The 18th Auckland Writers Festival takes to the sea, the pavement, festival halls and a glittering pop-up venue in its most ambitious programme yet, which sees a record 42 international writers, historians, scientists, radicals and …

 Dimension Data New Zealand has announced the appointment of Wayne Yarr as Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 March 2017 Herbert Bockers, COO, Dimension Data Asia Pacific said, “Wayne’s leadership and considerable…

New Zealand business leaders are aware of the urgent need to transform digitally to address the changing business climate, however Microsoft’s recent study[1] found that this transformation for most organisations in New Zealan…

Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust says it is disappointed that the High Court has today declined to hear its case seeking to clarify the Crown’s process in negotiating Treaty of Waitangi settlements in Auckland.
 
Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei spokesman Ngarimu Blair says the Hapū had hoped Justice Davison would accept the case but was always prepared that, whatever the decision, the matter would likely go to appeal.
 
“This is the first step in what may be a long and intense process, but we believe it is crucial to clarify the Government’s approach to settling overlapping Treaty claims,” says Mr Blair.
 
“The current approach to overlapping claims is a fundamental breach of tikanga and of our Treaty rights, and as a Trust, we have a duty to protect the interests and mana of our people.
 
“We want all iwi in Tāmaki to settle with the Crown, however that can’t happen by undermining those who already have a Settlement.”
 
The Trust filed papers in the High Court in 2015 after becoming aware of the Crown’s proposal to transfer whenua in central Auckland to other iwi as part of their individual Treaty Settlements.
 
Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei has the primary mana whenua interests in central Auckland, and applied for a declaratory judgement relating to the Crown’s negotiation process with Ngāti Paoa and Marutūāhu and proposed transfer of land within central Auckland. The High Court has declined that application.
 
“Our focus is on protecting the Settlements we agreed with the Crown in 1996 and 2012, not stopping anyone else’s,” says Mr Blair.
 
“It seems that the Judge is saying that by signing up to the Tāmaki Collective agreement in 2012, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei effectively gave away our primary mana whenua interests in Tāmaki Makaurau.
 
“We totally disagree with that. Had the Crown made it explicit that we were signing our ‘mana away’ clearly we wouldn’t have.
 
“This should be a warning to all iwi who have, or who are entering, collective settlements.”
 
The Trust says it will now appeal the High Court decision.
 
Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei has been encouraged by the support received from several iwi who are also facing similar issues with the Government’s overlapping claims policy.
 
“Litigation was our last option but Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei believes this action will ultimately benefit all iwi who have settled, or will settle, with the Crown,” says Mr Blair.
 
“We are committed to seeking clarity on this matter, as the outcome of the case will have major consequences for iwi throughout Aotearoa and local councils and government departments who engage with iwi.” 

TeamTalk Limited (NZX: TTK) shareholders will shortly receive an offer document from Spark New Zealand Trading Limited (Spark) seeking to acquire their shares for 80c each.  TeamTalk recommends shareholders TAKE NO ACTION …

Spark New Zealand confirmed today it is making a formal offer to TeamTalk shareholders to acquire 100% of their TeamTalk shares at a price of NZ$0.80 per share.Spark’s Chief Financial Officer, David Chalmers, said, “We strong…

Targeting Auckland’s accommodation sector with a tax designed to raise $28 million to cover tourism and event promotion creates more problems than it solves and will backfire on Auckland.
 
Auckland Chamber of Commerce head, Michael Barnett, said the proposed targeted rate that around 300 hotels, motels, backpacker’s and camping grounds would have to pay was anti-business and failed against numerous tests:
 

• City hotel and motel rates will increase on average by 150 per cent with some facing hikes of more than 250 percent the industry has advised – a complete failure of the Mayoral promise to keep Auckland rate increases to 2.5 per cent;

• Council is thinking only of the good times. What the situation will be in say 10 years from now is an unknown – “You don’t build a church because you’re full on Easter Sunday.”

• Hotels and motels can decide whether to carry the cost or pass it on – that will be hugely unfair on the many hotel and motel guests who are not ‘tourists’ visiting Auckland attractions or major events – they are here for other reasons, especially business. They will look to stay in places not adding a tourism tax.

• Accommodation accounts for just 10 per cent of Auckland’s $7500 million revenue from tourism last year yet is being asked to pay 100 per cent of the cost – Retail generated 30 per cent, cafes and restaurants 17 per cent transport 16 per cent and tourism activities 13 per cent.

• Tourists already bring in billions of dollars equivalent to 17% of Auckland’s GDP – it is stupid to hit them with an explicit tax for visiting the city

• For domestic tourists, Auckland’s brand is of a city that is hard to get around in – a tourism tax will add another negative to visiting the city.

 
Instead of taxing an Auckland success story, council’s first step should be to look inside its own organisation for the $28 million it wants to save – that’s where the Auckland story needs to get real, said Mr Barnett.
 
He called on Auckland Council to withdraw the proposal forthwith, before more damage is done to the Auckland brand.

Targeting Auckland’s accommodation sector with a tax designed to raise $28 million to cover tourism and event promotion creates more problems than it solves and will backfire on Auckland.
 
Auckland Chamber of Commerce head, Michael Barnett, said the proposed targeted rate that around 300 hotels, motels, backpacker’s and camping grounds would have to pay was anti-business and failed against numerous tests:
 

• City hotel and motel rates will increase on average by 150 per cent with some facing hikes of more than 250 percent the industry has advised – a complete failure of the Mayoral promise to keep Auckland rate increases to 2.5 per cent;

• Council is thinking only of the good times. What the situation will be in say 10 years from now is an unknown – “You don’t build a church because you’re full on Easter Sunday.”

• Hotels and motels can decide whether to carry the cost or pass it on – that will be hugely unfair on the many hotel and motel guests who are not ‘tourists’ visiting Auckland attractions or major events – they are here for other reasons, especially business. They will look to stay in places not adding a tourism tax.

• Accommodation accounts for just 10 per cent of Auckland’s $7500 million revenue from tourism last year yet is being asked to pay 100 per cent of the cost – Retail generated 30 per cent, cafes and restaurants 17 per cent transport 16 per cent and tourism activities 13 per cent.

• Tourists already bring in billions of dollars equivalent to 17% of Auckland’s GDP – it is stupid to hit them with an explicit tax for visiting the city

• For domestic tourists, Auckland’s brand is of a city that is hard to get around in – a tourism tax will add another negative to visiting the city.

 
Instead of taxing an Auckland success story, council’s first step should be to look inside its own organisation for the $28 million it wants to save – that’s where the Auckland story needs to get real, said Mr Barnett.
 
He called on Auckland Council to withdraw the proposal forthwith, before more damage is done to the Auckland brand.

Four of the country’s most respected novelists are in the running for New Zealand’s richest fiction writing prize with today’s announcement of the 2017 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards shortlist. Commonwealth Prize-w…

Safeguarding export earners
Our biggest export earners – tourism and dairy – both depend on clean water.  The rural sector has worked hard to clean up water catchments.  Now it’s the turn of cities and towns to do the same.

Small business online
The New Zealand small businesses are lagging at ecommerce.  Trading online could be the single most important move a small business could make.

Taking your trade mark international
The World IP Organisation is running seminars for exporters and those with an interest in international IP protection.  The seminars, including methods for achieving trade mark protection in other countries, will be in Auckland 13 March and Wellington 15 March.  Information and registration is here