Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has made one change to the starting line-up for the second Test against New Zealand which takes place on Saturday at the Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin.

Mack Hansen is introduced on the right wing to play alongside James Lowe and Hugo Keenan in the backfield.

Captain Johnny Sexton will again be partnered by Jamison Gibson Park at half-back while Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose continue their centre partnership.

The pack is unchanged from the first Test in Auckland with Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong in the front row and Tadhg Beirne and James Ryan at lock. Peter OMahony, Josh van der Flier and Caelan Doris are named in the backrow.

Rob Herring and Finlay Bealham who were ruled out of the first Test return to be named amongst the replacements alongside Cian Healy, Kieran Treadwell, Jack Conan, Conor Murray, Joey Carbery and Bundee Aki.

The second Test against New Zealand will be broadcast live on Sky Sports and RT Radio. (8.05am IST)

15 Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 21 caps

14 Mack Hansen (Connacht) 4 caps

13 Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD) 43 caps

12 Robbie Henshaw (Leinster/Buccaneers) 58 caps

11 James Lowe (Leinster) 13 caps

10 Johnny Sexton (Leinster/St Marys College) 106 caps CAPTAIN

9 Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 18 caps

1 Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD) 44 caps

2 Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Lansdowne) 8 caps

3 Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf) 58 caps

4 Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Lansdowne) 31 caps

5 James Ryan (Leinster/UCD) 44 caps

6 Peter OMahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 85 caps

7 Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 41 caps

8 Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Marys College) 18 caps

Replacements

16 Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 26 caps

17 Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf) 116 caps

18 Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers) 23 caps

19 Kieran Treadwell (Ulster/Ballymena) 6 caps

20 Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere) 28 caps

21 Conor Murray (Munster/Garryowen) 97 caps

22 Joey Carbery (Munster/Clontarf) 33 caps

23 Bundee Aki (Connacht/Galwegians) 38 caps

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Ireland Team To Face New Zealand In 2nd Test - Munster Rugby

Given the importance of enforcement at the FMA, we wanted to test the market to ensure we appointed the best person to the role.

The Financial Markets Authority (FMA), New Zealands financial watchdog, has confirmed the appointment of Margot Gatland as its new Head of Enforcement.

Margot Gatland joined the FMA in December 2017 as a senior solicitor. She already led a number of successful FMA prosecutions and was most recently Acting Head of Enforcement at the FMA.

The litigation lawyers past work experience includes jobs in New Zealand and the United Kingom, having worked at the Serious Fraud Office, Meredith Connell, commercial firms, and in government.

Liam Mason, FMA General Counsel, said: Margot Gatland has been confirmed as our new Head of Enforcement after an extensive local and international search. This is a crucial role, responsible for leading all the FMAs work to enforce the law and prosecute misconduct.

Given the importance of enforcement at the FMA, we wanted to test the market to ensure we appointed the best person to the role. We received a high level of interest from both local and overseas candidates. The interest in the role reflects the high regard in which the FMA is held, and were delighted that we have the right skills and experience inside the FMA with Margot.

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The New Zealand regulator appointed experienced international regulator Samantha Barrass as its new Chief Executive in January 2022 after announcing the hire in September 2021.

She has worked in a range of regulatory and executive roles in the UK and Europe. Between 2014 and 2019, Ms. Barrass was the Chief Executive Officer of the financial regulator in Gibraltar. The role encompassed conduct and prudential regulatory oversight. Earlier in her career, she worked for nine years in a number of roles at the Financial Services Authority in the UK (now the Financial Conduct Authority).

Most recently, Ms. Barrass led the establishment of the UKs Business Banking Resolution Service, an innovative service designed to resolve disputes between banks and their business customers. She has also held senior roles at the UK Solicitors Regulatory Authority and the London Investment Banking Association.

After graduating in economics from the University of Canterbury in Christchurch and completing post-graduate study at Victoria University of Wellington, Ms. Barrass began her career as an economist at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. She then moved to the UK to attend the London School of Economics, where she was awarded an MSc.

The rest is here:

New Zealand FMA appoints Margot Gatland as Head of Enforcement - FinanceFeeds

New Zealand conservationists are embarking on the largest attempt ever made to eradicate introduced predators from an inhabited island.

Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research, a crown research institute, has signed a $2.8m partnership with Rakiura/Stewart Islands conservation group, Predator Free Rakiura, to eradicate predators including possums, rats, feral cats and hedgehogs over the next four years.

The project will also include research programmes to better understand how pests proliferate and how best to manage them.

Rakiura sits off the coast of the South Island and is about 180,000 hectares, with a permanent population of 400 people and roughly 45,000 visitors a year.

The island boasts national parks, distinctive ecosystems, significant dunes and pristine freshwater systems, and is home to many vulnerable native species including native birds, geckos and bats.

But the introduction of pests has affected its delicate flora and fauna including the flightless national icon, the kiwi, and the lovable nocturnal kkp the heaviest and only flightless parrot in the world.

Presently Rakiura is in a state of puri or sadness, said Dean Whaanga, the co-chair of predator frees trust, Te Puka Rakiura Trust.

On the surface a visitor might see the beautiful treasure that it is, however its true mana [power] and mauri [essence] will be recognised when the indigenous species return in numbers as seen by our ancestors, he said.

In Mori legend, Rakiura is also known as Te Punga o Te Waka a Mui the anchor stone of Muis canoe (the South Island) from which he raised the great fish (the North Island). Now it will act as a motif for anchoring the country to a nationwide predator-free goal.

What we learn here will help to pave the way for the whole country to become predator free, Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research said in a statement.

Its acting chief executive, Dr Fiona Carswell, said working alongside the trust and the community is what would bring the institutes research to life.

We relish working with local knowledge and approaches to achieving biodiversity aspirations for Rakiura.

Similar predator-free projects have occurred around the world, including on the island of South Georgia, in the south Atlantic Ocean. Its rat eradication covered roughly 350,000 hectares, but the islands population is only 20-30 people.

While smaller, Rakiura has a much higher population and unless someone else gets there first, Predator Free Rakiura will be the largest predator eradication to date globally with a community of this size, Chris Jones of Manaaki Whenua told Stuff.

New Zealands leading independent conservation group, Forest and Bird, has praised the project, calling it a massively ambitious and important vision that will pave the way for environmental protection across New Zealand and around the world.

Sixty years ago Forest and Bird members led the very first humble rat eradication on Maria Island in the Hauraki Gulf, which covers only one hectare, its spokesperson, Dean Baigent-Mercer, said.

Its incredible that today New Zealand is researching the removal of all introduced predators off an island 180,000 times bigger.

View original post here:

New Zealand to embark on worlds largest feral predator eradication - The Guardian

New Zealanders across the North Island have reported rumbling, crackling sounds, a fireball and a huge flash of light streaking across the sky on Thursday afternoon, in what scientists believe was likely a meteor.

Local media outlets and social media were flooded with reports and queries about the sight, with some witnesses describing rumbles, bangs, a crackling sound in their ears, hair standing on end, rattling windows or a streak or explosion of light, followed by a smoke trail.

Seismologists at Geonet picked up a presumed sound wave from the object, and weather scientists for Metservice believe they picked up the object or its smoke trail on radar.

Plumber Curtis Powell captured the phenomenon on his dashcam while driving north of Shannon at 1.39pm on Thursday.

We were just driving to a job in Shannon when I saw a blue line falling in the sky, then a massive bright light, he said. Realised my dashcam was recording and downloaded the video once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.

On social media, people shared photos and swapped stories of their sightings. Im so glad someone caught it I thought I was hallucinating, said one commenter.

A number of people mistook the rumbling sound for an earthquake.

We thought it was an earthquake, but it didnt sound right, more like a large heavy truck, with a beat, but there were no trucks near our house at the time. The house vibrated slightly too, one Twitter user said.

Dr Duncan Steel, a Wellington-based space scientist who has worked for Nasa, said the object was likely a piece of meteor and to see one in the daytime was a rare experience.

In my lifetime Ive only ever seen one daytime meteor. They are due to macrometeoroids in the atmosphere coming in very quickly, typically 30km per second. To be seen during the daytime it would need to be quite large, something the size of a rugby ball or bigger thats what makes them rare, he said.

Some eyewitnesses described hearing crackling as the object moved through the sky, in what Steel said was likely electrophonic sound. Allan Gilmore of Canterbury Universitys Mt John Observatory said in a radio interview that meteors, and their accompanying electrical charge, could cause some peoples hair to stand on end.

People with frizzy hair often hear it, while the people who dont have frizzy hair dont hear it, Gilmore said.

