Events – Over 100 Firefighters Compete at UFBA National Waterway Challenge

February 17, 2025

Source: United Fire Brigades’ Association

Each year, over 20,000 fires threaten precious homes, businesses, our natural environment and lives across New Zealand. We have seen several large vegetation fires this summer already and they all require one thing – lots of water and brave people to put it there!

Firefighting relies on timing, technical expertise, and teamwork to save lives and property; the branch on the hose, the hose to the pump, the standpipe to the hydrant, and each person playing their part.

Since 1885, the United Fire Brigades’ Association (UFBA) Waterway Challenge has helped firefighters test their hose-running and pump-operating skills in a fun, safe, and competitive environment. The track has 19 different setups covering rural and urban approaches to firefighting.

On Friday 21 and Saturday 22 February at the Tulloch Rugby Park in Mataura, over 130 firefighters from all around the country will be taking part in the Challenge. Including 104 competitors demonstrating their teamwork and firefighting skills that they use to protect property and lives, as they compete in teams against each other and the clock, in the UFBA National Waterway Challenge 2025 (which is held every two years).

Teams of firefighters will be heading to Mataura from both the North and South Islands, from these volunteer fire brigades: Wellsford, Ahuroa, Silverdale, West Harbour, Te Aroha, Morrinsville, Thames, Mayor View, Havelock North, Carterton, Wainuiomata, Westport, Brunner, Greymouth, Rangiora, Rolleston, Balclutha, Lincoln, Cromwell, Kaitangata, Mossburn, Mataura, and Wyndham.

Competitors have trained all year, some are highly experienced and we have some fresh faces ready to take on the challenge.

This event is open to the public, bring the kids along to watch this competitive display of firefighting techniques.

Location: Tulloch Rugby Park, Mataura Competition date/time: Friday 21 February 0900hrs till 1600hrs (approx.) and Saturday 22 February from 0900hrs till 1400hrs (approx.)

A century of service in Mataura

2025 is also a historic year for the Mataura Volunteer Fire Brigade, as they will be celebrating their centennial (100th year). The brigade’s big celebration will be held in November, and the UFBA is proud to be able to bring our national event to the Mataura community who have supported their volunteer fire brigade for 100 years.

About the UFBA – for over 140 years the United Fire Brigades’ Association has been the leading association representing firefighters in New Zealand. Today our services support over 14,000 firefighters throughout the fire and emergency services sector by providing advocacy, skills-based challenges, workshops and service honours.

MIL OSI

Business – Entries open for new-look ExportNZ ASB Central Region Export Awards

LiveNews Publisher

February 17, 2025

Source: Business Central

Entries open for new-look ExportNZ ASB Central Region Export Awards

The ExportNZ ASB Central Region Export Awards will return this year with an expanded format, building off the success of last year’s sold-out ExportNZ ASB Wellington Export Awards.

This year’s new-look event recognises the efforts of exporters from Wellington to the wider Central region. It will be hosted for the first time in Palmerston North, at the Palmerston North Conference and Function Centre on June 6.

The awards will be hosted on an alternate basis between Wellington and Palmerston North each year.

ExportNZ Central and Hawke’s Bay manager Amanda Liddle says the new format reflects the growth of the export industry across the Central region, including Wellington, Whanganui, Wairarapa, Horowhenua and Manawatū.

“ExportNZ is delighted to be holding the ExportNZ ASB Central Region Export Awards for the first time in Palmerston North this year. The region has a thriving export sector and an important logistics ecosystem which is crucial to the New Zealand export economy. We look forward to celebrating the success of exporters throughout the lower North Island,” said Liddle.

Palmerston North Mayor Grant Smith says the event is recognition of a region that punches above its weight.

“We’re proud to host the 2025 Central Export Awards, alternating biennially with Wellington over the coming years. Despite being a powerhouse in primary industries, our city and wider region are often overlooked in the export conversation. Yet we’re at the heart of New Zealand’s food and fibre sector – producing and exporting beef, lamb, poultry, venison, fresh produce, cropping, seafood, dairy, honey, and forestry products worldwide.

“Beyond agriculture, we’re also home to many world-class manufacturers, a growing tech sector, and have a strong international education presence.

“We’re grateful to our partners Central Economic Development Agency, Manawatū District Council, Horizons Regional Council, and the Manawatū Business Chamber for supporting this event and celebrating our exporters’ achievements,” said Smith.

In partnership with ASB, the awards honour the success of Central exporters in international markets.

The Central region is home to many major exporters, responsible for strong overseas trade, cutting-edge research and industry partnerships – making it an ideal location for this year’s expanded event.

ASB Head of International Trade Mike Atkins says:

“ASB is excited to expand our partnership with Business Central in launching the ExportNZ ASB Central Region Export Awards this year. The Manawatū region has a rich history in food innovation and science, backed by thriving primary, technology, distribution, and logistics sectors.

“We look forward to recognising and celebrating the achievements of the region’s exporters, who play an important role in New Zealand’s economic growth agenda,” Atkins said.

Are you leading the way in innovation, championing sustainability, or building a thriving export business?

