Perhaps an invidious comparison, but the Australian Federal budget will be compared to ours on particular for lines associated with public sector pay, and for major projects, and for speed of economic expansion.
Workers have had mobility constraints for a year, and the $$ signals will count in their future skill and degree location plans.
I wouldnt believe much about the Australian budget spin coming from the federal governments spin doctors.
Even on the local levels , a project before last election for 'car parks' at train stations in Melbourne liberal electorates was 're-announced' this time as costs had risen substantially ( or were more realistically calculated), so some stations were dropped and others changed because the land was earmarked for housing!.
Had my first vaccination yesterday, some observations on the system as I experienced it.
I got notified on Monday evening via text and email that I had been booked for Tuesday late afternoon (one woman behind me in the queue had had just two hours notice of her vaccination, that is quite alarming!). The text message invited me to confirm the booking via a link.
First problem – the link required me to "reset" my password (never having logged in before). The password required characters, upper case & I think a special character. When this was done, it took me to a login page where I was prompted for username and password. Only because I am familiar with technology was I able to work out the ID number quoted in the text message must be username. For those who struggle with technology this would be a bit of a barrier, I bet the call centre gets calls about it all the time!
Second problem – At the moment, there are only two vaccination centres in Auckland, one in Mt. Wellington and one in Elliot street in the CBD on "level 4" of a building there. I chose the CDB location because I live near a railway station. However, the vaccination centre has no street signage in Elliot street indicating which entry to use or how to get to level 4. You have to wander around a bit to find where it is. Obviously, parking in the city is a nightmare if you don't have ready access to PT. If you are disabled getting to the vaccination centre would be a real struggle.
Once there, you have a filtering team who visually sight your phone booking to stop random walk ups.
Then you proceed to a second checkpoint where you are given a consent form to fill out which requires your NHI number. How many people know this? I know mine, but only because I have a big brain 🙂 They check your ID and booking, and bizarrely, ask if you know why you got a booking – no one around me had much of a clue on that one, but they manually wrote down the answers anyway. Who knows what for. Also, this second checkpoint makes the whole confirmation of booking rigmarole questionable, if they check you off in the system manually then why not simply offer a system where you can just turn up with your phone booking, they scan a barcode and away you go? Why the double handling? You are then handed a consent form to fill out.
Then you proceed to checkpoint three, where they check you consent form, explain consent AND MANUALLY RECORD AT LEAST YOUR MOBILE NUMBER INTO A LAPTOP FOR THE FOLLOW UP SHOT NOTIFICATION. I asked about this, since they clearly had my number for the booking. I was told that was the booking system, this is for the vaccination system. Now… words defeat me. Is the DHB really running two booking systems in parallel with no intersections & MANUAL data inputs? REALLY? The odds of error in transcribing information go up exponentially – how many thousands of times will mistakes be made when tired and harassed staff enter wrong numbers?
From there, it was smoothly done, as you would expect from the professionals who actually do (rather than administer) health. The whole experience took around 45 minutes.
My over all impression is it is system designed by health bureaucrats who have only ever designed booking systems to act as part of a suite of tools for rationing access to healthcare. It will be made to work by the informed, motivated and middle class. And the current setup, if my experience is any guide, has bugger all chance of scaling up for the mass rollout successfully.
Personally, I would have put the army in charge. hey took the MIQ system off our utterly useless DHBs and made it work. They are the last mission orientated branch of government. They would have simply said "mission: needles in arms. How do we do it quickly and effectively?" And gone on and done it.
Oh and the sooner the DHBs are gone, the better.
PS – I am so grateful the government has kept us safe and given me a free vaccine, Thank you NZ Government!
In a nutshell, they’re aware of the issues, many of which the general public has no inkling of, and have been working hard on it. This is not straightforward, not the least because of every DHB doing its own thing, as always, but there are significant improvements coming soon. Meanwhile, people can be vaccinated and the vaccination schedule is currently tracking as planned, ahead even. On a personal note, I think they’re doing a marvellous job.
"…Dr Bloomfield acknowledged the programme was huge and ambitious, with the aim of nearly 8,000,000 doses of vaccine to be given before the end of the year.
However, he told Checkpoint, "we are ahead of our scheduled delivery at the moment."
"At the moment" means he has a CYA (Cover Your Ass) way out if the whole thing collapses in a welter of hissing steam, twisted track and recriminations in July/August.
It is what it is and they’re making a big effort and cynicism and sarcasm are not going to change that. Please tell me the Lotto numbers for the next draw, thanks.
"at the moment' can also mean just that. He also said 'currently". What we don't know is the question to which he was giving an answer, as the 10 minute radio excerpt started with an introduction by the interviewer and then launched into a statement by the interviewee, Dr Bloomfield, without any preceding question or conversation starter.
Did the conversation start like this, “Dr Bloomfield, so how are things shaping up at the moment?”
'At the moment' was also used in the context of further 'ramp up of the vaccination programme and if used in that context is also a fair description of progress and intentions.
'At the moment' also gives a factual reference as the facts are known in current time whereas in the future is planned and hoped for but still unknown. It does give the idea that currently there is a plan which is even ahead of its projected path.
I'd not be worrying.
If there was no plan, if currently the projections were behind schedule, if Bloomfield had a history of failure or exaggeration, if indeed the facts were not known, then 'at the moment' I might be worried.
Sanctuary you are looking for all the worst case scenarios yet you have been vaccinated but not for stupidity.
Pfizer is under huge pressure to get vaccines to countries that actually need them because of massive death tolls and over run health systems in countries where variants are mutating and may render your vaccination useless.
Entitled spoiled brat. Every country is vying for enough vaccine just look across the ditch. They had the astra geneca vaccine ready to go and started their program it was cancelled due to 2 younger women suffered blood clots.Now Australia won't be starting vaccinating till December.
We are on a War footing with this Pandemic we all have to make sacrifices.
Sanctuary your abuse of Ashley Bloomfield reflects very badly on you.You are deliberately scaremongering .look at how popular Judith Collins is doing what your doing.
"Now Australia won't be starting vaccinating till December.".
What do you mean by this statement? At the moment Australia has carried out about 3.1 million vaccinations, which is a faster rate than we have achieved. That figure was for 17 May.
I was talking to a friend in Sydney yesterday and she had been vaccinated a couple of weeks ago. Where did you get the information you are quoting?
As this is my curret hobby horse, I am keen to know if these (the booking and vaccination systems described by Sanctuary), are designed in-house or sub contracted.
In a similar vein, the ransom ware issue at Waikato DHB. Is this dealt with in-house or will there be a bill to add insult to injury?
My guess is they are bespoke to each DHB, as would be the method of design delivery (that is, in-house or sub-contracted). The system should have been designed and implemented by the MOH as part of a national coordinated public health response, but we all the the MOH is an eviscerated policy shop these and lacks the capacity to do something like this – hence the government health reforms!
I am probably a bit better qualified than most to comment on this system, since it intersects with my professional skills. The system as I described would be a fine one for the flotsam and jetsam that might slip through the cracks and turn up, or as part of the manual backup for disaster recovery or for people without access to phones or email, etc. But it seems to me there is considerable scope for automation that would reduce error and speed up the process. For example, the text message could contain a QR code. Upon sighting your booking at the first check point you simply scan the code which updates the booking system & sends your phone an update text with another QR code. Once you've done the consent form and been vaccinated, a second scan of the second QR code would update the vaccination system. How hard would that be? A couple of days in a design workshop, roll it out now and iteratively improve it based on feedback/experience.
Some DHBs are using Excel spreadsheets for this. The privacy requirements in health add some complexity but as you say not enough to justify the level of faffing around on display now to the wider public.
Is the DHB really running two booking systems in parallel with no intersections & MANUAL data inputs? REALLY?