Dr Ian Griffin, the director of the Otago Museum, urged members of the public to keep any photos or videos. We might be able to use them to triangulate the position of the thing, and where it landed if it did land, he said.

It may be quite scientifically important to retrieve meteorites in this country are quite rare so actually getting one would be quite cool.

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Reports of fireball over New Zealand in what scientists think was rare daytime meteor - The Guardian

New Zealand has been in a COVID lull for the past two months, but with the BA.5 variant on the rise and more than 10,000 new daily cases reported this week, it appears we are now at the start of a second Omicron wave.

How large it will be is difficult to predict, but a number of factors coincide to make this the most serious moment in the pandemic this year since the first wave in March.

BA.5 is the latest instalment in the Omicron series. It was first detected in South Africa in February 2022 and is closely related to BA.2, the variant currently still dominant in New Zealand.

It carries distinct mutations in the spike protein, two of which are associated with higher transmissibility and immune evasion. The rise in BA.5 seems to stem from its ability to infect people who were immune to earlier variants, but so far there is no indication the variant causes more severe disease.

BA.5 was first detected in the New Zealand community in April and cases have been appearing consistently since May. It has quickly risen to 32% of sequenced community cases and looks set to become the dominant variant in the next week. It already is dominant in other countries.

Our recent modelling showed a second wave of COVID this year was likely as a consequence of waning immunity, but the spread of BA.5 has hastened its arrival.

Read more: Why are there so many new Omicron sub-variants, like BA.4 and BA.5? Will I be reinfected? Is the virus mutating faster?

A big concern at the moment is that case numbers in older age groups are higher now than ever before. The March wave was heavily concentrated in younger people, with under 60s making up 91% of all cases up to the end of April.

That helped keep a lid on the hospitalisation rate and has built strong hybrid immunity, acquired from both infection and vaccination, in these groups. But it leaves a large susceptible population in older groups.

Part of BA.5s advantage is a better ability to re-infect people whove had COVID before. Nevertheless, prior infection with a different variant does provide immunity, however imperfect, and those who havent been previously infected are at higher risk of catching the virus in the second wave. In New Zealand, this predominantly means older people.

Waning immunity means many people who are five to six months after their third vaccine dose will have significantly lower immunity now than they did in March.

And winter is flu season. The healthcare system is already swamped with patients with influenza and other winter ailments. Winter weather means people tend to gather indoors, in more crowded and poorly ventilated spaces that create ideal conditions for viruses to spread.

This wave is starting with much busier hospitals than in February, and any additional demand caused by COVID will add more stress to a system already under extreme pressure.

The risk of hospitalisation is around six times higher in people over 70 compared to younger groups. Even if the number of cases in this wave is lower than in the first wave, our modelling shows the shift in age distribution means its possible the number of hospitalisations will actually be higher.

The vaccine is still our best line of defence against COVID. It provides a high level of protection against getting seriously ill, even if it is less effective at preventing infection with BA.5.

That protection does wane over time, which is why a fourth dose is now available to over 50s. If you or your whnau are eligible for a vaccination, whether its the first dose or the fourth, now is a really good time to get it.

Strong uptake of fourth doses in older age groups, as well as third doses among the one million New Zealanders currently eligible, is the best way we have to mitigate this wave.

The influenza vaccine is also important as it can prevent more people getting sick this winter and ease the burden on the healthcare system. Free flu vaccines are available from GPs and pharmacies for everyone over 65, for Mori and Pacific people over 55, and for children aged between three and 12.

Read more: As flu cases surge, vaccination may offer some bonus protection from COVID as well

Other easy measures using high-quality masks indoors, testing and staying home if sick remain important. Rapid antigen tests (RATs) are an extremely useful tool for managing risk. They are a reliable indicator of whether someone is currently infectious.

Doing a RAT before visiting a vulnerable person or before large gatherings is an excellent way to reduce risk. They are available for free to anyone with symptoms or whose household members have tested positive.

Even if you test negative on a RAT but have respiratory symptoms, you could have flu or another virus. Staying home when sick is the best way to protect others and reduce the rates of sickness this winter.

The pandemic is clearly not over yet. The virus will continue to evolve to get around our immunity and this will lead to ongoing waves. But we are not helpless in the face of it. Updated vaccines, better treatments, action to lower transmission through improved ventilation, and the build-up of hybrid immunity will continue to blunt its effects.

See the rest here:

A new Omicron wave is upon New Zealand, with older people now most at risk heres what to expect - The Conversation

Mose will be deported back to Samoa as soon as Immigration NZ can sort the paperwork. Photo / Jeremy Wilkinson

A rapist who grew up in New Zealand will be deported to Samoa, where he has no family, and can't speak the language, after the Immigration Minister today turned down his appeal to stay here.

Mose Vaipapa has spent the last 15 years in prison for two sexual assaults he committed at the age of 14 and for bashing a prison guard while inside. Last month he was served with deportation papers to his birth country.

Vaipapa appealed to the Minister of Immigration saying he was being sent to a place that he hasn't lived in since he was 4 years old and has no family or other connections.

However, this evening he was told his request to stay in New Zealand was turned down by the minister and he would be deported to Samoa.

His lawyer Mike Sceats says it was New Zealand that made him a criminal, not Samoa, and called the Government hypocritical for criticising Australia's controversial 501 policy when they were essentially doing the same thing to Vaipapa.

"We're disappointed the government didn't even bother to read the new information we put forward."

"It basically says we haven't looked at it and we don't have to.

"And the law is completely on their side, he's locked out of the appeal process and he's out of time by decades."

Vaipapa says he's not sure what he's going to do now.

"I've told my brother ... but I don't know how I'm gonna tell my mum."

"I did some shit things, and I regret it every day. There's not one minute I don't think about it. I never saw myself as the kind of person who did that sort of thing, man I've got sisters.

"I was on drugs, I was a child, I went through shit someone my age shouldn't go through. I learned that shit because of the Government, they put me in homes where I was abused.

"When you're a child you're just a mirror, you reflect back what happens to you."

Vaipapa says it seemed the Government only saw the bad side of him.

"They've got a picture of me, and it's not me, but I've got out and I've stayed on track."

Sceats and the staff from the Porirua Community Law Centre who were working to keep Vaipapa in the country claimed New Zealand has a responsibility to look after him.

Sceats said Vaipapa fell through the cracks at primary school because the teachers thought he was stupid.

After that he began getting into trouble and went through a number of boys' homes in Porirua between 2004 and 2009 before being sent to the now infamous Epuni Boys' Home in Lower Hutt.

There Vaipapa says was sexually assaulted at the age of 12.

"He's been labelled as stupid, dangerous and violent. He's been set up to fail all his life," Sceats said.

"My personal view is that technically he wasn't born here but he was made and broken here."

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has long been critical of the Australian 501 deportation policy where New Zealanders are deported from Australia and sent back home.

Any non-citizen who has been sentenced to more than a year in prison in Australia can be deported under the 501 policy, even if they served their time years earlier.

So far more than 2000 ex-Kiwis have been deported since the policy was introduced in 2014. The deportees are named after section 501 of the Australian Migration Act which allows their visas to be cancelled.

Several weeks ago Ardern met with Australia's new leader Anthony Albaneseto push for changes to the law. Albanese said after the meeting that the 501 policy would stay, although he promised to "work through" implementation issues with New Zealand.

On the same day Immigration New Zealand was serving Vaipapa with a deportation notice.

The week after Ardern met with the Samoan Prime Minister to discuss deportations back to the Pacific now that Covid restrictions had eased.

Vaipapa first came to New Zealand with his mother and siblings when he was 4, piggybacking on her passport.

He committed his first imprisonable offences while she was in the process of sorting out residency for her family and it was recommended that her son be removed from the application for the rest of the family to be successful.

At present Vaipapa is under strict supervision and electronically-monitored bail while he now waits to be officially deported.

When Open Justice met with Vaipapa at his address in Trentham several weeks ago he said he was extremely sorry for what he'd done.

"I wish I could go back and punch myself, shake that young Mose and ask him what the hell he's doing?"

Vaipapa said when he was first served the deportation notice in prison when he was 17, he didn't understand what it meant.

"I was still just a kid. The only thing that sunk in was that if I ever got parole then I'd be straight on a plane.

"I don't even remember being in Samoa. I thought I was a New Zealander for half my life."

Open Justice reported earlier this year that New Zealand sent 400 criminals back to Pacific nations between 2013-2018 - a move that a newly released report said was contributing to a growing crime and drug addiction in those countries.

