Te Anau farmer accused of destroying 800ha of native forest
Judge Jon Jackson said in a statement the station was home to "significant indigenous vegetation".
"Its protection is a matter of national importance. There appears to be a pattern of non-compliance and the clearance over the past two winters alone has allegedly caused irreparable damage to approximately 800 hectares of significant flora and fauna," he said
The chair of Forest and Bird's Southland branch, Chris Henderson, said it was one of the worst examples of vegetation clearance she had heard of in the district, where there was not much lowland native forest left.
Beyond the threat to biodiversity and native lizards, bats and bird species, she said it would be in Chartres' interests to keep the native forests for carbon credits.
"His area that he's cleared could have been a really important biodiversity hotspot if he'd allowed it to flourish," she said.
IMO : This…especially following on from the already recently high lighted, and… ongoing tragedy of World…And incl NZ loss of Biodiversity (even extinctions ! )..seems incongruous. At the very least
He says it’s a battle that began when armed police and two ecologists had arrived unannounced at the family’s homestead back in September 2018 to exercise a search warrant to undertake an ecological investigation.
If true, that's just a completely stupid action. Te Anau is a conservative community, with lots of people antagonistic towards conservation and environmentalism. It's also a small community. I'm sure the other side has its own telling of how things went down, but you have to work with people not just try and force them into cultural change that the wider community doesn't support.
There are progressive farmers in the area, and people who are pro-conservation. Getting people's backs up is not a good approach.
I'd like to know how the station became freehold from the Crown in the early 80s.
I’d also like to know what compensation the Chartres family have received and not received since the 80s.
Sounds to me like a conflict at the most basic level: should there be a farm there, or should it be a conservation estate. You cannot apply the same rules to both situations (and that's why the Council's knuckles have been rapped so hard).
Sell off of 'productive' Crown lands in the 80s and 90s was fairly standard government policy. Lands which had been in long-term lease for farming (and therefore weren't conservation areas) – were made available for the farmers to buy, rather than continue leasing. Not all farmers *wanted* to buy – some were perfectly happy with continuing as long-term leaseholders (with perpetual right of renewal).
From 1998 – many farmers have also gone through the tenure review process – where they can separate out conservation quality land, from general farming land.
So the Chartres would have paid to buy the farm in 1982? Was that market price or was the government doing easy deals for farmers?
As for what the land use 'should be', the Chartres have farmed there for 100 years and others before them. I can't see how it could now be converted to conservation estate unless the family want to sell to the Crown (very unlikely).
This is the quintessential conflict between capitalism and nature, but there are many parts of that whole area that 'should' be conservation land and instead there is conversion to dairying.
A compromise would be for the farm to transition to commercial regenerative land use with a heavy emphasis on native biodiversity.
Pretty sure that the prices paid were commercial value at the time (hence the fact that lots of farmers wanted to remain as lessors, rather than convert the land)
I don't think that the farmer is going to think of your solution as a compromise.
He thinks (and the law seems to be overwhelmingly in his favour), that this is farmland (and has been for over 100 years), and usual farm management practices apply. Basically, he can continue to manage his farm, in the way which makes most economic sense to him (within the broad restrictions of NZ environmental legislation, with which all farmers have to comply)
It may be that regenag could be a good solution- unfortunately the well has been thoroughly poisoned by the Council and conservation activists – and he's unlikely to be willing to listen to them.
"Usual farm management" has nothing to do with modern farming practices, especially in Canterbury. BAN PALM KERNEL now, and accept that farmers should stock their land according to the numbers their own land can sustain.
Yes BD is correct. If he had a pastoral lease he had no right of obtaining a freehold title unless per mechanism of the tenure review system. Pastoral leases had restrictions on stocking rates etc.
If he had entered toot the tenure review system he would have been paid in that the land better suited to conservation would have been valued and then the land to be given as a freehold title would be valued and either a credit or debit to the Crown….No way would he have given land or had land appropriated without some sort of compensation. Some land holders do give land but rarely.
But big bad old meany Crown sounds better when you are a 'poor hard done by Crown agencies' farmer.
Some of these farmers would be leaning towards recalcitrant and always have been in their dealings with the Crown who was their landlord in times gone by. Worked in this field in the 1980s/90s and it is interesting to see the ones who are still a bit anti Crown/anti conservation.
In the Te Anau basin itself, as opposed to the high country around it, the Crown poured money and expertise in so that the land could be developed and sold to young farmers back in the 1960s/70s. This followed on from the boom after the war when rehab farm settlements were developoed so those who came back from WW2 could have some recompense for their work to defend NZ. This land is long moved from leasehold to deferred Payments Licences and on to freehold titles and last time I was there much had gone to dairying.
Some Councils have been using their planning expertise and soil maps to guide on land use. Some are doing a great job but broad brush just lets in inappropriate irrigation and dairying. Some farmers seem to think that they should not be subject to planning rules as the rest of us are.
I see that some of the land was grazing lease, this had even fewer rights to long term leasing than pastoral leases themselves and PLs were/are pretty restrictive. These usually had no automatic right of renewal and often were re-let after being pruned back and the conservation- type land added to the conservation estate.
I sense a passed down the generations story of naughty Crown doing things that were quite legal and appropriate when looking at the health of the land.
"I'd like to know how the station became freehold from the Crown in the early 80s."
A good start would be Ann Brower's book "Who Owns the High Country?" (Craig Potton Publishing, 2008). Might be in your local library.
I don't think Te Anau Downs station (Chartres property) is mentioned but the shonky pastoral lease freeholding process certainly is covered in relation to Glendhu Station and others.
