Latest news with #NickSmith
Scoop
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Scoop
Port Nelson Commissions New Zealand's First Electric Mobile Harbour Crane At Celebratory Event
Press Release – Port Nelson Ltd The $17 million project was supported by $875,000 from the Governments Low Emission Transport Fund, administered by EECA. Port Nelson marked a major milestone in its sustainability and infrastructure journey today with a special event to commission New Zealand's first electric dual-drive mobile harbour crane. The event was attended by Nelson Mayor Nick Smith, Rachel Boyack MP for Nelson, EECA (Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) representative Ben Pitt, and iwi representatives, alongside port stakeholders and staff. In a symbolic moment, Mayor Nick Smith officially powered on the new Liebherr LHM600E crane, triggering its first official lift. Port Nelson CEO Matt McDonald says the event is more than just a celebration of a new machine, it's a powerful statement about Port Nelson's direction. 'The project demonstrates our commitment to innovation and leading by example in the transition to low-emission technologies. This crane is an investment in the future of our people, infrastructure, and region, reflecting Port Nelson's ambition to build a more resilient port for generations to come.' The $17 million project was supported by $875,000 from the Government's Low Emission Transport Fund, administered by EECA. 'This project also delivered local economic benefits, with around $2 million invested in the Nelson region through labour, materials, and infrastructure upgrades,' Matt adds. The project is part of a broader electrification strategy, which includes retrofitting an existing diesel crane. The crane is capable of switching between electric and diesel modes, but is expected to operate on electric power up to 85% of the time, significantly reducing carbon emissions. Cranes currently account for around 22% of the Port's Scope 1 emissions. Nelson Mayor Nick Smith says Port Nelson's new electric harbour crane is good for the city's economy and environment. 'Our export-based economy is very dependent on having an efficient port. Nelson leads in sustainability – we have the first full electric bus service, we have one of the highest uptakes of electric cars including my own, which was New Zealand's first. It's good that we are now leading with our port commissioning the first mobile electric crane and converting one of its older diesel cranes to electric.' The crane is just one of several strategic investments Port Nelson has made in the last 18 months. Alongside the electrification programme, the Port opened Honomai, Marlborough's first Inland Port, introduced a new pilot vessel and launched a significant slipway redevelopment project, further enhancing safety, operational resilience, and local economic benefit.
Scoop
6 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Port Nelson Commissions New Zealand's First Electric Mobile Harbour Crane At Celebratory Event
Port Nelson marked a major milestone in its sustainability and infrastructure journey today with a special event to commission New Zealand's first electric dual-drive mobile harbour crane. The event was attended by Nelson Mayor Nick Smith, Rachel Boyack MP for Nelson, EECA (Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) representative Ben Pitt, and iwi representatives, alongside port stakeholders and staff. In a symbolic moment, Mayor Nick Smith officially powered on the new Liebherr LHM600E crane, triggering its first official lift. Port Nelson CEO Matt McDonald says the event is more than just a celebration of a new machine, it's a powerful statement about Port Nelson's direction. 'The project demonstrates our commitment to innovation and leading by example in the transition to low-emission technologies. This crane is an investment in the future of our people, infrastructure, and region, reflecting Port Nelson's ambition to build a more resilient port for generations to come.' The $17 million project was supported by $875,000 from the Government's Low Emission Transport Fund, administered by EECA. 'This project also delivered local economic benefits, with around $2 million invested in the Nelson region through labour, materials, and infrastructure upgrades,' Matt adds. The project is part of a broader electrification strategy, which includes retrofitting an existing diesel crane. The crane is capable of switching between electric and diesel modes, but is expected to operate on electric power up to 85% of the time, significantly reducing carbon emissions. Cranes currently account for around 22% of the Port's Scope 1 emissions. Nelson Mayor Nick Smith says Port Nelson's new electric harbour crane is good for the city's economy and environment. 'Our export-based economy is very dependent on having an efficient port. Nelson leads in sustainability – we have the first full electric bus service, we have one of the highest uptakes of electric cars including my own, which was New Zealand's first. It's good that we are now leading with our port commissioning the first mobile electric crane and converting one of its older diesel cranes to electric.' The crane is just one of several strategic investments Port Nelson has made in the last 18 months. Alongside the electrification programme, the Port opened Honomai, Marlborough's first Inland Port, introduced a new pilot vessel and launched a significant slipway redevelopment project, further enhancing safety, operational resilience, and local economic benefit.
