Fibre broadband expansion to 95% of NZ gets green light – a win for rural connectivity
The Infrastructure Commission has endorsed a plan by Chorus to expand fibre broadband to 95% of New Zealand much to the delight of rural women.
Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) and NZI have announced that entries are open for the 2023 NZI Rural Women NZ Business Awards.
RWNZ national president Gill Naylor says the awards are a highlight in the organisation’s calendar of events.
“Despite the challenges of the last few years, the number of entrants in the Awards has increased every year, as has the diversity of the enterprises represented in their entries,” Naylor says.
“This is an excellent indicator of the incredibly dynamic role that entrepreneurial rural women play in building sustainable and resilient rural communities and economies.”
Naylor says the awards provide an opportunity for women who own and operate rural enterprises to showcase their creativity and innovation and for RWNZ to celebrate and promote those women’s achievements.
“Once again, these awards would not be possible without the continued support of our Premier Partner, NZI, which shares RWNZ’s goal to strengthen, support and connect people and communities,” Naylor says.
NZI executive manager agencies and schemes, Christina Chellew says the insurer is ‘delighted’ to support the awards as premier partner and to “recognise and promote innovative and hardworking rural women”.
“Each year, the judges are impressed, and often humbled, by the quality of the entrants and we have no doubt there will be another impressive showing this year,” Chellew says.
“The awards night itself is always a great celebration and reminder that rural women continue to be a formidable force in ensuring our rural communities remain resilient, prosperous and ready for whatever the future brings, and that’s something we are always very proud to be a part of,” she says.
Entries close on Friday, 28 July at 5pm. For more information and details on how to enter visit: https://ruralwomennz.nz/nzi-rural-women-nz-business-awards-2023/
New Zealand milk production is off to a strong start, with the first month of the 2025/26 dairy season recording a whopping 17.8% jump in milk production, compared to the previous season.
With adverse weather set to rain down on the Top of the South, the Bay of Plenty and parts of Northland, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says farmers, foresters, and growers need to prepare for possible challenges.
Keep up with innovation and e-commerce in China or risk losing market share. That was the message delivered at the China Business Summit in Auckland this month.
Meat Industry Association (MIA) independent chair Nathan Guy says getting meat processors involved has been a shot in the arm for the sector's key marketing initiative into China, Taste Pure Nature.
Listed carpet manufacturer, Bremworth is undertaking a $6 million expansion at its Napier plant more than two years after the site was heavily damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle.
Federated Farmers is vowing to keep the big banks accountable for their actions and to continue pushing for meaningful change in the rural lending sector.