New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.
“The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more challenging now than even a decade ago and demands that we work together more urgently and concertedly,” Mr Peters says.
Mr Peters met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken today and they released a joint declaration which sets out the principles and priorities underpinning the strategic partnership between the two countries.
“As we face a range of common challenges, globally and in the Indo-Pacific region, it’s more important than ever that New Zealand and the United States find common cause in defence of shared values and interests,” Mr Peters says.
“New Zealand also wishes to advance its trade and economic relationship with the United States.”
During their discussions today, Mr Peters and Secretary Blinken also discussed priority foreign policy issues, including Gaza and Ukraine, and the role of New Zealand and the United States in responding to both conflicts.
“We discussed how the United States continues to play a crucial and urgent role in Gaza as it works to try to help end the suffering there by facilitating an immediate ceasefire,” Mr Peters says.
“On Ukraine, we noted the importance New Zealand attaches to Ukraine being provided with the military support it needs to combat Russia’s war of aggression.”
During his visit to the United States, Mr Peters engaged with a broad range of political actors, including on Capitol Hill.
“New Zealand and the United States are two of the world’s oldest, longest-running, continuous democracies,” Mr Peters says. “The New Zealand-United States strategic partnership is underpinned by broad, bipartisan support in both countries.
That is why New Zealand engages with a wide range of Americans from right across the political divide about how our strategic partnership can evolve and thrive in the years ahead for the mutual benefit of the New Zealand and American people.”
The joint Declaration can be found here.
Mr Peters returns to New Zealand this weekend.
Source: https://www.beehive.govt.nz/
The distaste for trade deals in the nation's capital is leading Colorado to forge its own path on an agreement with New Zealand, a move leaders on both sides say will boost economic investment.
State of play: Gov. Jared Polis and New Zealand minister Judith Collins disclosed the ongoing negotiations Tuesday at an event touting the expanding connections and commonalities. More than 30 Kiwi companies have headquarters or offices in Denver.
What they're saying: Polis lamented the failure of the federal Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, which he supported while in Congress.
The intrigue: A direct flight between Denver and Auckland, New Zealand, is being discussed alongside the agreement, Polis and Collins said, which drew support from Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington who attended the event at New Zealand-based Xero's headquarters in Denver.
The big picture: Colorado is moving ahead with similar deals with other nations, including the U.K and the Netherlands.
Warner Bros. Discovery today announced a new business model for its free-to-air operations in New Zealand. The restructure means the closure of all Newshub’s multi-platform news operations and output, including the Newshub website, AM, and the 6pm TV bulletin. Three and ThreeNow will stay a key part of Warner Bros. Discovery’s local offerings. The content will be a mix of local programming in conjunction with funding partners, acquisitions across drama, comedy, sport, reality and factual, and key titles from WBD’s extensive library. Bravo, Eden, Rush and HGTV will remain as they are. The new structure will see the business reduced by 294 roles to 120.
James Gibbons, President, Asia-Pacific, Warner Bros. Discovery says the restructure process has not been easy, but is necessary for the viability and success of Warner Bros. Discovery’s ongoing presence in New Zealand.
“When we announced the proposed restructure six weeks ago, we explained that there was nothing anyone in our New Zealand networks business could have done better – it was a combination of very strong economic headwinds both in New Zealand and the global market. As we said at the time, the downturn has been severe, and the bounce-back has not materialised as expected.”
“Just recently, it was revealed that in 2023 alone, $74 million disappeared from broadcast TV advertising in New Zealand. Apart from 2009, the year following the Global Financial Crisis, this was the single largest year-on-year drop in thirty years – a 14.3 per cent drop.
“Every business in its own market has to be financially sustainable, and we simply could not continue in our current form.”
Following close consideration of feedback from the people of Warner Bros. Discovery ANZ, some changes have been made to the new structure of the business that differed from the original proposal. These include reporting lines, different roles, new roles and changes in workflows and processes. Ultimately, approximately 10 more roles have been included in the final organisation structure than originally proposed.
“We committed to listening to our people and we have done that. While we were not able to accommodate everyone’s suggestions, we carefully reviewed and considered each and every piece of feedback we received. I want to thank everyone who engaged in good faith and I want them to know they were heard.”
