Simon Hartley

Oceana Gold has rejected a suggestion its hugely successful Philippine gold and copper mine operation could be one of 23 suspended around the country.

Otago employment confidence for September mirrored the overall national lift in 10 of 11 regions, as employment prospects brightened.

Diversified investment company Hellaby Holdings is the target of a hostile $322.5million takeover play by ASX-listed auto-parts company Bapcor, which, one way or another, is coming to New Zealand.

A slump  in dairy and beef exports and higher than expected imports have left a $1.26 billion trade deficit - more than $500 million greater than market expectations.

Dairy payouts and Fonterra’s fortunes have hogged the headlines for the past week, but the ongoing strength of the New Zealand dollar continues to undermine most agricultural exporters in general.

Logging exports from Dunedin during the past weeks have been "heavy", with trucks, marshalling yards and ship-loading operations approaching capacity at Dunedin and Port Chalmers.

With potential for a breakeven season ahead for more dairy farmers, analysts are urging them to maintain cost savings and keep on top of debt repayment.

The  cloud over New Zealand's distressed dairy farmers has a silver lining for Fonterra, with its profits swelling 65% to $834 million, for its 2015-16 season.

Fonterra yesterday boosted its forecast farmgate payout by 50c to $5.25 per kilogram of milk solids as a reduction in global milk supply underpins some resurgence in still depressed global prices.

The Great South Basin remains on the list for potential oil and gas exploration activity, as the industry awaits Shell's decision on whether it will remain in New Zealand.

Leisure and sports retailer Kathmandu has delivered higher-than-expected after-tax profit, up more than 64%, and slashed its debt burden from $69.3million to $36.8million.

Oceana Gold's Haile development mine in South Carolina has been valued at $A1.3billion ($NZ1.34billion) and expectations are it is on target to pour first gold by December.

Twelve jobs are under threat at specialist Dunedin engineering company D.C. Ross, after its shareholders placed the company, more than 50 years old, into receivership.

Fonterra has commissioned a new $360 million dryer at its Lichfield site in South Waikato, boosting daily milk processing capacity by more than 4 million litres.

Dunedin is riding the wave of a $340 million commercial property boom.

Port Otago has the green light from the Dunedin City Council to go ahead with a large earthworks project above Back Beach at Port Chalmers.

For only the second time during the past year Otago and Southland’s manufacturing index has eased back, eroded by employment levels and new orders.

The Environmental Protection Authority has formally accepted lodgement of an application by Trans Tasman Resources to mine seabed ironsands, while environmentalists have already held two public...