The decision not to raise the Official Cash Rate was necessary because Tauranga’s property market would not cope with an increase, says Quotable Value’s regional spokesperson Shayne Donovan-Grammer. Reserve Bank governor Alan Bollard has announced the OCR will remain unchanged at 2.5 per cent but has indicated rates could start rising by the middle of the year. Shayne says Tauranga’s property market is still in a “fickle” state and any rise could have been More...

Bay of Plenty small to medium sized companies are driving the growth in the Bay of Plenty’s economy, says the chairman of the Bay of Plenty branch of the New Zealand Institute of Directors. “There’s a lot of growth happening in the Bay of Plenty and SMEs are driving that, which is a very very special feature of the Bay of Plenty,” says branch chairman Will Wilson. Bay of Plenty branch of the New Zealand Institute of Directors chairman Will Wilson. The Bay of More...

Deepening shipping channels at the Port of Tauranga is essential to maintaining the Bay of Plenty’s competitive edge, says economic development agency Priority One CEO Andrew Coker. The Port of Tauranga is currently in a consent hearing with Environment BOP to gain permission to do the digging necessary to allow access for bigger ships. Andrew spoke at the hearing held in Mount Maunganui on Tuesday, where he explained the port is New Zealand’s largest export gateway. Economic More...

Paengaroa based company Comvita has forged a $6 million deal with US company Derma Sciences. The deal will give Derma Sciences the exclusive rights of the professional and medical market for medi-honey wound care and skincare products. Comvita receives a royalty and exclusive rights to the ‘over the counter’ market, including pharmacies and health shops. The deal also gives Comvita a 10 per cent stake in Derma Sciences and a seat on its board More...

Good availability of seasonal work in the Bay of Plenty is being attributed as the reason for a substantial decrease in the number of beneficiaries in the region in February. Figures released by Minister for Social Development Paula Bennett show nationally there were 4224 fewer people on the unemployment benefit in February than in January. “That’s the single biggest drop in the unemployment benefit since the recession began,” says Paula. Three regions experienced More...

Business people wearing lycra is expected to be a regular sight on the way to and from work for the next two weeks as the Sustainable Business Network No Pollute Commute Corporate Challenge gets underway. The challenge, which starts Monday, March 8, and runs until Friday, March 19 is about encouraging Tauranga businesses to reassess their transport methods, says Sustainable Business Network regional manager Jo Wills. Export New Zealand Bay of Plenty executive officer Angela Wallace More...

The consent hearing for a major dredging programme to deepen Tauranga Harbour shipping channels begins at the Mount Cosmopolitan Club on Monday. The port company wants to deepen shipping channels by up to 3.3 meters – removing 15 million cubic metres of soil from Tauranga Harbour. There are 91 submissions to be heard, 80 opposing the dredging and nine in support. The opposition is concerned about the impact of the dredging on kaimoana and cultural practices, water quality, tidal More...

New Zealand businesswoman Carmel Fisher is in Tauranga to talk to members of Her Business Network about her success in the finance industry. Carmel has more than 20 years experience investing in the New Zealand sharemarket. Carmel Fisher. She found Fisher Funds in 1998, as one of the first boutique fund management firms in New Zealand. It manages $800 million for 40,000 clients ranging from individual investors (with as little as $500 to invest) to sharemarket investors who have accessed More...

Tauranga based pet supplies distributor Kong’s New Zealand Limited is aiming to provide a more stream lined and efficient service for its customers with its new facility in Tauriko. Kong’s has moved from its Greerton address to Porutu Place and into a new facility that offers more room. Kong's new building on opening day. “There’s a lot more office space and there’s more room to expand,” says marketing coordinator Erin Timmo. The warehouse from which More...

More people, more money and longer guests nights – that is the verdict from the region’s holiday parks as they take stock of the busy summer period. The average amount of money a person will spend at a holiday park has increased to $98 per day, according to the Holiday Accommodation Parks Association. Laura and Don Murray from Hamilton are among the rising number of Kiwis who stayed at Western Bay of Plenty holiday parks over summer. Association figures also show the average More...