Welcome to Health IT. The two systems you mentioned are run by different parts of the system – one by your DHB and one by the Ministry vaccination people.
As you say the potential for mistakes as well as wasted effort is huge. Multiply by the 3000 separate IT systems in the Northern region alone.
That’s a great write up. Not particularly surprising to those of us that have to engage with Health regularly, so many systems are broken now by neoliberalism and the Key government doubling down. Add in the stress of the pandemic year.
also concerns about how much simple fix solutions are being patched on top.
this btw is a big part of the horror at the left wing idea that a UBI should remove WINZ and replace disability income with MoH services.
Just to describe my COVID vaccine experience. Had mine last month – both at Burwood Hospital in Christchurch. Online booking system very easy to use, text and email confirmation of appointment. Lots of free parking, easy to find as signposts all around.
Had the jab 4 minutes after arrival, out of the building 25 minutes after (obligatory 20 minute wait in case of reaction). Staff were cheerful and professional.
Repeat jab – just the same.
My only problem: very sore arm for 24 hours! But, at least in Christchurch, the system worked perfectly.
"Personally, I would have put the army in charge…..
They would have simply said "mission: needles in arms. How do we do it quickly and effectively?" And gone on and done it".
Sanctuary
The army is a great idea. They could set up field hospitals in High School playing fields around the country, like they would do for disaster relief, able to get as many people through them as possible, as quickly as possible.
They have the tents, the medics, the experienced admin. for such undertakings, gained in relief missions in the Pacific.
And I am open to the idea that it is not a good sugggestion.
I would have thought a vaccine roll out mission would be less arduous than a disaster relief mission.
As South Auckland was the site of the last cluster, and as it has been deemed a particularly vulnerable area. I would start with an army field hospital erected on the grounds of Papatotoe High School, and keep it open and lit up 24/7 until community saturation is achieved, from there move it on to other South Auckland High Schools. Then start again for the second dose.vaccination.
If nothing else, such field hospitals set up around the motu on High School playing fields plugged into the schools power and lit up with lights at night, open 24/7 with military personal and vehicles, would be a dramatic visual reminder that this is a serious issue and that maybe we should all rock up at the local high school field hospital to get our jab.
This vaccine rollout is a little more than simply giving a few people one or two jabs. The Budget 2021 should have given you some idea of the scale & scope, but let’s put up a few tents with a few uniformed staff with a laptop and we’re done, yes!? If you wish to make a suggestion, please put some effort into it and try make it a good one. If you don’t believe in your own suggestion, why make it in the first place??
Thanks for that description of your experience. It explains a significant cause of the delays is bureaucracy gone mad. I guess it depends on the individual DHBs and it wouldn't surprise me if Auckland is the worst… too many cooks spoiling the broth.
I'm in the 'old age' category which is supposed to begin at the end of this month. What's the bet it doesn't get properly underway before the end of June by which time they will have (hopefully) ironed out the problems.
Yup and after all that myself and a colleague have been sent an email and text the next day saying we missed our appointment. So I called three times to be told firstly that yes I was there and my second appointment is logged in the system, and I will get an email during the week. After that week lapsed and no appointment arrived I called again to be asked was I certain I had attended the first and did a receive a reminder email for it and I need to call back… and on the third call after another two weeks because I was told to, because the person (s) in the first call had no answer for me, I was told to just go in with my card.
So much for the working booking system. I am wondering how many people are going to be out there with just one dose of the vaccine? Quite a few I think and there's absolutely no record of it.
Well it is working for me, I got my second appointment text message promptly yesterday, and I logged into the booking system and confirmed. But in my view this is at least as likely because I am technologically literate and motivated as anything.
1) Maybe those who designed the system attended our schools before we plummeted in international test rankings. 🙃
2) But if there were to be some problem, health specific or otherwise, somewhere, with one person out of hundreds of thousands, media companies would be fighting each other for the best headlines. The scandal, the shock, the disgust, the disdain, the calling for the Minister to resign, the Government to resign, Bloomfield to resign, the DHB to resign.
We're in a scared shitless environment where accountability rules and doing things for 'just in case' reasons is the rule.
National Party embedded journalist, Thomas Coughlan, duly pimps for his masters, painting them as astute and effective political craftspeople, brimming with competence and kindness.
He seems to say it was Chris Bishop who has saved us from Covid-19, and somehow Simeon Brown is the last line of defence between gangs and your children. He claims Nicola Willis and Erica Stanford are showing the government how compassion is really done.
Coughlan even applauds the National Party's energy in asking 20,000 questions of public servants every week as if it's s new thing, rather than wasting simply what it is, wasting precious resources. Remember in 2017 when Bill English said they were going to be the bestest opposition ever? Flooding ministries with redundant questions is what they did then. How did it help anyone?
Only, after all that, at the end of this puff piece, Thomas Coughlan admits that the only way for the National Party to improve its fortunes is to win Lotto in the form of an Orewa speech or finding Jacinda.
To me, equating Orewa with Ardern is a little bit revolting but par for the course for the National Party and its media handlers.
National no mates ,Collins latest comments are that no one is interested in politics now.
Then says Nationals support has gone up 1 1/2% yeah right what ever ,she doesn't understand she has lost 12% support.The fact is the rights over all support has gone down ACT down NZfirst down,JLR Billy TK party collapsed.National picked up less than Labour of these voters.
A very good piece by a Professor of Philosophy who argues that the use of words in a context (i.e. language) can be helpful or unhelpful in/for public debate and dealing with issues.
So the terms ‘racist’ and ‘racism’ come with a lot of baggage and should not be used lightly.
In my view, this critical thought can be applied to many words such as ‘war crime’ and the many ‘-isms’ that are peppered around in mainstream and, above all, social media.
Over priced rubbish emergency accommodation, a father who beats his child to death with his new lover, Winz paying 1300 a week for a room temporarily but not 350 a week for 6 month, Child services, Social Workers, etc all absent.
One dead child.
Maybe the only department that should suffer teh love of the Labour Party need for reconstruction and reshuffling is not the Health Department (try funding that one for a while and see if it changes anything) but Winz. Just close that inhuman hell hole down, fire anyone who work there – frankly they made enough money of pure misery and start from scratch and maybe find people who are not already dead inside by the daily onslaught of manmade misery.
For a long time I have been concerned about the death of children and the involvement government agencies have with the family.
Housing history is an indicator of how a parent is coping. Living in emergency housing is stressful and it is unsuitable for a struggling parent.
Work and Income need to take some responsibility as Work and Income put the child into emergency accommodation. Work and Income are not social workers BUT they are dealing with complex situations where there are vulnerable children who have a stressed parent/s.
The point is that once these people are in this type of accommodation it seems there is no one ready for them. Not Winz, not Child Youth Services, not social worker, not anything nothing nada. And it is always the weakest that pay.
I do not know how much more serious it can get than a 5 year old boy being murdered. The signs were there that the little boy was being maltreated. He was exposed to arguing, being left on his own, controlling signs from the father, a woman who Winz may not have allowed to be there. Meticulous follow through was not done by MSD.
The Privacy Act is part of the problem when it came to the welfare of the child.
Would it help to tie the child to both the parents Winz or IRD number (a suffix) and MSD could use it when a complaint was taken?
no, what would help is getting people into proper accomodation for at least a year up to two, so that they can sort their mental issues, employment issues, etc and that the kids can go to a preschool or a school where hopefully such issues would be picked up.
instead they got a room, for 1300 a week and a wet handshake. Never mind the dead kid.
Proper affordable and stable accommodation is the answer. It is the children who are falling through the gaps.
A person has a suffix on their bank account to manage their finances. A vulnerable child is being harmed psychologically, emotionally and physically and the state are not keeping track of the child when the state are aware of either or both parents being erratic or an assessment is not asking the right questions.
