Category: MIL-OSI

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Annual net migration eases from recent peak – Statistics New Zealand

Source: Statistics New Zealand

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In the year ended January 2018, 70,100 more migrants arrived in New Zealand than left, Stats NZ said today. Migrant arrivals were 132,000 and migrant departures were 61,900.

Annual net migration in the January 2018 year was down 1,200 from the January 2017 year. Annual net migration had reached a record high of 72,400 in the July 2017 year, but has slowed slightly since then.

In the January 2018 year, 24,900 migrants arrived from Australia and a similar number departed for Australia.

“Over half of migrants arriving from Australia are actually returning Kiwis who have been living across the Tasman for more than a year,” population insights senior manager Peter Dolan said.

“The number of migrants going back and forth to Australia in the past year almost balanced each other out – the net gain was just 40 people in the last 12 months.”

That means net migration’s contribution to New Zealand’s population growth in the January 2018 year mainly reflected a gain of 70,100 people from other countries around the world.

The largest net migration in the January 2018 year was for migrants arriving from:

China (net gain of 9,300)
India (6,700)
United Kingdom (6,100)
South Africa (4,900)
Philippines (4,800)
France (3,300)
Germany (3,000).
Student visa arrivals down for India and China
The combined number of migrant arrivals on student visas from India and China, New Zealand’s two largest education markets, fell by 1,000 to 11,100 in the 12 months to January 2018.

Those arriving from India to study, and intending to stay in New Zealand for at least a year, fell 10 percent (down 600) to 5,800. This is 45 percent below a recent peak – 10,600 Indian students in the year ended January 2016.

Migrant arrivals from China on student visas dropped 6 percent (down 350) to 5,300 in the 12 months to January 2018.

The fall in student migrant arrivals from India and China was almost offset by increased numbers from other countries. The overall number of migrants arriving on student visas was 24,100 in the January 2018 year, down just 150 from the January 2017 year.

International migration statistics rely on the information provided on passenger cards at the time of travel. The reported length of intended stay in New Zealand, or time away from New Zealand, determines whether the passenger is a visitor or a migrant.

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Greenhouse gas emissions rise, but at a slower pace than economic growth

Source: Statistics New Zealand

New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions rose 24 percent in the past 25 years, but grew more slowly than the economy in general, Stats NZ said today.

The first report of the System of Environmental-Economic Accounts shows the impact of what we are doing to the natural environment and what is being done to protect it, as well as the importance of natural resources to the economy.

Economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions increased from 1990 to 2015 from 61 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 1990, to about 76 million tonnes in 2015, the latest available period. Carbon dioxide equivalent is a way of comparing how much heat a greenhouse gas traps in the atmosphere compared with carbon dioxide. New Zealand’s emissions from economic activity (excluding emissions and removals from land-use change and the forestry sector) hit a peak in 2005, declined until 2009, and rose moderately after that.

The rate of increase in greenhouse gas emissions however, including carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels and methane from agriculture, was slower than the rate of increase in GDP leading to a decline in greenhouse gas intensity.

“New Zealand is producing more greenhouse gases, but is being much more efficient in doing so,” environmental-economic statistics senior manager Michele Lloyd said. New Zealand’s emissions amount to about 0.17 percent of the world’s total.

Agriculture, transport and storage, and electricity, gas, water and waste services accounted for 76.5 percent of industry emissions in 2015. Greenhouse gas intensity declined for all these industries over the 1990–2015 period. The agriculture industry’s carbon dioxide equivalent emissions increased 0.6 percent a year, while its GDP increased 1.4 percent a year.

Greenhouse gas intensity increased for forestry; total manufacturing; food, beverage, and tobacco product manufacturing; petroleum, chemical, polymer, and rubber product manufacturing; and metal product manufacturing.

The report shows that primary industries, such as agriculture, forestry, fishing, and mining, accounted for 57.1 percent of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions in 2015. Goods-producing industries’ share was 24.8 percent, and service industries 11.1 percent. Households accounted for 6.9 percent.

Emissions intensity varies significantly across the three broad industry groups.

In 2015, service industries accounted for 69.1 percent of economic activity, but only 11.9 percent of industry emissions, implying a low amount of emissions per unit of GDP.

Primary industries accounted for only 7.4 percent of economic activity, but 61.4 percent of industry emissions, which was mainly due to methane emissions from agriculture. This shows a much higher amount of emissions per unit of GDP.

The contribution of goods-producing industries to both the economy and emissions was broadly similar, accounting for 23.5 percent of economic activity and 26.7 percent of industry emissions, respectively.

Natural capital

Natural capital is the stock of New Zealand’s natural assets such as soil, air, water, and living things.

