Ericsson is investing about $15 million in a new facility in Porirua which will be built and in production later this year, creating about 30 jobs.

The plant will produce optical fibre ducting for Chorus as part of the Government’s Ultra-Fast Broadband Initiative (UFB), and potentially also for export to the Asia-Pacific region.

The facility, only the second Ericsson has built and the first outside of Sweden, will also include facilities for specialised training, and research and development.

“It is positive to see a leading company like Ericsson choose to increase its presence in New Zealand, as we roll out a massive fibre deployment programme,” Ms Adams says.

“The deployment of UFB is one of the largest and transformative infrastructure projects ever to be undertaken in New Zealand. Today’s announcement is a tangible example of the innovation, job opportunities and in the longer term, higher productivity, that will result from our UFB programme.”

About 25,000km of fibre will be required across the 33 cities and towns covered by the UFB rollout.

“I acknowledge concerns about getting freight in and out of the Gisborne region in the most cost effective way since the Napier to Gisborne rail line closed north of Wairoa in March following storm damage, and the subsequent decision by KiwiRail to mothball the line.

“That’s why the Government is investing up to $4 million on top of what’s already available through the National Land Transport Programme for the road,” Mr Brownlee says.

The NZ Transport Agency will complete the design of a series of passing opportunities in the next few months.  The areas of State Highway 2 under consideration for passing opportunities are Kopua Hill and several locations between Lake Tutira and Te Ngaru.  The total cost of the design and construction is estimated at between $3 and $4 million.

The National Land Transport Programme has also allocated $9 to $10 million over the next three years to improve the condition of the road and maintain State Highway 2 to modern highway standards.  This investment will be targeted at the sections where most improvement is needed.

“I also recognise the added importance the State highway will now play as the key link between Napier and Gisborne and therefore priority must be given to ensuring the route continues to deliver the required support for current and future use,” Mr Brownlee says.

Additional road traffic generated by mothballing the rail line is not expected to have a significant impact on the State highway.  It is estimated that the 50,000 tonnes of freight carried annually on the rail line before March has resulted in approximately five extra trucks using the road each day.

As well as the passing opportunities, the NZ Transport Agency will increase its monitoring of the impact of heavy traffic on the condition of the road.

For more information on the State Highway 2 upgrades visit www.nzta.govt.nz.

“The Caribbean region has many similarities to the Pacific. This visit is an opportunity to bolster existing bilateral and trade relationships with two of our larger partners in the region,” Mr McCully says.

“As Forum Chair, New Zealand promoted closer linkages between the sixteen member Pacific Islands Forum and the fifteen member Caribbean Community (CARICOM), recognising the common concerns of small states.”

In Kingston, Mr McCully will meet with Prime Minister Hon Portia Simpson-Miller, Foreign Minister Senator the Hon Arnold J Nicholson and will deliver a speech to the University of West Indies.

In Havana he will hold foreign policy talks with Cuban Foreign Minister Rodriguez Parrilla, meet with Foreign Trade Minister Rodrigo Malmierca Diaz, and address the Cuban Diplomatic Academy.

The meetings will provide another opportunity to assess latest global economic developments and their likely impact on New Zealand.

“It’s clear that the global economic situation remains uncertain and that many countries still face considerable challenges,” Mr English says. “Compared to many developed economies, New Zealand is relatively well placed. But the challenges faced in Europe will have an impact on New Zealand, and I expect that to continue for some time.

“So I’m keen to hear first-hand from the policy makers and business people dealing directly with these deep-seated issues.”

In London this week, Mr English will meet Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, chief secretary to the UK Treasury Danny Alexander and other government figures. He will also attend a number of functions with business and investment leaders.

Next week in Germany, Mr English will visit the Airbus Industries operation in Hamburg and meet New Zealand business people active in Europe.

In Frankfurt, he will visit the European Central Bank, the Bundesbank and Deutsche Bank, before speaking at the opening of the Frankfurt Book Fair on 9 October. New Zealand is guest of honour and has a pavilion at the fair, the world’s largest annual publishing event, which will provide significant business and trade opportunities for this country.

On 11 October, Mr English travels to Tokyo to attend the IMF and World Bank governors’ annual meeting, which will provide another opportunity to assess the global economic situation. He returns to New Zealand on 14 October.

The QEII National Trust helps protect significant natural and cultural heritage sites on private land.

As at 30 June 2012 there were 3,659 registered QE II covenants on private land covering 99,782.67 hectares.

“Ms Yerex runs a beef and sheep farm at Turangi in partnership with her husband. She will bring governance skills, scientific knowledge and a pragmatic farming perspective to the Board,” Ms Wilkinson says.

She has a strong academic background in agricultural commerce and horticulture and was a Lincoln Kellogg Scholar in 2008.

She serves on a number of private and voluntary trusts, boards and charities, including two which advocate for the care of Lake Taupo and its water – a particular passion of hers.

Ms Yerex’s term of appointment is for three years.

The inaugural Telework Week will run from 12-16 November to promote employees using ICT to work away from their traditional place of employment, while monitoring the savings and productivity gains made in doing so.