Well….IMO theres an interesting bit. Maybe wonder why…armed Police ?
Anyway….some other on Peter Chartres
The slow pace of the council's investigation has frustrated Robson, especially as he had previously come under fire for not sharing the location of winter grazing breaches with the council.
He considered the complaint a "slam dunk" which the council should have acted on quickly.
"Those wetlands are absolutely filled with biodiversity. They're really, really valuable, for lots of reasons. And they've been protected for a reason."
“Chartres is renowned in that district for making life difficult for regulatory agencies – whether they be regional councils or district councils or DoC or anybody else – they just take the easy way out. And it’s not their money.”
IMO : while the different Councils, and DOC, seem to have not been careful…with their cases (seemingly they absolutely needed to have their A game and should have known this ! ) Mr Chartres…quite possibly needed/needs careful handling. IMO.
The latest case seems to have been decided on the farmer's "existing use" rights. Although clearance of indigenous vegetation went on for 20 years, the Southland DC plan had some sort of transitional rule allowing clearance of previous regrowth.
There was also a technical point (raised but not decided) about the council CEO not being able to delegate powers of enforcement all the way down to front line officials.
Looks like a field day for the lawyers, with the environment the loser.
pretty sure it will be regrowth that is being cleared. The issue being more at what point do we consider regrowth to be forest that shouldn't be cleared. Is that based on length of time, or state of the ecosystem? Should fairness to the farmers be part of the decision? Is the place better off having regrowth and periodic removal rather than being converted to pasture permanently? It's complex.
Fairness to the farmers is almost overwhelming in cases like this …….what is the problem is that it is often all one way…….not inherent fairness to the land as a living breathing thing not to the Crown who still administers some pastoral leases and has stewardship over conservation land.
In some cases where land was transferred out of the family to suitably a qualified farmer from out of the area it was not unusual to see that the incoming farmer could not see the need to bring in every last acre. They saw the benefit of preserving/conserving land.
Often unless the older generation of farmers on the land were inherently progressive/awake subsequent generations farmed like Dad did and if Dad/Granddad was only so-so then the later generation would be too. Some of these later generations do not go to Lincoln/Massey or farm as shepherds on other properties here or overseas before taking over the family farm. Not saying this has happened here but it has happened on some of these farms.
Sad really.
But the Councils do hold a key in that they can enact reasonable protections for the land as farming land so it holds it for later generations to protect it if they see fit.
We're just bad at this all round. We don't know what the Chartres think about ecology, we know a little bit about what they think about running their farm. But they are no alone in not being fair to nature, that's pretty much most of NZ. The Crown hasn't been that great a steward either.
Hell all, I am off camping now until 2023 so merry Xmas and happy new year to the Standardnistas and their families (IT IS XMAS ON SUNDAY!!!!!!).
2022 was a bit crappy, but hey – Trump is diminished, the right in retreat, the consequences of nostalgia as policy are biting the British ruling class hard on the arse and Putin is on the ropes.
May 2023 see Trump jail, Zelensky presiding over the victory parade of the AFU in Red Square, the Democrats back in the Whitehouse, and Jacinda winning.
I'm in Spain for a while now Joe and not mourning any Franco acolyte….when I was at college when Franco's death was announced in (I think) 1975 somebody through a beer bottle through the tv when his picture came up ….we had no TV for the rest of the year but we cheered
I spent Christmas 1975 and a good part of the new year camped up in Hendaye waiting to see if Franco's death would trigger another civil war. We finally entered Spain in October. Post-fascist Spain was a life-changing experience for a Taranaki boy.
Ah, Also known as Spain's first Astronaut, hard to believe that car was launched over a 5 story building.
Old mate in the back was killed, but driver survived & I understand there is a book on how they dug the tunnel underneath where old mate would get his car like regular clock work to go to work.
A brilliant piece of intelligence work & Tactical appreciation which they probably didn't realise the strategic implications on how fast the regime collapse after this bombing.
Another example of broken laws that are not fit for purpose:
The Department of Conservation couldn’t intervene when concrete was poured for a new marina within metres of a kororā/little penguin nest containing chicks because of a 2019 Supreme Court ruling on shark cage diving.
Minister of Conservation Poto Williams gave the ruling as the reason for not intervening when wildlife advocates raised concern about the impact of work on the chicks within the construction zone of a marina at Waiheke Island in a recent response to Auckland Central MP Chlöe Swarbrick.
Swarbrick had asked the minister to urgently intervene in October, citing details of a Wildlife Act Authority granted to marina developer, Kennedy Point Marina Development Limited (KPMDL), in March to carry out rock removal and piling work in the protected birds’ habitat.
The permit stipulated that no work be carried out within 20m of a burrow containing a moulting kororā, eggs or chicks.
However, Williams wrote in her early December letter to Swarbrick that because the rock and piling work was completed in May, the permit no longer applied and neither she nor DOC “can intervene based on the conditions of the Wildlife Act Authority”.
It would be nice if the party with complete control of government didn't use excuses of the limitations of laws to abdicate doing something to fix them.
Farmers continue to get the kid glove treatment regarding meeting climate change targets:
After an outcry from farmers the government has made some changes to its proposal to price agricultural carbon emissions.
It has released its response to the more than 23,000 submissions to its plan, though final decisions will not be made until next year.
Instead of using the rising price of carbon to drive change, as the Climate Change Commission suggested, the government is now going to set the levy price as low as possible.
the good farmers are already doing that, the ones who don't care about climate will continue to drag the chain. Maybe there's a shift from the latter to the former, but it's way too slow. We're out of time and anyone arguing for slower transition at this point either doesn't understand the brutal reality of the climate problem, or doesn't care.
