https://www.rnz.co.nz/assets/news/212114/eight_col_wheelchair.jpg?1571625699 Ryman Healthcare’s full-year result has been hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo: 123RF The country’s largest retirement village operator’s half-year profit has risen on the back of higher property valuations but Covid-19 has hit its underlying earnings through higher costs and constrained trading. The company’s profit for the six months ended September was $212.4 million compared with $188m the year before. But leaving aside $124m of valuation gains the underlying result fell 14 percent to $88.4m as it spent more to keep Covid-19 out of its 39 rest homes on both sides of the Tasman, while being forced to slow down the building of new villages and the sale of empty units. “It has been a tough six months due to the ongoing impact of the pandemic, which increased costs substantially and restricted our ability to sell in key markets during the extended lockdowns,” chief executive Gordon MacLeod said. ...

https://www.beehive.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2017-11/beehive-red-og_0.png The rapid revival of Māori horticulture was unmistakeable at this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy Awards, with 2020 marking the first time this iconic Māori farming event was dedicated to horticulture enterprises. Congratulating finalists at the Awards, Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson said growing large-scale māra kai is part of Māori DNA. “Our ancestors brought their technology and practices into the very different environment of Aotearoa. “Given this long history, it is exciting to see Māori landowners return to growing food to sustain their whānau and develop their whenua. It is also part of building resilient communities. We saw the benefits of this during the COVID-19 lockdown and the generosity of Māori and Iwi organisations that distributed home-grown food across Aotearoa,” he says. Over the past 14 years Aotearoa has had a 300 percent growth in Māori horticulture, with more growth predicted. “Our Government recognises the many economic and social benefits ...

https://www.elanka.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/badur-1.jpg Source:Dailynews The Court of Appeal yesterday ruled that deforestation of the northern sanctuary of the Wilpattu National Park Forest for the re-settlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) had been made contrary to law and ordered former Minister Rishad Bathiudeen to bear the full the cost of the tree planting programme in these areas based on the ‘Polluter Pays’ principle. The Court of Appeal two-judge-Bench comprising Justice Janak de Silva and Justice Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne delivered this judgment pursuant to a writ petition filed by the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ). Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal Court issued an order in the nature of mandamus ordering the Conservator General of Department of Forest Conservation to take action to implement a tree planting programme in accordance with the provisions of the Forest Ordinance in any area equivalent to the reserve forest area used for the resettlement of IDPs. Accordingly, Court of ...

https://www.rnz.co.nz/assets/news/240216/eight_col_142952324_l.jpg?1598052789 There have been five new cases in managed isolation reported in New Zealand today, with a border worker already in quarantine for the past two weeks also testing positive. Photo: 123rf.com In a statement, the Ministry of Health said the border worker was a close contact of one of the existing positive cases in the November quarantine cluster. “This person was self-isolating at home from 7 November, and chose to transfer to managed isolation on 11 November.” They are now in the managed isolation facility in Wellington. The Ministry said all close contacts have been followed up, tested and returned negative results. Results of genome sequencing are expected Monday. Microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles said the cases were looking “incredibly” well contained. She said today’s case showed the importance of close contacts being isolated, and the cluster seemed to be under control. “It’s all tracking very well and it’s looking incredibly ...

https://www.rnz.co.nz/assets/news_crops/95371/eight_col_KiwiRailWairoa8.PNG?1580071069 Log trains will return to the Wairoa-Napier line from today. KiwiRail Wairoa to Napier line. Photo: Supplied / KiwiRail Services were temporarily suspended earlier this year due to Covid-19’s impact on the forestry industry. There would be two return trains each weekend with roughly 24 wagons, the equivalent of 24 truckloads of logs, KiwiRail chief operating officer Todd Moyle said. There were significant numbers of forests in the Wairoa catchment that were reaching maturity, while harvest volumes in the wider Hawke’s Bay region were predicted to reach 3.3 million tonnes per year within the next few years, and remain high until mid-2030, Moyle said. Trains will start to run daily as log volumes increase. “With the track now back in regular use, people travelling in the area will need to take special care around level crossings,” he said. “Those crossing the tracks should expect trains at any time and ...

https://www.beehive.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2017-11/beehive-red-og_0.png A papakāinga opened today by the Minister for Māori Development the Hon Willie Jackson will provide whānau with much needed affordable rental homes in Hastings. The four home papakāinga in Waiōhiki is the first project to be completed under the ‘Hastings Place Based’ initiative. This initiative is a Government, Hastings District Council, iwi and provider partnership. The homes are owned and will be managed by the Te Hiiri Whānau Trust. “The place-based approach is intended to ensure housing issues in ‘hotspot regions’ are addressed more effectively. I commend the Trust’s foresight in building warm, dry affordable homes on its whenua,” says Minister Jackson. Te Puni Kōkiri funded the project from its allocation for the initiative which is led out of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. $1,680,090 contributed to the home and infrastructure costs, with Te Hiiri Whānau Trust contributing approximately $700,000 as borrowing. Funding was approved in ...

https://www.elanka.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Aussie-Chat-.jpg Aussie Chat with RANJITH SEBASTIAN   FREE online live performance for Australians Live Singing  Live Chat Request Songs   Email your name to Register aussiechatau@gmail.com 500 Guests Only The post Aussie Chat with RANJITH SEBASTIAN appeared first on eLanka. Source link ...