Govt focus turns to 'safe economic activity' as level 3 looms

Tue, 14 Apr 2020

The government is focusing with business and trade unions on how to define "safe economic activity" as it prepares new guidelines for which sectors will be able to open up when the country moves from the current full national lockdown to alert levels 3 and 2.Finance Minister Grant Robertson told Parliament's epidemic response select committee today that where the current alert level 4 lockdown was all about allowing "essential industries" and no others to operate, the government needed to "give as much clarity as we can possibly give as to what...

Subscribe to BusinessDesk

Stay informed on business, government and financial developments across New Zealand.

Deeply researched, twice-edited and fact-checked news
Annual subscribers also receive a complimentary subscription to The Wall Street Journal
Personalised email news alerts, plus gift up to 5 stories a month to non-subscribers

You can cancel anytime with two clicks, an email or a phone call.
Find out more.

We are serious about journalism.

Already a Subscriber ? Sign in here.

Name {{ registerForm.errors.get('name') }}

Email address {{ registerForm.errors.get('email') }}

Phone Number {{ registerForm.errors.get('phone') }}

Job Title {{ registerForm.errors.get('title') }}

Password Minimum password length of 8 characters.
Require at least one upper and lowercase, numeric, and special character. {{ registerForm.errors.get('password') }}

Repeat password {{ registerForm.errors.get('password_confirmation') }}

We had trouble validating your card. It's possible your card provider is preventing us from charging the card. Please contact your card provider or customer support.

Credit Card

Cardholder's name

{{ __(plans[index].name) | capitalize }} {{ plans[index].attributes.old_price | currency }} {{ plans[index].price | currency }}

All subscriptions auto renew but are easy to cancel.

I Accept The Terms Of Service

{{ registerForm.errors.get('terms') }}

Tax: {{ taxAmount(selectedPlan) | currency }}

Total Price Including Tax: {{ priceWithTax(selectedPlan) | currency }} {{ selectedPlan.type == 'user' && spark.chargesUsersPerSeat ? '/ '+ spark.seatName : '' }} {{ selectedPlan.type == 'user' && spark.chargesUsersPerTeam ? '/ '+ __('teams.team') : '' }} / {{ __(selectedPlan.interval) | capitalize }}

Infrastructure

Congestion charge law draws political and commercial contest

A contest is on for contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Ian Llewellyn 5:00am

Law & Regulation

Upton warns fast-track changes could predetermine approvals

Changes would give ministers indirect but powerful abilities.

Ian Llewellyn 5:00am

Upton warns fast-track changes could predetermine approvals

Opinion

David Chaplin: How KiwiSaver helped, maybe

Has KiwiSaver really lifted the national confidence rate? Dunno.

David Chaplin 5:00am

Sponsored

Cybersecurity skills gap leaving Kiwi businesses at risk - report

A cybersecurity skills shortage is creating additional cyber risks, according to a new global report.

Fortinet

Sponsored

Spark’s partner strategy sets the bar for innovation

Spark

More Economy

Economy

No obstacles to RBNZ rate cut next week

The RBNZ is expected to cut the OCR to 2.25% and leave the door open for more.

Rebecca Howard 5:00am

Economy

Food prices lift 4.7% in 12 months to October

Food prices increased by 4.7% in the 12 months to October, although they fell for the second consecutive month, down 0.3% due to lower vegetable prices.Higher prices for the grocery food group were the largest contributor, up 4.9% on an annual basis, while meat, poultry and fish...

Staff reporters 17 Nov 2025