Imagine if your suburban back yard was growing old-growth native trees. You cut them down and sow grass. Drain the damp area where the dragonflies and frogs live. Drop a concrete pipe into the creek and cover it up. Drench the area with herbicide, because you don't like dandelion, molluscicide, because slugs, pesticide, ditto bees, and pour on the synthetic fertiliser coz grass = profit. That fertiliser contains a poisonous heavy metal, but you've got exemption from the contaminated land rules, so it's all good. It emerges that off-gassing from your activities is endangering us all, but lobbying from your mates all but frees you from the obligation to reduce it.
You're sitting pretty!
The neighbours are becoming a bit irritated by you though!
We have turned the corner, I've personally been involved in a couple of large wetlands being formed ,and am now with in touching distance of being able to make real changes myself , recently excluded cattle from 15ks of regenerating native bush ,
The SNP is a progressive party seeking independence within the more modern EU than the backward living in the past Tory city of London England.
They want another referendum (they are working with those wanting one for NI leaving the UK for Eire).
And this is where they are at the moment promoting self ID.
Once upon a time English men were a threat to Scottish woman, so a particularly tall Briton living in Scotland picked up a particularly big sword.
An amendment to the Gender Recognition Reform Bill which the Scottish Government warned would force it to pause the legislation has been rejected.
Parliament was suspended after protests from the public gallery in the immediate aftermath of the vote.
A series of other votes on similar amendments will take place later on Tuesday evening.
Those attempted changes, put forward by Conservative Russell Findlay and SNP MSP Michelle Thomson, attempted to prevent men who had been charged or convicted of sexual offences from obtaining a gender recognition certificate (GRC).
But Shona Robison, the social justice secretary, had previously warned the members that there was a “serious risk” that these changes would put the bill beyond the competency of the Scottish Parliament.
Ministers said the amendments would make the bill incompatible with the European Convention of Human Rights as it would require all applying for a GRC to be asked if they had been charged with a sexual offence.
Yet the ECHR does not require any right to self ID …
Nor does the ECHR prevent police checks and pre employment vetting …
The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) protects the human rights of people in countries that belong to the Council of Europe.
I haven't been following the legislation closely but here's my best guess,
the SNP don't want a public debate on self ID, hence any delay is seen as a problem. Even delaying to sort out the best way to write the law.
we already knew that men's rights trump women's right to not be raped, because trans identified males (TW and men faking it) are already being housed in women's prisons and women are already being raped and assaulted.
the idea that the prison service can be trusted to best assess a trans identified male and their risk of sexual violence against women has already been shown to be a nonsense, but it also reinforces the low value placed on women's rights and safety. Women are collateral damage to the ideology that says that any man who says he is a woman should be treated as a women in law and policy. Any man. Including rapists.
gender ideology is misogynist and half the left can't get its head around that because it is so committed to the idea that trans rights are the priority. Hence the left wing SNP pushing through legislation that will entrench harm to women
The essential problem is defining self ID as a human right without qualification. The first duty of a realm is the protection of the rights of its citizens which includes their safety.
Any government that both had pandemic mandates and also supported self ID has a credibility problem.
But I dinna think they canna see it.
The issue is not gender, gender equality was and is a worthy cause, it made manifest common/equal human rights. So I would be wary of claiming claiming gender ideology is misogynist as that plays into the hands of the promise keeper Christian patriarchy types and their war against "liberal/Marxist/woke" culture.
I would rather focus on noting that Self ID compromises women's safety, and that allowing transgender women to compete with women in sport is unfair (exceptions for community participation). And reserving the rights of women's groups to restrict membership to biological females (if they so choose).
Yes SPC. I can't believe that people would go into bat for the right to enter whatever competition they chose sporting wise (no one gets that, a heavy weight boxer can't choose to go into the light weight category), what ever bathrooms they choose (women have always had sex segregation bathrooms for bloody obvious reasons). Also changing the language so it is no longer "women" but people who menstruate etc.
Fwiw, the left no more then the right gives a fuck about those that are not born man. The left as much as the right will use those not born man to advance their own plans and ideas, and then discard those that are not born man without a second thought.
And seriously, the left needs to find a better bogey man to scare those who can't be defined anymore with the 'christian right'. That train left a long time ago.
The biggest threat to women the world over is not the right, it is the utter mockery that the left made out of womanhood. The right could have never hoped for a bigger and better gift by the men of the left to the right. But then, bros before…..?
You want us to be afraid of the right? You just erased women as a fully human being, endanger them, dehumanize them, and have them raped, assaulted and threatened legally. You are the ones that lock convicted rapists into cells with women’s. You are the ones that will charge incarcerated women with extra time if they refuse to call a he/him a she/her simply because that he/him identified themselves into the female estate. You are the ones that harass women that want to assert their rights to boundaries and single sex spaces. The left are the ones that call women bigots for not wanting to be washed by men in womanface. The left is the one that says that ones man erection in his stolen clothes from an airport makes them a 'women'.The left is the one that promote the castration and sterilisation of children.
The left is the one that provided the legal frame work for medical experiments on young and vulnerable teenagers and young adults. The left has become theTaliban of our society. Their god is Gender, Their religion is gender ideology and they are religious zealots. The only difference is that the Taliban know what women are and they put them under bedsheets. The gender ideology taliban in our countries removed us from law, from medical documents, from pubic speech and pretend that men can give birth, but lets us know that we can abort any child someone fucks into our tummies, and that sex work is work. There bitch, that ought to do it. You can suck dick for min wage and if your john knocks you up you can have an abortion. There, that’s your rights.
