Directors appointed to Ferry Holdings Limited

February 17, 2025

Source: New Zealand Government

Minister for Rail Winston Peters has announced director appointments for Ferry Holdings Limited – the schedule 4a company charged with negotiating ferry procurement contracts for two new inter-island ferries.

Mr Peters says Ferry Holdings Limited will be responsible for negotiating long-term port agreements on either side of the Cook Strait and ensuring the seamless and integrated delivery of cost-effective replacement Interislander ferries.

“The new chair Chris Mackenzie, deputy chair Heather Simpson, and director Greg Lowe bring substantial and specific expertise for the no-nonsense delivery of cost-effective infrastructure,” he says.

Chris Mackenzie led the negotiations to buy back New Zealand’s rail assets in the late 2000s and was also Independent Chair of the Horizontal Infrastructure Governance Group involved in the Christchurch Rebuild.

Heather Simpson, a former Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister and an economics lecturer brings significant experience in executing complex tasks.

Greg Lowe is the former global Chief Executive of Beca, former Managing Director of Beca Australia and a qualified marine engineer with previous shipbuilding experience.

“The new board will manage the contractual negotiations with shipyards, ports, and any other party required to deliver safe, reliable and resilient Interislander services into the future – working closely with us as shareholding Ministers.

“The board will undertake the procurement process for new ferries and report back to Ministers for final decisions and similarly engage in the landside development planning and funding agreements with ports with decisions taken by Ministers.

“This won’t be cost-plus infrastructure like Project iReX – it will be a pragmatic appreciation of infrastructure that can continue in service while replacing only what is needed to safely and reliably operate new Interislander ferries,” Mr Peters says

Cabinet will take decisions on further director appointments soon.

MIL OSI

Aspire launches Visa Corporate Card for Hong Kong Small Businesses

MIL OSI

February 17, 2025

Source: Media Outreach

Aspire collaborates with Visa to streamline business finance for 360,000 small businesses in Hong Kong.

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 17 February 2025 – Aspire, a leading fintech headquartered in Singapore, has announced the launch of its Visa corporate card tailored specifically for small and medium-sized businesses in Hong Kong. By providing access to powerful, user-friendly financial tools, Aspire and Visa are setting the stage for a new era of growth and efficiency in Hong Kong’s business landscape.

Aspire Launches Visa Corporate Card for Hong Kong Small Businesses

Hong Kong’s SMBs, the backbone of its economy, often struggle with limited access to financial tools like corporate cards. Many Hong Kong business owners rely on personal accounts due to low limits, high fees, and poor expense visibility. Aspire’s new Visa card solves this by providing a user-friendly, cost-effective solution.

As growth remains the top priority for SMBs, nearly 79% are focused on expanding through cross-border transactions. Aspire’s Visa card empowers Hong Kong SMBs to thrive in the modern global economy by offering access to multi-currency and seamless cross-border payments. By combining Aspire’s innovative technology with Visa’s global network, businesses can manage their funds with one account, ensuring reliable, secure, and fast transactions that are widely accepted worldwide.

“Our partnership with Visa represents a significant leap forward in our mission to empower entrepreneurs and SMBs across the world,” said Andrea Baronchelli, Co-founder and CEO of Aspire. “This collaboration with Visa will enable businesses to grow, move money effortlessly across borders, and expand with confidence.”

“By bringing Visa’s global network together with Aspire’s all-in-one financial platform, the Aspire Visa corporate card offers a comprehensive financial solution for SMBs to thrive in today’s dynamic and interconnected business environment,” said Paulina Leong, General Manager of Visa Hong Kong and Macau. “This collaboration reinforces our commitment to equipping SMBs with world-class payment methods that will help drive Hong Kong’s digital economy forward.”

To celebrate the launch, all new clients who sign up at https://aspireapp.com/hk/lp/cashback-promo before February 28th will get 8% cash-back on the first HKD18,888 spend.

