Arabian oil reserves originally identified by New Zealander Major Frank Holmes

17 Nov 2017  - Canada’s indifference to a new Pacific rim customs union scheme can be ascribed in part to more tempting opportunities in the Middle East such as the possibility of the Toronto Stock Exchange becoming the keystone secondary exchange for the flotation of Aramco.  The Toronto exchange is viewed as being the halfway house between the London Stock Exchange and the New York exchange.

17 Nov 2017  -  To mark the launch of Deloitte Access Economics in New Zealand, a new report entitled Shaping our slice of heaven: Industries of opportunity was released in Wellington last night.  The report identifies five industries with the greatest opportunity to contribute to New Zealand’s future economic prosperity. The industries lie at the intersection of global growth and national comparative advantage, forming the heart of New Zealand’s “prosperity map”. These industries of opportunity are tourism, agribusiness, food processing, international education and advanced manufacturing.

Each of the five industries is expected to achieve above average global growth over the next twenty years, in a large part due to the rise of the middle class in emerging economies, in particular the Asian powerhouse economies of China and India. Consumers in these countries, and around the world, want many things New Zealand can offer – excellent agricultural and food products, high quality education, the latest health technologies and unique tourism experiences.

Shaping our slice of heaven: Industries of opportunity analyses where global opportunities and New Zealand’s advantages will coincide to create growth opportunities for the economy. Recognising that New Zealand’s prospects are as bright as they were a decade ago is not in itself enough. The report asks how New Zealand companies, industries and government can work together to apply these insights and take a longer-term view around how to ensure future economic prosperity.

Deloitte Access Economics lead partner in New Zealand Linda Meade says the report is a call to action.

“The core message of the report is that while global or domestic opportunity and structural advantages are necessary, they are not sufficient. To ensure success, we need to build on New Zealand’s areas of advantage to maintain and improve performance relative to global competitors,” says Ms Meade.

“We need to seize the day - there are plenty of competitors waiting in the wings if we are complacent,” she warns.

Ms Meade says Deloitte is very pleased to be launching Deloitte Access Economics in New Zealand and she expects strong growth in economic advisory as a key component of Deloitte’s client services.

“Demand for expert knowledge and industry experience in economic advisory services has grown for some years now. Growth has been driven by the pace of business and regulatory change and the value inherent in understanding the economics that drive these changes, at national, state, industry and enterprise levels,” says Ms Meade.

Since forming as Access Economics in 1988, and joining Deloitte in 2011, Deloitte Access Economics has experienced significant growth. They are now a team of 160 professional economists across New Zealand and Australia and are the leading Australian economic advisory practice.

Canberra-based Deloitte Access Economics Lead Partner Stephen Smith says Deloitte Access Economics has deep specialist skills across macroeconomics, microeconomics, health economics and social policy, and competition and regulatory policy, and a strong commitment to delivering client value when it comes to providing insights and advice.

“Our team’s success in combining deep economic rigour with practical commercial advice is helping to shape conversations around any number of social, political and business issues, deliver business insights and inform investment strategy in Australia – and now here in New Zealand,” says Mr Smith.

You can download or read Shaping our slice of heaven: Industries of opportunity at www.deloitte.com/nz/slice-of-heaven.

You can learn more about Deloitte Access Economics in New Zealand at www.deloitte.com/nz/economics.

| A Deloitte release  ||  November 17,  2017   |||

17 Nov 2017  -  Dealing with irregular bearing is a problem the New Zealand avocado industry needs to solve, according to AVOCO the nation's largest marketing company for the fruit. Martin Napper, Export Marketing Executive at Primor Produce, part of the AVOCO venture which owns the AVANZA brand, says at a time when consumption and demand is increasing strongly, the market still provides some inconsistency.

"At the moment it seems that we spend one year building markets and the next apologising for short supply," Mr Napper said. "A very frustrating situation especially when demand is so strong in all of our markets and many other markets AVANZA is yet to enter, such as Taiwan and China. With larger crops expected over time a lot of research is being directed toward this (irregular bearing)."

AVOCO is a joint venture marketing company between Primor Produce Ltd and Southern Produce Ltd. AVANZA is a brand of AVOCO used in markets outside of Australia, which is the major export market at around 80 per cent. It also supplies to Asian markets including Korea (7%), Japan (5%), Singapore (3%), as well as small volumes to Thailand, Malaysia, and India.

