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RNZ News
08-07-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Conservation land use applications processed faster with help from AI
Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says processing applications quicker means businesses get certainty faster. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone The government is celebrating faster processing of applications for the use of conservation land, including by using AI. In a statement, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka said the application backlog had dropped from 1300 last September, to 550 now - with processing times improved by 180 percent. He said AI had been used to help scan documents, and one-off drone permits now took just five working days, compared to the previous "weeks". "We're achieving these results through a data-driven approach and smarter, more efficient systems and processes, including new technology such as AI tools helping to scan statutory documents," he said. "Processing applications quicker means businesses get certainty faster. DOC is enabling a wide range of activities that connect people with nature and support local economies, while more quickly declining proposals where the effects on nature or heritage cannot be avoided, remedied, or mitigated. "Around a third of the applications DOC has processed since February are related to tourism, the country's second-largest export earner, where more than 380 tourism related applications in the last three months were processed, including guiding activities in Fiordland and Heli hunt and fish concessions for helicopter landings in the North Island." Most applications for use of conservation land are for tourism operations, but the Department of Conservation this month also approved Kokiri Lime's application to quarry 1ha of rock needed for critical roading and flood protection infrastructure projects in South Westland. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Amazon outlines job initiatives in Europe's low-employment areas
In 2024, Amazon contributed over €41 billion to Europe's GDP, and over €29 billion to the EU27, according to their latest impact report, released on June 4. To put that in perspective, €41 billion is just a little bit more than the entire GDP of Latvia. "Our economic impact in Europe goes far beyond the numbers," explains Mariangela Marseglia, VP of Amazon Stores EU. "We're creating opportunities where they're needed most, supporting local economies, and helping to revitalize communities across the continent.' And whilst the impact may 'go beyond the numbers', let's take a closer look at the stats. In the EU, Amazon directly employs 150,000 people and the impact on communities outside of traditional employment hubs has created an interesting ripple effect on the local economies. In France's Hauts-de-France region, where unemployment sits at 8.7% - well above the national average of 7.3% - Amazon has created over 6,000 jobs in the past decade. This region has previously suffered from the deindustrialisation that has plagued many communities in Europe, with the loss of mining, steelmaking and wool industries. The retail giant's fulfillment centre at Lauwin-Planque employs over 2,600 permanent staff, with 84% living within a 30-minute drive. Eleven years after opening, 71% of locals report the site has had a positive or very positive impact, with 94% highlighting job creation as a key benefit. This is echoed across the EU as over 90,000 of Amazon's employees are based in areas with higher than average unemployment rates, according to a report from Eurostat. Research from Ipsos further revealed that 81% of residents near an Amazon logistics facility report increased job opportunities since the company's arrival and over half say financial improvements have led them to consider major life decisions like purchasing property or starting a family. While zero-hour contracts are banned in several EU countries, in the European countries that do allow them, Amazon confirmed this is not an employment method they practice. Related Where in Europe are workers losing ground as taxes rise faster than wages? Eurozone unemployment drops to record low levels in April In 2024, Amazon invested more than €55 billion in infrastructure and its workforce across Europe (€38bn in the EU27), bringing its total investment since 2010 to €320 billion. Although most people know Amazon for its e-commerce platform, a huge part of its business also comes from Amazon Web Services (AWS) and its cloud computing offerings. Future investments from the company seem centred around AWS and will drive employment in diverse skill sets. Some €8.8 billion is planned in the Frankfurt region through 2026, supporting 15,200 full-time equivalent jobs and contributing an estimated €15.4 billion to Germany's GDP. Moreover, £8 billion (€9.5 bn) will be invested in the UK before the end of 2028, supporting 14,000 jobs annually and contributing £14 billion (€16.6 bn) to the UK's total GDP. A further €6 billion is being invested in France to develop cloud infrastructure until 2031. Predictions estimate this will contribute €16.8 billion to France's GDP and will support an average of 5,271 full-time jobs annually. In Spain, a €15.7 billion injection will support 17,500 jobs annually and contribute an estimated €21.6 billion to Spain's gross domestic product (GDP) through to 2033. Sign in to access your portfolio
South China Morning Post
18-06-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Vibrant Chinese dining culture suffers from heavy-handed austerity control: state media
China's ongoing austerity campaign has been taken too far at some local levels, People's Daily has warned, a month after Beijing launched its latest belt-tightening push. Advertisement In a commentary published on its website on Tuesday night, the party mouthpiece said that while curbing corruption and extravagance was necessary for the austerity campaign, it should not come at the expense of a citizen's daily life or local economies. 'When implementing, some localities have 'layered on restrictions' – equating 'prohibiting illegal dining and drinking' simply with 'banning all eating and drinking',' the commentary said, referring to a common situation in China in which higher authorities impose additional or even stricter requirements at every level, leading to excessive or overzealous implementation. 02:55 US beef off the menu as trade war hits Beijing's American-style restaurants US beef off the menu as trade war hits Beijing's American-style restaurants 'This behaviour is also a form of lazy governance and a variant of formalism, causing businesses to lose customers and dimming the vibrancy of people's everyday lives,' it said. Beijing launched an austerity push in March in an effort to improve the ruling party's image, combat corruption and cut wasteful spending. It urged officials to 'get used to belt-tightening' and show 'strict diligence and thrift'. New measures announced last month included 20 major changes related to official work meals, the use of government cars, inspection tours and other spending. For instance, expensive dishes, cigarettes and alcohol are banned at work meals, and extravagant decorations for official reception venues are prohibited. Advertisement In recent weeks Beijing has sent eight central guidance teams to reinforce the message during inspection tours around the country. The graft-busting Central Commission for Discipline Inspection began releasing details of occasions of excessive drinking by officials – including some who died from consuming too much alcohol – as a warning.
The Independent
10-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Whitehall departments to be told to move more civil servants out of London or get less cash
Whitehall departments are at risk of failing to get part of their funding in Rachel Reeves's spending unless they decant hundreds of civil servants to other parts of the UK. A major government shake up will require more civil service jobs to be based in 12 locations outside London, delivering and developing government policy closer to the communities it affects. The move is expected to provide a £729m boost for local economies across UK in shake up to bring government closer to communities. The 12 growth areas are: Greater Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Cardiff, Glasgow, Darlington, Newcastle and Tyneside, Sheffield, Bristol, Edinburgh, Belfast and York. As part of the spending review, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden will write to all departments requiring them to relocate key roles and strengthen the government's presence in 12 locations by 2030. A government source has confirmed that success in the project by departments 'will be factored into' their spending review settlement. The source added: 'We expect all London based Departments to set out ambitious commitments to relocate roles out of London as part of their spending review plans.' To avoid name plate only efforts, there will be an expectation of 60 per cent working from offices as a minimum. The plan reflects the movement of part of the Treasury to a new campus in Teesside in the north east of England. The prime minister is understood to be keen to go further to enhance the impact of government in places across the country, so that the civil service has an active presence in communities across the UK and contributes to local growth and job creation. The plans will see more roles working closer to frontline services, facilitating greater understanding of the real issues facing local services and people, and how central government policy can support them. Central government can't solve the issues facing local communities from Whitehall alone. Building real, sustainable links to the communities they serve, the changes ensure civil servants will work with the local community, service providers and local government to develop policy.
