Category Archives: New Zealand

New Zealanders across the North Island have reported rumbling, crackling sounds, a fireball and a huge flash of light streaking across the sky on Thursday afternoon, in what scientists believe was likely a meteor.

Local media outlets and social media were flooded with reports and queries about the sight, with some witnesses describing rumbles, bangs, a crackling sound in their ears, hair standing on end, rattling windows or a streak or explosion of light, followed by a smoke trail.

Seismologists at Geonet picked up a presumed sound wave from the object, and weather scientists for Metservice believe they picked up the object or its smoke trail on radar.

Plumber Curtis Powell captured the phenomenon on his dashcam while driving north of Shannon at 1.39pm on Thursday.

We were just driving to a job in Shannon when I saw a blue line falling in the sky, then a massive bright light, he said. Realised my dashcam was recording and downloaded the video once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.

On social media, people shared photos and swapped stories of their sightings. Im so glad someone caught it I thought I was hallucinating, said one commenter.

A number of people mistook the rumbling sound for an earthquake.

We thought it was an earthquake, but it didnt sound right, more like a large heavy truck, with a beat, but there were no trucks near our house at the time. The house vibrated slightly too, one Twitter user said.

Dr Duncan Steel, a Wellington-based space scientist who has worked for Nasa, said the object was likely a piece of meteor and to see one in the daytime was a rare experience.

In my lifetime Ive only ever seen one daytime meteor. They are due to macrometeoroids in the atmosphere coming in very quickly, typically 30km per second. To be seen during the daytime it would need to be quite large, something the size of a rugby ball or bigger thats what makes them rare, he said.

Some eyewitnesses described hearing crackling as the object moved through the sky, in what Steel said was likely electrophonic sound. Allan Gilmore of Canterbury Universitys Mt John Observatory said in a radio interview that meteors, and their accompanying electrical charge, could cause some peoples hair to stand on end.

People with frizzy hair often hear it, while the people who dont have frizzy hair dont hear it, Gilmore said.

Dr Ian Griffin, the director of the Otago Museum, urged members of the public to keep any photos or videos. We might be able to use them to triangulate the position of the thing, and where it landed if it did land, he said.

It may be quite scientifically important to retrieve meteorites in this country are quite rare so actually getting one would be quite cool.

The rest is here:

Reports of fireball over New Zealand in what scientists think was rare daytime meteor - The Guardian

Melanie Lynskeys mother Kay says the family are overjoyed her daughters work on Yellowjackets has been recognised with an Emmy nomination.

Melanie tuned in to the familys online chat group on Tuesday, but Kay said she had played down her Emmy chances in typically understated style, saying: If it happens, it happens.

"Mel's Dad and four siblings and partner are overjoyed, Kay said. She is a very humble soul part of her appeal.

"I haven't spoken from her this morning because I know she'll be frantic, but we'll hear from her when we do.

READ MORE:* Kiwi actor Melanie Lynskey wins hearts with 'sweet and charming' speech after Critics Choice win* So, what now?! the cast of Yellowjackets spills everything about season 2* Melanie Lynskey says she was body shamed on Yellowjackets set and her co-stars came to her defense* How Yellowjackets assembled the best new cast on TV

Supplied

Melanie Lynskey plays Shauna Sadecki (ne Shipman) on Yellowjackets.

Earlier on Wednesday, Melanie Lynskey revealed she slept through the nomination announcement and woke up to learn she was up for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series.

The New Plymouth-born actor says she was so nervous she couldnt face enduring the anxious wait, so left it to her husband Jason Ritter and young daughter to watch the nominations.

I was so nervous. I honestly couldnt face it. So Jason got up with our daughter and I did sleep through it, Lynskey told Deadline.

I just couldnt be awake. I decided it would be nice to either wake up cuz I was getting a lot of [phone messages] or just slowly wake up. So I woke up cuz I was getting a lot of [phone messages]. So that was a nice way to wake up.

The 45-year-old - who has already won a Critics Choice Award for her role as the unfulfilled housewife Shauna - is among the favourites heading into Emmy season ahead of the Awards ceremony on September 12.