“The aim is for businesses to learn more about telework and consider how it might benefit them and their employees. It is timely for businesses to think about telework and the options an ultra-fast broadband workplace provides,” Ms Adams says.

“After the week’s end, businesses should have a better understanding of the technological and workplace practices required to make teleworking a success.

“This will also provide a good opportunity to demonstrate other benefits of telework, for example the environmental benefits of reduced fuel consumption and road congestion, and disaster recovery preparedness.”

The initiative, which is led by Cisco, in partnership with Crown Fibre Holdings, Vodafone, Datacom and NZICT, is being held in conjunction with Telework Week in Australia.

For information about Telework Week go to: www.teleworknz.co.nz

The 2011 education performance information released today shows that the university, polytechnic, wānanga, and private training establishment sectors have improved their course and qualification completion rates as well as student retention rates.

“I am pleased to see a continuing upward trend in the performance of the tertiary sector. Course completion rates have risen from 77 per cent in 2009 to 82 per cent in 2011, with qualification rates over the same period increasing from 62 per cent to 71 per cent,” Mr Joyce says.

“This is exactly the type of improvement we have been working towards. It shows the tertiary sector is responding to our signals to focus on performance and to deliver better value for taxpayers’ money.

“I am also pleased that the qualification completion rates at level 4 and above continued to increase in 2011. Level 4 and above qualification completions increased from 64 per cent to 72 per cent last year. This shows we are on the right track to deliver on the Better Public Services target of 55 per cent of 25 – 34 year olds having a level 4 qualification or above by 2017,” Mr Joyce says.

Performance information is available at: http://www.tec.govt.nz/Learners-Organisations/Learners/performance-in-tertiary-education/Educational-performance-at-individual-tertiary-providers/

“Online applications have been trialled successfully and will be available to the public by the end of the year. This will streamline the process of applying for a passport and reduce costs, providing the opportunity to look at the level of fees,” says Mr Tremain.

“Passport fees are set at cost recovery level, currently $153.30 for a standard adult passport. Revenue from passports is only spent on passports. The change to a five-year passport has increased the volume of renewals, and a growing surplus has built up in the account, meaning that there is scope to reduce fees.

“Changing passport fees would require a change to regulations. I have asked officials to report back to me on different options for fee reductions, including a lower fee for online applications to incentivise applicants to move online.

“This will contribute significantly to the Government’s Better Public Services Result 10: That New Zealanders can complete their transactions easily with government in a digital environment. This aims to have 70% uptake of digital and online services for key transactions by 2017, including passport applications.

“Passports consistently rate among the very top public services in the Kiwis Count figures produced by the State Services Commission. This is an opportunity to return some savings to passport holders and provide even better public services at a lower cost.”

Ms Adams has asked the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment to begin work on a regulation framework, which could include, among other things, enhanced disclosure requirements for matters such as the total cost of a service, broadband speed, data caps and contract lengths.

“As the ultra-fast broadband network is rolled out around the country, consumers will need a clear foundation on which to consider and compare broadband offerings,” Ms Adams says.

“It is important that consumers are provided with accurate information about competing product offerings and are able to make informed choices.

“While my initial focus is on residential broadband services, I would anticipate that transparency in other communications services could be included in this work programme in due course.”

Ms Adams welcomed the recent move by the New Zealand Telecommunications Forum to develop its own code of practice.

“However, at this time, I consider there is merit in the Forum’s code of practice occurring in parallel with the development of a proposed regulatory framework.”

Speaking at the launch in Christchurch, Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce said the Government was committed to working with providers to boost the number of international students studying in Christchurch.

“While the numbers of overseas students studying in the region has understandably declined following the earthquakes, Canterbury is still the second most popular destination in New Zealand for international students and has a strong international reputation for providing high quality education,” Mr Joyce says.

“It has been a tough time for all providers of international education in Christchurch following the earthquakes with a 37 per cent drop in numbers in 2011.

“The Government has been working to assist international student levels in Canterbury recover to pre-quake levels by providing an extra $5 million to Education New Zealand’s nationwide marketing budget, dedicated to Christchurch.

“Christchurch Educated is about sending the message globally that Christchurch is safe and friendly, that education providers are back on their feet, and that international students are welcome in the community.”

As part of the initiative, Mr Joyce announced that work on a Christchurch Educated Student Card, the Tertiary Pathway Guarantee, and the establishment of a central meeting place in Christchurch will be undertaken over the next three months.

The Christchurch Educated Student Card will provide student identification, discounts on public transport and purchasing discounts.

Under the Tertiary Pathway Guarantee all international students that attend a Christchurch secondary school and pass University Entrance will be guaranteed entry to a degree programme at Canterbury or Lincoln Universities or the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute (CPIT). They will also be guaranteed an offer of student accommodation and the use of the libraries on all campuses.

A ‘Commons’ for international students will also be established in the central city. This will be a central place for international students to meet and receive information and advice.

“The Government has set an ambitious goal to double the economic value of New Zealand’s international education sector to $5 billion by 2025. Having more overseas students studying in Christchurch’s schools, universities, polytechs and private training establishments is a key part of achieving that goal,” Mr Joyce says.

For more information go to: http://educationnz.govt.nz/christchurch-brand