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Does a Department of Public Works have a place in the 21st century?

Urban geographer and spatial planner Ben Ross looks at whether a department of public works has merit in the 21st century. Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones was recently quoted (Newsroom, April 2020) that New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) will no longer be just managing contracts. He also said that NZTA and KiwiRail should be allowed to self-consent projects under $20m. This …

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China-Australia relations hit new low in spat over handling of Coronavirus

Tony Walker, La Trobe University Australia’s relationship with China is fractured. Arguably, this is the worst moment in Sino-Australian relations since Gough Whitlam normalised ties on his election in December 1972. The Chinese saying “kill the chicken to frighten the monkey” would seem applicable in Beijing’s reaction to Australia’s push for an investigation into the operations of the World Health …

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China and the COVID-19 Backlash

As the human and economic cost of the COVID-19 epidemic continues to reveal itself across the globe, in some quarters the blame game has already begun. Liam Finnigan suggests now is not the time to beat any drum demanding China take responsibility for the pandemic.  In what initially appeared to be a casual interview on TV3’s  AM Show, the US …

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Covid contact-tracing apps: most won’t cooperate unless everyone does

Stefan Volk, University of Sydney As governments look to ease general social-distancing measures and instead use more targeted strategies to stop coronavirus transmission, we face a social dilemma about the limits of cooperative behaviour. Consider the controversy over contact-tracing phone apps, which can help authorities identify people with whom someone diagnosed with COVID-19 has recently come into close contact. Oxford …

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Pandemic pivots: resilience in the face of adversity

Tim McCready looks at some of the innovation emerging from New Zealand businesses in the face of adversity. Let us know what has been missed – from New Zealand and around the world. Restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 lockdown have caused some businesses to consider closing up shop for good. While some have taken this route, others have used the …

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Can Coronavirus spread 4 metres?

Meru Sheel, Australian National University; Charlee J Law, Australian National University, and Danielle Ingle, Australian National University Recent headlines have suggested COVID-19 can spread up to four metres, drawing into question the current advice to maintain 1.5 metres between people to prevent the spread of the virus. The news was based on a study conducted in Wuhan, China, and published …

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New Zealand’s Marketing Challenge in Asia

New Zealand has a challenge to broaden its Asia markets and agricultural consultant Keith Woodford asks: will New Zealand broaden its Asian perspective, or will China always dominate as a market destination? Over the last 12 years, we have seen a remarkable increase in exports to China since the Free Trade Agreement was signed in 2008. I recall in that …

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Miles Hurrell: Fonterra weathering the storm

Miles Hurrell, chief executive of Fonterra, gave a Q&A through the Trans-Tasman Business Circle on resilient leadership in challenging times. Tim McCready gives an overview of what was discussed. The full interview is available at the bottom of this article. Fonterra started to become aware of the escalating Covid-19 situation in China in January, says chief executive Miles Hurrell. Fonterra …

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Delight, relief and caution: experts on New Zealand’s move to ease lockdown

Dougal Sutherland, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Arindam Basu, University of Canterbury; Malcolm Campbell, University of Canterbury; Martin Berka, Massey University; Michael Baker, University of Otago, and Richard Shaw, Massey University New Zealand will begin easing its national lockdown from next Tuesday, but only after a five-day extension of some of the world’s strictest COVID-19 restrictions. New …

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