Blinglish’s boondoggle bridge

Written By: - Date published: 11:15 am, July 29th, 2014 - 34 comments
Categories: assets, bill english, national, privatisation, same old national - Tags:

Rob Salmond at Polity has a real scoop that clearly shows how National Politicians think that running the country should be done for the benefit of themselves and their ilk.

Remember Key’s announcement at the National Party conference of a $212 million package for even more roads? This was the centrepiece of his Conference speech and was essentially a list of projects that the asset sales proceeds were to be used to accelerate.

Rob has asked for details of the projects and has come up with some very surprising details the most jaw dropping of which is that one of the projects is the Kawarau Bridge in Queenstown. Its actual benefit is hard to fathom although it will allow English to get to his Queenstown home quicker from the airport and will presumably improve the value of his holding.

I say that its actual benefit is hard to fathom because with a benefit cost ratio of 1.1 this means that the amortised economic benefits of the project are slightly higher than the cost of the bridge.  These benefits are because of slightly quicker travel time for people in the area.  When you think that we sold perfectly good income earning power company shares to do this you have to question the economic literacy of this Government.

Rob Salmond puts it well:

NZTA considers a benefit cost ratio of 1 as an absolute minimum, as anything below that involves the country actually losing money by doing the project. Usually, of course, benefit cost ratios have to be much higher than that to attract funding, because there are so many possible good things a government can do with its limited money. That is why Budget time is a time of tension. And that is also what makes funding these marginal projects so criminal. What other Future Investment projects, in roading or elsewhere, will fall by the wayside so Ministers can make these low-return or no-return investments?

The cherry picking of projects in Ministers’ seats makes a mockery of the current funding system.  Theoretically we are meant to have a funding system that allocates different sums of money to different types of projects and then ranks the projects according to criteria such as safety, efficiency and value for money.  It is meant to display a sense of social and environmental responsibility when making decisions, act in a transparent manner, and have systems and procedures in place to ensure that this occurs.  Projects are meant to compete for limited funding so that those that display the best combination of features get funded.

This decision trashes all of this.  We may as well go back to a system where politicians make decisions about what roads are built.

Rob also highlights two other matters of concern.  It is clear that the Government has put considerable pressure on the officials.  The Kawarau Bridge briefing for instance implies strongly that it should not be proceeded with.

And the projects are put in two bands, those with a BCR of 0 – 2 and those with a BCR of 1 – 3.  The Kawarau Bridge with a BCR of 1.1 should normally be put in the 0 – 2 category but is in the higher category for some strange reason.  And shouldn’t the second category be for projects with a BCR of 2 – 3?  What was it a typo?

Hopefully the Taxpayer’s Union will be along quickly to denounce this extreme politically motivated waste of public money.  Waiting …

34 comments on “Blinglish’s boondoggle bridge ”

  1. fender 1

    Waiting for the Taxpayers Union to denounce any hair-brained idea National come up with is like waiting for Key to start telling the truth…

  2. karol 2

    Kawarau Bridge in Queensland.?

    A bridge too far?

    • Draco T Bastard 2.1

      Heh, was thinking the same thing 😈

    • Te Reo Putake 2.2

      The accidental Queensland connection might be Joh Bjelke Peterson. He had the taxpayers of Queensland pay for a highway to his farm in Kingaroy because an international visitor expressed an interest in a one-off visit. The massive benefit to Joh’s business was entirely coincidental, of course.

      [Now corrected. I got it right twice … 🙂 – MS]

      • ghostwhowalksnz 2.2.1

        In the late 50s and early 60s, roads in the central North Island for hydro schemes were either built to benefit land holdings of National party ministers or they bought land cheaply with the knowledge that the land would massively increase in value.

  3. greywarbler 3

    While on the subject of expensive roading and bad planning decisions on a cost effective basis Rod Oram this morning had some sensible things to say about Wellington’s flyover likely to cost $90 million.

    It has been thumbs down for it and Rod said that Land Transport hadn’t done a wide-ranging study of all the options, and then of the best ways to meet problem s of congestion – it would have saved 1 minute of morning’s bus time and 39 seconds of evenings – and the world recogniation of the importance of good town planning for cities was not being recognised in lessening the scenic value of this historic, well used bit of green belt.

