Who needs water anyway

Written By: - Date published: 8:09 am, April 30th, 2016 - 46 comments
Categories: Conservation, farming, national, science, sustainability, water - Tags: , ,

It’s not news that NZ’s water supply is degrading. Pollution is increasing, demand is increasing and supply will become more variable with climate change. Back in January:

Urgent need to act on our water supply

Despite the weekend’s deluge in the north, summer is barely a month old and already some regions are running low on drinking water. Supplies for farm animals and crops are being rationed.

Trucks are delivering water to parched vineyards in Marlborough. As river levels dip in the hottest months, water quality falls. Warning signs beside freshwater lagoons at Piha, Karekare and Bethells because of overloaded septic tanks are a familiar summer sight.

Toxic algae has been detected at 15 freshwater sites in Canterbury. North of Christchurch, people who draw water from rural supplies with shallow intakes must permanently boil water used for drinking, oral hygiene and food preparation.

The pattern is repeated most years. In all likelihood, the task of ensuring towns and cities – and the countryside – have access to clean and sufficient water, as well as water for recreation, is certain to become a pressing issue. It begs questions whether communities are adequately prepared to cope with water supply stresses, and whether agencies which manage fresh water are on top of their game.

The signs are not positive. …

Forest and Bird:

Choose clean water before it’s too late

New Zealanders are witnessing the greatest theft in our country’s history. Our freshwater is being taken away from us.

While one generation watches as progress and growth is unashamedly used to justify the exploitation of our waterways, another waits to inherit toxic freshwater that is off limits to humans and wildlife.

This crisis has been growing for decades and when we’re told that nothing can be done or that there is no problem, we become jaded. …

The Nats are (supposedly) aiming for a “wadeable” water standard. 12,000 people signed a petition calling for a swimmable standard. Naturally:

Government rejects & opposition embraces campaigners’ calls for fresh waterways to be made ‘swimmable’ at the very least

The Government has shut the door on the 12,000 people who have signed a petition calling for a requirement for our fresh waterways to be “swimmable” at the very least.

The Minister for the Environment Nick Smith says it’s “not realistic nor achievable” for the Government to legislate that all freshwater in lakes, rivers, streams, groundwater, wetlands and estuaries, be “swimmable” rather than “wadeable”, as is currently the case.

Yet the Labour Party is committing to making “swimmable” the minimum standard if it was to be elected into power. …

Related reading, see Can you believe we’re fighting for clean water in New Zealand?, and yesterday’s press release from the New Zealand Recreation Association:

Freshwater plans must go further, says association

The New Zealand Recreation Association (NZRA) has expressed concern about a consultation document that sets out the government’s proposals to improve the management of fresh water, saying the document doesn’t go far enough.

Mr Newton said NZRA does not support the Government’s contention that returning already polluted rivers to a swimmable state is impractical or unaffordable. “The Government is proposing that there be a ‘wadeable’ standard of water quality. This is not good enough. Freshwater bodies should be swimmable where possible.”

He said there is a national interest in conservation of freshwater areas, in terms of the value of tourism, biodiversity and recreation. Therefore, a greater share than the 50 per cent proposed in the document should be made available from central government when projects reflect regional gains of national significance. …

It’s not just the surface pollution (like Canterbury’s Lake Forsyth, so poisonous that it is killing sheep and other animals) that is the issue. We have a much more fundamental long term problem:

Scientists warn NZ aquifers are being poisoned by farming

Scientists are warning that our aquifers, the reserves of water under New Zealand’s land surface, are being poisoned by intensive farming.

Although some aquifers are already contaminated, they say the worst is yet to hit because pollutants like nitrate, can take decades to get down to the drinking supply.

Canterbury University’s Dr Jenny Webster-Brown says nitrate will loom large in New Zealand’s future, but it’s already a public health concern. … Pregnant women and mums with young babies on private bores around Ashburton are advised to use bottled water as high nitrate levels can block oxygen in babies and cause the potentially fatal blue baby syndome. Environment Canerbury test results show nitrate hotspots around Canterbury is growing. Nitrate levels also exceed drinking standards in some areas of Southland, Waikato and Bombay due to market gardening leading to nitrate leaching.

