By: rsmith111333
24/03/2008
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| Well if there were someone in power that were hands on and had the experience. Yes, there has to be a solution. Remember export other than Dairy and Tourism. What else is there. |
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By: rsmith111333
24/03/2008
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| We shouldn't have all our eggs in one basket. |
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By: putionz
24/03/2008
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| The country achieves in the arts and this Government, if it has any redeeming factor about it does well (but could do better) to promote the arts and exercise a little more control of funding so we don't end up with the same lot always getting first dibs this does not serve the wider communtiy of arts/disciplines |
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By: flyasub
24/03/2008
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The only reason we were able to produce goods in this country for either home consumption or export in the past, was because there were import restrictions and if anything was manufactured in NZ, - then it was nearly impossible to obtain an import licence.
The prices for manufactured goods in NZ was horrendous, and goods way back in the sixties and seventies used to cost the earth.
A good example was an electric fan we purchased in 1974 set us back $85, - today that would cost around $20 imported, and that's taking into account that the dollar was worth a lot more then and $85 was probably about 75% of the weekly wage!
Since the early eighties, when everything opened up, many little NZ companies closed their doors for good, many moved overseas for cheaper labour and incentives, and they are still doing so.
How can we possibly compete? we are so far from the markets, and it's getting more costly by the day to transport goods, also we often have to import the materials.
Still, there are a few companies operating in niche markets turning out innovative and quality goods, mainly I think in industries producing specialised electronic equipment etc. whose expertise is sought after, - this is good to see! |
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By: rsmith111333
24/03/2008
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| Can we specialise in unique products other than dairy. Off main stream products. We only have to look after 4million people. |
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By: xtr365705@xtra.co.nz
24/03/2008
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| I'm afraid that anyone trying to make a living out of 'off main stream' products for a population the size of NZ's is putting a loaded to to his/her head. Not only is the market far too small but the huge compliance costs that now exists here is nothing but extortion that helps force the product price way over a similar product that's imported. |
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By: rsmith111333
24/03/2008
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That I agree is overall correct.
However can we not brainstorm for ideas. Tourism do the clean green. There has to be something unique that we can market in this wide world of opportunity. Cheers |
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By: flyasub
24/03/2008
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Bottle and export fresh air maybe - we've got the material!
or even CO2 as a spinoff from dairying. |
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By: rsmith111333
24/03/2008
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| Well a funny thing happened a few yrs ago.(in the scheme of things) Someone thought of bottling water in stores next to soft drinks etc hey presto sales by the millions. |
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By: w1ksta
24/03/2008
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| China is a huge threat to exporting in NZ, I work for a saw blade manufacturing company and were on the brink of closing due to the rising NZ doller, the increased interest rates and the fact that Americas (nearly) facing a reccession and we cant forget the fact that China have the ability to manufacture things alot cheaper and just as well as us.... Thevyve just made a person redundant (friday just been) and theyre making us take our holidays, all employees must have 10 working days off..... things arent looking good.... |
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By: rsmith111333
24/03/2008
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w1ksta - Thanksyou for this point. I have said before if the govt. new how to plan and put together growth plans for NZ business these things like this would be lesser. You see MMP is not for the people FPP at least helps us manage the system instead of time keeping other parties happy. Something can be done for the future.
Some info for you.
A German manufacturer - there biggest International competitor is China, however the Germans biggest export market is China. Yes they want quality.
Cheers |
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By: solutionz@xtra.co.nz
24/03/2008
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Kyoto Clark of Helengrad has all but stuffed this country....however, to be fair, if she mean't half of what she spouts about investment in technology...then there would be a billion and one chances to make it.
Right now, thanks largely to her and her ilk, the carbon footprint associated with exports from countries such as our, so far removed from our traditional customers is perceived to be too great and the Europeans would have it that our contribution to carbon is too great and we must be stopped at all costs.
We are about to see petrol prices go over $2:15 befor the end of Labour's reign or very soon after the end of this term, should they get back in...today you saw their reaction to loss of revenues for local government should Labour slacken off the red tape on new home building. We could, they say, save $3000 on an average home if they cut some of the requirements....actually, compliance cost on a home of $200,000 are at the very least, $34,000...so they are talking sh....t as usual.
