Latest news with #TEC
ABC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Tasmanian election 2025: When will we know the result?
Tasmanian election day is here. A record number of people in the state have already voted early — over one-quarter of eligible Tasmanian voters. If you're eagerly awaiting an election outcome tonight, you might need to temper your expectations. Polls have consistently pointed to a likely hung parliament and a large crossbench, meaning a clear winner might not emerge right away. And then there's all the pre-polling votes to count. It all depends on how close the result is. If one of the major parties emerges with a clear majority of seats, then the ABC will be able to confidently call the winner. That magic number of seats for a majority government in Tasmania is 18. But based on primary voting intention polling, no party is likely to convert primary votes into majority government. But the expectation, according to polling released during the campaign, is the election will result in a hung parliament. Political analyst Kevin Bonham told ABC Radio Mornings the count will be less complete tonight than last year's election, because postal votes won't be counted on the night. But, he said we should have a good idea of where things are heading by the end of tonight. "We may well know the majority of seats, but then there may be more in doubt than last time," Dr Bonham said. The Tasmanian Electoral Commission (TEC) says rechecks and further counting of first preferences will happen next week, while they wait for the arrival of final postal votes up until 10am on Tuesday 29 July. A full distribution of preferences then begins, which can take several days to complete. The first preferences will start to be counted as soon as polling closes, with the results expected to start coming in about 6:45pm tonight. The TEC runs the election and will call the winner. But it won't do that until the process of counting, rechecking and distributing preferences happens — and this can take weeks. So, the ABC uses a modelling system that is fed with TEC counting data to project a winner. On Friday afternoon, the TEC said it expects at least 130,000 people will have cast their vote early, either at a pre-poll centre, by postal vote or over the phone. Well over a quarter, and probably a third, who are early voters," TEC electoral commissioner Andrew Hawkey said. Last election, the number of people who voted early was just under 110,000. Because of that significant increase, only nine of the 15 pre-poll centres will start to be counted tonight. "What we're going to do is focus on getting the nine that we can get done, hopefully by the 11:00pm shut off," Mr Hawkey said. "Then the further six of them will be completed on the Sunday, hopefully by about 2:00pm. "Last year we had, well after midnight, four or five of our polls coming in." Mr Hawkey said postal vote counting won't begin until Thursday next week due to a new system where the TEC checks to make sure postal voters have not voted twice. The last Tasmanian election was on March 23, 2024. Premier Jeremy Rockliff called the snap election after two former-Liberals MPs, who moved to the crossbench to sit as independents the year before, threatened to pull confidence and supply. Mr Rockliff had hoped the election would restore his government back to a stable Liberal majority. This didn't happen. The Liberals won 14 seats, Labor won 10, the Greens claimed five, JLN won three, and three seats went to independent MPs. On the night, Liberal leader Jeremy Rockliff claimed victory and said Tasmanians had sent a "clear message" about who they wanted to govern the state, despite a decline in the party's primary vote. Then-Labor leader Rebecca White refused to concede defeat on the night, and Tasmanians went to bed unsure who would govern in the coming weeks. The next day, Ms White declared Labor had lost the state election and wouldn't attempt to form government, leaving the door open for the Liberals to form minority government. At last year's election, it appeared early on that two independents would win seats — Kristie Johnston and David O'Byrne. But almost a fortnight later, independent candidate Craig Garland surprised everyone with an 11th hour win in Braddon. As preferences were distributed, he raced past the Greens because of Shooters, Farmers and Fishers party preferences, then past the Liberal's candidate Giovanna Simpson on Greens preferences. According to Dr Bonham, Mr Garland received the lowest primary vote that has resulted in a win for a lone independent ever. His victory complicated things for the Liberals in negotiating with the crossbench to form minority government.
