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Universities and Trade – Strengthening ties to China during Prime Minister’s trade delegation

Source: Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

Launching new study abroad and research collaboration partnerships with top Chinese universities and research institutes is the focus of Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington’s involvement in the Prime Minister’s trade delegation to China.  

Vice-Chancellor Professor Nic Smith is delighted to be participating in this visit to China to formalise these arrangements which offer exciting opportunities to future students interested in coming to study in Aotearoa New Zealand, as well as forge new research collaborations.  

These partnerships include a major research partnership with Shanghai’s prestigious Fudan University, focused on public health, biotechnology, and climate science, as well as articulation and study abroad agreements with one of China’s largest universities, Zhengzhou University.    

This visit provides an important opportunity for Victoria University of Wellington to position itself as a top choice for students to consider when looking at studying overseas, says Professor Smith.    

“We are committed to deepening our partnerships with China’s leading institutions—united by a shared ambition to blend academic excellence with global citizenship.  

“Together, we are preparing the next generation to lead with knowledge, empathy, and purpose.”  

“Being part of this delegation reflects New Zealand’s recognition of universities as engines of innovation, diplomacy, and enduring global relationships. It is a privilege to represent our sector and reinforce education’s vital role in connecting nations.”  

Prime Minister Rt Hon Christopher Luxon says New Zealand’s education sector is globally respected for its quality, innovation, and commitment to partnership.  

“Our universities, including Victoria University of Wellington, play a key role in fostering long-term academic and research collaborations with countries like China. These connections not only support student mobility and world-class research but also strengthen the broader relationship between our two countries.”  

Victoria University of Wellington already maintains deep connections and a broad reach across China through longstanding research partnerships, student mobility programmes, and alumni networks.  

The University first signed an agreement with Xiamen University in the 1980s, and its Confucius Institute was opened by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to New Zealand in 2010. It is a founding partner of the New Zealand Centre at Peking University and hosts the pre-eminent New Zealand Contemporary Chinese Research Centre.

In 2023, Victoria University of Wellington welcomed its first cohort of students enrolled at a Joint Institute through a partnership with China’s largest university—Zhengzhou University, a globally ranked university with around 73,000 students.   

Professor Smith says universities play a crucial role in international dialogue as the world faces increasingly complex challenges.  

“In a world facing complex, interconnected challenges—from climate change to public health—our researchers are advancing global solutions. This delegation is a powerful opportunity to showcase how collaboration across borders strengthens those efforts.”

“At Victoria University of Wellington, we see education not simply as a journey, but as a launchpad—for discovery, for leadership, and for impact. We are proud to support the aspirations of students who will shape the future of our world.”  

The University will also be launching the Kitea Impact Programme—a leadership development initiative for future global changemakers—and a work integrated learning programme which provides students with hands-on experience in real-world projects while offering New Zealand businesses deeper insights into the Chinese market and access to top talent.  

Professor Smith will participate in official events and meetings in Beijing and Shanghai and will reinforce Victoria University of Wellington’s commitment to China by signing partnership agreements with a number of prestigious Chinese universities.  

About the partnerships  

  • Research collaboration with Fudan University, Shanghai—one of China’s most prestigious and research-intensive universities—in the areas of public health, biotechnology, and climate science.   
  • Student mobility agreements with Communication University of Zhejiang, Hangzhou—one of the two leading universities in China specialising in cultivating professionals for China’s media and broadcast industries. Students will be provided a pathway into Victoria University of Wellington’s Master’s degrees in Computer Science, and Intercultural Communication and Applied Translation.   
  • Research collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences—a leading research centre in Beijing in the fields of philosophy and social sciences. The research collaboration with Victoria University of Wellington’s New Zealand Contemporary China Research Centre focuses on climate change, diaspora studies, and modern Chinese history.   
  • Student mobility agreements with Yantai University, a comprehensive university in Shandong with more than 29,000 students, which will see students transfer to complete a Victoria University of Wellington Bachelor degree in Language Sciences.   
  • Study abroad agreement with Zhengzhou University in Henan. With around 73,000 students, it is the largest university in China. The agreement will allow students from ZZU to study at VUW for one or two trimesters.
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Quarterly current account deficit $5.5 billion – Stats NZ media and information release: Balance of payments and international investment position: March 2025 quarter

Quarterly current account deficit $5.5 billion – media release

18 June 2025

New Zealand’s seasonally adjusted current account deficit narrowed by $53 million to $5.5 billion in the March 2025 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.

“The value of New Zealand goods exports increased in the March 2025 quarter. However, rising export values were partly offset by increases in goods imports,” international accounts spokesperson Viki Ward said.

