Category: Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Food prices are likely to rise if war in the Middle East keeps pressure on oil prices – but some types of food may be more affected than others.

Infometrics chief forecaster Gareth Kiernan looked at which sectors might be most exposed by comparing the proportion of their costs devoted to oil-based fuels.

He said the fishing sector was top of the list. It spent about 25 percent of its input costs on oil-based fuels.

“Diesel for boats, presumably.”

That was followed by horticulture, which spent about 5 percent of its costs on oil-based fuel.

“Presumably that’s around heating or that kind of thing.”

Next was farming more generally,

“You get down to broader areas of farming, sheep and beef… where you’re talking about 3 percent to 4 percent of overall input costs.”

He said fertiliser could be an additional cost that was also exposed to energy price movements.

Supermarkets spent about 10 percent of their non-wage costs on transport, he said, and meat processing was at a similar level.

Westpac chief economist Kelly Eckhold said food coming from overseas would also be affected.

“The issue is how transportation costs start going through – I guess anything that’s having to come from overseas is going to have a higher transportation component.”

Kiernan agreed.

“Stuff that is having to travel halfway around the world – cocoa beans or coffee or whatever it might be – that is potentially going to be more heavily impacted than stuff we’re producing globally.”

Eckhold said it could be a couple of months before food price rises started to be seen on New Zealand shelves.

“That’s what we got through Covid… there is a bit of a lead there between movements in global food prices and what we see here, assuming it’s not driven by a local climatic type thing. There’s about a six-month lag. Some of that stuff could be building all through this year.”

Eckhold said it could be the case that more businesses would start to charge a separate fuel surcharge to cover their additional costs.

“I would envisage you could see the introduction of a whole lot of surcharges coming on to things, as people say, ‘Well hey, I’ve got this particular identifiable increased cost,’ and you’ll find that you might end up having to pay an extra $5 or $10 or something like that for anything that’s got a clear transportation component – courier fees and things like that, for example.”

He said he now expected the Consumer Price Index to stay above 3 percent until the end of the year.

Infometrics’ supplier cost index showed costs to Foodstuffs supermarkets up 2.3 percent year-on-year in February, before the oil price rise began to be felt.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

The winner of the $30,000 top prize in this year’s Ninety Mile Beach Snapper Bonanza says the secret is pilchard bait and his dad’s fishing rigs.

Harley Ra, who was raised in Kaitāia but works in Perth, hooked the 7.665 kilogram winner on Saturday, the final day of the five-day contest.

Ra suspected he had the winning fish as soon as he pulled it into the shallows.

“It ran for a fair bit. Then it started going sideways. I thought it was a stingray, but then there were more head nods, and it just kept stripping line,” he said.

“It wasn’t till I seen it get close, I seen the big tail flipping up, and I thought it was a stingray wing, and I thought ‘oh bugger’. Then just as it got into the clear shallows, I saw it was a snapper, and I was screaming out, ‘holy shit, it’s a moocha’.”

“I ran straight down to the water to grab it and grab my trace. It snapped at the water’s edge, and I dug into its gills straight away to grab it.”

That was just after 8am.

“It was early, and I was nervous the whole time. I pretty much knew it was the winner then. And I was like, I need to get back to the ramp [contest headquarters] to weigh this ASAP. So I was nervous hanging around. About 12 o’clock, I packed up and boosted straight back to the tents for weigh-in.”

Ra said he had fished in the Snapper Classic – an earlier version of the contest – as a child with his father and uncles, but this was only his second time competing in the Bonanza.

Using the right bait was key to success on Ninety Mile Beach, he said.

“I used BKK circle hooks, and the bait was pilchard, just half a pilchard. It always works up the Ninety [Mile Beach]. When the bite’s hot, pilchard’s the go, and then when the bite cools down, then you go to ocky (octopus])and crayfish and all your other exotic baits.”

Ra also credited his father, John Ra, who was known in Kaitāia as an expert rig-maker.

“Dad does all our fishing tackle. He does some pretty mean fishing rigs. He even does his own bit of YouTube and Facebook showing how to do it.”

As well as the $30,000 top prize for heaviest snapper of the contest, Ra took home $2500 for Saturday’s biggest fish.

He confessed to feeling “a bit hazy” after that night’s celebrations.

“We drank a few at the tent, and then went down to the Awanui pub. The boys filled the cup up, and we drank from the cup.”

As for what he would spend his winnings on, Ra said he would leave that to his wife, Alicia.

“I let her decide. She makes the smarter decisions.”

Ra said he would definitely be back next year – as long as he could get a ticket.

Tickets were capped at 1200 and sold out in less than an hour when they went online.

“So when they go on sale here at seven, that’s 2am in Perth, so you gotta set the alarm at 1am. Get up, make a coffee, and get ready to start hammering the button at two in the morning.”

Until Ra hooked his winning snapper, Ōpōtiki man Darin Maxwell was on track to become the first fisher to win the competition twice.

In the end, Maxwell had to console himself with second place and cash prizes totalling $4500 for a fish weighing 7.25kg.