NZ Herald
6 days ago
- Business
- NZ Herald
Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe pushing for locally governed tertiary institution
'We will put an investment plan together with TEC for the type of programmes they might fund. 'We are on the ground and listening to the community to know what they need now and into the future.' Last month, Tripe said the district's main tertiary provider, the Universal College of Learning (Ucol), had been 'very Palmerston North-centric' since it started. At the time, he said Vocational Education Minister Penny Simmonds had sent him a letter of encouragement about a new Whanganui facility. Ucol has been operating in Whanganui since 2002, after integrating with the Wanganui Regional Community Polytechnic and Wanganui School of Design. It is under the umbrella of Te Pūkenga in Wellington, which was established in April 2020 and merged 25 polytechnics and industry training organisations into one network. In a statement on Monday, July 14, Simmonds said Ucol would return to regional governance from January 1 next year. The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand would be the anchor polytechnic of the new federation, which included Otago Polytechnic and Ucol, to co-ordinate programmes and other services, including shared academic boards, she said. Mayor Andrew Tripe said Ucol was "Palmerston North-centric". Photo / NZME Simmonds told the Chronicle she had been engaging with Tripe, and TEC was working with him to find ways in which the Whanganui campus could have local input and direction while still operating within the wider Ucol entity. 'Things being considered include a local advisory committee with its chair on the Ucol council, an investment plan specifically for the Whanganui campus, the ability to utilise online offerings from the Open Polytechnic for blended delivery at the Whanganui campus and an ability to market a 'Whanganui School of Design and Technology' under its own branding both locally and internationally.' A Ucol spokesperson said there would be a final decision on its 'change process' on Wednesday, July 16. The organisation announced in April that it proposed cutting up to 17% of its workforce across Palmerston North, Whanganui and Masterton, including two roles in Whanganui. Whanganui MP Carl Bates, a former board member at Ucol, said he was supporting the Whanganui District Council with its work, and communicating 'as appropriate' with Simmonds. He said Ucol's return to autonomy meant the potential for Whanganui involvement in its governance. 'The council has additional aspirations for what the Whanganui campus could look like,' he said. 'We won't end up with two [institutions] in Whanganui. This is about the best way to serve our community, ensuring it's sustainable, financially viable and it delivers for our students.' Bates said Ucol staff in Whanganui did great work and the district had a 'fantastic history when it comes to polytechnic education'. 'It would be great to see some of that lifted up again,' she said. 'That's a vision all parties, Ucol included, would support. 'We've got to work out exactly how that will be delivered.' Tripe said Whanganui had a strong, niche manufacturing sector. 'What can we do in that space? And how can we make sure there is a pipeline of talent into that particular industry? 'Design and technology cover a broad area. It is something all of New Zealand needs, not just our community.' Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.
Arab Times
14-07-2025
- Business
- Arab Times
Kuwait's TEC cracks down on marina irregularities with new rules
KUWAIT CITY, July 14: In line with efforts to regulate the maritime sector and enforce legal standards across its facilities, the Touristic Enterprises Company (TEC) has announced the suspension of all marina conversion and transfer procedures, effective July 2025. This decision coincides with the launch of amendments to the regulations governing marina usage, forming part of a broader plan to combat a series of violations, including unauthorized subleasing, berth monopolization, and black-market transactions. The company expressed concern over the recent increase in unlicensed advertisements on social media and non-official websites promoting the sale or rental of marinas located within TEC-affiliated sites — practices it described as 'clear violations' of administrative decisions and applicable laws. 'This step reflects our commitment to our national responsibilities and our drive to ensure justice, equal opportunity, and transparency in marina allocation,' TEC stated in its announcement. The company further clarified that all vacant marina berths will be made available again for leasing — but only after current violations are addressed and rectified. These berths will be reallocated under a clear and transparent mechanism, details of which will be announced officially at a later date. In a related update, TEC revealed that it is in the final stages of preparing for the rehabilitation of the Yacht Club, a major redevelopment project that will be executed in line with international standards. The initiative aims to enhance the quality and safety of marine facilities and offer a comprehensive experience for beachgoers and marina users. Concluding its statement, TEC urged citizens and residents to avoid engaging with unofficial marina advertisements, emphasizing the need to rely exclusively on official company platforms for accurate and up-to-date information.