The fact that "neither the police nor the Social Development Ministry (MSD) is actively monitoring incidents of crime, violence or family harm in this type of housing, but do encourage people to come forward if they feel at risk.".. would suggest 'We' ,as a society, and a people obsessed with gathering and fussing over statistics around the "Property Ladder" and the "Economy" and so called "Productivity" are a long way from caring.
If its not measured does it even exist?
..oh, and I forgot ..we even measure "Well-Being". ffs.
Unfortunately "Community' is not such a strong concept these days with most renters moving basically every year, even home owners don't hang around long, and for those in areas full of emergency housing it becomes next level; meantime with the online world taking centre stage people no longer interact with others be it at the bank or the library or the supermarket; no night classes encouraging people of different socio economic groups to meet as equals, … just hundreds of facebook friends when we don't even know our neighbor.
I have a pet theory…back when I was small, cars broke down and overheated alot..and people would always help, because there was that sense that you never knew when you might need help yourself …..but these days ..cars are reliable…people all have cellphones..so its everyman for himself…self reliant self contained (and slightly paranoid) units…and that mentality permeates society..
Though in this instance it seems that the point of community intervention had already been passed. There was clearly no way for individuals to offer the smallest degree of help to that poor child without creating an even more fraught situation…meantime the people we pay to protect children seemed to be actively ignoring the situation.
On top of systematic failures no one notified oranga tamariki about the disfunction happening even though several people new it was happening. The owner presented a knife in another incident.
This sort of behaviour is widespread govt agencies don't have the capabilities on any level to deal with these situations to able to provide a safe upbringing for disadvantaged children.
Taxes need to go up to get enough money to provide housing to train specialist caregivers
It's always an band aid to fix a gaping wound.
No one wants to work in child protection because the wages are crap the work load is 3 times the safe amount to prevent worker burn out and good outcomes,
we can either raise taxes on those that can afford it.
we can stop giving money to those that don't need it (cough Bezos, cough Americas Cup etc) and use these few dollars as far as we can.
*we can do nothing, and every other week we find another dead child, or handicapped child (the one little urchin that i know here in Rotorua was beaten into deafness by her father) and bury them as the little unwanted babies they ended up. and every time we do this we short change our society of a potential genius that may would have been responsible for a cancer cure, or something. But hey, right. Money?
It was a national government that created the emergency/transitional housing disaster, but I agree Labour has taken the same unplanned and haphazzard approach to dealing with homelessness. It started when Paula Bennett was the minister responding to the swathes of people sleeping in cars by placing people in motels. The criticisms then started flowing but every response from this point on was simply to deal with those criticisms without considering what those responses were doing to families.
In one sense the problem has come full circle. For example, for many people sleeping in vehicle becomes the only option after other attempts to be somewhere have failed, such as sharing with family or kipping down in a garage. The stresses of overcrowding and not having anywhere to be – a place that a person can call a home, that is secure, warm, gives an opportunity to be alone within etc, are often what's experienced before taking to the streets or sleeping in vehicles.
Then the government's policies around emergency abd tranistional housing kick in which puts the person or family back into circumstances not dissimilar to the situation that created the need for government housing assistance in the first place.
The government needs to wake up and realise that a lot of emergency housing situations, particularly what's called transitional housing, resemble conditions that people need to escape, and are not better than where someone's come from.
You know what it is? A national disgrace, and both parties are at fault for doing nothing much then applying little strips of band aid onto gushing wounds. And society pays the price, and little kids.
The whole emergency/transitional housing "initiative" has been a complete failure. This should'd be surprising because every single step in that process has been completely unplanned and designed solely to avoid criticism and embarrament around the provious step. This all started with the public embarrassment the national government faced over families sleeping in vehicles. Their response: put people into motels at up $2k a week and make the person or family responsible for paying it back. Things went quickly downhill from there.
The message to government, now, should be that their response to homelessness is for many worse than what the response was meant to address.
I know, i have been yelling about this for a while. And while National charged the cost of it to the hapless recipients of this charity, the Labour government is taxing 25% of ones benefit to pay for this largesse. Its fucked up beyond believe, and for those that need help, well, i guess there is none.
Following on from my question the other day about why the CDC was telling people that once they’re fully vaccinated their life can go back to normal.
Yankees confirm 8th positive diagnosis of #covid19 this week, in a player who was fully vaccinated and previously had Covid during the offseason. Yankees: "All of the positives are breakthrough positives, occurring with individuals who were fully vaccinated." (h/t @JGolden5)
ITs testing time now. They have a large part of their population vaccinated and now they need the proof that it works as intended. The last final 'test phase' so to speak. I am a bit cynic that way.
Again, there are political reasons, and for what its worth, Biden on his last visit to a Ford Plant wore a Mask. Go figure.
Important parts of the process are being missed and will be missed until vaccination efficacy is known when it comes to prevention, transmission and fatalities.
What a great idea, why haven't people thought of this before?
How about this; Instead of wage freezes to pay for the covid recovery and fix the housing crisis, – we tax the rich more.
Yeah – I know the naysayers, will say that the rich people will just leave the country.
Really?
Try and find a low tax country that has a neo-lib economy with lax labour and health laws that isn't damaged by covid-19?
To remind them how fortunate they are to be in this country, the government could put a massive exit tax on rich emigres leaving the country. 'We don't care if you leave, just not with all your unearned income.'
If wealthy millionaires are that important to the country’s economy, ,Maybe the organisation of Patriotic Millionaires could be encouraged to come here to replace them?
But probably not, as they are more likely to be loyalto their country that let them become rich
Why can't tenants just grow some veggies to make ends meet, or poor people? Well because the owner can just rip up your award winning veggie garden while you are away without even having to advise one. Cause complaints, and well other bannable words. But then apologizing seems easier to be upfront and work with the Lady and her award winning veggie patch.
Pearce said ŌCHT applied to the council for funding to do the work, but the application process took time and was unsuccessful.
On April 18, the maintenance team advised the tenancy team the work would start in May 2021, but no-one told Wang.
“We should have told our tenant. We didn’t, and for that we are very sorry, and we unreservedly apologise.”
Pearce said ŌCHT was reviewing its approach to communicating with tenants about exterior works.
Once the grass is sowed, Wang will be left with a strip of dirt one metre out from the fence line to grow her vegetables in.
Neighbour Mark Long felt she had been treated unfairly.
He has never complained about the vegetable garden, but was aware that others had.
“I don’t see the reasoning behind it, but I’m not the authority,” he said.
Long was not aware if growing crops was outside the terms of their tenancy.
“The lady is very talented in the garden,” he said. “It’s wrong, she’s lived here 10 years.”
It would be nice if someone could donate portable garden beds. To deprive an 80 year old of her hobby is mean spirited. The small area not destroyed could be used to raise the plants to go into the portable garden beds.
I would like this case go to the Tenancy Tribunal. At one point she had permission from her landlord. Had a date been given that the garden was going to be ruined the outcome would have ensured that plants would have been harvested.
So what can and can't a shared area be used for?
Has it got to the point where everyone needs to have their backyard zoned?
"She received a letter in December 2019 from ŌCHT saying it planned to turn the garden into grass in the “next short while”. It let her keep one area until after the vegetables had been harvested, and"would turn that area into grass in April/May 2020, the letter said."
It seemed as there was a separate communication for her to replant because of delays, which she did but the original plan happened anyway.
This is the reality of renting in NZ – be you never so reasonable, someone can come in and wreck all your work and then use boss logic to "stand by the decision". Shame the lady can't run them through the courts.
it just shows the reality of what a 'tenant' can do or not. And hopefully it shuts those downs that always come up with, but the poor surely they can grow veggies like i do in my own garden. Right right?