Scoop
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Better Awareness Of Local Body Candidates Will Lift Voter Turnout
In a bid to boost voter turnout ahead of local elections this year, Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) has partnered with to ensure voters are properly informed about candidates standing in their region. gathers essential information about candidates and their policies, sourced directly from the candidates themselves, so voters can make an informed vote at election time. First launched in 2017 for parliamentary elections, the platform was expanded in 2022 to cover local elections. An understanding of candidates and their policies is one of several issues explored by LGNZ's Electoral Reform Working Group (ERWG), with the group releasing a final position paper today that includes a set of recommendations to help lift voter turnout in future elections. ERWG Chair, Nelson Mayor Nick Smith, says the group's work has identified that a lack of information about candidates is a key reason why people do not vote. 'Voters need to be able to easily access information on who is standing for election, what they stand for, and what they hope to achieve if elected. LGNZ is partnering with as an interim measure to improve our local elections in 2025,' says Mayor Nick Smith. 'Neutral third parties, such as have played an important role in supplying candidate information to voters. With the closure of 15 more community newspapers at the end of this month, the importance of this platform is now even more evident. 'I strongly encourage both candidates and voters to utilise the website to the fullest, so that New Zealanders can make informed decisions at election time. 'We are also proposing that councils for the 2025 elections provide additional orange bins at key locations such as supermarkets, malls and libraries, given the decline in post. These were used very effectively in the 2024 special Tauranga City Council election, with 86% of voting papers returned via the orange bins. 'Using to improve candidate information and orange bins for returning voting papers are just interim measures being proposed for the 2025 elections. We are recommending a far greater shakeup for future elections but this will require legislative reform. 'The current Local Electoral Act is tired and outdated. Participation rates have dropped so low they are a risk to our mandate to speak on behalf of our communities. We need to reassert the importance of local democracy and update the system, so it works better for New Zealand. We are proposing to align the local electoral system as closely as possible with the parliamentary system where voter participation is twice as high.' LGNZ President Sam Broughton says councils make decisions that impact people's lives on a daily basis. 'Councils are responsible for things like local roads, drinking water and wastewater systems, parks and public transport, rubbish and recycling to pools and libraries. It's easy to take these services for granted and for people to wonder what they get for their rates without seeing how councils shape their lives,' says Sam Broughton. 'We need those people to have their say and to vote, so that councils deliver what communities want. Delivering what 40% want isn't enough. 'LGNZ will be advocating hard for this report's recommendations, which have strong support, and we'll work to shift that support into action for the 2028 elections.' View the ERWG final position paper at: About LGNZ: LGNZ champions, connects and supports local government. We represent the national interest of councils across New Zealand to deliver more of what matters in their communities. LGNZ is involved in policy, reforms, programmes, and advocacy as well as providing advice, consultancy and training to councils and their staff.