SHOWTIME

Melanie Lynskey and Sophie Nlisse reflect on how they each brought their Yellowjackets character to life.

Kay Lynskey says the family is proud of the way Melanie has navigated her career, which began with her starring role in Sir Peter Jacksons 1994 film Heavenly Creatures.

She went on to further embrace roles in independent films, before making the shift to play Rose in the sitcom Two and a Half Men in 2003.

"She's kept very true to herself which I think is very important," she said.

"She walked away from Two and Half men and everyone said that was a dumb thing to do.

"She's really marched to the beat of her own drum and gone with many indy films and choices that maybe haven't propelled her into the limelight at all but things she felt were important to do."

Supplied

Melanie Lynskeys career started in 1994 with her starring role in Sir Peter Jacksons Heavenly Creatures.

Lynskeys breakout role in Yellowjackets has earned plenty of praise from fans and critics, and she is enjoying the attention at this stage of her near 30-year career in both film and television.

Ten years ago I got nominated for a Gotham award as a breakthrough performer, she told Deadline.

And even then a decade ago, people were like, shes been around forever! I think now at this point its extra funny, but it does feel different.

Ive felt very fortunate to be a working actor and to have been able to make my living and do work that I feel really proud of. To have this level of recognition is very, very new for me. It feels very nice.

Original post:

Family of New Zealand actor Melanie Lynskey 'overjoyed' at Emmy nomination - Stuff

The New Zealand Food & Grocery Council (FGC) has partnered with the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) to promote the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL).

The ARL is an on-pack labelling scheme developed by APCO in partnership with Planet Ark and Packaging Recyclability Evaluation Portal (PREP) Design.

It is intended to help brand owners design packaging that is recyclable at the end of its life, as well as help consumers recycle packaging correctly.

FGC chief executive Katherine Rich said: More than 95% of scannable barcodes on packaging are common across both New Zealand and Australia, so our members need one labelling system.

We are excited to continue this great work by championing the adoption of the ARL not just by the food and grocery sector but for all packaging.

As part of the partnership, FGC and APCO will jointly develop a guideline to raise awareness of the ARL to benefit consumers, brand owners, packaging suppliers, recyclers and the environment in New Zealand.

The roadmap aims to increase the number of food and grocery companies using the ARL on consumer packaging and guarantee the label is fit for purpose.

The partners also aim to support alignment by all value chain players.

APCO CEO Brooke Donnelly said: We are excited to be working with the FGC to increase uptake of the ARL in New Zealand and support brand owners to adopt it so they can provide their customers with critical information that will increase recycling rates and resource recovery.

Partnerships like this are critical for supporting brands to design for the local recycling capability and to ensure credibility in consumer information.

Last year, the FGC supported the adoption of the ARL in New Zealand after a Ministry for the Environment Report acknowledged the label as the best recycling labelling approach.

Technology in Motion - Quality, Innovation and Partnership for More Than 70 Years

Container Systems for Handling and Transporting Bulk Liquids

Machines for High-Speed Weighing, Sorting, Grading and Packaging of Foods

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FGC and APCO partner to promote recycling label in New Zealand - Packaging Gateway

Opinion: Many farmers and the wider public know very little about the NZMB or the critical role it still plays in our sector and the wider economy, Andrew Morrison, chairman of the New Zealand Meat Board writes.

What I really like about New Zealand farmers is that they are at the forefront of global agribusiness innovation but it's important to remember that we are enabled by extremely good systems and processes, set up by our parents and grandparents and those who went before us.

The New Zealand Meat Board (NZMB) is the prime example of this.

1920 and 1921 were not good years for New Zealand farmers. A bulk buying WWI contract with the UK government ended, tonnages piled up in stores, prices tumbled and a disastrous season compounded farmer challenges.

But when the going gets tough, NZ farmers get going, and the outcome of those dark days was the formation of the NZMB, which held its first meeting with five farmers and two government representatives in Wellington in March 1922, after legislation was passed quickly by the Government of the day.