“The new model is how we see Warner Bros. Discovery continuing to be a strong and long-term part of the media ecosystem in New Zealand. It will be a smaller operation, but we’re confident it will be a viable – and importantly, sustainable – business model in the New Zealand landscape.”
Glen Kyne, Senior Vice President, Head of Networks, Warner Bros. Discovery ANZ, said the confirmation of the new structure is a difficult day for everyone who works for WBD ANZ and the country.
“With the massive reduction in broadcast TV advertising revenue, our free-to-air and news operations were simply too expensive to run as they were. We are deeply aware of the effect this is likely to have on the plurality of media voices in New Zealand. Having just one TV news operation in New Zealand – that is state-owned – will be an ongoing issue until it is solved. But as we noted on the day, it is simply impossible to continue operating in our current form.
“As we said from the beginning, our door has been open to listening to all internal and external feedback and ideas, and we will continue to do so. However, as of now, no deal regarding news output has been made.”
“Warner Bros. Discovery is committed to maintaining a strong footprint in New Zealand presence, albeit with a different operating model and lower cost base.
“We also know that our archive has great historical significance and needs to be preserved. It is our intention to engage Nga Taonga to explore how that can happen. We envisage this will take some time to work through.”
Those who have been impacted will have their final day on July 5, that will also be the final day for the Newshub bulletin. The first day of the new Warner Bros. Discovery ANZ business model will be on July 6.
Westland Milk Products has delivered a strong profit result for the second successive year.
Westland announced an after-tax profit of $55.9million for 2023, more than double a targeted $20 million annual return. The 2023 profit is above 2022’s $38.9 million record-breaking result, a $120 million rebound on 2021.
Westland CEO Richard Wyeth said the company would maintain its push towards long-term profitability by continuing to divert more milk solids into higher-value products in 2024.
Westland recently committed to pay farmers the 10c premium above Fonterra’s Farm Gate Milk Price for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons, extending and improving on payment terms made under the original Scheme of Arrangement when the company was purchased.
“We’re proud of this result but we know we still have plenty of room for improvement,’’ Mr Wyeth said. “We’re tracking well to deliver on our five-year commitment to build sustainable growth year on year. A sustainable financial base means we can continue to offer farmers very competitive terms for their milk.’’
Mr Wyeth said revenue of $1.065 billion was slightly above last year’s result and very pleasing given the fall in global dairy prices.
“The advantage we have of course is the backing of one of the world’s largest dairy companies in Yili,’’ Mr Wyeth said. “Yili’s support has enabled us to invest heavily in infrastructure that will maximise revenue from high-margin products. But our ability to remain competitive on milk prices must rely on our ability to stand alone on financial performance.’’
A $70 million investment in a new lactoferrin plant at the company’s Hokitika plant supported by Yili is expected to continue to reduce reliance on traditional high-margin revenue sources such as infant formula for China, as import demand in that sector continues to soften.
Due for completion in the final quarter of 2024, first production at the plant will take place in quarter three. Commercial production is expected by the final quarter this year.
Mr Wyeth said a $40 million investment in a new butter plant at Hokitika in 2022 had allowed Westland to expand strongly in the US market. Westgold butter is now stocked in more than 3000 grocery retail outlets in the US, including Walmart stores. Westland also produces Kirkland Signature New Zealand Grass-Fed Butter for Costco.
Costco reported in their 2022/23 financial results that Kirkland butter sales increased more than 160 per cent year on year and continue to show strong growth.
The Westland-produced butter is now stocked in almost every Costco store in the United States, as well as Costco global stores, including Korea, Taiwan and New Zealand; with more international regions in the pipeline.
Source: https://www.westland.co.nz/
New Zealand tech startup Kai’s Education continues to build its international reputation with its Kiwi-designed AI learning robot, Kaibot, and online platform Kaibot in Kainundrum being named as finalist in the Assistive Learning category in the EdTech Awards 2024. The EdTech Awards is a global competition established in 2010 to recognise, acknowledge, and celebrate the most exceptional innovators, leaders, and trendsetters in education technology. It’s another significant achievement for the small tech business which continues to punch well above its weight, with Kai’s Education learning programmes being adopted in educational institutions around the world.
