Business & management:
•If you’re having difficulty understanding how US subprime mortgage borrowers could be having such an impact on global credit, the Financial Times now has a web section dedicated to the “global credit squeeze”.
•AucklandPlus (Auckland Regional Council) has released “Bringing the world to Auckland”, a regional visitor strategy that includes the recommendation to start an expanded regional visitor agency.
•Grey Power has highlighted statistics from the Household Economic Survey and the Energy Data File, to show that low income households are definitely suffering from “energy poverty”, due to the proportion of their income spent on energy.
Environment & sustainability:
•Liveable cities and urban planning were included in the UN Climate Conference in Bali in the Local Government Climate Sessions, and a report was also released: “Liveable Cities: The Benefits of Urban Environmental Planning”, which showcases 12 examples of cities around the world.
Health & wellbeing:
•Women in the UK will be able to get the contraceptive pill on demand from pharmacies, without the need to visit a GP or family planning clinic.
•UNICEF has released a statistical report on how well the world is doing in meeting its commitments for the world’s children, “Progress for Children: A World Fit for Children Statistical Review”.
•The Dept of Labour has published a new guide for employers: “Managing shift work to minimise work place fatigue”.
•NZers are increasingly using the Internet to research medical conditions and pharmaceuticals before they visit their GP, and also to challenge medical opinions.
Law & Government:
•The latest Local Government Connection newsletter has been released by Statistics NZ, containing statistics such as the subnational population projections (estimates were released in the previous newsletter), information and technology, and unpaid work.
•An asset transfer programme is being trialled in the UK – public owned assets such as heritage buildings or community centres are handed over to community-led organisations to run and use for the benefit of the local communities.
•Concern has been expressed by the NZ Council for Infrastructure Development about the the 10-year ban on thermal generation proposed by the government. The Council believes the thermal generation ban may actually lead to an increase in emissions, rather than a decrease.
•The Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) will be in Auckland for the first time, on the 20th-24th of January 2008, for the 16th annual meeting at which up to 27 countries will attend.
People, culture & diversity:
•Recent studies in Europe have highlighted a “lifestyle divide” between men and women, with women becoming “locked” into lower paid jobs.
•The government in the UK is to shift funding for the elderly and young disabled living at home, so that means-tested amounts are paid into their bank accounts, and they are able to make their own choices about the social services on which they choose to spend their money. The move is partly due to the ageing “baby boomer” generation.
•”Older Adults' Experience of family life: linked lives and independent living” is a Blue Skies funding report from the Families Commission that shows that while older people want to retain their independence, they also want to feel like they are contributing.
Science, technology & transport:
•Contactless smart cards are the new trend in public transport systems in cities around the world – Melbourne is introducing one, and a number of US cities use them. The new technology results in an increased number of riders and an increase in rider loyalty, and the latest automatic contactless payment systems could also increase patronage due to ease of use.
•A revamped Google Maps ™ NZ service has been launched, that provides business information, driving instructions and is also available via mobile.
•The International Telecommunication Union has announced the first set of global standards for Internet Protocol TV (IPTV).
And last but not least……..
•Radio New Zealand has negotiated with Warner Music & Split Enz Management, to be able to make the 10-part Enzology documentary series covering the history of Split Enz available as a series of podcasts from this Saturday until the end of February. An RSS feed will keep you up-to-date with the series as each new part is released, so that you can listen to them online or download them. The series will be available online for at least 12 months.
•2008 has been declared the International Year of the Potato – and the Asia Pacific region, surprisingly, is the region with the largest production of potatoes. A range of varieties are grown in NZ commercially, and there also older varieties available from producers of heritage plants and seeds, including our colourful Maori potatoes – great for getting some more of those important coloured foods into our diet!
•They have always had great travel pages, but now the AA have expanded their accommodation services by buying into and creating a joint venture with Bookabach.co.nz.
This is the final posting for 2007 - I hope you all have a relaxing and happy holiday, whether short or long, and the first posting for 2008 will come out some time after 7th Jan.
From the LOGIS desk.
Thursday, 20 December 2007
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