Photo: 123rf
Rising gas prices mean some businesses are re-assessing their futures, and how many people they can afford to employ. A number say it is time for the government to step in and help. Gas supply has almost halved in the past decade and reserves are falling sharply.
A survey of business gas consumers by the BusinessNZ Energy Council and Optima found that gas prices have risen by over 100 percent on average over the past five years, with half of the respondents having increased prices, or cut staff as a result.
Kathryn speaks with two affected businesses employing hundreds of people: Steve Koekemoer, Chief Operating Officer for Talleys Group, and chair of Nature's Flame - the country's largest biomass wood pellet manufacturer; Simon Watson, General Manager of NZ Hothouse, which grows tomatoes and cucumber for the domestic market and employs 250 staff in Auckland
