A joint task force between the central government and the local governments of the North Island east coast’s Tairawhiti region will look at future transport infrastructure needs, Transport and Economic Development Ministers Gerry Brownlee and Steven Joyce have announced. The government has come under political pressure to require the loss-making state rail operator, KiwiRail, to keep open the rail link …

New Zealand consumers are the most confident they’ve been in 32 months and the happiest citizens live in the South Island, according to the ANZ-Roy Morgan NZ consumer confidence survey for February. Consumer confidence rose 2.7 points to 121 this month with the biggest pick up being in kiwis’ perceptions of the broader economy over the next five years, which …

Former Capital + Merchant Finance director Trevor Janes passed the smell-test on his appointment to head the Accident Compensation Corp board’s investment committee after officials had a look at it. In response to questions from Labour Party MP Phil Twyford, ACC chair Paula Rebstock told Parliament’s transport and industrial relations committee that officials undertook due diligence into Janes’ role at …