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Business Business inbrief
e you ust like you Tax changes
The Government is to include changes to the tax treatment of employee allowances, reimbursements and employer-provided accommodation in a tax bill to be introduced to Parliament later this month that will bring clarity for many taxpayers. Revenue Minister Todd McClay said this week that a decision by Cabinet to include changes to the Income Tax Act as part of the Taxation (Annual Rates, Employee Allowances, and Remedial Matters) Bill will also minimise compliance and administration costs for many businesses and organisations.
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The Sun
Friday November 15, 2013
Smoove turns one Blenheim’s Smoove cafe celebrated its first birthday this week. Owner Claire Austin and staff marked the occasion on Tuesday with 50 celebratory cupcakes. Smoove, in the Forum, recently won a highly commended award in the Chip Group’s national 2013 Best Chipshop Competition.
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Solar initiative means bright future for Spy Valley Wines Story and photo by Kristy Martin Spy Valley Wines is now the largest solar producing winery in New Zealand after the recent installation of solar panels on its roof. Blair Gibbs, general manager of the family-owned winery, on Lake Timara Road, is now encouraging others in the industry to follow suit. “Marlborough is widely acknowledged as one of the sunniest destinations in the country (so) I had often wondered why solar power generation wasn’t more widely used in the region,” Mr Gibbs said. “Solar power technology has rapidly evolved, with many developments made over the last three years. “However, there have been no incentives or subsidies from either local or central government to encourage businesses to adopt the use of such technology. “We did our own research though, and once we had a solid understanding of the components, and the return
Spy Valley Wines operations manager Bruce Walker conducts regular checks of the solar panels on the winery rooftop.
on investment equation was worked out, we decided to proceed.” In mid-August, 211 solar panels were installed on the roof of the winery, creating a 52kw solar power system. It officially started generating
power for the winery in late October. Winery operations manager Bruce Walker said the business had adopted a number of ecofriendly measures. This included the use of LED lighting, the onsite manufactur-
ing of nitrogen for gassing wine bottles, use of a heat recovery system for glycol and the recycling of plastic. Wine bottles are also crushed onsite and sprinkled under the vines for weed suppression and light reflection.
Garlic producer wins national scholarship By Kristy Martin John Murphy, general manager of Marlborough Garlic, has been awarded the prestigious Nuffield Scholarship for farming, and was one of only five recipients in New Zealand to take the honour. Mr Murphy was awarded the $40,000 scholarship at a ceremony in Wellington earlier this month after winning the Nuffield judges over with his research topic, ‘Turning good farming into big business’. The scholarship will take him around the world, with travel to India, Qatar, France, Ukraine, Turkey and the US planned for next year. This aspect aims to give scholarship
recipients a better understanding of New Zealand and its international relationships. They will visit farms and primary industries to see the techniques and methods adopted by other cultures. Nuffield Scholars are also encouraged to become industry leaders. “I’m very lucky because a lot of people do enter and the candidates are right up there,” Mr Muprhy said. Marlborough Garlic is the largest garlic and shallot producer in the country and John is also a director of Vegetables New Zealand and chairman of the Alliums Crop Advisory Group. “We grow about 75 hectares of product.
“We also pack it, process it and we’ve commercial kitchen onsite that we’ve installed.” The family business (Mr Murphy’s parents established the company 30 years ago and his wife Jo is one of the directors) has already got a solid footing in the domestic market, but he sees opportunities for export growth. He hopes the support of Nuffield New Zealand will help him achieve this. “I anticipate it will open up opportunities for marketing and new ways of producing,” he said. “I expect to be inspired in all kinds of ways.”
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John Murphy, general manager of Marlborough Garlic, the largest garlic and shallot producer in the country, has won the prestigious Nuffield Farming Scholarship.