10-20% Pure New Zealand

21 comments on “10-20% Pure New Zealand ”

• Comments are now closed

1. George D 1

   28 August 2009 at 3:04 pm

   Oh, get off your high horse, you smug Labour Party hacks. You (the authors of this website) have never sustained any criticism of Labour’s decision to mine national parks and sell of the high country conservation estate. You’re blind to it when it happens when Labour does it, but National does it and you’re jumping up and down and creating videos.
   • snoozer 1.1

     28 August 2009 at 3:09 pm

     So George D, just making sure – you are against what National is doing eh? And you were against Labour’s failures in this area too? Good, me too.

     I’m pretty sure there has been criticism of Labour’s record in this area on the Standard. Oh yeah, just yesterday in fact from Rocky who’s, you know, one of the authors of this site.
   • Eddie 1.2

     28 August 2009 at 3:15 pm

     Calm down George. The video was created by James Barber and has been doing the rounds on Facebook and activist networks over the last few days. It was sent to us this morning by a reader.

     I don’t know if anyone here has explicitly written about Save Happy Valley (except for Rocky criticising Labour last night) but there’s been plenty of criticism of Labour’s environmental record on this site.

     I guess you just see whatever it takes to fit the narrative in your head.
     • George D 1.2.1

       28 August 2009 at 3:30 pm

       Eddie, you’re the one fitting the narrative to suit the facts. I googled to check my claims before I made them. With the exception of Rocky’s post yesterday, every single mention of Happy Valley on this site has been in criticism of the National Government, and the same for the high country conservation estate.

       I’m glad Rocky is here, because Labour needs to wake up. They’ve got a terrible record on the environment (among other issues), but Helen Clark walks round spouting how she was making New Zealand the most sustainable country on earth.

       And as if that wasn’t bad enough, when National come along and make things even worse, they can rightly point to the last Labour Government and say that they’re not doing things much differently. Fuck, I hate the fucking National Party and what they’re doing – but I’m supposed to have some hope that when they’re out of power things will improve again.

       Captcha: responsibility – there’s plenty on both sides.
       • Con 1.2.1.1

         28 August 2009 at 3:50 pm

         every single mention of Happy Valley on this site has been in criticism of the National Government

         Well you’re not very good at Googling is all I can say. When I Googled the phrase “Happy Valley” on this site I got exactly 13 hits, and it took only a minute to spot that some of those were criticisms and defences of the police, for spying on Greenpeace, criticisms of Greenpeace, and criticisms of the Green Party.

         For example, here’s one by a certain “George”:

         If you aim to cause trouble and mayhem, i.e greenpeace, save happy valley, wouldn’t it be irresponsible of the police not to keep an eye on you?
         • Eddie 1.2.1.1.1

           28 August 2009 at 4:03 pm

           Those mentions would be from the comments section, I’d imagine.
       • Eddie 1.2.1.2

         28 August 2009 at 4:02 pm

         George, I’ve argued repeatedly for Labour to take stronger action on the environment. Any positive statements in favour of Labour’s environmental policies would generally be couched in terms of a comparison with National.

         I’ve also written favourably about the Greens’ environmental policies and for a 40 by 2020 emissions target.

         Again, you’re seeing what you want to see to fit your narrative. Here’s an idea. Stop throwing insults at your allies and let’s work together to make sure that the next Government is a strong Labour/Green one that has environmental policies we can all be proud of.

         And if you think there’s something that’s not being said on The Standard that should be then send in a guest post. That’s far more constructive than hurling insults in the comments section.
       • James Barber 1.2.1.3

         28 August 2009 at 8:02 pm

         and George, the “Save Happy Valley” issue began under the Labour government and I’m sure if you look in files dated before 2009 you’ll find a post or two on Happy Valley and Labour’s willingness for an open cast coal mine there.

         Surprise surprise when an issue occurs they address the current government, which happens to be National led, BIG WOP!
   • James Barber 1.3

     28 August 2009 at 7:57 pm

     Actually I’m not a member of the Labour Party thank you very much.
     I joined the Greens in 2008 and have been doing their internet videos for the last year.

     I made this one because it is bizarre that John Key, as minister for tourism, wouldn’t think of the terrible image our inaction on climate change gives our 100% Pure brand.

     As far as I’m concerned you’re as bad as Agenda tv through labeling anyone who does not support National party policy as a labour supporter.
   • rocky 1.4

     29 August 2009 at 2:55 am

     George I found your comment rather insulting. And yes, I know you weren’t talking about me, but in all fairness, The Standard is contributed to by many different people. You should take up Eddie’s advice, and send in guest posts when you feel a particular point of view isn’t getting across. Knowing you personally, I know you are more than capable of writing a decent blog post. And your political views are broadly consistent with the views of the writers of this site. Please try to keep things constructive in future.
2. Bright Red 2

   28 August 2009 at 3:06 pm

   the evidence has always been in our faces eh? Put altogether like that, it’s damning. these guys don’t give a damn about the environment.
3. Terry 3

   28 August 2009 at 3:45 pm

   Come on “The Standard”, this is a completely unfair representation of National Party policy. It not 10-20%. Its 10-20%, only if everyone else does their fair share…
4. Maynard J 4

   28 August 2009 at 4:09 pm

   I do not understand the problems with tenure review. An example I can think of was around the St James station; DoC got the environmentally sensitive part, the upper Waiau valley, and St James got the rest. This seems to be the theme for all of them – the environmentally sensitive land goes to DoC to be protected, and other land was released from those eternal leases. Can anyone explain it?