Read more:

Government rejects Samoan deportee's bid to stay in New Zealand - New Zealand Herald

As of last summer, the island nation of New Zealand was home to 6.3 million head of dairy cattle, up 82 percent over the last two decades. The country also holds 3.8 million beef cattle, 800,000 deer and a whopping 26.8 million head of sheep. Thats a lot of livestock for a country of about five million people.

Thats also a lot of methane emissions, mainly in the form of cow burps and farts. (When it comes to cattle, about 90 to 95 percent of the methane produced comes from burps.) Agriculture is responsible for more than half of the methane production across New Zealand, and methane is a huge contributor to global warming and air pollution. In an effort to cut down on the greenhouse gas emissions, the government unveiled a new tax proposal last month.

By 2025, all farms across New Zealand would have to track and manage their greenhouse gas emissions, and pay a levy according to how much they are pumping out. They could also earn credits for planting crops that sequester carbon, including trees. This tax would be the first of its kind globally.

The plan was put together by the ruling Labor government, headed by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, along with primary sector groups. The government and industry partnership was named He Waka Eke Noa, from a Mori proverb, meaning were all in this together.

Although climate change minister James Shaw told Reuters the emissions pricing system will play a key part in how the country cuts methane emissions, the plan has some detractorssome from Shaws own party. While he is a cabinet minister, Shaw is also the co-leader of the federal Green party, which believes the plan doesnt go far enough.

The Greens agricultural spokesperson, MP Teanau Tuiono, said its not clear if the plan will help the country reach their goal of being net-zero by 2050. Tuiono even tweeted He Waka Eke Noa? He Waka Eke Nowhere more like.

Some New Zealand farmers have asked to have greater input in the taxs pricing structure. Meanwhile, other environmental activists say it simply wont be effective at all. Instead, theyve called for a drastic reduction in the amount of cattle, saying its the only way to truly cut down on emissions.

The proposal, and the specific pricing guidelines are still up for debate. Climate minister Shaw said the government would need to continue consultation before it commits to specifics of the plan. A decision is expected by the end of the year.

See the rest here:

New Zealand Wants to Tax Cow Burps and Farts - Modern Farmer

In its 99th year, New Zealands major grower-owned co-operative is assuming a refreshed logo and identity.

The change marks a significant step, reflecting the evolution of our business and the stronger focus we have on enhancing our business profile.

While the co-operative has always been Market Gardeners Limited, it has traded as MG Marketing (MG) for several decades, reflecting the co-operative at the time.

MG now does much more than provide procurement, sales, marketing and distribution services to grower-suppliers. We are involved in a number of complementary businesses including IP, exporting and farming, along with the major shareholding in Australian business, La Manna Premier Group.

We have listened to staff, growers and the wider industry in developing the new look. They told us they wanted to make sure our identity remains connected to the past but also celebrate the fact were a proud Kiwi co-operative, more clearly link MG to the produce/horticulture section and better communicate the business weve become.

Behind the scenes a large project is also under way to make updates across the business and our stakeholders will see the new brand and logo rolled out over the next six months. In some instances, MG is following a sustainable approach, with certain items updated as needed.

This weekend marks our first milestone with the new logo and brand launched online. Our website address will change towww.mggroup.co.nzand our email address will also be updated (name@mggroup.co.nz). Our IT team has ensured that all emails going to the current address will still arrive.

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New Zealand's Major Grower-Owned Co-Operative is Assuming a Refreshed Logo and Identity - PerishableNews

After a three-year upgrade in Canada, the naval vessel HMNZS Te Mana has returned to New Zealand shores.

HMNZS Te Mana and its crew today returned to New Zealand shores after three years away. Photo: RNZ / Mohammad Alafeshat

The frigate and her 170-strong crew sailed into Waitemat Harbour this morning with Minister of Defence Peeni Henare on board for a ceremonial homecoming.

Its systems upgrade includes new self defence missile technology, radar, and hull-mounted sonar.

She sailed more than 12,000 kilometres to get home following the re-fit by security and aerospace company Lockheed Martin Canada.

The navy set base in Devonport this morning for an extravagant ceremonial homecoming welcome to the 170 crew members that set sail more than three years ago.

The family of Commander Officer Mike Peebles await his return. Photo: RNZ / Mohammad Alafeshat

Hundreds of family, friends and colleagues gathered at the naval base to welcome their arrival.

One of the ceremonial highlights was unexpected - as one Royal NZ Navy sailor brought the crowd of hundreds to "aww" as he proposed to his partner of three years.

Jacob Biddle proposed to his partner of three years, Takimoana Hawea, at the Devonport Naval Base on Friday morning.

Biddle told RNZ he was planning on this proposal ever since he left home about a year ago.

"Oh I was shaking! I loved it, it was perfect. I'm glad my darling's home," Hawea said.

She said yes - in an emotional reunion following a lengthy overseas deployment.

Jacob Biddle proposed to his partner Takimoana Hawea - and she said yes. Photo: RNZ / Mohammad Alafeshat

The 12,000km journey to get home was not exactly a smooth sail for many sailors.

One sailor said he sorely missed the pies.

"Keen for a pie - a decent pie! Will probably sort out shop on the way you know... Canadians don't know how to make pies."

Since taking office, the Labour government has committed approximately $4.5 billion to 12 major defence projects - including a $148 million funding boost for the Frigate Systems Upgrade work programme.

Today, the defence minister was on board the vessel to welcome the crew home.

"It's one of those challenging times where you leave a family that you've spent so much time with to come home to your actual family. So I wish them all the best," Henare said.

It was crucial to invest in the Navy defence force during this time, Henare said.

"What I know is New Zealanders are concerned for our security in these particular times. We've already seen what's happening in the Pacific, so we're hugely in support of these exercises and will continue to support them and so will this government," Henare said.

Australia and New Zealand will join Pacific nations in Fiji next week for the Pacific Island Forum, which is likely to be dominated by discussions of security because of the recent deal signed between China and the Solomon Islands.

A large crowd was there to welcome the HMNZS Te Mana and its crew back to New Zealand after three years away. Photo: RNZ / Mohammad Alafeshat

Chief of Navy Rear Admiral David Proctor told RNZ the new self defence missile technology, sonar and radar will serve the country for decades.

"The ability to deliver the security outcomes that New Zealand wants is by working alongside higher end partners," he said.

"These ships - after the investment the government has made, represent a contemporary high end combat capability for New Zealand."

The Frigate Systems Upgrade is a complex programme of work overseen by the Ministry of Defence and undertaken by Lockheed Martin Canada, which delivered new radars, electronic detection and other above water systems, the self-defence missile system, decoys against missiles and torpedoes, an upgrade to the hull-mounted sonar, and the combat management system that integrates these upgrades.

Read more:

Navy frigate returns to New Zealand after major upgrade in Canada - RNZ

Toby Morris searches high and low, far and wide for our greatest logos of all time.

On our shelves, on our clothes, on our feet: logos are all around us. Theyre on signs and on the front of buildings and all over everything we read online. Some of them are terrible, most are decidedly average, and a select few are great. In the grand tradition of ranking lollies, biscuits and voids, its time to rank the best logos in Aotearoa.

Obviously we cant rank every logo, there are hundreds of thousands of them: Every product, every company, every school, sports club, council and dog breeding society has one. So instead Ive picked out 50 I think are absolute gems. Im sure I will have missed some classics, and of course its impossible to objectively rank creative work. Feel free to let us know if Ive left out your favourite.

Quickly, some criteria: Were looking at New Zealand based or founded entities, from any time period. The definition of logo is slightly blurry sometimes itll be just the logomark (like, the symbol), sometimes the wordmark (distinctive text), often the combo of the two. Generally Ive gone for what would most commonly be perceived as being the logo.

Conceptually, a good logo is one thats distinctive, memorable, says something and fits the tone and style of whatever its representing. Extra points for originality and creativity. Technically, a test of a good logo is often if itd work anywhere, at any scale printed tiny, or huge, and work static or whizzing past you as you drive past it but there are exceptions to this, depending on the brief.

Anyway, enough setup here are 50 banging logos.

50: Bars Bugs

Who doesnt remember rummaging around their parents garage and wondering how the mangy old bottle of windscreen cleaner had such a cool design on it. Windscreen glasses? Genius.

49: Great Lake Taup

This one is repping for all the city logos. I dont like the colours or the bevel effect, but the concept is good the O is the lake, and the macron is the city along its northern shore. Its also proudly putting the elephant in the room on full display in the front window: look, we have a macron now, times are changing, welcome to the modern Taup.

