
Biosecurity NZ Consultations ...........................................7
Standards for Enrolled Nurses .........................................7
Electricity Commission’s Data Security ............................7
Reducing Toothpaste Red Tape ......................................7
Rural
Rabobank’s Agriculture in Focus......................................7
Farm Day: Discover the Country ......................................8
Farm Workers Pay in 2010...............................................8
More Dairy Cows than NZers ...........................................8
New Welfare Code - Dairy Cattle .....................................8
New Wind Farm Noise Standard......................................8
Kiwi Wineries Report Card…............................................8
Slightly Smaller 2010 Harvest ..........................................8
A National Wool Organisation? ........................................9
Rural Property Market Dips ..............................................9
More with Ag ITO Qualifications.......................................9
West Coast Forest Strategy .............................................9
Environment
Penalties for Late Resource Consents.............................9
Zealandia Eco-sanctuary: UK Award ...............................9
NZ’s Greenest Building ....................................................9
Hauraki Gulf Marine Park: Expansion ............................10
Canterbury/Far Nth Council Reviews .............................10
Tourism
January Numbers: Tourism Record ...............................10
Tourist Spend Up in 2009...............................................10
Accommodation Survey*: December 2009.....................10
Holiday Park Spending...................................................10
Cycle Routes Selected ...................................................11
Health & Welfare
ACC Law Passes Third Reading....................................11
Adventure/Outdoor Industries: Safety Reports...............11
New Health Safety Commission.....................................11
“Superbugs” and Antibiotics; the Link.............................11
We’re Drinking & Smoking Less.....................................11
Understanding Health Information/Services ...................12
1 - Rural Bulletin: March 2010
Revised Tsunami Plan…................................................12
Tsunami Research: Can You Help?...............................12
Research Recommends Bums Off Seats.......................12
Community & Mobile Dental Clinics ...............................12
Dementia Services Report .............................................13
Education/Training
School Trustee Elections Coming Up.............................13
Reducing Truancy ..........................................................13
Student Loans Bill Passed .............................................13
Gym/Mall Creches: Law Change....................................13
Education Building Programme......................................13
Employment
More Skilled Job Vacancies ...........................................14
Expected NZ HR Trends for 2010 ..................................14
Pacific Women’s Work ...................................................14
2009 Mainstream Awards ..............................................14
What Annoys Office Workers .........................................14
Housing
Many Buildings, One Consent… ....................................15
Benefits of “Lifemark” .....................................................15
Plumbers / Gasfitters / Drainlayers: New Law ................15
Review of State Housing................................................15
Update on Housing Corp Homes ...................................15
Insulation Installation Complication? Reparation............15
Changes to Unit Titles Bill ..............................................16
Tradesmen Job Size Index ............................................16
Housing Forecast: March Quarter 2010 .........................16
Energy
One Electricity/Gas Complaints Scheme .......................16
US/China: Wind Power Leaders.....................................16
Electricity Savings: Compressed Air ..............................17
Mining Blocks: Bids Open ..............................................17
Transport & Travel
Asia-Pacific to Dominate Aircraft Market........................17
Auckland’s Footpaths – OAG Report .............................17
Justice/The Law
Effectiveness of Youth Supervision Orders....................17
“Fresh Start” Now Starting .............................................18
Legal Services Amendment Now Law............................18
Fraud Levels Up.............................................................18
Annual Report of the Privacy Commissioner 2009.........18
New Animal Welfare Bill.................................................18
Licensing Corporate Trustees: New Bill .........................18
Parliament
More on MMP Referendum ............................................19
Financing Elections: New Rules?...................................19
N-F-P Sector
Desirable Qualities in Charities ......................................19
US N-F-Ps Survey: Target Your Donor ..........................19
Business
Jagged Recession Recovery Predicted .........................19
How Innovative are We? ................................................20
Latest NZ Commodity Prices .........................................20
Business Markets/Performance Information ..................20
Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946
Interim Credit Ratings Guidance ....................................20 Defence Update .............................................................28
Overseas Trade Surplus ................................................20 SIS Annual Report .........................................................28
Positive News for Manufacturing....................................20 Understanding Refugee Movement Patterns…..............28
Logistics Efficiency: A Moving Story...............................20 Long-Term Refugee Study Begins .................................29
Latest Perceptions of Asia Survey .................................21 Race Relations Day .......................................................29
“Supermarketisation” in Asia ..........................................21 Life for Disabled Maori: Report.......................................29
Immigration’s Impact on NZ Economy ...........................21 Guidelines for Disability-Assist Dogs..............................29
Gender and Land Rights Database................................29
Money Matters Some Conferences/Events ............................................29
Increased Benefit and Super Payments .........................21 Managing Soil Contamination .....................................29
Capital Markets: Action Plan ..........................................21 Rural General Practice Network Conference ..............29
Capital markets...........................................................22 National Not-For-Profit Conference ............................29
Derivatives ..................................................................22 Alcohol Causes Violence Conference.........................29
Kiwis Investing in US......................................................22 National Maori Housing Conference ...........................30
The “Rise of Wives”........................................................22 Meat & Wool NZ AGM ................................................30
Lottery Grants Report.....................................................22 HDC Medico-Legal Conference 2010 .........................30
Poverty in the Asia-Pacific..............................................22 Official Statistics Forum 2010 .....................................30
Checking for Gender Pay Gap .......................................22 Residents’ Groups Conference...................................30
Oz-NZ Double Tax Agreement.......................................22 Building Mental Health Bridges...................................30
E-engage Your Community Conference .....................30
Internet/ICT Biofuels and Electric Vehicles Conference .................30
Together We Can: Services for Older People.............30
NZ Cellphones Top 5 Million….......................................23
Working for Effective Employment Relationships .......30
with 5 Billion Globally…..................................................23
Funding/Awards Opportunities .......................................30
Global Internet Access Improves ...................................23
Youth Parliament ........................................................30
Recommendation on Mobile Termination.......................23
Recognising Natural Products ....................................31
Got a Mobile Phone Complaint? ....................................23
Youth Development Partnership Fund........................31
NZ Chinese-language TV...............................................23
Asia:NZ/AFS Educator Award.....................................31
Maori TV: Spectrum Proposal ........................................24
Health Graduates Bonding Scheme ...........................31
Teens & Social-Networking Sites… ...............................24
New Community Housing Fund ..................................31
A Handful of Websites....................................................24
Awards for Fundraising Excellence.............................31
Treaty Matters Lottery Grants .............................................................31
Steak of Origin 2010 ...................................................31
Latest Agreements in Principle.......................................25 Aquaculture Market Development Contestable Fund .32
Ngati Whatua o Kaipara and Ngati Manuhiri...............25 Fulbright-Harkness Fellowship....................................32
Te Hiku Forum ............................................................25 Fulbright-Creative NZ Writer's Residency...................32
Simultaneous Interpretation in Parliament .....................25 Mental Health Support Workers Training Grant ..........32
Racing Safety Development Fund ..............................32
Arts & Culture
Appointments..............................................................32
New Creative NZ Governance Proposed .......................25
Kiwi Film Wins Jury Prize… ...........................................25
Kiwi Wins Academy Award… .........................................25
Make a TV Documentary................................................25
Access to the Arts: Awards ............................................26
Pacific Music Awards Update.........................................26
Fish & Ships
Latest Commercial Fish Stocks Valuation ......................26
High Court Fishing Ruling ..............................................26
Fisheries Hotline Gets Results .......................................26
Science/Technology
Bioscience Sector Stats .................................................26
NZ and Japan Combined Quake Study..........................26
Friends of Cawthron.......................................................27
General
Seasonal Climate Outlook: March – May 2010 ..............27
National Population Growth Up ......................................27
Regional Population Projections ....................................27
Long Live the People .....................................................27
Concerns About NZ’s “Premature Ageing” .....................28
Study on Advanced Ageing ............................................28
Sallies’ State of Nation Report .......................................28

Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946 Rural Bulletin: March 2010 - 2