The left really has become what it is so afraid of. Religious zealots by any other name.
You want to cultivate hate against the left among women, fine .. but the biggest victim of right wing government are women, it's a function of inequality in society.
You could compare notes with the women of Teheran and Kabul and inform us of their response, if that is possible …
I don't cultivate that hate, the left does a good job on its own, and it seems to hate women so much they pretend that men are women.
Biggest victim of the left governments in the US, Canada, Scotland, Germany, France, and so forth are women and children. The ones that now have to content with men in their prisons, changing rooms, awards, list places, and so forth, the ones that get put on medication that will remove their sexual function and trap them in broken bodies for the rest of their life.
I am comparing notes, and you know what, i remember 1983 in Iran when the women suddenly were to wear bedsheets lest they get beat, raped into death – cause god will not allow raped and sullied women into the heavens, and so on. And you know whats the difference between us and them? A change of government. That is all it took. From a very left, western orientated US American stooge to a rightwing religious zealot. 1983 – you can actually look it up for your information.
And fwiw, it might be a religious government that likes to kill young women by raping them into death, but it is a a very trans friendly government. Yes, that right wing religious government is quite happy to castrate gay man and surgically fashion them into something akin to 'women' or if they don't want to hang them from a crane. I mean can you feel the kindness?
And the women in Afghanistan that get beat to death for wanting an education, for not wanting to marry man the age of methusalem, for wanting to listen to music and maybe not die age 11 in childbirth, well i guess the Taliban know full well what women are, but then the left in our world can't define women at all. You can look your birthing body in the face and not know what it is. That is the epitome of 'the left'.
I mean, who is more of a fuckwit? The one that admits reality and beats it to death for wanting to live, or the one who denies reality and threatens to send it to prison for stating that men aren't lesbians? That would be Norway – that bastion of left liberalism.
As i said, the right in all these countries is quite happy to let the left destroy any and all women rights, after all it means they don't have to do it.
You can hide behind the right as much as you want too, you can't however pretend that the left is not doing the shit it is.
I think that it is more than half the left are so committed to trans rights over women and girls (just my guess). They have brought the idea that trans women are a highly marginalized group and their needs must always trump those of women and girls.
With the government as of today enabling farmers to calculate their own offsets, betcha within 5 years all those marginal high country farms go to bush or pine.
Fewer animals killed, fewer cows total, more kiwi habitat, more honey.
We have a problem with debt keeping people in poverty.
Talking about household debt is difficult. Whether it’s to banks or loan sharks, most Kiwis will find themselves in debt at some point.
But often missing from the conversation is debt households owe to Government – and the way it can negatively impact lives.
… more than half a million New Zealanders collectively owe the government $3.5 billion. For many living in unmanageable debt, a significant portion is owed to the Government.
It sounds absurd, but there is no single place people can go to see how much debt they owe to the Government. Without a central data portal, debtors owing to many different government agencies often struggle to identify where their debt lies and how much is owed. This places people on low incomes with little margin for error into a fog of uncertainty about their finances.
For example, you can owe money to the Ministry of Social Development for emergency assistance, Ministry of Justice for parking tickets and other fines, or the IRD through Studylink.
If government placed repayment of debt whether to MSD, MoJ and IRD studylink on the same terms it would make things a lot easier.
The one for TD would be ideal (it would defer repayment of MSD debt until people found employment).
And groups trying to assist people out of poverty caused by costly debt repayment via interest free loans would have better information to work with.
PS One of the best ways government could reduce child poverty would be to assist women retain a place to live after divorce by taking over their partners share of the house.
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The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
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 ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
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 ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
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 ...
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 ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland A bright Eta Aquariid meteor photobombed this photo of comet C/2020 F8 (SWAN) in May 2020.Jonti Horner Meteors – commonly known as shooting stars – can be seen on any night of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Flannery, Honorary fellow, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock Current concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in Earth’s atmosphere are unprecedented in human history. But CO₂ levels today, and those that might occur in coming decades, did occur millions of years ago. ...
Winston Peters has been keen to dismiss speculation on our involvement in Aukus but will give a speech tonight on the direction of our foreign policy, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Usmar, Lecturer in Critical Media Literacies, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images With the coalition government’s ban of student mobile phones in New Zealand schools coming into effect this week, reaction has ranged from the sceptical (kids will just get ...
A new report on protecting journalism and democracy in New Zealand recommends a levy be charged on global platforms like Facebook and Google to fund media firms undertaking public interest reporting. It also calls for the reinstatement of a powerful Broadcasting Commission to distribute public funding for journalism and other ...
On International Workers' Day, also known as May Day, the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi and the wider union movement are celebrating the proud history of the labour movement during a tough time for working people. ...
From bills to beards, a walk through the former Green co-leader’s time in politics. After close to a decade in politics, James Shaw is preparing to bid farewell to parliament. Tonight will see the former minister deliver his valedictory address, certain to be a speech filled with Shaw’s trademark wit ...
Two months ago, MPs unanimously voted to give themselves a week off in Efeso Collins’ honour. On Tuesday, most were too busy to give even an hour of their time. The day Fa’anānā Efeso Collins died, parliament felt different. In a building that operates at a breakneck pace, everyone stopped ...
India’s election involves hundreds of millions of people and is a months-long affair. Here’s how voting works and what’s at stake.The biggest-ever election in world history started on April 19, with more than 10% of the world’s population eligible to vote. Elections in India, the world’s most populous country ...
