Kia Kaha Christchurch

Written By: - Date published: 5:22 pm, February 14th, 2016 - 50 comments
Categories: uncategorized - Tags:

christchurch earthquake 2016

It must feel like a bad dream to our Cantabrian brothers and sisters.  A magnitude 5.7 earthquake hit Christchurch this afternoon.  Thankfully there are no reports of deaths or serious injuries.  But there has to be psychological effects.

From Rebuild Christchurch:

Christchurch City Council is receiving reports of damage throughout the city following the 5.7 earthquake which struck at 1.13pm.

Cliffs have collapsed at Whitewash Heads, Sumner, and also on Wakefield Avenue, where the cliff has collapsed on the eastern side of Richmond Hill.

Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel said that burst watermains are also causing problems in some areas of the city. Teams are currently out checking the situation. Mains have burst in Office Road, on the corner of Shirley and Alfred streets, Hurst Place, Hargood Street, Courtfield Close, Hills Road, Bower Avenue, and Marriots Road.

Valves at the city’s reservoirs automatically closed and crews are on site manually resetting them. There are also some pump stations affected by power outages and City Care is organising stand-by generators.

In addition, there appears to be general traffic congestion as people attempt to get home. Some traffic signals were affected, but these have now been restored. The worst affected areas for congestion are Marshland Road and Sumner.

The Lyttelton Road Tunnel is open, however there is concern about Anzac Bridge, Fitzgerald Twin Bridges and Gladstone Quay and all are being checked.

The Council’s facilities including libraries closed briefly some will remain closed until an assessment has been completed, so there may be a delay in them opening.

The Council is also receiving a number of calls about missing animals and Animal Control staff are now assisting to resolve this.

Kia kaha Christchurch.

50 comments on “Kia Kaha Christchurch ”

  1. Chooky 1

    thanks for that…personally i did not feel this earthquake but friends and relatives felt it alright…as Mayor Lianne Dalziel says those we should feel most for are those who have yet to settle their EQC claims

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/76869175/Severe-Chch-quake-What-you-need-to-know

  2. mac1 2

    Felt that one while in Murchison at a meeting. My daughter in ChCh lost a peace lily falling off a chest, and my brother’s cat went under the bed. A friend at Redcliffs described being in his motor home as comparable to a rough crossing over Cook Strait. A sad reminder of that devastation five years ago. Still a reality.

  3. greywarshark 3

    Some observations while looking up earthquake info. One was NZ Herald with the headline – Science behind the 5.7 Christchurch earthquake. But Key was the person videoed talking about it, not the knowledgable scientist to give it straight from the horse’s mouth. Key was almost incoherent, because he had to talk against a loud, bold beat at the Big Gay Out. He was wearing a fuchsia coloured shirt to show how gay he was.
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11589499

    Further down the page there he was again in his bright fuchsia shirt chatting to someone in a large flag with the heading – John Key booed off stage at Big Gay Out
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11589495

    So busy photo ops for the man for all seasons.

    Then I see a bit about an environmental grant to a Christchurch developer, and he was wearing a fuchsia suit or at least a tailored jacket in the brilliant colour. Is this some sort of trend amongst the wealthy job creators?

  4. TeWhareWhero 4

    It felt very strong here 40 kms north of ChCh – enough to make me do my earthquake song and dance routine – hop from one foot to the other and chant ‘fuck, fuck, fuck’. The cat left home; the dog was freaked but by me, and the husband carried on cooking some eggs for his lunch as if nothing had happened. He’s remarkably – almost preternaturally – calm in earthquakes. Just hope it is not the start of a new sequence.

    • alwyn 4.1

      I’m on the side of the dog.
      It is a beautiful image you paint. I hope there was no damage though.

    • Rosie 4.2

      “enough to make me do my earthquake song and dance routine – hop from one foot to the other and chant ‘fuck, fuck, fuck’”

      What else to do? Sounds like an entirely appropriate response to me 🙂

      Hope you’re doing ok today TeWhareWhero.

      I hope you, and all affected (including Lanthanide and vto below) by this big new shake up managed to get some sleep last night. I’m guessing this will open old wounds for some.