“The March 2025 quarter current account deficit is very similar to the December 2024 quarter.”

The value of services New Zealand imported from the rest of the world increased, while the value of services exported decreased in the March 2025 quarter.

Visit our website to read this news story and information release and to download CSV files:

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Modernising New Zealand’s data system – Stats NZ media release

Modernising New Zealand’s data system – media release

18 June 2025

Wide-ranging improvements to the data system will modernise and future-proof how New Zealand’s economic and population statistics are produced.

Minister of Statistics Hon Dr Shane Reti announced today sweeping changes that will see Stats NZ moving in a bold, future-focused direction to provide more timely and relevant data.

“People’s information needs are changing and today’s announcements ensure we keep delivering data that improves lives today and for generations to come,” Acting Stats NZ Chief Executive and Government Statistician Mary Craig said.

The changes include moving to an admin-data-first census and publishing a monthly consumers price index (CPI), as well as a programme of work to meet new international standards for macroeconomic statistics.

Visit our website to read this news story:

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Awards – Canterbury’s top young chefs crowned in new competition at Ara

Source: Ara Institute of Canterbury

New culinary talent has been on show in Ōtautahi, with 36 young chefs vying for top honours in the inaugural Waitaha Canterbury Young Chef Championships at Ara Institute of Canterbury.
The Waitaha Canterbury Young Chef of the Year went to Clover Lippe, a promising young chef from Te Pae | Christchurch Convention Centre. Young Pastry Chef of the Year went to Ellouise Day who is completing her Diploma in Cookery (Advanced Patisserie) at Ara while working as Senior Chef de Partie and Pastry Chef at OGB restaurant.
Both won a standout prize pack, and a coveted spot alongside their employers on a high-profile city billboard.
Lippe had trained hard to refine her two-course menu of Lumina lamb loin, fondant potato, celeriac puree and charred brussels sprouts with pickled carrot followed by a Barker's blackcurrant semifreddo with white chocolate vanilla cremeaux, vanilla sable and crumb and blackcurrant coulis.
Executive chef at Te Pae, Des Davis, who attended the prizegiving, said her efforts had paid off.
“We’re thrilled for Clover but also so pleased to see a competition like this available for young chefs,” he said. “It offers a different kind of challenge from service and is an excellent way to extend their skills. A competition like this has been missing and we’re glad to see it.”
The industry-supported event held in Ara’s commercial training kitchens on Monday 16 June featured three categories:
  • Young Chef of the Year, sponsored by Catering Hardware
  • Young Pastry Chef of the Year, sponsored by Silikomart
  • Trainee Chef of the Year, sponsored by Akaroa Salmon
Competitors came from leading kitchens including Kokomo, The George, OGB, Earl Bistro, Sudima Airport Hotel, The Montreal Bar and Restaurant, Atawhai Café and Curators House. Each worked with premium sponsored ingredients while showcasing their individual style.
Head judge, Alliance Meat brand ambassador Darren Wright, said the competition tested not only the flavour and presentation of each dish, but also the chefs’ kitchen practices and professionalism.
Young Pastry Chef winner Ellouise Day said she was delighted to take the win. Her layered walnut and maple syrup layered dessert with spiced apple compote, chocolate and walnut crumb, apple cider gel and chocolate ganache impressed the judges for its flavour and finesse.
In the Trainee Chef division, an impressive 20 emerging young chefs competed in two heats. Participants were from high schools including Kaiapoi, Riccarton, Haeata, Hurunui, Shirley Boys’, Papanui and Lincoln. Many are dual enrolled at Ara or studying with ServiceIQ.
The trainees were tasked with creating a pan-seared Akaroa salmon fillet and a warm salad of prawns, potato, chorizo and spinach, complemented by smoked paprika mayonnaise, lemon dressing and herb garnish.
Gabriel Flower, from Sudima Airport Hotel took out the category’s top prize. His executive chef, Ara alumnus Dean Ding, said the new competition will play a crucial role in nurturing new culinary talent. “It’s time for new growth in our industry, and this competition will encourage young chefs to find their own passion for cooking. That’s what it’s all about.”
Ara Department of Hospitality and Service Industries tutor Mark Sycamore said the event was set to become a firm fixture on Christchurch’s culinary calendar.
“The fact they’ve signed up shows these young chefs are serious about their futures and willing to put themselves on the line. As a chef, they’re the people you want on your team,” he said.
He praised the support from sponsors, which included a chocolate masterclass from Nel Vicencio at Mind Your Temper, an Alliance-sponsored “meet the farmer” experience, and premium product offerings.
“Everyone has gone home with world-class equipment from Silikomart and a haul of other goodies. The backing has been phenomenal.”
While these young chefs are still savouring their taste of success, Ara is already looking ahead to welcoming new contenders keen to etch their own names on a culinary championship trophy next year.
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Advocacy – 95 New Zealand Lawyers Call for Stronger Govt Stance on Israel Amidst Rising Tensions in Middle East