    Other ways are cheaper, it was not the panacea supposed, and not having it is not the tragedy that the mouthy business group head excitedly claimed.

    Tuesday – Business with Rod Oram ( 16′ 21″ )
    11:10 Rod discusses the OCR and dollar; the Kiwi who has been picked to run Walmart’s US stores; and the Basin Reserve flyover decision.
    http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon

  4. One Anonymous Bloke 4

    Double Dipton up to his usual corrupt tricks.

  5. Richard 5

    Not wanting to sound like I am defending Bill English, but you would be hard pressed to find any regular user of the Kawarau Bridge who would not want it replaced. It is a dreadful bottleneck. It is the only route between Queenstown and Te Anau, Milford Sound and Remarkables skifield.
    What does suck is the pork-barrel politics announcement of its replacement just before the election, and not part of a planned upgrade, and at the expense of other worthy projects.

    • KevinWelsh 5.1

      I agree Richard. Having travelled over this bridge many times I find it hard to believe that there is still a one lane bridge serving one of the busiest tourist destinations in New Zealand. In peak summer and winter traffic, it is a major bottleneck.

    • Bearded Git 5.2

      With respect Richard I live in Wanaka and have used that bridge many times.

      The queues you get at the traffic lights now installed on the bridge are usually short or non-existent-something an Aucklander driving would encounter many times every day.

      Short term peaks when skiers are heading up/down from the Remarkables are not a good reason to spend millions on a bridge, and my guess is, in this day and age, this could be handled with “smart” traffic lights that could be programmed to allow for winter ski traffic peaks.

      • Paul Campbell 5.3.1

        But the Kawarau bridge at issue is not on a route to Wanaka at all, it’s on the route out of town south down the lake, the one you take if you want to get from the airport to Dipton.

        In general Otago has some terrible bridges, over the past 30 years money for upgrading them has continuously been transfered north to Auckland. The one way wooden Beaumont bridge on Hwy 6 over the Clutha scares the crap out of me every time I use it, at least they finally found the money to put traffic lights on it a couple of years ago.

  6. McFlock 6

    It it still that single-lane wood plank thing from years ago?

    Moderately surprised it’s only 1.1 ROI, frankly. Although if they’re buying q’town land, the devil might be in the land costs rather than the lack of use.

    • ghostwhowalksnz 6.1

      It may be in Englishs electorate but it does seem to be a bridge that needs replacement. Its on a state highway and is better or worse and major link around Queenstown.

    • ghostwhowalksnz 6.2

      Just checked the proposed alignment, virtually no land required as it runs mostly over the river very close to existing bridge.

      Not sure why short 2 lane bridge is so expensive.

  7. Wayne 7

    I think this is a good example of what Josie Pagani meant by not chasing every passing car.

    It looks a bit stupid to complain about replacing a one way bridge in a major tourist area. Whose votes are you going to get by emphasizing how opposed you are to replacing the bridge that you don’t already have.

    In contrast it is the sort of thing that is pretty much guaranteed to turn off middle voters, who probably think it is pretty sensible that the state highway system should not have one way bridges.

    • mickysavage 7.1

      But Wayne the problem is that we have a system which gives priority in accordance with a legislative scheme to ensure that the most worthy of projects gets built. By doing this the Government has prevented more worthy projects from being built and a project that barely gets off the ground gets priority.

      As for your Pagani quote perhaps you could pass this suggestion onto Cameron Slater and tell him the same thing. Besides at least we bark at scandals that are real.

  8. Wayne 8

    Private?

    We are talking about a State highway.

    Speaking from experience, one of the reasons the Nats went for the Highways of Significance was to get a strategic perspective to spending the money on our roads.

    The problem of the rigid focus on BCR for every little aspect of each job, is that the system is incapable of looking at the macro-picture. As an example, different parts of the expressway from Auckland to Hamilton had different BCR’s, meaning that it was going to be nearly 2040 before the whole job was done. But that was a ludicrous way of looking at the overall economic significance of the road, and the overall growth impacts of the road.