But much of the nitrate in underground water now is from farming 30 or 40 years ago, which pre-dates dairy conversions. Dr Webster-Brown says with the dairy industry now using nitrogen, levels will rise distinctly.

Outstanding. Oh and by the way, that big export market that we are always courting has already noticed:

NZ water sent back from China

Hawke’s Bay’s drinking water is not good enough for China, with a shipment of NZ Miracle Water sent back to New Zealand. … “Unfortunately the levels of nitrite were higher than the Chinese standard hence the product was returned.” …

We’ve already locked in an increase in aquifer / supply contamination, but the only sane thing to do is cut back on intensive farming methods immediately. What kind of idiot country screws up its own water supply?



environment-water

water-quality-warning
(Above image Toby Morris)

46 comments on “Who needs water anyway ”

  1. save NZ 1

    Great post. +100

    While the Nats spare no money for convention centers and corporate welfare, and no one actually ‘owns’ water, (but it can be sold off for $500 apparently to Oravida), it is clear the Natz have zero interest in preserving the environment, let alone understand it.

    • jcuknz 1.1

      Sadly that is very true.
      and Adam the problem predates the current Nats. [#2]

      • save NZ 1.1.1

        After 8 years of the Natz, I think it is about time to stop blaming Labour.

        Time to join together and get rid of the Natz and their minor party supporters who have allowed the Natz carnage to continue.

        • leftie 1.1.1.1

          +100 SaveNZ, so agree with that.

        • Draco T Bastard 1.1.1.2

          After 8 years of the Natz, I think it is about time to stop blaming Labour.

          Labour haven’t been dragging their heels as much as National but they’ve certainly held back the necessary steps needed to encourage the environment to flourish. In fact, they too have pushed for more business and growth of the population in the face of environmental damage.

          • leftie 1.1.1.2.1

            But a new Labour led coalition government with the Greens and NZ First may take the necessary steps to change that.

    • leftie 1.2

      Water is extremely important to everyone, its life, but it is particularly important to Maori. John key sure thought he owned the water when he sold the water rights with the power companies he sold, so why didn’t the Maori party walk away like they did to Labour over the Foreshore and Seabed Act? National’s conflict of interest Oravida is set to make millions dollars a year over the next 30 years for a pittance of $500 p.a. and to add insult to injury, if the corporation drains the local aquifer dry, the deal would require the council to fill it up again by draining the Ashburton River too, a river that already regularly runs dry. (All for the next 30 years). But again, where’s the Maori party on this? One would have expected the Maori party to be outraged like the rest of us are. Not a peep, they are still propping up the Nats.

    • Jack Ramaka 1.3

      Isn’t Judith Collins some how linked to Oravida?

      • leftie 1.3.1

        Yes, her husband is on the board of Oravida. Oravida is a donor to the National party. As we have seen the National government does favours for its donors, Oravida included. Oravida is also involved in the illegal exportation of swamp Kauri as well.

        • Sabine 1.3.1.1

          Jenny Shipley, the dame of National fame was appointed to the board of Oravida.
          With some luck Oravida will now go the ways of Mainzeal.

          • leftie 1.3.1.1.1

            I hope so.

            • leftie 1.3.1.1.1.1

              Jenny Shipley appears to be an unofficial member of John key’s government, her snout is always in the trough, and you can bet she’s one of a number of people pulling his strings.

              “Dame Jenny Shipley has been Chairman of Genesis Energy since November 2009. She is Chairman of the Company’s Nominations Committee and is also a member of the Company’s Human Resources and Remuneration Committee.