Source: Max Harris
Ninety-five New Zealand lawyers – including 9 King’s Counsel – have signed a letter to the Prime Minister and other ministers urging the Government to consider a stronger stance against Israel’s actions in Gaza.
The letter has been sent amidst rising tensions in the region, following Israel’s surprise attacks on Iran, and Iran’s attacks on Israel in response.
The letter’s signatories come from all levels of seniority in the legal community including senior barristers, law firm partners, legal academics, and in-house lawyers.
The letter cites UN sources that document the steadily deteriorating plight of civilians in Gaza, featuring escalating levels of bombardment, forced displacement, blockades of aid and deliberate targeting of hospitals, aid workers and journalists, and notes key responses to date.

In September last year New Zealand voted in favour of a UN General Assembly resolution calling upon all UN Member States to comply with their obligations under international law and take concrete steps to address Israel’s ongoing presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. At the time, New Zealand noted it expected Israel to take meaningful steps towards compliance with international law including withdrawal from the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The letter comments that Israel has done nothing of the sort.

The letter goes on to point out that in May this year Independent UN Experts demanded immediate international intervention to “end the violence or bear witness to the annihilation of the Palestinian population in Gaza.” UN experts have observed the occurrence of over 52,535 deaths, of which 70 percent continue to be women and children. The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher has called for a response “as humanitarians” urging “Humanity, the law and reason must prevail”.
The letter urges the Government to consider a stronger response including to condemn Israel’s unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, to review immediately all diplomatic and political and economic ties with Israel, and to go further in imposing sanctions after New Zealand imposed sanctions on two extremist Israeli politicians.
One of the letter’s signatories, barrister Max Harris, says: “This letter reflects rising concern among the general community about Israel’s breaches of international law.”
“The Government has tried to highlight red lines for Israel, but these have been repeatedly crossed, and it’s time that the Government considers doing more, in line with international law,” adds Harris.
Aedeen Boadita-Cormican, another barrister who has signed the letter, says: “The Government could do more to follow through on how it has voted at the United Nations and what it has said internationally.”
“This letter shows the depth of concern in the legal community about Israel’s actions,” adds Boadita-Cormican.
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First Responders – New World Victoria Park fire update #4

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

The New World Victoria Park fire is now contained, but Incident Controller Shaun Thornton says operations will continue overnight to extinguish it.
“Crews have been able to access inside the building, which has helped us get the fire contained,” he says.
There are 15 trucks and support vehicles. Two of those are aerials, with the Hamilton aerial now returning to its station in Hamilton.
The smoke has reduced considerably, and the Stay Inside Emergency Mobile Alert has been lifted.
“Road closures remain in place, please continue to avoid the area,” Shaun Thornton says.
“We are making progress removing cars from the carpark. If customers have a car in the New World carpark they are advised to see the Fire and Emergency New Zealand personnel at the cordon at the bottom end of Franklin Rd who are coordinating the retrieval of vehicles.”
This will be the final update for the night unless there is a significant development.
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Government must urgently rule out Ute Tax 2.0 – Federated Farmers