Opinion: The impression from the carpark is very inviting. The area is well fenced but barred so there is easy visibility of loved ones. Inside, the spaces are welcoming and clean and staff are friendly and clearly comfortable. I am greeted by ‘Kim’. She has worked here for three years, ...
After the Christchurch earthquake, the then-national civil defence boss compared his experience to “putting a team on the rugby field who have never ever played together before”. Now, eight years later – and following a damning inquiry into the emergency response of cyclones Gabrielle, Hale and the Auckland anniversary weekend floods – ...
“I had just come off the end of a major robbery case which I had been working on for six months when I got a call on the afternoon of September 1, 1992, that some remains had been found at a building site in Devonport, so I drove over with ...
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Comment: Journalists are very good at telling other people’s stories, but they fall well short when writing about their own profession. Perhaps that is why it is so undervalued. Every successive poll on the public’s attitude toward journalism is more alarming than the last. In the last month we have ...
Opinion: A young Māori woman and her Pacific partner arrive at their local hospital by ambulance. She has gone into labour at just under 24 weeks, but the couple haven’t recognised the symptoms – and don’t know the risks of premature birth for their baby. By the time they arrive, ...
Behind closed doors, NZ First will be arguing fiercely against any watering down of the ministerial decision-making powers in the Bill The post Bishop backtracks after fast-track backlash appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Emotional scenes played out in the Invercargill courthouse on the first two days of the coronial inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones, in which the boy’s mother was accused of disposing of her son’s body. The second season of Newsroom’s award-nominated podcast The Boy in the Water ...
Asia Pacific Report A Pacific civil society alliance has condemned French neocolonial policies in Kanaky New Caledonia, saying Paris is set on “maintaining the status quo” and denying the indigenous Kanak people their inalienable right to self-determination. The Pacific Regional Non-Governmental Organisations (PRNGOs) Alliance, representing some 15 groups, said in ...
Koi Tū New Zealand cannot sit back and see the collapse of its Fourth Estate, the director of Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures, Sir Peter Gluckman, says in the foreword of a paper published today. The paper, “If not journalists, then who?” paints a picture of an industry ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Foreign investment proposals with implications for Australia’s strategic or economic security will face tougher scrutiny, under a policy overhaul to be announced by Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Wednesday. At the same time, the government ...
A Waitangi Tribunal inquiry report has warned government that a repeal of Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act could cause harm to children in care. ...
The Treasury has published today three new papers covering government consumption multipliers, automatic stabilisers and the impacts of global shocks on New Zealand’s economy. ...
Asia Pacific Report The Pacific state of Hawai’i’s House of Representatives has joined the state’s Senate in calling for a ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza, becoming the first state to pass such a resolution, reports Hawaii News Now. In March, the Senate passed a ceasefire resolution with a 24–1 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Ferrie, A/Prof, UTS Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research and ARC DECRA Fellow, University of Technology Sydney PsiQuantum The Australian government has announced a pledge of approximately A$940 million (US$617 million) to PsiQuantum, a quantum computing start-up company based in Silicon Valley. Half ...
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IMO : This…especially following on from the already recently high lighted, and… ongoing tragedy of World…And incl NZ loss of Biodiversity (even extinctions ! )..seems incongruous. At the very least
sounds like the council and environmentalists fucked up. Reasonable write up here of what went wrong for the council,
https://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/features/130418930/the-trouble-with-a-lofty-view-from-above
If true, that's just a completely stupid action. Te Anau is a conservative community, with lots of people antagonistic towards conservation and environmentalism. It's also a small community. I'm sure the other side has its own telling of how things went down, but you have to work with people not just try and force them into cultural change that the wider community doesn't support.
There are progressive farmers in the area, and people who are pro-conservation. Getting people's backs up is not a good approach.
I'd like to know how the station became freehold from the Crown in the early 80s.
I’d also like to know what compensation the Chartres family have received and not received since the 80s.
From another source:
"This position was pursued despite the fact that the council had – on several occasions since 2001 – confirmed that vegetation clearance activities were lawful and compliant," Chartres explained. He added that during the course of the four day Environment Court hearing, SDC was forced to concedde that it could no longer prove that clearances undertaken prior to 2017 were unlawful and – by the time the case had closed – it had abandoned this part of the case.
If this is correct, Council have stuffed up badly, and the ratepayers will be picking up the bill.
"I’d also like to know what compensation the Chartres family have received and not received since the 80s."
"Chartres says his family has called Te Anau Downs Station their home since 1925, with its farming history dating back to 1860. He added that around 78% of the original farm has been appropriated to the conservation estate without compensation."
Sounds to me like a conflict at the most basic level: should there be a farm there, or should it be a conservation estate. You cannot apply the same rules to both situations (and that's why the Council's knuckles have been rapped so hard).
Sell off of 'productive' Crown lands in the 80s and 90s was fairly standard government policy. Lands which had been in long-term lease for farming (and therefore weren't conservation areas) – were made available for the farmers to buy, rather than continue leasing. Not all farmers *wanted* to buy – some were perfectly happy with continuing as long-term leaseholders (with perpetual right of renewal).
From 1998 – many farmers have also gone through the tenure review process – where they can separate out conservation quality land, from general farming land.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/ideasroom/pastoral-lease-reform-back-to-the-future
So the Chartres would have paid to buy the farm in 1982? Was that market price or was the government doing easy deals for farmers?
As for what the land use 'should be', the Chartres have farmed there for 100 years and others before them. I can't see how it could now be converted to conservation estate unless the family want to sell to the Crown (very unlikely).
This is the quintessential conflict between capitalism and nature, but there are many parts of that whole area that 'should' be conservation land and instead there is conversion to dairying.