Consultation
Child and Family Protection
Bill
This Bill is aimed at providing greater protection for child
victims of domestic violence and at improving court
processes. Amongst the provisions, it would:
 allow a Family Court to make interim, or vary, orders
relating to a child’s care in certain circumstances
where no application has been filed;
 change the definition of violence in the principal Act
to clarify that all forms of violence means physical,
sexual, and psychological abuse;
 strengthen and make more flexible the protection for
children at risk of unlawful removal from NZ; and
 create a new offence under the Adoption Act 1955 of
improperly inducing consent for the adoption of a
child (punishable with of imprisonment of up to 7
years).
Submissions close on 1 April 2010. Two copies go to the Justice and
Electoral Committee, Parliament Buildings, Wellington. The Bill is at
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2009/0072/4.0/versions.
aspx
Victims Rights: Proposals
The Ministry of Justice has released a discussion paper
called “A Focus on Victims of Crime: A Review of Victims
Rights”. This outlines proposals aimed at improving the
way government agencies respond to victims of crime,
and enhancing victims' rights and role in criminal justice
processes. Amongst these are:
 a Victims Services Centre in the Ministry of Justice
would be set up to provide information for victims,
and to create a network of agencies providing
services to victims;
 a code of practice would be developed;
 prosecutors would be required to contact victims of
serious crimes before the first court hearing; and
discuss with them the need to amend charges;
 victims would be informed that they can seek name
suppression in certain circumstances;
 they would have greater access to restorative justice
processes;
 a Victims of Crime Complaints Officer position would
be established; and
 criminal justice agencies would be required to report
to Parliament each year about their responsibilities to
victims.
3 - Rural Bulletin: March 2010
The public will have another opportunity to make
submissions when the Bill is referred to a Parliamentary
Select Committee.
Submissions close on 31 March 2010. They go to Focus on Victims of
Crime, Ministry of Justice, PO Box 180, Wellington, email
VictimsRightsReview@justice.govt.nz. More is at
http://www.justice.govt.nz/policy-and-consultation/victims/enhancing-
victims-rights-review/documents/Victims-Consultation-Document.pdf
Effectiveness of Child
Offender Programmes’
This inquiry will examine how effective current
rehabilitation programmes and the care and protection
system are in addressing child offending.
Submissions close on 19 March 2010. Two copies go to the Social
Services Committee, Parliament Buildings Wellington. Access the
terms of reference from http://www.parliament.nz/en-
NZ/PB/SC/BusSum/2/2/e/00DBSCH_INQ_9724_1-Inquiry-into-the-
identification-rehabilitation.htm
Misuse of Drugs Act
The Law Commission has released an issues paper on
the review of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975. In it the
Commission proposes a new system requiring
manufacturers and importers to seek an approval for a
substance before it can be released onto the market. It
also proposes that there should be minimum controls
such as age and advertising restrictions that should apply
unless the substance is prohibited altogether.
Submissions close on 30 April 2010. Have your say via the Law
Commission’s online consultation website at www.talklaw.co.nz. More
is at
http://www.lawcom.govt.nz/ProjectPressReleases.aspx?ProjectID=143
Tree Weed Exemptions
The Government is consulting on proposed regulations
for allowing some tree weeds to be cleared without
penalty under the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). The
exemption would mean groups such as the Mid Dome
Wilding Trees Charitable Trust in Southland will be able to
continue its work in eradicating wilding pines from delicate
high country grasslands without facing financial penalties
under the ETS.
Submissions close on 29 March 2010. More is at
http://www.maf.govt.nz/mafnet/consultation.htm
Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946
Standards for Maori-Medium
Education
National Standards for Maori-medium education Nga
Whanaketanga Rumaki Maori have been developed in te
reo matatini (literacy) and pangarau (numeracy).
The Ministry of Education is currently consulting with
interested parties on:
 how parents would like to be informed of their child’s
progress and achievement in meeting these; and
 how they can be supported to assist with their child‘s
learning.
Consultations will be held during March to May 2010 (a series of
workshops is to be held throughout the country). Meeting and
workshop details will be at
http://www.minedu.govt.nz/theMinistry/Consultation/NgaWhanaketang
aRumakiMaori.aspx. Schools will also have details
NZ/India Free Trade
Agreement
Submissions are sought on:
 the potential benefits and risks of a free trade
agreement (FTA) with India, and the impact an FTA
with India would have on businesses;
 specific outcomes you would like to see from an FTA
with India; and
 any information that would help develop NZ’s
negotiating position.
Submissions close on 15 March 2010. They go to J Dow, email
joanne.dow@mfat.govt.nz, or use the online form. A related report is
at http://www.mfat.govt.nz/downloads/trade-agreement/india/nz-india-
joint-study-report.pdf
Anti-Counterfeiting Trade
Agreement
Submissions are sought on a range of intellectual
property proposals in the digital arena to help develop an
international Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement
(ACTA), which countries would be able to sign up to on a
voluntary basis.
The goal of ACTA is to respond to the increase in global
trade of counterfeit goods and pirated copyright protected
works by setting a new, higher, standard for enforcement
of intellectual property rights (IPRs).
This is the third round of public consultations on ACTA.
NZ will be hosting Round 8 of the ACTA negotiations in
Wellington from 12-16 April.
Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946
Submissions close on 31 March 2010. A discussion paper and details
about making a submission are at:
http://www.med.govt.nz/templates/MultipageDocumentTOC____42582
.aspx
National Soil Contamination
Standard?
The Ministry for the Environment (MfE) is consulting on
proposals for a National Environmental Standard for
assessing and managing contaminants in soil. The
standard, which would impact on new decisions and
resource consents, promotes sustainable management of
resources by:
 setting the standard at which land is considered safe
for human health; and
 making sure that contaminated land is identified and
assessed when it is being developed and made safe
for human use.
Submissions close on 19 April 2010. They go to MfE, PO Box 10362,
Wellington 6143, email standards@mfe.govt.nz. More is at
http://www.mfe.govt.nz/laws/standards/contaminants-in-soil/
Human Rights and the Treaty
The Human Rights Commission has proposed seven
priorities to improve the human rights of Maori in
accordance with international law and the Treaty of
Waitangi. In a discussion paper for the next NZ Action
Plan for Human Rights, the Commission calls for
constitutional arrangements to be examined, past
grievances to be settled promptly and fairly, and new
pathways to partnership and new forums for consultation
between the Crown and Tangata Whenua to be
developed. It also identifies the need to promote public
awareness of the Treaty and to build relationships
between Maori and non-Maori NZers at the community
level.
Submissions close on 19 March 2010. They go to Te Mana i Waitangi
report, PO Box 12411, Thorndon, Wellington 6144, email
treaty@hrc.co.nz. The paper is at
http://www.hrc.co.nz/hrc_new/hrc/cms/files/documents/27-Jan-
2010_13-00-02_HRC_Treaty_Report_web_FINAL.pdf
Joining the Student
Association
Under the Education (Freedom of Association)
Amendment Bill currently being consulted on, any student
at an institution would be able to decide whether or not to
join a students' association.
Rural Bulletin: March 2010 - 4
Submissions close on 31 March 2010. Two copies go to the Education
and Science Committee, Parliament Buildings, Wellington. The Bill is
at
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/member/2009/0075/3.0/viewpdf.aspx
Financial Service Providers
Bill
Public submissions are now being invited on the Financial
Service Providers (Pre-Implementation Adjustments) Bill.
This amends the Financial Advisers Act 2008 and the
Financial Service Providers (Registration and Dispute
Resolution) Act 2008 to make sure these Acts are in tune
with current policies and operate effectively.
Submissions close on 25 March 2010. Two copies go to the
Commerce Committee, Parliament Buildings, Wellington. The Bill is at
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2009/0109/latest/DLM26
07807.html
Price Fixing: Increased
Penalties?
A discussion paper looking at options for criminalising of
cartels has published for comment. Hard-core cartels are
formed when rival firms agree to not compete with each
other, and limit or remove competition that would provide
products at competitive prices. Amongst the options in the
discussion paper are: funding for more Commerce
Commission public awareness and enforcement;
rewarding whistleblowers; granting investigators covert
surveillance powers; increasing the level of financial
penalties; and including other penalties – i.e.
imprisonment.
Submissions close on 31 March 2010. They go to Cartel
Criminalisation, Ministry of Economic Development, PO Box 1473,
Wellington 6140, email cartels@med.govt.nz. The paper is at
http://www.med.govt.nz/templates/MultipageDocumentTOC____42186
.aspx
Fair Trading: Fundraising for
Charities
The Bill would require people who fundraise for charities
to make sure consumers know what portion of any
donation will be held back to cover fees. If more than half
of a donation is going to be kept by the fundraiser, they
would have to tell the donor exactly how much they are
keeping. The Bill doesn’t impose new obligations on
charities themselves, and any fundraising they carry out
using their own employees or volunteers will not be
affected.
5 - Rural Bulletin: March 2010
Submissions close on 19 March 2010. Two copies go to the
Commerce Committee, Parliament Buildings, Wellington. The Bill is at
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/member/2009/0102/3.0/versions.asp
x
Pharmac: Special Foods
Consultation
Pharmac is consulting on altering subsidies for special
foods – these foods are subsidised in the Pharmaceutical
Schedule for a wide range of medical conditions including
gluten intolerance, phenylketonuria (a genetic disease),
and as general nutritional supplements.
Submissions close on 19 March 2010. They go to
feedback@pharmac.govt.nz, or to PHARMAC, PO Box 10-254,
Wellington 6143. More is at
http://www.pharmac.govt.nz/patients/haveyoursay/consultation
Inland Revenue Consultations
The latest are:
 special depreciation rate for an item - estimated
useful life and lease terms (ref: INS0106): this
statement addresses whether a lease term is a
relevant factor in determining an item's estimated
useful life for the purposes of setting a special
depreciation rate; and
 automated dairy drafting systems – Depreciation
(ref ED0123): the Commissioner intends to set a
general economic depreciation rate for automated
dairy drafting systems.
Submissions on both drafts close on 26 March 2010. Email comments
to public.consultation@ird.govt.nz. The drafts can be viewed at:
http://www.ird.govt.nz/public-consultation/
Department of Labour
Consultations
The Department of Labour (DoL) wins the prize for most
consultations this month. It is currently consulting on:
 Personal Grievances: views are sought on the
personal grievance system operating under the
Employment Relations Act 2000. The Department of
Labour (DoL) particularly wants to hear about any
issues with this Act, improvements that may be
required, and the steps that might be needed to put
these in place, including whether any amendments to
the legislation are necessary (submissions close on
31 March 2010). Email them to
ERconsultation@dol.govt.nz or post them to Review
of Personal Grievances, Workplace Policy Group,
Department of Labour, PO Box 3705, Wellington.
Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946
 a review of Part 6A of the Employment Relations
Act 2000: The part affects industries such as
cleaning, food and laundry services, where work is
often contracted and the change of a contract can
create a restructuring or redundancy situation. The
review seeks the views of employers and employees
in affected industries about whether this law is
working (submissions close 12 March 2010); and
 new Rope Access & Abseiling Guidelines: DoL is
seeking input on new draft Industrial Rope Access
Best Practice Guidelines. These cover the rights and
responsibilities of people working in the rope
access/abseiling industry under the Health and
Safety in Employment Act 1992, current good
practice operating in within the industry in NZ, and
international best practice.
Also, a number of DoL’s Safety Codes and Guidelines are
also being reviewed or replaced, including:
 revising the Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) for
Boilers;
 replacing the Demolition Approved Code of
Practice with a Demolition Best Practice Guideline;
 replacing the Power-Operated Elevated Work
Platforms Approved Code of Practice with an
Elevated Work Platforms Best Practice Guideline;
 replacing the Safe use and Erection of Scaffolding
Approved Code of Practice with a Scaffolding Best
Practice Guideline;
 revising the Working in a Confined Space
Guideline;
 revising the Excavations and Shafts Approved
Code of Practice;
 revising the Passenger Ropeways Approved Code
of Practice;
 revising the Precast Concrete Approved Code of
Practice;
 revising the Pressure Equipment (excluding
Boilers) Approved Code of Practice;
 revising the Trees Code Part 1 - Arboriculture
Approved Code of Practice;
 revising the Trees Code Part 2 – Maintenance
around power lines Approved Code of Practice;
 revising the Trees Code Part 3 – River and Stream
Operations Approved Code of Practice;
 revising the Trees Code Part 4 – Helicopter
Logging Approved Code of Practice;
 revising the Trees Code Part 5 – Timber Stacking,
Packeting and Transportation Approved Code of
Practice; and
 revising the Forestry Operations Approved Code
of Practice.
Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946
Submissions on all consultations bar the first two close on 9 April
2010. Email them to demi.naylor@dol.govt.nz, or post them to D
Naylor, Senior Advisor, Standard Setting, Department of Labour, PO
Box 3705, Wellington 6140. A response form is at
http://www.dol.govt.nz/consultation/industrial-rope-access/irag-
responseform.doc . More on all consultations is at
www.dol.govt.nz/consultation
Standards NZ Consultations
The latest are (closing dates are in brackets):
 DZ3604: timber framed buildings (7 April 2010); and
 DZ4512: fire detection and alarm systems in
buildings (11 March 2010).
More, including online comment forms, is at
http://www.standards.co.nz/draft-standards/new-zealand-
standards/?action=browseDrafts&draftTypeId=1&mod=drafts
ERMA Consultations
The Environmental Risk Management Authority is
consulting on (submission closing dates are in brackets):
http://www.dbh.govt.nz/building-and-construction-
quarterly-report-1 - top
 ERMA200253: to import or manufacture Ovuplant
Implants 2.1 mg, as subcutaneous implants for the
timing of ovulation in oestrus mares, and Suprelorin
Implants 4.7 mg, as subcutaneous implant to render
male dogs temporarily infertile for a minimum of 6
months (30 March 2010);
 ERMA200339: to import or manufacture Headway
containing azoxystrobin and propiconazole for use as
a fungicide on amenity turf for the control of foliar,
stem and root diseases(26 March 2010);
 ERMA200266: to manufacture Premix B and Premix
BR as intermediate products in the manufacture of
wood preservative solutions (19 March 2010); and
 HSR08030: to issue a group standard for
pharmaceutical active ingredients intended for use in
the manufacture of human pharmaceutical medicines
(16 March 2010).
Submissions go to ERMA New Zealand, PO Box 131, Wellington
6140, email submissions@ermanz.govt.nz. More is at
http://www.ermanz.govt.nz/consultations/consult-apps.html
LINZ Consultations
Land Information NZ (LINZ) is currently consulting on:
 the preliminary proposal for the Mt Nimrod Pastoral
Lease tenure review; and
 the preliminary proposal for the Glentanner Pastoral
Lease tenure review.
Rural Bulletin: March 2010 - 6
Submissions close on 12 March 2010, Send Mt Nimrod submissions
to: M Todd, PO Box 1482, Christchurch 8140, email
mike.todd@opus.co.nz, and Glentanner submissions to: the
Commissioner of Crown Lands, C/- Darroch, PO Box 27, email
ken.taylor@darroch.co.nz. More is at http://www.linz.govt.nz/about-
linz/news-publications-and-consultations/consultation-projects-and-
reviews/index.aspx
Biosecurity NZ Consultations
They are:
 Importation of Dried and Preserved Plant Material
Import Health Standards.
Submissions close on 1 April 2010. They go to
plantimports@maf.govt.nz, or to Plant Imports, Biosecurity NZ,
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, PO Box 2526, Wellington. A
discussion paper is at
http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/files/biosec/consult/draft-bnz-dppp-
imprt-dis-doc.pdf
 Import Health Standard for milk and milk
products for human consumption for the
European Union and Switzerland Import Health
Standards.
Submissions close on 19 March 2010. They go to
Mey.Chan@maf.govt.nz, or to M Chan, Border Standards Directorate,
Biosecurity NZ, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, PO Box 2526,
Wellington. More is at
http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/biosec/consult/draft-ihs-daiediic.eec
 Updated containment standards for new
organisms held by zoos. This is split into two
documents: the standard itself and a reference
document which outlines how outcomes can be met
and the approval procedures.
Submissions close on 9 April 2010. They go to Animal Imports &
Exports Group, Biosecurity New Zealand, Ministry of Agriculture and
Forestry, PO Box 2526, Wellington, attn: S Aitken, email
sally.aitken@maf.govt.nz. The standard is at
http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/files/biosec/consult/draft-containment-
standard.pdf. The reference document is at
http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/files/biosec/consult/draft-containment-
standard-ref-doc.pdf
Standards for Enrolled Nurses
The Nursing Council of NZ is revising the standards for
education programmes for enrolled nurses, and your
views are sought. The changes that have been made are
based on the feedback the Council received during its
consultation on the scopes of practice in 2009.
7 - Rural Bulletin: March 2010
Submissions close on 15 March 2010. They go to
Jessica@nursingcouncil.org.nz, or to J Wood, Professional Standards
Section, Nursing Council of NZ, PO Box 9644, Wellington 6141. More
is on the Council’s website at http://www.nursingcouncil.org.nz/
Electricity Commission’s Data
Security
The Electricity Commission has published a discussion
paper called “Security, Web Services, and EIEP Data
Exchange”. The paper addresses data exchange issues
affecting Commission software and participant processes,
and also includes options for ways participants’ internal
processes and firewall systems might operate.
Submissions close on 19 March 2010. Email them to
submissions@electricitycommission.govt.nz with “Security, Web
Services, and EIEP Data Exchange” in the subject header, or post
them to L DuFall, Electricity Commission, PO Box 10041. More is at
http://www.electricitycommission.govt.nz/consultation/security-web-
EIEP/view
Reducing Toothpaste Red
Tape
Cuts to red tape encompassing some fluoride toothpastes
and anti-dandruff shampoos are proposed under an
update to medicine regulations proposed in a paper
released by the Ministry of Health. Fluoride toothpastes
and anti-dandruff shampoos currently have to be
approved before they can be marketed. The changes
would mean that toothpastes and anti-dandruff products
commonly sold in supermarkets would no longer be
regulated under medicines legislation, bringing NZ into
line with most other countries.
Submissions close on 26 March. They go to Regulations under the
Medicines Act 1981 Consultation, Policy Unit, Health and Disability
Systems Strategy Directorate, Ministry of Health, PO Box 5013,
Wellington 6145, email medregs@moh.govt.nz. More is at
http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/pagesmh/9969/$File/consultation-
proposed-amendmentsmedact-feb10-feb10.pdf
Rural
Rabobank’s Agriculture in
Focus
According to Rabobank’s NZ Agriculture in Focus report,
2010 looks set be a more positive year for NZ agriculture
– especially dairy and sheepmeat. The report says that
global economic recovery continues to gain momentum,
positively impacting on food prices and strengthening
household consumption, against backdrop of restricted
world supply. However, the report say it will take some
Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946
time for agriculture to fully recover from the walloping it
received over the past 18 months, and some sectors are
not going to perform as well as others.
More is at http://www.rabobank.co.nz/Research/Pages/Research-
index.asp
Farm Day: Discover the
Country
Federated Farmers is inviting all NZers to visit a farm on
28 March and see for themselves what farmers do and
how they do it. Around the country farmers are opening
their farm doors, so people / families from all walks of life
can try their hand at farm work, ask questions (no
questions are off limits), and have fun.
More, including contact details for the 23 Federated Farmers’ farm
venues, is at www.farmday.org.nz
Farm Workers Pay in 2010
The 2010 Federated Farmers/Rabobank Farm Employee
Remuneration Report shows:
 average wages and salaries increased highest in the
arable sector (up 8.1%), followed by sheep and beef
(up 4.4%) and dairy (up 2.1%);
 farm workers earned an average salary of $43,294
(up 3.3% in the year to October 2009); and
 casual skilled employees earned, on average, $19.80
per hour (down 1%) while unskilled casual staff
earned $16.96 per hour (down 5%). Casual rates
remain highest in the North Island.
The report is on the members’ area of the Federated Farmers website.
Non-members can purchase it from http://www.fedfarm.org.nz/ourshop
or tel 0800 327 646
More Dairy Cows than NZers
Statistics NZ says NZ's dairy cattle numbers hit a record
high of 5.8 million in 2009, 4% higher than in 2008.
Numbers in the sheep-breeding flock have declined since
the 1980s. In 2009, 23.9 million ewes and ewe hoggets
were mated, slightly more than half of the 42.5 million
mated in 1989. However, there has been an increase in
the lambing percentage.
Beef and deer numbers at 30 June 2009 posted flat or
reduced figures. Beef cattle numbered 4.1 million in 2009,
similar to the previous year. Deer numbers were
estimated at 1.2 million, down 6% than in the previous
year.
The Agricultural Production Statistics: June 2009 (provisional) results
are at
http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/industry_sectors/agriculture/
AgriculturalProduction_MRJun09prov.aspx
Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946
New Welfare Code - Dairy
Cattle
The Animal Welfare (Dairy Cattle) Code of Welfare 2010
sets down minimum standards for the farming of dairy
cattle. It provides clear guidelines about the handling and
management of dairy cattle that leave farmers in no doubt
about the standards of welfare they should meet.
The code covers all areas of dairy cattle management
from stockmanship and husbandry practices, to food and
water, shade and shelter, and health.
The Animal Welfare (Dairy Cattle) Code of Welfare 2010 is available
online at http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/regs/animal-
welfare/stds/codes or by request from animalwelfare@maf.govt.nz
New Wind Farm Noise
Standard
A new Acoustics – Wind Farm Noise Standard (NZS
6808:2010) provides communities, councils, and
developers with ways of predicting, measuring, and
assessing sound from wind farms. It also recommends
limits on wind farm noise.
Order copies from www.standards.co.nz, email
enquiries@standards.co.nz, tel 0800 782 632. A factsheet is at
www.windenergy.org.nz/documents/factsheets/nzs6808.pdf
Kiwi Wineries Report Card…
Results of the third annual Deloitte financial
benchmarking survey for vintage 2008 have shown that
the NZ wine industry was stable financially for the period
surveyed. However, the results were not as positive as in
the previous survey, suggesting that the NZ may yet
encounter the effects of oversupply that have hit the
Australian wine industry in recent years. The survey also
showed that NZ’s top industry issues in the past three
years have been surprisingly consistent with previous
years.
The full NZ survey report is available on www.deloitte.co.nze Deloitte
Australian Vintage 2008 survey – which is available on
www.wfa.org.au
…& Slightly Smaller 2010
Harvest
The 2010 NZ grape harvest is expected to be slightly
smaller than the 2009 vintage, according to the NZ
Winegrowers’ annual pre-vintage survey. Harvest
expectations are for between 265,000 and 285,000
tonnes of grapes this year (both 2009 and 2008 saw
285,000 tonnes of grapes harvested). This year’s vintage
will be produced from around 33,000 hectares of grapes,
up 2,000 hectares from last year.
Rural Bulletin: March 2010 - 8
A National Wool
Organisation?
An independent expert is to be appointed to work on
forming a single body for the NZ wool industry, after 35
sector leaders agreed to adopt the recommendations of
the Wool Taskforce report “Restoring Profitability to the
Strong Wool Sector”. This included a proposal to form a
“single voice” to act on behalf of the industry.
The Wool Taskforce’s report is at
http://www.maf.govt.nz/mafnet/sectors/fibres/wool.html
Rural Property Market Dips
Latest figures released from the Real Estate Institute of
NZ (REINZ) show the rural property market continues to
dip on the back of ongoing low dairy farm sales. The total
number of farms sold in the three months to January 2010
was down to 208 (by comparison, 305 and 732 farms sold
in the three months to January 2009 and January 2008,
respectively). Only seven dairy farms sold in the month of
January (normally a prime time for selling dairy farms).
Lifestyle property sales continue to perform strongly, with
turnover and prices holding reasonably steady.
You can download a lot more information (as PDF files) from the
media release, which can be found at
http://www.reinz.co.nz/Reinz/index.cfm?C098EA2A-E298-5EDA-
3ABC-A2FD95493308&obj_uuid=D8BA2CCB-18FE-7E88-42CC-
9867B9B7000A
More with Ag ITO
Qualifications
The Agriculture Industry Training Organisation says that
over 12,000 people completed work towards national
qualifications in the agriculture and water reticulation and
treatment industries in 2009. The number of people in
training was slightly down, at 12,378 compared to 12,644
in 2008, but the number of national certificates issued
was higher, at 4,953 compared to 4,575.
West Coast Forest Strategy
The future strategy for the Crown's West Coast plantation
forests was recently released. It includes improving
financial returns through increased on-Coast sales of
unpruned logs, removing the most remote and least
productive areas of the estate, and investigating outright
sale of the forests with landowner Ngai Tahu (which has a
right of first refusal).
More is at http://www.maf.govt.nz/forestry/publications/west-coast-
review.pdf
9 - Rural Bulletin: March 2010
Environment
Penalties for Late Resource
Consents
New regulations penalising local authorities for late
consent processing are to be introduced. Under these,
councils would have to provide a discount of 25% for a
consent one week late, with a 5% added for each
additional week late, up to a maximum of 80%. The
regulations will also set out ways of determining who was
at fault.
The move follows a report on resource consent
processing last year which identified that 31% of resource
consents were processed late and another 28% involved
an extension of time.
The aim is to have the regulations in place by 1 July
2010.
For more information, go to
http://www.mfe.govt.nz/rma/central/regulations.html
Zealandia Eco-sanctuary: UK
Award
Wellington's award-winning Zealandia eco-sanctuary has
been selected by UK newspaper “The Guardian” as one
of the top 75 green tourism companies in the world. The
Guardian Green Travel List 2010 is the inaugural list of 75
companies worldwide that have shown evidence of
commitment to community, place and the environment.
Zealandia was one of two companies in NZ to be listed.
The other was Wilderness Lodges, which provides luxury
eco-lodge accommodation in the South Island.
NZ’s Greenest Building
Christchurch’s new Civic Building has been awarded the
highest possible rating for environmental design by the
NZ Green Building Council (NZGBC): the maximum six
Green Star Office Design rating. Green Star is a national,
voluntary environmental rating scheme that evaluates the
environmental attributes and performance of NZ’s
buildings. It was developed by the NZGBC in partnership
with the building industry.
More about the Green Star rating system is at
http://www.nzgbc.org.nz/main/. More on the Civic Building is at
http://www.ccc.govt.nz/cityleisure/projectstoimprovechristchurch/newci
vicbuilding/index.aspx
Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946
Hauraki Gulf Marine Park:
Expansion
New additions to the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park to mark its
10th anniversary include over 300 parcels of land in
Waitakere City Council and coastal parks and reserves
bordering the Waitemata Harbour, from Whenuapai in the
north to Kelston in the south east.
The marine park consists of 1.2 million hectares including
marine reserves and more than 50 islands within the Gulf,
the most well known of these being Tiritiri Matangi,
Rangitoto and Motutapu Islands, Great Barrier Island, and
Kawau Island.
A press release is at
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/hauraki+gulf+marine+park+marks+
10+years
Canterbury/Far Nth Council
Reviews
The findings of two independent reviews initiated towards
the end of last year last year into the performances of
Environment Canterbury and the Far North District
Council have been released. Both cover resource
consenting processes. The Environment Canterbury
review was broadened to include Local Government Act
issues, and the adequacy of the current planning systems
for delivering the objectives of the Canterbury Water
Management Strategy (Canterbury has around 70% of
NZ’s managed water).
The reports are on the Ministry for the Environment website at
http://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/rma/investigation-performance-
environment-canterbury/index.html and
http://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/rma/review-far-north-dc-consent-
performance/index.html
Tourism
January Numbers: Tourism
Record
Statistics NZ says that visitor arrivals numbered 256,700
in January 2010, the highest total recorded for a January
month. The number of international visitors increased by
12,600 (5%) from January 2009. The main contributor to
the increase was more visitors from Australia (up 13,000
or 16%).
There were 2.471 million visitor arrivals in the January
2010 year, 22,000 (1%) more than the 2.449 million in the
January 2009 year and similar to the 2.472 million in the
year ended January 2008. Visitors from Australia were up
117,700 (12%) for the year, but this was offset by large
decreases in visitors from the United Kingdom, Japan,
Korea, and China.
Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946
More is at
http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/population/Migration/Interna
tionalTravelAndMigration_MRJan10.aspx
Tourist Spend Up in 2009
International tourism spending in the 2009 calendar year
increased by 4%, reaching $6.2 billion, according to the
latest Ministry of Tourism figures. Australia was the star
performer, with spending increasing by 11.6% to $1.8
billion. Spending from other key long-haul markets were:
UK (down 11% to $812 million); US (down 3.2% to $597
million); Japan (down 9.6% to $379 million); South Korea
(down 3.3% to $193 million); Germany (up 22.5% spend
increase to$293 million); and China (up by 27% to $337
million).
More is at http://www.tourismresearch.govt.nz/
Accommodation Survey*:
December 2009
Overnight stays in commercial accommodation were up
4% in December 2009 compared with the previous
December, Statistics NZ said recently. The increase was
mainly due to 7% more international guest nights.
Domestic guest nights were up 3%. Despite the increase
in December, guest nights for 2009 were still down 1%
compared with 2008. This fall was mainly due to a 3%
drop in international guest nights last year, although
domestic guest nights were also down slightly. *The
accommodation survey records guests staying in hotels,
motels, backpackers, and holiday parks in NZ each
month.
More is at
http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/tourism/accommodation/Acc
ommodation-Survey_MRDec09.aspx
Holiday Park Spending
Visitors to NZ’s holiday parks are spending more than
they used to: an average of just over $98 per person each
day. According to new research carried out for the
Holiday Accommodation Parks Assn (HAPNZ), each NZ
visitor to a holiday park spends nearly $75 each day,
while international travellers visiting holiday parks spend
more than $160 a day.
More is at http://www.hapnz.co.nz/
Rural Bulletin: March 2010 - 10