      Take gentle care of one another and of the own self.

  5. alwyn 5

    Was the Redcliffs school affected by the quake?

  6. NZJester 6

    I blame the right wing governments like National for these. While you might not think I have a leg to stand on in that argument I point out that along with global warming there has been an increase in larger earthquakes and volcanic activity globally. The continental plates slowly move a little bit each year, but the increased temperatures on the surface might be heating up the magma below and making those underground rivers run hotter and a little bit faster making the plates move just a little bit faster also.
    You only have to see the increase in large earthquakes and volcanic events happening around the wold to realize that global warming must be warming the subterranean parts of the earth as well. As long as we have right wing governments that put the interests of big business over the environment, this is likely to be just a taste of what is to come. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and wild weather events are going to be our global warming future.
    With volcanoes thought dormant waking up world wide I would not like to be living on top of a nest of old dormant volcanoes.
    Auckland could be our next big natural disaster area in the future.

  7. dave 7

    tonight the insurance risk in Christchurch just went sky high Christchurch could become an insurance black zone without insurance cover property will be worth zero zero they can thank our troy rulers for rebuilding on a swamp all the rebuild money has been squandered and lost .

    • ropata 7.1

      i hope king gerry rethinks his big fuck-off convention centre and superfluous rugby stadium. what a huge malinvestment and millstone around the necks of ratepayers for the next 50 years

      • savenz 7.1.1

        +1 Ropata + Dave

        I heard that the bailed out red zone was actually declined by the council for building on prior to the earthquake and the developer appealed in environment court and won, and then built on areas which should never have been built on and went to liquefaction post earthquake and the tax payers bailed out the owners and the developers did not answer for anything.

        Don’t feel that Brownlees vanity convention centre and stadium should be the building priority!

        Poor Chch.

        • ropata 7.1.1.1

          Developers following the same model that allowed them to build whole new suburbs on swampland in the first place (Bexley), Council said no, but the developers had the $$$ to force the issue through court (clearly some crappy judges out there). Of course Bexley was heavily affected by liquefaction in 2011 but the developers were long gone.

          Same model that caused the leaky homes fiasco in Auckland. Weak planning regulations and the wrong incentives, result in shonky suburbs designed for max profit and zero responsibility

    • vto 7.2

      way off the mark there dave

    • greywarshark 7.3

      The rebuild money has largely been spent on stronger more resilient properties which should be able to ride out earthquakes. And it won’t be wasted money at all, it is just another cost of keeping the country going, similar to what National are paying out in interest to overseas funders each year which adds up to a lot.

      Opportunities to get the country on a better more sustainable footing have been ignored. That is the tragedy dave that you should be wringing your hands about.

  8. millsy 8

    Christchurch is still pretty unstable it would seem.

    • Richard@Down South 8.1

      I seriously wonder at what point is it better to move Christchurch… there must be a point at which insurance companies simply wont cover Christchurch?

      • pat 8.1.1

        there is a point at which they will either leave the market or price it out of viability but this quake won’t have any immediate impact in that respect…..it will be added to the risk factor though.

  9. Neil 9

    Wait for it Key & the national party will blame Labour for it.

  10. Ch-ch Chiquita 10

    Mother nature makes sure we don’t go past 22 February un-noticed. Every year we get this reminder. Have been through I don’t know how many thousands of earthquakes, to the point we can tell the magnitude without looking at geo-net, and yet in the first second I still think it’s a heavy truck driving by.

  11. r0b 11

    Well Fuck.

    I arrive in Germany and another Chch quake is the first thing I see on the news.

    My family Ok time round, minor breakages only. Hope everyone is safe. Hard to be “well” under the circumstances.

    • greywarshark 11.1

      r0b
      So it was you leaving that caused an imbalance in the space-time continuum.
      Good that your people are safe, so are mine. vto had a shaky experience.
      Lanthanide also but different – some good background! info.

  12. Lanthanide 12

    Some interesting information on RNZ this morning, from an engineer (I think from the university) that specialises in seismic building design / load etc.