A compromise would be for the farm to transition to commercial regenerative land use with a heavy emphasis on native biodiversity.
Pretty sure that the prices paid were commercial value at the time (hence the fact that lots of farmers wanted to remain as lessors, rather than convert the land)
I don't think that the farmer is going to think of your solution as a compromise.
He thinks (and the law seems to be overwhelmingly in his favour), that this is farmland (and has been for over 100 years), and usual farm management practices apply. Basically, he can continue to manage his farm, in the way which makes most economic sense to him (within the broad restrictions of NZ environmental legislation, with which all farmers have to comply)
It may be that regenag could be a good solution- unfortunately the well has been thoroughly poisoned by the Council and conservation activists – and he's unlikely to be willing to listen to them.
"Usual farm management" has nothing to do with modern farming practices, especially in Canterbury. BAN PALM KERNEL now, and accept that farmers should stock their land according to the numbers their own land can sustain.
Yes BD is correct. If he had a pastoral lease he had no right of obtaining a freehold title unless per mechanism of the tenure review system. Pastoral leases had restrictions on stocking rates etc.
If he had entered toot the tenure review system he would have been paid in that the land better suited to conservation would have been valued and then the land to be given as a freehold title would be valued and either a credit or debit to the Crown….No way would he have given land or had land appropriated without some sort of compensation. Some land holders do give land but rarely.
But big bad old meany Crown sounds better when you are a 'poor hard done by Crown agencies' farmer.
Some of these farmers would be leaning towards recalcitrant and always have been in their dealings with the Crown who was their landlord in times gone by. Worked in this field in the 1980s/90s and it is interesting to see the ones who are still a bit anti Crown/anti conservation.
In the Te Anau basin itself, as opposed to the high country around it, the Crown poured money and expertise in so that the land could be developed and sold to young farmers back in the 1960s/70s. This followed on from the boom after the war when rehab farm settlements were developoed so those who came back from WW2 could have some recompense for their work to defend NZ. This land is long moved from leasehold to deferred Payments Licences and on to freehold titles and last time I was there much had gone to dairying.
Some Councils have been using their planning expertise and soil maps to guide on land use. Some are doing a great job but broad brush just lets in inappropriate irrigation and dairying. Some farmers seem to think that they should not be subject to planning rules as the rest of us are.
I see that some of the land was grazing lease, this had even fewer rights to long term leasing than pastoral leases themselves and PLs were/are pretty restrictive. These usually had no automatic right of renewal and often were re-let after being pruned back and the conservation- type land added to the conservation estate.
I sense a passed down the generations story of naughty Crown doing things that were quite legal and appropriate when looking at the health of the land.
"I'd like to know how the station became freehold from the Crown in the early 80s."
A good start would be Ann Brower's book "Who Owns the High Country?" (Craig Potton Publishing, 2008). Might be in your local library.
I don't think Te Anau Downs station (Chartres property) is mentioned but the shonky pastoral lease freeholding process certainly is covered in relation to Glendhu Station and others.
Yes. IMO An indictment on those who decided, the people involved … and the utter greed .
Well….IMO theres an interesting bit. Maybe wonder why…armed Police ?
Anyway….some other on Peter Chartres
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/negligent-doc-lets-
IMO : while the different Councils, and DOC, seem to have not been careful…with their cases (seemingly they absolutely needed to have their A game and should have known this ! ) Mr Chartres…quite possibly needed/needs careful handling. IMO.
The latest case seems to have been decided on the farmer's "existing use" rights. Although clearance of indigenous vegetation went on for 20 years, the Southland DC plan had some sort of transitional rule allowing clearance of previous regrowth.
There was also a technical point (raised but not decided) about the council CEO not being able to delegate powers of enforcement all the way down to front line officials.
Looks like a field day for the lawyers, with the environment the loser.
pretty sure it will be regrowth that is being cleared. The issue being more at what point do we consider regrowth to be forest that shouldn't be cleared. Is that based on length of time, or state of the ecosystem? Should fairness to the farmers be part of the decision? Is the place better off having regrowth and periodic removal rather than being converted to pasture permanently? It's complex.
Fairness to the farmers is almost overwhelming in cases like this …….what is the problem is that it is often all one way…….not inherent fairness to the land as a living breathing thing not to the Crown who still administers some pastoral leases and has stewardship over conservation land.
In some cases where land was transferred out of the family to suitably a qualified farmer from out of the area it was not unusual to see that the incoming farmer could not see the need to bring in every last acre. They saw the benefit of preserving/conserving land.
Often unless the older generation of farmers on the land were inherently progressive/awake subsequent generations farmed like Dad did and if Dad/Granddad was only so-so then the later generation would be too. Some of these later generations do not go to Lincoln/Massey or farm as shepherds on other properties here or overseas before taking over the family farm. Not saying this has happened here but it has happened on some of these farms.
Sad really.
But the Councils do hold a key in that they can enact reasonable protections for the land as farming land so it holds it for later generations to protect it if they see fit.
We're just bad at this all round. We don't know what the Chartres think about ecology, we know a little bit about what they think about running their farm. But they are no alone in not being fair to nature, that's pretty much most of NZ. The Crown hasn't been that great a steward either.
Esp when dealing with this particular situation. Also, Sad….but True
throughout NZ..and the rest of Our Earth
I wonder if some of the Pacific Island countries could join the law suit? Their case is just as strong.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/20/big-oil-is-behind-conspiracy-to-deceive-public-first-climate-racketeering-lawsuit-says?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Hell all, I am off camping now until 2023 so merry Xmas and happy new year to the Standardnistas and their families (IT IS XMAS ON SUNDAY!!!!!!).
