New Zealand Pacific Business Council

24/01/2024

Meet NZPBC's Executive Team for 2024!

Introducing: Grace Schaefer

Dr Grace Schaefer is the Strategic Business Development Director for Tonkin + Taylor (T+T). Grace’s formative years living in Fiji in the late 1980s to mid-1990s left a lasting impression and a passion for supporting initiatives and projects that contribute to a thriving Pacific.

T+T draws upon more than 1,200 experts operating from offices in New Zealand and Australia, with established counterparts in Tonga, Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, New Caledonia and French Polynesia. T+T provides expertise in Climate + Hazard Resilience, Energy, Industry, Land + Buildings, Transport, Water, Waste and Resource Recovery.

T+T’s track record encompasses; natural hazards, early warning systems, rapid alert notification systems, tsunami warning dissemination, sustainable development, resilient infrastructure development, town planning, institutional strengthening and training, hydrological and water resource studies for key development partners, donor agencies, Pacific Island governments and their relevant authorities, and private sector partners.

Grace was the first Chair of the Auckland Chapter for the Women's Infrastructure Network (WIN), as well as a former member of the Heavy Engineering Research Association (HERA) Advisory Panel for Industry Development. She holds a Bachelor and Master’s degree in Geology focussed on paleoclimatology, and a doctoral degree focussed on the institutionalisation of environmental sustainability in the construction sector.

We are very excited to have Grace joining the team!

21/01/2024

Meet NZPBC's Executive Team for 2024!

Introducing: Nicole Metzger

Nicole is the owner and Managing Director of South Seas Exports.

South Seas Exports are fruit and vegetable exporters specialising in the Pacific, representing iconic New Zealand brands such as Zespri.

Nicole has been trading in the Pacific for over 35 years and is passionate about private-sector and the role it has in economic development.

Nicole returns to the NZPBC Executive after spending 11 years on the Board of the Pacific Co-operation Foundation, with the final 2 years as Chair.

Welcome to the team Nicole!

20/01/2024

The Pacific Community (SPC) has received a USD350,000 grant from the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation (PJMF) for Digital Earth Pacific (DEP).

DEP, a digital infrastructure, provides free Earth observation satellite data.

The funding supports near-coastal ocean floor mapping, aiding conservation and disaster prediction.

SPC aims to enhance environmental management in the Pacific, particularly addressing climate change impacts.

PJMF President, Vilas Dhar, emphasized that DEP ensures
"that the region has access to the information and tools needed to protect its environment, mitigate disasters, promote sustainable practices, and build a more resilient future."

Read more via the link below:

(L-R) Honourable Aren B Palik Vice-President of the Federated States of Micronesia, Dr Stuart Minchin Director General SPC, Hon. Panapasi Nelesone, Minister of Justice, Communication and Foreign Affairs of Tuvalu during the Digital Earth Pacific programme launch - SPC The Pacific Community (SPC) has...

19/01/2024

Meet NZPBC's Executive Team for 2024!

Introducing: Matthew Stroud.

Matthew is a co-owner and Director of Matneat International Ltd. The parent company of “Global Imports and Exports” (GIE) and “Robin Exports”.

Both have proud and established legacies in serving the Pacific Islands. In the case of Robin, for over 40 years, and GIE, approaching 30.

Before venturing into Import/Export, Matthew was the Chief Operating Officer and sat on the Board at Brother International NZ Limited; a founding member and long-time supporter and of Pacific Cooperation Foundation.

The 25 years he spent with Brother gave him his first taste and love of the Pacific Islands.

A passion he now feels blessed to be able to share with family and like-minded staff.

Welcome Matthew!

18/12/2023

An initiative to boost Papua New Guinea's coconut industry is underway.

The project, led by the Pacific Community (SPC) and the International Trade Centre (ITC), will support agricultural value chain financing for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and farming communities throughout the nation.

The project aims to address financial challenges faced in PNG, with activities planned to enhance the coconut industry in the coming year.

Read more via the link below:

Pamela Moses of Niu Organics splitting open a coconut Marking a step forward to boost the coconut industry in Papua New Guinea, a new strategic initiative is in talks to support agricultural value chain financing for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), exporters/processors, farmers and farming comm...

