A rise in the number of people planning to head away in the coursework of the festive season is great news for Kiwi firms, says the Tourism Industry Association. The Fly Buys/Colmar Brunton Mood of the New Zealand Traveler survey found 52% people were planning to travel within New Zealand over Christmas and New Year period, up from 46% last year.

New Zealand will forbid use of UN supported industrial gas offsets to stop any twist to its carbon trading plan and take it into line with agendas in Australia and Europe, the government stated on Thursday. Nick Smith, Climate change minister stated offsets from project that demolish potent greenhouse gases nitrous oxide (N2O) and hydrofluorocarbon-23 (HFC-23).