Wellington.Scoop
A total of 58 bus services were cancelled in Wellington yesterday, the eleventh day of the unprecedented period of disruptions to the city’s public transport. Here’s the list from MetLink of yesterday afternoon’s 32 cancellations. Read more »
News from KiwiRail
Interislander will be giving its flagship passenger ferry – the Kaitaki – a bit of a spruce up this winter. Following the recent decision to renew the lease for another four years until 2017, a refurbishment of the passenger areas on the ship will be completed when the ship goes into dry dock in August. Read more »
Press Release – Greater Wellington Regional Council
A major upgrade has been carried out since the Tawa Station building was found to be in a serious state of disrepair. The roof had had been leaking for years, destroying ceiling and wall linings and causing rafters and wall studs to rot. The building was also heavily infested with borer. Read more »
News from Radio New Zealand
International Radio Personality of the Year, Kim Hill, has been recognised by New Zealand radio industry colleagues and award judges in the 2013 New Zealand Radio Awards announced yesterday. She received the prestigious Outstanding Contribution to Broadcasting Award and won the Best Talk or Current Affairs Host category ahead of strong competition from commercial broadcasters Mike Hosking and Larry Williams. Read more »
Report from BusinessDesk
Wellington International Airport, which the Commerce Commission deems is extracting excessive profits, released its annual results today, showing that its net profit rose about 81 per cent to $16.2million in the 12 months ended March 31.
The airport, which is 66 percent owned by Infratil and 34 percent by the Wellington City Council, reported that its total revenue climbed 6.8 percent to $106 million, of which landing and terminal charges rose 9.8 percent to $62.6 million. Revenue from property rent and lease income was little changed in the latest year at $10.8 million and retail and trading activity sales rose to $32.8 million from $31.6 million.
Revenue from Air New Zealand, Qantas Airways and Virgin Australia rose 20 percent to $62.2 million, which the airport said included about $2.2 million it charged airlines as a noise levy.
A spokesman said that backing out the impact of the levy, adjusting for the lack of international departure fee and taking into account the increase in passenger numbers, revenue from airlines only rose about 1.5 percent in the year.
Passenger movements rose to 5.4 million from 5.2 million a year earlier. Domestic passengers rose to 4.6 million from 4.47 million and international increased to 727,000 from 718,000. Total aircraft movements fell to 99,998 from 100,909.
The airport’s preferred performance measure is earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortisation and fair value movements, which rose to $82.9 million in the last 12 month period, from $75.5 million a year earlier. The increase in EBITDAF was made up of a $3.4 million increase in aeronautical charges, $1.2 million of passenger services income and $2.1 million for air noise mitigation.
In February, the Commerce Commission released its final assessment of returns for the airport, which it concluded would be between $38 million and $69 million more than it needs to be for a reasonable return between 2012 and 2017.
The airport disputes the regulator’s methodology, saying returns were “well below the commission’s benchmark,” while its per-passenger charges were at the low end of the range of its peers.
The Board of Airline Representatives New Zealand, which represents 20 airlines including Wellington airport’s three biggest customers, said today that the airport “needs to come under a more effective form of price regulation.”
The airport paid a dividend of $8.8 million to the council in June last year and what is called a subvention payment of $30 million to Infratil subsidiary NZ Airports.
Infratil’s shares fell 1 percent to $2.42 and have gained 7.5 percent this year.
(BusinessDesk)
Press Release – BARNZ
Wellington Airport’s jump in its full year profit reported today proves the airlines’ claim about the airport abusing its monopoly position. Read more »
by Lindsay Shelton
When I reported last week that a city council organisation had received a $5million management fee from the council, there was an angry denial from the organisation’s chairman. Which was strange, as the information came from his annual report. The mystery continues. Read more »
Press Release – Wellington City Council
The Wellington City Council has today strengthened its response to climate change through the development of a more comprehensive and integrated Climate Change Action Plan. Read more »
News from Hands Across the Sand
Wellingtonians are joining forces with groups in 50 countries across the world on Saturday by taking part in “Hands Across The Sand”, a global day of action against extreme-oil extraction. Participants will join hands across Oriental Bay to express their concern at the government’s plans to allow Texan oil company Anadarko to explore for oil off Wellington’s coast this summer. Read more »
Press Release – Wellington City Council
Wellington City Council’s Chief Executive, Kevin Lavery, has updated Mayor Celia Wade-Brown and Councillors relating to the change process that has been under way at the Council. Read more »
Press Release – Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment
Wellington’s online job vacancies increased by 3.9 per cent in April, according to the latest Jobs Online report from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Read more »
News from WCC
Wellington City Councillors have unanimously voted in favour of a plan to stop taxis waiting in ‘pay and display’ parking spaces on five of the central city’s busiest streets – in order to free up more parking space for the public. Read more »
Press Release – Google NZ
Super web-savvy Nelson has beaten out New Zealand’s biggest cities to claim the title of New Zealand’s top Google eTown. Nelson topped fellow finalists Auckland City, Wellington, Tauranga and Queenstown, in the award launched by Google to celebrate the towns and cities where small to medium businesses (SMEs) are making the best use of the web to connect with customers and grow. Read more »
Press Release – The Roxy Cinema
Wellington.Scoop
An apology seems a less than adequate response to the disruptions of Wellington bus services which are now in their ninth day, and continuing. The explanations from the people in charge of the buses seem less than adequate, too. Read more »
Press Release – Department Of Internal Affairs
A ceremony will be held on Mondahy to commemorate the 72nd anniversary of the Battle of Crete. The Governor General, Sir Jerry Mateparae, as well as Peter Dunne, will be in attendance.
Read more »
Media release from Greater Wellington Regional Council
Disruptions to GO Wellington and Valley Flyer bus services are likely to continue for a few more weeks but the numbers of daily disruptions are expected to reduce progressively, NZ Bus and Greater Wellington said today. Read more »
Press Release – Greater Wellington Regional Council
Bus services on Routes# 1, between Wellington Station and Island Bay, and #3 between Karori and Lyall Bay, will again be diverted away from the Basin Reserve and run instead via Taranaki and Wallace Streets from 2pm until 7.30pm today, due to a continuing power outage. Read more »
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