    Oddly enough, you would think that Labour would embrace such a big picture approach to strategic infrastructure. But over the last few years the approach is to criticize pretty much everything the Nats have done, and not work out which things one should agree with, and which are the things to oppose.

    One of the outcomes of the 2005 election is that the Nats, (esp once John became the leader) was to take a strategic approach to policy, to work out what we supported and what we should oppose. So we adopted nuclear free, WFF, interest free student loans, most of ERA and a few other things. We then focused on what we would do; tax reform, 90 day bill, RMA reform. Now I appreciate that commenters here won’t believe the Nats actually went through that process, but take it from me that I know what we did during that period.

    Labour seems not to have gone through this process yet. And this seems to be one of Josie Pagani’s key points, and seemingly now also Chris Trotters, if Bowalley Road is anything to go by.

    I guess the election will show whether Labour will need to do this after September 20. Or will Labour have convinced the voters that what is currently proposed will do the job?

    • mickysavage 8.1

      But Wayne the system does not rely solely on BCRs. It is sophisticated to take into account strategic and environmental imperatives. But it is a system that is there to make sure that politicians do not cherry pick individual projects to suit themselves or their constituents.

      Here is sections 20(2) and (3) of the Land Transport Management Act:

      “(2)In approving a proposed activity or combination of activities, the Agency must be satisfied that—
      (a)the activity or combination of activities is included in the national land transport programme or qualifies under subsection (4); and
      (b)the national land transport programme continues to meet the requirements of section 19B; and
      (c)the activity or combination of activities is—
      (i)consistent with the GPS on land transport; and
      (ii)efficient and effective; and
      (d)the activity or combination of activities contributes to the Agency’s objective; and
      (e)the activity or combination of activities has, to the extent practicable, been assessed against other land transport options and alternatives; and
      (f)the relevant consultation requirements of this Act have been complied with.
      (3)In approving a proposed activity or combination of activities, the Agency must—
      (a)take into account—
      (i)any national energy efficiency and conservation strategy; and
      (ii)any relevant national policy statements and relevant regional policy statements that are for the time being in force under the Resource Management Act 1991; and
      (b)act in accordance with its operating principles.”

      The decision making process you will see is very sophisticated and the desire to remove political interference obvious.

    • Lanthanide 8.2

      Yes, private, in the sense that it seems to be a pure vanity project, much like the John Key Memorial Cycleway was:

      But local MP Bill English – who has no Ministerial responsibility for transport – requested and received two NZTA briefings in 10 days about [the Kawarau Falls Bridge]. And, lo and behold, the project has received the blessing of the normally tight-as-a-drum Minister of Finance, Bill English. It is now at the head of the queue.

      English has made sure that, despite its low efficiency and low benefit cost ratio, taxpayers will spend up to $25 million on his Kawerau Falls Bridge anyway.

      • Colonial Viper 8.2.1

        Telling ya, on some matters being Minister of Finance makes you at least as powerful as anyone else in the Cabinet, incl the PM

        • Murray Olsen 8.2.1.1

          Since the first ACT government, the Minister of Finance has often been the most powerful member of the administration, with the partial exceptions of Helen Clark and John Key. With Cunliffe we already see Finance making the stupid and damaging decision to raise the retirement age.

  9. john 9

    What a total idiot Rob Salmond is.

    1/ The Kawarau Falls single lane bridge has 6000 vehicles a day across it, and when busy delays add 20-30 miniutes to a five minute trip..

    2/ It’s on the main highway between Queenstown and Invercargill.

    3/ It’s the only link to the Remarkables Ski field.

    4/ When the rickety old bridge is closed for maintenance (as it was at night time for six weeks in April and May), or crashes, Queenstown residents on that side of the bridge have an additional 180km get into the centre of town – normally a 5-10 minute trip.

    5/ Closures and traffic delays can severely effect emergency vehicles attending crashes on the dangerous Devils Staircase just south of the bridge, or house fires, medical emergencies, ski field accidents etc.

    6/ It is nearly 90 years old with a rickety wooden deck, so it will not last much longer anyway.

    7/ Full weight trucks can’t even travel on the main road between Invercargill and Queenstown because of the limits on the old bridge.

    8/ Ditto with oversized loads – they have to travel the extra 180km.