48: Georgie Pie

Its cosy, its welcoming, its a bit hokey perfect. The soft rounded edges, warm colours and the cute lower case es all combine into a perfect nostalgic bomb. Its the logo version of a perfect mass-produced $1 mince and cheese pie.

47: New Zealand Air Force

I love the simplicity. Its a visual pun on the classic British RAF roundel that shows their history but also their point of difference, and it works simple, clear, and you can tell what it is a mile away.

46: Elizabeth Taylor Graphics

Humour is an underutilised tool in identity design. Everyone wants to seem traditional, reliable and professional. But what if you just want to tell the neighbourhood you make posters, signs and shit? I used to drive past their original premises in Paraparaumu in the early 2000s and get a kick out of seeing this logo every single time. Later on they moved into the city and the logo ruffled some feathers. Good shit.

45: Hot Chick

Another regional delight: Every Napier resident will know Hot Chick and their neighbouring ice cream parlour Cool Cat. They still use this chunky 70s bottom-heavy type, but I like the original logo, where the flaming, sunglasses wearing chicken has its mouth open and looks like its just had a fright. Yow!

44: National Party, 1970s

The ligatures on the NA combos are a bit of an awkward tangle, but the arrow N on this Muldoon-era National party logo is a tidy piece of design. Sure, it might suggest the party is going to have ups and downs, but it has a lot more personality than the generic blandness of all the major party logos these days. (Also cool and better than the current logo: Labours 70s-90s flying L.) (Trivia: in the original Terry Teo books, the grawlixes (the symbols used to represent swearing) for the villainous skinhead characters include this National N.)

43: Work and Income, 1990s

Some people see someone running away with stolen loot under their arm, some people see a case worker with someone in a headlock. Either way, its memorable: for better or worse (definitely worse) this logo and name burned itself into our collective consciousness in the late 90s (I see the headlock).

42: Wellington Rugby Football Union

Im putting this one in here as an example of a certain kind of New Zealand logo that is at once terrible and incredible. These type of spindly weird interlocking monographs are found on old sports clubs and schools around the country. Theyre a throwback to a long outdated design style, and I love how indecipherable they are these days theyre basically black metal band logos for old dudes. What theyre communicating, of course, is weve been here for ages, something New Zealand organisations strive to be able to claim.

41: Te Herenga Waka University Press

From the old to the new: this one is a recent design for the newly renamed Victoria University Press. I love how its referencing designs like the Wellington Rugby one above, (and by association suggesting tradition and quality), but still manages to come across as clear, modern and clever. Its very satisfying how neatly the initials fit together, and the little notches on the ends are cool.

40: Clutha District Council

To the rest of New Zealand it looks like a failed b-grade sportswear brand from the 90s, but to locals its clear theres the Balclutha Road Bridge and the Clutha river flowing underneath it. This one is in here for all the hyper-local designs out there: most of the time design is about trying to communicate so every single person on earth can understand, but sometimes its OK if only a certain group understand it.

39: Deka

One word: Jaunty. Gone too soon.

38: bFM

Ramshackle, DIY, spontaneous, informal if youre a bank or a law firm or an insurance company thats probably not the impression you want to give. But for bFM its perfect. Theres a casual, not-trying-too-hard energy that has given this logo an enduring charm. Sneakily smart.

37: Halswell School

Im putting this one in there for all the thousands of school logos out there. Most of them, particularly for high schools, are snoozefest traditional crests or latin lamps that blur into cold wallpaper and can probably never be changed. Our primary schools, on the other hand, seem to be in the process of at least attempting to keep up with the times. Craig Burton seems to be on a single-handed mission to design new logos for every school in the country, and I liked this one as an example bright, welcoming, and smart. Id send my kids there if I was picking by logo.

36: ANZ

Design, like fashion, is a pendulum swinging back and forth across multiple axes over time hems go up, hems go down, everything looks 3D, everything looks flat. For logos, around 2000 there was this sudden moment where everything went italic with a few rounded corners (dynamic, modern) and then, 5-10 years later, they all snapped back upright (steady, solid). Its the logo version of an emo fringe in the early 2000s that you dont like to talk about: we all saw you do it. But italic dalliances aside, Ive always liked this logo. The cutouts remind me of ESPN, early computers and Robocop all positive associations.

35 and 34: Whittakers and Vogels

Im putting these two classics together to compare and contrast. Two beloved, trusted family brands; two classic custom wordmarks. Both tell you traditional family business, but compare the styles: the strong neat lines of Vogels says traditional, reliable, hearty while Whittakers elegant flow says traditional, luxurious, delicious. Both are perfectly crafted and both perfectly fit their product. Excellent work.

33: What Now, late 80s

I can hear the 80s theme song as I look at this, and it feels like Saturday morning.

32: 100% Pure New Zealand

I hope whoever came up with the little map as the slash in the percentage did a well deserved little fist pump at their desk when they figured that out. Its a detail that makes an otherwise solid but fairly straight wordmark into something memorable and clever.

31: Te Papa, 1998

This identity by ad firm Saatchi and Saatchi was a controversial one at the time widely bagged as being way too expensive and irrelevant when it was first announced. But as a conceptual logo it was ahead of its time. These days I think we have a better understanding that a museum isnt just about collecting old stuff, its about figuring out who we are. A logo doesnt have to be literal. A milestone of NZ design, imho.

30: NZ Film Commission

Sober and sensible. This feels high-end and highbrow, evoking quality, consideration and an appropriately formal stamp of authority for a cultural institution. Solid and smart.

29: Ripples, late 80s/early 90s

There are many good ones that come and go (whats up Fruju), but most chip brands, biscuits, lollies, ice blocks and so on change their look too often. I guess theyre always trying to stay fresh and feel new, but the trade-off is they never build up that long term trust from holding on to a strong identity. This is a proper chip logo. Bring it back.

28: Double Brown (and classic NZ beer logos in general)

We could do another whole article ranking New Zealand beer design, but for today Im taking a huge shortcut and lumping these into one group. Theres a set style to these classic ones, and they all say something similar but slightly different. Lion Red and Speights equals tradition, Tui is bold and blunt, and I love the masculine minimalism of the old DB Draught one you can taste that logo, and it tastes like old beer. My favourite, though, is Double Brown punchy colours with a slightly off-balance, almost hand-drawn quality that gives you a slight air of mischief.

27: Warren and Mahoney Architects, 1962

Designer Kris Lane suggested this one to me, and its a great call. Warren and Mahoney are mostly known as large scale architects: they make town halls, stadiums, airports and embassies, the kind of buildings that define the country. This beautiful logo captures this utilitarian quality its strong and slightly monolithic yet refined, balanced and distinctive. It was designed in 1962 by a young Mark Cleverly, who later became a New Zealand design legend as a designer of stamps, the creative director of Crown Lynn and an influential design teacher.

26: Ministry of Works, 1970

Similar to Warren and Mahoney above, theres something about the combination of public infrastructure and the era of modernist design that resulted in some classic logos. This one from the now defunct Ministry of Works exudes strength and capability. The symmetry is neat, the forms are sturdy and the hexagon brings to mind the efficient industry of bees. Theres no frills or fancy business if you saw this logo on construction sites around the country, youd know work was getting done. (Make a logo this satisfying for Kiwibuild and then well see some action!)

25: Absolutely Positively Wellington, 1991

The words of this Wellington tourism slogan are still used today, but its the original logo incarnation that sticks in the mind. It might be partly due to the unconscious visual association with the Parental Advisory Explicit Content stickers that appeared on album covers of the same era, but theres something saucy and sophisticated about this one. You picture houndstooth power suits with padded shoulders and high heels. The TV ad that launched it had a guy rollerblading down a city street talking on a giant brick cellphone. Hell yeah.

Unranked: This fern

When you look at a lot of New Zealand logos together, you quickly see some popular motifs kiwi, ferns, koru, Southern Crosses drawn a lot of different ways, most of them terrible. I want to mention this particular fern design though, because I find it bizarre: its called the FernMark, created by MBIE as a stamp of yeah were officially from New Zealand approval. Its a fine design, but surely the point of a logo is to signal what makes your organisation or product unique. (Bonus points to NZ Hair Transplantation Institute for riffing on it though, Im into that.)

24: We Compost

Just love this one by Auckland studio Seachange. It totally defies expectation, and turns a negative into a positive so charming you completely forget its for a company dealing in rotting waste. Would wear it on a t-shirt. Amazing work.