To borrow or not to borrow? Borrow only if you can repay!
Terms and conditions apply: https://hs.aspireapp.com/hk-jan-2025-card-cashback.

https://aspireapp.com/hk
https://www.linkedin.com/company/aspireapp-global/

Hashtag: #Aspire

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Fishing company fined $16,500 for not using tori line, submitting false statement on fish landing return

LiveNews Publisher

February 17, 2025

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

A Northland fishing company has been fined $16,500 for failing to use the required fishing gear and providing a false statement on their fish landing return.

Macnicol Fishing Limited was sentenced in the North Shore District Court on 3 charges on Friday (14 February 2025) under the Fisheries Act, following a successful prosecution by Fisheries New Zealand.

The company did not use tori lines which are required to prevent accidental seabird capture when surface long lining. Fish landing returns record where a fish was caught for the purposes of sustainable fisheries management.

“All longliners are expected to use tori lines when surface longlining. Video footage showed the fishing vessel Carolina M was longlining without using this bird scaring device – which increases the risk of catching endangered seabirds.

“The rules are there for a reason and most commercial fishers follow them closely,” says Fisheries New Zealand district manager, fisheries compliance, Glen Blackwell.

Off the coast of the Bay of Plenty, another of the company’s vessels, Kiella, filed an electronic report identifying a different area to where the fish was actually harvested from.

The following month, the Kiella filed another incorrect electronic report, related to its catch of snapper and trevally. Both these incidents occurred in areas, north of Auckland.

Mr Blackwell says accurate reporting is essential to sustainable management of our fisheries.

“It is a fisher’s responsibility to accurately report their catch. This information is an important part of considerations when setting catch limits, so we take misreporting seriously.”

MPI encourages people to report suspected illegal activity through the ministry’s 0800 4 POACHER number (0800 476 224)

For further information and general enquiries, email info@mpi.govt.nz

For media enquiries, contact the media team on 029 894 0328.

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Bringing cataract care closer to home

LiveNews Publisher

February 17, 2025

Source: New Zealand Government

Ophthalmology patients in Kaitaia are benefiting from being able to access the complete cataract care pathway closer to home, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.

“Ensuring New Zealanders have access to timely, quality healthcare is a priority for the Government.

“Since 30 September 2024, Kaitaia Hospital has been providing cataract care to the local community, including first specialist assessments, surgery, and post-operative follow-ups.

“Prior to this, patients were having to travel up to two and a half hours to Whangārei Hospital.

“I’m pleased for the 54 patients who have received their eye surgery at their local hospital, instead of having to travel to Whangārei.

“An additional 55 first specialist assessments have also been attended at Kaitaia Hospital since the service opened.

“I know that attending appointments and having surgery are already stressful experiences without the added challenge of having to travel hours to get there and back.

“That’s why initiatives like this make a real difference in improving access to timely healthcare and bringing services closer to home for Kiwis.

“They also support our focus on achieving shorter wait times for first specialist assessments and elective surgery by reducing waitlists.

“Many more patients will be able to access this local, life-changing pathway in the future, ensuring timely, quality access to cataract care for the Kaitaia community,” Mr Brown says.

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Taranaki event-goers reminded to plan ahead

LiveNews Publisher

February 17, 2025

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

You could be forgiven for thinking you’re in America when driving the roads of Taranaki this week.

Americarna – the celebration of classic American cars, hits the streets of the region from Wednesday.

It’s one of a number of big events this month, with Te Matatini and WOMAD to follow.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is reminding people making their way to these events over the next month to plan their journeys.

“There are some great events coming up in Taranaki over the next month, which will see a lot of people visiting Taranaki. More people in the region means there will be more traffic on the state highway network,” says NZTA Taranaki Journey Manager Mike Dickson.

“With more people on our roads it may take a bit longer than usual to get around. We recommend giving yourself plenty of time during the events to ensure you get where you’re going on-time.”

To minimise disruption to people travelling for these events we started our state highway renewals and maintenance season in Taranaki in September – a month earlier than usual – to get our most disruptive work completed before these big events kick off.

