Category Archives: New Zealand

By the end of next year, Bridget Webster will be living her dream of being a veterinarian, but willalso be graduatingwith $100,000 worth of student debt.

Peak lobby groupthe Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) is calling for the federal government to invest in the regional vet workforce by scrapping student debts for vets who live and work in rural areas.

"It'd give me a lot of financial freedom any relief would be phenomenal," Ms Webster said.

"I wouldn't have to stress too much [about] how much of my wage is going to my HECS debt, or living expenses I'd have to cut down on, or how long it's going to take me to pay off."

President of the AVA Bronwyn Orr said after "chronic underinvestment" in rural veterinary services, it was time for the government to take "immediate action".

"With emergency animal diseases like foot-and-mouth disease on our borders in Indonesia, there's never been a more important time to make sure that we have enough vets in the bush," Dr Orr said.

She said"HECS forgiveness" would encourage more vets to look outside city centreswhere clinics are "crying out for staff".

"The hardest years of being a veterinarian and probably any professional is the first couple of years after graduation," Dr Orr said.

"That's when you're earning the lowest amount in your entire career and you have the most amount of debt.

"For them to not have this additional financial burden, it would really make it attractive for them to go to the regions and we know that if you can get people to go regional for a couple of years, they're more likely to integrate into that community and settle down."

Dr Orr said the policy would offer a longer-term solution for the vet shortage.

"We think that this is a pretty quick policy solution that can yield some good results," she said.

Dr Orr said HECS assistance could be the answer or Australia could take lead from our New Zealand neighbours.

The head of New Zealand's Veterinary Association Kevin Bryant said the country'svoluntary bonding schemefor veterinarians had been highly successful for more than a decade.

"The incentive is $11,000 per annum for five years with the first three years being paid out in a lump sum in the end of three years," Mr Bryant said.

"It's really intended to support these people and their lives in the community, whether it's paying debt, putting a deposit on a house, buying a car whatever it may be, there's no restrictions.

"People were staying in the profession, staying in the rural practices so it was good for the individuals.

"They had stability, they were becoming part of their community, the practices didn't have to worry about constantly recruiting so there's been a lot of benefits of it."

Mr Bryant said the drop-out rate within five years had decreased dramatically and the scheme was easing the chronic vetshortage that New Zealand like Australia was facing.

But there were only 30 places for the scheme each year, something the NZVA was pushing its government to expand after a positive 10-year review conducted in 2019.

"There's a level of comfort now that we've got a scheme that's working," Mr Bryant said.

"So it's an ongoing conversation and we'd love to see that number a lot higher."

Back in Australia, Ms Webster said while young vets were looking to the regions for more experience, other incentives should be explored too.

"With human medicine, they have a rural incentive program and, depending on the isolation status or the status of the townthat you're going to work in, you can get more subsidies, or financial relief or some sort of bonus," she said.

"Unfortunately for vets, there's nothing like that as of yet, so even something like that would be an incredible drawcard."

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Regional Australia is 'crying out' for vets and a scheme pioneered by New Zealand could be the answer - ABC News

As the first new apple variety commercialized in the club model in China, Charlo apples with a red and beautiful color and crisp, sweet, and rich flavor, are favored by growers for their early launch and high commodity rate. At present, the first season of domestically produced Charlo apples has officially entered the trial sale stage, and all parties are looking forward to its performance in the consumer market.

Charlo apples, with the variety name Puri A280, are managed and sold under the brand Charlo in China. Shenzhen SVM Co., Ltd. has the exclusive right to operate this variety in China.

"After eight years of trial planting observations and preliminary preparations, and fully understanding the adaptability of the variety in China, we decided to officially launch commercial authorization in 2020. Our first Charlo apple demonstration plantation was built in 2021. Although it is only in the early stage of fruiting and coincides with the abnormal global climate this year, it can still maintain its excellent appearance and crisp and sweet taste," SVM staff said.

Puri A280 - Charlo apple is the first apple variety operating in the club mode in China, with good comprehensive characteristics. It was selected by the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture and Foodstuffs and is a cross between Braeburn and Royal Gala apples. Privat New Zealand is its breeder.