Cycle Routes Selected
Thirteen cycle route projects have been chosen to go
through to stage two of the next funding round of The NZ
Cycle Trail Project. They are in Tauranga,
Opotiki/Gisborne, Rotorua, Taupo, Ruapehu, Hawkes
Bay, Nelson/Tasman, Westport, Greymouth, Mt Cook,
Queenstown, Clutha, and Central Otago. Feasibility
studies will now be undertaken, and, if all thirteen are
constructed they will, together with Quick Start trails
provide a network of around 2,000 kilometres of cycle
rides.
Health & Welfare
ACC Law Passes Third
Reading
The law changes include:
 extending full funding date from 2014 to 2019;
 reducing cover for seasonal and part-time workers
and people with gradual workplace conditions;
 deducting previous holiday pay from weekly
compensation;
 reversing vocational rehabilitation changes;
 restricting cover for hearing loss;
 scrapping cover for suicide and people hurt while
committing a serious crime;
 strengthening disentitlements for criminals;
 enabling safety incentives for employers and vehicle
owners;
 tightening the test for requiring people to return to
work; and
 requiring more open reporting on ACC's finances.
A Beehive release is at
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/minister+welcomes+acc+reform+bi
ll+report+back+0
Adventure/Outdoor
Industries: Safety Reports
The Department of Labour has released three reports on
safety in the adventure and outdoor industries. They
include risk management and safety in NZ’s adventure
and outdoor commercial sectors; a look at other countries’
safety management systems; and a summary
consultation report.
The NZ report profiles the industry here, looks at accident
and injuries, reporting, investigations and enforcement,
safety management, the responsibilities of government
agencies, and consumer education.
11 - Rural Bulletin: March 2010
The international one considers risk and safety
management in Australia, the United Kingdom, Ireland,
France, Switzerland, Canada, Norway, Costa Rica, the
US, Chile, India, and Brazil.
The reports are available at www.dol.govt.nz/news/adventure.asp
New Health Safety
Commission
The Government is setting up a stand-alone, clinically-led
government agency to focus on quality and safety in
frontline health services. Called the Quality and Safety
Improvement Commission, it will replace the Quality
Improvement Committee, and will be responsible for
quality and safety across the whole health sector,
including primary care and private hospitals.
The Commission will set quality and safety guidelines and
standards, provide education and benchmarking, and
publish reports on quality and safety indicators in health
services.
“Superbugs” and Antibiotics;
the Link
For years, doctors have warned patients to finish their
antibiotic prescriptions or risk a renewed infection by a
"superbug" that can mount a more powerful defence
against the same drug. A new study by Boston University
biomedical engineers indicates that treating bacteria with
levels of antibiotics insufficient to kill them produces
germs that are cross-resistant to a wide range of
antibiotics.
The research details for the first time the “biomolecular”
process that produces superbugs. When administered in
lethal levels, antibiotics trigger a fatal chain reaction within
the bacteria that shreds the cell's DNA. But, when the
level of antibiotic is less than lethal the same reaction
causes DNA mutations that are not only survivable, but
actually protect the bacteria from many antibiotics, not
just the one it was exposed to. In effect, what doesn't kill
the bacteria makes them stronger.
We’re Drinking & Smoking
Less
The total volume of alcoholic beverage available for
consumption declined 3.1%, to 471 million litres during
the 2009 year, the first fall following eight years of annual
increases, Statistics NZ said recently.
Beer is still the most popular alcoholic drink in NZ,
although it drove the decline in alcoholic beverage
volumes. Spirits and spirit-based drinks now represent
15% of the total volume of alcoholic drinks available for
consumption, while wine represents 20%, up from 19% in
2008. The volume of pure alcohol available per person
aged 15 years and over decreased 2.4% from 2008, to
9.3 litres in 2009.
Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946
The number of cigarettes available for consumption in
2009 also dropped, down 4.5%, to 2.4 billion. This is the
first time since 2003 that a fall in tobacco has coincided
with a fall in available cigarettes.
More is at
http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/alcohol_and_tobacco/alcoh
ol_and_tobacco_availability/Alcohol-and-
Tobacco_MRYearendedDec09.aspx
Understanding Health
Information/Services
A report from the Ministry of Health called "Korero
Marama: Health Literacy and Maori", indicates more
needs to be done to improve the health literacy of NZers.
Health literacy is the degree to which people are able to
obtain, process and understand health information and
services. People with poor health literacy skills are likely
to have less knowledge of their illness, treatment and
medicines; less likely to manage their long-term/chronic
conditions and to use prevention services; more likely to
use emergency services; and more likely to be
hospitalised.
The research suggests a collaborative approach to build
health literacy is required.
The report is available on the Maori Health website
www.maorihealth.govt.nz
Revised Tsunami Plan…
The Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management
has published a tsunami plan setting out national
procedures for when a tsunami warning or advisory is
issued. This explains the possible sources of tsunami that
could reach NZ, risks to different parts of the country,
response times, and responsibilities of national and
regional agencies. It also sets out the information that is
to be provided in official warnings/advisories.
Communities and families still need to have their own
household and workplace emergency plans, covering
what the family will do if a tsunami warning is issued.
The Ministry also provides public education information
through its Get Ready Get Thru programme, GNS
Science provides scientific information, and regional and
local information is available from the 16 regional civil
defence emergency management groups around the
country and their associated local authorities.
Download the revised plan from
http://www.civildefence.govt.nz/memwebsite.NSF/wpg_URL/For-the-
CDEM-Sector-Publications-National-Tsunami-Advisory-and-Warning-
Plan?OpenDocument
Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946
…& Tsunami Research: Can
You Help?
GNS Science is asking people who experienced the
recent tsunami to send in their videos and fill out an on-
line survey outlining their observations. It says the chance
to collect eye-witness accounts, videos and photos of a
tsunami arriving in NZ is a rare one, and it offers the
opportunity to collect useful information for research.
You can visit the GeoNet website www.geonet.org.nz and read a news
article called “Chile Tsunami Survey”, describing how to participate in
the survey and how to share photos and videos
Research Recommends Bums
Off Seats
A recent report reviewing a number of studies, has
indicated that inactivity (in particular prolonged periods
spent sitting) increases the risk of obesity, heart disease,
and diabetes - even if you exercise regularly.
The report’s recommendations about what people can do
to be more active in the workplace include:
 using vertical or height-adjustable work stations so
employees can stand for part of the day while
working on computers;
 encouraging staff to “walk and talk” by moving about
the workplace while communicating and talking face
to face rather than using phones and emails; and
 encouraging desk-bound employees to take breaks
and move around.
Recommendations for expending more energy at home
include:
 watching less TV or getting up and active in the ad
breaks;
 viewing household chores as an excuse to expend
energy;
 reassessing whether you need all those labour
saving devices (for instance, why not ditch the
remote and open the garage door manually); and
 when socialising with friends, consider options that
include movement like grabbing a coffee-to-go and
walking while you talk.
Community & Mobile Dental
Clinics
The Ministry of Health and district health boards (DHBs)
have set a target of raising access to free dental checks
and other services to 50% for 0 to 2-year-old children,
and to 85% for 3 to 4-year-old children.
The DHBs have been given $116 million to refurbish
some dental clinics, build new community-based clinics,
and buy mobile clinics over the next three to five years.
Rural Bulletin: March 2010 - 12