“This is a huge achievement for Kai’s Education,” says co-founder Ronel Schodt. “It helps to raise our profile to educators and investors, especially for our accessible education tools. Each award or nomination helps to cement Kai’s Education as a contender in the global EdTech marketplace,” she says.
Kai’s Education was founded by entrepreneur Bruce Jackson who was seeking to develop a simple, fun device that could teach kids of all ages how to code. A key challenge was to create a system that didn’t require the use of a computer or tablet to teach coding. So, he developed Kaibot, a small AI-assisted robot with a deck of flashcards to teach the principles of coding in a fun and interactive way - supported by an online portal, Kainundrum that allows a student’s coding to be visualised on a computer or tablet, with all kinds of exciting integrations and advanced coding challenges. Last year after recognising the challenges faced by blind and partially sighted students, they developed braille and text-to-speech packages for Kaibot as well. Now, both Kaibot and the larger, more advanced Kai's Clan collaborative AR VR Robot systems are recognised by top education professionals, with advanced learning programmes developed to teach children of all ages and their teachers.
“The magic of Kaibot is in its simplicity,” says Schodt. “Children can master the basics of coding without being first challenged with learning how to use a computer, and then can apply their new skills to increasingly difficult challenges with confidence.
And teachers tell us that they themselves not only learned how to code from Kaibot, but have learned how to teach coding to their students as well,” she says.
Schodt says that the accessibility of Kai’s Education tools is generating strong interest from Special Needs teachers around the globe. “We have braille coding cards, but you can now also get Kainundrum in text-to-speech Spanish for the US market. And, for New Zealand, there are not only screen-free coding cards in English, Te Reo, and Spanish, we also have Te Reo in text using Kainundrum. “We’re also rolling out KaiBot in Swift Playgrounds which is specially developed for the Apple eco-system – a really exciting development,” she says. Success in the US has seen Kai’s Education open a US subsidiary based in Delaware with a dedicated US Sales team to cover the huge territory. Kaibot is now established in six universities in the US for teacher training and the company has just rolled out Canyon District School in Utah with KaiBots in all 28 of their Elementary schools, including their five special needs classes.
This rapid growth has also seen top Kiwi EdTech entrepreneur, Bob Drummond, Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Kami join the Kai’s Education board, bringing significant experience in scaling tech startups and growing market share. Drummond was a Finalist in the New Zealander of the Year Awards 2021 and a finalist in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards 2021, plus he’s been on boards, consultancies and think tanks throughout his 30 years in business. “I’m very excited to be supporting Kai’s Education,” says Drummond. “I’ve seen the company making an impact at the US education trade shows and have been impressed with their energy and their vision. I believe they have the fundamentals of a truly groundbreaking EdTech firm and I’m happy to lend my experience toward their success,” he says. Kai’s Education will be presenting at numerous trade events and workshops throughout the US this year and Ronel Schodt says that with computer science and digital technologies now becoming a compulsory part of the curriculum right around the world, the potential for KaiBot, and Kainundrum, is enormous. “We’re excited to be one of the first businesses in the world to combine robotics, AI and both physical and online tools to create a genuinely enjoyable learning experience for students of all abilities.
“We now have more than 50,000 students using our robots and that number is set to explode as these new contracts land. Watch this space!” Schodt says.
Twelve New Zealand research teams will conduct joint six-month feasibility studies looking at Earth observation research with NASA, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins announced today.
“The research teams will conduct feasibility studies in environmental monitoring, water and climate modelling, natural hazards, and biodiversity,” Ms Collins says.
“This is important work both for now and for the future of how we grow food, sustainably monitor our agriculture, anticipate floods and droughts, and measure environmental impacts.
“Collaborating with the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) means the teams will have access to state-of-the art technology and expertise to develop their research and build partnerships with a world leader in space research.”
The research teams will conduct a range of studies, including dynamic forest mapping, CO2 flux estimations for small countries, and tracking pasture quality with satellite imagery, among others.
“The successful proposals demonstrated the potential for excellent collaborative science with high relevance to both New Zealand and NASA. The calibre of the entries was extremely high,” Ms Collins says.
“Science has a huge role to play in rebuilding our economy, as we work to ease the cost of living for all New Zealanders, so this is an exciting time to be working and studying in the sector.”
Research teams will receive up to NZ$75,000 for the six-month Earth observation feasibility studies from the Government’s Catalyst Fund.