    He said the peak ground acceleration would have been 0.4G at the epicenter, which was about 7-8k off the coast of New Brighton.

    At New Brighton itself, the PGA would have been about 0.2G, and in the central city it would halve to about 0.1G, and at Riccarton would have halved again to 0.05G.

    I live a couple of K past Riccarton, so it explains why it felt like a big wobbly quake to me (see Open Mic yesterday) rather than the sharp sudden jolt that others have talked about.

    • vto 12.1

      Was standing on the driveway next to the car. Felt one coming, which then proceeded to get bigger (all very much near instantly – the conc driveway gave very direct feel for what was going on), then the big jolt hit whack and shaking and noise and crashing and banging … the driveway was going all wobbly with each foot moving independently like on a bouncy castle.

      Just at the point of everything going liquid and thinking whoa this is another massive one, it began to back off. Found myself holding onto the car long after it had finished, car sirens going off, memories flooding back…. people in tears

      It was certainly no small thing.

  13. Just heard some moron on RNZ saying the lack of damage was proof that the rebuild was working well. He seemed to think the entire city had been rebuilt and was now earthquake proof. Dunno who he was, but he made me feel like booing.

    • Lanthanide 13.1

      If an earthquake of that size had happened, without all of the preceding quakes to ‘soften’ things up first, I think there probably would have been less damage overall. Seems unlikely that the cliffs would have collapsed like that. Still would have had the liquefaction etc out east, but I doubt any buildings would have suffered much damage in the central city.

      The 23rd December 2011 quake was 5.8M but much closer to shore. The PGA at New Brighton library was 0.97, and in the central city was around 0.15 to 0.28.

      That one didn’t do much in the way of structural damage to the city.

      http://info.geonet.org.nz/display/quake/2011/12/23/Dec+23+2011+-+Christchurch+hit+again+at+Christmas

  14. Ffloyd 14

    That moron was John Key. As per usual.

  15. Was sitting at an outside table at the Curator’s House in the Botanic Gardens (central city) at the time hosting a friend over from Sydney. Fortunately, he’d grown up in Reefton so he was very used to shakes.

    It was like a very strong sideways rocking that took ages to settle. The place was fully booked (Valentine’s Day) and after a few minutes most customers just sat back down and continued eating.

    The physical sensation was like standing on a paddle board on a choppy sea. But the worst was the thought ‘here we go again’ and therefore the need to find out quickly how bad the damage was and the location of the epicentre. And, of course, then there’s the immediate concern for those we care about.

    The inability to take the ground beneath your feet for granted represents a metaphorical lesson in why, in life, we should all see ourselves as in ‘this’ together.

    It’s a great leveller – in more ways than one. Or at least should be.

    • weka 15.1

      I wish the rest of NZ would get that. Both that the issue is about ‘here we go again’ on many levels, and that we need to be in this together.

      • vto 15.1.1

        It really is such a great leveller. Like nothing else experienced really. Ever.

        Last few years plenty of people have been hauling the cash, spending large, buying new utes, boats, houses, feeling pretty impressed with themselves that they can make so much money ……..

        Then this – wompa. We all the same when the shit hits the fan.

        The great leveller.

        To be experienced to be believed methinks

  16. pat 16

    “The inability to take the ground beneath your feet for granted represents a metaphorical lesson in why, in life, we should all see ourselves as in ‘this’ together.

    It’s a great leveller – in more ways than one. Or at least should be.”

    unfortunately the polar opposite is pretty much what has occurred

    • greywarshark 16.1

      Seems to bring geographical and spatial language to the fore. Great leveller and polar opposite for instance.

  17. savenz 17

    I don’t live in Christchurch but how much has actually been rebuilt? A few years ago I heard that the place was still in ruins. Now Campbell Live is not on (too truthful) nobody knows what’s going on in Christchurch anymore.

    • weka 17.1

      Campbell Lives on at RNZ, and they are covering the quake. I tend to think the psychological issues are more important than the rebuild and insurance ones, although they’re obviously interrelated.