23: Department of Conservation

Another classic public service icon. The type isnt very exciting, but the mark a kind of shield that evokes land and sky and the link between them is beautiful in its balance and simplicity. Koru and mangpare are very common motifs in New Zealand design, but rarely do you see them used in such an elegant, understated and integrated way. Its a logo weve probably all seen so many times we dont notice it anymore but I think its one we all get on an emotional level. An underrated beauty.

22: V

A polar opposite to some of the more traditional minimal logos here this is deliberately designed to look modern and alive. With six colours, a very digital 90s look and a strong sense of movement, it makes the product look electric and uncontainable. The one-letter name is genius too.

21: Swanndri

Since 1913, Swanndri bush shirts have sported many different versions of a logo with a swan in a circle. This one to me is the iconic one the stylised but still hand-drawn feeling, with the blue background. The lines are clean and economical, the name is clear and the bird isnt taking any nonsense. Not the most creative, but impeccably executed.

20: Silo Theatre, 2012

Another win for humour and personality in identity design! Designed by Alt Group in 2012, this references Greek comedy and tragedy theatre masks, but whether you notice that or not, its just funny. Silo are the type of theatre company aiming to make modern, non-traditional, boundary-pushing work, so this feels like a great fit its creative, smart and feels like something you havent seen before.

19: Watties, 2010-2020

In recent years the lettering has been smoothed out a little, so the current logo is starting to get a little generic, but the previous version on the red tab with the janky oversized serifs sticking out the sides of the W tastes like cheese and spaghetti toasties on the couch on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

18: L&P, 2016

L&P is another example, like Ripples above, of a brand thats actually been through a surprising amount of different logos, but in their case the distinctive yellow and brown palette has remained constant, resulting in a stronger brand identity today. This might be a controversial call, but I think the strongest logo of all is the current one, created in 2016 by Marx Design. Its casual, a little bit funny and balances feeling old and new at once.

17: New Zealand Post, 2000s-2021

This New Zealand Post envelope mark started off as an Earl Hingston design in 1975 with a crown on top, but I like the later, less regal incarnations. In this version we see another example of the early-2000s italics and a few of the corners rounded off trend with the typography, but the star is the envelope: Its an N, its a Z, its a letter, its a very fun thing to doodle. Recently theyve ditched it, and I get that personal letters arent the main thing theyre transporting these days, but it still seems a shame to lose all that built up trust.

16: Frosty Boy

Look at that guy! What joy. Hes going to love that ice cream! (I debated why this guy makes it in but the Four Square man doesnt. With Four Square, hes the mascot, but their logo is a 4. This guy is the logo.)

15: Jimmys Pies

Love this weird little piece of lower South Island design magic. Theres a handmade, DIY signwriting quality to this that fits with the old-school feel of the paper-bagged pies, and I like that its slightly odd. Why the curves on homemade and pies? Why the giant quote marks around Jimmys? Is Jimmys not its real name? What are these so called Jimmys pies actually called? I dont know. Its a great logo.

14: NZ Railways, 1970

Another minimal modernist infrastructure classic. The excellent book Marks of Identity: New Zealand Logos 1960-1980 explains how huge New Zealand Railways were as organisation at the time encompassing ferries, buses, commuter rail, train stations, large scale logistics operations, train maintenance and so on. Designed in 1970 by Barry Ellis, this emblem was created to unite the different departments, and is a great example of what these days wed call a graphic system the top right section would be red for rail services, orange for ferries, green for road services and so on.

Its simplicity is its strength. It feels like an N, a Z, and a shifting line on a railway track, but its bold and recognisable and would work just as well printed tiny on the side on a pen or embroidered on a yard workers pullover as it would zooming past you printed large on the side of rolling cargo trains. Staunch as.

13: TV2, 1989-1995

TV2, as the fun sibling to TVNZs more traditional One, has had a lot of different looks over the years, and which one springs to mind probably depends on your age. I think of this one: the circle swirling one way, the 2 moving in the other direction in glorious 90s orange and purple. Sleek and modern.

Their coolest logo though might be one they never used: a while ago Tana Mitchell from Studio Akin showed me these beautiful old proposed designs by the great Samoan/NZ typographer Joseph Churchward. Imagine a world where TV2 had this much flair.

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The 50 greatest New Zealand logos, ranked - The Spinoff

Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney will hold her first bilateral talks todaywith the New Zealand Minister for Mori Development, Willie Jackson.

Ms Burney is expected to discuss a range of issues with Mr Jackson, including New Zealand's approach to treaty and reconciliation with Mori people, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and business partnerships.

The ministers will collaborate and share experiences on policy making for First Nations and Mori people, and how to advance Indigenous rights within their respective countries.

Leaders from the Indigenous and Mori business sectors will also be attending, with a view to discussing potential partnerships between the two nations.

The rights of the Mori people in New Zealand have been recognised since 1840, when Mori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi.

The treaty promised to give Mori people self-determination over their lands and resources while giving the British Crown the authority to govern.

Today, the treaty is not recognised as a part of New Zealand law, except where it is referred to in acts of parliament.

In Australia, there are currently no treaties between Indigenous people and the government, but Victoria, Queensland and the Northern Territory have all started the process of establishing state-based treaties.

The federal government has committed to implementing the Uluru Statement from the Heart in full, including a constitutionally enshrined 'voice to parliament' and establishing a Makarrata Commission, which would oversee a truth-telling and treaty process.

In New Zealand, the treaty is now used as part of the Waitangi Tribunal, which acts as a permanent commission of inquiry on Mori rights.

The commission hears claims on Mori business and advises government on language preservation, land rights and cultural protections.

Critics say the protection of Mori rights outlined by the treaty is largely dependent on political will and often inconsistent, and the power of the Waitangi Tribunal is too limited.

The tribunal has consistently advised that Mori people be given foreshore and seabed rights, but successive governments in New Zealand have ignored the recommendation.

The Waitangi Tribunal could be viewed as a model of how a Voice and Makarrata commission might proceed, but Indigenous people are concerned it could also be a model of how it could fail to adequately protect them.

Also on the agenda for MsBurney and MrJackson will be progressing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

The declaration outlines the minimum standards for the survival, dignity, and well-being of Indigenous people around the world.

Despite initially voting against the declaration in 2007, Australia adopted UNDRIP in 2009 and New Zealand in 2010.

Last year, Mr Jackson announced a national plan was being developed to implement the UNDRIP framework in New Zealand and monitor improvements.

In Australia, progress on UNDRIP had largely stalled, but two bills introduced by Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe earlier this year have relaunched the push to see the framework fully implemented.

An inquiry into the application of the framework in Australia will be established, and SenatorThorpe has also introduced a bill to ensure the government complies with the declaration.

Ms Burney will also join Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in his meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Friday.

Ms Ardern has been in Australia since Monday as part of a trade mission, visiting Melbourne and Sydney accompanied by a delegation of more than 30 New Zealand businesses.

Friday will be the second meeting between Mr Albanese and Ms Ardern since the May election.

More here:

Australia begins bilateral talks with New Zealand on treaty and reconciliation with First Nations people - ABC News

Press Release Hindu Youth New Zealand

Hindu Youth New Zealand (HYNZ) ran the first webinar of its New Zealand Immigration Series Pathway to Aotearoa . The purpose of this webinar series was to help the community have direct access to Licensed Immigration Advisers in New Zealand and

Hindu Youth New Zealand (HYNZ) ran the first webinar of its New Zealand Immigration Series Pathway to Aotearoa. The purpose of this webinar series was to help the community have direct access to Licensed Immigration Advisers in New Zealand and provide an opportunity for people to learn about recent changes in visa, and immigration requirements.

The online webinar was conducted by Sakshi Vij Sekhon, a Licensed Immigration Adviser, and a volunteer of Hindu Youth New Zealand. As the director of her company NZ Visa Immigration Services, Sakshi conducts regular workshops and webinars to provide advice to the members of the community. Through this platform, in addition to supporting people in New Zealand, Sakshi was able to help provide immigration advice to participants from all over the world.

It was amazing to see many people join in this webinar said Sakshi. It indicates how many individuals are really looking for quality support and professional advice regarding New Zealand immigration.

The first webinar focused on the recently announced Green List, and the occupations leading towards fast track and work to residence pathways. It also covered partner eligibility and as well as preparing applications.

The depth of the questions, during the Q&A session showed the deep engagement of the participants throughout the entire webinar. said Narmada Kohli, Programs Coordinator, Hindu Youth New Zealand. There is a real demand for more webinars like this and we will be announcing them soon.