That foresight of farmers and government back then formed the foundation stone of our successful export industry today yet many farmers and the wider public know very little about the NZMB or the critical role it still plays in our sector and the wider economy.

But there are many good reasons to care about and take an interest in the NZMB's work, because, without it, we would not have the robust industry we have today.

Back in the day, the NZMB undertook marketing and promotion, management of research and development and the "behind the farm gate" activity.

Its role has changed and evolved over time as industry, regulatory and consumer requirements have changed, with some of its original functions shifting to Beef + Lamb New Zealand Limited (B+LNZ) from the mid-2000s.

Today, the Meat Board undertakes vital statutory roles.

B+LNZ, the government and the export industry are responsible for market access work and negotiating quotas. But once quotas are in place, the Meat Board steps in to implement and administer them.

This tight focus and delineated functions of the separate boards enable farmers to get the best possible returns.

The five quotas administered for the US, UK and EU are worth over $2 billion annually to the New Zealand economy and the NZMB's duties will expand even further as it takes on responsibility for administering the transitional Free Trade Agreement quotas between the UK and New Zealand.

It also manages a major fund of reserves, currently standing at $81.1 million (as of March 2022).

This is the "rainy day fund" to be used specifically to restore confidence and re-enter markets following any serious biosecurity incursion or disruption in quota markets.

In the event that happens, the beneficial effect of these reserves would be huge for farmers and for our economy.

The importance of that is very clear, given the current Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak in Indonesia.

The interest from the fund is substantial and this is where NZMB's work impacts directly on farm businesses, through channelling this into the funding of industry good projects.

It doesn't identify or administer programmes that's B+LNZ's job. The NZMB's role is to consider the merits of programmes and seek farmer approval about whether to fund them there are strong checks and balances in place.

Since 2004 alone, NZMB has provided $79 million towards transformational projects that benefit farmers.

Without that, many of the most important programmes of recent decades may not have happened.

To name but a few, the sheep genetics programme, the pastoral genomics programme, funding of the National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) scheme and meat processing efficiency and meat product quality.

It was among the funders of the Red Meat Profit Partnership and has committed to investing up to $1 million this year in the Informing New Zealand Beef (INZB) genetics programme.

In this way, it has contributed to increasing returns by supporting the transition to premium, high-quality products and is an absolutely fundamental part of the strong, internationally-regarded industry we have today.

The NZMB continues to evolve those systems and processes set up by those who came before us but is always careful not to compromise them.

View post:

Andrew Morrison: Why the New Zealand Meat Board is important to farmers - New Zealand Herald

All Blacks Captain Sam Cane addresses the media following the loss to Ireland.

OPINION:

The All Blacks face a series of selection conundrums for the deciding test against Ireland in Wellington this weekend. Liam Napier breaks down the possible changes.

Sam Whitelock's expected return from concussion provides a significant and timely boost for the All Blacks. Ronan O'Gara, writing in the Irish Examiner last week, suggested the absence of Whitelock's lineout IQ equates to a 10-to-15-point difference from the first test. Cards aside, O'Gara wasn't wrong. Ireland's set piece improved markedly in Dunedin. The tourists pinched two All Blacks throws and got the shunt on at scrum time.

Losing Whitelock forced the All Blacks to alter their loose forward composition, which didn't work. In a positive outlook for the All Blacks, Whitelock trained on Tuesday and is expected to pass his 12th day concussion test after reporting delayed onset symptoms from Eden Park. Should that scenario come to pass, he will assume the lineout calling responsibility and resume his familiar second-row partnership with Brodie Retallick. Tupou Vaa'i has also returned from his Covid-enforced layoff. As one of the form locks through Super Rugby he may slot onto the bench for Patrick Tuipulotu.

Covid and a lingering neck injury robbed David Havili of the chance to feature in the first two tests. Chiefs second-five Quinn Tupaea made the most of a front foot platform at Eden Park but with the forward pack beaten in Dunedin and the attack misfiring, Tupaea struggled to assert his presence. Change is needed. The lack of alternative kicking options from the midfield was also evident last week. This is where Havili could prove valuable. His tactical nous and experience combined with Richie Mo'unga to pick apart the Blues backfield in the Super Rugby final, laying the foundations for the Crusaders success. Injecting Havili would give Ireland another kicking and creative threat to consider but the All Blacks midfield ultimately remains unsettled.

