Herculean job for Arvida, Labour's Little task is a big one, Jandalled Jihadis' a growing NZ threat

Litigation still hangs over Queenstown’s mult-stage Kawarau Falls development despite the sale of the Hilton hotel complex to Chinese billionaire Jiang Zhaobai. Duncan Bridgeman reports.

A new think tank report calls for an independent “fiscal council” to monitor quality and level of government spending to prevent boom and bust outcomes.

The liquidator for Albany Heights’ associated company Hunter Capital has recoeverd $125,000 from a Rod Nielsen associated trust. Court reporter Victoria Young reports.

The Treasury is making more warning noises about the surplus target – though not, importantly, about the economy itself, writes economics editor Rob Hosking.

Iain Hill, KiwiRail’s group general manager of operations, isn’t entirely sold on Oscar Wilde’s assertion that “there is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.” He talks to Nick Grant about the Cook Strait rail link.

New Zealand’s dairy, meat and kiwifruit industries are set to eventually save about $152 million a year from the signing of the free-trade agreement with South Korea. Jamie Ball assesses the benefits and the pitfalls.

In Margin Call, Nevil Gibson says it’s hard to recall a week this year that has been bigger for business deals or free trade agreements.

Rob Hosking sees two double-edged messages at Andrew Little’s first press conference as the Labour leader sets a pattern for his leadership.

The total number of New Zealanders connected to Islamic terrorist organisations is high enough to raise concerns of a growing threat inside New Zealand, experts tell Nathan Smith.

As Auckland’s fifth largest ‘business,’ what percentage of Auckland’s GDP does it take? Is the council delivering value for money and how many people does it employ? Michael Barnett reckons a scorecard is needed to frame the rates debate.

Shoeshine likes how the A2 Milk Company [NZX:ATM] is getting on with business after a challenging 12 months, but can the company execute its strategy well enough?

In Ad Media, Campbell Gibson discusses the imminent arrival in New Zealand of GroupM, the largest billing media company in the world.

Property reporter Chris Hutching reports on CERAs achievements and finds that difficult to disern as the CEO leaves.

NBR’s Special Feature focuses on SMEs.

Briefly:

• Michael Coote says official action against labour exploitation should start with seafood from foreign chartered vessels
• Michael Wigley asks whether the censor can prosecute CallPlus for Global Mode?
• Food is the one commodity for which there is no substitute, writes Jacqueline Rowarth

All this and more in today’s National Business Review. Out now.