2022 was a bit crappy, but hey – Trump is diminished, the right in retreat, the consequences of nostalgia as policy are biting the British ruling class hard on the arse and Putin is on the ropes.
May 2023 see Trump jail, Zelensky presiding over the victory parade of the AFU in Red Square, the Democrats back in the Whitehouse, and Jacinda winning.
See you all in the new year!
Enjoy mate. Appreciated your thoughtful, passionate and well crafted contributions here this past year.
Enjoy the Christmas break and be extra careful if driving on the roads.
2023 will be interesting.
Get off your ass and start writing proper posts.
You know you're capable.
It's like making sausages.
Merry Christmas.
Brilliant choice Anne.
Merry Christmas Sanctuary. Hope you have a very enjoyable celebration
Mind that camping business doesn't interfere with the eating/drinking/reading/sloth.
Enjoy!.
Keep up the excellent posts in the NY Sanc.
Merry Christmas and here is to 2023. Enjoy your holiday.
Enjoy your holiday Sanctuary. Stay safe. Looking forward to reading your posts next year. Merry Xmas and a very happy and healthy 2023.
Avoid camping near those Auckland beaches…….nothing good will come of that!
Happy Christmas and see you back in the New Year.
No easy way out.
https://www.interest.co.nz/business/118954/motu-executive-director-and-ex-rbnz-assistant-governor-john-mcdermott-assesses
Mistakes all round and those least able/responsible to bear the brunt…..as usual.
Forty nine years ago today Basque separatists assassinated Franco's PM and nominated successor Luis Carrero Blanco.
I'm in Spain for a while now Joe and not mourning any Franco acolyte….when I was at college when Franco's death was announced in (I think) 1975 somebody through a beer bottle through the tv when his picture came up ….we had no TV for the rest of the year but we cheered
I spent Christmas 1975 and a good part of the new year camped up in Hendaye waiting to see if Franco's death would trigger another civil war. We finally entered Spain in October. Post-fascist Spain was a life-changing experience for a Taranaki boy.
.
Ah, Also known as Spain's first Astronaut, hard to believe that car was launched over a 5 story building.
Old mate in the back was killed, but driver survived & I understand there is a book on how they dug the tunnel underneath where old mate would get his car like regular clock work to go to work.
A brilliant piece of intelligence work & Tactical appreciation which they probably didn't realise the strategic implications on how fast the regime collapse after this bombing.
Another example of broken laws that are not fit for purpose:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/local-government/300733403/why-doc-couldnt-intervene-when-concrete-was-poured-next-to-penguin-chicks
It would be nice if the party with complete control of government didn't use excuses of the limitations of laws to abdicate doing something to fix them.
Farmers continue to get the kid glove treatment regarding meeting climate change targets:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/481197/government-makes-changes-to-farm-level-emissions-pricing-plan
Thus is a good day , once you've got the mob mustered and shut the gate securely, you can then start to do the things that need doing.
the good farmers are already doing that, the ones who don't care about climate will continue to drag the chain. Maybe there's a shift from the latter to the former, but it's way too slow. We're out of time and anyone arguing for slower transition at this point either doesn't understand the brutal reality of the climate problem, or doesn't care.
I think the ets is a sham and a failure so Takibg any carbon tax and using to study fixs is a win for me.
Xmas do awaits cheerio
have fun! I'm sure the debate will survive the holidays 😉
Lets see how many jump out of the yards, or just crash through the rails and head for the hills.
A bit of a show of unity in the announcement but let’s where it is in a year.
When’s Luxon going to come out say it’s all in bin after the election
Imagine if your suburban back yard was growing old-growth native trees. You cut them down and sow grass. Drain the damp area where the dragonflies and frogs live. Drop a concrete pipe into the creek and cover it up. Drench the area with herbicide, because you don't like dandelion, molluscicide, because slugs, pesticide, ditto bees, and pour on the synthetic fertiliser coz grass = profit. That fertiliser contains a poisonous heavy metal, but you've got exemption from the contaminated land rules, so it's all good. It emerges that off-gassing from your activities is endangering us all, but lobbying from your mates all but frees you from the obligation to reduce it.
You're sitting pretty!
The neighbours are becoming a bit irritated by you though!
We have turned the corner, I've personally been involved in a couple of large wetlands being formed ,and am now with in touching distance of being able to make real changes myself , recently excluded cattle from 15ks of regenerating native bush ,
Big ups to you, bwaghorn!
Much of the power for future good is in farmers' hands.
The internet of things is working out well.
https://twitter.com/eileenguo/status/1604891503393767425
https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/12/19/1065306/roomba-irobot-robot-vacuums-artificial-intelligence-training-data-privacy/
The SNP is a progressive party seeking independence within the more modern EU than the backward living in the past Tory city of London England.
They want another referendum (they are working with those wanting one for NI leaving the UK for Eire).
And this is where they are at the moment promoting self ID.
Once upon a time English men were a threat to Scottish woman, so a particularly tall Briton living in Scotland picked up a particularly big sword.
Yet the ECHR does not require any right to self ID …
Nor does the ECHR prevent police checks and pre employment vetting …
UK Human Rights is in accord with ECHR.
https://www.holyrood.com/news/view,gender-recognition-reform-msps-reject-amendment-following-government-concerns-about-competence
I haven't been following the legislation closely but here's my best guess,
The essential problem is defining self ID as a human right without qualification. The first duty of a realm is the protection of the rights of its citizens which includes their safety.
