Auckland

NZ construction firms urged to up jobs for Pasifika

Employers gathered in Auckland today to hear about a trades training programme aimed at plugging a predicted labour shortage in the construction and infrastructure sectors.

It is estimated 32,000 jobs will be generated in the next three to five years in New Zealand.

Auckland's Mayor Len Brown says the initiative will help address the high number of unemployed Maori and Pasifika people and boost the city's economy.

Pacific emergency response needs a tailored approach

The regional summit was called to consider emergency response solutions at a time when more frequent natural disasters are expected as a result of climate change.

In their report, delegates recommend building capacity so local officials can take the lead when disaster strikes.

Vincent Omuga, Acting Head of the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Pacific, says the different capacities of countries to deal with disasters make a tailored approach necessary.