Last month, the New Zealand government released a new website which provides free public access to online versions of all New Zealand Acts, Bills and Regulations.

This may sound like something which should have been in existence for some time; however, it’s never been done before in New Zealand and is a large step forward for providing open and easy access to legal material for the average New Zealander.

The New Zealand Legislation website is the culmination of the Public Access to Legislation (PAL) project.

One of the key factors in building a site like this is how often it is updated and therefore how correct the details are. In their About Us section, they say new Acts will be updated within five working days of Royal assent; new Regulations on the day after the date they are notified in the Gazette; and new Bills introduced into the House, on the day after introduction.

So, if you’re interested in finding out all the controversial requirements in the Electoral Finance Act 2007 that was recently introduced, you can read it all yourself and you can even download a PDF copy of the Act itself.

Image from Flickr.

Our brand new weather section was launched this afternoon – now there’s no excuse for getting caught out by the weather! With all the latest New Zealand weather reports, forecasts and updates from MetService, we offer local weather information for your region. You’ll find:

• Today’s weather, updated every hour
• Weather forecasts for the next four days
• Weather reports for North and South Island regions, cities and towns
• Information on climate, sunshine hours, rainfall and average temperature

Online, up-to-the-minute weather reports mean you’ll always have the latest information on-hand, whether you’re planning a weekend escape, wondering whether to catch the bus or walk, or just hoping for summer sunshine to arrive. So, get the latest NZ weather reports, now!

You might remember news, back in June, of a couple who wanted to name their son ‘4real.’ Yes, for real! Pat and Sheena Wheaton, of Wellington, settled on the name after seeing an ultrasound image and being hit by the reality of their unborn bub. Pat told media: “With this name, everyone knows what it means.” The New Zealand Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages didn’t see it their way; apparently names starting with numbers are against the rules and all unusual names must be considered on a case by case basis. So, 4real is still up in the air.

But just what’s in a New Zealand place name?

Land Information New Zealand provides accurate information on all New Zealand land areas and seabeds. Their site is a useful resource if you’re searching for geographic information, maps and topography, or names of New Zealand places and streets. It’s also interesting to see the criteria for naming a place. Generally:

• Historic, geographic or locally meaningful names are okay (including names of pioneers or early explorers)
• Names of living people cannot be used (usually a deceased person’s surname is used)
• Descriptive names can be used, as long as they’re not the same as a name in an adjacent area
• There are no double ups
• Names can be corrected if a spelling mistake or earlier name is discovered
• Offensive names are avoided

Anyone can suggest new names or alterations to existing place names. These are brought before the New Zealand Geographic Board who look at the origin, meaning and significance of the name. Who knew there was so much in a name?

If you’re looking for a place in New Zealand, you might want to check out our recently launched New Zealand Maps section.

We’re excited about the recent launch of a New Zealand Maps section on NZS.com, which we’ve already received good feedback on. One of the popular features is the ability to click (or link) directly to a city within NZ (e.g. North Shore Map) .

If you’re a regular user of the NZS.com search and directory, you will have seen a number of new additions turning up over the last few months. We’re happy to say that the addition of useful New Zealand related information is only going to increase as 2007 continues.

We’re always open to suggestions so if you have something you’d love to see on the NZS.com site, we have a dedicated Suggestion Box just for you. Let us know what you’re looking for!

I decided my first blog post just had to be on podcasts. They’re brilliant. If you haven’t caught the pod-bug yet, beware – it can quickly become addictive. For those who aren’t in the know, the word ‘podcast’ is a blend of ‘iPod’ and ‘broadcast.’ The new word has even made it into the Oxford dictionary:

podcast n. a digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar programme, made available on the Internet for downloading to a personal audio player.

The thing is, there are blogs on just about anything. Whether you’re into music, reading, cars, travel, comedy or computers, there’s a podcast for you. There are heaps of podcasts from around the world, all available on the world wide web, but there are also places to go for podcasts with a Kiwi flavour. If you don’t believe me, go to our New Zealand podcast category or check out my latest find – the audio download section on the Radio New Zealand site. Go there for intelligent audio programmes, interviews and news that you’ve missed during your working day.

My pick of the moment: their Advancing Environmental Sustainability series. In these discussions, hosted by Kathryn Ryan, experts examine the state of the environment 20 years on from the creation of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment. But it’s not all doom and gloom for the world: contributors put forward suggestions for a sustainable future. It’s well worth a listen for anyone who cares about the environment!

The New Zealand Web contains a vast repository of information that I think many people don’t realise exists. I hope our NZS.com Blog helps to highlight some useful resources for people.

For starters, one of my favourite resources is Te Ara The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. It is beautifully presented and contains a wealth of fascinating material. I find it surprising that many people don’t know that it exists and I think they need to up the marketing budget at Te Ara to make sure everyone knows about it!

Does anyone else have a favourite NZ resource that not many people know about?