    It’s a main state highway bridge that was built for Model T Fords and horse and carts, and can’t take modern traffic numbers, weights or loads.

    And Micky Savage claims the “actual benefit is hard to fathom “. I shake my head at the utter stupidity of that comment.

    • McFlock 9.1

      All interesting points that would have been taken into consideration when calculating the proposed replacement’s dismal 1.1 ROI. The ROI calculated by the LTSA.

      If you have better figures, feel free to provide your working.

    • lprent 9.2

      The Kawarau Falls single lane bridge has 6000 vehicles a day across it, and when busy delays add 20-30 miniutes to a five minute trip..

      I presume that you are talking about this from the bumf from NZTA.

      The daily two-way traffic counts for the bridge in 2011 were 5,906 with heavy vehicles making up 6.45% of this figure.

      That is complete bullshit. I’ve been around that area in the middle of summer, as recently as this last xmas. If there were 60 odd cars going across it every 5 minutes of so (roughly what your numbers suggest), the the queues would be kilometres long. Instead the most I have ever observed would be between 5 and 10 waiting at either end in multiple trips into the area over the last 30 years.

      Now I’m sure that there are days where there are the odd days when there are long queues. At the start and end of holidays would be my bet. But I hardly think that short peak holiday periods are really a good reason to expend large amounts of money on. I’d also bet that the number that NZTA quoted above was the highest daily value in November 2011 rather than an average, and that it coincided with the start of a holiday weekend. You know the type of period – when the car queues out of Auckland reach about 40-50km in extent on 4 lanes of motorway.

      Looking around at what is online…

      Evidentially NZTA thought the same as I do before they got completely buggered by the Bill English and other National Ministers. In December 2011 the local NZTA bod was asked why the Kawarau Falls Bridge was likely to be done after the rickety Beaumont bridge.

      “Higher priority to Beaumont Bridge” (my italics)

      The main drivers for replacing the Kawarau Falls Bridge were its traffic capacity and travel time savings, given some “localised” congestion issues on the bridge for relatively short periods during busy times, such as in school holidays and the ski season.

      “With respect to the Kawarau Falls Bridge, its remaining serviceable life as a single lane structure is well beyond the 10-year programming horizon.”

      Certain factors could affect the planned construction start dates, he said.

      The programming for Beaumont was based on anticipated serviceable life, while the Kawarau Falls Bridge was based on priority and anticipated programme cash flow.

      Incidentally, the traffic flows on that bridge even in the middle of summer are pretty damn small. Where I live in Auckland, both New north road and Newton road would probably do that 6k of traffic in way less than an hour in morning and evenings every work day.

      That is all traffic paying the road and petrol taxes that National ministers are thieving for their personal pork-projects.

  10. john 10

    The current bridge is at the end of it ‘s life and the wooden deck is under constant repair and can’t handle modern traffic loads.

    So economic comparisons between a new bridge and the old one are largely irrelevant, because soon there won’t be an old bridge that can be used.

    How do Queenstown people feel about a potential Labour govt planning to kill the plan for their desperately needed bridge as a “extreme politically motivated waste of public money.”???

  11. john 11

    lprent says “That is complete bullshit. …If there were 60 odd cars going across it every 5 minutes of so (roughly what your numbers suggest), the the queues would be kilometres long.

    That’s the problem – sometimes they are. They block the airport road. They block the Kelvin Heights Rd

    From the Herald –
    “About 450 vehicles crossed the bridge per hour, which rose to about 580 per hour in the evening peak of 5pm to 6pm. However, in the Christmas and New Year period, about 750 vehicles per hour, attempted to cross, which caused exceptionally long queues and frustration among motorists.”

    lprent says “Where I live in Auckland, both New north road and Newton road would probably do that 6k of traffic in way less than an hour in morning and evenings every work day.”

    What a ridiculous comparison – New North Road and Newton Road are not single lane roads where the traffic is reduced to one lane for BOTH directions. Even Auckland Harbour Bridge does less than 20,000 per lane per day – and they are going in ONE direction in each lane – not rotating from one direction, waiting for that to clear the bridge, before traffic going the other way can start.

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    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    5 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    6 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    6 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Progress continues apace on water storage
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