The text is currently available on the international treaty depository section of the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s website, at www.mfat.govt.nz/tppdepositary.

The text will continue to undergo legal review and will be translated into French and Spanish language versions prior to signature.

The 92 successful proposals will be funded over three years and include a diverse range of topics from exploring causal factors between earthquakes and volcanic eruption, to therapies for motor neuron disease and a research programme that will investigate the implications of prodrugs for many types of illness.

“The Marsden Fund invests in investigator-led research that seeks to generate new knowledge with long-term benefits for New Zealand,” Mr Joyce says.

“The Government recognises that funding for such research can generate substantial returns to society over time. The Marsden Fund has increased by 38 per cent since 2008 and the Government will consider opportunities for further increases as fiscal conditions allow.

“Marsden Fund grants are awarded to some of our most experienced researchers. The Fund continues to play an integral role in a high-performing science system focusing on excellence and impact, promoting New Zealand as a destination for top scientists and R&D investment.”

The recipients include:

Shaking magma to trigger volcanoes – the University of Canterbury: Volcanoes erupt more frequently following tectonic earthquakes. This research programme will investigate the critical conditions for seismically-triggered volcanic eruptions. The results will provide information about the risk of volcanic hazard.
Good riddance to bad rubbish: waste disposal in motor neuron disease – the University of Auckland: Motor neuron disease affects approximately 1 in 15,000 New Zealanders. Cell death is caused by a build-up of waste products and defective waste disposal from these motor neuron cells. This research programme aims to investigate how waste disposal should be occurring with a view to designing more effective therapies.
Targeted, triggered and zero waste prodrug activation – the University of Otago: The best drug to treat a disorder may prove too toxic for particular patients. A prodrug that is targeted and specific to a disease site can convert a normally toxic byproduct into the actual drug. This research will investigate the implications for many types of illness including cancer and infectious disease.
Proposals are evaluated by independent assessment panels and the final recommendations for funding are made by the Marsden Fund Council, which is chaired by Professor Juliet Gerrard.

The grants are split into two categories. The Fast-Start awards are designed to create research momentum for early-career researchers and are worth up to $300,000 over three years. Standard awards apply to all applicants and can be worth as much as $850,000 over a three-year period.

The Marsden Fund is administered by the Royal Society of New Zealand on behalf of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

Tenders have today been released on the Government Electronic Tenders Service (GETS) website seeking proposals for architectural design services and multi-disciplinary engineering design services for the key anchor project.

“After last month’s announcement with the Christchurch City Council confirming the funding parameters for the facility, including an increase in funding from the Crown, this is another important step towards creating a multi-generational asset for sport and leisure in Christchurch,” Mr Brownlee says.

“Together with the council, we have confirmed the components that will serve everyone from learners to elite competitors, and now we want to identify the best equipped design firms to work with to ensure we develop a top-class indoor facility.”

Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel says it is important that the design reflects the community’s desire for a high quality sports and recreation facility in the central city.

“The design has to encourage and motivate as many people as possible to keep physically active and engaged. We’ve never had a better opportunity to get this right,” Ms Dalziel says.

The agreed funding for the facility will include components such as an indoor aquatic hall with a 79 metre, 10-lane competition pool and seating for a minimum of 1000 spectators, various other pools, including hot pools and hydroslides, nine indoor courts for sports such as netball and basketball, and retractable seating for a minimum of 2500 spectators.

There will also be a dedicated base for High Performance Sport New Zealand, and spaces for fitness and other activities.

The Government has already purchased most of the land required to develop the facility on a central Christchurch site spanning over 70,000sqm between Moorhouse Avenue, Stewart Street, St Asaph Street and Antigua Street.

Responses to the Requests for Proposal published today are due by Friday, 30 October. It is expected that the design work for the Metro Sports Facility will commence in the fourth quarter of this year.

The project team will work with sports stakeholders through the design process.

Further tenders around Early Contractor Involvement on design and construction are expected in the coming months. The intention is to have some of the facility open to the public in 2019, and the remainder in 2020, but efforts will go into shortening those timeframes where practicable.

Revenue Minister Todd McClay says proposals in the bill to supplement the current “intention” test in the Income Tax Act will make it easier for Inland Revenue to identify speculators in residential property and make sure they pay their fair share of tax.

The proposed new “bright-line” test will require income tax to be paid on any gains from residential property purchased and sold within two years. The exceptions are an owner’s main home, inherited property and the transfer of relationship property.

As well as defining the start and end of the two-year bright-line period, the bill contains rules to limit the use of losses arising under the bright-line test, and anti-avoidance rules to prevent companies or trusts being used to circumvent the proposed new rules.

Mr McClay says the proposals in the bill, together with those contained in the Taxation (Land Information and Offshore Persons Information) Bill also before Parliament, will help to better identify speculators in New Zealand’s residential property and ensure they pay their fair share of tax on gains from property sales.

The bill has been referred to the Finance and Expenditure Committee for its consideration and public consultation.

The proposed regulations ensure our food is safe and suitable, and will apply to around 85,000 food premises, growers and food importers when the Act comes fully into force by 1 March 2016.

“We want the regulations to be practical and appropriate for the wide range of businesses operating in New Zealand’s food industry, from coffee carts and catering companies to restaurants and large industrial food manufacturers,” Mrs Goodhew says.

“The best way to ensure the regulations are suitable is for those people within the food industry to get involved in the consultation process.”

Proposals cover matters such as hygiene practices, production, processing, handling of food, and how businesses are checked to ensure they are meeting these food safety requirements.

Under the new Act, food businesses will have increased responsibility for managing their food safety risks, with good performance leading to fewer checks and therefore lower compliance costs.

“Food businesses will be regulated at different levels depending on their food safety risk. High risk businesses will need a food control plan, while low to medium risk businesses will use a national programme,” Mrs Goodhew says.

“These changes bring the Food Act into line with other food safety laws in New Zealand.”

People interested in making submissions or viewing the consultation document can go to: www.mpi.govt.nz and click on the consultation icon. Consultation will remain open until 31 March 2015.

“Core banking services for government haven’t been tendered for over 20 years and banking trends and technology have evolved considerably during this time,” Mr Joyce says.

“This RFP, released via GETS today, is an opportunity for payments and banking suppliers to work with government to put in place a modern banking solution that is flexible enough to accommodate future innovation.”

Mr Joyce says taking to market the banking business of core government agencies is a significant achievement in itself which will provide greater opportunities for better financial payment interaction between government, business and taxpayers.

“Providing opportunities for all government agencies under the planned new cross-government contracts will assist the Government’s better public services goal of making it easier for individuals and businesses to interact with government,” Mr Joyce says.

“An all-of-government banking solution is part of the wider Government Procurement Reform Programme aimed at making government buying as efficient as possible, encouraging innovation, reducing costs and improving competition.”

Given the major transformation programme Inland Revenue is already currently undertaking, its banking services in relation to Crown Revenue will remain with Westpac for the duration of the initial eight year term of the Transactional Banking Services contract. However Inland Revenue will participate in all of the sub-categories, including transactional banking for departmental expenses, card services and foreign exchange transactions. All other core crown agencies will participate in full in the new contract.

Respondents have at least 60 working days to complete the RFP which closes on 10 October 2014.

For more information on the all-of-government banking tender visit: http://www.business.govt.nz/procurement/all-of-government-contracts/under-development/banking-services