   And George, which National Parks were mined?
   • Draco T Bastard 4.1

     28 August 2009 at 6:35 pm

     The tenure review basically paid people huge amounts of cash and gave them prime real estate. Considering that it was our land and cash that’s got people pissed off.
5. Red Rosa 5

   28 August 2009 at 5:41 pm

   Certainly that is the way Tenure Review works, Maynard J. But you do not have it all quite correct.

   The stations are owned by the Crown, and the runholders have pastoral leases which convey exclusive grazing rights in perpetuity. The leaseholder owns the improvements and leases the land, for 2% of its unimproved value.

   So lease rates are low. Less than $10k per year was not uncommon until values started to rise in the 1990s, and up to a point this is fair enough. High country farming is a risky business, regularly unprofitable, and generous landlords attract good tenants.

   Tenure Review was a product of the Shipley government (late 1990s!) and met at the time with broad approval from all involved – Federated Farmers, Fish and Game, Forest and Bird etc.

   Quite sensibly it involves creating freehold title to the lower more productive areas, selling this to the runholder, and transferring the rest to the DoC estate. The runholder can get on with farming his portion, while DoC destocks and looks after the rest, often a big part of the station. Each case is considered individually and the public have an input on questions of conservation and access.

   So far, so good.

   Problems arose from the valuations involved, and the confidential nature of the outcomes. Pretty obviously, some of the lakeside areas are hugely valuable real estate these days, and do not change hands on the open market at grazing rates of $100 to $1000 per hectare. It is more like $100k/ha or even $1m /ha. But they were valued as for grazing.

   Anne Brower a Lincoln academic, got hold of the settlement valuations and found that some runholders were being ‘paid to take’ some of the most valuable lakeside property in the South Island. They gave up huge areas of rock and tussock, but retained small (very valuable) bits of the flats. When she published the details in her book ‘Who Owns the High Country’ the proverbial hit the fan.

   Prior to this, the High Country Accord, the runholders group, had been whining about Tenure Review giving their members a raw deal. Of course, and as they no doubt knew, a fortunate few had been essentially gifted multi-million dollar lakeside freehold. So this did not enhance the credibility of the Accord one bit.

   A quick Google search along these lines, or better still Brower’s book, will give you better background.

   Strictly speaking, the St James Station case, like several others, was not tenure review. The pastoral lease was purchased outright for $40m by the Nature Heritage Fund, i.e. the Government. There seem to be some rights and freehold title retained by the sellers, but essentially the whole station is now part of the DoC estate.

   This is a very brief summary of an ongoing issue which flares up again from time to time, as at present.
6. BLiP 6

   28 August 2009 at 5:46 pm

   What a clever piece of political protest that clip is. Brilliant stuff. Top marks; hope it goes viral.

   Be interesting to see what David Letterman makes of it:

   “The Prime Minister of New Zealand, ladies and gentlmen, lets give him a big round . . . Hi John, or can I call you Goober? . . . hahahaha . . . What a great little country you’ve got down there . . . One-hundred-percent pure . . Pure what, John? Chocolate? . . . hahaha . . . hahahaha . . . and brave too, standing up to the US over the nuke issue, I guess it will only be your environment that’s gone by lunchtime . . . but what a beautiful place, eh, how wonderful for visitors to be in the middle of the native bird-song a pristine rainforest and the only danger they face is getting run down by a bulldozer clearing a path to the mine . . . hahaha . . . thank you John, its been great having you . . . Ladies and Gentlemen, the Prime Minister of New Zealand . . . don’t trip over now . . . “
   • luva 6.1

     29 August 2009 at 3:59 am

     Yes yes

     Well done Blip, that would be hilarious
7. Johnty Rhodes 7

   28 August 2009 at 7:53 pm

   you whinging lefties are all right by using other countries minerals to make the computer generated propaganda, a hole in their ground is ok, eh.
   We want jobs, my arse, you hate REAL job creation. The only thing I would donate to Happy Valley is Slug Slam and table salt.
8. ak 8

   28 August 2009 at 10:53 pm

   Thanks Red Rosa, best summation ever, and BLiP – pure art mate, made my week.

   Massive cock-up from the tories: they’ve either totally neglected to poll Joanna Public on environmental concerns, or seriously mis-read the data.

   Couple it to the Supercity genocide of local communities and the cave-in to Hide’s racist blackmail, and Labour now has the glistening red meat of a serious challenge to Labour-lite.

   Goffy’s staying. Accepted.

   But Key-lite will not do. Channel Crumpy and Rob, and mould a serious horseback alternative to sibilant, motor-mouth, “runs like a girl”.

   Win back the good keen bush-dreaming person. Ignore the limbs and go hard-out for the middle-vote jugular. Check out Winnie and hat-tip your seniors.

   And this above all: it’s a sound-bite world. Make ’em up by the dozen.

   “Not yours to sell!”

   “Hands off my bush!”

   “Rape your own National Park!”

   “Strip-mine this!”
9. infused 9

   28 August 2009 at 11:29 pm

   What? I don’t see anything wrong in the video.

Links to post

1. Craig Connelly: posted on 28 August 2009 at 7:02 am

• Comments are now closed

• Log in
• Donate
• Contribute post

• Articles RSS