Absolutely, Sabine. The ability to grow one's own veges demands some basic things. First, time as a tenant long enough to complete a cycle of ground preparation, seed planting, through to harvest. Time as a tenant long enough to consider it worthwhile to invest time and energy into 'building up the soil' with compost bins, soil enhancing crops to be dug in. It requires money for seed, fertiliser even if only lime, tools, watering gear. It requires good neighbours not to trample or steal crops. It requires some security of tenure.
This is all why community gardens and plots are so important. I lease one with a mate. Great craic as we work together, food enough to feed ourselves and give a third away, soil build up from couch infested grass cover to highly enriched ground that bears heavily, water laid on, security against theft and security against landlords ending tenancies or having to move from home.
My understanding of that was that another 'tenant(s)' complaining about access to a washing line.
My heart broke reading that story this morning.
Where I work unreasonable complaints from a small minority seem to carry inordinate weight. I heard a quote from Joseph Needham that authorities like OCHT could use for complaining NIMBYs- 'The dogs may bark the caravan moves on.'
A shortage of beds has forced 41 overnight surgeries to be cancelled at Christchurch Hospital.
The Canterbury District Health Board has confirmed that the pre-booked surgeries had to be rescheduled last week.
Acting executive director, planning, funding and decision support Ralph La Salle said the hospital was swamped with surgeries that did not require an overnight stay.
New York lawyer Steven Donziger represented indigenous people in Ecuador in a landmark case that won them a massive judgment against Chevron Texaco in 2011. Chevron was found responsible for decades of oil pollution in the Amazon.
However, with billions of dollars at their disposal and refusing to accept the verdict, Chevron has worked to have Donziger disbarred, his bank accounts frozen, a lien put on his apartment, exorbitant fines charged to him, and have him prohibited from earning money. As of August 6, 2019, based on criminal contempt charges, a court has seized his passport and put him on house arrest.
This frightening travesty of justice is happening only blocks away from the headquarters of the New York Times, which, as he mentions bitterly in this interview, has steadfastly ignored this case….
Always miss the obvious location , the industrial zone alongside the Steel Mill on the Waiuku tidal river. Has existing rail link and electric grid connections. Road connections are the best of all other options. Depths of channels even at low tide – from marine charts- show 12-14 m almost as far as Clarkes beach . The depth at the heads is 25-40m plus There is the shallow stretch a few km offshore but thats only for 2.5-3km between 12m depths. Most ports including Waitemata have dredged channels leading out to open ocean. Rotterdam thought of as a major deep water port has a dredged channel into North Sea of about 20km for large containerships and for larger oil and bulk carriers it extends to 80km off the coast to 20m plus depth
From a guy who can't manage a water company, or a transport entity, and your Council finances are chaotic, why would you think you can bully the Ports board any more effectively than you've failed to do over the last year?
What strange comments, totally devoid of meaning or relevance .
The weather has caused the shortage in dam storage, but its beside the point as the lowest levels reached are still in the 40% range. Its not a savings bank which is meant to be over 70% at all days , and last 2 years the rainy days didnt come- driest in over a century
The Council owns the shares for the Port company, theres is no bullying involved when you tell them to shape up.
The Waitemata will need a fair bit of work if it is to handle boats of any size – neither the channel nor the beacons are up to much. Last time we used it (in the dark on a little 200t trawler) we were out on the whaleback looking for piles with torches while the skipper was crouched over the sounder watching the water under his keel. He'd've liked a whole lot more.
Might be issues with weather too – the east coast ports don't present the same issues if there's a bit of a blow.
Slight issue that a bar builds up constantly. Not to mention the normal swell in the entrance. And that dredging will need to be constant, and will be closed due to weather, often.
.
The obvious location is around Orere point.
Plenty of water within a mile of the shore. Sheltered and close to transport links, major exporters and importers, and other shipping users..
However we will lose our “hubbing” to OZ, while everyone advocates for their own unsuitable and expensive option.
Of course the Manukau entrance requires dredging along with the final part of the channel to Glenbrook.
As Ive pointed out dredging for their access channels is what most ports have. Dutch have super dredgers 30K to 60k size can handle the soft muds and sands easily.
The design of the entrance channel can be shaped underwater to allow the very strong tidal flow to help keep the depth, which you probably would make maybe 25m at low tide , much deeper than necessary
Also the size of container ship we are talking about means the wave patterns are not of concern. Even Wellington port has much worse , which closes the entrance a handful of times per year.
Orere has no transport links, requires invasive reclamations in a sensitive area. Cant compare to the industrial zone and transport/power links already at Glenbrook
Saves a day travel time on a voyage to Sydney or Melbourne which is what giant container ships like
Average household income in Auckland is higher than the national average -2020- of $107,000. It wont display the detail but would be $125k per household?
Households pay rent, very rarely would individuals be able to afford it
Households pay rent, of course if Mum, dad, and the kids all work and contribute to that. Mind, i think putting under 13th to work might not be quite legal, and some women don’t work for a while once they have kids. Details. Details.
107.000 is that before or after tax? Never mind, taxable amount would be 26.230 so here you are left with 81.000 grand after tax. Mind, i have lived for over two decades in Auckland and the only people that earned that amount did not rent, they paid mortgages. But details, details. 🙂
31.200 annual rent (if no extra increases 600 * 52 weeks) and you are left with 49.800.
Now if you have a stay at home mum, and three kids, that is not that grand?
Now if you are on a median income in AKL so around 48.000 grand per year, you have 40.580 left after paying tax, then minus rent you will have 781 NZD per month for your 'household', if Mum does not work.
And how lovely of you to ignore households that are made up of single parents, single grandparents, carers of people with disabilities etc who are often the only earner and the only payer.
But i guess that is not you?
And i guess you heard of the Accommodation benefits? That little thing you and i finance to help individuals pay these extortion rents? You did hear about them?
Well said Sabine. FFS, rents are obscene, pure and simple.
A friend of mine noticed a squatter on his property (old racing ground, half covered in bush, plenty of room to hide), in an old caravan. He's well away from my mates house, and no bother so mate is letting him stay. But now it's something we're both noticing more & more, caravans & vans with ppl living in them. And this is in Dunedin, there's gotta be a tipping point surely?
On Tuesday the students tucked into a bacon, egg and kumara rosti burger, apple crisps, a mandarin, with 11-year-olds Lara Smith and Liam Hooker praising the meal.
“It's really good,” Lara said, “The best one yet.”
Of course in Japan schools have provided free lunch meals for their pupils, since forever.
Japanese free school lunches are so good, there are special school themed restaurants catering to paying adults who want to recapture their school meal memories.
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
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Perhaps an invidious comparison, but the Australian Federal budget will be compared to ours on particular for lines associated with public sector pay, and for major projects, and for speed of economic expansion.
Workers have had mobility constraints for a year, and the $$ signals will count in their future skill and degree location plans.
I wouldnt believe much about the Australian budget spin coming from the federal governments spin doctors.
Even on the local levels , a project before last election for 'car parks' at train stations in Melbourne liberal electorates was 're-announced' this time as costs had risen substantially ( or were more realistically calculated), so some stations were dropped and others changed because the land was earmarked for housing!.
The Defence budget had all sort of headlines about extra spending, but the Australian Strategic Policy Institute , who keep track of such things, said the amounts were only a miniscule increase above last years 2.04% GDP to 2.09%
This is a good little piece on why an elected Wellington Councillor set against Maori wards changed his mind:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/local-government/125137817/city-councillor-why-i-changed-my-mind-about-mori-representation
As of last night, Napier Council has yet again punted the idea down the road.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/hawkes-bay/125166968/hastings-district-council-vote-to-establish-mori-wards-in-2022
Whereas Hastings, just 15kms away, yesterday voted in favour of Maori wards:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/hawkes-bay/125166968/hastings-district-council-vote-to-establish-mori-wards-in-2022
Great to see Mahuta's legislative changes having a real effect so fast.