It has an outstanding appearance, good fruit shape, and a yellow-green background color with red patches, or red blush. Its coloring area is as high as 90%. It has milky white flesh and crispy and delicious fresh flavor. It has a rich balance of sweet and tart, and it tastes better than most Fuji and Gala apples. It is an apple with a commodity rate of 85%. Puri A280 - Charlo ripens a week earlier than the Royal Gala, and the fresh fruit is available in mid-to-late August every year, bringing freshness and sweetness to the hot summer. At present, Charlo apples have been listed in wholesale markets in Guangzhou and Zhejiang.

Source: Shanghai International Fruit EXPO

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New Zealand apple varieties grown and sold in China for the first time in a club model - FreshPlaza.com

Taipei, Taiwan The boss of a Taiwanese clothing company thinks that it would buy more wool from New Zealand if the country joins a powerful trading bloc.

Jason Chen, the chairperson of Singtex, which supplies materials to clothing brands like Mizuno and Champion, said that if Taiwan joined the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) it could grow his business by 30%.

Taiwan wants to join the to widen its trading partners with increased free trade and reduce its economic ties with China, which views Taiwan as a breakaway province rather than as a thriving self-ruled democracy.

James Halpin/Stuff

Singtex uses New Zealand wool in its jackets and chairman Jason Chen thinks its business could grow 30% if Taiwan accedes to the CPTPP.

Singtex imports two to three tonnes of New Zealand wool a month, Chen said, and uses wool in about 5% of its products, which are higher end jackets and coats that are then exported to Germany, Italy and Japan.

New Zealand already has zero tariffs with Taiwan, but Chen said the removal of textile tariffs between Taiwan and Vietnam, where Singtexs factories are, would allow him to grow the business and therefore need to import more wool.

If we can make the agreement together, then the tax is down, he said. People like wool very much, its comfortable, he said.

READ MORE:* How I bungled my way through one of the world's strictest Covid borders* US sails warships through Taiwan Strait in first since Nancy Pelosi visit* US senator visits Taiwan amid high tensions with China

Becoming a CPTPP member would lead to no tariffs on Australian wool for Chen, but Singtexs total need for wool from New Zealand would increase, even if a higher ratio was imported from Australia.

Everything is growing, maybe we start importing more Australian wool, but our production is increasing, our investments are increasing, Singtex brand manager Nicola Craig Hora said.

James Halpin/Stuff

Singtexs brand manager Nicola Craig Hora wearing a jacket which contains New Zealand wool.

Chen wasnt able to forecast exactly how much more wool he would buy from New Zealand, but said that he wanted to use wool more in his rain jackets, which had proved popular for the company.

Taiwans vice minister for foreign affairs, Alexander Yui, said on Monday multilateral trade, like the CPTPP, shared the political risk from blowback from China amongst countries within the pact rather than Taiwan and the bilateral partner.

When we talk about bilateral trade agreements there is some political sensitivities, he said.

Yuis comments were made a day before the Solomon Islands suspended all visits by the US Navy after striking a security pact with China in May.

Chiang Ying-ying/AP

People walk past a billboard welcoming U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in Taipei, Taiwan. (File)

Taiwans security is in the global spotlight after China surrounded the island in a mock-invasion naval blockade following the visit of US House speaker Nancy Pelosi at the beginning of August.

Its part of their expansionist agenda, Yui said. They want to break from the first island chain, take over the Pacific, the South Pacific the same thing, he said.

They have a very large plan, it will not stop at Taiwan, it will go on if we dont stop it, Yui said.

It would benefit Taiwan if countries like New Zealand, the US and Australia were more intertwined with Pacific Island countries, like the Solomon Islands.

They have a very large plan, they will just go on if we dont stop it, he said. Be clear of what PRCs intentions are, have better coordination and if Taiwan can be part of the coordination the better.

Yuis comments were made to a group of journalists invited to the country largely to cover the islands desire to join the CPTPP trade deal.

AP

In this image taken from video footage run by China's CCTV, a projectile is launched from an unspecified location in China. (File)

Following the Chinese exercises around the island, New Zealands foreign minister Nanaia Mahuta said she was deeply concerned at recent actions that increase the risk of miscalculation, including the launching of ballistic missiles by China.

Taiwans representative in New Zealand has previously said the island would love more support from New Zealand and to see Aotearoa participate in freedom of navigation exercises through the Taiwan Strait.

