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New Zealand house sales fell in August as a lack of listings compounded the chilling effects of rising interest rates and mortgage loan restrictions, and as the upcoming general election adds another uncertainty for buyers. The number of houses sold fell 16 percent to 5,481 in August from the same month a year earlier, and were down 7 percent from …

New Zealand food prices rose in August, paring the previous month’s fall, as more expensive tomatoes, lettuce and broccoli offset discounted breads. The food price index rose 0.3 percent last month, paring a 0.7 percent fall in June, according to Statistics New Zealand. The index was 0.7 percent higher than August 2013, bolstered by a rise in restaurant and ready …

In the 2014 Mood of the Boardroom report we  took the temperature of the nation’s leading CEOs in our annual survey. We examined what CEOs expected from each political party in the lead up to the 2014 election; opportunities and challenges for New Zealand businesses and the policies chief executives wanted escalated for New Zealand’s future success. The report was …

The government will fold the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority into the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet early next year as it begins a long-term withdrawal from its hands-on involvement in the Christchurch rebuild. In a speech to the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, Prime Minister John Key announced the plan, in anticipation of CERA’s legislated April 2016 expiration date. The move …

Huhtamaki Oyj, the Finnish packaging manufacturer, bought Auckland-based folding carton maker Interpac Packaging for 7 million euros to expand its product range. Interpac manufactures folded carton packaging for consumer goods and retail products, and the foodservice industry, and manufacturers corrugated packaging for the local wine industry with annual sales of some 11 million euros, the Espoo, Finland-based company said in a …

Christchurch City Holdings’ offer to mop up the remaining shares in Lyttelton Port Co amounts to a premium of up to 14 percent, according to a report from the independent adviser that recommends it be accepted. Christchurch City Council’s investment and infrastructure unit, which already owns about 79.6 percent of the port, has entered into a lock-up agreement with Port Otago for …

The New Zealand dollar was little changed along with other major currencies as weak manufacturing PMI data from China to Europe had traders looking ahead to manufacturing figures from the US tonight. The kiwi was at 83.76 US cents at 8am in Wellington, from 83.73 cents at 5pm yesterday following the Labor Day holiday in the US yesterday. The trade-weighted index was at …

APN News & Media, which publishes the New Zealand Herald, may list its New Zealand business on the local sharemarket.  The Sydney-based company has retained Grant Samuel to assist with its review of strategic options for APN New Zealand, which includes its New Zealand publishing assets, as well as The Radio Network which encompasses the Newstalk ZB and ZM stations, and …

New Zealand bred and Hong Kong based toy company ZURU signs a global exclusive deal with Kickstarter sensation, Bunch O Balloons — the fastest and easiest way to make water balloons. By raising close to $1 million dollars through the crowd-funding site Kickstarter, it is one of the top funded Kickstarter campaigns of the year. The innovative design allows you …