16/03/11 - Peaceful hikoi marches down Queen St

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The organiser of a hikoi which marched peacefully down Auckland's Queen Street today says the new foreshore and seabed legislation breaches the Treaty of Waitangi.

The hikoi of about 100 people left Cape Reinga on Monday and today crossed the Auckland Harbour bridge by car convoy before continuing on foot along Queen Street.

Police monitored the hikoi and closed one lane of traffic as protestors headed slowly to Aotea Square, watched by dozens of office workers and tourists who stopped to take photographs.

Organiser Ropata Paora told NZPA the Marine and Coastal Areas (Takutai Moana) Bill was an illegal document.

"The second article of the Treaty states clearly that we maintain sovereignty of our lands and fisheries, so this new legislation would put it into common space, which means they've taken that away from us and we can't let that happen.

"We're adhering to the articles of the Treaty," Mr Paora said.

The hikoi opposes the Government's replacement legislation, and aims to arrive in Wellington on Tuesday next week, in time to oppose the final reading of the bill.

However, the bill could be passed this week.

"At the moment, they're trying to forward their schedule so they can push the legislation through before we get down there.

"It's in the House at the moment so it may be this week, but we heard it would be March 22 or 23, so we'll be down there on Tuesday," Mr Paora said.

Whiria Meltzer, 20, of Kaitaia, joined the hikoi yesterday in Whangarei.

"I don't want building on our beaches and land. It's a sign for us to stand up for our rights and show our support," Mr Meltzer said.

The legislation repeals the Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004 and gives iwi the ability to seek customary rights and customary title through negotiation with the Government or the High Court - although they will still have to prove exclusive use and occupation since 1840.

The bill will remove the foreshore and seabed from Crown ownership and makes it a public place - essentially the same as a public domain - with access guaranteed and no one having the right to sell any of it.

Attorney-General Chris Finlayson said he hoped the bill would pass by the end of the week but that depended on MPs and whether any tried to deliberately delay the process.

The Maori Party, formed over anger at the previous foreshore law, backed the Government bill - with the exception of Hone Harawira, who is now an independent MP. The bill is also supported by United Future, which gives the Government a slender majority.

Labour leader Phil Goff said his party would continue to oppose the bill and he criticised the process, which he said had been undemocratic from the start. It was also opposed by the Green Party and ACT.

The bill passed its second reading 62-56 last week and still has to go through its committee and third reading stages before becoming law. The Government is changing the bill so that recognition of customary title would be given effect through legislation rather than signed off by the Cabinet, meaning every case would get full parliamentary and public scrutiny so opponents of the title would have multiple opportunities to revisit the case.

In 2004, when Labour passed the Foreshore and Seabed Act, a hikoi travelled the length of the country, swelling to about 20,000 people before arriving in Wellington.

11/03/11 - Rate cut to offset shock of quake

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The Reserve Bank cut its benchmark interest rate from 3 to 2.5 per cent yesterday in a bid to prop up an economy shocked by the February 22 Christchurch earthquake.

The cut should be seen as insurance to help offset what could prove to be quite a severe downturn until the task of rebuilding Christchurch started, it said.

Banks immediately cut floating mortgage rates and the dollar fell, as the cut was deeper than the financial markets had expected. But while economists do not expect governor Alan Bollard to raise rates again until next year, they warn that the increases when they come will be steeper than they would have been without the earthquake.

Higher construction costs will add to inflationary pressures already expected from rising food and oil prices. Because most mortgages are now on floating rates the bank should get more traction when it does start to raise rates, Dr Bollard said.

Prime Minister John Key said Mr Bollard took "absolutely the right step. He'll have given confidence to the rest of the country," he said.

"Lower interest rates help consumers, they help business and they help the construction sector."

The earthquake is not the only thing that has changed since the bank's previous forecasts three moths ago. The economy was much weaker late last year than it had expected, as households remained cautious about spending and businesses about investing and hiring. But positive signs had started to emerge.