When asked whether the vice minister thought New Zealands statement was strong enough support for a like-minded country and would like to see New Zealand participate in the navaigation exercises, Yui was diplomatic and said Taiwan welcomed any support and it was up to other countries how they responded.

Yui said some countries were more quiet in voicing their support for Taiwan because of trade dependence on China, but wouldnt name any.

James Halpin travelled to Taiwan courtesy of the Taiwan ministry of foreign affairs.

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Taiwan will buy more NZ wool if it joins trade bloc, clothing maker says - Stuff

Thursday, 1 September 2022, 3:23 pmPress Release: Young Farmers

New Zealand Young Farmers (NZYF) is proud to launch theFMG Young Farmer of the Year Contest into its 55thseason.

The Contest kicks off on the 15th of October2022 with the first of 11 District Contests to be heldthroughout Aotearoa. NZYF members are invited to registerfor the agricultural challenge where theyll flaunt theirpractical and theoretical know-how in the bid to qualifythrough to the next round, the Regional Finals.

TheDistrict Contests are one-day events organised by NZYFClubs. Whether it be through organising, competing, orcoming along as support, all members are encouraged to getbehind their local District Contest to be a part of NZYFslargest event.

The top contestants from each DistrictContest will progress through to the Regional Finals, wherethey will once again demonstrate the broad and variedskillset of a modern farmer. Seven Regional Finals will beheld between February and April 2023.

From here, thehighest scoring contestant wins the honour of representingtheir region at the coveted FMG Young Farmer of the YearGrand Final set to happen in Timaru in July 2023.

Theannual contest has been going for now 55 Seasons, with beeffarmer Tim Dangen becoming the latest FMG Young Farmer ofthe Year to join the long line ofchampions.

Were fantastic farmers, we know it,we just need to continue to tell the positive stories fromour industry.

Dangen is a member of the AucklandCity Young Farmers Club and came out on top at the Season 54FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final in Whangrei lastJuly, earning him hometown hero status in the NorthernRegion.

It was a great day, we had a great time andworked through a bunch of different modules, had our farmletthat we kept going back to, and then we closed it out withAgri-Sports at the end which was a highlight forme.

Dangen is keen to inspire young people toget amongst it and is complimentary of the Contestsplatform within New Zealands primarysector.

Its such good advocacy for theindustry... I love this competition to bits.

Weneed to be proud of what we do, were world-leadingfarmers, there are challenges out there, but solutions areavailable to all these challenges, we just need to make surewe continue to attract the right people towards the sector,and well carry on being world leaders like weare.

The FMGYoung Farmer of the Year Contest is trialling a newstructure this year in the Northern and Waikato/Bay ofPlenty Regions. These will be two-day events, with day oneresembling the traditional District Contest and day twoaligning more closely with a Regional Final.

The endgoal remains the same to find the regions best torepresent them as Grand Finalists, says NZYF ChiefExecutive, Lynda Coppersmith.

We know that FMGYoung Farmer of the Year is a long season normally and itputs a lot of pressure on our member volunteers to deliver alot of events.

Were trialling this to look atways that we can still find New Zealands best YoungFarmer, but in a way that is potentially morestreamlined.

The FMG Young Farmer of the YearContest is proudly supported by FMG, Ravensdown, WorkSafe,Environmental Protection Authority, Ministry for PrimaryIndustries, Honda, Lincoln University, Massey University,PTS Logistics, New Holland, andStihl.

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An incident management team has been brought into Immigration New Zealand to speed up work and visitor visas.

Immigration New Zealand says demand for visitor visas is about three times higher than expected when the border reopened at the start of the month. (File image) Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Minister of Immigration Michael Wood said the team was set up last week and was looking at issues such as IT.

"Generally speaking, visa processing is going very well," he said.

"We do want to see that improved and increased particularly across visitor visa and work visas areas. So this just assists us to get the resources in to try and unclog any points where it's being held up and get the process moving as quickly as possible.

Immigration Minister Michael Wood Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver

"Periodically these are set up to in order to lift performance in areas we want to see that happen. It'll be in place as long as it needs to in order to bring the processing up to the level that we want it to be. You'd anticipate between a few weeks and a few months."

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment said the team could leverage the scale of ministry resources to deliver results.

In a statement, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) said employers and applicants should expect to see more measures in place to help with processing over the coming weeks and months.

INZ general manager Richard Owen said demand for visitor visas was about three times higher than expected when the border reopened at the start of the month.