05/12/2023

Pacific leaders launched the "Blue Pacific Prosperity" initiative during the COP28 Climate Conference in Dubai, outlining three goals: ocean protection, healthy populations, and accessible finance. The initiative aims to protect almost a third of the Pacific's ocean.

Pacific leaders addressed the need for new funding sources, and emphasised their focus for leveraging private sector involvement.

At the launch, the Bezos Earth Fund pledged $100,000, and the Global Environment Facility committed an additional $125 million.

Pacific Community's director of partnerships Karena Lyons said leaders have taken an innovative approach to the problem.

"They're showing the world that it's not good enough to sit around and talk about climate financing or development financing," she said.

"We actually have to be entrepreneurial and innovative and try to strategically use the capabilities that we have."

Read more via the link below:

Pacific leaders have turned to philanthropic organisations to pay for ocean conservation as climate finance fails.

16/11/2023

French Polynesia has seen a return to pre-Covid tourism levels, with about 219,000 international visitors in 2022 spending approximately 645 million Euros.

This spending, five times the total export value of local products, reaffirms tourism as the primary revenue generator, emphasizing a luxury high-end market

The 2022 figures are expected to rise this year, with estimates of around 236,000 international visitors for 2023. President Moetai Brotherson aims for 600,000 annual visitors in ten years.

The USA and France are the main source markets, contributing 80% of total international tourism arrivals. Popular destinations include Tahiti, Moorea, and Bora-Bora.

Read more via the link below:

French Polynesia's tourism arrivals have returned to pre-Covid levels, with a specifically high spending by international visitors, latest statistics revealed.

14/11/2023

Don’t miss our Annual General Meeting!

Enjoy your night hearing from some amazing speakers while celebrating with some Christmas cheer as we head to the end of the year.

This will be the last occasion of the year to gather and have some reflection on the year gone by and look over the horizon to 2024 and beyond. The Solomon Islands is key to the programme for 2024, with the Council looking to lead a business mission in the second quarter.

Our speakers line up:

David Dewar,
Trade Commissioner, Pacific

Mark Ramsden,
Divisional Manager, Pacific Melanesia and Micronesia Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

H.E. Eliam Tangirongo,
Solomon Islands High Commissioner to New Zealand who will speak on the Solomon Islands.

Date and time:
5.45pm - 7.30pm Tuesday 21 November 2023

Venue:
New Zealand Trade & Enterprise,. Level 6, 139 Quay Street, Auckland C*D.

This is a complimentary event, however registration is essential for catering purposes!

Register below:
https://www.trybooking.com/nz/QCD

14/11/2023

Leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum have expressed strong support for the signing of the Samoa Agreement, a partnership between the European Union (EU) and the organization of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS).

The agreement will be finalized, signed, and ratified in Apia. The EU is committing a minimum of NZ$1.17 billion to the Pacific region, emphasizing support for the green transition.

The European Union's Global Gateway investment strategy focuses on climate action and sustainable use of the Pacific's natural resources. Implementation of bilateral projects, including hydropower in Fiji and a multipurpose port in Kiribati, has begun.

Read more via the link below:

Pacific Islands Forum Leaders have expressed their unwavering support for the signing of the Samoa Agreement, scheduled to take place in Apia next week.

09/11/2023

Solomon Airlines is partnering with major entertainment company Illumination, for the release of its next original animated film, Migration.

“With our newest A320 joining the fleet, and our Brisbane to Munda direct service re-launched, we could not imagine a better time to partner with Illumination to promote in a creative way, the life-changing experience of travel,” said Solomon Airlines Acting CEO, Napoleon Padabela.

Migration is an adventurous family film, and Solomon Airlines will feature characters from the movie on their new A320 aircraft, aiming to boost their profile.

The film is set to be visually spectacular and heart warming, encouraging viewers to travel and jump on a flight to Solomon Islands.

Mr. Padabela shared “This is one of the largest promotional partnerships we have ever undertaken. Alongside our sponsorship as the 2023 Pacific Games Presenting Sponsor, it will lift the profile of Solomon Airlines and Solomon Islands considerably.”

Read more via the link below:

Solomon Airlines has announced a major marketing collaboration with Illumination, one of the world’s leading entertainment companies, for the release of its next original animated film, Migration.