The Ministry of Health's ‘Lets Talk Teeth' website
(http://www.letstalkteeth.co.nz) provides information on accessing free
dental services and also oral hygiene tips for families
Dementia Services Report
A new NZ Council of Christian Social Services (NZCCSS)
report called “Working Together We Can Respond to
Dementia: future directions for services for dementia”
says that fair and compassionate responses to the
increasing number of people living with dementia will
require changes to existing services.
The report sees Kaumatua support and chaplaincy as
essential in these services. Other recommendations
include taking a community development approach to
service development that could include intergenerational
housing, a public education programme to de-stigmatise
dementia, an increased range of culturally-specific
services for Maori, Pacific and Asian communities, more
high-level residential care, and dementia-specific home
support and respite services.
The report is at http://www.nzccss.org.nz/site/page.php?page_id=122
Education/Training
School Trustee Elections
Coming Up
The common date for the 2010 triennial school trustee
elections is set for 7 May 2010. Sixty percent of school
trustees are planning to re-stand in the elections (this is a
higher percentage than has been reported in the past),
with a further 10% yet to make up their mind. Overall,
93% of trustees described their experience as a school
trustee as very positive (58%) or positive (35%) while only
1.4% had negative feelings about the trustees
experience.
More is at
http://www.nzsta.org.nz/RexDefault.aspx?PageID=4d1f8228-4646-
4e9a-a74d-ffe08c1bdad6
Reducing Truancy
An additional $4 million per year in funding to help
schools reduce truancy rates is to go towards:
 enabling more schools to use electronic attendance
registers, so they can quickly identify casual truants
before they become regular truants;
 encouraging more schools to implement the Early
Notification System, which automatically sends a text
message to parents whose children are missing from
school without explanation; and
13 - Rural Bulletin: March 2010
 reducing the time it takes to get non-enrolled
students back into school.
Funding has also been set aside to help schools
prosecute parents of children who are persistently truant.
Results of the Ministry of Education’s 2009 truancy survey
show that just over 30,000 students are truant from state
and state-integrated schools on any given day (figures
are similar to those in the 2006 survey).
The 2009 truancy survey is at
http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/series/2503/71220
Student Loans Bill Passed
A Student Loan Scheme (Exemptions and Miscellaneous
Provisions) Amendment Bill makes interest-free loans
available (under certain conditions) to borrowers who live
in countries that are part of the Realm of NZ - Niue, the
Cook Islands, Tokelau, or the Ross Dependency.
Other matters contained in the bill include a change that
will allow Inland Revenue to increase the standard
repayment deduction rate from 10% to 15% where
borrowers have failed to have the correct deductions
made; changes to hardship relief provisions; and interest-
free loans for borrowers who return to NZ and fully repay
their loan before they have been back 183 days.
A press release is at
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/dunne+welcomes+passage+stude
nt+loans+bill
Gym/Mall Creches: Law
Change
The current requirement for Limited Attendance Centres
(LACs) to be licensed as early childhood education
providers is to be removed. At the moment, short-term
childcare centres are subject to the same strict licensing
regulations as early childhood education centres. The
change recognises that parents generally expect short-
term childcare centres at malls and gyms to provide a
babysitting service rather than an education.
More is available from your local Ministry of Education office
Education Building
Programme
Five new schools are currently being built, and
construction has also begun on 48 of 85 school
refurbishment and maintenance projects. About $3 million
from an additional $9 million for special schools has been
allocated, and spending on trades academies is also
underway.
Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946

Employment
More Skilled Job Vacancies
A 1.7% increase in job advertisements for skilled
employees in the three months to the end of January
2010 may be an early indication of brighter times ahead in
the job market. The figure comes from Jobs Online, the
Department of Labour’s monitoring of job vacancies
advertised on the Internet.
Jobs Online was launched in December 2009 and collates data from
NZ’s leading online advertisers Trade Me, Herald Jobs, and Seek. The
Jobs Online monthly report can be found at
http://dol.govt.nz/publications/jol/report/index.asp
Expected NZ HR Trends for
2010
Despite the recent volatility of the unemployment rate, job
advertisements are on the rise in 2010, according to
recruitment & HR services company, Randstad. These
are the likely trends expected in 2010:
 2010 may be a year where more colleagues come
and go and new opportunities and challenges
present themselves for those who remain in their
jobs;
 bosses are predicted to look at ways to boost morale,
strengthen teams and reconnect team members to
feel positive about work again;
 learning & development programmes will become
even more of a focus in 2010, as businesses realise
the value of mentoring and coaching staff;
 leaders will be out to prove their worth following the
cynicism about executive salaries and huge bonuses
that came to the fore in 2009;
 an ever-present issue for businesses of all sizes and
across all sectors is managing people and
productivity, and 2010 will be no different;
 for mature-aged workers, more opportunities may
present themselves in 2010 as companies again look
at ways to employ people who can offer experience
and are flexible in the way they are able to work;
 with an increased focus expected on hiring the right
candidates in 2010, there may be more psychometric
testing in interviews to help build a more complete
picture of a person’s personality and work style
before making a choice;
 although salary freezes may thaw, employees can’t
expect a pay rise early in 2010. Some bonuses or
salaries may not increase until third or fourth quarter
of 2010;
 just like holding on to staff, attracting new staff will be
highly important in 2010; and
Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946
 job shortages may continue in some sectors – some
industries will not escape the downturn as quickly as
others do.
Pacific Women’s Work
Amongst the findings in a Department of Labour (DoL)
report entitled “Pacific Women’s Work Report”:
 the labour market participation rate for Pacific women
(59.2%) is slightly lower than the rate for all NZ
women (62.7%), but the Pacific women
unemployment rate (12.6%) is over twice as high as
the rate for women in general (5.8%);
 the most common occupations for NZ-born Pacific
women were clerical/administrative workers and
sales workers, while overseas-born Pacific women
were most likely to work as labourers or community
and personal service workers; and
 the employment of Pacific women grew in every
industry over the period 2001 to 2006, reflecting their
increasing significance in all areas of the labour
force; and
More details are at
http://www.mpia.govt.nz/publications/Pacific%20Womens%20Work%2
0Report.pdf
2009 Mainstream Awards
The Mainstream Awards acknowledge employers who
have a record in creating successful job placements for
disabled people. They are aimed at encouraging other
state sector employers to follow suit. The 2009
Mainstream winners include:
 Mainstream Employer of the Year 2009: NZ
Defence Force (Wellington);
 Mainstream Employer of the Year Runner up
2009: Bay of Plenty District Health Board (Tauranga);
 Mainstream Placement Specialist of the Year
2009: Tony Pike (Workwise Rotorua); and
 Mainstream Placement Specialist of the Year
Special Merit 2009: Denise Kelly (Work and Income
Dunedin) and Sandy Nicol (RNZFB Dunedin); and
More is at http://www.msd.govt.nz/what-we-can-do/disability-
services/mainstream
What Annoys Office Workers
Grumpy colleagues, slow computers, and office jargon
are the things that annoy workers most, according to a
recent UK survey.
The Top 10 office annoyances were: grumpy or moody
colleagues (37%); slow computers (36); small talk/gossip
in the office (19); the use of office jargon or management-
speak (18); people speaking loudly on the phone (18); too
much health and safety in the work place (16); poor toilet
Rural Bulletin: March 2010 - 14
etiquette (16); people not turning up for meetings on time
or at all (16); people not tidying up after themselves in the
kitchen (15); and too cold/cold air conditioning (15).
And, the most hated jargon: Thinking outside the box
(21%); Let's touch base (20); Blue sky thinking (19);
Blamestorming (16) (sitting down and working out whose
fault something is); Drill down to a more granular level
(15) (Look into something in more detail); Let's not throw
pies in the dark (15) (we need a plan rather than a
haphazard approach); I've got that on my radar (13);
Push the envelope (12); Bring your A-game (11) (Be
ready to do something to best of ability); and Get all your
ducks in a row (11).
More is at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35328493/ns/business-
careers/
Housing
Many Buildings, One
Consent…
A new National Multiple-use Approval Service for volume
builders called MultiProof fast-tracks building consents for
standard, multiple-use building designs. Volume builders
can now apply to the Department of Building and Housing
for MultiProof approval to certify a building design for
multiple use that meets building code requirements. Until
now volume builders have been required to have the
same design assessed and approved each time it is used.
…& Benefits of “Lifemark”
The housing sector could save up to $60 million a year by
choosing a new design and build approach, according to
a report by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD).
The analysis reveals private homeowners, taxpayers,
housing developers, and government could benefit from
significant savings if Lifemark (the building sector’s
equivalent to Tourism NZ’s Qualmark) was incorporated
into new home design.
Homes awarded the Lifemark have 33 design features
including a level entry, widened doors and passageways,
all aimed at making the house accessible for everyone
and easy to adapt as residents’ needs change over time.
More information is at
http://www.lifemark.co.nz/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=LnBnlHFdAeY%3d
&tabid=311
15 - Rural Bulletin: March 2010
Plumbers / Gasfitters /
Drainlayers: New Law
The purpose of this Act, scheduled to come into force on
1 April 2010, is to protect the health and safety of the
public by making sure the people who provide plumbing,
gasfitting, and drainlaying services are competent. It
introduces competence-based licensing for plumbers and
drainlayers, and greater accountability and transparency
for the Plumber, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board.
More, including a copy of the Act itself, is at
http://www.dbh.govt.nz/plumbers-gasfitters-drainlayers
Review of State Housing
A new Housing Shareholders Advisory Group has been
set up to give the Government advice on:
 the most effective and efficient way of delivering state
housing services to those most in need;
 productive and innovative ways to use current social
housing assets; and
 ways of clearly measuring achievements.
The group is also asked to provide a vision for state
housing delivery, and a clear plan over the next three to
five years. Their report is due at the end of April 2010.
The Terms of Reference for the group are at www.dbh.govt.nz/news-
terms-of-reference-hsag
Update on Housing Corp
Homes
Housing NZ has built 87 new houses, finished 2695
upgrades, and describes a further 1,659 properties as
being "work in progress". Work will begin soon on a
further 6,000 more houses.
All up, the work on HCNZ housing has resulted in 1,265
full-time and 336 part-time jobs.
Insulation Installation
Complication? Reparation
Results from audits carried out by the Energy Efficiency
and Conservation Authority (EECA) have indicated that a
small number of houses have had issues with the way
their insulation was installed. They include ceiling
insulation incorrectly laid over recessed downlights,
unflued extractor fans or other heat sources (which can
cause a fire risk), and work that was not up to standard. If
you have any concerns about insulation installed in your
home:
Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946
 contact the company that did the work for you and
talk it through with them. They may be able to help
you over the phone, or they may want to come to
your house to deal with the issue;
 ask them for your “post-installation audit” which is the
document they sign off to say your home has been
done properly; and
 check that the Service Provider puts any problems
right within 20 working days.
More is at http://www.eeca.govt.nz/node/8617. A full list of service
providers is at http://www.energywise.govt.nz/directory/listing/210
Changes to Unit Titles Bill
This Bill is aimed at modernising the way apartment
blocks are built and managed, reflecting the intensive
growth in apartment-style living that has taken place over
the last 30 years. Following consultation the Social
Services select committee has made a number of
changes to the Bill, including:
 making the long-term maintenance systems more
flexible;
 changing financial monitoring and reporting
provisions to lower compliance costs for bodies
corporate; and
 allowing carparks to be treated as “principal units”.
Tradesmen Job Size Index
The latest Builderscrack.co.nz Tradesman Job Size
Index, showed that the average size of jobs completed by
tradespeople fell for the second month in January 2010
as fewer larger jobs were completed, and competition
remained strong for smaller jobs, keeping prices
competitive. The index has now returned to where it was
in July 2009.
Builderscrack.co.nz is a website where homeowners can find good
tradesmen and tradeswomen, get multiple competitive quotes quickly
and easily, and review tradesperson performance
Housing Forecast: March
Quarter 2010
The Department of Building and Housing says that
housing consents have been rising from a low base since
the June quarter 2009, and that this will feed through to
higher activity levels in 2010. However, it indicates many
companies in the building supply chain believe the recent
rise in consents is a response to a period of weak activity
rather than a return of confidence in the sector. There is
also some concern that the main things supporting
current demand (strong migration and low interest rates)
may begin to unwind in 2010.
Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946
More is at http://www.dbh.govt.nz/building-and-construction-quarterly-
report-1
Energy
One Electricity/Gas
Complaints Scheme
From 1 April 2010, all electricity and gas consumers will
be able to take complaints they cannot resolve with their
retailers and distributors to a free, independent, disputes-
resolution service. Previously there were four different
schemes. Main features of the new scheme are:
 it will apply to all electricity and gas retailers and
distributors;
 an independent commissioner will be accountable for
decisions;
 a complaints commission with a board made up of
consumer and industry representatives, and an
independent chair, will oversee the work of the
commissioner; and
 the staff will be industry-experienced conciliators who
handle enquiries, mediate disputes, and assist with
determinations.
More is at http://www.electricitycommission.govt.nz/news/complaints-
scheme
US/China: Wind Power
Leaders
According to a new report from the Global Wind Energy
Council, the US was the world leader in wind power in
2009. Having overhauled Germany in 2008, installed wind
capacity in the United States grew by 9.9 gigawatts (GW)
to reach 35.2GW by the end of last year. But the US's
reign could be short-lived as China continues its
enormous rate of increase. For the fifth year running
China nearly doubled its capacity, adding 13GW of
installed power and overtaking Spain in the process.
Despite the economic downturn, global cumulative wind
capacity grew by 31%, the highest annual increase for
seven years.
For more go to
http://www.economist.com/daily/chartgallery/displayStory.cfm?story_id
=15449509
Rural Bulletin: March 2010 - 16

