Business news
To Invercargill and Beyond!
Thursday, 19 June 2008
New Zealand's involvement in the international space programme seems somewhat improbable; the fact it exists in Southland is frankly remarkable. In March, the European Space Agency (ESA) launched the Jules Verne to provision the International Space Station. Critical to the mission's success was a tracking station at Awarua, a remote and radio-quiet area 10km south of Invercargill. Read more...
Economic Compass Swings South
Thursday, 19 June 2008
Southland is set to become the energy and dairy powerhouse of the New Zealand economy within a decade. The private sector is gearing up for multibillion-dollar development and exploitation of the region's abundant resources - oil, coal, gas, silicon, wood and Southland's white gold, dairy. Read more...
Southland's potential as NZ economic powerhouse rated highly
Thursday, 19th June 2008
Southland is being touted as the potential energy and dairy powerhouse of New Zeland. A front page article in the Independent Financial Review outlines why North Island businesses should move to the region. The article focuses on the fact that the provate sector is gearing up for multi billion dollar development and expltion of the region's abundant resources. Read more...
Southland Facing Huge Worker Shortage - Survey
Tuesday, 15th April 2008
Southland needs 766 more workers this year to satisfy the needs of businesses who responded to a Venture Southland survey - and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Read more...
Our Economic Growth Surges to No 1
Wednesday, 27th February 2008
Southland topped economic growth in New Zealand for the first time in six years last year, as a buoyant real estate sector and strong retail sales underpinned confidence in the region. Read more...
Skills Shortage Survey Also Shows Response Shortage
Monday, 11th February 2008
A clear picture of the labour needs for Southland is emerging from information given by businesses for a regional workforce survey. Venture Southland, the Department of Labour and the Southern Institute of Technology initiated the survey, which aims to investigate the region's current skill shortages and develop a strategy to help maintain a viable worlforce for the next 10 to 15 years. Read more...
How Low Can we Go? Southland Unemployment just 1.6 Percent
Friday, 8th February 2008
Southland's unemployment rate has hit a record low. Figures released by Statistics New Zealand yesterday show the region's unemployment rate was 1.6 percent in the quarter ending December 2007. It is Southland's lowest unemployment rate since Statistics New Zealand began monitoring in 1986. Read more...
Bigger Dairy Plant gets Edendale Tick
Monday, 4th February 2008
Edendale residents have welcomed news that the world's largest dairy factory could soon be on their doorstep. But they will be closely watching the impacts the expansion will have on the environment. Fonterra announced plans to build a new $212 million milk powder plant on its Edendale site last week, which would take the site's peak processing capacity to more than 15 million litres a day. Read more...
Migrants Targeted to Staff Dairy Industry
Saturday, 19th January 2008
More than 3000 workers are needed to fill the gap created by the rapid expansion in the dairy industry, according to farmers and recruiters. Spurred by soaring milk prices that will result in the 11,600 dairy farmers grossing six-or-seven figure sums this year, the industry is growing so quickly employment recruiters cannot keep up.Read more...
Farmers Paying Workers Well
Friday 18th January 2008
Farmers have in recent years improved the wages they pay workers, according to a survey released this week by Federated Farmers and Rabobank. Read more...