Mr Napper says AVOCO volumes are half that of last year, but values are up around 30 per cent. Some reasons behind this is the lower than predicted volume from within Australia has seen the Australian market a lot firmer than expected for this time of the year, with current values usually seen in January and February when Australian volumes are at their lowest. He anticipates prices staying firm with retail prices currently at AU$3.90/piece which challenges consumption.

The Export Marketing Executive adds there are plenty of positives, with higher returns and optimism in the category has seen about 1,000 hectares of new plantings over the past year, meaning there is currently a three year waiting list for trees. In addition, early forecasts are encouraging for a bigger crop in 2018 as well as China market access is close with protocols ready to be signed-off soon. This access could in time open up a big opportunity for New Zealand.

"The country's avocado industry is a very cohesive industry able to adapt quickly to customer export requirements, such as nil detectable chemical MRL’s in Korea and new China protocols," Mr Napper said. "With a quality offering it is well placed to take up future opportunities for growth. Avocado continues to defy gravity with its popularity and social media interest."

AVOCO/AVANZA’s share of New Zealand industry is around 64 per cent, and the company is also reporting that industry export volumes are around half of last year; 2.5million (5.5kg) trays compared with 4.8m last year. But he sees plenty of future opportunity in the medium to long term for expansion in the company's major market, to meet the rapidly growing demand across the Tasman.

"There is still some industry uncertainty as to final crop volume," Mr Napper said. "In Australia we are flowing fruit to fit programmes through to late February. Australian consumption just keeps on increasing and it is predicted that with an increase in per head consumption from 3.5kg to 5kg coupled with increasing population growth they will move from the current 16 million trays to 24 million over the next 8-10 years. With seasonality of supply, a proportion of this demand will need to be supplied from New Zealand."

Korea has also shown rapid growth from 250,000 trays three years ago to 500,000 last year and now fast approaching 1 million trays this year from all origins and at good value, including New Zealand, California and Mexico. Mr Napper says Korea is a good market for AVANZA as it prefers large size fruit, which suits New Zealand’s crop profile.

| Continue here to read the full article published by FreshPlaza ||  November 16,  2017   |||

16 Nov 2017  -  Mozilla's latest browser — Firefox Quantum — is lightning fast, sleek, and ready to handle all six zillion of your tabs after almost two months in beta.  Nick Nguyen, Firefox's vice president of product, told Mashable his biggest fear: Will the Internet full of Google Chrome-enthusiasts give it a chance?

"My biggest fear is that people won't try it," he said. "It's like any release — you do this to make people's lives better. If people aren't using your product, you don't have an opportunity to do that."

And the folks at Firefox have big plans. Nguyen won't rest until Quantum overtakes Google Chrome to become the average internet user's primary browser. "Today, people use Firefox as their secondary browser," he told Mashable. "We think it's good enough to be your first browser."

There's only one way to find out. So come on, close Chrome for two seconds and give it a try.

| A Mashable release  ||  November 16,  2017   |||

Series said to outstrip Game of Thrones

Amazon’s acquisition of the television rights of the Tolkien fantasies promises to wash up profitably on New Zealand’s shores.

The objective is to create another television hit to rival Game of Thrones.

Amazon Studios in cooperation with the Tolkien Estate trustees has involved New Line Cinema, a division of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which was involved in Sir Peter Jackson’s Tolkien series.

Having acquired the rights, Amazon is under no pressure to start production. So there is no indication yet the degree to which, if at all, Sir Peter’s various special effects enterprises in the Wellington suburb of Miramar will be involved in the Amazon re-pressing of the Tolkien saga.

The Murdoch family controlled publisher Harper Collins is involved with the deal indicating that there will be massive publishing collateral to the television deal.

This will be reinforced in the legacy media because Amazon also controls the point of view newspaper the Washington Post.

Not entirely good news for the Miramar artisan fantasy factories is the strong indication that Amazon intends making the new Tolkien television series at its own studios.

The extent to which consortium member New Line will go into bat for subcontracting at Miramar may be influenced by issues that arose subsequent to their film version of LOTR.