"Our new visa processing platform continues to bed in," he said.

"We're processing Employer Accreditation applications in 10 days or less and are on track to do the same for Job Checks, following significant improvements.

"We have more work to do to process work and visitor visas at the speed employers and applicants expect, and to prepare for the surge in student visas from September.

"To support these efforts, we have established a Reconnecting New Zealand (RCNZ) Incident Management Team (IMT), with authority to make decisions to ensure a smooth processing of applications."

National Party immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford said it was a highly irregular move that would have to address failings in IT, visa processing delays, and staff turnover.

"For an IMT to be called into Immigration New Zealand suggests that it is very, very serious - this is not your run-of-the-mill everyday situation, where you get this crack team being sent into your government department. This suggests there's something seriously wrong."

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Work and visitor visas: Immigration New Zealand sets up team to pick up pace - RNZ

Mori-Owned Wine Company Committed to Sustainability Produces Premium Wines of Outstanding Quality

Marlborough, New Zealand, August 30, 2022Kono, a Mori-owned wine company in the Awatere Valley of New Zealand, reports an outstanding 2022 harvest despite early environmental challenges during the growing season. As demand for New Zealand wines skyrocket and summer sales opportunities abound, the success of this years vintage is paramount. Although February was cooler and wetter than average in the Awatere Valley, ideal weather over the following months created excellent conditions for a slow ripening season. Kono escaped major disease pressure and produced record-breaking yields.

While Awatere can often be a challenging environment for grape growing, our hardworking and detail-oriented vineyard team produced excellent quality and perfectly ripened grapes, says chief winemaker Bruce Taylor. The 2022 Kono Sauvignon Blanc is on its way to the States as we speak, ready to fill the demand for New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. 2022 wines from our Tohu Whenua Matua vineyard are maturing in the winery now, and I think they will be the ones to watch in the coming year or so.

Despite unpredictable growing seasons in the Awatere Valley, every year Kono remains committed to sustainable winegrowing and winemaking. Konos winery, which produces both Tohu and Kono Wines, is accredited by Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ), as are the companys vineyards. SWNZ is managed by New Zealand Winegrowers, the national wine industry body developed to provide a best-practice model for environmental sustainability.

During the harvest, we strive to work in ways that are gentle on the environment without compromising quality and integrity, and we adhere to the strictest of standards, comments Anthony Walsh, vineyard manager at Tohu Wines. We stick to a 500-year plan because we want our childrens children to have the same resources that we did.

New this year, Kono is working hand-in-hand with ToitEnvirocare, which provides science-based tools, action plans, and evidence of progress in sustainability through carbon emissions management. Kono will receive itsToit carbonreduce certification by the end of this year, effectively managing and reducing its carbon impacts.

Since its establishment in 1998 as New Zealands first Mori-owned wine company, Kono has become known for its premium wines produced from a range of grape varieties. Kono has received numerous accolades for its wines, including its Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Noir, and Mthode Traditionnelle Sparkling Wine. Most recently, the 2021 Tohu Awatere Valley Pinot Gris and 2021 Tohu Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc were each awarded 97 points at the Decanter World Wine Awards, both earning Platinum medals. According to Sarah Jane Evans MW, co-chair of the Decanter World Wine Awards, a Platinum medal indicates that the wine is on a stratospheric level.

About Kono

Kono is a Mori-owned, top 100 New Zealand food and drinks company employing over 400 staff, farming over 530 hectares of land and sea, and exporting to over 40 countries. Brands include Tohu Wines, Kono Wines, Hop Federation, TutCider, Kono mussels, and Annies fruit snacks. Kono also grows apples, pears, kiwifruit, and hops.Learn more about Kono atkono.co.nz.

Continued here:

New Zealand's Kono and Tohu Wines Report Record-Breaking Harvest in 2022 - wineindustryadvisor.com

The key message of this article is that dairy is of fundamental importance to the future of Aotearoa New Zealand. However, the journey to get there is not straight forward and it will be controversial.

First, I set out the reasons why dairy is so important, and hence the need to face-up to the challenges that lie ahead. This then leads towards necessary actions to address the challenges.

It is no accident that New Zealands most important export industry is dairy, comprising some 30 percent of the export value of goods that leave New Zealands shores. Add in sheep, beef, timber, fish, kiwifruit and wine, and New Zealands primary industries contribute a little over 80 percent of the export earnings derived from merchandise goods.