              Dame Jenny is chairman of Seniors Money International Limited, Oravida Waters Limited, Oravida NZ Limited and China Construction Bank (New Zealand). Dame Jenny is also chairman of the Advisory Board on transition for the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority and an executive board member of the New Zealand China Council. Dame Jenny is a member of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority Review Panel and a trustee of the Heart Health Research Trust.”

              <a href="http://www.genesisenergy.co.nz/board-of-directors

              Shipley opened a consultancy firm in Auckland, and her role in overseeing Gerry Brownlee re: Earthquake earns her a $1000 dollars a day pocket money. National as usual takes from those who really need it, and gives to those who don’t.

              • Incognito

                Don’t begrudge Shipley her titles or director & consultancy fees. She’s worked hard for them and they’re well-deserved. In fact, Jenny Shipley got where she’s now through hard work, taking full responsibility for all her actions, and making the right choices since the day of her conception and IMO she’s entitled to everything she can get and she’s born to rule. So, good on her; she’s a role model for all hardworking New Zealanders, particularly women, who want to be successful.

                • Henry Filth

                  Have you ever thought that you may have a mineral imbalance or deficiency in your diet?

                  • Incognito

                    Are you going to provide a remote diagnosis of my mineral homeostasis via TS? If so, please also provide an affordable prescription with that. I may have to ask you for your qualifications because I seem to be getting a few unsolicited diagnoses here on TS by people that don’t know shit about me but think they can read my mind as well as my mineral status as it turns out.

  2. adam 2

    Just one more in a long line of major failures of this national led government.

    I see the Maori party are again long on platitudes to constituents, http://www.maoriparty.org/iwi_rights_to_freshwater of course no leadership on the issue – just more political correctness from them.

    And as always, the Maori party is rock solid supporter of this failed national government.

  3. ianmac 3

    Christchurch is famous for having pure untreated water from deep artesian bores. The water comes from high up in the Alps but the steady increase of pollution means that soon the sniff of chlorinated water will trickle out the Christchurch taps. Who cares?

    • leftie 3.1

      Ianmac. I do. I care !!!

      • ianmac 3.1.1

        Me too leftie. The Christchurch water is a bit hard but like all pure water, it is deliciously tasteless. Compare that with the taste of Auckland water.

  4. ianmac 4

    Great post again Rob. Thanks.

  5. maui 5

    So are we aiming for wadeable rivers with waders on or without? Not sure if they ever made that clear.

    • Stuart Munro 5.1

      The longterm Gnat plan for our rivers is walkable on. Minister of environment should have to drink from all of them.

      • greywarshark 5.1.1

        Do you mean that Gnats don’t care if the water is thick enough with pollution to walk on? Or do you mean that Gnats consider themselves divine and superior to such matters as access to water and healthy pure water, and believe if they want to, they can walk on water? Life is complex these days – perhaps both these propositions are right at the same time.

  6. One Two 6

    Poisoned by primary industry and stolen by private companies and corporations

    Nestle are a prime example

    • Stan D Man 6.1

      Fonterra is not far behind Nestle.

      Water is the last resource to be extracted from the hide of NZ (gold and native timber now being exhausted).

      Sam Mahon’s book “The Water Thieves” tells the true story of farmer greed and local body corruption.

      By the time Christchurch residents are told they will have to drink poisoned aquifer water, the current crop of politicians will all have retired on taxpayer-funded pensions. Many will have sold their dairy farms for tax-free capital gains.

      Nice for some.

  7. One Two 7

    http://illegaleldredtwplanduse.blogspot.com.au/2016/01/planning-commission-passes-water.html?m=1

    The initial lease has an option for 25 years, with two 10 year extensions. Hoffman asked “how is this project good for Eldred Township ,” to which there was no answer.

    Archie Craig made the point that with all the negative press Nestle receives, why should planners believe Nestle will do what they say and be a good neighbor.

  8. Jenny Kirk 8

    ” What kind of idiot country screws up its own water supply? ”

    Us. Its unbelieveable that our water supplies have reached dangerous drinking levels, and so little is being done to remedy it.