Electricity Savings:
Compressed Air
Research by the Electricity Commission shows poorly
used or maintained compressed air machinery is costing
NZ businesses as much as $2 billion in unnecessary
power bills every year. The research has been carried out
for a programme establishing the country’s first
compressed air auditing service. Compressed air is “one
of the most expensive forms of energy” because pressure
and heat losses involved in its storage and use make
even efficient equipment relatively unproductive because
of the energy costs involved.
Contact the programme manager R Treder, on 04 4620618 or 021
723745
Source: NZ Energy & Environment Business Week and Digest, 3
February, 2010 issue
Mining Blocks: Bids Open
Bidding has now opened on:
 six new petroleum exploration blocks across the
Reinga Basin off the northwest coast of NZ. These
cover 105,230 square kilometres, and sit alongside
the Northland Basin, which is also currently open for
bidding; and
 a block offer over the onshore Kahili gas field in
Taranaki. This field, discovered in 2002, had a mining
permit granted in 2004, but production stopped
shortly after when the well unexpectedly filled with
water.
Most petroleum permit applications are for exploration
permits.
Bids on Kahili close on 3 May 2010. Bids on both Northland and
Reinga close on 18 August 2010. More is n the Crown Minerals'
website at http://www.crownminerals.govt.nz/cms/petroleum/blocks-
offers/
Transport & Travel
Asia-Pacific to Dominate
Aircraft Market
European aircraft maker Airbus expects the Asia-Pacific
region to overtake the US and Europe as the world’s
largest market for commercial airliners within 20 years.
The region is likely to acquire 8,000 new aircraft worth
over $US1.2 trillion by 2028 – that’s one third of the
predicted global deliveries between now and then.
The Asia-Pacific region is also driving demand for larger
aircraft types. It’s predicted that within 20 years Asia-
Pacific airlines will carry over 30% of the global
passenger traffic and around 40% of all air freight. As a
17 - Rural Bulletin: March 2010
result of growth and fleet replacement, the region is
expected take delivery of some 880 very large aircraft,
some 2,570 twin-aisle widebodies, and 4,560 single-aisle
aircraft.
Source: NZ Transport Intelligence Briefing and Digest, Thursday,
11 February, 2010 issue.
Auckland’s Footpaths – OAG
Report
Last year, the Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) was
asked by Auckland City Council to carry out an inquiry
into the Council's management of its footpaths contracts.
This request followed various allegations that the Council
had mismanaged contracts for its footpaths work. The
OAG found “that the Council's processes and procedures
for managing footpaths work – while still evolving – are
reasonable and have been applied adequately”.
More is at http://www.oag.govt.nz/2010/footpaths-contracts/
Justice/The Law
Effectiveness of Youth
Supervision Orders
A report called Effectiveness of Youth Court Supervision
Orders: Measures of Re-offending was recently released.
Its main findings include:
 for all supervision order types, young people who re-
offend usually do so in the first two years after the
supervision order was imposed, and the likelihood of
re-offending after this is very much lower;
 four out of five of the young people re-offend within
the follow-up period; and
 the re-offending is less serious, on average, than the
offence that led to the initial supervision order.
The researchers say that:
 young offenders referred to Child, Youth and Family
(CYF) by Police are a small proportion (3.8%) of the
total number of NZ youth aged 14 to 16 years, and
that the number who receive a youth court order are
negligible at just 0.4%;
 a very small group of persistent young offenders are
responsible for over half of the crime committed by
young people; and
 one of the main distinguishing characteristics of
persistent young offenders is the complexity of
personal/family problems they experience.
The report: is at http://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-
work/publications-resources/research/youth-court-
supervision/index.html
Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946
“Fresh Start” Now Starting
Fresh Start legislation (The Children, Young Persons, and
Their Families (Youth Courts Jurisdiction and Orders)
Amendment Bill) targets persistent, serious young
offenders. It provides greater Youth Court powers,
including extending jurisdiction to 12 and 13 year olds. It
includes doubling the maximum residential sentences to
six months, with twelve months supervision and
increasing supervision with activity orders to six months,
with another six months supervision. Military activity
camps will be used for the most serious repeat young
offenders.
More information at http://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-
work/newsroom/media-releases/2009/pr-2009-02-16.html
Legal Services Amendment
Now Law
The Legal Services Amendment Act 2009 is now in force.
This Act allows the Legal Services Agency to decide at
any time during the proceedings not to recover the legal
aid debt. The idea is to make sure that victims of crime
involved in coronial inquests and parole hearings will not
be subject to financial eligibility tests or need to repay
legal aid grants when they need to be represented by a
lawyer.
Fraud Levels Up
There has been a big increase in the value of frauds in
NZ in the second half of 2009, according to the latest
KPMG Fraud Barometer report. The total amount
defrauded was $76 million in the 6 months to December
2009. This compares with $22 million in the first half of
2009 (in 2008 there was about $70 million of large
frauds).
Although taxpayer frauds against government are
prominent in number, the value (or the amount of fraud) is
higher in frauds involving management and customers of
financial institutions and commercial businesses.
The KPMG barometer also found that, for the second
consecutive period in a row, those in management tend to
be more likely to commit fraud than lower level
employees. And, when they do commit fraud generally
steal far higher amounts due to their access to
information, their authorisation capabilities and their ability
to understand and override internal controls.
More is at http://www.kpmg.co.nz/download/104515/122592/Fraud-
Barometer-Findings.pdf
Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946
Annual Report of the Privacy
Commissioner 2009
Amongst the points in this report:
 concern about personal information and privacy
issues has grown, especially in relation to the internet
and business;
 the Office of the privacy Commissioner received
6,632 enquiries from members of the public and
organisations about personal information and privacy
matters – up more than1,200 up on 2007/08;
 many government agencies need to improve their
practices relating to portable storage of personal
information;
 806 privacy complaints were received, up from 662 in
the previous year;

the Office monitors 50 active government information
matching programmes, 27 of which use online data
transfers. Significant issues relate to border control,
employee browsing, and research and consultation
on information sharing in government; and
 there are issues in health information privacy, e.g.,
with electronic health records, with screening of
newborn babies, and with expansion of the DNA
database used for criminal investigations.
More is at http://www.privacy.org.nz/annual-report-of-the-privacy-
commissioner-3/ A publication called "Privacy at Work" is at
http://www.privacy.org.nz/privacy-at-work-a-guide-to-the-privacy-act-
for-employers-and-employees/?highlight=privacy%20at%20work
New Animal Welfare Bill
A new Animal Welfare Amendment Bill has been
introduced to Parliament. It would increase the maximum
sentence for wilful ill-treatment of an animal from three
years to five years, and double the maximum fine to
$100,000 for an individual and $500,000 for a body
corporate. It would also broaden the offence of wilful ill-
treatment, add a new offence of reckless ill-treatment to
the Animal Welfare Act (applying to people who knew an
animal might be seriously harmed), increase penalties for
other neglect/ill-treatment offences, and make changes to
law relating to forfeiting an animal and to disqualification
from keeping animals.
Licensing Corporate Trustees:
New Bill
The aim of a new Securities Trustees and Statutory
Supervisors Bill is to protect investors' interests and help
market confidence by enabling the Securities Commission
to hold trustees and statutory supervisors accountable for
failing to perform effectively.
Rural Bulletin: March 2010 - 18
Under the Bill, trustees of debt securities, unit trustees,
and statutory supervisors of certain collective investment
schemes and retirement villages would have to be
licensed, or they would be committing an offence.
Parliament
More on MMP Referendum
The 2011 referendum on Mixed Member Proportional
Representation (MMP) voting system will ask voters two
questions. They are: firstly, whether people want to retain
the present MMP voting system, and secondly, what
alternative voting system they would prefer from a list of
options - regardless of how they voted on the first
question. The options are First-Past-the-Post, Preferential
Vote, Single Transferable Vote, and Supplementary
Member.
If a majority of voters opts for a change to the voting
system, the Government will hold a second binding
referendum in conjunction with the 2014 election, asking
voters to choose between MMP and the most preferred
alternative. The public will be consulted on the wording of
the referendum questions when the Bill empowering the
referendum goes through the select committee process in
April.
More is at http://www.justice.govt.nz/policy-and-
consultation/electoral/mmp-referendum/mmp-referendum
Financing Elections: New
Rules?
Legislation is to be drafted on new electoral finance laws
which will:
 require parties to disclose the total amount of
donations they receive in bands;
 increase the amount of money that parties and
candidates can spend on election campaigning at the
rate of inflation for each general election;
 require people who spend more than $12,000 on
parallel campaigning to register with the Electoral
Commission. The register will be publicly available;
 modernise the definition of what counts as “election
advertising” and require the Electoral Commission to

issue guidance on election advertisements;
clarify the relationship between the Electoral Act
1993 and Parliamentary Service legislation; and
 maintain the regulated campaign period to be three
months before polling day.
Legislation introducing the changes is expected in the
coming months and the new rules will be in place before
the 2011 general election.
19 - Rural Bulletin: March 2010
More is at http://www.justice.govt.nz/policy-and-
consultation/electoral/electoral-finance-reform/
N-F-P Sector
Desirable Qualities in
Charities
In consultation with the charitable sector, the Charities
Commission has developed a statement of the "qualities"
considered to contribute most to making a charity efficient
and effective, and best able to achieve its purpose. A
charity should:
 be clear about its purpose and direction;
 have a strong governing body;
 have the right people for its activities;
 show fitness for purpose;
 maintain a focus on learning and improving;
 be sound and prudent; and
 be accountable and transparent.
A related information sheet is at
www.charities.govt.nz/news/fact_sheets/new info sheets/HOW-
QUAL.pdf
US N-F-Ps Survey: Target
Your Donor
A new survey of more than 900 US non-profit leaders
indicates a crisis among charitable organisations in terms
of how well they connect with their key audiences.
According to the survey report their primary messages
(which aim to attract donors) are not well targeted, not
easy to remember, and not very inspiring…
More is at
http://www.community.net.nz/communitycentre/news/national/schwartz
survey.htm?region=default
Business
Jagged Recession Recovery
Predicted
NZIER (the NZ Institute of Economic Research) has
released its March 2010 Quarterly Predictions. It says
that, essentially, the recession is over but the recovery
will be jagged. Predictions include:
Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946
 economic growth of 2.7% in 2010 and 1.4% in 2011
calendar years (consensus 2.6% and 3.1%,
respectively);
 household spending will recover slowly;
 the labour market is stabilising and should improve
from mid 2010, but wages will be restrained for a
further 12-24 months; and
 not much movement is expected in the NZ dollar.
You can download the press release from
http://www.nzier.org.nz/Site/News/default.aspx
How Innovative are We?
IBM NZ and the University of Auckland have published
the Innovation Index of NZ, an inter-industry study
measuring the rate of innovation effort in NZ since 1998.
The research reveals that, after rising 13% between 1998
and 2000, the overall rate of innovation in NZ remained
virtually flat for the next seven years before dropping
sharply in 2008, almost certainly in response to the then-
deepening economic recession.
The strongest innovation performance came from the
agriculture, forestry & fishing sector, which more than
doubled its performance between 1998 and 2008. It is the
only sector where innovation activity has consistently
increased each year since 1998.
More is at http://www-
03.ibm.com/press/nz/en/pressrelease/29432.wss
Latest NZ Commodity Prices
In January 2010, the price of raw materials produced in
NZ posted their 12th straight gain, led by rising lamb,
skins and beef, according to the ANZ Commodity Price
Index. Prices gained 3.8% in February from a month
earlier, for an annual gain of 49%. Six categories
recorded higher prices, while three, including dairy,
declined.
More is at http://www.anz.co.nz/commercial-institutional/economic-
markets-research/commodity-price-index/
Business
Markets/Performance
Information
Statistics NZ has released Business Toolbox, a suite of
online ways to get quick and easy access to information
for businesses. It contains Market Mapper, which can be
used to find target markets and potential customers, and
Industry Profiler, which provides details on industry
performance over time, staff turnover, and survival of
similar-sized businesses.
Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946
Interim Credit Ratings
Guidance
The Securities Commission has issued interim guidance
for non-bank deposit takers (NBDTs) on the disclosing of
credit ratings (compulsory credit rating requirements for
NBDTs came into effect on 1 March 2010). The
Commission has provided this pending the introduction of
new credit rating disclosure regulations being prepared by
the Ministry of Economic Development.
The Securities Commission has information for investors about credit
ratings and what they mean on its website,
www.looklearninvest.org.nz
Overseas Trade Surplus
The merchandise trade balance for January 2010 was a
surplus of $269 million, Statistics NZ said recently. As a
percentage of exports this is the biggest trade surplus for
a January month since 1989. Exports for January were
$3.2 billion, down $19 million compared with January
2009, while imports were $2.9 billion, down $390 million.
Because imports have fallen more than exports a net
surplus resulted.
More is at
http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/imports_and_exports/Goods
/OverseasMerchandiseTrade_MRJan10.aspx
Positive News for
Manufacturing
Ongoing strength in new orders kept manufacturing in
positive territory for the first month of 2010, according to
the BNZ - Business NZ Performance of Manufacturing
Index (PMI)*. The seasonally adjusted PMI for January
was 52. Although this was down one point from
December, the last 5 months have seen general
expansion. However, employment within the
manufacturing sector remains in contraction (employment
is usually the last indicator to turn around once new
orders and production begin to pick up). *A PMI reading
above 50 indicates that manufacturing is generally
expanding; below 50 that it is declining.
More is at http://www.businessnz.org.nz/
Logistics Efficiency: A Moving
Story
The latest World Bank Group survey on trade logistics
efficiency ranks NZ amongst the top 25 countries world
wide. The Logistics* Performance Index survey by the
World Bank, entitled “Connecting to Compete 2010:
Trade Logistics in the Global Economy”, ranks countries
in terms of efficiency of customs clearance processes,
quality of trade and transport-related infrastructure, ease
Rural Bulletin: March 2010 - 20
of arranging competitively priced shipments, and
competence and quality of logistics services. *Logistics is
the planning and control of the flow of goods and
materials through an organisation or manufacturing
process.
More is at
http://info.worldbank.org/etools/tradesurvey/mode1b.asp#ranking
Latest Perceptions of Asia
Survey
An increasing number of NZers think the Asian region is
important to NZ’s future and support for free trade
agreements (FTAs) with Asian countries has increased,
says a new Asia NZ Foundation survey. Meanwhile two
out of five (43%) kiwis can name an event in their area
that they see as having an Asian focus. The most
common events mentioned are Chinese New Year (29%),
the Lantern Festival (27%), and the Diwali Festival (20%).
The information comes from a survey carried out in
August-September 2009.
More is at www.asianz.org.nz
“Supermarketisation” in Asia
This Westpac report takes a look at the rapid rise of
supermarkets in developing economies (with a focus on
Asia) and considers some implications of this
development. According to the report there are some real
opportunities for NZ exporters, as a more consolidated
market makes for an easier target for suppliers (including
NZ exporters). Also, being used to the quality and
quantity requirements of selling to larger markets,
developed economy exporters can get a “first-mover”
advantage.
Download the report from http://www.goodbusiness.co.nz/market-
outlook
Immigration’s Impact on NZ
Economy
This research study considers the contribution that
immigration makes to the NZ economy. The researchers
say that without current levels of inward migration, both
NZ’s population base and economy would shrink. By
2021, the population would drop by 9.6% and GDP would
drop by 11.3%. There would be a 10.9% drop in the
available labour force and export sector volumes would
drop by 12.9%.
The “Economic Impacts of Immigration” is at
http://www.dol.govt.nz/publications/research/cge/
21 - Rural Bulletin: March 2010
Money Matters
Increased Benefit and Super
Payments
Benefits and Superannuation payments are to increase
from 1 April 2010 by 1.96% (to cover cost of living
increases). The increased superannuation rates will then
be adjusted again to bring them up to 66% of the net
average wage. Examples of the increases in the after tax
weekly rates are:
 for a married couple both receiving Superannuation,
up $11.04 to $489.42;
 for a married couple receiving the Unemployment
Benefit with no children, up $6.22 to $323.52;
 for a single unemployed person 25 and over,
receiving the Unemployment Benefit, up $3.73 to
$194.12;
 for a single person 18 and over receiving the Invalid’s
Benefit, up $4.66 to $242.63;
 for a sole parent, receiving the Domestic Purposes
Benefit, up $5.34 to $278.04;
 for a person receiving Foster Care Allowance for a
child 14 and over, up $3.63 to $188.88;
 for a single student 24 and over, studying away from
home receiving a Student Allowance, up $3.73 to
$194.12; and
 the student loan living cost weekly maximum, up
$3.14 to $163.38.
Capital Markets: Action Plan
Amongst the Capital Market Development Taskforce
recommendations that are to be put in place are:
 having investment statements and prospectuses in
plain English, with warnings on risky or complex
products;
 putting more focus on improving the financial literacy
of NZers;
 ensuring the duties of fund managers and
supervisors are clear and enforced;
 considering consolidating parts of the Companies
Office, Securities Commission, and the NZX
Disciplinary Tribunal into a new market conduct
regulator;
 making it easier and cheaper for companies to raise
capital privately by clarifying and broadening the
exemptions to the Securities Act and Takeovers Act;
and
 improving risk management in the economy by
supporting the development of derivatives markets in
commodities and energy.
Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946
The action plan can be viewed at www.med.govt.nz/cmdtaskforce.
Capital markets
Capital markets are the markets in which companies and
governments raise capital, and where securities that
represent claims to capital - such as shares and bonds -
are traded. They complement other sectors of a country’s
financial system, such as banks. For companies, capital
markets expand the range of funding sources available to
them; for savers, they provide investment opportunities
and risk-adjusted returns.
Derivatives
A derivative is a security whose price is dependent upon
or originates from one or more underlying assets. The
actual derivative is a contract between two or more
parties. Derivatives are generally used as a way of
hedging risk, but they can also be used for speculative
purposes. For example, a European investor purchasing
shares of an American company from an American
exchange (using U.S. dollars to do so) would be exposed
to exchange-rate risk while holding that stock. To hedge
this risk, the investor could purchase currency futures to
lock in a specified exchange rate for the future stock sale
and currency conversion back into Euros.
Kiwis Investing in US
According to Statistics NZ, Australia, the UK, and the
USA continue to be NZ’s main investment partners. The
level of investment in these three countries increased
$8.9 billion from 31 March 2008 to 31 March 2009, mostly
due to greater levels of investment in the US. The level of
NZ’s investment abroad was $126.1 billion at 31 March
2009, 25.0% ($31.5 billion) of which was invested in the
USA, up from 20.9% at 31 March 2008. However,
Australia remains NZ’s biggest investment partner,
receiving $35.6 billion (28.2%) of our investment abroad.
More is at
http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/economic_indicators/balanc
e_of_payments/BalanceOfPaymentsYearEnded_MRYe31Mar09.aspx
The “Rise of Wives”
In a trend that researchers call “the rise of wives,” US
women are increasingly better-educated than their
husbands and have emerged as the dominant income-
provider in one of five marriages, according to a new
report released by the US-based Pew Centre.
The report is at http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1466/economics-
marriage-rise-of-wives
Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946
Lottery Grants Report
The 2008/09 Lottery Grants Record shows that:
 NZ Lotteries transferred $166.25 million in profits to
the Lottery Grants Board for distribution, and to the
three statutory bodies it supports: Creative NZ, the
NZ Film Commission, and Sport and Recreation NZ;
and
 over 3,350 individuals and community groups
received NZ Lottery Grants Board funding in the past
year.
The Lottery Grants Record 2008/2009 is at
http://www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/wpg_URL/Services-Lottery-
Grants-Index?OpenDocument#GR
Poverty in the Asia-Pacific
The global economic downturn could push an additional
21 million people in the Asia-Pacific region into extreme
poverty, rolling back development gains, according to a
recent United Nations-backed report. The publication
examines the toll that the recession has taken on
progress towards achieving the Millennium Development
Goals - http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals – eight anti-
poverty targets agreed upon by world leaders with a 2015
deadline – in the Asia-Pacific.
More is at http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/2010/february/asia-
pacific-mdg-progress-under-threat-from-global-economic-crisis-.en
Checking for Gender Pay Gap
A free “quick health” check is now available for employers
and their staff in monitoring pay and employment equity in
NZ business. The new self-assessment and monitoring
tool launched by the Human Rights Commission allows
companies and organisations to work out whether they
have a gender pay gap and, if so, what they can do about
it.
More is at
http://www.hrc.co.nz/home/hrc/newsandissues/healthchecktoolfortheg
enderpaygap.php
Oz-NZ Double Tax Agreement
A new double tax agreement (DTA) between Australia
and NZ was recently signed. The main features of the
DTA include lower withholding taxes on dividend and
royalty payments between the two countries, and making
pensions that are tax-free in one country also exempt in
the other when recipients move across the Tasman. The
DTA will come into force once both countries have ratified
it.
Rural Bulletin: March 2010 - 22