The other webinars in HYNZs Pathway to Aotearoa series will cover the New Zealand Governments border reopening, immigration changes as well as other relevant updates to the Immigration sector.

For more information regarding the Pathway to Aotearoa webinar series contact Narmada Kohli on 027 747 1798, please email hinduyouth.newzealand@gmail.com or contact HYNZ through their social media. Facebook: Hindu Youth New Zealand. Instagram: @hinduyouthnz.

Hindu Youth New Zealand is a youth-led organisation that helps in developing young leaders in Aotearoa New Zealand. Through capability and capacity building initiatives, such as national conferences, workshops, webinars, cultural events, and mentorship programmes, young people are supported to reach their potential and have an opportunity to contribute to the wider New Zealand society.

Content Sourced from scoop.co.nzOriginal url

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Community Scoop Youth-Led New Zealand Immigration Webinar Welcomed By Community - Scoop

Wine, lamb and kiwifruit are among the produce New Zealand's famous for, and one expert is hopeful chocolate could be added to that list.

New Zealand's exports of the sweet treat have grown by 40% since 2019, and local boutique companies are celebrating their success too this World Chocolate Day.

Kiwi chocolatiers are capitalising on uniquely Kiwi flavours and products in their chocolate creations.

Devonport Chocolates owner Sarah Gardner said they're using the likes of horopito and kawakawa in their recipes.

"And using local ingredients like Man O' War wines and strawberries," she said.

"I think for New Zealanders it really connects us to where we grew up."

Tourists love it too, according to Gardner.

"This year we're seeing a 20% growth on our 2019 numbers."

"There have been some challenges over the last few years with Covid, but even then, the company found Kiwis were buying chocolate to make themselves feel better."

AUT patisserie lecturer Arno Sturny wrote his dissertation on New Zealand chocolate, so he's an expert.

He said the growth of the the industry's down to the introduction of small 'bean to bar' companies like Devonport Chocolates, but also the work of Whittaker's.

He said it has, "really, really pushed hard, especially since Cadbury left their premises in Dunedin."

Whittaker's says while their largest market is still here, it's exporting to a growing number of international markets including Australia, Canada, China and the Middle East.

"While this means we are making more chocolate, our priority is still to be the best chocolate manufacturer, rather than to be the biggest," said Whittakers co-Chief Operating Officers Holly and Matt Whittaker.

"We make all of our Whittakers Chocolate at our one factory in Porirua, which enables us to ensure quality by controlling the whole manufacturing process from bean to bar."

Sturny believes chocolate will eventually be one of the products New Zealand's known for, and that Whittaker's will be the "force" behind it.

But the potential for our smaller chocolatiers to sell their products further afield is promising too, he said.

Gardner said their Devonport boutique is about to feature products in Japan.

"We can see there's a real global opportunity to have our product overseas, and we feel incredibly proud of it."

Along with uniquely Kiwi flavours, Sturny says our relationship with Pacific Island Cacao Growers could be a big advantage.

"I think we've got a real opportunity to work much closer with the Pacific and that could really be the difference.

"We need to create a product range which really reflects us as part of the Pacific."

More and more chocolate companies are utilising beans from the likes of Samoa.

Floris Niu owns a plantation there, and is the fourth generation of her family to grow cacao on the Samoan island of Upolu.

She works in conjunction with 18 other women running Cacao farms and said, "We're hoping to be able supply up to 25 to 30 tonnes a year.

"When we first started, we were only supplying about 3 tonnes every year."

Later this month, Pacific Island cacao farmers will be in the spotlight with New Zealands first ever show dedicated to their work.

Visitors to 'The Pacific Cacao & Chocolate 2022' show on Saturday 23 July will be able to participate in the chocolate making process and taste organically grown cacao from Samoa, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Bougainville and the Philippines.

"We're talking about hundreds of thousands of tonnes that are coming out of these countries," Niu said.

"[New Zealand companies] love the idea we don't have to look at these huge freight costs from across the great divide, when it's right there on New Zealand's doorstep."

"The chocolate makers here love experimenting, they love that they can come and actually get to know the farmers, and the beans and the processes."

Gardner said Devonport Chocolates has used Samoan beans in the past, and is looking to re-connect with a supplier there.

"The Samoan chocolate has quite a unique flavour that goes with it," she said.

Niu said, "The flavour changes and varies from plantation to plantation and island to island."

More:

New Zealand's chocolate exports grow by 40% in three years - 1News

Cheree Kinnear talks to Air New Zealand's Head of Aircraft Programmes Kerry Reeves about the exciting changes coming to their cabins.Video / Jed Bradley / NZ Herald / Air NZ

Air New Zealand is recruiting another 1100 staff to avoid the chaos suffered by some other airlines due to labour shortages.

The airline is building back to more than 10,000 staff compared to 12,500 just before the pandemic as travel recovers quickly with the removal of most border restrictions.

It is introducing a series of measures to attract workers. A bonus of up to $1400 is being paid to entice people to work for the airline's airports division, where it is battling to find another 250 staff. Over the past year bonuses of $2400 have been paid to existing staff and incentive schemes for salary and unionised staff are being reintroduced.

The airline is also recruiting up to 700 cabin crew, primarily for its widebody international aircraft, 70 regional pilots and a further 100 people for its contact centre, where complex customer inquiries have pushed up wait times.

Air New Zealand chief people officer Nikki Dines said the airline was rebuilding at a carefully calibrated rate even though there was enough demand for more flights.

"The decision that we've made is that we will rebuild carefully. So rather than putting a whole lot of capacity on that we then have to cancel because we don't have enough staff, we're taking quite a cautious approach."

Overseas, shortages of staff in airlines and airports have led to chaos, especially in the Northern Hemisphere summer holidays, as travel builds rapidly towards pre-pandemic levels. Thousands of flights put into the system have been cancelled even though passengers are paying high fares.

Dines said New Zealand's lag behind he rest of the world in opening up had helped the airline's response, although it had to react quickly to the announcement in March that the country would drop quarantine requirements for Australians from mid-April.

"It takes us about 12 weeks to really be able to restart the airline and obviously we didn't get 12 weeks' notice back in March; we got about four weeks' notice the country was opening."

The recruitment drive is nationwide. The biggest choke point at the moment is training.

"You can go out and recruit a bunch of people but then actually being able to put them through the system in terms of whether it's pilots or cabin crew or contact centre, takes some time. The two big milestones for us are going into the July school holidays and making sure that we can increase capacity over that time. The next peak comes from October onwards."

Unlike some workplaces, the airline was also building an additional buffer for sickness.

"We're still seeing really high levels of sickness from Covid and the flu and other things. We're just building quite a reasonable margin - we may have trainers who are out sick, then the whole system stalls."

There were longer relief call lines to provide substitutes for crew or pilots who were sick, to ensure planes are kept flying.

She said on time performance (OTP) was looking good as there had been few cancellations.

Soon after the pandemic hit the airline in early 2020, job cuts came quickly and deeply. About 4000 staff were laid off or put on furlough as the airline was bleeding cash and struggling to stay afloat.

"We did what we thought we needed to do in the circumstances," said Dines. "And this has been a guessing game for us the whole time."

In December of 2020, the airline brought back more than 600 cabin crew to fly in the transtasman bubble but that only lasted a few months in the middle of 2021.

"We decided to keep those people on because we just didn't know when borders would reopen. Although we kept them on with no flying to do for quite a period of time," said Dines.

"We're pleased now that we did that, because it's enabling us to ramp up more quickly."

Some people who had been paid redundancy had been hired back.

"That's just how it works, that's part of our contracts. It's been part of what we offer for a very long time and that compensation is for them losing their role. For some people, it was only a very short period of time and they came back to us within a couple of months, and some people it's been 18 months."

Pay rates for some workers, especially those on lower wages, had gone up as much as 10 per cent over the past year as the airline competes in an increasingly tight labour market.

Staff travel was also a strong lure for staff, and had even more appeal now that the international network was expanding again.

The airline is also going through an organisational change to break down barriers between different work groups.

Air New Zealand was highly unionised, with 34 collective agreements, she said.

"They'll [workers] come back if they're in one of our unionised parts of the business, they come back into the collective agreement so that in some cases they'll come back into the same role and same level and in other cases they haven't."

While pilots and engineers have mainly stayed with the airline, an estimated third of cabin crew who lost jobs during the pandemic have been lost to the industry. Dines said those in customer-facing roles could more easily take their skills elsewhere.