      • pat 17.1.1

        think there may several thousand that may dispute that the insurance (and EQC) issues are less important, though will agree psychological may be connected….there is a common refrain amongst many in ChCh….the earthquakes were a breeze compared with the BS they have had to deal with from the various agencies.

        • weka 17.1.1.1

          A city with a high population of people with PTSD, and that PTSD being related to the aftermath as much as the quakes, mostly as you say the BS that was preventable, that’s a pretty significant thing. And even those without out and out PTSD, the stress impacts sound really bad.

          I have been wondering lately how other places compare post-quake. Lots of places have far worse death tolls, but how many have this level of human induced disaster?

          Yes, I expect those dealing with insurance/EQC issues would probably rate those issues are more important. Different persepectives.

      • vto 17.1.2

        The psychological ones have raced to the top again after yesterday and I think will remain for some time. It has been such a long time since a whopper shake like that that is has really put everybody on notice………

        Plus tears flowed very easily yesterday from people – the nerves were clearly not repaired.

        As for what has been rebuilt savenz – most hme repairs are done or being finished. A wave of commercial rebuild by the private sector is nearly complete with most all commercial activities now catered for and little on the horizon for further build. Still quite a chunk of public works and anchor projects to go. Not enough work to round now, so hopefully the ripoffs and price gouging that has been going on will disappear or reverse and people can start getting their own back on rapacious landlords and builders.

        • pat 17.1.2.1

          ‘As for what has been rebuilt savenz – most hme repairs are done or being finished. A wave of commercial rebuild by the private sector is nearly complete with most all commercial activities now catered for and little on the horizon for further build.’

          you may wish to have a look at the attached link…

          http://southernresponse.co.nz/images/documents/Progress_to_the_end_of_January_2016.pdf

          and thats only one IC

          • vto 17.1.2.1.1

            That Southern Response is the insurance company Bill English took over to save AMI customers…..

            I am sure it will then come as no surprise that Southern Response is the lowest of the low by a huge country mile. It is one of the most hated organisations here. It does not reflect the average. At all.

            • pat 17.1.2.1.1.1

              “Their own data contradicts their CE’s statement yesterday and the vast majority of those rebuilds and repairs (13,663 or 72% of all settlements) have been cash settled so let’s not jump to the conclusion that these are “builders on the ground” completed repairs and rebuilds. There are thousands of homes in the same condition as they were after the quakes which in itself could create another problem.”

              you say “here” so I’m sure you’re aware of the work of Cam Preston around the ICs settlement statistics…

              http://www.infonews.co.nz/news.cfm?id=110375

              “The data² supporting Mr Grafton’s statement, which is supplied to the Insurance Council by the its private insurance company members, via the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE), clearly shows that in the 5+ years since the earthquake sequence began, only 2,430 repairs and 2,865 rebuilds have been completed by its members in Canterbury,” he says.’

              • vto

                I am running on heavy anecdote…. which is pretty reliable given pretty much every single person and household we know has had multiple insurance claims……. actually every single person and household come to think of it

                Was including cash and repair and rebuild settlements in my point…… only a few remaining.

                However I hears ya with the housing stock. There are thousands of broken homes paid out on and yep, they will become known as pre-eq houses and be marked down, just like the classic leaky-home houses. Unfortunately.

                • pat

                  “Was including cash and repair and rebuild settlements in my point…… only a few remaining.’

                  I guess it is only a few …..if you consider 3,500 fromEQC, 3,000 from SR and around 5,000 from the other insurers a few…..and that dosnt include the land claims

        • weka 17.1.2.2

          That’s good to hear about the rebuild esp for homes and that the price gouging should drop off.

  18. Smilin 18

    My opinion or 2 c worth is it possible Bank Peninsula is in the process of separating from Canterbury ,could take a long time or is the fault possibly separating the Sth Is into 2 islands thru to the West Coast or the coast of Canterbury crackin thru to Marlborough from ChCh just a few questions to think about

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    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
    3 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
    3 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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 ...
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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 ...
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days 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
    5 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
    7 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
    8 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
    21 hours 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
    5 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
    5 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
    6 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
    7 days 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
    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
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