The remaining exports are led by aluminium and some machinery. However, with these and other manufactured goods, the net contribution is typically much less than the export earnings, given the imports that are required to feed into the manufacture of these exports.

There are also non-merchandise invisible exports. These are largely tourism and international education of foreigners who come to New Zealand.

Alas, even in the good times these invisible inflows are more than balanced by the invisible outflows of foreign currency. These invisible outflows include Kiwis spending money on their own overseas tourism, plus interest paid to foreign lenders, plus profits to the overseas-owned businesses operating in New Zealand, with banks and insurance institutions being the standouts.

So, the bottom line when it comes to imports such as pharmaceuticals, computers, vehicles, machinery and fuel, plus surprisingly high quantities of imported food of types we do not grow, is that physical imports need to be balanced by physical exports.

The only alternative to this balance is to keep importing capital from overseas. New Zealand has become very good at this. But there has to be a day of reckoning.

Accordingly, the inevitable conclusion is that New Zealands future depends critically on its export industries.

It is no accident that New Zealand is so dependent on its primary industries for these exports. This follows naturally from being a small country isolated from much of the world. Very simply, New Zealand will never have the scale required to build a comparative advantage for large-scale manufacturing. Also, although some would like to pretend otherwise, New Zealand education levels provide minimal advantages and significant disadvantages when comparisons are made to that bigger world.

As for the specific primary industries, the development path that New Zealand has followed is also no accident. For example, the temperate maritime climate, the topography, and the low inherent fertility of nearly all New Zealands soils, all lead inevitably to pastoralism rather than large-scale cropping.

A quick look at export statistics confirms that exports of staple crops such as wheat, barley, oats and maize are insignificant. Major crops such as rice and soy are not even grown at all in New Zealand. This is not going to change.

As for horticulture, kiwifruit is clearly the stand out but there are other successes such as apples and some sub-tropical fruit. But if anyone thinks that horticulture can save New Zealands export economy, they lack understanding of the issues.

The major non-horticultural crops that New Zealand does export are small seeds, with this mainly linked to out-of-season production on behalf of overseas plant breeders. This trade is also at close to peak, given the need for isolation between cross-fertile cultivars.

The long-term perspective of Treasury economists, echoed by the Climate Change Commission, is that resources allocated to dairy and pastoralism can over time be re-allocated to other industries. However, the key resources that underpin dairying are the sunlight and rain that falls on the New Zealand countryside. How will those resources be allocated given the fundamental unsuitability of most of this land to non-pastoral activities?

I have yet to hear an answer to that question. I suspect this reflects the lack of biological understandings held by quantitative desk economists.

The other argument I hear from people who consider themselves economically literate is that not only dairy but also the overall agriculture sector is unimportant because it comprises such a small part of GDP. As I have pointed out many times, the GDP of agriculture captures only a small proportion of the on-farm value-add and none of the off-farm added value. Also, much of the on-farm contribution, including shearers and all other contractors, is allocated to the service sector. It is a crazy anomaly bound up in distant history when farmers did everything on-farm themselves.

I also read regularly that dairy consumption globally is supposedly in decline. But this is false news. Fresh milk consumption is in global decline, but overall dairy consumption, led by cheese, continues to increase.

I also read that New Zealands dairy will in future supposedly face trade barriers. However, I only hear that from people who are well-versed in political lobbying but are not out there in the Asian markets which New Zealand exports to.

The overall trend in dairy and other food prices, albeit with inevitable volatility, has been upwards for the last two decades, with populations increasing and producers struggling to meet the increasing demand. There is no evidence that this will change. Growing more food is now a huge global challenge, largely disguised until recently by massive historical productivity gains in both plant and animal agriculture combined with huge fossil fuel inputs.

So, given the fundamental importance of dairy, there is a need to face-up to the environmental and other challenges that dairy faces, going forward. If New Zealand walks away from its pastoral industries, it is inevitable the whole economy will decline as imports have to be reined in.

A starting point is to address vociferous calls that dairy somehow threatens planetary survival.

There is no point in denying that methane and nitrous oxide, both fundamental by-products from dairy farming, are greenhouse gasses. These emissions have been with us since ruminant animals first evolved some millions of years ago. The issue is complex because methane is a short lived but powerful greenhouse gas, whereas carbon dioxide has less power but over a much longer atmospheric life.