Will Jordan's irrepressible form cannot be confined to the bench. Jordan would have started at Eden Park and Dunedin had Covid not struck him down. While he again stated his compelling case from fullback for the Crusaders as one of the best players in Super Rugby this season, Jordan has played all 14 tests on the wing and is, therefore, expected to assume the No 14 jersey. With a wayward pass, unfortunate yellow card and defensive errors, Leicester Fainga'anuku endured a difficult second test and may make way for Crusaders teammate Sevu Reece on the left edge, with Caleb Clarke still sidelined by his hamstring issue. The All Blacks' work under the high ball in Dunedin left a lot to be desired. Jordan should help address this critical area.

Whitelock's return almost certainly continues the revolving door at No 6 after the Dalton Papalii experiment of adopting three openside flankers failed to bring projected rewards. Barrett's successful move to the blindside in the first test, which helped the All Blacks gain the upper hand in the set piece battle, leaves him the leading candidate to return to the side of the scrum. Barrett has, however, endured a heavy workload. After sitting out the first two tests with a foot complaint, Blues blindside Akira Ioane must be in contention either from the bench or in a starting capacity.

Ofa Tuungafasi's underwhelming night in Dunedin and Angus Ta'avao's three-week suspension necessitate change at tighthead. Tuungafasi's defence was exposed; he was fortunate not to concede a penalty try for his early tackle and the scrum, admittedly while one man short, struggled. Ta'avao's exit after a ridiculous suspension for his accidental head clash brings Nepo Laulala into the fold. A nagging neck injury confined Laulala to the sidelines for the past two weeks but his scrummaging prowess looms as an asset to be welcomed into the starting role. Laulala's lack of mobility presents a potential defensive target for Jonathan Sexton, though.

Blues prospects Stephen Perofeta and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck comprise two of six rookie All Blacks yet to make their debuts in this series. It would, however, be a bold move to throw either into a white-hot series decider. Dane Coles savoured limited game-time with the Hurricanes this season but his mongrel and ball skills could be included for a test on his home patch. The final back spot is something of a mystery with five players Jack Goodhue, Tupaea, Fainga'anuku, Tuivasa-Sheck and Braydon Ennor all vying for contention.

Possible All Blacks team: George Bower, Codie Taylor, Nepo Laulala, Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Scott Barrett/Akira Ioane, Sam Cane, Ardie Savea, Aaron Smith, Beauden Barrett, Sevu Reece, David Havili, Rieko Ioane, Will Jordan, Jordie Barrett

Bench: Dane Coles, Adian Ross, Ofa Tuungafasi, Tupou Vaa'i, Akira Ioane/Dalton Papalii, Folau Fakatava, Richie Mo'unga, Jack Goodhue

They would never say as much publicly but World Rugby are understood to have admitted the officiating bungle that led to Ardie Savea sitting out the final 45 minutes of last week's loss in Dunedin. In written correspondence, World Rugby referees boss Joel Jutge conceded Savea should have been allowed back on the field, as the All Blacks requested at the time which led to the match being stopped as referee Jaco Peyper ran to the side of the field to consult his officials. Amid widespread confusion, Savea should have replaced Papalii.

Speaking after the Mori All Blacks loss to Ireland in Wellington on Tuesday night, McMillan gave a strong indication he may have coached the iconic national team for the last time.

McMillan indicated juggling duties as Chiefs head coach and the Mori was increasingly difficult, and that he was no certainty to retain both next year. Further headline fixtures against tier one opposition appeals as the ideal pathway for the Mori to pursue but in a congested rugby calendar their immediate future appears more likely to align with the Pacific Nations Cup.

Losing McMillan, an increasingly influential and respected coaching figure, would be a big loss for the Mori side.