Hastings may be just down the road from Napier, but Hastings District covers all of Hawke's Bay proper and Napier is only the urban enclave .
Had my first vaccination yesterday, some observations on the system as I experienced it.
I got notified on Monday evening via text and email that I had been booked for Tuesday late afternoon (one woman behind me in the queue had had just two hours notice of her vaccination, that is quite alarming!). The text message invited me to confirm the booking via a link.
First problem – the link required me to "reset" my password (never having logged in before). The password required characters, upper case & I think a special character. When this was done, it took me to a login page where I was prompted for username and password. Only because I am familiar with technology was I able to work out the ID number quoted in the text message must be username. For those who struggle with technology this would be a bit of a barrier, I bet the call centre gets calls about it all the time!
Second problem – At the moment, there are only two vaccination centres in Auckland, one in Mt. Wellington and one in Elliot street in the CBD on "level 4" of a building there. I chose the CDB location because I live near a railway station. However, the vaccination centre has no street signage in Elliot street indicating which entry to use or how to get to level 4. You have to wander around a bit to find where it is. Obviously, parking in the city is a nightmare if you don't have ready access to PT. If you are disabled getting to the vaccination centre would be a real struggle.
Once there, you have a filtering team who visually sight your phone booking to stop random walk ups.
Then you proceed to a second checkpoint where you are given a consent form to fill out which requires your NHI number. How many people know this? I know mine, but only because I have a big brain 🙂 They check your ID and booking, and bizarrely, ask if you know why you got a booking – no one around me had much of a clue on that one, but they manually wrote down the answers anyway. Who knows what for. Also, this second checkpoint makes the whole confirmation of booking rigmarole questionable, if they check you off in the system manually then why not simply offer a system where you can just turn up with your phone booking, they scan a barcode and away you go? Why the double handling? You are then handed a consent form to fill out.
Then you proceed to checkpoint three, where they check you consent form, explain consent AND MANUALLY RECORD AT LEAST YOUR MOBILE NUMBER INTO A LAPTOP FOR THE FOLLOW UP SHOT NOTIFICATION. I asked about this, since they clearly had my number for the booking. I was told that was the booking system, this is for the vaccination system. Now… words defeat me. Is the DHB really running two booking systems in parallel with no intersections & MANUAL data inputs? REALLY? The odds of error in transcribing information go up exponentially – how many thousands of times will mistakes be made when tired and harassed staff enter wrong numbers?
From there, it was smoothly done, as you would expect from the professionals who actually do (rather than administer) health. The whole experience took around 45 minutes.
My over all impression is it is system designed by health bureaucrats who have only ever designed booking systems to act as part of a suite of tools for rationing access to healthcare. It will be made to work by the informed, motivated and middle class. And the current setup, if my experience is any guide, has bugger all chance of scaling up for the mass rollout successfully.
Personally, I would have put the army in charge. hey took the MIQ system off our utterly useless DHBs and made it work. They are the last mission orientated branch of government. They would have simply said "mission: needles in arms. How do we do it quickly and effectively?" And gone on and done it.
Oh and the sooner the DHBs are gone, the better.
PS – I am so grateful the government has kept us safe and given me a free vaccine, Thank you NZ Government!
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018795974/dr-ashley-bloomfield-responds-to-critical-report-on-covid-19-vaccine-rollout
You should add commentary if you are going to put a link up.
Fair enough.
In a nutshell, they’re aware of the issues, many of which the general public has no inkling of, and have been working hard on it. This is not straightforward, not the least because of every DHB doing its own thing, as always, but there are significant improvements coming soon. Meanwhile, people can be vaccinated and the vaccination schedule is currently tracking as planned, ahead even. On a personal note, I think they’re doing a marvellous job.
A national booking system will be handy. Who knew that integrating separate components would make things harder and slower to deliver..
Thank you.
Bloomfield’s comment has the worrying out –
"…Dr Bloomfield acknowledged the programme was huge and ambitious, with the aim of nearly 8,000,000 doses of vaccine to be given before the end of the year.
However, he told Checkpoint, "we are ahead of our scheduled delivery at the moment."
"At the moment" means he has a CYA (Cover Your Ass) way out if the whole thing collapses in a welter of hissing steam, twisted track and recriminations in July/August.
It is what it is and they’re making a big effort and cynicism and sarcasm are not going to change that. Please tell me the Lotto numbers for the next draw, thanks.
"at the moment' can also mean just that. He also said 'currently". What we don't know is the question to which he was giving an answer, as the 10 minute radio excerpt started with an introduction by the interviewer and then launched into a statement by the interviewee, Dr Bloomfield, without any preceding question or conversation starter.
Did the conversation start like this, “Dr Bloomfield, so how are things shaping up at the moment?”
'At the moment' was also used in the context of further 'ramp up of the vaccination programme and if used in that context is also a fair description of progress and intentions.
'At the moment' also gives a factual reference as the facts are known in current time whereas in the future is planned and hoped for but still unknown. It does give the idea that currently there is a plan which is even ahead of its projected path.
I'd not be worrying.
If there was no plan, if currently the projections were behind schedule, if Bloomfield had a history of failure or exaggeration, if indeed the facts were not known, then 'at the moment' I might be worried.
Sanctuary you are looking for all the worst case scenarios yet you have been vaccinated but not for stupidity.
Pfizer is under huge pressure to get vaccines to countries that actually need them because of massive death tolls and over run health systems in countries where variants are mutating and may render your vaccination useless.
Entitled spoiled brat. Every country is vying for enough vaccine just look across the ditch. They had the astra geneca vaccine ready to go and started their program it was cancelled due to 2 younger women suffered blood clots.Now Australia won't be starting vaccinating till December.
We are on a War footing with this Pandemic we all have to make sacrifices.
Sanctuary your abuse of Ashley Bloomfield reflects very badly on you.You are deliberately scaremongering .look at how popular Judith Collins is doing what your doing.
Ummmm… OK.
No they were allpractical logistical concerns.
"Now Australia won't be starting vaccinating till December.".
What do you mean by this statement? At the moment Australia has carried out about 3.1 million vaccinations, which is a faster rate than we have achieved. That figure was for 17 May.
I was talking to a friend in Sydney yesterday and she had been vaccinated a couple of weeks ago. Where did you get the information you are quoting?
As this is my curret hobby horse, I am keen to know if these (the booking and vaccination systems described by Sanctuary), are designed in-house or sub contracted.
In a similar vein, the ransom ware issue at Waikato DHB. Is this dealt with in-house or will there be a bill to add insult to injury?
My guess is they are bespoke to each DHB, as would be the method of design delivery (that is, in-house or sub-contracted). The system should have been designed and implemented by the MOH as part of a national coordinated public health response, but we all the the MOH is an eviscerated policy shop these and lacks the capacity to do something like this – hence the government health reforms!
I am probably a bit better qualified than most to comment on this system, since it intersects with my professional skills. The system as I described would be a fine one for the flotsam and jetsam that might slip through the cracks and turn up, or as part of the manual backup for disaster recovery or for people without access to phones or email, etc. But it seems to me there is considerable scope for automation that would reduce error and speed up the process. For example, the text message could contain a QR code. Upon sighting your booking at the first check point you simply scan the code which updates the booking system & sends your phone an update text with another QR code. Once you've done the consent form and been vaccinated, a second scan of the second QR code would update the vaccination system. How hard would that be? A couple of days in a design workshop, roll it out now and iteratively improve it based on feedback/experience.
Some DHBs are using Excel spreadsheets for this. The privacy requirements in health add some complexity but as you say not enough to justify the level of faffing around on display now to the wider public.
Welcome to Health IT. The two systems you mentioned are run by different parts of the system – one by your DHB and one by the Ministry vaccination people.