What they are actually saying is, that regimes put in place after their very own Building Industry Authority cocked up and changed the rules that led to the leaky home fiasco...is that they have deliberately escalated prices and compliance costs to generate revenue for local government |
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By: rsmith111333
24/03/2008
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| I can't say it easy being a Politian however I expect more. Half a planned operated would stand out. This is what Prime Ministers are made of. |
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By: danforbes@xtra.co.nz
24/03/2008
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| Face it rsmith this country is a agriculture country not an industrial country. Agricultural research and development could be our point difference for competing in the world market for export dollars. I agree with solutionz on this one if our PM stopped having those silly talkfests and just got on the job of building our agricultural sector into a sustainable model for the 21st century maybe we could prosper as a country. Maybe she should just stand aside and let someone who can build our economy get on with the job. |
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By: putionz
26/03/2008
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As long as we're locked into this vicious circle of inferior goods and cheap overseas labour it will stay an uphill battle. I found a few years back (a fair few infact) that If I were to pursue a sustainable business one of the things I would have to realistically let go of was some of my ideals about sourcing locally. The fact is the number sleave you at the high end of the market and there is no way buyers will flock to you if you've prioced yoursefl right ut of it.
Manufacturing can certainly grow but then it depends on the product and what the materials are that we need to manufacture the same. The less taht is required from beyond our shores the better. |
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By: xtr365705@xtra.co.nz
26/03/2008
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| The only things Helengrad is interested in growing are huge wind turbines out of the ground; that will screw our clean green image [photograph the scenery now while you can] and huge power pylons that will also be a blight on the scenery. If this govt. was interested in manufacturing [instead of doing secret deals with China] it would have put 10's of millions into research. It's trying to hand Fonterra and co the likes of $700m's for their reasearch so where's the justice in this. |
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By: golfers248
26/03/2008
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| I am part German and therefore have a taste for quality and eye for detail. What I get really frustrated about is we export all our very best quality stuff and get a heap of cheap badly make "crap" from China, why is that? the sizing of clothing is way-off, too darn small, or the arms are too long, or tapers in too soon, etc etc, I don't buy it, and either wait till I have the $$$ to buy quality or go without. |
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By: mearhoo
26/03/2008
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Oh yeah, Danforbes. Agricultural not industrial.
That means the farmers etc can go back to horse and cart than. Without industrial they cant have all there upto the date farm equipment. No roads. No vehicles. No steel. No welders. Well they cant have it all there way. There are other industries in NZ that need government help. Well a new Government would.The only growing in nz and manufacturing that are doing any good is all the illegal stuff. P factories and cannabis for the green eyes that turn red. |
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By: dhume200
26/03/2008
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The hard facts of it are that we are never going to compete with China when it comes to manufacturing mass produced goods for very low cost. We don't have sweat shops in NZ and have a respectable minumum wage. We also can't produce things on the same scale. It doesn't take a genius to work out that this shouln't be the area that we are focussing on.
NZ should be focussing on producing high quality niche products that can enhance our manufacturing reputation for producing quality goods. |
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By: dhume200
26/03/2008
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| As for xtr's complaint about the wind turibines. What absolute crap. I actually think the wind turbines look pretty cool. They are not destroying the environment at all. They don't polute like coal and oil power does and when we find a better energy source, we can dismantle them and the environment will look exactly the same as before they went up. I am all for it as I am with harnessing tidal power in Cook Strait. |
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By: xtr365705@xtra.co.nz
26/03/2008
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| dhume; Crap ? take a bus trip through Palm Springs California heading East and come back to me. I'm not talking about 10,20 30 even 40 or 50 turbines I'm talking about hundreds of them[maybe up to a thousand] on the same landscape. Think they're pretty cool. Well that tells us all about your mentality. You've sucked in the rubbish that our turbine 'farms' are only going to be here and there. Think again becasue the govt. has run out of hydro sites, is against nuke power, coal power is anti enviroment and gas will be too expensive. As for finding a new source and dismantling the turbines; get real. And go ask the people that live near the current ones to find out if they 'pollute' the environment or not. |
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By: dhume200
26/03/2008
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| Ok then what do you suggest as an alternative then?? |
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By: dhume200
26/03/2008
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| Or would you prefer we subject ourselves to endless blackouts? |
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By: xtr365705@xtra.co.nz
26/03/2008
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| dhume200; You haven't really thought about it have you ? The source of power we need, and one that ultimately we will have no choice in aquiring is nuclear generation. Today the technology is safe; moreso than a lot of ageing hydro damns around the world. But because we have a political entity that even today is into nuke scaremongering we will have to put up with so many other forms of generation we'll choke on the complexity of it all. I'll repeat; one day we will have no choice but adapt to nuclear energy. |
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By: xtr365705@xtra.co.nz
26/03/2008
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| No blackouts .................... |
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