Scoop
14-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Otago Polytechnic To Stand Alone But Deep Concerns Over Federation
Otago Polytechnic is welcoming aspects of this afternoon's announcement by the Minister for Vocational Education, Penny Simmonds, that our organisation will be able to stand alone again from 1 January 2026. [Government media release] However, we are deeply disappointed to see that we have been included as part of a federation model. We believe we are in a similar financial position as other ITPs (polytechnics), and have a clear pathway towards financial viability from 2026. Otago Polytechnic currently boasts one of the highest learner completion rates in the polytechnic sector (source: TEC survey), and we are concerned that the federation model would dilute this offering and impact our organisation's proud reputation and future success. The federation model risks undermining our learner success rates and the quality of teaching at Otago Polytechnic, and ultimately risks undermining our independence and future viability as a regional institution. We are still seeking further clarification around the Minister's announcement that the Open Polytechnic of New Zealand will be the anchor polytechnic of the new federation, which includes Otago Polytechnic and UCOL, so we can understand the impacts for us in terms of local governance and our programme and service provision. Ultimately, we will pursue a path towards independence, and would welcome the support of the government and our local community to get there. We believe choosing this decision would give us the opportunity to become a strong, independent and sustainable organisation that contributes to a responsive and thriving vocational education sector across Aotearoa. Standing alone would mean the autonomy to make our own decisions and the ability to respond to the needs and aspirations of our ākonga (students), our kaimahi (staff), our local communities and employers. It would also provide us with an enhanced ability to innovate and shape our own future, and to be able to make a stronger contribution to Dunedin's brand as New Zealand's premier education destination. I have thanked kaimahi for their dedication and hard work to get us to this point. Our organisation has been through many challenging and uncertain times, but our kaimahi have continued to deliver the exceptional education and outstanding ākonga experience we're renowned for. However, I've acknowledged there will be more challenges to come as we continue working towards the financial viability and long-term sustainability of Otago Polytechnic. We will continue to review programmes and staffing levels on an ongoing basis to ensure we can continue to be self-sustainable. An Advisory Group is being established, and we expect a larger governing body to be put in place to oversee the transition. We plan to prioritise engagement with kaimahi, ākonga, mana whenua, Pasifika communities and other community partners and stakeholders throughout this process.
South Wales Argus
12-07-2025
- Science
- South Wales Argus
Night sky: Some of the strange objects in our solar system
In 2017, Oumuamua, (pronounced oh MOO-uh MOO-uh), caused a stir as it causally entered our neck of the woods in the autumn. The object, which measured 115 metres long, 364 metres wide, and 19 metres depth, was subsequently confirmed as the first body to have come from a planetary system beyond our own. Oumaumua, (which in Hawaiian means 'first distant messenger'), was travelling too fast to have originated from within our solar system, 54 miles per second, with comets and asteroids from within normally only achieving 12 miles per second. By January 2018, the object was lost by even the most powerful telescopes, probably never to be seen again. Within a few years, another object appeared, 2I/Borisov, discovered in August 2019. Travelling at 110,000mph, the object measured 3,200 metres across, with the last observations recorded in the summer of 2020. Now, another cosmic wanderer has been spotted, with its trajectory indicating that it will pass Mars in October 2025, with its closest approach to Earth in December. The object measures 12 miles wide and was first christened A11pl3Z but since renamed 3I/Atlas, as it was discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, (ATLAS), telescope in Chile. The object's speed has been measured at 37 miles per second, which classes it as heralding from outside of our solar system. 3I/Atlas will pass Mars in October at 18 million miles, passing Earth at a totally safe distance of 150 million miles, so no threat to us but a great opportunity to study it. From an amateur astronomer's perspective, as the visitor approaches Earth, it is likely to brighten to a point sufficient for small telescopes and even binoculars to spot it. In space news, and rather sadly, a capsule carrying the ashes of 166 people that was supposed to take-off then make several orbits of the Earth before returning safely, didn't complete its intended feat. A German start-up firm, The Exploration Company, (TEC), said that it lost contact with the capsule after it had made two orbits of the Earth, with the craft ditching in the Pacific Ocean minutes before its scheduled splash-down designation. Designed to fulfil the dying wishes of the deceased who had dreamed of becoming astronauts, the capsule has been declared lost. On the morning of Sunday, July 13, there's a chance to glimpse Venus in the morning sky just before dawn. Venus will be sitting over the horizon to the northeast, outshining anything else in the sky. The bright star Aldebaran is close by. On the evening of Tuesday, July 15, Saturn, rising at around 11.30pm, will be positioned close to the Moon in the constellation of Pisces. Also in the evening sky is Mars, low in the west after sunset, but becoming increasingly more difficult to spot. Send your astrophotography pictures to: thenightsky@