Maxwell’s monster 12.03kg catch in 2012 remains the heaviest snapper caught in the competition’s 15-year history.

The Bonanza, which has been held every March since 2011, is said to be the world’s largest surfcasting competition.

Fishing is permitted only from Ninety Mile Beach – or Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe – not from rocks or boats.

The contest is organised by Kaitāia publican Dave Collard and printer John Stewart, who rescued the event after the Snapper Classic folded due to financial difficulties in 2009.

The annual prize pool totals more than $200,000.

About 120 fish caught during the contest were auctioned off at Saturday’s Kaitāia Market, raising more than $14,000 for the Kaitāia Volunteer Fire Brigade.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Deputy Chief Executive of the Social Investment Agency has resigned while under investigation in relation to allegations of bullying and harassment.

Social Investment Agency (SIA) Deputy Chief Executive Kylie Reiri left the job last month. Her departure comes after former SIA chief executive Andrew Coster quit in December following a scathing Independent Police Conduct Authority report.

Within days of Coster’s resignation, RNZ was contacted with allegations that Reiri was under investigation in relation to complaints of bullying and harassment.

RNZ contacted Reiri at the time who said she was on leave due to health-related reasons. She did not respond to requests for comment over the weekend.

• Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nz

Approached for comment in December, the SIA said they did not comment on individual employment matters. Asked why that was and for the status of Reiri’s employment, the SIA treated the follow up questions as a request under the Official Information Act (OIA).

Then, in January, the SIA released an OIA which said they do not generally comment on individual employment matters “as the disclosure of information relating to individual employees would involve the unwarranted disclosure of personal information”.

The following month Reiri resigned.

In an email on February 12, released to RNZ, SIA’s acting chief executive and secretary for social investment Alistair Mason said Reiri had resigned.

“We acknowledge the contribution Kylie has made during her time here. We thank her for her service to the organisation and wish her well for the future,” he said.

“I know you may have questions, however, out of respect for Kylie’s privacy I am not able to discuss this matter.”

In an OIA released to RNZ, the SIA confirmed there had been two employment investigations over the last 12 months.

“I am also able to confirm that there has been one investigation in response to four formal reports of bullying and harassment. In the interest of privacy, we cannot provide a breakdown as to what each allegation was concerning.”

RNZ understands the investigation, which is ongoing, relates to Reiri.

“As a responsible employer, SIA takes these matters seriously and all complaints are investigated and followed through to the end. We have robust policies and procedures to manage disclosure of any allegations including protected disclosures (speak safe) and bullying and harassment policies, which provide informal and formal options for staff to raise concerns of serious wrongdoing and bullying and harassment.”

A SIA spokesperson said in a statement to RNZ they could confirm Reiri had resigned from her role.

About a month before the IPCA’s report was released, Coster sent an email to all staff following a meeting that day.

In the email, seen by RNZ, Coster said it was important for him that the SIA was an organisation “where each one of us feels we can bring our best to our work, in an environment that is positive and enabling.”

“Acknowledging the wider context from the Public Service census (in which we fared well and in connection with which we have an action plan), some comments in a recent Te Rama survey have given me cause for concern. I want to be able to address any issues, to ensure this is a place where everyone feels respected and valued. To do this, I need to understand your experiences and perspectives.

“To that end, I want to make myself available to meet with anyone who would like to talk. If you have something to share, please reach out to me directly. Anything you share will be treated with respect and care. I value your thoughts and insights, and I will only use what you share in a way that aligns with what you are comfortable with. I understand that speaking up isn’t easy but I invite you to feel that I will listen and take action where that is required.”

About a month later, he emailed staff about the IPCA report.

“In light of that report, I’ve agreed with the Public Service Commissioner that I will take leave while we work through a process connected with it. In my absence, Alistair Mason will cover for me.

“I’m sorry to have to step out at this time. Thank you for the amazing work you’re all doing.”

Then, two days later, Mason emailed staff and said he’d had a “good conversation with Minister [Nicola] Willis last night”.

“The primary purpose of the conversation was her wanting to check-in on the wellbeing of the agency and the staff. She wanted to know if there was anything she could do and if we are getting the support we need. Importantly she expressed her ongoing confidence in the Social Investment Agency.

“The Social Investment Board also had an ad hoc meeting last night and have again expressed their support for the agency and offered to lean in and support wherever they can. And of course I am in regular contact with PSC who are offering any support we need.”

In December, RNZ asked SIA Minister Nicola Willis’ office for comment on the matter. They said questions were best put to the SIA.

“Staffing within agencies is an operational matter for which Ministers don’t have responsibility.”

On Monday, a spokesperson for Willis said the Minister didn’t have any comment to make.

“Employment matters within government agencies are for agency chief executives and, if warranted, the Public Service Commission to manage.”

Reiri’s profile on the SIA website, which has since been taken down, said she brought a “unique blend of public and private sector experience to the Social Investment Agency”.

“Her career has been dedicated to improving outcomes for New Zealanders through data-driven decision making and social investment approaches.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand