Shit in the water

Written By: - Date published: 3:15 pm, August 15th, 2016 - 92 comments
Categories: accountability, farming, health, water - Tags: , , , ,

The Havelock North “gastro” outbreak is all over the papers –
Gastro outbreak hits Hawke’s Bay
‘Widespread’ vomiting and diarrhoea gastro outbreak in Havelock North
Animal faeces in water supply may be causing Havelock North gastro outbreak
Gastro bug in Hawke’s Bay water may have claimed a life
Gastro outbreak: Council issues apology

Even internationally –
Faeces linked to gastroenteritis outbreak that hit thousands in New Zealand town

The damage so far is one possible death, two older people in intensive care, 18 hospitalised, 50 making their way to the emergency department, 280 notifications, and hundreds of kids staying away from school.

As the headlines say, it looks like the cause is animal shit / E Coli in the bore water supply.

Makes you wonder if we should be aiming for something higher than “wadeable” water quality doesn’t it.

92 comments on “Shit in the water ”

  1. b waghorn 1

    It would be nice if you waited for proof before you stirred the shit, you know just incase its from some other cause.

    • Poission 1.1

      You mean like Campylobacter,most likely a black swan event.

    • RedLogix 1.2

      Well it’s widespread in a community where the common factor is the water supply.

      http://www.hastingsdc.govt.nz/about-hastings-districts-water-supply

      According to their website it’s classified as “Secure Groundwater”, which means they probably don’t add Chlorine or UV treat it. Unless there has been a serious breakdown in their operational management of the supply, then the first place to look is what is coming out of the bore.

      • weka 1.2.1

        See my link below. The bore comes from an aquifer where the water is 50 years old. Is that likely to be contaminated enough to cause this outbreak? What are the structures of the bore and supply lines and could it be there?

        • RedLogix 1.2.1.1

          Any water that’s been underground more than about a year is generally considered safe. However that might only hold true if the impermeable layer that is capping the aquifer (usually a layer of clay at least 5m thick) is still intact. That’s probably the big unknown.

          Alternatively it’s possible there has been some pipe work done that wasn’t correctly sterilised afterwards … but geeze you’d have to be unlucky to contaminate the entire system this badly.

          • weka 1.2.1.1.1

            Old system and cracked pipes? I assume the water is pumped to a holding tank.

            “However that might only hold true if the impermeable layer that is capping the aquifer (usually a layer of clay at least 5m thick) is still intact. That’s probably the big unknown.”

            Is it possible to test the water as it enters the bore? There’s also the issue of how long it would take for contaminants to filter down through the land right? That’s not a quick thing, depending on how deep the aquifer is.

          • NZJester 1.2.1.1.2

            There is a very large section of Havelock North that has only been developed in the last few years.
            About a 6th of the size of Havelock North today was not there just a few years back.
            Maybe it has something to do with all the new water pipes that have been installed? Maybe them putting in all the new pipework screwed up something.

    • weka 1.3

      I agree b. There’s a description of the physics of the water supply in this link. However the fact that someone has died, and two elderly people are seriously ill, puts this on a whole new level. I just hope that the media focus on providing good information rather than sensationalising it.

      http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11693935

  2. Marple 2

    It’s not “all over the papers”. Look at stuff.co.nz and you’ll see absolutely nothing on the home page despite the fact that this is a story of national importance. One has to question why they’re not publishing anything on it but surely someone wants to play this down.

  3. Siobhan 3

    I don’t know, isn’t this just a case of ‘shit happens’. I don’t see any evidence of systematic stuff up. The appalling state of the Tukituki and water management in general in the Hawkes Bay is not a factor in this case.

    As to the Guardians claim “Thousands of residents of a small New Zealand town in the North Island are seriously ill”…well I’m down here and that’s simply not true. I suspect that as we speak there are far more serious cases of water contamination, affecting who knows how many people, in more countries than I can possibly name here.

    Luckily the residents of Havelock North are well able to afford bottles of Artesian water. Possibly enough to bathe in.

    • whispering kate 3.1

      Yes Siobhan, there are many countries who have poor water and its totally unacceptable, those countries are very poor or war torn or have climate situations where water is scarce. That doesn’t mean it is okay because it isn’t, but we have no excuses here. New Zealand is meant to be a member of the developed nations of the world and we were once. Healthy kids, Plunket nurses to watch out for our kids until they were 5 years old, school dental nurses, eye checks at school for eye defects. Now at a Governmental level we are abdicating our responsibilities big time for national care of our kids and it will bite us on the bum in the future. Clever nations look after their kids so that they will be a successful work force in the future, they have a clue or two upstairs. We are a a disgrace and some other developed countries are too.

      For this water contamination to have occurred in Hawkes Bay is a disgrace and the first thing that came into my mind was it was rural effluent from farms nearby had discharged into the waterways or being bore water had leached into the subsoil over a period of time. We will have to wait and see from test results but don’t expect the culprits to be brought to justice – it doesn’t happen like that in little ol’ God’s Own.

      • Cinny 3.1.1

        “the first thing that came into my mind was it was rural effluent from farms nearby had discharged into the waterways or being bore water had leached into the subsoil over a period of time”

        Was wondering the same Kate.

        Also was wondering if the council were warned about this possibility,

    • Kevin 3.2

      It’s not all rich pricks in Havelock North. There is a large area in the south, where I live, of lower income families.

      • Siobhan 3.2.1

        I know, apologies. A cheap shot.
        And anyway, no matter your income it is beyond belief that the council didn’t immediately come up with some plan, even if they had to wing it, of providing drinkable water for each and every block and either check houses themselves and/or actively promote the idea that people needed check on both neighbours. I hate to think how many elderly are on their own, some may even now, not actually realize what is going on.

        Yule thinks this isn’t an election issue. I suspect he may be wrong. And in fact I hope water becomes an even bigger issue in the election. A safe National seat like Havelock suffering a mass poisoning event, no matter what the exact cause, is something that will not be forgotten quickly.

  4. Ad 4

    Bore wells as the primary source for a pretty major town – as it is in Havelock North – is a risk that’s going to get higher and higher.

    The local Council should be required to prove that faecal coliforms in the drinking water to this level DON’T come from farming. And it’s a great space for a civil case against Council management.

    Naturally, we’ll wait for the Hawkes Bay Regional Council to crow about the local Council should lock in a long term contract for supply to its Ruataniwha Dam.

    For this scale of sickness, there should be a cleanout of the local Council at the upcoming elections. And the local Health Board failing to provide clear warnings tells me we need a new local Health Board. Who are also coming up for re-election.

    Same situation of contamination of bore water is coming faster and faster in a whole bunch of McKenzie Country, mid-Canterbury and Central Otago townships.

    • McFlock 4.1

      The local Council should be required to prove that faecal coliforms in the drinking water to this level DON’T come from farming.

      Is that even possible? I’m assuming campylobacter can settle in a myriad of different stomach systems…

      • Ad 4.1.1

        DNA and other quality testing is pretty easy now. If they are stuck, Watercare has great sample testing facilities.

        • McFlock 4.1.1.1

          DNA isn’t a magic bullet: the DNA of campylobacter is campylobacter DNA. Unless it’s a specific strain that’s only transmissable through cows, how would we know where it came from? Even if there were cow proteins or whatever in the water alongisde the campylobacter, it could still have come from a broken human sewage pipe because people eat cows.

          Don’t get me wrong, intensive dairy farming is on the list of suspects, but proving it is the issue.

          • Poission 4.1.1.1.1

            there is 1dairy farm in H/n

            campylobacter is from an avian reservoir almost surely.

            • McFlock 4.1.1.1.1.1

              cheers

            • Ad 4.1.1.1.1.2

              A Black Swan event then 😉

              They are the monopoly fresh provider, with the full legal quality responsibility: they need to prove themselves to the public, to the Ministry of Health, to the media, and of course to the government who are begging to reform the ass out of local government even more.

              Yule knows this is his big election test to fail.

              • Poission

                Agreed.

                The foremost problem with local authorities is their big noting,and an absence of prioritization on the basics,such as potable water,sewage and waste treatment etc.

                Privatization is not an option in the same time scale water charges from local councils have risen 37% and the previous local council owned electrical supply and distribution company charges 257%.

                With the H/N event.it is more probable of a cross contamination (ingress) into the local supply pipe network from recent heavy flooding .

            • b waghorn 4.1.1.1.1.3

              Thanks some lefties need to deal with their rabid hatred of farming .

              • mac1

                “Rabid hatred of farming”? Hah! Mad dogs don’t bite farmers, for fear of what they might catch.

                Really, b wag horn. Lefties hate farming? I was a farm worker. My father’s first job was as a farm worker. My grandparents were all farmers, as were my great grand parents.

                Farmers grow most of our food. They play banjo. They provide our rugby props. They all stand legs well apart, set against life’s shaking.

                Seriously, they are often screwed over by banks, companies and the party they most support. They are over-subscribed in the depression and suicide stats. I do note your ‘some lefties’ but it’s best to leave off the stereotypes.

                • b waghorn

                  Have you spied the photo used to head this post on the home page.

                  • mac1

                    Ooh! Ooh! Cow poos!

                    WTF has that photo got to do with lefties hating farming? Apart from calling to mind your bovine scatology?

                    • b waghorn

                      Why would a photo of a cow shitting be used if the poster didn’t want to inflame a good old bit of farmer hate.
                      And even if it turns out to be cow shit it is still a failure of the council to protect the water supply not farmers in that district.

                    • weka

                      “And even if it turns out to be cow shit it is still a failure of the council to protect the water supply not farmers in that district.”

                      You had me up to that point b. Yes council have responsibilities to protect water. But that doesn’t give farmers an excuse to pollute up the and beyond the limit of the law. This is exactly why so many people are angry with dairy farmers in particular.

                      There is also the whole issue of Fed Farmers capture of Regional Councils.

                    • mac1

                      I get your point, now, bwaghorn. I actually did not associate a picture of a cow shitting in a post involving faecal contamination, with an hate attack on farmers.

                      The link is fair. Reasonable interpretation, I’d suggest (for I didn’t see it!), is that the photo of the cow is not hating farming.

                      But as for your excusing farmers who do not protect the water supply by blaming the council. That’s like blaming the IRD for tax fraud.

                    • b waghorn

                      You’re assuming that if it is caused by cow shit that it’s because a farmer is breaking the law. If that is not the case then it is because the council has failed to provide a safe supply.

              • Ad

                All water providers are rated across NZ.
                Rural ones are by far the worst.

              • I’m a leftie and I don’t hate farmers or farming – I do dislike intensely polluters though, and environmental cheats, and the industrial cruelty of modern farming methods – so I hope they find the source of this outbreak and go hard on that source.

                I do also think that farmers should take their water from below their farms so that they can experience the effect of cows/irrigation and so on. I am sure that if there were any issues with water quality it would be fixed quickly.

                • b waghorn

                  I want rivers fenced off from cattle as much as most greenies (as long as common sense is used) when my tanks dry my water comes from the river , my employers have installed a laser water purifier , and yes through the book at those flouting the rules , but remember city rate payers never get fined when their shit ends up in the water ways.

                  • How would you, b waghorn, fine any particular city rate payer and how would you assign a particular faecal pathogen to any particular ratepayer in order to be fair with your fining? Tricky business that. Furthermore 🙂 fencing rivers off from stock is merely a step in the right direction. There’s much more than that needing to be done.

                    • weka

                      I’m pretty sure that if the sewerage pipes at my place cracked and started leaking onto my neighbours place, and I did nothing about it, esp after being warned, then legal/regulatory action would be taken against me.