Businesses the bank talks to when it prepares its forecasts were more upbeat this time, it said, while imports of plant and machinery had picked up and so had the amount of borrowing businesses were doing.

Part of the reason for yesterday's rate cut is to try to offset the setback the quake dealt to that confidence.

The bank expects unemployment to fall more slowly, from 6.8 per cent now to 6.2 per cent by this time next year.

(Source NZ Herald, Brian Fallow)

09/03/11 - NZ dollar drifts ahead of interest rate decision

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The New Zealand dollar eased below US74c against the greenback today, a day out from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's (RBNZ) review of the official cash rate (OCR).

At 5pm the NZ dollar was at US73.89c, down slightly from US74.07c at 8am and up from US73.75c at 5pm yesterday.

International travel and migration data for January today showed fewer migrants arriving, a trend economists expect to continue in the wake of the earthquake in Christchurch in February.

Finance Minister Bill English said today that growth will rebound strongly next year as the rebuilding effort gathers momentum.

The Australian dollar dipped today on weak housing data and that helped the NZ dollar to rise to A73.30c at 5pm from A72.87c at the same time yesterday.

Many economists expect the Reserve Bank to cut the OCR following the earthquake, which is estimated to have caused between $10 billion and $15 billion worth of damage.

But some economists believe there is no need for a cut and the ramifications of the earthquake can be managed by fiscal policy, rather than monetary policy.

The central bank is seen as being in uncharted territory as it was when making decisions during the global financial crisis, and while it is independent Prime Minister John key has twice expressed a wish that the OCR should fall.

It is also making its decision at a time of considerable global uncertainty. Investors are on edge about unrest in Libya and are worried that high oil prices could stall the global economic recovery.

The NZ dollar rose to 0.5319 euro from 0.5275 yesterday, and lifted to 61.17 yen from 60.67 at 5pm.

The trade weighted index was at 65.40 at 5pm from 65.01 at the same time yesterday.

(Source NZPA)

09/03/11 - Tourism numbers boosted by Australians, Chinese

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New Zealand's tourist numbers continued to grow in January, with more Chinese and Australian visitors touching down in Aotearoa, suggesting the country's tourism trade was normalising before the latest Christchurch earthquake.

Visitor arrivals rose 3 per cent to 265,600 in January compared to the same month a year earlier, the highest recorded for any January month, according to Statistics New Zealand.

That was driven by a 54 per cent increase in the number of visitors from China in the month to 14,500, as well as increases from Australia, up 1.8 per cent to 97,440. British visitors sank 9.2 per cent to 34,290, continuing a decline that started in April 2007.

On an annual basis, arrivals from China hit a record high of 127,800 in the January year, with increases also recorded from Australia, Korea, Japan, Taiwan and India.

"Figures prior to the quake had been showing some encouraging signs of improvement after a challenging period following the global financial crisis," said ASB economist Jane Turner.

"Nonetheless, we expect the Rugby World Cup to provide a much needed boost to tourism later this year."

Net migration stayed positive, with 777 more people entering the country than leaving in January, but that was still down on the net gain of 2539 recorded in January last year.

On an annual basis, net migration was 8700 in the year ending January 30, well down on the 22,600 recorded in the previous 12-months, with 22,400 New Zealanders leaving for Australia, up from 16,000 in the previous year.

"Much of the increase in departures over the past year has reflected New Zealanders heading across the Tasman, attracted by Australia's stronger job market," Turner said.

"The recent earthquake is likely to add to this momentum, with fed up Cantabrians likely to find better job prospects abroad than locally.

The data showed that New Zealand residents left on 117,000 short-term trips in the month, up 10 per cent from the same month previously, the highest number of short-term departures for any January. Kiwis took more trips to Australia, India, and New Caledonia.

(Source NZ Herald)

08/03/11 - People affected by earthquake whose temporary visa is going to expire soon

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Immigration New Zealand will be accepting applications for further temporary visas via email and through the contact centre from people who cannot make a normal application because they have been affected by the earthquake.