As you say the potential for mistakes as well as wasted effort is huge. Multiply by the 3000 separate IT systems in the Northern region alone.
That’s a great write up. Not particularly surprising to those of us that have to engage with Health regularly, so many systems are broken now by neoliberalism and the Key government doubling down. Add in the stress of the pandemic year.
also concerns about how much simple fix solutions are being patched on top.
this btw is a big part of the horror at the left wing idea that a UBI should remove WINZ and replace disability income with MoH services.
My Wife has had both shots now no problems what so ever other than a sore bruise from the intra muscular jab.
Given the breakdown in Waikato DHB IT system I am glad they are keeping hard copy.
No doubt other questions will be for statistical reasons.
Hi – your experience sounds like a hassle.
Just to describe my COVID vaccine experience. Had mine last month – both at Burwood Hospital in Christchurch. Online booking system very easy to use, text and email confirmation of appointment. Lots of free parking, easy to find as signposts all around.
Had the jab 4 minutes after arrival, out of the building 25 minutes after (obligatory 20 minute wait in case of reaction). Staff were cheerful and professional.
Repeat jab – just the same.
My only problem: very sore arm for 24 hours! But, at least in Christchurch, the system worked perfectly.
The army is a great idea. They could set up field hospitals in High School playing fields around the country, like they would do for disaster relief, able to get as many people through them as possible, as quickly as possible.
They have the tents, the medics, the experienced admin. for such undertakings, gained in relief missions in the Pacific.
Let's do this.
The mission: Herd Immunity post haste.
Operation: Kiwi Freedom
The army would still need systems for tracking and inviting people.
I wouldn't think this would be problem.
NZDF admin. armed with field laptops have performed admirably in co-ordinating disaster relief operations in much more arduous situations.
Disaster relief is not the same as coordinating vaccination for millions of people. But keep believing whatever you want to.
It is not what I believe, it is a suggestion.
And I am open to the idea that it is not a good sugggestion.
I would have thought a vaccine roll out mission would be less arduous than a disaster relief mission.
As South Auckland was the site of the last cluster, and as it has been deemed a particularly vulnerable area. I would start with an army field hospital erected on the grounds of Papatotoe High School, and keep it open and lit up 24/7 until community saturation is achieved, from there move it on to other South Auckland High Schools. Then start again for the second dose.vaccination.
If nothing else, such field hospitals set up around the motu on High School playing fields plugged into the schools power and lit up with lights at night, open 24/7 with military personal and vehicles, would be a dramatic visual reminder that this is a serious issue and that maybe we should all rock up at the local high school field hospital to get our jab.
This vaccine rollout is a little more than simply giving a few people one or two jabs. The Budget 2021 should have given you some idea of the scale & scope, but let’s put up a few tents with a few uniformed staff with a laptop and we’re done, yes!? If you wish to make a suggestion, please put some effort into it and try make it a good one. If you don’t believe in your own suggestion, why make it in the first place??
Sanctuary @ 3.
Thanks for that description of your experience. It explains a significant cause of the delays is bureaucracy gone mad. I guess it depends on the individual DHBs and it wouldn't surprise me if Auckland is the worst… too many cooks spoiling the broth.
I'm in the 'old age' category which is supposed to begin at the end of this month. What's the bet it doesn't get properly underway before the end of June by which time they will have (hopefully) ironed out the problems.
Yup and after all that myself and a colleague have been sent an email and text the next day saying we missed our appointment. So I called three times to be told firstly that yes I was there and my second appointment is logged in the system, and I will get an email during the week. After that week lapsed and no appointment arrived I called again to be asked was I certain I had attended the first and did a receive a reminder email for it and I need to call back… and on the third call after another two weeks because I was told to, because the person (s) in the first call had no answer for me, I was told to just go in with my card.
So much for the working booking system. I am wondering how many people are going to be out there with just one dose of the vaccine? Quite a few I think and there's absolutely no record of it.
Well it is working for me, I got my second appointment text message promptly yesterday, and I logged into the booking system and confirmed. But in my view this is at least as likely because I am technologically literate and motivated as anything.
1) Maybe those who designed the system attended our schools before we plummeted in international test rankings. 🙃
2) But if there were to be some problem, health specific or otherwise, somewhere, with one person out of hundreds of thousands, media companies would be fighting each other for the best headlines. The scandal, the shock, the disgust, the disdain, the calling for the Minister to resign, the Government to resign, Bloomfield to resign, the DHB to resign.
We're in a scared shitless environment where accountability rules and doing things for 'just in case' reasons is the rule.
National Party embedded journalist, Thomas Coughlan, duly pimps for his masters, painting them as astute and effective political craftspeople, brimming with competence and kindness.
He seems to say it was Chris Bishop who has saved us from Covid-19, and somehow Simeon Brown is the last line of defence between gangs and your children. He claims Nicola Willis and Erica Stanford are showing the government how compassion is really done.
Coughlan even applauds the National Party's energy in asking 20,000 questions of public servants every week as if it's s new thing, rather than wasting simply what it is, wasting precious resources. Remember in 2017 when Bill English said they were going to be the bestest opposition ever? Flooding ministries with redundant questions is what they did then. How did it help anyone?
Only, after all that, at the end of this puff piece, Thomas Coughlan admits that the only way for the National Party to improve its fortunes is to win Lotto in the form of an Orewa speech or finding Jacinda.
To me, equating Orewa with Ardern is a little bit revolting but par for the course for the National Party and its media handlers.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300310699/live-judith-collins-on-the-state-of-the-national-party
National no mates ,Collins latest comments are that no one is interested in politics now.
Then says Nationals support has gone up 1 1/2% yeah right what ever ,she doesn't understand she has lost 12% support.The fact is the rights over all support has gone down ACT down NZfirst down,JLR Billy TK party collapsed.National picked up less than Labour of these voters.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/ideasroom/take-care-with-the-term-racist
A very good piece by a Professor of Philosophy who argues that the use of words in a context (i.e. language) can be helpful or unhelpful in/for public debate and dealing with issues.
In my view, this critical thought can be applied to many words such as ‘war crime’ and the many ‘-isms’ that are peppered around in mainstream and, above all, social media.
NZ at its finest.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/125098964/the-state-paid-1300-a-week-for-a-room-in-emergency-housing-where-a-boy-was-murdered-but-what-did-it-do-to-keep-him-safe
Over priced rubbish emergency accommodation, a father who beats his child to death with his new lover, Winz paying 1300 a week for a room temporarily but not 350 a week for 6 month, Child services, Social Workers, etc all absent.
One dead child.
Maybe the only department that should suffer teh love of the Labour Party need for reconstruction and reshuffling is not the Health Department (try funding that one for a while and see if it changes anything) but Winz. Just close that inhuman hell hole down, fire anyone who work there – frankly they made enough money of pure misery and start from scratch and maybe find people who are not already dead inside by the daily onslaught of manmade misery.
Just another dead child.
Do we care?
For a long time I have been concerned about the death of children and the involvement government agencies have with the family.
Housing history is an indicator of how a parent is coping. Living in emergency housing is stressful and it is unsuitable for a struggling parent.
Work and Income need to take some responsibility as Work and Income put the child into emergency accommodation. Work and Income are not social workers BUT they are dealing with complex situations where there are vulnerable children who have a stressed parent/s.
The point is that once these people are in this type of accommodation it seems there is no one ready for them. Not Winz, not Child Youth Services, not social worker, not anything nothing nada. And it is always the weakest that pay.
I do not know how much more serious it can get than a 5 year old boy being murdered. The signs were there that the little boy was being maltreated. He was exposed to arguing, being left on his own, controlling signs from the father, a woman who Winz may not have allowed to be there. Meticulous follow through was not done by MSD.