                    • b waghorn

                      If the council was fined that’s fining the rate payer, it never happen though.
                      Yes i’m aware much more needs doing , I’ve only been full time sheep and beef farming for 4 years but i’m watching how water and sediment run off works , I also am trying to manage the stock in a way that limits erosion ‘ but as i don’t as yet set the stocking policy i’m limited by that.

                    • It’s a vexed issue, fining a council that pays its fine with ratepayers money. Many councils have redundant pipes that would be excessively expensive to replace, costing the ratepayers, again, a great deal, more than some could possibly afford. It’s catch 22-ish situation, resulting from the adoption of a faulty system (sewerage disposal to water). Humanure to earth is the only reasonable way, imo and then there needs to be much thought put into how it’s to be done. Soil organisms manage humanure like nobodies’ business 🙂

                  • What distance from the water do you fence to, b waghorn? Do you plant on the waterside of that fence?

                    • b waghorn

                      As i said i’m still just a gdb (general dogs body) with a boss that isn’t a bad guy but isn’t interested in others input or ideas . Apart from the main river not much is fenced off where i am on the other farm there is some wet land retirement.
                      The river scheme they have going here is proving to be a waste of time as all . From what i’ve noticed here and at other places any where that rubbish trees like poplar and willow are planted on river banks only cause trouble , apart from a kind of shrub willow that has no real trunk. Grass is good on floodable rivers and dare i say it ,if it gets a trimming by sheep on occasion it holds well,
                      If i get to management level I would be looking at wetland fencing and planting with every thing from flax to kahikatia .
                      We do 120 poplar poles over two farms a year i’m unconviced that they achieve anything around soil stabilisation , but are good stock shade and by dropping there leaves don’t kill the grass in winter causing soil errosion like totara do.

          • Robert Guyton 4.1.1.1.2

            EColi DNA reveals the source, bovine, ovine, human or avian. Bet there’s some of that in there along with the campylobactor. Human’s my bet.

    • weka 4.2

      “Bore wells as the primary source for a pretty major town – as it is in Havelock North – is a risk that’s going to get higher and higher.”

      In this case it’s from an aquifer, and the water there is fifty years old and tests free of surface contaminants. Do you think it’s likely to be the source of contamination?

      “The local Council should be required to prove that faecal coliforms in the drinking water to this level DON’T come from farming.”

      I’ll hazard a guess that it will be hard to find the source of the contamination. What then?

  5. stunned mullet 5

    The council and their contractors responsible for this debacle should be liable.

    Will anyone be held accountable ? Doubt it..

  6. adam 6

    “Our not giving a shit, only kills the old and young.

    A brighter future. “

  7. weka 7

    “The Hastings District Council is still investigating how the bug got into the water, but said it may be related to heavy storms and surface flooding last week.”

    “The DHB has confirmed that the illnesses stemmed from contamination in the water supply, though the cause of that contamination is not yet known.”

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/310907/havelock-north-water-supply-suspected-as-two-critically-ill-with-gastric-illness

  8. r0b 8

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/310964/animal-faeces-in-water-supply-may-be-cause-of-gastro-outbreak “It is the third case in three years of bacterial contamination in Havelock North’s water supply coming from bores, after E coli was discovered in the water in 2013 and 2015”

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11693935 “Hundreds of school students were absent due to the disease on Friday. The outbreak has been linked to an underground bore which tested positive for E. coli.”

    Systemic problem.

  9. Mad Plumber 9

    It would be unusual for a town’s bore to be contaminated but there is the possibility of contamination from a connection to the town’s water which is not protected by a Backflow Preventor. There was the case of Darfield’s water being contaminated but I do not know what the source was.
    There is also the possiblity of the aquifer being contaminated by a irrigation set up spreading effluent and is also connected to the same aquifer and not having a proper Backflow Preventor at the head of the bore the effluent can flow into the bore. Ecan has allowed the installation of a Backflow Preventor that does no comply with NZ regulations but that is another story.