Otago Daily Times
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Polytech bail-outs lie ahead, Te Pūkenga warns
PHOTO: ODT FILES Te Pūkenga's managers have warned MPs the government will have to bail out struggling polytechnics despite its reforms. Meanwhile, Nelson's mayor Nick Smith appealed to the government to save the region's polytechnic from inclusion in a federation of weak institutions. Appearing before the Education and Workforce Select Committee the mega-institute's chief financial officer James Smith said the changes, which included disestablishing Te Pūkenga, would leave in place a volume-based funding system. He said that would lead to the institutes making the same poor investment decisions that prompted the creation of Te Pūkenga as a means of ensuring their long-term viability. "The system remains a simplistic, inefficient volumetric system with no ability to adjust price based on scale. We expect that these issues will persist under the structural changes enabled under the bill. We also expect because of this that the government will be relied upon for further ad hoc financial support for ITPs (Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics) in the future," he said. Smith said "unhealthy race to the bottom behaviour" was likely to re-emerge and polytechnics needed stronger incentives to collaborate with one another. He said the government's Education and Training (Vocational Education and Training System) Amendment Bill also watered down institutions' obligations to underserved learners such as Māori and Pacific communities. "This tempering of obligations, along with reductions in targeted funding for these learner groups from 2026 will maintain or worsen the current education disparities that exist in the tertiary education system," he said. Drew Mayhem from the Tertiary Education Union also cast doubt on the long-term viability of the government's plan. "Splitting out the work-based learning component and putting it in direct competition with the polytechnics that you're trying to stand alone, that's not sustainable," he said. Nelson mayor Nick Smith told the committee the creation of Te Pūkenga had been bad for the region's local polytechnic, the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT). He said his greatest fear was that NMIT would be among the former polytechnics placed into a federation rather than being allowed to stand-alone after Te Pūkenga was disestablished. Smith said he had heard that NMIT was "on the margins" of inclusion in the federation and wanted government to consult with mayors and iwi before making that decision. He said he was not expecting NMIT would emerge with all of the $20 million in cash reserves that it took into Te Pūkenga, but understood about $9m remained. Smith said that money should be transferred to the re-established institution.
RNZ News
10-07-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Polytech bail-outs lie ahead, Te Pūkenga warns
Nelson's mayor says the creation of Te Pūkenga has been bad for local polytechnic Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT). Photo: Supplied / NMIT Te Pūkenga's managers have warned MPs the government will have to bail out struggling polytechnics despite its reforms. Meanwhile, Nelson's mayor Nick Smith appealed to the government to save the region's polytechnic from inclusion in a federation of weak institutions. Appearing before the Education and Workforce Select Committee the mega-institute's chief financial officer James Smith said the changes, which included disestablishing Te Pūkenga , would leave in place a volume-based funding system. He said that would lead to the institutes making the same poor investment decisions that prompted the creation of Te Pūkenga as a means of ensuring their long-term viability. "The system remains a simplistic, inefficient volumetric system with no ability to adjust price based on scale. We expect that these issues will persist under the structural changes enabled under the bill. We also expect because of this that the government will be relied upon for further ad hoc financial support for ITPs (Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics) in the future," he said. Smith said "unhealthy race to the bottom behaviour" was likely to re-emerge and polytechnics needed stronger incentives to collaborate with one another. He said the government's Education and Training (Vocational Education and Training System) Amendment Bill also watered down institutions' obligations to underserved learners such as Māori and Pacific communities. "This tempering of obligations, along with reductions in targeted funding for these learner groups from 2026 will maintain or worsen the current education disparities that exist in the tertiary education system," he said. Drew Mayhem from the Tertiary Education Union also cast doubt on the long-term viability of the government's plan. "Splitting out the work-based learning component and putting it in direct competition with the polytechnics that you're trying to stand alone, that's not sustainable," he said. Nelson mayor Nick Smith told the committee the creation of Te Pūkenga had been bad for the region's local polytechnic, the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT). Nelson mayor Nick Smith. Photo: Supplied / Nick Smith He said his greatest fear was that NMIT would be among the former polytechnics placed into a federation rather than being allowed to stand-alone after Te Pūkenga was disestablished. Smith said he had heard that NMIT was "on the margins" of inclusion in the federation and wanted government to consult with mayors and iwi before making that decision. He said he was not expecting NMIT would emerge with all of the $20 million in cash reserves that it took into Te Pūkenga , but understood about $9m remained. Smith said that money should be transferred to the re-established institution. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