The Privacy Act is part of the problem when it came to the welfare of the child.
Would it help to tie the child to both the parents Winz or IRD number (a suffix) and MSD could use it when a complaint was taken?
no, what would help is getting people into proper accomodation for at least a year up to two, so that they can sort their mental issues, employment issues, etc and that the kids can go to a preschool or a school where hopefully such issues would be picked up.
instead they got a room, for 1300 a week and a wet handshake. Never mind the dead kid.
Proper affordable and stable accommodation is the answer. It is the children who are falling through the gaps.
A person has a suffix on their bank account to manage their finances. A vulnerable child is being harmed psychologically, emotionally and physically and the state are not keeping track of the child when the state are aware of either or both parents being erratic or an assessment is not asking the right questions.
The fact that "neither the police nor the Social Development Ministry (MSD) is actively monitoring incidents of crime, violence or family harm in this type of housing, but do encourage people to come forward if they feel at risk.".. would suggest 'We' ,as a society, and a people obsessed with gathering and fussing over statistics around the "Property Ladder" and the "Economy" and so called "Productivity" are a long way from caring.
If its not measured does it even exist?
..oh, and I forgot ..we even measure "Well-Being". ffs.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/101066981/nz-government-to-lead-world-in-measuring-success-with-wellbeing-measures
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-msd-collecting-no-data-on-crime-at-emergency-housing/A65IS67WBGZK4IF5RH4VCXNYYE/
Just not good enough that stats are not being kept.
The well being of children is also the responsibility of the community to intervene anonymously so the child’s care can be checked out.
Ideally …yes ..people should intervene.
Unfortunately "Community' is not such a strong concept these days with most renters moving basically every year, even home owners don't hang around long, and for those in areas full of emergency housing it becomes next level; meantime with the online world taking centre stage people no longer interact with others be it at the bank or the library or the supermarket; no night classes encouraging people of different socio economic groups to meet as equals, … just hundreds of facebook friends when we don't even know our neighbor.
I have a pet theory…back when I was small, cars broke down and overheated alot..and people would always help, because there was that sense that you never knew when you might need help yourself …..but these days ..cars are reliable…people all have cellphones..so its everyman for himself…self reliant self contained (and slightly paranoid) units…and that mentality permeates society..
Though in this instance it seems that the point of community intervention had already been passed. There was clearly no way for individuals to offer the smallest degree of help to that poor child without creating an even more fraught situation…meantime the people we pay to protect children seemed to be actively ignoring the situation.
On top of systematic failures no one notified oranga tamariki about the disfunction happening even though several people new it was happening. The owner presented a knife in another incident.
This sort of behaviour is widespread govt agencies don't have the capabilities on any level to deal with these situations to able to provide a safe upbringing for disadvantaged children.
Taxes need to go up to get enough money to provide housing to train specialist caregivers
It's always an band aid to fix a gaping wound.
No one wants to work in child protection because the wages are crap the work load is 3 times the safe amount to prevent worker burn out and good outcomes,
*we can do nothing, and every other week we find another dead child, or handicapped child (the one little urchin that i know here in Rotorua was beaten into deafness by her father) and bury them as the little unwanted babies they ended up. and every time we do this we short change our society of a potential genius that may would have been responsible for a cancer cure, or something. But hey, right. Money?
It was a national government that created the emergency/transitional housing disaster, but I agree Labour has taken the same unplanned and haphazzard approach to dealing with homelessness. It started when Paula Bennett was the minister responding to the swathes of people sleeping in cars by placing people in motels. The criticisms then started flowing but every response from this point on was simply to deal with those criticisms without considering what those responses were doing to families.
In one sense the problem has come full circle. For example, for many people sleeping in vehicle becomes the only option after other attempts to be somewhere have failed, such as sharing with family or kipping down in a garage. The stresses of overcrowding and not having anywhere to be – a place that a person can call a home, that is secure, warm, gives an opportunity to be alone within etc, are often what's experienced before taking to the streets or sleeping in vehicles.
Then the government's policies around emergency abd tranistional housing kick in which puts the person or family back into circumstances not dissimilar to the situation that created the need for government housing assistance in the first place.
The government needs to wake up and realise that a lot of emergency housing situations, particularly what's called transitional housing, resemble conditions that people need to escape, and are not better than where someone's come from.
This problem is government made and bipartisan .
You know what it is? A national disgrace, and both parties are at fault for doing nothing much then applying little strips of band aid onto gushing wounds. And society pays the price, and little kids.
The whole emergency/transitional housing "initiative" has been a complete failure. This should'd be surprising because every single step in that process has been completely unplanned and designed solely to avoid criticism and embarrament around the provious step. This all started with the public embarrassment the national government faced over families sleeping in vehicles. Their response: put people into motels at up $2k a week and make the person or family responsible for paying it back. Things went quickly downhill from there.
The message to government, now, should be that their response to homelessness is for many worse than what the response was meant to address.
I know, i have been yelling about this for a while. And while National charged the cost of it to the hapless recipients of this charity, the Labour government is taxing 25% of ones benefit to pay for this largesse. Its fucked up beyond believe, and for those that need help, well, i guess there is none.
Following on from my question the other day about why the CDC was telling people that once they’re fully vaccinated their life can go back to normal.
https://twitter.com/megtirrell/status/1392945389846863874?s=21
so much we still don’t know. I get the pressure to rush but can’t help but feel we’re missing important parts of the process.
ITs testing time now. They have a large part of their population vaccinated and now they need the proof that it works as intended. The last final 'test phase' so to speak. I am a bit cynic that way.
Again, there are political reasons, and for what its worth, Biden on his last visit to a Ford Plant wore a Mask. Go figure.
Important parts of the process are being missed and will be missed until vaccination efficacy is known when it comes to prevention, transmission and fatalities.
Like Sabine said a “final test phase.”
On news of some US millionaires protesting that themselves, and all other less selfless millionaires to be taxed more.
What a great idea, why haven't people thought of this before?
How about this; Instead of wage freezes to pay for the covid recovery and fix the housing crisis, – we tax the rich more.
Yeah – I know the naysayers, will say that the rich people will just leave the country.
Really?
Try and find a low tax country that has a neo-lib economy with lax labour and health laws that isn't damaged by covid-19?
To remind them how fortunate they are to be in this country, the government could put a massive exit tax on rich emigres leaving the country. 'We don't care if you leave, just not with all your unearned income.'
If wealthy millionaires are that important to the country’s economy, ,Maybe the organisation of Patriotic Millionaires could be encouraged to come here to replace them?
But probably not, as they are more likely to be loyalto their country that let them become rich
millionaires saying billionaires should pay more tax? Or local tories would still call it the politics of envy lol
https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/125163632/christchurch-social-housing-tenants-awardwinning-vegetable-garden-ripped-up
Why can't tenants just grow some veggies to make ends meet, or poor people? Well because the owner can just rip up your award winning veggie garden while you are away without even having to advise one. Cause complaints, and well other bannable words. But then apologizing seems easier to be upfront and work with the Lady and her award winning veggie patch.
It would be nice if someone could donate portable garden beds. To deprive an 80 year old of her hobby is mean spirited. The small area not destroyed could be used to raise the plants to go into the portable garden beds.
Was wilful damage done to her garden?
it was scrapped of the face of the earth. She will be provided with a strip of a meter alongside a fence.
I would like this case go to the Tenancy Tribunal. At one point she had permission from her landlord. Had a date been given that the garden was going to be ruined the outcome would have ensured that plants would have been harvested.
So what can and can't a shared area be used for?
Has it got to the point where everyone needs to have their backyard zoned?
She was not told. Treetop, she came home and her garden was gone.
Yes, everything now needs to be zoned, written down, signed off, three copies, etc etc.