Internet/ICT
NZ Cellphones Top 5 Million…
New entrant mobile telco 2degrees is helping ensure
there are more cellphone accounts than people in NZ
(there are currently 4.35 million of us). Vodafone accounts
for about 2.5 million, Telecom 2.3 million, and 206,000 for
2degrees.
… with 5 Billion Globally…
Global demand for mobile telephones remains strong,
despite the economic crisis, with the number of individual
mobile cellular subscriptions likely to top 5 billion this year
(they reached 4.6 billion by the end of 2009), the head of
the United Nations telecoms agency said. Advanced
services and handsets in affluent countries and increased
take-up of mobile banking and mobile health-care
services in poorer nations are driving the continued
demand.
More is at http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2010/06.html
… & Global Internet Access
Improves
Prices for information and communication technology
(ICT) services are falling worldwide, and services
continue to grow, propelled by the mobile cellular use, but
broadband internet remains outside the reach of many in
poor countries, the United Nations telecoms agency
recently indicated. However, all 159 countries featured in
the report’s ICT Development Index (IDI) have improved
their levels, and mobile cellular technology continues to
be a key driver of growth (the latest figures are for 2008).
New Zealand ranks 16th on the IDI.
Access an executive summary of the report at
http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2010/pdf/PR08_ExecSum
.pdf
Recommendation on Mobile
Termination
The Commerce Commission has delivered its final report
on mobile termination access services* to the Minister for
Communications and Information Technology. The
Telecommunications Commissioner has recommended
that the Minister accept Telecom’s and Vodafone’s final
undertakings* as an alternative to regulation.
23 - Rural Bulletin: March 2010
*mobile termination access services: these are the
(wholesale) charges mobile phone companies charge for
terminating calls or texts from other fixed or mobile
networks.
*undertakings: under the Telecommunications Act 2001,
parties can submit undertakings, which are an offer of
terms and conditions for the supply of a service, as an
alternative to regulation
The Commission’s report is at
http://www.comcom.govt.nz/www.comcom.govt.nz under Industry
Regulation/ Telecommunications/ Investigations/ Mobile Termination
Access Services
Got a Mobile Phone
Complaint?
Mysterious calls showing up on your mobile phone bill?
Can’t get a satisfactory response to a faulty line issue?
Under the Consumer Guarantees Act and the Fair
Trading Act if you aren’t getting what you were promised
you can go back to the company to get a solution to the
problem, and the company is responsible for providing it.
When the company doesn’t agree or is taking too long,
the free Telecommunications Dispute Resolution service
(TDR) may be able to help if your provider belongs to the
scheme.
If the TDR decides that you should get a remedy then the
company must provide it. If they suggest a remedy that
you don’t like then you have the option of rejecting it and
going to the Disputes Tribunal (in this case a small fee is
applicable). What the TDR can’t help you out with are
complaints about network coverage or prices (unless you
were misled).
If your company doesn’t belong to the TDR scheme then
you can take your complaint to the Disputes Tribunal.
Providers currently in the scheme include: Airnet, Communitel, Digital
Island,
http://www.digitalisland.co.nz/http://www.digitalisland.co.n
z/http://www.digitalisland.co.nz/igrin, Kordia, Orcon, Snap
Internet, http://www.snap.net.nz/Telecom,
http://www.telecom.co.nz/http://www.telecom.co.nz/home
pageTelstraClear, TNZ Group, and
http://www.tnz.co.nz/Vodafone. More is at www.tdr.org.nz
NZ Chinese-language TV
A new television channel that will broadcast mostly in
Chinese, is planned for launch in May 2010. It is the
newest member of the digital Freeview TV network and it
will broadcast on channel 33, 24 hours a day 7 days a
week. While targeting the Chinese viewer market,
Television 33 also plans to cater for non-Chinese
speaking audiences with a few hours of programmes
broadcast in English.
Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946