The ExportNZ ASB Central Region Export Awards welcomes entries from exporters across these categories:

CentrePort Wellington Excellence in Innovation: This award recognises companies that excel in bringing innovative solutions to global markets, encompassing everything from intellectual property and strategy to process implementation and success tracking.
ExportNZ Excellence in Sustainability: This award recognises businesses that have woven sustainability into their core operations, achieving global success while creating positive environmental and social impact.
DHL Best Emerging Business: This award aims to recognise an outstanding exporting business that is in the early stages of expanding internationally, with an annual turnover of $5 million or less.
Gallagher Insurance Best Established Business: This award celebrates success based on net return to the New Zealand economy for more established companies, typically with over five years in export markets and likely annual revenue exceeding $5 million.

The awards are judged by a panel of experienced exporting specialists to ensure a fair and comprehensive evaluation of each entry. This year the judges are David Boyd, Chair of ExportNZ and Founder of Foot Science International; ASB Head of International Trade Mike Atkins; and Paul Brewerton, Customer Manager at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise

ExportNZ welcomes entries from exporters in the following regions:

– Greater Wellington

– Wairarapa

– Horowhenua

– Manawatū

– Whanganui

Whether you’re just beginning your export journey or are an established international player, we encourage you to share your success story. Entries open on the 17 th of February 2025 and will close on the 16 th of April 2025.Tickets are available now.

MIL OSI

Make-over time on Tauranga State Highways

LiveNews Publisher

February 17, 2025

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

A couple of urban State Highways in and around Tauranga are set to be refreshed over the next 3 months in 3 different locations.

These works will see the rebuild of a section of State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko and 2 different sections of State Highway 2 (SH2) near Elizabeth Street and Hewletts Road. This includes new asphalt layers and road markings. During work hours there will be lane closures and detours in place. To minimise disruption to motorists all work will be done at night or over a ‘super weekend’ where crews will work 24/7 between Friday 21 February and Monday 24 February.

SH2/Elizabeth Street:

Work kicks off on Friday 21 February on the northbound slip lane at the SH2/Elizabeth Street roundabout, with a super weekend of work, crews will be onsite 24/7 from 6pm Friday 21 February through to Monday 24 February at 6am. Completing this work over 3 days in a super weekend when there is less traffic on the road without peak traffic flows is a new way of working, the alternative is 2 weeks of nightworks with various detours and road closures.

While this work is taking place this slip lane will be closed, meaning there will be no right hand turn at the bottom of Elizabeth Street towards Mount Maunganui, a detour will be available via Cameron Road.

SH29/SH29 Takitimu Drive toll road:

From Tuesday 25 February until Friday 14 March crews will move to SH29 from Cambridge Road down the hill to the slip lane and on to the Takitimu Drive toll road. Work will be carried out each night from 8pm through to 6am, no work will take place on the weekends.

On Monday 3 March, the road will be closed to eastbound traffic (towards Tauranga) from Cambridge Road to the SH29/SH36/29A roundabout, due to the narrow lane width and equipment required to complete the work. the road will be closed

SH2 Hewletts Road:

Lastly, crews will be taking on intersections on SH2 Hewletts Road. Work was done on Hewletts Road early in 2024, but the intersections were always programmed to be rebuilt this year.

Work will begin in mid-March and take about 6 weeks to complete. All work will be done at night, more information will be provided closer to the date for this work.

Work Schedule:

SH2/Elizabeth Street – From 6pm Friday 21 February to 6am Monday 24 February
SH29 Cambridge Road to SH29/36/29A Roundabout and toll road slip lane – Tuesday 25 February to Friday 14 March
SH2 Hewletts Road – mid-March to end of April

View larger map [PDF, 2.1 MB]

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SH1 Brynderwyn Hills road resurfacing works

LiveNews Publisher

February 17, 2025

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Overnight asphalt resurfacing works will get underway on State Highway 1 on the northern side of the Brynderwyn Hills from this Sunday (23 February), NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) advises.

Work will take place between 9pm and 5am over five nights, with stop/go traffic management operating during those hours, and a 30km/h temporary speed limit in place.

Travel delays during these works are expected to be 5 – 10mins.

This work is part of Northland’s significant summer maintenance programme, which will see approximately 203 lane kilometres of state highway renewed across the region by the end of May.

As well as ensuring a smooth, skid-resistant surface, asphalt resurfacing helps to protect the important structural layers underneath, improves waterproofing to help prevent potholes, and extends the life of the road.

There will be increased noise for residents in the area, and short delays for road users. We encourage road users to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journeys.

Access for residents and priority for emergency services will be maintained throughout the works.

Please be patient and treat our crews with kindness and respect. Reduce your speed, adhere to the temporary speed limits and follow the traffic management directions at our work sites. 

This work is weather dependent and there may be changes to the planned works in the case of unsuitable weather. Please visit the NZTA Journey Planner website for up-to-date information on these works, including any changes due to weather.

Journey Planner(external link)

For more information about the overall maintenance programme and planned works, visit the Northland State Highway Maintenance Programme website:

Northland roadworks (external link)

You can now sign up to receive email updates on upcoming road maintenance:

NZTA thanks everyone for their understanding and support while we carry out this essential maintenance.

MIL OSI

Directors appointed to Ferry Holdings Limited

LiveNews Publisher

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.

MIL OSI

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.

MIL OSI

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

MIL OSI

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