The focus on methane is driven by short term temperature targets rather than long-term planetary sustainability. Holding informed debates on that issue is challenging.

I am reasonably relaxed about the current legislated 2030 methane target of 10 percent reduction from 2017 levels. This is a combined target for all biogenic methane and some, perhaps most, will come from the current transformation of sheep and beef land being converted to forestry. However, the 2050 target of between 24% and 47% methane reduction across all ruminant species is of a very different order. Quite simply, there are no technologies currently available to achieve this without a huge reduction in all of dairy, sheep and beef.

The second challenge facing dairy is the impact of dairy on water quality. Once again, there is no doubt that dairy can have a big impact on water quality, but sorting out truth from fiction is challenging. A key fact is that most of the nitrogen-leaching comes from urine deposited on paddocks in the second half of autumn and in winter.

I am closely associated with the development of composting-shelter farming systems where cows and in some cases beef animals are off-pasture during the winter, and are also bedded in these shelters at night time in autumn. This greatly reduces the leaching.

One of the current ironies is that development of these farming systems, which can also be super friendly for animals, are being led by innovative farmers who are learning through trial and error. It is time for the formal research and development (R&D) system to catch up.

There are also health challenges with some dairy products. I have for the last 15 years been closely associated with researching and communicating the health issues associated with A1 beta casein and the need to convert to A2. Right now, the A2 issue seems to have gone quiet in New Zealand but elsewhere things are steadily moving ahead. Given the lack of commitment in New Zealand within the mainstream dairy industry, most of my own A2 work is now focused offshore.

Each of these challenges to the dairy industry deserves multiple articles of its own. All of them are big issues, with progress inhibited by a mix of misinformation and defensive lethargy.

There are tough times ahead for most New Zealanders, and it is not just dairy farmers. There is an old saying that one reaps what one sows.

*Keith Woodford was Professor of Farm Management and Agribusiness at Lincoln University for 15 years through to 2015. He is now Principal Consultant at AgriFood Systems Ltd. You can contact him directly here.

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Dairy is fundamental to New Zealand's future | interest.co.nz - Interest.co.nz

Wednesday, 31 August 2022, 12:15 pmPress Release: Golf New Zealand

On the 30th anniversary of New Zealands EisenhowerTrophy triumph, the New Zealand side has arrived in France,ready to replicate our 1992 World Amateur Teams Championship(WATC) success.

Kazuma Kobori (Rangiora), James Hydes(Gulf Harbour), and Sam Jones (Manaia) have only been toldabout New Zealands successful Eisenhower campaign from 30years ago, as none of them was born before 1992. NewZealands best result since the three nationalrepresentatives have been alive is fourth in2018.

Like the womens Espirito Santo Trophy, themen will play across Le Golf National and Golf deSaint-Nom-La-Brteche in Paris. Jones will lead the teamoff at 6pm tonight.

Kobori is the highest ranked NewZealander, currently ranked 67th in the World Amateur GolfRankings. The 19-year-old has been as high as 42nd andautomatically made the US Amateur field for being inside theworlds top 50. He narrowly missed out on the match playby a shot.

The 2019 New Zealand PGA champion has beenone of New Zealands top amateurs for a couple of years.Last year, he won the New Zealand Stroke Play Championshipat Paraparaumu Beach and more recently became a JennianHomes Charles Tour winner at the Autex Muriwai Open in Aprilthis year.

The aspiring professional says its beena goal of his to make this New Zealand team and is excitedto fly the New Zealand flag on one of amateur golfsbiggest stages.

Its a fantastic opportunity totest my game, even more so as the event is held across twogreat golf courses.

Its a privilege to play forNew Zealand. It gives me an indication that I am on theright track, and I hope to achieve similar success to our1992 team and others that have played beforeme.

The main goal is to win. Thatsit.

Hydes has also had a couple of years toremember.

Making the team has been a goal of23-year-olds for a long time. Victories at the 2020 NewZealand Amateur, 2020 Autex Muriwai Open, 2021 Welsh OpenStroke Play, and a runner-up at the 2022 Australian MensAmateur helped him play his way into the three-manside.

The aspiring DP World Tour player is lookingforward to testing himself on a couple of Europes finestgolf courses.