"She received a letter in December 2019 from ŌCHT saying it planned to turn the garden into grass in the “next short while”. It let her keep one area until after the vegetables had been harvested, and"would turn that area into grass in April/May 2020, the letter said."
It seemed as there was a separate communication for her to replant because of delays, which she did but the original plan happened anyway.
This is the reality of renting in NZ – be you never so reasonable, someone can come in and wreck all your work and then use boss logic to "stand by the decision". Shame the lady can't run them through the courts.
it just shows the reality of what a 'tenant' can do or not. And hopefully it shuts those downs that always come up with, but the poor surely they can grow veggies like i do in my own garden. Right right?
Absolutely, Sabine. The ability to grow one's own veges demands some basic things. First, time as a tenant long enough to complete a cycle of ground preparation, seed planting, through to harvest. Time as a tenant long enough to consider it worthwhile to invest time and energy into 'building up the soil' with compost bins, soil enhancing crops to be dug in. It requires money for seed, fertiliser even if only lime, tools, watering gear. It requires good neighbours not to trample or steal crops. It requires some security of tenure.
This is all why community gardens and plots are so important. I lease one with a mate. Great craic as we work together, food enough to feed ourselves and give a third away, soil build up from couch infested grass cover to highly enriched ground that bears heavily, water laid on, security against theft and security against landlords ending tenancies or having to move from home.
My understanding of that was that another 'tenant(s)' complaining about access to a washing line.
My heart broke reading that story this morning.
Where I work unreasonable complaints from a small minority seem to carry inordinate weight. I heard a quote from Joseph Needham that authorities like OCHT could use for complaining NIMBYs- 'The dogs may bark the caravan moves on.'
Unfortunately is anyone surprised by this? It is after all Christchurch and her garden was obviously not Anglo enough.
If there were concerns about the space the garden was taking why did the landlord not help by putting in some garden bordering. Arseholes
What sort of arsehole complains about a neighbour's vege grden.
that was my first question.
no matter what you do, don't get sick, and don't get sick enough to need surgery, here its christchurch, but it could be anywhere.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/41-surgeries-at-christchurch-hospital-cancelled-after-surge-of-acutely-unwell-people/2R4ZCG4OASMMTZJEPGSNLTERRY/
Steven Donziger
New York lawyer Steven Donziger represented indigenous people in Ecuador in a landmark case that won them a massive judgment against Chevron Texaco in 2011. Chevron was found responsible for decades of oil pollution in the Amazon.
However, with billions of dollars at their disposal and refusing to accept the verdict, Chevron has worked to have Donziger disbarred, his bank accounts frozen, a lien put on his apartment, exorbitant fines charged to him, and have him prohibited from earning money. As of August 6, 2019, based on criminal contempt charges, a court has seized his passport and put him on house arrest.
This frightening travesty of justice is happening only blocks away from the headquarters of the New York Times, which, as he mentions bitterly in this interview, has steadfastly ignored this case….
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/18/nobel-laureates-condemn-judicial-harassment-of-environmental-lawyer
Talk of Auckland Port moving again.
Always miss the obvious location , the industrial zone alongside the Steel Mill on the Waiuku tidal river. Has existing rail link and electric grid connections. Road connections are the best of all other options. Depths of channels even at low tide – from marine charts- show 12-14 m almost as far as Clarkes beach . The depth at the heads is 25-40m plus There is the shallow stretch a few km offshore but thats only for 2.5-3km between 12m depths. Most ports including Waitemata have dredged channels leading out to open ocean. Rotterdam thought of as a major deep water port has a dredged channel into North Sea of about 20km for large containerships and for larger oil and bulk carriers it extends to 80km off the coast to 20m plus depth
Best of luck Mr Mayor.
From a guy who can't manage a water company, or a transport entity, and your Council finances are chaotic, why would you think you can bully the Ports board any more effectively than you've failed to do over the last year?
What strange comments, totally devoid of meaning or relevance .
The weather has caused the shortage in dam storage, but its beside the point as the lowest levels reached are still in the 40% range. Its not a savings bank which is meant to be over 70% at all days , and last 2 years the rainy days didnt come- driest in over a century
The Council owns the shares for the Port company, theres is no bullying involved when you tell them to shape up.
The Waitemata will need a fair bit of work if it is to handle boats of any size – neither the channel nor the beacons are up to much. Last time we used it (in the dark on a little 200t trawler) we were out on the whaleback looking for piles with torches while the skipper was crouched over the sounder watching the water under his keel. He'd've liked a whole lot more.
Might be issues with weather too – the east coast ports don't present the same issues if there's a bit of a blow.
Manukau
True – not my home port 😉
Slight issue that a bar builds up constantly. Not to mention the normal swell in the entrance. And that dredging will need to be constant, and will be closed due to weather, often.
.
The obvious location is around Orere point.
Plenty of water within a mile of the shore. Sheltered and close to transport links, major exporters and importers, and other shipping users..
However we will lose our “hubbing” to OZ, while everyone advocates for their own unsuitable and expensive option.
Of course the Manukau entrance requires dredging along with the final part of the channel to Glenbrook.
As Ive pointed out dredging for their access channels is what most ports have. Dutch have super dredgers 30K to 60k size can handle the soft muds and sands easily.
The design of the entrance channel can be shaped underwater to allow the very strong tidal flow to help keep the depth, which you probably would make maybe 25m at low tide , much deeper than necessary
Also the size of container ship we are talking about means the wave patterns are not of concern. Even Wellington port has much worse , which closes the entrance a handful of times per year.
Orere has no transport links, requires invasive reclamations in a sensitive area. Cant compare to the industrial zone and transport/power links already at Glenbrook
Saves a day travel time on a voyage to Sydney or Melbourne which is what giant container ships like
Well, surely everyone is able to afford 600 per week for a three bedroom a week. Right?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/auckland-rents-barfoot-thompson-data-shows-weekly-cost-exceeds-600/O2OICHODTJUMDNTKSR5UNRH6TE/
Average household income in Auckland is higher than the national average -2020- of $107,000. It wont display the detail but would be $125k per household?
Households pay rent, very rarely would individuals be able to afford it
Households pay rent, of course if Mum, dad, and the kids all work and contribute to that. Mind, i think putting under 13th to work might not be quite legal, and some women don’t work for a while once they have kids. Details. Details.
107.000 is that before or after tax? Never mind, taxable amount would be 26.230 so here you are left with 81.000 grand after tax. Mind, i have lived for over two decades in Auckland and the only people that earned that amount did not rent, they paid mortgages. But details, details. 🙂
31.200 annual rent (if no extra increases 600 * 52 weeks) and you are left with 49.800.
Now if you have a stay at home mum, and three kids, that is not that grand?
Now if you are on a median income in AKL so around 48.000 grand per year, you have 40.580 left after paying tax, then minus rent you will have 781 NZD per month for your 'household', if Mum does not work.
And how lovely of you to ignore households that are made up of single parents, single grandparents, carers of people with disabilities etc who are often the only earner and the only payer.
But i guess that is not you?
And i guess you heard of the Accommodation benefits? That little thing you and i finance to help individuals pay these extortion rents? You did hear about them?
You asked who can afford $600 pw. Dont blame me if it isnt the answer you wanted
Well said Sabine. FFS, rents are obscene, pure and simple.
A friend of mine noticed a squatter on his property (old racing ground, half covered in bush, plenty of room to hide), in an old caravan. He's well away from my mates house, and no bother so mate is letting him stay. But now it's something we're both noticing more & more, caravans & vans with ppl living in them. And this is in Dunedin, there's gotta be a tipping point surely?
The average may be $107,000 but the median is only $86,000
Yum, Yum.
About time.
Of course in Japan schools have provided free lunch meals for their pupils, since forever.
Japanese free school lunches are so good, there are special school themed restaurants catering to paying adults who want to recapture their school meal memories.