The union representing most flight attendants is E t and when asked to rate Air NZ as an employer, its head of aviation, Savage, said all employers were assessed on whether they offer decent work.

"We look at their workers' income levels, at the security and stability of the work on offer, and at the quality and safety of the work environment. We also look at their commitment to giving workers a real say at work," he said.

While Air New Zealand led the way in terms of safety and the quality of the work environment, there were still parts of the company where the pay was low and the hours unreliable.

E t and Air New Zealand are working to address concerns about low pay.When the pandemic struck aviation, the union was critical of Air New Zealand because of the speed at which it rushed workers out the door during lockdown, said Savage.

''We all understood that the company had to downsize, but disagreed with how it was handled. We warned that it would decrease staff engagement and make it hard to hire staff when the time came to start rebuilding especially with airport and cargo workers who all had transferable skills, and that has proven to be the case right now.

"E t members have a vested interest in Air New Zealand becoming profitable again, but like all workers, they need decent, stable, and reliable work."

The airline has revealed its plans for long haul cabins aimed at competing harder against rivals, and concedes that crew have done most of the heavy lifting to keep customers satisfied.

One feature of the revamp, the Skynest sleep pod in Economy where up to six passengers can sleep for several hours on long haul flights, has another union concerned.

Flight Attendants' Association president Craig Featherby said the revamp was needed. "It's a great product but they've just got to make sure they have the right crew complement on board for Skynest. If they execute that with the right crew complement, I think it's a great idea."

Dines said the new cabins were two years away and there would be deep discussions in the meantime.

"That's part of what we're doing now with bringing in these new ways of working ... is making sure that the sales team and the customer experience team and the product team are working really closely with the people who are actually delivering the service or the product."

Dines said that while airport workers in particular were hard to find, more cabin crew were available.

Pay for flight attendants varies depending on whether they work on domestic, transtasman or international flights.

Government data shows flight attendants usually earn between minimum wage and $45,000 a year and inflight service managers can earn up to $60,000.

Flight attendants also get meal, accommodation, uniform and grooming allowances of between $7000 and $12,000 a year, says careers.govt.nz.

While overseas airlines are also aggressively recruiting, with some such as Emirates offering tax-free salaries, Dines said the lure of working overseas wasn't much of a barrier to finding staff.

"So far we haven't met the same challenges that we are having in airports."

When looking for staff, the airline first tries people on its "staying connected" register.

"We've got some good uptake from there. Now we're going out into the wider job market."

Jobs in the regions were harder to fill than in the main centres.

Dines said the airline was working on lifting its conversion rates. "When we bring people in for interviews, we want to obviously try to convert as many of those as possible."

The airline's customer base was diverse and the airline wanted that reflected in its workforce.

"Customer service is what we try to differentiate on so we want people that are passionate about customer service and about travel, who want to work in a really fast paced environment."

The airline promotes some core values to prospective staff, including the ability to welcome customers as a friend, being "can-do", being yourself and being passionate about representing and sharing Aotearoa.

Dines says "being yourself" is very important. "That kind of authenticity when people come to us and share their experience, whether it's work experience or community experience makes people stand out."

In corporate areas in particular, the ability to work collaboratively was the skill that the airline was looking for.

"Above all else it's people that can work really well cross functionally."

The airline is moving its corporate headquarters from The Hub in downtown Auckland to a leased property at Auckland Airport, just beside the runway apron and close to its engineering base.

Dines said the re-fitted building would help encourage the collaborative approach.

"The Hub is a traditional style of office. It's not that great for kind of getting a great culture and energy going because it's all quite compartmentalised."

At the new office - a longer commute for some staff - there would be more flexible work arrangements. The work from home trend is the biggest workplace shift Dines has seen during the pandemic.

She's been with Air New Zealand for more than nine years and has ridden the waves of rapid growth when fuel prices were low and travel was booming, to the trauma of it nearly stopping completely when the pandemic hit.

The rebuild provides a great opportunity.

"I think those of us who are here see it as a real privilege. This is the restart of the airline and is really attracting people who want to be part of rebuilding the airline and getting it back to better than it was."

View original post here:

Air New Zealand hiring hundreds of staff to avoid travel chaos hitting airlines and airports overseas - New Zealand Herald

In the early years of the John Key Government, then Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd liked to hold trans-Tasman Cabinet meetings.

These meetings often organised around a Bledisloe cup match were a chance for Cabinet ministers from each side to talk.

According to sources familiar with one of these meetings, each minister was supposed to speak for about five minutes to take up the assigned hour.

Instead, Rudd stood up, lectured the room for the best part of the hour, before Key stood up and said words to the effect of, well, I think Kevins just about covered it all.

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Although that story is mostly a funny one of Rudds erratic behaviour, it also speaks to a deeper truth. Australian political leaders can either ignore or simply lecture New Zealand ones. And that New Zealand, being the smaller country, values Australia in a way that is not always reciprocated.

Australia sees itself as a thrusting middle power looking outwards into Asia. For political players in Canberra and around the states, successful New Zealand political parties are worth keeping an eye on (the Australian Liberal Party studied John Keys success closely). But for broader lessons on how to do things, New Zealand has been basically ignored or talked down to.

This has manifested itself most clearly in the politicisation of 501 deportees and with at times less than subtle suggestions that New Zealand is really a bunch of panda-huggers who dont take China seriously.

Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

The trans-Tasman relationship has been a bit fraught over recent years, but there are signs it could be heading into more positive territory.

There have also been grumbles from Australia Governments over the past few years, that while New Zealand happily talks a big game on climate change, the actions of the Ardern Government have not matched the rhetoric. And in times of labour shortage, Australia is very happy to get as much skilled labour from New Zealand as possible.

However, New Zealands foreign policy stance on China has stiffened rhetorically while also attempting to do so respectfully. New Zealand has adopted the language the free and open indo-Pacific and it has heartily lined up along with other liberal democracies to support Ukraine in its war with Russia. New Zealand want more US economic engagement in the region.

And further change in the relationship could be on the horizon says Natasha Kassam, a former Australian diplomat and director of the Lowy Institutes public opinion and foreign policy program.

Kassam is in charge of Lowys polling programme which gauge Australian perceptions of other countries and leaders.

Luke Malpass/Stuff/Stuff

Natasha Kassam, the Lowy Institutes director of public opinion and its foreign policy program.

One thing that I think is shifting a little bit is, say 10 years ago, if you asked Australians who our best friend in the world was, they would be divided between New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, that's very much shifted now. And it's a majority view that New Zealand is Australia's best friend in the world, she says.

Australians have always felt very warmly towards New Zealand. New Zealand is consistently the country which we see as our best friend and Prime Minister Ardern is the leader that Australians have the most confidence in.

Kassam says that there is also a level of disillusionment at play as world events have become more complicated - with both Brexit and the Trump Presidency being deeply unpopular in Australia

These things have made Australians question some of those traditional partnerships and I think look closer to home. she says.

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The Prime Minister delivered a major foreign policy speech in Australia, focusing on influence in the Pacific and the impact of Russias invasion of Ukraine.

The New Zealand Australian relationship is like no other. Two highly integrated economies, free flow of people and a big Kiwi Diaspora across the Tasman. It is New Zealands second-largest trading partner with $22 billion in two-way trade and a significant source of tourists. Many regulatory settings are aligned.

Government body NZ Story has done some qualitative, focus group research on how Australians feel about themselves and others. The research will be released on July 27.

Headed by David Downs, NZ Story just what its name suggests, its objective is to craft a compelling backstory about New Zealand and what doing business in the country and with its companies means. The goal is to move beyond the old clean green tropes push hard on a broader understanding of New Zealands reputation, values and what it has to offer.

RICKY WILSON/STUFF/Stuff

David Downs, CEO of NZ Story.

But it is in the context of Australia that NZ Story has done this recent work, trying to understand what perceptions are of New Zealand.

According to the research, since 2015 New Zealand has become more admired for its approach to life, is viewed as a more caring society than it was, however as a result of lockdowns and closed borders is viewed as less welcoming. Although that could change as travel and open borders become normal again.

Downs says that it five years since this sort of work was last done and that the perceptions of New Zealand have changed mostly for the better.

The fact that it's changed a lot is important, I think, for not just export businesses, but education providers, tourism providers, everyone should know, he says.

The good news is, largely, it's for the benefit of New Zealand. I think there's sort of an increasing respect for New Zealand that comes through this report more kind of understanding of us as an equal partner, not the little cousin they look down on but actually someone theyve quite a lot of respect for and thats across multiple things.

