Banks on notice
OPINION: Shane 'Matua' Jones, crusader against all things woke, including "woke banks", couldn't have scripted it better when his NZ First colleague Andy Foster had his Members' Bill drawn from the ballot recently.
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones is set to hold a series of nationwide summits to discuss regional priorities, aspirations and opportunities.
The first of the 15 summits will kick off in Nelson on 12 August.
The summits are designed to facilitate conversations about progressing regional economic growth and opportunities to drive productivity, prosperity and resilience through the Coalition Government’s recently launched Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF).
Jones says the Government is focused on strengthening and growing the economy.
“Supporting the regions to prosper is key to achieving this,” Jones says. “Through the RIF, we are looking to invest and co-invest in resilience infrastructure that improves regions’ ability to absorb, adapt and respond to stresses and shocks.”
He says the Government will also invest in projects that support growth through well-connected and productive regions.
“We are looking to the regions to identify their priorities themselves, to leverage existing opportunities, investment and strategies, and bolster the ambitions of local communities,” Jones says.
“This starts with conversations about central government and regional priorities and where they align, how we maximise the impacts of strategic investment and where we can work together,” he adds.
“The summits are an opportunity for discussions with iwi representatives, local government, business leaders and sector organisations,” Jones says.
Organised by Kānoa, the Regional Economic Development and Investment Unit, the summits will take place over the next six to eight months.
Regional summits in Canterbury, Wairarapa, Kāpiti and Chatham Islands are still being finalised with dates in early 2025 to be confirmed.
More information about the RIF, including details about eligibility criteria and the application process, can also be found on the Grow Regions website.
Dates
Recent rain has offered respite for some from the ongoing drought.
New Zealand's TBfree programme has made great progress in reducing the impact of the disease on livestock herds, but there’s still a long way to go, according to Beef+Lamb NZ.
With much of the North Island experiencing drought this summer and climate change projected to bring drier and hotter conditions, securing New Zealand’s freshwater resilience is vital, according to state-owned GNS Science.
OPINION: Otago farmer and NZ First MP Mark Patterson is humble about the role that he’s played in mandating government agencies to use wool wherever possible in new and refurbished buildings.
For Wonky Box co-founder Angus Simms, the decision to open the service to those in rural areas is a personal one.
The golden age of orcharding in West Auckland was recently celebrated at the launch of a book which tells the story of its rise, then retreat in the face of industry change and urban expansion.
OPINION: The appendage swinging contest between the US and China continues, with China hitting back with a new rate of…
OPINION: The irony of President Trump’s tariff obsession is that the worst damage may be done to his own people.