    • weka 9.1

      Would it be something like this? (I assume this is more like a home bore though). I’m trying to visualise how contaminated water could get into the bore if it wasn’t coming from the aquifer. Do you mean that surface liquid runs down from the top (eg in heavy rain) and then gets pumped up again?

  10. weka 10

    Here’s a diagram showing the Hastings water supply. My understanding is that for water to get from the surface (eg the river or paddock) to the aquifer, it would need to filter down through the ground and that would take a long time (years or decades). This is why it takes so long to clean aquifers, because once you realise there is a problem there is still all that pollutant still on its way down and that takes years to clear.

    http://www.hastingsdc.govt.nz/files/all/property/water/Aquifer.jpg

    • weka 11.1

      The Havelock North aquifer is apparently 20m down. I don’t think it’s comparable with people digging shallow wells close to long drops.

  11. Rosemary McDonald 12

    From the “baybuzz” archive, from November last year…

    http://www.baybuzz.co.nz/archives/8221/

    “The Heretaunga Plains unconfined and confined aquifer system is the main groundwater resource for people living on and adjacent to the plains. Primarily the aquifer is recharged by the Ngaruroro River. However, evidence shows that some Havelock North wells are recharged by the Tukituki River. The Tukituki River receives ‘treated’ sewage from the four wastewater treatment plants in Central Hawke’s Bay. – See more at: http://www.baybuzz.co.nz/archives/8221/#sthash.Qz4HgBbN.dpuf

    Stuijt emphasises that only in exceptional circumstances is water treatment needed, as most of our water comes from a depth of over 50 metres. Recently Havelock North experienced one of these ‘exceptional circumstances’ when the supply became contaminated by E.coli and a bore was shut down. It is confirmed that the aquifer in that area can become contaminated by old primary septic tank in-ground trenches which discharge over and into the Heretaunga Plains aquifer. The high rain fall experienced recently may have exacerbated this.

    This is the not the first time residents of Havelock North have had their drinking water supply contaminated. In the year 2011-2012 the annual drinking water survey confirmed that Havelock North had one of the highest number of E.coli transgressions in New Zealand, swiftly dealt with through chlorination. But chlorination (and many other forms of treatment) are ineffective in removing EOCs, which, combined with chlorine, can produce undesirable by-products.

    – See more at: http://www.baybuzz.co.nz/archives/8221/#sthash.Qz4HgBbN.dpuf

    EOC…..Emerging Organic Contaminant

    • weka 12.1

      thanks, that’s very interesting.

      “old primary septic tank in-ground trenches”

      Is that household septic tank overflows? How would that be getting down 50m?

    • dukeofurl 12.2

      That seems a good description.

      ” unconfined and confined aquifer system’ – so some parts are protected by impervious layer while others arent.
      My knowledge of the area has the gravels extend from the surface down, so what gets put on surface will filter down to the aquifer. And that doesnt take 50 years

      “Havelock North had one of the highest number of E.coli transgressions in New Zealand, swiftly dealt with through chlorination”

      Seems like the lack of full time chlorination is the real problem

      • RedLogix 12.2.1

        Not necessarily. In order to chlorinate safely it’s vital to remove all the organic contaminants first. Otherwise all you are doing is creating a whole cascade of chlorinated compounds many of which are well known and potent carcinogens.

        You can get away with it short-term in an emergency, but long-term exposure is completely against the NZDWS (NZ Drinking Water Standard) if there is going to be any consistent level of EOC’s in the raw supply. This always applies to raw water sourced from rivers flowing out of forested catchments, but is never considered necessary for anything sourced from a deep and aged aquifer.

        And in order to remove the all the potential organics Hastings DC might have to consider building relatively large and expensive treatment plants, which in the normal course of events would be very hard to justify. All up not an easy situation for the supply operators to manage.

  12. save nz 14

    What, You mean you want CLEAN water???

  13. Kevin 15

    Sounds to me like the bore IS contaminated. This from HBToday…

    “In a separate incident a private water tanker driver operator provided a positive indicator test to the DHB on Thursday from water taken from a Havelock North bore. He was told to dispose of the water and sanitise his tank, because the presumption was the bore water was clean.”