Its been one of my goals for along time. Its really exciting to wear the fern andrepresent my country, its a special feeling and issomething Ill forever be proud of.

I reallythink we can win. Weve got a great team and if its ourweek, we can do it.

I cant wait to play Le GolfNational. Being able to play a Ryder Cup course will beawesome. Im also excited to tee it up alongside some ofthe worlds best amateurs.

The final team memberJones is also elated to make the national side.

The2019 New Zealand Amateur and North Island Stroke Playchampion has played well in 2022, earning his place in theteam after winning the New Zealand Stroke Play and threedistrict titles.

He has a simple goal thisweek.

I want to win.

Michael Campbell,Phil Tataurangi, Stephen Scahill, and Grant Moorhead beatthe US by three 30-years-ago.

New Zealand gets their2022 Eisenhower Trophy campaign underway tonight, with SamJones teeing off at 6, James Hydes at 6.11, and KazumaKobori at 6.22pm NZT.

Team leaderboard: https://www.igfgolf.org/watc/watc-2022-france/eisenhower-team-leaderboard

Individualleaderboard: https://www.igfgolf.org/watc/watc-2022-france/eisenhower-individual-leaderboard

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New Zealand Inspired At World Amateur Teams Championship | Scoop News - Scoop

There were lots of reasons for this, of course - boiling it down to a single factor is impossible.

But one of the big ones was our high levels of immigration: between 2010 and 2017, Aotearoa had a net influx of about 50,000 people every year.

These arrivals helped fill skills shortages, but critics say a failure to scale up infrastructure to meet the needs of a growing population contributed to strain on the housing market and health system.

In addition, many low-skilled migrants were taken advantage of by unscrupulous employers.

During the 2017 election campaign, Labour promised something of an immigration reset: slicing the number of migrants coming in by 20,000 to 30,000 people a year to relieve the pressure on infrastructure. Bringing in a greater proportion of high-skilled workers in that lot would also develop a more high-value, high-wage economy.

Once elected, the party didn't have to do much to hit that target - Covid-19's arrival took care of it.

But now, five years on from getting into government, Labour is putting its immigration rebalancing into action.

But what does it mean for the economy?

"At a simple level, more people in an economy means more activity, more growth, more GDP," NZ Herald business editor-at-large Liam Dann says.

"The flipside is that GDP is a nice number to have growing, but per capita GDP is our personal wealth, and that didn't grow as much [in the first half of the 2010s].

"Also, if you've got a lot more people coming into the economy, you need to be investing in infrastructure - building more houses, your roads are getting filled up - and so that has to happen, and I guess you could make the case that it didn't happen fast enough."

Dann says during the early-to-mid-2010s, the country was relieved to be tracking in a positive economic direction, and perhaps ignored some of the warning signs that infrastructure and housing supply might not be coping with the relatively sudden influx of people until it was too late.

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Immigration: With industries screaming out for workers, are New Zealand's immigration settings right? - Newshub

It might not be possible to bring homethe body of a New Zealand soldierwho was killed fighting in Ukraine,Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says.

The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) last week confirmed Corporal Dominic Abelen, 28, was killed in Ukraine while on leave from the force without pay.

The NZDF said it was supporting consular officials around possible options for formal identification and repatriation, butnoted "the very difficult circumstances of doing so in a conflict zone".

In a press conference on Monday afternoon, Ms Ardern saidit was still difficult to know with certainty the information around Corporal Abelen's location and circumstances.

She could not provide a time frame for bringing his body home.

"That is not something that we are able to establish, nor can we be certain that will be possible," Ms Ardern said.

His leaverequest did not include plans to travel to Ukraine.

No soldiers had been approved by the NZDF to enter Ukraineand it was unaware how many soldiers may have travelled there on leave without pay.

Ms Ardern said there would be an intervention for anyNew Zealanders including soldiers who flagged intentions to travel to Ukraine.

Corporal Abelen's father Bryce Abelen said his son had not told the family of his plans to travel to the war-torn country.

"He also knew the risks of going there but still went to fight for them," he said in a statement.

"That is Dominic, always thinking of helping others."

Corporal Abelen's family said they understood his decision and fully supported it.

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New Zealand soldier who died in Ukraine may never be repatriated, Jacinda Ardern says - ABC News