“So far this season we’ve completed the majority of our renewal programme, including our most disruptive works. But because we have such a large programme to complete before the season is out, we will still have some works underway over the coming weeks. There will also be ongoing project work underway, mainly on SH3,” says Mr Dickson.

“Our roading crews will manage traffic through these sites as quickly as they can but it’s important that drivers follow the temporary traffic management and adhere to all speed restrictions in place for the safety or road users and crews alike.”

During Americarna, the following road closures will be in place:

SH 3 & SH3A Inglewood

These sections of road will be closed in both directions on Thursday 20 February between 1pm and 3pm. Plan your journey accordingly allowing extra time for travel.

SH 3 Stratford, between Fenton Street and Seyton Street

This section of road will be closed in both directions on Friday 21 February between 10am and 1pm. Plan your journey accordingly allowing extra time for travel.

Signposted detours will be available.

Before hitting the road, visit Journey Planner to see what works are underway and how they may impact your journey: nzta.govt.nz/journeys.

To stay up-to-date with the Taranaki maintenance and renewal programme:

Taranaki maintenance(external link)

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No one wants to be stuck between a rock and a hard place – Rock scaling works planned for State Highway 65, Higgins Bluff

LiveNews Publisher

February 17, 2025

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Improving the resilience of state highways in the South Island continues, with State Highway 65 at Higgins Bluff near Murchison set for improvements.

Contractors will be onsite on the Shenandoah Highway near Ariki, from Monday, 10 March, when they will begin rock scaling work on a five-kilometre section of the state highway.

Rob Service, System Manager Nelson/Tasman says contractors will remove overhanging rock and debris from the cliff face above the highway.

“Rock falls can pose a serious risk to road users and sometimes result in lengthy road closures. Reducing their risk is a priority for us.”

“Improving the resilience of State Highway 65 is critical. We have seen from severe weather events in recent years how crucial it is to invest in works that help prevent and reduce the risks harsh weather brings,” Mr Service says.

He says, because rock scaling can only be done safely during the day the work will require daytime road closures.

“Rock scaling simply can’t be done at night as it is too unsafe for work crews,” Mr Service says.

The work will be completed using a full highway closure, between 7 am and 7 pm, from Monday, 10 March to Friday 14 March.

While it is underway Mr Service says road users will have to detour via State Highway 6 O’Sullivan’s Bridge to Inangahua Junction, then via State Highway 69 to Reefton and State Highway 7 to Springs Junction.

“This is a significant detour and will require extra travel time. However, it is unavoidable as it is not safe to have traffic driving through the project site when rocks are being removed from the cliff face. Having unstable boulders above vehicles is not a good mix.”

“Please bear with us. This project is all about making State Highway 65 safer and more reliable in the future. There will be some inconvenience next month, but it is all about trying to prevent bigger hassles in the future,” Mr Service says.

Following the road closures, work will continue under stop/go and 30 km/hr temporary speed limits from 7 am to 7 pm, Monday to Friday, until March 28. During this time anchors and mesh rock-protection will be installed on the bluff face.

NZTA/Waka Kotahi is working with the freight industry, the local community, and the local school to ensure those affected by this work can make arrangements in advance.

Works Schedule:

Full road closure. Monday, 10 March, to Friday, 14 March, 7 am – 7 pm.
The road will reopen to two lanes outside of work hours.
During work hours the detour route will be via State Highway 6 O’Sullivan’s Bridge to Inangahua Junction, then via State Highway 69 to Reefton and State Highway 7 to Springs Junction.
Allow an extra 45 minutes travel time when travelling on the detour route.
Emergency services will be accommodated through the closure.
Following the closures, work continues under stop/go and temporary speed limits, Monday to Friday, 7 am – 7 pm, between Monday, 17 and Friday, 28 March 2025.

