Hon Heather Roy speech to GiftEDnz Mini-conference; Campus of Massey University;

Saturday, March 20 2010.

Outstanding Māori secondary school students are the focus of new research into what factors influence their success.

Victoria University's 2010 JD Stout Fellow will explore the contribution of Jewish refugees from Hitler's Germany, among other war-time immigrants, to New Zealand's national identity and culture.

A group of New Zealand entrepreneurs has launched a $900 million bid to build a new, high-capacity undersea cable linking Australia, New Zealand and the US.

Animal life, native flora and ever-popular riverside pursuits will be celebrated at a community event at the Orari River mouth on Saturday, March 27.

First-time competitor Wendy-Lee Renner has won this year's The Great Ellerslie Photo Competition with Magnolia Mist (pictured above).

If a group in Brasilia vote for world heritage starlight reserves in July, former Cabinet minister Margaret Austin will have played a key part in fighting to get world night sky reserves established.

The Canterbury West Coast Sports Trust is pleased to announce the appointment of a new Chief Executive for Sport Canterbury. He is Geoff Barry, an accomplished educator, sportsman and coach, who comes to the position after nine years as Chief Executive of Surf Life Saving New Zealand.

A call is going out for people needing funding for research and other projects to help with New Zealand's number one disability - hearing impairment - to apply to the Oticon Foundation now.

Research, Science and Technology Minister Dr Wayne Mapp has called it the "migration of science into the market" and he has highlighted the need to "better connect New Zealand's research organisations with companies that want to innovate".