October 2006

The month of October has started well. Recent figures issued from Statistics New Zealand at the start of this month confirm that our country continues to attract visitors from overseas. Operators are reporting steady, if not spectacular, growth.

To put all in perspective, Tourism is worth about $17.5 billion a year, with about $8 billion spent by international visitors. Most popular areas are the Bay of Plenty followed by Auckland, Otago and Wellington while the preferred accommodation for visitors to New Zealand appears to be Motels followed by Hotels.

Other positive news is that the number of non-farming businesses increased 4 percent in February 2006 compared with February 2005, following a 3 percent increase in the previous year as confirmed by Statistics New Zealand. In February 2006, there were 346,000 businesses in New Zealand.

Property and business services continues to be the industry with the largest number of businesses, representing 36 percent of all enterprises in New Zealand. This year's increase in business numbers resulted mainly from property and business services (up 5,900), followed by construction (up 2,300). These industries also contributed most to last year's growth. The majority of the new businesses in these industries were non-employing (83 percent in property and business services, and 52 percent in construction).

Ninety-six percent of non-farming businesses had fewer than 20 employees, but in total this group accounted for less than a third of all New Zealand employees. Ninety-seven percent of the annual growth in business numbers comes from businesses with fewer than 10 employees.

The political stage may be compared to a large theatre with many actors or players fighting each other and refusing to accept existing laws. An example of this is that three small parties are resisting repaying money unlawfully spent in the last election while Labour buckled under public pressure and agreed to pay back what it owes. The largest opposition party, National, already paid back the funds they owed.

To put the icing on the cake, this month the Government rushed through a Bill to retropectively allow what has been done illegally by the political parties. 

Based on that there is only one conclusion and comment to make; politics where-ever you go is all the same; there are, it appears, different rules for parties and for members of parliament!!

Speak to you again next month and when you wish to contribute to this Blogg, please send me an email. 

September 2006

The NZ economy increased slightly by 0.5% and the strong fall in petrol prices may result in inflation coming back below 3% by 2008. All positive stuff!!

The political parties have been embroiled in personal mud-slinging fights in newspapers and on the television only resulting in the voters being fed up by their childisch unmature behaviour. That's politics for you!! 

There was a net addition to New Zealand’s population from permanent and long-term migration flows in August of 960 people. This was 350 more than in August 2005 and takes the annual net migration gain to 12,500 compared with 6,613 a year ago and a low point for this recent cycle of 5,987 in October last year. In the three months to August the number of people moving to New Zealand was 5.6% up from a year earlier while the number of people leaving was down by 7%. There is a slow upward trend in the net migration gain which if it continues will take some of the pressure off the labour force.

The TNC website is now more or less totally completed. Some more content has been added to the website. Additional information to already existing categories, some new categories, new information about ministerials, reviews, reconsiderations and applications made under section 35A.

I trust it may be usefull and informative as you may be in a situation where you wish to have your application reviewed through one of these categories.

Some more news items and FAQ's have been added to keep you up-to-date what is happening.

If you have any suggestions, news-wise or FAQ's-wise, please let me know.