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V&B Realty Ltd Licensed Agent REAA 2008 (Page 14) Get combined experience of 20 years working for you. Call us today for free no obligation appraisal VK Verma of your most valuable asset. Nick Kochhar 027 577 3747 021 186 6969 [email protected] [email protected] REAL ESTATE SALES AUCTIONS COMMERCIAL/BUSINESS SALES PROPERTY MANAGEMENT NZ NEWS DREAM - PLAN - ACHIEVE your Home Loan goals with MANOJ SINGHAL Book a no-obligation meeting Contact Manoj on 0800 700 600 www.financematters.co.nz Disclosure statement available free of charge on request. NZ NEWS February 4, 2021 I 3 Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine granted provisional approval by Medsafe from the second half of the year," she General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said. "Subject to expected delivery of the said the decision brought about a new first batch of the vaccine, we will start chapter in New Zealand's response to the vaccinating first our border workers and pandemic. the people they live with." "I want to reassure New Zealanders we The regulator said it would continue will also be applying the same rigour to all to monitor use of the vaccine in the subsequent vaccine applications." country including analysis of any While Dr Bloomfield highlighted the potential side effects, which it said may decision as a "significant milestone", he include a sore arm or headaches as with warned: "There is more work to do, we are other vaccines. not out of the woods yet." James said a full assessment on "Vaccination is a key next step in our the vaccine's safety, effectiveness, and ongoing response to this virus. It's also quality - to guide the approval decision - a good point to recognise the incredible started in November last year. amount of work New Zealanders have put "The data was provided on a rolling in to support our successful response to he Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been company must meet 58 conditions that basis, which streamlined the assessment date." Tprovisionally approved by Medsafe, are placed on it. process and enabled a timely approval Previously, he said he was confident with certain conditions placed on the "Six of the conditions relate to without compromising the rigour of the that New Zealand would receive a company. additional clinical information such as review of the vaccine," he said. "We have Covid-19 vaccine by the end of March. In its assessment of the vaccine, regular updates from clinical trials, and also wanted to ensure the company can "We will be ready to start vaccinating the medicines regulator met with ensuring we receive any information on manufacture the vaccine to a high quality, people as soon as a vaccine arrives, and at the Medicine Assessment Advisory safety concerns from around the world." and that all batches are consistent." this time the first vaccine we're expecting Committee (MAAC) for six hours Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the Medsafe's website includes more is Pfizer in this quarter," he said. yesterday to receive advice and decision was a positive step forward in the information on the vaccine, including Australia approved the Pfizer product recommendations. fight against Covid-19. the medicine data sheet and full list of last week. BioNTech and Pfizer this month In a statement, Medsafe said the MAAC "Those most at risk of getting Covid-19 ingredients. Other details specifically raised their supply goal for this year to 2 supported the decision. will receive the vaccine first, with the tailored for consumers will also be billion doses, up from a previous aim of However, the provisions mean the broader community accessing the vaccine published. In the statement, Director- 1.3 billion. -RNZ A smarter way to manage your Loan Mortgage Genius Plan - saving you thousands in interest on your loan without changing your loan instalment Review your loan and reduce loan term Refinance get the best rates and cashback Reassess your insurance to save premium Talk to the experts who can show you how to make better financial decisions Call 09 255 5500 * Disclosure statement available upon request free of cost. Airport Oaks 09 255 5500 Manukau 09 263 5555 Henderson 09 836 5555 Tauranga 07 577 0011 4 I February 4, 2021 NZ NEWS From HOME Climate change report ‘incredibly encouraging’, PM he Prime Minister says it is incredibly spokesperson Stuart Smith questioned from grazed pastures toward high-value not doing our fair share to tackle climate Tencouraging that the Climate Change whether the proposals were the most horticulture, such as wine and fruit. change, there was plenty we could do to Commission's first official report shows cost-effective way of reducing emissions. "A significant gap is understanding the improve. that reaching our emissions reduction He said he would like to see the potential for the growth of a bioenergy She said the rates of change the goals are both achievable and affordable. Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) get more sector, and whether this might start to commission had proposed - reducing The commission's first report, published use. resemble agriculture more than forestry." emissions by 2 percent net each year to today, laid out a path to drastically Climate Minister James Shaw said Baisden said this uncertainty around 2025 - were very gentle. reducing greenhouse gas emissions to the release of the draft advice was a agriculture represented a challenge for the "To put this into perspective, recent meet the Paris Agreement targets. significant milestone in the government's future, that would need to be addressed by research suggests that the country as a Three new targets for the country were response to the climate emergency. new science. whole managed to reduce our emissions set: an average reduction of 2 percent each He said the report had significant University of Canterbury political by an astonishing 41 percent for the year between 2022 and 2025, 17 percent implications for forestry, with a scientist Professor Bronwyn Hayward said period of our first level four lockdown," each year between 2025 and 2030 and 36 recommendation to move away from pine that while the report showed we were she said. -RNZ percent each year between 2030 and 2035. forests, often used as carbon credits in the Commission chair Dr Rod Carr said Emissions Trading Scheme. investing in electric vehicles, renewable Professor Troy Baisden, President of energy generation, climate-friendly the New Zealand Association of Scientists, farming practices and planting more supported the report's suggestions but native forests would be critical to meeting said more detail on agriculture was the targets. needed. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the "Given that agriculture accounts for draft advice was incredibly encouraging. nearly half of New Zealand's current "The commission has determined that emissions, the report contains relatively the economic cost to New Zealand, as I've little detail on agriculture and land use, said, is not as great as previously thought. except for reductions achieved by forests," However, Ardern said the government he said. would have to address the problem of This reflected the difficulty and costs not being distributed evenly across uncertainty in achieving emissions communities. reductions in agriculture and projecting While the National Party cautiously them forward, he said. welcomed the report, it said more analysis "The commission's analysis briefly was needed. notes significant yet uncertain areas of The party's climate change potential, such as an ongoing conversion NZ NEWS From HOME February 4, 2021 I 5 3 more Rafale jets India celebrates 72nd Republic Day he 72nd Republic Day celebrations at 29th January at historic Vijay Chowk on Tthe national capital was unlike any Rajpath.26 soulful band performances, reach India to join IAF other year. including special composition ‘Swarnim While the historical day is Vijay’ was played to commemorate 50 commemorated with elaborate displays, years of India’s victory in 1971 war against bravery awards and the much-awaited Pakistan. gravity-defying stunts by motorcycle- Indian tunes were the flavour of this borne men at Rajpath, this year, due year’s ceremony that brought the curtains to the Covid-19 protocols, many of the down on the four-day-long Republic major attractions were missing.