Any government that both had pandemic mandates and also supported self ID has a credibility problem.
But I dinna think they canna see it.
The issue is not gender, gender equality was and is a worthy cause, it made manifest common/equal human rights. So I would be wary of claiming claiming gender ideology is misogynist as that plays into the hands of the promise keeper Christian patriarchy types and their war against "liberal/Marxist/woke" culture.
I would rather focus on noting that Self ID compromises women's safety, and that allowing transgender women to compete with women in sport is unfair (exceptions for community participation). And reserving the rights of women's groups to restrict membership to biological females (if they so choose).
Yes SPC. I can't believe that people would go into bat for the right to enter whatever competition they chose sporting wise (no one gets that, a heavy weight boxer can't choose to go into the light weight category), what ever bathrooms they choose (women have always had sex segregation bathrooms for bloody obvious reasons). Also changing the language so it is no longer "women" but people who menstruate etc.
Its so arrogant and narcisstic
Fwiw, the left no more then the right gives a fuck about those that are not born man. The left as much as the right will use those not born man to advance their own plans and ideas, and then discard those that are not born man without a second thought.
And seriously, the left needs to find a better bogey man to scare those who can't be defined anymore with the 'christian right'. That train left a long time ago.
The biggest threat to women the world over is not the right, it is the utter mockery that the left made out of womanhood. The right could have never hoped for a bigger and better gift by the men of the left to the right. But then, bros before…..?
You want us to be afraid of the right? You just erased women as a fully human being, endanger them, dehumanize them, and have them raped, assaulted and threatened legally. You are the ones that lock convicted rapists into cells with women’s. You are the ones that will charge incarcerated women with extra time if they refuse to call a he/him a she/her simply because that he/him identified themselves into the female estate. You are the ones that harass women that want to assert their rights to boundaries and single sex spaces. The left are the ones that call women bigots for not wanting to be washed by men in womanface. The left is the one that says that ones man erection in his stolen clothes from an airport makes them a 'women'.The left is the one that promote the castration and sterilisation of children.
The left is the one that provided the legal frame work for medical experiments on young and vulnerable teenagers and young adults. The left has become theTaliban of our society. Their god is Gender, Their religion is gender ideology and they are religious zealots. The only difference is that the Taliban know what women are and they put them under bedsheets. The gender ideology taliban in our countries removed us from law, from medical documents, from pubic speech and pretend that men can give birth, but lets us know that we can abort any child someone fucks into our tummies, and that sex work is work. There bitch, that ought to do it. You can suck dick for min wage and if your john knocks you up you can have an abortion. There, that’s your rights.
The left really has become what it is so afraid of. Religious zealots by any other name.
The left is done.
You want to cultivate hate against the left among women, fine .. but the biggest victim of right wing government are women, it's a function of inequality in society.
You could compare notes with the women of Teheran and Kabul and inform us of their response, if that is possible …
I don't cultivate that hate, the left does a good job on its own, and it seems to hate women so much they pretend that men are women.
Biggest victim of the left governments in the US, Canada, Scotland, Germany, France, and so forth are women and children. The ones that now have to content with men in their prisons, changing rooms, awards, list places, and so forth, the ones that get put on medication that will remove their sexual function and trap them in broken bodies for the rest of their life.
I am comparing notes, and you know what, i remember 1983 in Iran when the women suddenly were to wear bedsheets lest they get beat, raped into death – cause god will not allow raped and sullied women into the heavens, and so on. And you know whats the difference between us and them? A change of government. That is all it took. From a very left, western orientated US American stooge to a rightwing religious zealot. 1983 – you can actually look it up for your information.
And fwiw, it might be a religious government that likes to kill young women by raping them into death, but it is a a very trans friendly government. Yes, that right wing religious government is quite happy to castrate gay man and surgically fashion them into something akin to 'women' or if they don't want to hang them from a crane. I mean can you feel the kindness?
And the women in Afghanistan that get beat to death for wanting an education, for not wanting to marry man the age of methusalem, for wanting to listen to music and maybe not die age 11 in childbirth, well i guess the Taliban know full well what women are, but then the left in our world can't define women at all. You can look your birthing body in the face and not know what it is. That is the epitome of 'the left'.
I mean, who is more of a fuckwit? The one that admits reality and beats it to death for wanting to live, or the one who denies reality and threatens to send it to prison for stating that men aren't lesbians? That would be Norway – that bastion of left liberalism.
As i said, the right in all these countries is quite happy to let the left destroy any and all women rights, after all it means they don't have to do it.
You can hide behind the right as much as you want too, you can't however pretend that the left is not doing the shit it is.
And self ID is the gift of the left to the right.
100% Weka. So well put.
I think that it is more than half the left are so committed to trans rights over women and girls (just my guess). They have brought the idea that trans women are a highly marginalized group and their needs must always trump those of women and girls.
With the government as of today enabling farmers to calculate their own offsets, betcha within 5 years all those marginal high country farms go to bush or pine.
Fewer animals killed, fewer cows total, more kiwi habitat, more honey.
We have a problem with debt keeping people in poverty.
If government placed repayment of debt whether to MSD, MoJ and IRD studylink on the same terms it would make things a lot easier.
The one for TD would be ideal (it would defer repayment of MSD debt until people found employment).
And groups trying to assist people out of poverty caused by costly debt repayment via interest free loans would have better information to work with.
PS One of the best ways government could reduce child poverty would be to assist women retain a place to live after divorce by taking over their partners share of the house.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/130817881/kiwis-need-to-be-able-to-see-everything-they-owe-the-government-in-one-place