Record: 9/21 (-$19)

The Sauce is officially in a rut, so probably best to steer clear of stacking the house on this week. Expectations for a high scoring affair in Dunedin did not come to fruition. This week, I'm playing it safe with Ireland +14.5 and Queensland in the State of Origin decider +16.5 mutli that will fetch $2.10.

Read more here:

Liam Napier: The All Blacks' six selection conundrums for series decider - New Zealand Herald

Fotopress

Barry Sinclair, right, with another former Wellington and New Zealand batter, Richard Jones, in 2003.

Former New Zealand cricket captain Barry Sinclair has died, aged 85.

Sinclair made his test debut in 1963 against England at Eden Park and captained the side in three of the 21 tests he played until 1968.

He was the third New Zealander, after Bert Sutcliffe and John R Reid, to score 1000 runs in test cricket. He also made more than 6000 first-class runs for Wellington, for whom he debuted as an 18-year-old.

Former broadcaster Bill Francis literally wrote the book on Sinclair. As a small boy, Francis followed Sinclairs cricketing exploits and during the writing of In Pursuit of Excellence: The Barry Sinclair Story, got to know Sinclair well.

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He was this very diminutive player, probably the smallest player playing first-class cricket in the world, Francis said.

In the field he was absolutely dynamic ... sprinted from cover to cover and had a great arm. He was such a plucky and inspirational batsman as well.

Francis said of Sinclairs era, there were not many New Zealand players who scored test hundreds. He said Sinclair became great mates with fellow captain John Reid.

Reid relied a lot on Sinclair as a pivotal number three or four to come in to be solid and score runs, he said.

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Former test cricket captain Barry Sinclair, left, and author Bill Francis.

For him to get to 1000 [test runs] was a great achievement.

Sinclair played his early cricket in Kilbirnie and would often be spotted down at the park throwing a few balls around with childhood friend Don Neely, who recently died, aged 86.

Neely described Sinclair in his book 100 Summers as a brilliant runner between wickets ... [who] took most delight in playing the latest of late cuts ... [and] through hours of practice he made himself one of the most brilliant cover fielders ever to bestride the Basin Reserve.

Both of them were mad-keen trainers, which was unusual for those times. They were physically fit, and they spent hours and hours practising, Francis said.

They were a couple of remarkable guys and it was great much of their cricketing lives paralleled each other.

Sinclair played in the era of amateurism within mens cricket. He had to balance family and work (in the export and import sector in the wider Pacific) with cricket commitments. By the time he was 33, he had to choose and so came the end of his international cricket career.

Ross Giblin/Stuff

Barry Sinclair, right, was inducted as a sports legend of Wellington in 2015 alongside Shirley Durry on behalf of deceased husband John, Maureen Jacobsen and Murray Mexted.

He gave the captaincy away. It was quite a burden on his work life and family life to be able to continue to do that. That was some of the impacts the amateur era had on those players at that time, Francis said.

The lives these people had to leave outside their cricket had a terrible impact on how they existed as people and their vulnerabilities often came to the fore.

At the time of Sinclairs move away from the captaincy he told reporters: I feel completely saturated with cricket. I love the game and want to carry on with it. I feel that if I dont have a break from cricket now I may feel like giving the game away completely and I dont want to do that. Perhaps I have tried to do too much and I feel I must have a break if I am to carry on.

As a person, Sinclair called a spade a spade, Francis said.

Barry and I got on like a house of fire. He was an interesting personality, he said.

He was supportive of other young cricketers coming up and did a bit of coaching.

In John Reids book A Million Miles of Cricket he named Sinclair at number three in his all-time best New Zealand test team, commenting: He is a batsman of great natural talents and he displayed them frequently in England last year [1965] and during his fine century against England at Auckland.

In 2008/09 Sinclair became the inaugural patron of the New Zealand Cricket Players Association (NZCPA).

NZCPA chief executive Heath Mills said it was sad to hear of Sinclairs passing.

We have been blessed to have him involved with the NZCPA for so many years.

Barry was one of the first past players to sign up to our organisation, and loved being involved and helping the current players achieve a better environment in the game.

We are going to miss him greatly.