If you have been affected by the earthquake and your current temporary visa expires on or before 31 March 2011, you can apply for a new visa even if you cannot provide the required documentation.

In this situation, you may apply for a three-month temporary visa appropriate to your needs. You will not have to provide the normal requirements, such as an application form, passport or fee.

Please fill in your details on our online form or send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. containing the following information.

• Your full name, date of birth and country of citizenship.
• Your passport number (if available).
• The type of temporary visa you would like to apply for (if you do not specify we will consider the application to be for the type of visa you already hold).
• Your contact details, including your cell phone number,
• Include these sentences in your email:
• - I acknowledge these details are true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
• - I will notify an Immigration Officer if my circumstances change before a visa is granted.

If you do not have email access you can call the Immigration Contact Centre on 0508 55 88 55 and submit your details over the phone.

Students

If you are a fee-paying student studying at a Students Online education provider, we recommend you apply for your visa through your provider if you are able to as you may be able to receive your full-length visa within 48 hours.

After the three-month visa

To stay in New Zealand beyond the expiry of the three-month temporary visa, you must apply for a further visa in the normal manner before the visa expires.

If you have the requirements for a visa application

If you wish to apply for a visa for longer than three months, you should apply as normal with all the relevant documentation and the application fee. Instead of sending your application to the Christchurch branch, please send it to Immigration New Zealand, 
PO Box 76895, 
Auckland Mail Centre
Auckland

If you have any queries, please call the INZ contact centre on 0508 55 88 55, or, contact Terra Nova Consultancy Ltd

07/03/11 - Treasury report counts cost of quake double-whammy

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The Treasury says it will take more than four years to make good the physical damage from last month's earthquake and the one in September.

Its preliminary estimate of the damage from the two events is $15 billion, give or take a couple of billion.

Most of it, $9 billion, is damage to residential buildings, with the rest split evenly between commercial property and infrastructure.

"It is unlikely all this work will be completed within our four-year forecast period," the Treasury says in a report released yesterday.

It is a "line call" whether the economy was already back in recession by the end of last year as consumers and businesses remained cautious about spending.

In any case it has shaved 1.5 per cent off its forecast for economic growth this year, leaving 2 per cent, concentrated in the latter part of the year.

This reflects the immediate hit to economic activity, ongoing damage to confidence and a further delay in reconstruction from the September earthquake, which was just getting under way.

Rebuilding work will boost economic activity from next year on, but those higher growth rates will be from a lower starting point each year than would have been the case without the earthquakes.

So the Treasury expects nominal gross domestic product - a rough proxy for the tax base - to be a cumulative $15 billion lower over the five years to March 2015 than it forecast last December.

Finance Minister Bill English said based on these early assumptions the total loss of tax revenue could be in the range of $3 billion to $5 billion over the five years.

"This is manageable in the context of the Government's revenue base of about $330 billion over the five years," Mr English said.

In addition there will be some increase in its operational spending.

For example the unemployment rate, now 6.8 per cent, is forecast to fall more slowly, to 5.6 per cent by this time next year instead of 5.2 per cent in the December forecasts. Private sector economists have also been revising down their growth forecasts for this year, by a similar amount to the Treasury.

But they point out that not all the economic news has been grim.

Prices for New Zealand's export commodities are at record highs, boosting farm incomes, while the recent drop in the exchange rate to a 19-year low against the Australian dollar will make life easier for manufacturers exporting across the Tasman.

The numbers;

• $15 billion cost.
• 4 years to repair physical damage.
• 1.5 per cent shaved off economic growth forecast.
• $3 billion-$5 billion in lost tax revenue over five years.

(Source NZ Herald,  Brian Fallow )

04/03/11 - IMF mission to assess New Zealand economy

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The International Monetary Fund is sending a mission to New Zealand to assess the state of the economy, just weeks after the devastating Christchurch earthquake.