Whatever the fine print the big benefit for New Zealand will be in the value to the Pacific nation of the refresh button being pushed on the LOTR syndrome.

This includes the intricate tourist destination map built around the original wide screen series, and the reflective value on the nation’s national carrier Air New Zealand which in terms of livery has quite literally draped itself in LOTR symbolism.

The Amazon deal has come as a surprise to LOTR fans, and indeed to many of those inside the industry itself who had assumed that television rights were wrapped up in the original New Zealand production.

|  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  ||  Thursday 16 November 2017  |||

Nov 16 2017  -  Co-operative announces ambitious water commitments; invites Kiwis to visit farms and see what’s being done to promote healthy rivers.  Fonterra today launched an ambitious plan to help improve the quality of New Zealand’s waterways. Based around six strategic commitments, the plan will underpin Fonterra’s efforts to promote healthy streams and rivers, including a strong focus on sustainable farming and manufacturing.

In parallel, the Co-operative’s farmers will open up their farms around New Zealand to give Kiwis the chance to see first-hand the efforts farmers are making to increase water quality.

The release of the plan signals Fonterra’s desire to play an active role in delivering healthy waterways for New Zealanders and builds on the Co-operative’s previous efforts in this space. Recent examples include Fonterra’s commitment to restore 50 key freshwater catchments, its membership the Farming Leaders’ Pledge and work with the Department of Conservation on the Living Water initiative.

Miles Hurrell, Chief Operating Officer, Fonterra Farm Source, says the Co-operative and its farmers had been working hard to address water quality, but were ready and willing to do even more.

“Like all Kiwis, we want healthy rivers. Our farmers have spent over $1 billion on environmental initiatives over the past five years and fenced more than 98% of significant waterways on farm. That’s a major undertaking but it highlights our commitment to getting this right and we’re already seeing that in some regions these actions are having a positive impact on water quality.

“All intensive land uses have had an impact on water quality in this country. That’s why we have to work together to address the issue. Today, we’re putting up our hands and promising to work with communities to promote healthy waterways for Kiwis to enjoy. Importantly, we’re backing up our words with action and making tangible commitments that we believe will make a real difference,” says Mr Hurrell.

Fonterra’s six water commitments are as follows:

1. Farm within regional environmental limits
2. Encourage strong environmental farming practices
3. Reduce water use and improve wastewater quality at manufacturing plants
4. Build partnerships to improve waterway health
5. Invest in science and innovation to find new solutions
6. Make the products people value most

Each of Fonterra’s commitments is underpinned by a set of clear actions. These range from supporting regional councils to set environmental limits for water use, investing $250 million to drive a 20 percent reduction in water use across its 26 manufacturing sites and almost doubling the Co-operatives network of Sustainable Dairy Advisors.

“We’re keen to show New Zealanders the hard work going on behind the farm gate, so on 10 December we’ll be hosting one of New Zealand’s largest ever community open days, giving people across the country the chance to visit a farm and see what we’re doing for themselves. Our farmers are looking forward to opening their gates,” concluded Mr Hurrell.

| A Fonterra release  ||  November 16,  2017   |||

16 Nov 2017  -  For many people, an electric bike makes sense for longer commutes, but it isn't needed for shorter jaunts or recreational rides. As a result, we've seen a number of kits that allow cyclists to temporarily turn their existing bike into an e-bike, by swapping one of its wheels with an electrified one. It's a pretty simple solution, although the Swytch eBike Conversion Kit may be even simpler and easier yet.  Most of the electric wheels we've seen have been quite heavy – this is because they contain not only a motor, but also a battery pack and the associated electronics. That extra revolving weight makes them difficult to move if pedalling without electrical assistance, so the bike's original unpowered wheel needs to swapped back in when using the bicycle in non-e-bike mode.

In the case of the Swytch system, though, the supplied front wheel only contains a 36V/250W hub motor. This reportedly leaves it light enough that it can stay on the bike full-time, permanently replacing the bike's regular wheel. The lithium-ion battery and electronics are in a separate power pack that clicks in and out of a handlebar-mounted bracket within just a few seconds.