In the 2016 Queens Birthday Honours, Sinclair was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit and was inducted as a Sports Legend of Wellington in 2015.

A service commemorating his life is due to be held next week in Auckland.

Read more:

Former New Zealand test cricket captain Barry Sinclair dies, aged 85 - Stuff

The Monday edition launched a major editorial series on the future of Christchurch. Video / NZ Herald

The New Zealand Herald has hit the streets of Christchurch with a special edition of the newspaper.

The 48-page special Monday edition was printed in Auckland in the early hours of this morning and sent down to Christchurch on one of the first flights out.

It arrived at Christchurch airport and was transported by an NZ Post heavy truck to NZME offices before it was given out at Riverside, Cashel Street Mall and Christchurch Airport.

Today the Herald and NZME launched a major editorial project on the future of Christchurch.

It will debate how the city can best accommodate its growing number of residents and explore whether an amalgamation of councils to create an integrated super city is the right option.

We will examine the issues facing the city, profile the people who make Christchurch tick, give a voice to the region's diverse communities and help voters to choose their future in this year's local body elections.

Today's front cover features red and black livery and the headline 'It's a gamechanger' with an exclusive interview with All Black great Richie McCaw.

McCaw said the latest design for the venue, which has been beset by delays and cost increases was "pretty amazing".

'To take the conditions of the weather out of it... will be a game-changer, especially in the middle of the winter," McCaw said.

Inside the special Christchurch edition were a series of articles, images, and graphics on Christchurch's future.

Senior reporter Kurt Bayer investigates if Christchurch could become New Zealand's newest Super City and warnings from Auckland for Cantabs that the boom is coming, ready or not.

Reporter Will Evans reports on the looming decision on the Christchurch stadium project and Colin Mansbridge, CEO of the Crusaders, warning city leaders not to drop the ball.

Christchurch City Council is set to vote on the yet-to-be-built Christchurch indoor stadium - a multi-purpose arena with 30,000 seats in the centre of the city.

More here:

Special edition of New Zealand Herald hits the streets of Christchurch - New Zealand Herald

Michael P Cameron is an Associate Professor in Economics at the University of Waikato.

ANALYSIS: New Zealands unemployment rate hit a low of 3.2% in the fourth quarter of 2021 and again in the first quarter of this year. Thats the lowest the rate has been since at least 1986, both overall and separately for men (3.1% in both quarters) and women (3.3% in both quarters).

However, that low unemployment rate still represents over 90,000 people without jobs who are actively seeking work. So, why are some commentators starting to talk about full employment when it is clear that not everyone who wants a job has one?

Also, if businesses are struggling to fill positions, does this mean all workers will be able to flex their muscles in negotiations on pay and work conditions?

To understand New Zealands current labour market, we first need to understand the concept of full employment.

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Economists define full employment as the absence of any cyclical unemployment, which is unemployment related to the rise and fall of the economy also known as the business cycle.

As the economy reaches a peak in the cycle, employers increase production, requiring a high number of workers. The availability of these extra jobs reduces the number of unemployed, eventually reaching full employment.

But that doesnt mean that when there is full employment there is no unemployment at all. There will still be some employment that is frictional (because it takes time for unemployed workers to be matched to jobs) and structural (because some unemployed workers dont have the right skills for the available jobs).

Rather than full employment, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) prefers to use the term maximum sustainable employment, which they define as the highest amount of employment the economy can maintain without creating more inflation.

Robert Kitchin/Stuff

Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr. (File photo)

Maximum sustainable employment reflects the RBNZs dual mandate to maintain low and stable inflation (between 1% and 3%) while supporting maximum levels of sustainable employment within the economy.

Clearly, in imposing the dual mandate on the RBNZ, the government believes full employment is an important goal. Work, care and volunteering is one of the domains of individual and collective well-being in Treasurys Living Standards Framework, because these are three of the major ways in which people use their capabilities to contribute to society. Full employment means more people are contributing to their own and societys well-being.

So, what does full employment mean for low-income workers?