While the mission was a routine scheduled review, Reuters reports a spokeswoman in Washington, DC, as saying the mission expected to downgrade "slightly" its current forecast of 3 per cent annual economic growth in 2011, because of the 6.3 magnitude quake, which struck heavily in central Christchurch during lunch hour on February 22.

The current death toll from the disaster stands at 163, with some 50 people still missing, as the emergency response turns from rescue of the living to recovery of the dead.

A Treasury spokesman was unable to discuss the mission's itinerary or intended points of contact, saying the team would have no public profile until after conducting its mission.

The Treasury is currently pulling together new estimates of the likely fiscal and economic imThe International Monetary Fund is sending a mission to New Zealand to assess the state of the economy, just weeks after the devastating Christchurch earthquake.

While the mission was a routine scheduled review, Reuters reports a spokeswoman in Washington, DC, as saying the mission expected to downgrade "slightly" its current forecast of 3 per cent annual economic growth in 2011, because of the 6.3 magnitude quake, which struck heavily in central Christchurch during lunch hour on February 22.

The current death toll from the disaster stands at 163, with some 50 people still missing, as the emergency response turns from rescue of the living to recovery of the dead.

A Treasury spokesman was unable to discuss the mission's itinerary or intended points of contact, saying the team would have no public profile until after conducting its mission.

The Treasury is currently pulling together new estimates of the likely fiscal and economic impact of the earthquake, for likely public release in coming days.

Prime Minister John Key has put the cost of both last week's quake and the 7.1 quake last September at as much as $20 billion, of which perhaps three-quarters will be covered by insurance of various kinds.

(Source NZ Herald, BusinessDesk)

03/03/11 - Passports at Immigration New Zealand’s Christchurch branch

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Most foreign passports held in Immigration New Zealand’s Christchurch Branch have now been recovered from the branch’s Crystal Plaza office, which is located in central Christchurch, a heavily damaged area still cordoned off from the public. A number of passports are still in the office, and cannot be retrieved at this time.

Clients with applications in the Christchurch Branch who require their passport for urgent travel should call the Immigration Contact Centre (ICC) on 0508 55 88 55, advising their name, date of birth, and passport number.

If your passport is one which can be returned, ICC will advise you, and ask you to come the following day to a collection point in Christchurch to retrieve your passport personally. Please be aware that you will need to collect your passport in person. If you are no longer in Christchurch, alternative arrangements for the return of your passport can be discussed.

(Source INZ)

Please contact Terra Nova Consultancy Ltd as we can offer you assistance in this at courier fees only.

25/02/11 - Immigration help for families travelling to NZ following Christchurch earthquake

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If you have family members missing as a result of Tuesday’s earthquake in Christchurch, Immigration New Zealand would like to make it as easy and quick as possible for you to get here.

People from some countries don't need a visitor visa to travel to New Zealand but if you are a family member of someone missing as a result of Tuesday’s earthquake, Immigration New Zealand will quickly facilitate visas for people who need one and also waive visa fees.

Please contact Immigration New Zealand for further details or Terra Nova Consultancy if you need such assistance.

23/02/11 - Visa extensions for foreign nationals affected by earthquake

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Immigration New Zealand is issuing automatic six month visa extensions for any foreign national whose work, visitor or student visa application cannot be processed because of the Christchurch earthquake, says Jonathan Coleman, Minister of Immigration.

"Immigration New Zealand's central Christchurch office in the Crystal Plaza building is unable to be accessed for safety reasons. 2000 temporary visa applications are in that office.

"I have issued a special Ministerial direction effective immediately that any foreign national who is here legally and whose application is caught up in the Christchurch office will have a six month visa extension issued.

‘’Technically this is referred to as an Interim Visa. Any foreign national whose travel plans have been disrupted by the earthquake will similarly be granted a visa extension to allow them to remain legally in New Zealand for the reasonable duration of their visit.

"We know whose applications are in the Christchurch office, and INZ staff in Wellington are accessing the relevant files via the INZ computer system to issue the visas."

(Source Dr J.Coleman, Beehive)