Completed feasibility studies will be considered by MBIE and NASA against the assessment criteria to identify projects which will receive second stage funding.
Information about the successful proposals can be found on the MBIE website at New Zealand – NASA Partnerships Funded Projects
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will engage with high-level United States Government and United Nations officials in the United States next week (6-12 April).
The visit, with programmes in New York and Washington D.C., will focus on major global and regional security challenges and includes meetings with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and UN Secretary General António Guterres.
“Our travel this week to Egypt, Poland, Belgium and Sweden has highlighted the challenging strategic environment facing the world today.
“Spending time in New York and Washington in the coming week will allow New Zealand the opportunity to engage with the leadership of the United Nations and senior counterparts in the United States on pressing regional and global security issues,” Mr Peters says.
While in New York, Mr Peters will address the UN General Assembly on New Zealand’s deep concerns about the situation in Gaza. While in Washington D.C. Mr Peters will also have a programme of calls on Capitol Hill.
Mr Peters arrives in the United States (from Sweden) on 6 April and returns to New Zealand on 14 April.
TO
Space Minister Judith Collins will speak at the Space Symposium in the United States next week, promoting New Zealand’s rapidly growing place in the sector as we work to rebuild the economy.
“As one of the largest global space events, attended by more than 10,000 business and government representatives from a host of countries, the Space Symposium presents an excellent opportunity to support and promote New Zealand trade interests and companies,” Ms Collins says.
“New Zealand is an attractive place for space-related business. I will use this visit to promote our advantages, including geography, clear skies, infrastructure, skills, a nimble regulatory regime and the ease of doing business here.
“We are home to the world’s only fully private orbital launch site and we are one of the busiest launch countries in the world. In fact, last year we conducted the fourth highest number of launches in the world. This is an achievement we want to build on as we seek to rebuild economy and ease the cost of living for New Zealanders.”
New Zealand is a great location for emerging aviation companies to test and trial their technology, and our rapidly growing space industry also reaches into areas such as defence and science, innovation and technology, Ms Collins says.
“Beyond rocket launches, our researchers and companies are using innovative, disruptive space technologies to tackle some of the planet’s big challenges and to create new and exciting opportunities for economic growth,” she says.
“As well as space, there are real opportunities in other areas of advanced technology and I’m looking forward to hearing about and discussing these with the growing hub of New Zealand tech businesses based in Colorado.”
Ms Collins will also undertake a range of meetings across her space, defence and science, innovation and technology portfolios during the visit. She leaves tomorrow and returns to New Zealand on April 14. https://www.beehive.govt.nz/
TOP
The first New Zealand C-130J Hercules to come off the production line in the United States has successfully completed its first test flights, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today.
“These successful flights are a significant milestone for the New Zealand Defence Force, bringing this once-in-a-generation renewal of a critical airlift capability a step closer,” Ms Collins says.
The aircraft, which will be one of a fleet of five, took to the skies for 246 minutes over Georgia and Alabama, reaching 10,500 feet and flying 984km.
“The Hercules C-130J is faster, flies further and holds more cargo than its predecessor, the C-130H. It is versatile, powerful and reliable, which is just what the hard-working men and women of the New Zealand Defence Force need for their challenging work in often-difficult conditions.
“The existing New Zealand C-130H fleet has been an essential first line of response for the NZDF for more than 50 years, carrying troops, equipment and life-saving aid here, in the Pacific and throughout the world,” Ms Collins says.
“The Hercules ensure we are interoperable with our key partners, including our ally, Australia, and the United States, Canada, Germany and France. In an increasingly complex geopolitical environment, it is hugely important that we can work with international partners in a collaborative way on international operations and joint training exercises and engagements.”
The new fleet of C-130J Hercules will start arriving later this year and, like their predecessors, will be based at RNZAF Base Auckland and be operated by the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s No. 40 Squadron.
The C-130J Hercules have a 40.41m wingspan, are 34.4m long, have a top speed of 330 knots and can carry a maximum of 21 tonnes.
You can watch a video of the Hercules C-130J’s first test flights here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wvkNHWt-ZCc&feature=youtu.be
© American Chamber of Commerce in New Zealand Inc • Site by HighlandCreative.com.au