When there is full employment, it starts to become more difficult for employers to find workers to fill their vacancies. We are seeing this already, with job listings hitting record levels.

Tom Pullar-Strecker/Stuff

Businesses are feeling the pinch of high employment. (File photo)

A tight labour market, where there are relatively more jobs than available workers, increases the bargaining power of workers.

But that doesnt mean workers have all the power and can demand substantially higher wages, only that workers can push for somewhat better pay and conditions, and employers are more likely to agree.

This shift in bargaining power is why some employers are now willing to offer significant signing bonuses or better work conditions and benefits, including flexible hours or free insurance.

If you look closer at the types of jobs where signing bonuses and more generous benefits packages are being offered, however, you will quickly realise those are not features of jobs at the bottom end of the wage spectrum.

Many low-income workers are in jobs that are part-time, fixed-term or precarious. Low-wage workers are not benefiting from the tight labour market to the same extent as more highly qualified workers.

Nevertheless, a period of full employment may allow some low-wage workers to move into higher paying jobs, or jobs that are less precarious and/or offer better work conditions.

That relies on the workers having the appropriate skills and experience for higher-paying jobs, or for increasingly desperate employers to adjust their employment standards to meet those of the available job applicants.

Overall it is clear that not all low-wage workers benefit from full employment. Those who remain in low-wage jobs may even be worse off in a full-employment economy. If wage demands from other workers feed through into higher prices of goods and services it will exacerbate cost-of-living increases.

The RBNZ is already implementing tighter monetary policies to address high inflation, leading to higher mortgage interest payments for homeowners. Renters will likely face higher rents as landlords pass on the increased interest rates. These higher housing and living costs will hit low-wage workers particularly hard.

Although a full employment economy seems like a net positive, not everyone benefits equally, and we shouldnt ignore that some low-wage workers remain vulnerable.

Michael P Cameron is an Associate Professor in Economics at the University of Waikato. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article here.

Read more:

New Zealand has reached 'full employment' but not all workers will benefit - Stuff

A vet vaccinates cattle to protect them from foot-and-mouth in Bandar Lampung, Lampung province in Indonesia where thousands of cattle have already had to be killed. Photo / AFP

RNZ

New Zealand's economy could take a severe hit in the event of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the country, an economist says.

It comes after the livestock disease was discovered in Indonesia in May, and last week cases were confirmed in the popular holiday hotspot of Bali.

Treasury data from 2018, shows a six-month outbreak of foot-and-mouth in the North Island could result in lost export earnings of $15 billion, and nominal gross domestic product to be $24 billion lower over the following five years.

Westpac senior agricultural economist Nathan Penny said the risk of an outbreak was low, but there would be ripple effects throughout the economy should it eventuate.

"The broader impacts - the macroeconomic impacts if you like - would see the economy go into recession and we would also see the New Zealand dollar fall so the impacts on urban areas would be keenly felt as well.

"The standard approach to foot-and-mouth is to cull stock in many cases so that obviously would have a drastic impact on our ability to export those stocks, that would be removed," Penny said.

He said regional New Zealand, which is dominated by the rural sector, would be particularly hard hit.

"When we think about the provinces, they're heavily exposed to agriculture and their economies are less diverse than the likes of Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch ... those economies would rebound faster than the provincial centres.

"But that said, we do have some experience in dealing with these sorts of things. We had recent experience with Mycoplasma bovis.

"We have got some of the best biosecurity systems in the world and that could mean that there would be the possibility that New Zealand and the rural regions could bounce back from this pretty quickly," Penny said.

Biosecurity New Zealand said while the risk to New Zealand was low, it had boosted efforts to protect farmers from foot-and-mouth including stepped-up inspections at the border and providing more information for travellers.

"Our focus is doing everything we can on the border," Stuart Anderson, deputy director-general Biosecurity New Zealand said.

Listen to Jamie Mackay's full interview with Stuart Anderson on The Country below:

"Our approach is to assess all and any passengers coming through from Indonesia, who have been on holiday in Bali," Anderson told The Country's Jamie Mackay.

"They will be getting further questions from our border by security staff and we will be visually inspecting the likes of footwear or other equipment they may have with them."