Maori TV: Spectrum Proposal
A proposal for allocation of spectrum* has been
presented to Te Putahi Paoho (the Maori Television
Service Electoral College). This includes a 20-year
management right for 16 MHz, in two bands of 8 MHz
(which would be subject to the same terms and conditions
as for other spectrum allocations).
The allocation would provide enhanced capacity for Maori
television through a mix of standard definition and high
definition channels. *Spectrum includes all the
electromagnetic frequencies used for communications.
Maori interests in spectrum for mobile technologies have
also been registered.
Teens & Social-Networking
Sites…
The use of social-networking web sites among young
Americans continues to climb, with nearly three-fourths of
American teens now using these sites. But fewer teens
and young adults are blogging now than four years ago,
and the number of those who use Twitter is still very low.
More is at http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Social-Media-and-
Young-Adults.aspx
A Handful of Websites
The website of the new NZ Disability Support Network is
now live at http://www.nzdsn.org.nz/. This network has
been established to provide an informed voice to
government on the issues and challenges ahead of the
disability sector.
Tourism NZ has launched a new-look corporate website
at www.tourismnewzealand.com. The website provides
information about Tourism NZ's work, and about how
offshore markets are performing.
An article reporting on a Yale University study showing
that diners consume far fewer calories at dinner and
afterward when the calorie content of entrees is listed on
the menus along with information on how many calories
people should consume in a day is at
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/weightloss/2009-
12-21-caloriesonmenu21_ST_N.htm
A study called “US and them”, which examines the
reasons US consumers buy a particular product, and US
perceptions of NZ products, is at
http://www.nzte.govt.nz/features-
commentary/Features/Going-
global/Pages/Understanding-the-US-consumer.aspx
An up-to-date guide on all the government funding and
resources available to caregivers is at
http://www.carers.net.nz/files/pdf/carers-brochure-
english.pdf. It covers financial help, help at home, and
information about needs assessment, where to go for
equipment and modifications and information about
carers’ rights. For free copies call 0800 777 797 or visit
the Carers NZ website at http://www.carers.net.nz/
Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946
A bit of a reality check for those who view the world of
freelancing through rose-tinted spectacles is at
http://freelancefolder.com/12-reasons-you-shouldnt-
freelance/
A US blog sets out some cogent reasons why hiring
people with disabilities makes sense, saying “If you need
workers that think outside the box, hire those that live
outside the box every single day”. Read at
http://www.fistfuloftalent.com/2010/01/who-are-you-hiring-
in-2010.html
Last decade was tough; few people doubt that. Yet,
others say it was a golden age for cocktails. Read More is
at
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/17/fashion/17shake.html
?ref=todayspaper
New research shows very complex or very simple
problems are best solved by solo thinking, and that
brainstorming can have a stifling effect. Read More is at
http://blogs.hbr.org/research/2010/02/when-its-better-to-
brainstorm.html
In Moscow, stray dogs have recovered their genetic wolf
roots. They have also learned how to board subways and
where to step off. All by themselves. Read it at
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/628a8500-ff1c-11de-a677-
00144feab49a.html
“Letterheady” is a fast-growing, very recent, collection of
the finely designed, personalized letterhead from the
desks of corporations, politicians, authors, musicians and
others. More is at http://www.letterheady.com/
“Reusable Book Covers in Historical Novels: A Gallery” is
an unassuming blog featuring a surprisingly large
collection of books with identical images on their covers.
See at http://readingthepast.com/gallery/reusable-
covers.htm
“Unhappy Hipsters” - a painfully clever site that pairs
photographs of attractive people living in modern
splendour with captions written from the perspective that
its subjects are actually suffering from some sort of
existential despair. Sort of Larsenesque. See at
http://unhappyhipsters.com
Rating systems commonly rank hotels in terms according
to criteria such as customer service, but travel company
Journeys Within has launched "Hotel Karma Ratings,"
ranking hotels according to their effectiveness of their
policies to improve the world. More is at
http://www.travelagentcentral.com/southeast-asia/new-
hotel-ranking-system-based-philanthropy-19949
Rural Bulletin: March 2010 - 24
Treaty Matters
Latest Agreements in
Principle
Ngati Whatua o Kaipara and Ngati
Manuhiri
The Crown has signed separate Agreements in Principle
with Ngati Whatua o Kaipara and Ngati Manuhiri. Both
outline broad settlement packages which include cultural,
historical and commercial redress to settle the historical
Treaty claims of the iwi.
The Ngati Whatua o Kaipara agreement includes a $22.1
million quantum and the offer to transfer Woodhill Forest
with accumulated rentals from the Crown Forest Licence.
Ngati Manuhiri's agreement in principle includes redress
of $9 million, and an offer to transfer South Mangawhai
Forest subject to covenants.
Te Hiku Forum
The Crown and Te Hiku Forum, a group of Far North iwi
have signed an Agreement in Principle. Te Hiku Forum
represents Ngati Kuri, Te Aupouri, Ngai Takoto, Te
Rarawa and Ngati Kahu, which have around 40,000
members. The Agreement provides for commercial
redress of $120 million between the five iwi. It includes,
amongst other things, the transfer of Aupouri Crown
forest along with accumulated rentals, the transfer of
seven farms in the region from Landcorp and Crown
agencies, and arrangements for a co-governance
arrangement with the Crown over Ninety Mile Beach (Te
Oneroa a Tohe).
Simultaneous Interpretation in
Parliament
Simultaneous interpretation of te reo Maori into English in
the House of Representatives began last month. Four
interpreters from the Office of the Clerk will work in shifts
covering the debates in the House from a specially
equipped studio adjacent to the debating chamber. The
interpretation will begin when a member begins talking in
te reo Maori.
The Speaker has indicated that the interpretation does
not form part of the official record of House proceedings
(Hansard is the official record of debates in the House).
25 - Rural Bulletin: March 2010
Arts & Culture
New Creative NZ Governance
Proposed
The Government is proposing to amalgamate Creative
NZ's four governing bodies into a single13-person board.
The board would be responsible for policy, strategy and
funding allocation. This would end the current division of
responsibilities between four separate councils and
committees including the Arts Council, the Arts Board, Te
Waka Toi and the Pacific Arts Committee. Legislation will
probably be introduced this year to enact the changes.
Kiwi Film Wins Jury Prize…
With perhaps the lowest budget film to be selected in the
field of 40 films, NZ documentary “This Way of Life” won a
Jury Prize at the Berlinale* 2010. Shot over four years
against the Ruahine mountains and Waimarama Beach in
Hawke’s Bay, the film follows Peter and Colleen Karena
as they raise their six children and 50 horses on the thin
edge between freedom and disaster. The Berlinale judges
described This Way of Life as “a window opening to a
wonderful different kind of world: A happy family living
freely in nature. Respect for life and joy of being are what
count in this film.” *The Berlinale (Berlin International Film
Festival) is one of the world's leading film festivals, and
one of the most reputable media events.
More is at http://www.berlinale.de/en/HomePage.html
… Kiwi Wins Academy
Award…
NZer Mark Sagar has won him an Academy Award for
developing a lighting stage and facial rendering system
which has helped create realistic digital characters and
stunt doubles in films such as Spider-Man 2, King Kong
and Avatar.
… & Make a TV Documentary
Morningside Productions is looking for applications for the
Open Door documentary series 11, to be filmed through
to October 2010. The programmes are made using the
expertise and equipment of the production team but with
participants taking editorial control. If you’re actively
involved with an issue - be it family, social, environmental,
or whatever - a door is about to open again on TV3
Network Television.
More is at http://www.opendoor.net.nz
Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946
Access to the Arts: Awards
Arts Access Aotearoa is seeking nominations for the four
Big ‘A’ Awards 2010. They are:
 Big ‘A’ Creative Space Award: access to the arts for
people with limited access;
 Big ‘A’ Community Partnership Award: mutually
beneficial partnership between two or more
organisations engaged in a community arts project;
 Big ‘A’ Prison Arts Leadership Award: contribution of
prison staff/volunteers in the rehabilitation of
prisoners through the arts; and
 Big ‘A’ Winton and Margaret Bear Young Artist
Award: young artist who faces barriers to pursuit of
artistic potential (greater Wellington area).
Nominations close on 26 March 2010. For more
information/nomination forms go to
http://www.artsaccess.org.nz/index.php/whats-on/latest-
news/nominations-to-big-a-awards-2010
Pacific Music Awards Update
The S3 Pacific Music Awards celebrate their sixth year
with an updated award catalogue for 2010, which includes
a new one recognising the promotion of Pacific
languages.
The aims of the S3 Pacific Music Awards, which are for
Pacific artists in NZ, are to celebrate and promote
excellence in Pacific music, and encourage young Pacific
musicians to aspire to higher levels of achievement.
More is at http://www.pacificmusicawards.org.nz/
Fish & Ships
Latest Commercial Fish
Stocks Valuation
According to Statistics NZ, the value of NZ’s commercial
fish stocks passed the $4 billion mark in 2009. The asset
value of these fish stocks, as managed under the Quota
Management System (QMS), has grown 47% since 1996.
The number of species managed under the quota system
rose from 26 in 1996 to 96 in 2009. In 2009 the top 20
species, including hoki, rock lobster, paua, and blue cod,
comprised 91% of the fish stocks’ total value. Hoki
contributed the highest value at $815 million - or 20% of
the total asset value.
More is at
http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/Corporate/Corporate/Corpor
ateCommunications_MR2009.aspx
Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946
High Court Fishing Ruling
The High Court recently ruled that two Ministry of
Fisheries (MFish) decisions made to manage the
endangered Hector's and Maui's dolphins should be sent
back to the MFish for reconsideration. The two relate to
banning set nets on the North Island's West Coast and
closing part of the South Island's East Coast to butterfish
fishing. However, the Court upheld four other restrictions.
Areas around the South Island and the North Island's
north-west coast that are currently closed to set net, and
drift net fishing by recreational fishers are not affected by
the judgment.
More is at www.fish.govt.nz
Fisheries Hotline Gets Results
The Ministry of Fisheries (MFIsh) says that the 0800 4
POACHER hotline is being used more to report illegal or
suspicious activity on beaches and fishing spots. Since
December last year MFish has received nearly 1,600 calls
on 0800 4 POACHER, a 15% increase on the year
before.
For the latest recreational fishing rules, see www.fish.govt.nz/en-
nz/Recreational/default.htm. To report suspicious activity call 0800 476
224
Science/Technology
Bioscience Sector Stats
According to recent data from Statistics NZ, the
bioscience sector is expanding, with 267 organisations
now being actively involved in bioscience. Of these, 108
businesses have identified bioscience as their primary
area of focus, with generated income of $351 million.
About half of this income comes from exports of
bioscience goods or services. Total spending among the
bioscience organisations is around $246 million. The main
area where bioscience is applied is in innovative foods
and human nutrition.
More is at
http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/industry_sectors/science_a
nd_biotechnology/Bioscience_MR2009.aspx
NZ and Japan Combined
Quake Study
NZ and Japanese scientists are combining forces in a
two-year study to investigate the boundary between the
Pacific and Australian tectonic plates that collide 25km
beneath Wellington. The Pacific and Australian tectonic
plates are locked beneath Wellington and, based on the
behaviour of similar locked plates in other parts of the
Rural Bulletin: March 2010 - 26
world, scientists expect this plate boundary will eventually
rupture and produce a large, damaging earthquake.
Friends of Cawthron
The Thomas Cawthron Charitable Trust has formed the
Friends of Cawthron, to ensure anyone who donates
money through bequests, sponsorship or grants is
acknowledged and kept in touch with Cawthron Institute
news, through a newsletter, lectures and invitations to
events.
The Trust is a not-for-profit organisation that, amongst
other things, receives donations from philanthropic
individuals, and invests these funds in accordance with its
principles – to promote and develop scientific excellence
and the ideals of Thomas Cawthron.
More is at http://www.cawthron.org.nz/
General
Seasonal Climate Outlook:
March – May 2010
The current significant El Niño continues in the equatorial
Pacific, but is likely to weaken towards neutral conditions
by the end of autumn. The NIWA National Climate Centre
says that means temperatures are likely to be near the
long-term average in many areas, with near-normal
rainfalls likely in most places. So, for the regions, the
predictions are:
 Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty:
Temperatures are likely to be near average.
Seasonal rainfall totals are likely to be near normal,
while river flows and soil moisture levels are likely to
be below normal;
 Central North Island, Taranaki, Wanganui,
Manawatu and Wellington: Average seasonal
temperatures likely. Rainfall totals are likely to be
near normal, while stream flows and soil moisture
levels are likely to be near normal or below normal,
for the three months as a whole;
 Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa: Temperatures
averaged over the three months are likely to be near
average. Seasonal rainfall totals, stream flows and
soil moisture levels are likely to be near normal;
 Nelson, Marlborough, Buller: Seasonal
temperatures are equally likely to be near or above
average. Rainfalls are likely to be near normal
overall, while stream flows and soil moisture levels
are equally likely to be near normal or below normal;
 West Coast, Alps and Foothills, Inland Otago,
Southland: Temperatures are equally likely to be
average or above average. Seasonal rainfall, stream
flows and soil moisture levels are equally likely to be
near normal or above normal; and
27 - Rural Bulletin: March 2010
 Coastal Canterbury, East Otago: Temperatures are
equally likely to near average or above average, on
the whole during March-May. Seasonal rainfall totals
are all likely to be in the normal or the below normal
range, while soil moisture levels and stream flows are
likely to be below normal.
National Population Growth
Up
The estimated resident population of NZ was 4,346,700 at
31 December 2009, an annual increase of 1.3% (55,100),
the highest population growth since September 2004. The
population growth in the December 2008 year was 0.9%
(39,000). Although the main contributor to population
growth during the December 2009 year was natural
increase (excess of births over deaths), the higher growth
compared with previous years was also due to their
having been fewer permanent and long-term departures
from NZ.
More is at
http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/population/estimates_and_p
rojections/NationalPopulationEstimates_MRDec09qtr.aspx
Regional Population
Projections
The Auckland region is projected to account for 60% of
NZ's population growth between 2006 and 2031, with an
increase of 570,000 from 1.37 million to 1.94 million,
Statistics NZ said recently. That means the Auckland
region would be home to 38% of Kiwis in 2031, compared
with 33% in 2006.
Of NZ's 73 territorial authority areas, 44 are projected to
have more people in 2031 than in 2006. However,
population growth will generally slow over the projection
period because of the narrowing gap between births and
deaths.
More is at
http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/population/estimates_and_p
rojections/SubnationalPopulationProjections_MR2031.aspx
Long Live the People
Between 2007–09 life expectancy at birth was 82.4 years
for females and 78.4 years for males in NZ. The gap
between male and female life expectancy has narrowed
from 6.4 years in 1975–77 to 4.0 years in 2007–09. In the
December 2009 year:
 62,540 live births were registered in NZ, down from
64,340 in the December 2008 year;
 28,960 deaths were registered;
 births exceeded deaths by 33,580; and
 the birth rate was 2.1 births per woman in 2009,
down from 2.2 in 2008.
Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946
In the first decade of the new millennium there were
588,500 live births in NZ.
More is at
http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/population/births/BirthsAnd
Deaths_MRDec09qtr.aspx
Concerns About NZ’s
“Premature Ageing”
The new director of the Centre for Population Studies at
the University of Waikato says this country has a
substantial shortfall of people aged 20 to 40 – mainly due
to international migration loss - which drives up the
median age of the population. This gives an “apple core”
shape to the nation’s age structure (lots of young and old
people but fewer in between). This has economic
implications because it’s the people aged 20-40 who tend
to buy the houses, take out first mortgages, have the
children, and buy the whiteware.
Crunch time is approaching with the number of retirees
set to boom and fewer young people coming into the
labour market. The issues are compounded because NZ
is right next to Australia, which has an older population
than this country, and is a bit like a “vacuum cleaner”
when it comes to attracting Kiwi migrants. Also Europe’s
population has stopped growing, and this region is very
interested in NZ’s skilled young people, as well.
More is at http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED1002/S00049.htm
Study on Advanced Ageing
Researchers are seeking more than a thousand NZers of
advanced age to participate in a study to learn how and
why people live long lives. The LILACS NZ (Life and
Living in Advanced Age: A Cohort Study in NZ, Te
Puawaitanga o Nga Tapuwae Kia Ora Tonu) longitudinal
study aims to enrol 600 Maori aged 80–90 years and 600
non-Maori aged 85 years from the Bay of Plenty, Rotorua,
Whakatane, and Opotiki. Enrolment opened on 1 March
2010, and it will continue for the rest of the year.
The goals of the research are “to help people to plan
better for their own health and wellbeing in later life, to
allow elderly NZers to share their wisdom with future
generations, and to inform the development of local and
national policies to benefit older people.”
More is at http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1002/S00104.htm. To
enrol in the study call 0800 545 227
Sallies’ State of Nation Report
According to the Salvation Army’s recently- published
2010 State of The Nation report, “A Road to Recovery”
tracks social progress across five critical areas: NZ’s
children, work and incomes, crime and punishment, social
hazards, and housing. It indicates:
Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946
 there are close to 30,000 more children living in
workless households compared to two years ago,
and 45,000 fewer people aged 15 to 19 with a job
than in late 2007;
 21% of children – more than 231,000 were living in
benefit-dependent households at the end of 2009, a
12 percent increase during the year; and
 in December 1999 there were 110,300 households
receiving the DPB: this figure fell to just over 96,000
by mid 2007, but by December 2009 had risen to
109,300.
The report is at http://www.salvationarmy.org.nz/research-
media/social-research/
Defence Update
The Navy has taken possession of the first Protector fleet
Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV); HMNZS Otago. The OPVs
will be used for security missions, peacekeeping, border
patrol, and humanitarian and disaster relief, especially in
the South Pacific. The second OPV, Wellington, will be
accepted in mid-April and arrive later that month.
The first of the Air Force's five new A109 Light Utility
Helicopters is also now a reality. It will be delivered to NZ
from Italy later this year. The A109s will be used for
training NZDF pilots and helicopter crew for the Air
Force's new NH90s and the Navy's Seasprites. They will
also be able to carry out a wide variety of light roles, like
moving small groups, carrying light loads, and being
involved in rescue work.
SIS Annual Report
The NZ Security Intelligence Service has released its
unclassified annual report for the year ending June 30
2009. Much of the detail of the work undertaken by the
NZSIS has been omitted from this unclassified version of
the report, for reasons of security.
More is at http://www.nzsis.govt.nz/reports/
Understanding Refugee
Movement Patterns…
“Quota Refugees in NZ: Approvals and Movements
(1999- 2008)” looks at quota refugee approvals in NZ,
then at their subsequent movements in order to
understand more about their mobility.
From 1999- 2008, a total of 7,843 people from 56
countries were approved for NZ residence through the
Quota Refugee Programme. Between 1999 and 2008, the
largest number of quota refugees came from Afghanistan
(17%), Myanmar (16%), and Iraq (13%).
Download the report at http://dol.govt.nz/publications/research/quota-
refugees/index.asp
Rural Bulletin: March 2010 - 28
… & Long-Term Refugee
Study Begins
In an international first, the Department of Labour’s
International Migration, Settlement and Employment
Dynamics Research Team (IMSED Research) has begun
a study of the long-term settlement experiences of people
arriving in NZ through the Refugee Quota Category
between 1993 and 1999. The aim of the study is to get a
better understanding of what helps people from refugee
backgrounds to settle in NZ well in the long term.
Race Relations Day
Race Relations Day is on 21 March this year. Its theme is
“It's About Us”. Organisations involved include schools,
government departments, city, district and regional
councils, iwi, ethnic and multi-ethnic community groups,
faith communities, service groups and workplaces A
range of events – from morning teas and meals to
discussions, displays, multicultural concerts, and
competitions – is planned.
More is at http://www.hrc.co.nz/home/default.php
Life for Disabled Maori:
Report
A report called “Disability and Maori in NZ in 2006” is one
of a series presenting findings on disabled NZers. This
particular report describes the everyday life for the
approximately 96,000 Maori who are disabled. It confirms
that the rate of disability is greater for Maori than for non-
Maori, and that Maori uptake of some disability supports
lags behind that of non-Maori.
More is at http://www.odi.govt.nz/resources/index.html
Guidelines for Disability-
Assist Dogs
Organisations wishing to seek permission to train and
certify disability-assist dogs now have a set of guidelines
to follow. Disability-assist dogs are trained to support
people with disabilities, and they are able to go into areas
prohibited to other dogs.
The new guidelines are available at
http://www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/wpg_URL/Resource-material-
Dog-Control-Index?OpenDocument
29 - Rural Bulletin: March 2010
Gender and Land Rights
Database
This database, produced by the United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organisation(FAO), offers up-to-date
information on the legal rights of men and women differ in
nearly 80 countries. Among other statistics, it enables
users to find the total number of women landholders, and
rural households headed by women, in these nations.
In most of the world, there is a widespread gap between
men and women in rates of ownership of agricultural land
and access to income from land, although women are
major producers of food crops and play a key role in
providing and caring for their households.
View the database at http://www.fao.org/gender/landrights
Some Conferences/Events
Managing Soil Contamination
Online registration for workshops on the proposed
national environmental standard for assessing and
managing contaminants in soil is now open. The
workshops, which are being organised by the Ministry of
the Environment, are being held in cities throughout NZ
from 3-30 March 2010.
More is at http://www.mfe.govt.nz/survey/x10nessoil.htm
Rural General Practice Network
Conference
The NZ Rural General Practice Network conference is
being held in Christchurch’s Convention Centre from 11–
14 March. The theme is “Rural Health – No.8 Wired”.
More is at http://www.conference.co.nz/index.cfm/rgpn10
National Not-For-Profit Conference
This year's “Way Forward: Inspiration + Skills” conference
will be held 11-12 March at the Waipuna Conference
Centre in Auckland.
More is at www.nfpconference.co.nz, or contact S Lines on 06 878
3456
Alcohol Causes Violence Conference
This conference is being held at Te Papa in Wellington on
23 March.
The conference flyer is at
http://www.mentalhealth.org.nz/file/Calendar/PDFs/alcohol-causes-
violence-conference-flyer.pdf
Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946
National Maori Housing Conference
This Community Housing Aotearoa conference is being
held at Te Papaiouru Marae, Rotorua, on 22-24 March
2010. It aims to “weave together a vision and strategy that
will lead Maori community housing in the future”.
E-engage Your Community
Conference
This conference on voluntary and not-for-profit
organisations use of the web is on 16 April. The venue is
Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (CPIT).