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503462&objectid=11694416

  14. weston 18

    Frankly im amazed anyone trusts the water coming out of a tap on town supply i sure wouldnt .Id get my own tank and even then id probably buy the stuff i was actually drinking .As well as septic tanks potentially contaminating groundwater theres offal holes often bored down to a considerable depth .In these offal pits go just about everything from “offal” as the name implies the guts of animals killed on the farm to domestic rubbish and all the general dettrius {yeah i know its spelt wrong }of the farming scene like old drench containers the horns from de horning maybe some wire old herbicide containers stuff they too scared to use anymore like ddt and 245t old paint dead calves and probably the odd wife or husband every so often .As far as i know just about every farm in nz has at least one of these and when shes full ya just pick up the phone and get a new one drilled mate .Im not really saying ALL farm offal pits are like this obviously im trying to be humorous about it but basicly its true and ive seen some shockers over the years .The moral of the story is as billy connolly put it DONT DRINK THE WATER .

    • “Dead holes”, as Weston describes, are frightening to behold and can contain nuts, bolts, rusted kerosene tins, Brodifacoum to keep the rat numbers down, downed rats, drowned rats (the water table rises into the dead hole, that’s the scary bit, forget the rats) diseased stock, out of date stock, you name it. The rules around dead holes are various and impossible to monitor in any effective way. Dead holes are awful pits, just as long drops are a sh*t solution to humanure disposal.

  15. Lloyd 19

    If it is contamination in the aquifer it would seem the recent rains have pushed the contamination down to a location where it is picked up by the bore. The bore itself would be the first suspect – how old is it? – is it steel? – is it rusted through? – is there potential for water to flow down into the aquifer beside the bore?
    If the contamination doesn’t come in via the bore it is likely the source isn’t too far away from the bore – ground filtration is pretty effective.
    A new bore might be the quickest and cheapest solution.

  16. Philj 20

    It’s so sad to say but we’re crapping in our own water. Portentous?

  17. Siobhan 21

    “Hastings Water Supply Now Chlorinated!

    An e-coli indicator has been found in one of the nine water tankers used to supply drinking water to Havelock North residents.The suspect tanker was parked in the Te Mata Primary School – Havelock North Intermediate School car park. Residents who took water from this site and still have it in containers are asked to dump it.The water from the other tankers has been tested and is clear, however the water in all the tankers is now being chlorinated.It is believed that the cause is likely to be the tanker, however as a “super precautionary approach” the water supplies for Hastings and Flaxmere are now being chlorinated. The daily tests for those supplies have been clear.While no boil water notice has been issued, as a precautionary approach, mayor Lawrence Yule says people may want to boil any drinking water or use bottled water while the chlorine works its way through the system.”

    From the Council this morning.

    Please spread the word Hastings folk.

  18. Rozgonz 22

    Surely in the eyes of the left this must be John Keys fault

  19. Muttonbird 23

    Cat’s out of the bag…

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/311415/campylobacter-most-likely-from-livestock-yule

    I’m surprised the government didn’t gag Yule on this. I’m sure they’ll want to minimise the damage done to the farming industry in the region.

    Anyway, is the interim report enough for those wanting to wait for further information, or will they wait for the inevitable government spin?

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    13 hours ago
  • Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    14 hours ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' at 10:10am on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st Century The SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims Stuff Steve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    14 hours ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things on Tuesday, March 19
    It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    15 hours ago
  • New Life for Light Rail
    This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail  Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    16 hours ago
  • Why Are Bosses Nearly All Buffoons?
    Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    18 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on March 18
    TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Peters holds his ground on co-governance, but Willis wriggles on those tax cuts and SNA suspension l...
    Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s final report card
    David Farrar writes –  We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how  went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promise The result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • “Drunk Uncle at a Wedding”
    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    2 days ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    2 days ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    5 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    6 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    6 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
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