If any items looked contaminated, border security officers would remove them and take them to the airport's laboratory space to be disinfected safely, Anderson said.

- RNZ with additional reporting from The Country

Read more:

Warning of recession, currency impact if foot-and-mouth spreads to NZ - New Zealand Herald

New Zealand has recorded two unconnected cases of monkeypox this week and officials say there is no evidence of community transmission.

Monkeypox is endemic to areas of Central and West Africa but an outbreak was confirmed in May, spreading to more than 50 countries with 9624 cases detected as of July 11.

Two tests have been run in New Zealand so far. The Institute for Environmental Science and Research (ESR) has 500 tests in stock and there is likely to be further stock at other labs, officials say.

So how does monkeypox testing work? How long does it take, who needs to get tested, and do we have capacity?

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The first symptoms of monkeypox are usually headache, acute onset of fever (>38.0C), chills, swollen lymph nodes, muscle and body aches, backache, and tiredness.

After a few days, a characteristic rash usually appears and spreads to other parts of the body, such as the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, inside the mouth, or on the genitalia.

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Two tests for monkeypox have been done in New Zealand to date, both of which were positive.

The monkeypox rash typically evolves in four stages macular (flat), papular (raised), vesicular (raised and filled with clear fluid), to pustular (raised and filled with opaque fluid) before scabbing over and resolving.

To get infected you need to be in close contact (usually skin-to-skin or shared respiratory droplets) with a case while they are infectious.

At this stage, close contacts are asked to monitor for symptoms for three weeks and to isolate if symptoms develop. They would only get a PCR test if a rash developed, the Ministry of Health said.

The incubation period (from infection to onset of symptoms) is usually from six to 13 days but can range from five to 21 days.

Close contacts are not required to strictly quarantine, however they are advised to avoid high-risk settings such as healthcare, childcare and aged care facilities, as well as indoor gatherings such as at bars, restaurants and places of worship, the ministry said.

Close contacts are also advised to avoid sex and kissing; and to avoid close contact with people potentially at higher risk of infection, such as infants, older people and immuno-compromised people.

While you swab your nose or throat for Covid-19, the recommended specimen type for monkeypox is skin lesion material.

This involves taking swabs of a lesions surface and/or exudate (wound fluid), roofs from more than one lesion, or lesion crusts from the rash itself.

Confirming someone has monkeypox is similar to confirming Covid-19 infection via a PCR test.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a method to rapidly make (or amplify) millions to billions of copies of a very small specific segment of DNA, which can then be studied in greater detail.

The test detects DNA at varying concentrations, which indicates whether a result is either positive, negative, or inconclusive, to identify monkeypox.

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The test for monkeypox is a PCR, run at laboratories in the same way Covid-19 tests are processed.

From when a sample reaches the lab, initial results can be available within 24 hours.

However, timing can depend on how long it takes a sample to reach a lab.

People with symptoms are encouraged to call ahead to their usual health practitioner to seek advice before visiting a medical centre or hospital if symptoms develop.

Their health practitioner whether that is at a general practice or sexual health clinic will assess their risk and decide whether a PCR test is appropriate.

People with monkeypox are asked to isolate until the scabs from lesions have fallen off.

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Terry Taylor, president of the New Zealand Institute of Medical Laboratory Science, was confident there was enough capacity to respond to monkeypox testing.

Only a small number of laboratories can process PCR tests for monkeypox but more capacity is being built ESR is collaborating with three other labs to stand up testing.

President of the New Zealand Institute of Medical Laboratory Science Terry Taylor said there was definitely capacity to test for monkeypox in Aotearoa.

We know we are not going to have to mass test, like we did with Covid-19, he said.

The PCR was very similar to the test for varicella (chickenpox), so was nothing new for labs to deal with.

Taylor was not envisaging [testing] being a major problem, because the virus was not very infectious, making it much more manageable for labs, he said.

He said labs could scale up if they needed to but he doubted they would get overrun.

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Monkeypox: What you need to know about testing for the virus in New Zealand - Stuff