More is at http://www.communityhousing.org.nz/files/2009/12/NMHC-
For more information email: mgr@volcan.org.nz, or visit
Poster.pdf
http://www.eyc.org.nz/chch/

Meat & Wool NZ AGM Biofuels and Electric Vehicles

Meat & Wool NZ's Annual General Meeting will be held
on 24 March 2010 at Waitomo Cultural & Arts Centre, Te
Kuiti.
More is at http://www.meatnz.co.nz/
Conference
This conference is being held on Wednesday 21 April
2010, at Te Papa in Wellington.
More is at http://www.eeca.govt.nz/node/8133

HDC Medico-Legal Conference 2010

Together We Can: Services for Older
This conference, called “A Decade of Change”, is being
held on 24 March at the Ilott Theatre, Wellington Town People
Hall. The NZ Council of Christian Social Services Conference
is being held from 22-23 April 2010 at the Waipuna
More is at http://www.hdc.org.nz/files/hdc/Medico-Legal-Conference- Conference Centre in Auckland.
programme.doc
More is at
http://www.dcms.co.nz/nzccss/documents/NZCCSSRegBrochure.pdf
Official Statistics Forum 2010
This forum, called “Realising the value of official statistics”
is being held from 24-25 March 2010 at Te Papa in Working for Effective Employment
Wellington. Relationships
More is at These Workplace Wellbeing workshops are being held
http://www.stats.govt.nz/about_us/news_and_events/events_calendar/ on:
March%202010/oss-forum.aspx  11 March: Blenheim - Volunteer Marlborough. Ph 03
577 9388. email vm@volunteermarlborough.org.nz;

Residents’ Groups Conference  30 March: Rotorua - Rotorua Social Services

Council. Ph 07 349 4440, email
Organised by the Federation of Wellington Progressive rossco@callplus.net.nz; and
and Residents Associations (FWPRA), this conference on
10 April aims to provide a forum for people involved in  17 May: Paraparaumu -, Kapiti Community Centre.
local democracy and community activism to discuss Ph 04 902 3240, email KapCom@clear.net.nz
issues involving local government. The venue is
Parliament Buildings.
Funding/Awards
Register at www.residents.org.nz/residents2010 Opportunities

Building Mental Health Bridges Youth Parliament

The nationwide Youth Member of Parliament (Youth MP)
The Building Bridges Community Mental Health &
selection process, open to young people aged 16-18
Addictions Conference “Evolving Communities Beyond
years of age, is underway.
Services” will take place from 14-16 April 2010 at the
Wellington Convention Centre. The Youth Parliament itself is being held on 6-7 July
2010.
More is at http://www.buildingbridges.co.nz/site/building_bridges_trust/

Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946 Rural Bulletin: March 2010 - 30
Applications close in mid-March 2010. Young people who want to
become a Youth MP should contact their local MP directly, or email
beheard@youthparliament.govt.nz,or call 0508 For MYD (367 693). A
list of all members of Parliament and the areas they are selecting from
is at http://www.myd.govt.nz/documents/have-your-say/youth-
parliament/list-of-mps-new-version.doc
Recognising Natural Products
The 2010 Natural Products NZ Industry Awards are now
open for nominations. The awards recognise companies
in the natural products industry who have excelled in
export, marketing, science and technology, and an overall
outstanding contribution to the sector in NZ between July
2008 and June 2009.
Nominations close on 19 March 2010. More information is at
www.naturalproductsnz.org
Youth Development Partnership
Fund
The Youth Development Partnership Fund helps territorial
authorities (city and district councils) and young people
provide youth development opportunities for young
people aged 12-24 years of age in their communities.
Applications close on 19 March 2010. More is at
http://www.myd.govt.nz/funding/youth-development-partnership-
fund/index.html
Asia:NZ/AFS Educator Award
In 2010, Asia:NZ, and AFS will provide three-week
teaching scholarships to Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia,
India, or the Philippines. During their stay, teachers have
the opportunity to experience school and home life in
Asia.
Applications for the 2010 awards close on 23 March 2010. More is at
http://www.afsnzl.org.nz/nzl_en/focus_on/hosting
Health Graduates Bonding Scheme
This scheme is for health graduates working in hard-to-
staff areas and specialties. It encourages health
graduates to establish careers in hard to staff specialities
and communities in NZ by offering student loan debt write
offs or cash incentives over three to five years.
Registrations for this year's intake close on 30 April 2010. A list of
hard-to-staff categories and terms and conditions are at
www.moh.govt.nz/bonding
31 - Rural Bulletin: March 2010
New Community Housing Fund
The ASB Community Trust has launched a housing fund
aimed at supporting community organisations delivering
pilot projects that prevent homelessness/the need for
emergency housing. Projects must benefit youth, women,
Maori and/or Pasifika in the Northland and Auckland
regions.
Applications close 1 April 2010. More is at
http://www.asbcommunitytrust.org.nz/CWB-housing-projects.htm
Awards for Fundraising Excellence
The 2010 Awards for fundraising excellence are
presented by the Fundraising Institute of NZ. They are
open to all fundraisers in NZ with campaigns that ran
during 2008 and 2009. In 2010, there are 10 awards, of
which eight are open to nomination.
Entries/nominations close on 1 April 2010. For more information or to
download a registration form, go to: http://www.finz.org.nz
Lottery Grants
 Lottery Marae Heritage and Facilities: this
committee makes grants for the capital costs of the
conservation, restoration and development of marae
facilities, particularly wharenui, wharekai and
wharepaku facilities. (Note that the Committee only
funds conservation of whakairo where the whakairo
is part of a capital works project.)
 Lottery Outdoor Safety: this committee provides
funding for all outdoor safety activities. It distributes
funds to major outdoor safety and water safety
groups, including their branches and affiliates, and
other national and regional groups that have outdoor
safety or water safety as their main purpose.
Applications for lottery Marae Heritage and Facilities grants close on 9
April 2010. Applications for Lottery Outdoor Safety grants close on 23
April 2010. Apply online at http://www.cdgo.govt.nz/apply-for-funding/
More is at http://www.cdgo.govt.nz/available-grants/
Steak of Origin 2010
The title of 2010 Steak of Origin Grand Champion is up
for grabs. There are five classes available for farmers,
wholesalers, foodservice and retailers.
Entries close on 12 March 2010. For more information contact F Greig
from Beef + Lamb NZ, email fionag@beeflambnz.co.nz, tel (09) 489
0877, or download a form from the competition page of
www.beeflambnz.co.nz
Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946
Aquaculture Market Development
Contestable Fund
This fund helps aquaculture companies take advantage of
emerging marketing opportunities. Aquaculture accounts
for almost 20% of NZ’s seafood exports by revenue and
currently generates close to $350 million.
Applications close on 31 March 2010. For more go to
http://www.nzte.govt.nz/features-commentary/In-Brief/Pages/Funding-
boost-for-aquaculture-.aspx
Fulbright-Harkness Fellowship
Fulbright NZ and the Harkness NZ Trust invite
applications for a new Fulbright-Harkness NZ Fellowship,
which offers the opportunity for an emerging NZ leader in
any field of study/vocation other than health care (for
which there is another application) to study or research in
the US for a minimum of six weeks.
Applications close on 15 March 2010. See the Fulbright NZ website for
further details: http://www.fulbright.org.nz/awards/nz-
fulbrightharkness.html
Fulbright-Creative NZ Writer's
Residency
Fulbright NZ and Creative NZ invite applications for the
2010 Fulbright-Creative NZ Pacific Writer’s Residency,
which offers a NZ writer of Pacific heritage the opportunity
to work for three months on a creative writing project
exploring Pacific identity, culture or history at the
University of Hawai‘i. The three-month residency is
available from August to November 2010.
Applications close on 1 April 2010. More is at
http://www.fulbright.org.nz/awards/nz-cnz.html
Mental Health Support Workers
Training Grant
This grant covers tuition fees for the National Certificate
and National Diploma in Mental Health Support Work.
Applications close on 30 April 2010. They go to Careerforce
(Community Support Services ITO Ltd), PO Box 25 255, Christchurch.
For more information tel 0800 937 877 or email
mentalhealth@careerforce.org.nz
Rural Women NZ, PO Box 12021, Wellington 6144, Fax 04 472 8946
Racing Safety Development Fund
This fund provides around $1 million per annum to match
dollar-for-dollar contributions from racing clubs for
projects that enhance racecourse safety.
Applications close on 31 March 2010. More including application
details is at http://www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/wpg_URL/Resource-
material-Our-Policy-Advice-Areas-Racing-Safety-Development-
Fund?OpenDocument
Appointments
Following the resignation of the Housing and Fisheries
Minister Phil Heatley, Maurice Williamson and David
Carter will be acting Ministers in Housing and Fisheries,
respectively.
NZ's next Consul-General in Sydney will be career
diplomat Martin Welsh. Judge Caren Fox is to be the new
Deputy Chief Judge of the Maori Land Court. Brooke
Gibson and Jonathan Moses have been appointed as
District Court Judges, and will sit at the Manukau District
Court.
Janis Swan has been appointed to the Marsden Fund
Council. Dr John Adams is the new chair of the Medical
Council of NZ (MCNZ). Gisella Carr has been appointed
Chief Executive Officer of Film NZ. Peter Dengate-Thrush
has been appointed to the Copyright Tribunal.
Wayne Norrie is the new chair of the NZ Trade and
Enterprise’s NZ Beachheads Advisory Board, and
Richard Keyse is the new chair of the Europe Beachhead
Advisory Board.
Members of a new Housing Shareholders' Advisory
Group are Alan Jackson (chair), Major Campbell Roberts,
Andrew Body, Martin Udale, Diane Robertson, Brian
Donnelly, and Paul White. Members of an independent
advisory group set up to support National Standards in
schools are: Gary Hawke, (chair), Tom Nicholson, John
Hattie, Tony Trinick, and Avis Glaze.
Rural Bulletin: March 2010 - 32
 Beam me up Scotty ...
Technology holds the key to bringing three dynamic speakers to the Rural Women New
Zealand national conference to be held in Oamaru in May to take part in a panel discussion
on the conference theme - Resilient Rural Communities.
Video conferencing will enable Peter Kenyon, a community development specialist based
in Perth, Dr Caroline Saunders, director of Lincoln University’s Agribusiness and Economic
Research Unit, and Kevin Hague, a Transition Towns advocate, to share their insights into
ways of stumulating community and economic renewal in rural areas.
The state-of-the-art Mobile Surgical Services bus will also be at conference, with a chance for members to see how the latest
telecommunications technology is used to teleport medical experts to their colleagues in the bus’ mobile operating theatre.
Tapping in to the bus’ high-tech telecommunications facilities, RWNZ members in other key centres around the country will
also be able to participate in the conference.
The Rural Women New Zealand national conference runs from Monday 24 to Thursday 27 May.
For further information go to www.ruralwomen.org.nz

Telecom announces lower South Island community donation recipients

City walkways and rural cycle ways, native tree planting projects, technology for rural colleges, an aquatic centre project,
permanent events equipment, a World Night Heritage bid and a youth development programme are among the beneficiaries
of our $250,000 donation to lower South Island communities most affected by the XT mobile network outage in late January.
Following extensive engagement with community leaders in the 12 districts affected by the outage, we announced the full set
of projects we will be supporting on March 5th.
“Telecom’s role in these local communities is already a significant one, as an employer, investor
in telecommunications infrastructure, and as a purchaser of goods and services,” said Alan
Gourdie, CEO of Telecom Retail.
“In making our decisions about the community donation, Telecom has remained focused on
its local commitments. We have been guided and advised by community leaders, including
mayors, chambers of commerce and rural representatives, as to the projects they feel will give
the greatest benefits to their communities. Following feedback from those leaders, we decided
to apportion our donation across each of the 12 affected districts, taking into account population
and also the extent of the outage in each district.
“A common theme that emerged from our discussions with community leaders was one of
supporting projects that will deliver long term benefits to each community”.
Projects that we will support include:
• $35,000 to assist the extension of Invercargill’s city walking and cycle track, and $8,000 towards the development of
a walking and cycling track around Lake Wainono in the Waimate District
• $75,000 to fund native tree planting in Dunedin and neighbouring rural communities in conjunction with Dunedin City
Council’s “Let’s Grow Native” campaign
• $35,000 towards the Caroline Bay Aquatic Centre project in Timaru
• $30,000 to assist the 6 rural colleges in Southland district purchase technology equipment for their classrooms
• $35,000 to assist Queenstown Lakes District Council develop permanent equipment for the many events organised
across the district
• $5,000 to support Clutha District Council’s youth development workshops bringing together 100 young people from
across the district
• $7,000 to support upgrades to the Fairlie and Twizel Medical Centres, and the bid for Night World Heritage Status for
the skies above Mt St John near Lake Tekapo.
Further projects totalling $20,000 are currently being finalised with Gore, Central Otago, Waitaki, and Ashburton district
councils.

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