It's our leadership, it's our Covid response, it's our indigenous culture and the way that we work, integrated Mori culture into our society. So there are a lot of positives, which is fantastic.

Integration of Mori culture is also seen as a positive by Australians in the research, perhaps reflecting the fact that, although New Zealand is very far from perfect, indigenous relations and life outcomes still significantly lag in Australia.

From business focus groups, however, the research found that there is a perception that would-be New Zealand exporters neglect matters after sending the first container, that they dont show up when it matters and meet customers. There also can be the perception that the small scale of the country makes it difficult for large Australian firms to do business with it. But, New Zealand is viewed as hungry for success.

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Prime Ministers Anthony Albanese and Jacinda Ardern take a selfie in Sydney.

New Zealand can be seen as a country where we don't really show up properly, we don't kind of follow through on some of our commitments, were sort of half-hearted a little bit in the market. And so those are things that we have to be quite conscious about, Downs says.

Lots of New Zealand businesses do do well, but in general, the perception ... and this is not us saying this, this is Australian buyers telling us that we need to lift our game a little bit and really see the scale of the opportunity and take the market seriously.

New Zealand is also viewed as expensive, but having a lot of the same regulation rules is an advantage that should not be underestimated.

Basically the upshot is that, since Covid-19, perhaps as a result of the fractious Australian political culture of the past few years, Australian public attitudes have shifted to more closely align with New Zealands.

Already the relationship with new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers is more positive. In opening remarks to the Australia-New Zealand Leadership Forum yesterday he said that his affinity with New Zealand was personal.

I come from, grew up in, and now represent an electorate in South-East Queensland, which has the largest number of New Zealand-born residents of any community in Australia, and big Mori and Pasifika communities.

This will continue to shape my thinking as Treasurer, as I work with you and my colleagues to build a stronger and more inclusive economy.

Chalmers is even keen to talk to Minister of Finance Grant Robertson about his wellbeing budgets.

Mark Baker/AP

Already the relationship with new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is more positive for NZ.

Our new Government also has a lot to learn from New Zealand, and tomorrow [Friday] I will speak with Grant about New Zealands Wellbeing Budget and how to reshape the discussion around the economy and the budget in terms of measuring what matters, he said.

Kassam says that, particularly on climate policy, the views of Australian politicians have, for at least four years has been out of step with public opinion. New Zealands approach to it is viewed as being something worth emulating.

What we've seen in the recent election in Australia is that the public is more progressive than our politics have let on.

I think that means that Australians look at New Zealand with a progressive foreign policy with climate change at the centre of what they do; with a young female leader and they see a style of governing and politics that we would like - in some ways - to emulate here and have not yet been able to do, she says.

Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Treasurer Jim Chalmers is keen to talk to Minister of Finance Grant Robertson about his wellbeing budgets.

She says the election of Albanese Government and the change of direction it is likely to bring, could also bring the two countries close together.

We suddenly now have leaders from the same side of politics in office. Leaders that agree, for example, on the climate crisis in office.

And one could anticipate that some of the friction in the past few years - whether that's been from being tough on China or the treatment of New Zealand citizens in Australia - I think some of that will be dealt with differently going forward, Kassam says.

For New Zealand it does look as if the relationship will continue to improve under this new Australian regime, and that there are opportunities in this post-Covid world. This week was a first salvo in taking advantage of it.

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NZ-Australia relationship appears to be on the way up under the Albanese government - Stuff

The Prime Minister hosted the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, today to discuss how the two countries could approach shared global challenges together.

The two Prime Ministers welcomed the Free Trade Agreement signed between the two countries in February this year, and the Prime Minister thanked New Zealand for its support for UK accession to CPTPP.

The two leaders welcomed the agreement to expand the Youth Mobility Scheme, allowing young British nationals and New Zealanders to work more easily in both countries. They also signed the Research, Science and Innovation Arrangement, strengthening the UK and New Zealands collaboration across all three areas to address issues such as climate change.

Reflecting on the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and NATO summit in Madrid this week, the leaders discussed current geopolitical challenges and agreed on the importance supporting countries around the world in defending their sovereignty.The Prime Minister also thanked Prime Minister Ardern for New Zealands support in training Ukrainian Armed Forces in the UK.

The leaders discussed the UKs increased engagement and investment in the Pacific region, and agreed on the importance of working closely with Pacific Island leaders to support their economic resilience.

Prime Minister Ardern updated on her work tackling violent extremism online as part of the Christchurch Call to Action,and the Prime Minister agreed more needed to be done to combat disinformation and drive the use of responsible algorithms.

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PM meeting with Prime Minister of New Zealand: 1 July 2022 - GOV.UK

New Zealand relatives of an Iranian man sentenced to imprisonment and banishment for his Bahai faith say not being able to help is terrible, but they fear being identified could lead to further reprisals against their family in Iran.

The mans aunt, who has lived in New Zealand for around 40 years, said their nephew is one of 26 Bahai sentenced to a total of 85 years in prison.

He was arrested and charged around five years ago, she said.

They were doing voluntary work in villages in Shiraz, teaching the village kids how to read and write, assisting with sanitation projects, and they had permission to do that from the local authorities.

They were put in jail for around three months, then released on bail.

Theyve been living with this ever since, waiting and waiting. They couldnt get on with their normal lives, because they never knew when they were going to be called [back to court].

We don't congregate into our own clusters, we try to live in and be part of the community and serve in the community, in fact, it's one of our tenets, we really try and work for the benefit of communities that we live in. And that's what exactly what these young people were trying to do, his uncle said.

In a statement released earlier in the week, the New Zealand Bahai Community spokesperson Paddy Payne said sentences of between two and five years had been handed down to all 26 members of the group.

The recent prison sentences, exiles and travel bans are the latest in more than 40 years of systematic persecution of Iranian Bahais, Payne said.

The fear of speaking publicly against the Iranian regime, even in a country like New Zealand, is very real to members of the Bahai faith who have come here from Iran.

They would like to express their alarm at having a family member jailed following a campaign by Iranian authorities to uproot the Bahai community in Shiraz, but they are wary of reprisals.

The mans aunt said she hoped to speak with her MP, and believed coverage of the situation was good, despite fears for her family in Iran.

It's good for the world to know whats going on - they haven't committed any crime, it is really not just.

The mans uncle said the sentence will leave his nephews wife and their two young children in a precarious situation.

He's the breadwinner, and he will be out of action for four years, and of course, there's no social welfare system, they just have to rely on family supports.

The thing is they live in fear all the time, not knowing what is going to happen or when it will happen. It's so hard on the children and families.

The situation is ongoing, the mans aunt said, with several more arrests happening recently.

There are waves of this kind of injustice.

Her husband said the Iranian regime doesnt want to appear to be persecuting Bahai for their faith.

When the verdicts are being read they don't mention the faith at all, because they dont want to be seen as openly prejudiced towards a religious minority, but at the same time, its obvious the only reason they are being arrested and imprisoned is because they are Bahai.

Bahai are still very much persecuted in Iran in a general way, for example, Bahai youth cannot enter university, but for Bahai education is very important, so we developed our own educational systems, and even that comes under pressure from the authorities.

The Bahai, which are the largest religious minority in Iran, have long been persecuted, but the mans uncle said it has intensified since the Iranian Revolution in 1979.

All the other minority religions came before Islam and have some recognition, but the Bahai faith came after, and is not recognised by the Islamic state.

The mans aunt said theres almost no chance of being able to bring family members to New Zealand, pointing to Immigration New Zealands refusal to allow other relatives to obtain tourist visas before the pandemic.

Besides, she said, her relatives do not want to leave Iran forever.

They work there, their families and friends are there, its their country, they want to live and serve there, but unfortunately they dont have rights.

The mans uncle said they are in frequent contact with their family in Iran.

Its easier now with encrypted ways of talking to them like Whats App or Zoom, but traditionally, its been very difficult because we know any letters or phone calls can be intercepted quite easily.

I don't think New Zealanders really know what its like, that as a Bahai you can get a prison sentence for doing volunteer work, his aunt said.

The hardest part is that we cant do anything about it.

The mans aunt said while the accused are waiting to hear the result of their appeal, their lives are again in limbo.

She said the group have appealed their sentences, but she is not hopeful this will succeed.

The Bahai faith has been in New Zealand since 1913, and is considered the second most geographically widespread religion on Earth, with more than five million members in over 200 countries, but Iran has one of the largest Baha'i populations in the world.

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New Zealand Baha'is concerned for nephew imprisoned in Iran - Stuff