More Information:

This work is funded by the Crown Resilience Programme – a $419 million investment package of resilience improvement activities that will reduce the impact of severe weather events on our national roading networks. The total crown resilience programme comprises $279 million for activities on State Highways, and $140 million for activities on Local Roads.
Crown Resilience Programme (CRP)

Other resilience works underway in the top of the South Island include flood prevention works on State Highway 1 at Dashwood in Marlborough, and on State Highway 6 at Dellows Bluff. Flood prevention works were recently completed at the Wash on State Highway 63 in the Wairau Valley, and further rock scaling work is also planned on State Highway 63 at Howard Narrows

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Crucial Penlink detour road repaired and strengthened

LiveNews Publisher

February 17, 2025

Source: Auckland Council

Repairs to a major storm-related slip on Duck Creek Road, a crucial access road during the construction of O Mahurangi – Penlink, the new seven-kilometre highway between Whangaparaoa Road and State Highway 1, are complete.

“Last year Duck Creek Road began slumping at the site of an under slip on a corner near the northern side of the road, which was a worry because this local road is the only link to Stillwater from East Coast Bays Road,” said Alan Wallace, Auckland Transport’s GM Road Asset Maintenance & Renewals.

“While the road usually caters for around 2000 vehicle movements per day, the additional trucks carrying materials and machinery for the Penlink project put the road under extra stress. It was also crucial to fix the slip fast while widening the road and accommodating through-traffic during the on-site construction.”

“The urgency of this project was paramount, as further slips could have cut community access and disrupted the Penlink build.”

AT contractors, Fulton Hogan team, built three retaining walls (two long and one short), installed improved drainage facilities, made improvements to driveway entrances and laid new pavement.

They did this by working on one side of the road then switching to the other, in tandem with Vector retaining a power pole on top of the southern bank – at one stage the pole was held by a 55 tonne crane while works could proceed below it.

Early this year road pavement works was laid, a guard rail installed and landscaping completed before the road was fully opened on 7 February.

AT and Fulton Hogan would like to thank the residents of Duck Creek Road, their neighbours and visitors to the area, and the Penlink contractors, for their patience during this project.

“I am really pleased with the completed roadworks, including our driveway. It’s much easier to get out now it’s all finished and the stretch of road looks amazing. Thank you for keeping us updated during construction, it wouldn’t have been easy!” – Karen.

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Northland Regional Council news briefs 17/02/25

LiveNews Publisher

February 17, 2025

Source: Northland Regional Council

Coastal Conversations

Coastal Conversations events will be held around Whangārei district during Seaweek for coastal communities to discuss coastal issues, ask questions, connect with others, and hear from experts in coastal processes and hazards.

There will be a mixture of formal presentations and a chance to mingle, chat, and check out displays from local groups, schools, regional and district councils, and organisations such as Civil Defence, CoastCare, Coastal Restoration Trust and Seaweek.

Ruakākā Recreation Complex Monday 03 March, Waipū Celtic Barn Tuesday 04 March, Whananaki Beach Hall Thursday 06 March, Ngunguru Sports and Recreation Club Friday 07 March.

Bridge extension project will close Quarry Road temporarily

A detour will be in place for 10 weeks from Monday 3 March as Northland Regional Council begins an important bridge extension project that will close Quarry Road in Kaitāia.

The detour will be along Donald Road. All motorists travelling to the airport will need to travel through Kaitāia and follow the detour. The detour is approximately the same distance from Kaitaia to the airport and includes 3km of gravel road on Quarry Road.

Travellers going to the airport from the North and East coast will need to allow extra travel time to travel to Kaitāia first.

Funding for the $1.3 million upgrade – which is part of the regional council’s wider multimillion dollar Awanui Flood Scheme upgrade – comes from the Government’s Regional Infrastructure Fund for consented priority flood resilience projects that will protect land and assets during severe weather.

The work will fix a ‘pinch point’ in the flood scheme and will take place in two phases. The first section of the work will allow for earthworks underneath a proposed 15-metre extension of the bridge – which will open an additional 12-metre span – and support the wider Awanui River Flood Protection Scheme.

The extra span on the bridge will reduce the risk of flooding to surrounding houses and Awanui township

A second section of work will involve construction of the bridge extension and associated works.