Source: Federated Farmers

Federated Farmers is calling on Revenue Minister Simon Watts to urgently rule out changes to Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) that would cost every farmer thousands of dollars each year.
Inland Revenue has proposed major changes to the way FBT applies to utes, which are common and essential work tools for most farmers across New Zealand.
“This could very quickly become a ‘Ute Tax 2.0’ and it seems to be being pushed through by stealth,” says Federated Farmers transport spokesperson Mark Hooper.
“Farmers will be incredibly concerned that the government are consulting on new rules that could add thousands of dollars of additional tax payments each year.
“This would be a huge cost for farmers, tradies and other productive New Zealanders and unfairly punish the legitimate use of these work vehicles.
“The previous Government’s Ute Tax was bad enough, but at least that was a one-off cost. These new FBT charges would be annual and cost farmers an arm and a leg each year.”
Under the proposal, utes costing over $80,000 and provided to farm owners or other major shareholders would be taxed at 100% of their value (capped at $80,000), even if used almost exclusively for farm work.
That would result in an annual tax bill of between $5,500 and $8,200.
Everyone else, like employees and sharemilkers, would be taxed on 35% of the ute's value. That's around $1,800 to $2,700 annually for a $50,000 vehicle.
“The old system at least allowed people to keep logbooks and potentially pay less tax if the private use was genuinely small,” Hooper says.
“Now the Government wants to scrap all that and slap a flat tax on nearly every farm ute in the country, even if the ute almost never leaves the farm except to drive home.”
Federated Farmers says the proposal completely ignores the reality of how farmers use their vehicles, often crossing public roads between blocks or driving into town for supplies at Farmlands or the vet.
“These are not Queen Street vanity purchases. A four-wheel drive ute is a core piece of equipment that farmers need to do their job each day,” Hooper says.
“If it leaves the farm to get fencing gear or pick something up from the vet, that’s still work. But under these new rules, it would be taxed as private use.”
The IRD consultation period closed on 5 May, but Federated Farmers says the lack of clear direction from the Minister is causing anxiety in the rural sector.
“The recently announced Investment Boost tax deduction was incredibly well received by farmers and has generated real economic activity, particularly at Fieldays,” Hooper says.
“Unfortunately, all that good work risks being undone if the Government is giving with one hand and taking with the other.
“We understand this is just a proposal and no final decisions have been made, but we’re calling on Simon Watts to move quickly and take these potential FBT changes off the table.
“There’s no way the Government should be introducing taxes that would unfairly punish farmers for driving legitimate work vehicles.”
Federated Farmers is calling on Revenue Minister Simon Watts to categorically rule out the Ute Tax 2.0.
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First Responders – New World Victoria Park fire update #3

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

The fire at New World Victoria Park is not yet under control, with firefighters facing challenges in reaching the fire.
Crews were alerted by fire alarm activation to the fire around 11.18am. Currently there are 20 trucks and support vehicles are on the scene, with further resources still responding.
This includes the Hamilton aerial appliance, which has been deployed as backup for the three Auckland aerials already in use.
Incident Controller Vaughan Mackereth says the fire is currently burning on the mezzanine floor and in the roof.
“This means accessing it is difficult for our crews,” he says.
“We are only fighting the fire from outside the building as it is too dangerous at this stage for internal firefighting.
“We are expecting to be here into the evening and overnight.”
All persons have been accounted for.
The public is advised to continue to avoid the area, with the roads around the supermarket closed.
An Emergency Mobile Alert was issued for people southwest of the fire to stay inside with their windows and doors closed due to the smoke.
Fire Investigators are on scene but it is too early to speculate on the cause.
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Environment – EPA seeks feedback about new weedkiller for wheat and barley crops

Source: Environmental Protection Authority

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) wants feedback on an application to import or manufacture Tower, a new herbicide used to control certain broadleaf and grass weeds in wheat and barley crops.
Adama New Zealand Limited has applied to introduce the new herbicide, which contains the active ingredients:
– chlorotoluron at 250 g/L
– pendimethalin at 300 g/L
– diflufenican at 40 g/L.
Chlorotoluron is a new active ingredient to Aotearoa New Zealand. It has been approved in Europe. Pendimethalin and diflufenican have previously been assessed and substances containing these active ingredients are already approved for use in New Zealand.
Adama says the product offers a new mode of action and should reduce the risk of resistance developing when used as part of an integrated weed management programme.
Almost 100,000 hectares of New Zealand land is used for wheat and barley production. Annual crop sales total around $300 million for both crops combined.
The EPA has carried out a human health and environmental risk assessment and is now inviting submissions on this application.
If approved, Tower could only be used by professionals in commercial settings using ground-based application. It would be applied after sowing and before wheat and barley plants emerge.
Dr Lauren Fleury, EPA Hazardous Substances Applications Manager, says the EPA is making strong progress to boost efficiency in assessing applications, with eight applications for new active ingredients currently in progress.
“We understand the importance of timely access to new products. Since 1 July 2024, we have reduced the queue of hazardous substance release applications by 21 percent, and we are on track to complete the highest number of decisions in five years.”
Submissions close on 30 July.
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Legislation – Luxon’s ACT Party Government dragging NZ workers back in time – Workers First Union

Source: Workers First Union

Today’s introduction of the Employment Relations Amendment Bill to Parliament shows that the ACT Party – a fringe libertarian party with the support of fewer than one in ten New Zealanders – is now the leading force in Christopher Luxon’s “hands-off” Government and has been given a green light to drag Aotearoa backwards with a disastrous suite of anti-worker 'reforms'.
“It’s clear that Brooke van Velden and the ACT Party are now redefining the future of workers in New Zealand with the blessing of a negligent Prime Minister,” said Dennis Maga, Workers First Union General Secretary.
“These are the most significant anti-worker law changes that this country has seen in decades, and they will make life worse for every working person in the country to the benefit of exploitative employers.”
“This Bill ‘am