    Good story Rob – wish something like this would hit the daily media EVERY day until it penetrates the mindlessness of those in authority.

    • save NZ 8.1

      This is the sad effect of globalism. If we had a real MSM in NZ, that had owners that lived here and cared about NZ then they would have more in a stake of not polluting their own nest.

      Sadly neoliberalism seems to have robbed a lot of people of not only morality but also sanity. I guess they feel money is more important than both.

      It also highlights the growing inequality gap. Billionaires through trusts are starting to own more and more and then use that power to grow their base more and more.

      An example billionaire investor Carl Icahn announced that he had sold his shares in Apple and made a $2 billion profit.”We obviously made a great deal of money,” Icahn said.

      So just by having that amount of investment power in a company, billionaires can lower or increase a companies price just by their own buying. Meanwhile those ‘mums and dads’ investors in shares like Apple, have their retirement next egg able to be increased or lowered just on the whims of the 0.1%. A local example is Dick Smith, somehow over a year someone made 400 million in profit, but the company is left bankrupt, employees made redundant and consumers without guarantees.

      It’s like a select few are blood sucking the life out of the rest of the world. And it is getting worse. Now we have people tired of trading pieces of paper and deciding to use their wealth not just to lobby government but to become them and the influence that brings.

      • Heather Grimwood 8.1.1

        Surely DRINKABLE water should be the aim. One of the joys ( and attractions to overseas’ tourists not so many years ago was the fact that water could be scooped safely in hands from at least backcountry streams, and not so many decades ago from streams on the coast where I lived. Admitttedly as children, we always checked local knowledge about possible dead animals upstream!!! , but that was before the days of freedom campers who haven’t skills/equipment to ensure they’re not polluting, topdressing with its runoff problem or poison baits for pest eradication( e.g. many farms had own ‘rabbitter’ then living on site with house provided. Sure, they used mainly the inhumane gin-traps, but shooting is productive at right time of day. We as kids used ferrets and dogs…eminently successful).

    • leftie 8.2

      +100 Jenny & SaveNZ.

  9. John Shears 9

    Great post, keep at it.
    The sooner the Nats go the sooner Ecan can become an elected body rather than appointed. Then there will be a chance that the Canterbury water pollution can be sorted.
    Remember that only a short distance from Ashburton where the right to extract water and possibly bottle and export it is proposed,
    there is Lake Ellesmere already polluted to the extent that the tuna
    (eel) fishery is virtually extinct, a fishery that goes back several hundred years.

    • Heather Grimwood 9.1

      to John Shears at 9: Yes, Ellesmere’s condition a very obvious and uncontroversial proof of the situation…tragic.

    • Heather Grimwood 9.2

      to John Shears at 9: Yes, Ellesmere’s condition a very obvious and uncontroversial proof of the situation…tragic.

  10. joe90 10

    Perhaps a cabinet club member could have their concerns passed on to the minister responsible.
    /

    In a country first, a ban is about to be placed on winter-fishing in parts of Canterbury due to declining river quality.

    Fish & Game said they put the ban in place in order to preserve the fisheries in the region.

    […]

    North Canterbury Fish & Game Council chair Trevor Isitt said the region’s waterways had suffered years of environmental degradation due to intensive agriculture, and a lack of water monitoring.

    “All of our lowland streams now have a classification from mildly to heavily polluted, which is affecting the aquatic environment that our fish live in, and [it] is affecting the spawning that needs to go on for the recruitment of fish in the future.

    “There’s been a huge decrease in fish numbers over the past few years; last season, the sea-run nearly collapsed.”

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/regional/302464/winter-fishing-banned-due-to-river-quality

    Morning Report –

    http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/mnr/mnr-20160428-0748-fish_and_game_ban_trout_fishing_in_canterbury-048.mp3

  11. red-blooded 11

    This may not be a popular comment, but the deterioration of our waterways is largely a result of over-farming. If you don’t want the effects, back away from the cause. People who eat meat and use dairy products cause the demand that puts so much pressure on our soils and our waterways. Yes, i know that less intensive agricultural practices and “mitigation” can decrease the damage, but the fact is that farming animals is a very inefficient use of land and water, and stepping away from these practices is something that we can all do to decrease the environmental degradation (and the suffering and killing) that arise from farming animals.

