New all-of-Government contracts for air travel and external legal services will save the Government $178 million over the next six to seven years, Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce announced today.
The new contracts include all public sector agencies, councils and up to 2500 schools.
“The contracts we are announcing today will mean we have [...]

New Zealand has been accepted as a member of the International Partnership for Geothermal Technology, announced Science and Innovation Minister Wayne Mapp.
“Geothermal energy is one of our most important renewable energy resources with huge potential for growth,” said Dr Mapp.
“This recognition of our geothermal research programmes will allow our scientists to collaborate with an elite [...]

Communications and Information Technology Minister Steven Joyce has welcomed today’s announcement that Telecom shareholders have voted in favour of proceeding with structural separation.
He says this is one of the final procedural steps in the roll out of ultra fast broadband to 75% of New Zealanders where they live, work and study.
The structural separation of Telecom [...]

Economic Development Minister David Carter today launched the Food and Beverage Information Project, the most comprehensive analysis of New Zealand’s F&B industry ever undertaken.
“The food and beverage industry accounts for more than half of our total exports and employs one in five New Zealanders, directly or indirectly. Full knowledge of the industry and its performance [...]

Housing Minister Phil Heatley says social housing providers wanting access to the Government’s $40 million Social Housing Fund can now apply.
The access criteria for four new sub-funds, put in place to support the development of more social and affordable housing, are being released today.
The four funds are:
Growth fund – Pūtea Whakatipu
Māori fund – Pūtea Māori
Niche [...]

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully leaves today to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Perth.
The Minister will attend the Foreign Ministers’ meetings and represent the Prime Minister at the Leaders’ meetings.
“It will be an important meeting for the Commonwealth as it debates what reforms are needed to be more effective,” said Mr [...]

The Government is on track to return to surplus in 2014/15, with the recovery continuing to pick up pace, Finance Minister Bill English says.
Treasury today released the Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU) which forecasts average annual growth of almost 3 per cent between 2012 and 2016, more than 150,000 new jobs over the forecast [...]

British Prime Minister David Cameron will visit New Zealand next week, Prime Minister John Key announced today.
“I am delighted to be able to welcome David Cameron to New Zealand. His visit gives us an opportunity to demonstrate the strength and maturity of the relationship between the United Kingdom and New Zealand,” Mr Key said.
Mr Cameron [...]

The Acting Minister of Energy and Resources, Hekia Parata, today launched a project on the East Coast that will see 2,000 homes in the Gisborne and Tairawhiti region insulated over the next two years.
The $5 million special project extends the Eastland Community Trust’s Healthy Homes project to improve the health and wellbeing of people on [...]

Food Safety Minister Kate Wilkinson today released a discussion document on options to continue farm gate sales of raw drinking milk.
“Selling small quantities of raw milk direct to people at the farm gate is a long standing tradition and there is support for that to continue,” Ms Wilkinson says.
“At present, the law lets farmers sell [...]