“We’ve seen a strong increase in demand for information on the importance of natural capital so decision-makers can consider the environment alongside economic and social outcomes,” Ms Lloyd said. “We are starting to collect data to meet these critical needs, including the stocks of natural resources, what we are doing to the environment, and what we are doing to protect it.”

In 2016, fish, timber, and renewable energy stocks were valued at $38.9 billion. Fish, timber, minerals, and renewable energy contributed $2 billion to the economy, up 25 percent since 2007.

Spending by general government (local and central) on environmental protection reached about $2 billion in 2016, increasing 17 percent from 2009. This represents government spending on goods and services to benefit individuals and communities. It includes the management of wastewater or pests and the wages and salaries of staff engaged in these activities. General government investment expenditure on environmental protection declined from about 15 percent to 10 percent of total investment from 2009 to 2016.  Investment expenditure is the net change in the physical assets used for environmental protection, such as for wastewater removal or flood protection.

The average household paid $380 in environmental taxes in 2016. Households paid 13 percent of environmental taxes in 2016, up from 7 percent in 1999. Over the same period the percentage paid by industry dropped from 93 percent to 87 percent.

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Largest January goods deficit since 2007 – Statistics New Zealand

Source: Statistics New Zealand

In January 2018, New Zealand recorded its largest deficit for a January month since 2007, Stats NZ said today. This deficit contrasts with last month’s surplus, which was the largest ever for a December month.

The January 2018 trade balance was a deficit of $566 million. This was larger than January 2017 deficit as imports rose more than exports.

“Both imports and exports reached new highs for January months,” international statistics manager Tehseen Islam said. “Import growth remains strong while export growth didn’t carry on at the same rate as the record-setting December 2017 month.”

Imports rose $713 million (17 percent) from January 2017, with increases across a range of commodities including turbo-jets, diesel, and ships.

The $373 million (9.5 percent) rise in exports was led by milk powder, butter, and cheese – up $101 million. The countries with the largest rises in exports in the milk powder, butter, and cheese group were Algeria (milk powder), Peru (milk powder), and Iran (butter). Values were down $21 million to China, due to lower exports of milk powder. This fall is the first for the milk powder, butter, and cheese group to China since November 2016.

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New Zealand Press Council Decision Sees Freedom of Expression Boundary Explored

Source: New Zealand Press Council
 
An opinion piece titled ‘Dear New Zealand, how do we want to look in 20 years?’ was published on Stuff and The Dominion Post. It discussed a recent visit to Kmart and used observations of who was standing in the checkout line to comment on current immigration policy. It questioned what the future of New Zealand might be if we do not plan better for our future population.

In a close decision the complaint was upheld by a majority of five members with four members dissenting.

The complainant said the article fell short of Principle 7: Discrimination and Diversity. She pointed out that if the article wanted to avoid a racist subtext, particular minority groups should not have been singled out. She also complained that the article breached Principle 1: Accuracy, Fairness and Balance, Principle 4 Comment and Fact that states material facts on which an opinion is based should be accurate, and Principle 5 that states that columns, blogs, opinion and letters should be labelled as such.

The editor responded by stating that the column was clearly labelled as an opinion piece. She acknowledged the content may not sit well with some readers but defended the right to present a variety of views.

The Press Council agreed the article was clearly labelled as opinion. It said much of the article consisted of legitimate expression of opinion on questions of immigration and population control.

However, a majority of the Council noted the article singled out migrants from particular countries which are actually the source of relatively few migrants. The immediate juxtaposition of the figure of 72,000 with the singled out groups amounted to misleading the reader on a factual issue. The writer’s arguments were not advanced or aided in any way by singling out certain ethnic or national groups. The majority agreed that the writer’s approach could only be seen as gratuitous racism, especially when linked with the description of New Zealand’s future as “nightmarish”.

The Council members upholding the complaint concluded that this case went beyond what they deemed acceptable for freedom of expression.

The four members of the Press Council who dissented said while the column was unpleasant, they were reluctant to limit freedom of expressions on any opinion.

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Statistics New Zealand: High-strength beers up in 2017

New Zealanders had more high-strength beer available to consume in 2017, Stats NZ said today. The volume of highest-strength beer (above 5 percent alcohol content) rose 34 percent in 2017.

“The volume of beer above 5 percent alcohol rose for the fourth year in a row in 2017,” international statistics manager Tehseen Islam said. “The volume of high-strength beer available is now over twice the 2013 volume, and three times the 2011 volume, in part reflecting the rising popularity of craft beers.”

Beer with an alcohol content from 4.35 percent to 5 percent also rose, up 4 percent. In contrast, traditional mid-strength and lower-strength beer volumes both fell in the year.

Overall, the total volume of beer available fell 1.2 percent in 2017, following a 3.7 percent rise in 2016.

The total volume of wine available to the domestic market rose 1.5 percent in 2017, and the volume of spirits (including spirit-based drinks such as RTDs) rose 5.4 percent.

The volume of wine from grapes was little changed in 2017, up 0.5 percent. In contrast, wine from other fruit and vegetables (mostly cider) was also up 8.2 percent on 2017.

The volume of traditional spirits (such as whisky, gin, and vodka) rose 1.3 percent, and spirit-based drinks rose 6.4 percent.

The total volume of all alcoholic drinks was little changed in 2017, up 0.5 percent, following a 4.2 percent rise in 2016.

Standard drinks per person falls in 2017

The total volume of alcohol in alcoholic beverages available for consumption, expressed as the number of standard drinks available per person a day, fell in 2017 to the third-lowest level in the last 17 years.

In 2017, there was enough alcohol for each adult New Zealander to drink the equivalent of 2.0 standard drinks a day, down from a recent peak of 2.2 in 2010.

“In 2010, the average adult would have had about 800 standard drinks available to consume. By 2017, that was down to about 730 a year,” Mr Islam said.

We compile alcohol statistics from figures on alcoholic beverages produced for local consumption, on which duty is paid, and imports less re-exports. The statistics provide information on the volume of alcoholic beverages released to the domestic market, and therefore what is available for consumption, rather than actual consumption.

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Australia-New Zealand Health Sector: ACEM calls for new approach in managing people with mental health presentations in NZ EDs

Source: Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM)

The peak body for emergency medicine in New Zealand and Australia has proposed solutions to improve models of care for patients with acute mental and behavioural conditions.

The call for action comes as a snapshot survey found mental health presentations are disproportionately experiencing access block compared with presentations for other conditions.

A snapshot of the patients present in seven New Zealand emergency departments in December 2017 found that, despite only 3.7% being identified as mental health presentations, they comprised 25% of patients experiencing access block.

Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) New Zealand Faculty Chair Dr John Bonning says access block – defined as waiting in an emergency department for a hospital bed for more than eight hours – has been shown repeatedly to result in poorer health outcomes.

“On its own, access block a disturbing phenomenon, and illustrates a problem with the whole hospital system,” Dr Bonning said.

“So when some of the most vulnerable people in our communities – patients with acute mental and behavioural conditions – become caught up in access block, it is time for action.

“Increasing mental health presentations to emergency departments means it is incumbent on all stakeholders – District Health Boards, hospital employers and executives, and the government – to address this issue and develop new policies to support shorter stays in the emergency department.”

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New Zealand Business Sector: Yes you can create a business start-up in 48 hours

Source: Soda Inc

Forty-eight hours to develop a business start-up is not for the faint-hearted, but it's possible when there’s help like this at hand.

The line-up of speakers and facilitators for the Soda Inc. Innes48 Start-up Competition is guaranteed to spark creativity and entrepreneurship among the competitors.

Speakers over the fast-paced weekend will include Darrel Hadley, co-founder of Good George Brewing and Peter Howell  chief executive of DROPIT.  A series of workshops will explore design thinking, ideation, business models, financial forecasting and market validation. Facilitators include design practitioner Eva Gluyas of Radicle Insight, Rob Heebink of Gallagher and John Wilkinson of ASB.
 
During the weekend, pitch clinics will be hosted by Daniel Batten of Beyond the Ceiling to prepare teams to deliver their business idea to an audience of over 250 people on Sunday night.
 
Head of operations at Soda Inc. Rachel Adams says it will be “game on” for budding entrepreneurs during New Zealand’s biggest business start-up competition at Wintec in Hamilton from 16-18 March.
 
“The Innes48 competition will push competitors to the limit and it also gives entrants an opportunity to learn from the best. Our speakers and mentors for the weekend are there to lead, inspire and draw out talent.
 
“Past entrants have said this is an opportunity of a lifetime and it really is. All entrants get exposure to people they can learn from and gain ongoing connections that will last long after we announce the winners at the close of the weekend.”
 
Entry is free to New Zealand’s biggest business start-up competition. Registration to the Soda Inc. Innes48 Start-up Competition powered by Wintec is open for teams of 2-8 people until Monday 26 February, 2018 at Innes48.com.

To find out more, visit Innes48.com

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Advertising Standards Authority upholds complaint against Santa offering bottles of Coke in ad

Source: Auckland Regional Public Health Service

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) Complaints Board has agreed that Santa should not be used in advertising that promotes Coca Cola to children and young people.

A group of Healthy Auckland Together partners laid a formal complaint about Coca Cola’s sponsorship campaign "It Feels Good to Give." The board agreed with the coalition of health agencies and NGOs that the fizzy drink is an ‘occasional product’ and therefore should not be targeted at children and young people.

Spokesperson for the coalition, Dr Michael Hale, welcomes the Board’s ruling that Santa had a strong appeal to children and therefore encouraged children to ‘engage with the content.’

"In this case, the advertisers’ watchdog, the ASA, has decided that the code has been breached. While it looks like self-regulation has worked on this occasion, there is no sanction for the company," he says.

"Manufacturers and advertisers of unhealthy food need to take note. The code is there to protect children and young people from being targeted.

"Children do not understand that they are being marketed to. Parents do understand that ubiquitous advertising aimed at children normalises unhealthy food and drink, and encourages pestering," Dr Hale says.

ASA’s children’s code was reviewed in 2016 to reduce harm to children and young people from the promotion of unhealthy food and drinks, as part of the previous government’s childhood obesity plan.

Both the sugar sweetened Coke and the artificially sweetened Coke in the ad are defined as ‘occasional’ drinks. They maintain a taste for sweet beverages and food, making fruit and vegetables taste less appealing.
"These drinks also contain caffeine and displace everyday drinks like milk and water," Dr Hale says.

This is Healthy Auckland Together’s second complaint under ASA’s new children’s code and the first complaint to be upheld.

Last year the coalition complained to the ASA that the Pepsi Max campaign used cute emoji caricatures of the All Blacks to encourage children to collect fizzy drink cans. This complaint was settled as Frucor took down the ads voluntarily.
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New study finds lack of support for former prisoners to stay smoke-free

A new study released today has found that New Zealanders who have successfully quit smoking while in prison receive a lack of support in staying smoke-free after being released.

The pilot study was conducted by a team of medical students at the University of Otago, and found that many prisoners want to remain smoke-free after leaving prison, but without sufficient support will often relapse back to smoking.

Hāpai Te Hauora CEO, Lance Norman, states that “we’re proud that Aotearoa became the first country to introduce a nation-wide smoke-free prison policy, but despite declines in tobacco use, our whānau in prison and under community supervision are up to three times more likely to suffer from tobacco dependency”.

The study’s recommendations center on increasing proven cessation support services such as NRT (nicotine replacement therapy) and behavioural therapy, and Norman adds to this by addressing the social determinants of tobacco consumption. Norman states, “we know from our mahi in the community with whānau that a great deal of tobacco dependence stems from stress; stress from socio-economic hardship like housing and unemployment. We may see quite different results if these stressors were better addressed in the reintegration period”.

The relationship between social stressors, risky health behaviours, and smoking cessation appears to be understudied in people recently released from prison, but Norman says that these findings are not surprising. Norman states, “the stress of reintegration can be really tough, so it’s great to have research like this that confirms that we need to be thinking about continuity of care; understanding how can reintegration services can work collaboratively with health services to ensure the best possible outcomes for whānau”.

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Fiji Bati Players Still Not Paid 3 Months On & Over 2 Weeks after Public Statement

Fiji Bati Players Still Not Paid 3 Months On & Over 2 Weeks after Public Statement

Since then the Fiji National Rugby League had promised to pay Fiji Bati players within 10 to 14 days. Fiji Bati are now stating they have still yet to be paid since making a statement on February 5 and Captain Kevin Naiqama making a second public statement on February 7.
Early February, Fiji Bati players stated: "Fiji Bati players have still not been paid semi final prize money from the RLWC 2017 after their quarter-final upset defeat of the NZ Kiwis and then RLWC 2017 semi-final exit to the Australian Kangaroos,"

"The Fiji Bati players are now demanding to be paid and will stand down from playing another Test/ International in 2018.

"Fiji Bati players are also demanding a leadership overhaul of current Fiji National Rugby League board [for] their poor handling of RLWC campaign."

On February 5 to 8 – FNRL multiple times promised to pay the players within two weeks with Filimoni Vosaroga making the following statement:

"It is envisaged that within the next 10 to 14 days, the players will get their payment”

Kevin Naiqama stated: “What we experienced was not good enough, and we’ve come to an agreement as a playing group that we will stand down from any Fiji Bati Tests until we get paid.”

The players’ biggest gripe is over the late transfers of $35 allowances provided by the tournament that were believed to be topped up by the FNRL. Naiqama claimed the delayed payments lasted the entire campaign, and almost forced the squad to pull out of an appearance before the Fijian High Commission in Canberra.

It was only a last-ditch meeting with the Bati’s leadership group — involving NRL stars Jarryd Hayne, Akuila Uate and Api ­Koroisau — that prevented a possible revolt. “That would’ve looked really bad,” Naiqama said.

But it is the failure to pass on the $125,000 prizemoney from reaching the semi-finals that was the final straw for the playing group, and Naiqama said the players’ ­demanded change. “There was a contract we signed that has everything in black-and-white. They were happy to give us 100 per cent of the prizemoney and it’s something we have not received,” he said. “We had countless meetings with (CEO) Timoci Naleba and (chairman) Filimoni Vosarogo which we thought went really well, but ended up as blatant lies.”

Naiqama said the group’s main concern was for the non-fulltime players.