Electrical cables run from that bracket to the motor, and to brake and pedal sensors. Initially installing all of the permanent hardware is a one-time affair, which is claimed to take about 10 minutes. From there, users just pop the power pack on when they want an e-bike, and pull it off when they don't.The whole Swytch system – including both the permanently-mounted bits and the power pack – weighs...

A control panel in the top of the pack lets riders do things like selecting the amount of electrical assistance, and checking how much power is left. An electronically-limited top speed of 15 mph (24 km/h) is possible in the European version, or 20 mph (32 km/h) for the US/international model. The range sits at either 25 or 50 miles (40 or 80 km), depending on which of two available battery capacities are selected. Charging time is 3-4 hours or 5-6, respectively.

The whole system – including both the permanently-mounted bits and the power pack – weighs 3.9 kg (8.6 lb) with the small battery, or 4.8 kg (10.6 lb) with the big one. By contrast, the lightest all-in-one electric wheel we've seen so far tips the scales at 7 kg (15 lb), with others more in the neighborhood of 9 kg (20 lb).

The Swytch system is currently the subject of an Indiegogo campaign, with pledge levels starting at US$299 for the 25-mile model. The planned retail price is $650. There are also complete bikes available, with the system built in.

It can be seen in use, in this video.

| Source: Indiegogo  ||  November 16,  2017   |||

15 Nov 2017  -  A study done by the University of Southern California and New Zealand’s Victoria University shows that additional trade schools could be a better way to close the income gap than universities. The research found that more investment is needed to go to vocational training because "there are too many four-year colleges serving too many students, and too few institutions with greater focus on vocational education and training," according to Joshua Aizenman, economics chair at University of Southern California.

Data shows that the amount of available vocational training relative to the size of a country's manufacturing sector may reduce income inequality and improve the fortunes of workers earning below the top 10 percent of household incomes, according to the report.

"Pushing more students to B.A. granting colleges may no longer be the most efficient way to deal with the challenges caused by the decline in manufacturing employment," said Aizenman.

Many believe fewer works would mean decreased output, but real gross domestic product manufacturing has risen over the past two decades, according to the report. This leads to the popular conclusion that machines have replaced labor in the workplace.

Read the full report here.

| A news4sa.com release  ||  November 15,  2017   |||

15 Nov 2017  - What brings an extremely wealthy Australian tech guru to the backblocks of the South Island? Granted, there is a small stream on the western boundary of his 550 hectare North Canterbury farm that might harbour brown trout but there’s certainly no lake, no private golf course, no hint of equestrian activity, no magnificent country estate, rather just a random collection of innocuous sheds of varying sizes and shapes.

On closer inspection there are, however, extensive tar-sealed roads, one in particular running for nearly a kilometre alongside a narrow public access road that forms the inland route between Waiau and Kaikoura. It’s along this road that gobsmacked tourists sometimes get to experience the cacophony of sound as a speeding ‘Formula 1-like’ race car blasts past their vehicles at what must seem like insane speeds on the other side of the farm fence.

It’s all that separates the 2.8 kilometre long race track from a normally quiet public road, just 50 metres away. David Dicker, head of Dicker Data Australia, which recently turned over A$1billion in sales revenue, is certainly not the only rich man to build himself a private race track here, and probably won’t be the last. Such a man could therefore be expected to have a collection of fast toys, and he has them in spades; Ferraris (his favourites), Lamborghinis, and Porsches but few such enthusiasts own a Lotus 125 “F1 customer experience” race car, complete with a screaming 650bhp Cosworth V8 engine.

Even fewer have their own 2.8km race track on which to unleash the beast whenever they . . . .

Continue here to read the full story written by Mark petch in AutoCarNew Zealand ||  November 15,  2017

15 Nov 2017  -  Applications close Friday 24 November for the Rocket Lab Scholarship that was established in 2017 to enable students from the Mahia Peninsula and wider Wairoa District in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, to pursue tertiary study in science, technology or engineering disciplines.

The Rocket Lab Scholarship directly supports the community surrounding Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 and is designed to foster continued excellence and innovation amongst New Zealand’s next generation of science, technology and engineering leaders.

To apply or view the regulations and selection process please click here to download the application form. Complete the form and send to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by Friday 24 November 2017

| A Rocket Lab initiative ||  November 15, 2017   |||