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The Government has signed its second regional deal, this time with the Western Bay of Plenty. Tauranga City Council, Western Bay of Plenty District Council and Bay of Plenty Regional Council are all part of the deal. Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop said under the deal, the new sub-regional spatial plan would focus on growth around the Tauranga Eastern Link, developments in Omokoroa and Katikati and in Tauriko West. “Growth in these areas and in existing urban areas is estimated to support 12,000 greenfield homes and 3000 infill and intensified homes over the next 10 years, aligned with transport, water and community infrastructure,” Bishop said. The deal identifies the Takitimu North Link Stage 2 and the Tauriko West Roads of national significance as priority projects. Delivering social infrastructure alongside housing was a key focus of the deal, he said.
The ASX has appointed a former chief executive of Euronext Paris to replace outgoing chief executive Helen Lofthouse. The listed markets operator today announced Anthony Attia as its new managing director and chief executive, effective from September this year. Lofthouse announced in February that she would step down. The current group executive of markets and listings, Darren Yip, has been acting chief executive on an interim basis since May and will continue until September.
Migration to New Zealand has improved while visitor arrivals are back near pre-Covid levels, according to Statistics NZ data. The country recorded a net migration gain of 24,200 people in the year to March, up from a net gain of 14,000 the previous year, helped by fewer people departing long-term and an increase in arrivals. Visitor arrivals were 358,900 in March, up 47,100 on the same month last year. It marked the best March for tourism since 2019, when there were 378,300 visitor arrivals. The record for any March was set in 2018 with 388,300 arrivals. The latest increase was driven by more holidaymakers from Australia, China, the United States, and Britain.
New Zealand’s gas reserves have fallen 23% to 731PJ, the lowest level since recording began 20 years ago, says the Ministry of Business Innovation & Employment. The figure represents proven plus probable reserves, or 2P, as of January 1 this year. Mbie said half of the decline was gas used during the year, and half was a downward revision of estimated reserves. The biggest single operating field is now Turangi with 380PJ of 2P reserves, about 51% of the country’s total reserves. Gas field operators were expected to produce 85PJ this year, said Mbie, down 15% on the figure released a year ago for 2025 production. Mbie said the data showed contingent resources – gas known to exist but not considered commercially recoverable – were 1950PJ.