Regional pest plan review

Time is running out to take part in initial public feedback on how invasive plants and animals are managed in Te Taitokerau as part of a review of the Northland Regional Pest and Marine Pathway Management Plan.

Since November last year the council has been running a period of early engagement talking to hapū, iwi, kaitiaki, pest control groups and other interested people and organisations, to help inform development of a new pest plan

The pest plan is all about how pests can be best managed in Te Taitokerau, to protect te ao tūroa (our natural world), the wellbeing of whānau and communities, and our economy.

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Events – Marlborough Sounds Marinas Set for Auckland Boat Show 2025

LiveNews Publisher

February 17, 2025

Source: Port Marlborough

The team from Marlborough Sounds Marinas will be showcasing the best of New Zealand’s world-class boating facilities at the Auckland Boat Show, 6-9 March 2025.

Marlborough Sounds Marinas leads the way in sustainable marina operations, as the only marina network in New Zealand accredited under the International Clean Marina programme.

As New Zealand’s largest marina operator with marinas at Picton, Havelock and Waikawa at the top of the South Island, the team is looking forward to connecting with customers and boaties, sharing insights on berthage opportunities, and celebrating the reputation of the Marlborough Sounds as one of the most enjoyable boating destinations in the country. Located in the heart of the Marlborough Sounds, the marinas accommodate over 2,000 permanent vessels, along with many more visiting boats. Their three marinas include the recently opened Waikawa North West Marina in Queen Charlotte Sound.

The team will have information and resources to hand showing available facilities, boating information about the Sounds, and displaying the products and services provided in their marinas, including the superyacht-ready, recently accredited facilities at Picton Marina.

Visitors to the stand will have the chance to go in the draw for some fantastic prizes.

The Auckland Boat Show is the perfect opportunity to meet the team, explore options for boating in this unique area, and discover why Marlborough Sounds Marinas continues to attract local and international boaties to the beautiful Marlborough region. Meet the team on stand 111 in the ground floor pavilion at the Auckland Boat Show, March 6-9th 2025.

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Education – Minister’s view not the experience of schools, say principals

LiveNews Publisher

February 17, 2025

Source: NZ Principals Federation

The New Zealand Principals’ Federation (NZPF) President, Leanne Otene, has expressed her surprise at the recent pronouncements of the Minister of Education, on the Q and A Show, that the roll out of the new curriculum in Literacy and Mathematics is going magnificently well.

“Other than Cambridge Intermediate School, I am not sure which schools the Minister is visiting, but this is not the feedback I am receiving as President of the Principals’ Federation,” she said.

“I am hearing from schools that the year by year mathematics curriculum is not working at all well – especially in Intermediate schools – who have received only year 7 and 8 resources, yet have children up to two or even three years below that level and some children exceeding their level,” she said.

“We have been very clear for many years now that our learners do not arrive at school all the same. They arrive at school with a broad range of readiness for formal learning, and about 30% will need some form of learning support. Conversely, there are children who exceed their year level. That is why we have always opposed a year by year curriculum,” said Otene, “because it sets up an expectation that every child is exactly at their year level, which is simply not true,” she said.

Otene was also less optimistic than the Minister about the roll out of the professional learning for teachers and principals, and said trying to change two major areas of the curriculum at once was not the best way to design curriculum change.

“We are pleased that the Minister has offered free professional learning in Mathematics and Literacy for our principals and teachers,” said Otene, “however we have received varying feedback on the quality of professional learning on offer, because it is a ‘one-size-fits-all approach’”, she said.

“We know that schools are at different stages of development, with some having adopted structured literacy, for example, several years ago and some are well familiar with the mathematics resources. Other schools have no experience of either structured literacy or structured mathematics,” she said.

“NZPF called for a slowdown of the curriculum change, asking for one subject at a time,” she said, ” so that teachers and principals could be fully trained and feel confident and competent to implement the changes,” she said.

“If we are to be successful, then it is critical that we also inject substantial resources into learning support,” said Otene. “Successive governments have failed to adequately address learning support, and we have seen no improvements with the present government,” she said.

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