  12. dv 12

    This sorta feels like the head in the sand over Ak.

  13. Standard1 13

    The big con from National is to imply that we can somehow have:

    * intensive dairying on unsuitable (porous) soils,
    * a massive dairy herd of 5 million animals
    * irrigation schemes subsidised by the taxpayer to boost dirty dairying,

    and still keep rivers and streams flowing with nice clean water.

    Water is a public asset. but National is running a covert water privatisation scheme for the benefit of its rural friends.

    There are limits to growth, but National won’t recognise that fact. It is the most environmentally destructive administration in NZ history.

    [r0b: Welcome – but please choose a different user name for future comments]

  14. Pat 14

    no worries….youre probably right

  15. Incognito 15

    Good post.

    Because water is a moveable, wandering thing, and must remain common by the law of nature … I can only have a temporary property therein.

    This sentence stood out for me in an excellent recent article by Anne Salmond Water is too valuable to squander.

  16. Lara 16

    So the commodity boom in dairy prices encouraged more intensive dairy farming in NZ as farmers maximised their profits.

    They turned NZ into a giant toilet. Cows literally shitting in our waterways.

    They’re the major cause of deteriorating fresh water quality in these last few years.

    And what of Landcorp? Buying up more land and increasing intensive dairy farming on it. Shitting in our water. Bloody government owned Landcorp.

    WTF does the government think its doing owning land and farming it? Government has no business in business. It’s there to govern. Not make profits.

    And now dairy prices are behaving as all commodity prices do. Surprise surprise, bust follows boom. Prices have fallen. I hear many NZ farmers are in dire financial straits.

    And when they face bankruptcy, when they face mortgagee sales, who they gonna sell to?

    Foreigners because they have deeper pockets.

    The bastards have f***ed our waterways, now they’ll sell our land to foreigners.

    And this limp wristed pathetic excuse for a government will let them. And say there’s nothing they can do to stop it, because TPPA.

    THIS is what you voted for NZ.

    I’m disgusted.

  17. Draco T Bastard 17

    What kind of idiot country screws up its own water supply?

    They’re called capitalists and they’ve destroyed environments for their own enrichment throughout history:

    Diamond identifies five factors that contribute to collapse: climate change, hostile neighbors, collapse of essential trading partners, environmental problems, and failure to adapt to environmental issues.

    He also lists 12 environmental problems facing humankind today. The first eight have historically contributed to the collapse of past societies:

    1. Deforestation and habitat destruction
    2. Soil problems (erosion, salinization, and soil fertility losses)
    3. Water management problems
    4. Overhunting
    5. Overfishing
    6. Effects of introduced species on native species
    7. Overpopulation
    8. Increased per-capita impact of people

    Further, he says four new factors may contribute to the weakening and collapse of present and future societies:

    9. Anthropogenic climate change
    10. Buildup of toxins in the environment
    11. Energy shortages
    12. Full human use of the Earth’s photosynthetic capacity

  18. Henry Filth 18

    “What kind of idiot country screws up its own water supply?”

    Pretty well most of them. It seems to be a completely apolitical passion, independent of economic system.

  19. S-hell 19

    Draco, liked ur comment esp the list, but ‘capitalists’ I would say are really the ‘invaders’ or colonisers that badly affected our past, as that period of recent history set up a precedent of ‘war’ and everything was stolen, looted, cut down and drilled out of the ground, by our very rich larger countries, Spain, Britain, Holland, China etc, and all the profits and money went to the ruling families, royal or not. I think capitalism sprung out of this great abundance of stolen goods and land.

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    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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Two bar blues
    The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 13
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

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