A legacy of poisoned water

Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, April 28th, 2017 - 66 comments
Categories: national, quality of life, useless, water - Tags: , , , ,

We won’t be able to say that we didn’t have ample warning, with a another detailed and damning report on our water out yesterday. The Herald has a good summary:

‘Damning’ rivers and lakes report: Nitrogen levels rising, fish threatened

A major report out today makes a sweeping assessment of how our lakes and rivers are faring, and the news isn’t good. Science reporter Jamie Morton takes a look at what it reveals.

Another major stocktake has painted a grim picture of New Zealand’s freshwater environment, showing that nitrogen levels are rising and three-quarters of monitored native fish species are nearing extinction.

The 100-page report, published today by the Ministry for the Environment and Statistics New Zealand, has been described as “damning” by the country’s largest independent environmental organisation, which is calling for a dramatic reduction in cow numbers.

The report, measuring a range of indicators including water quality and quantity, and the welfare of biodiversity, confirmed that urban waterways were the most polluted, but declining trends in pastoral areas were just as concerning. …

It’s a long and depressing summary, with sections titled: How polluted are our waterways? Native species on the brink, Our vanishing wetlands, Who’s taking the water? Freshwater issues ‘not new’ – minister. Newsroom summarises five takeaway points:

1. There’s a shocking amount we don’t know about our water.
…
2. Government swim-ability estimates are different from officials’ estimates and nobody yet has a good handle on how to measure it.
…
3. Canterbury farms account for about a quarter of New Zealand’s freshwater consumption … we think.
…
4. City water is facing a multi-billion dollar stormwater problem, and animal urine is an amazingly potent rural polluter.
…
5. Whitebait is in dire straits, and there’s a real prospect we will lose some of our other native fresh water species, too. …

On RNZ:

NZ needs to act now on rivers, top official warns

New Zealand cannot afford to wait to address the problems with fresh water, Ministry for the Environment head Vicky Robertson says.

A landmark report from the ministry, released today, describes serious challenges facing the country’s rivers and outlines how fresh water is under increasing pressure from agricultural and urban areas.

The report found freshwater biodiversity was declining and 72 percent of native fish were threatened or at risk of extinction – as were about a third of freshwater plants and invertebrates.
…
The Environmental Defence Society called today’s report alarming. Its chief executive, Gary Taylor, said the report laid the problems with fresh water bare.cHe said farmers should be required to obtain resource consents for agricultural land use in sensitive catchments, to set maximum levels of stock.

“It’s all very well setting water quality limits in a national policy statement and in a regional plan … but in the end I think we need to reduce the size particularly of the dairy herd in New Zealand by about a third. “Particularly in these more sensitive catchments where we’ve got serious pollution.”
…
Federated Farmers said it did not want more regulation on land use and farmers were already doing the work to help restore degraded water. …

In related news see:
New water guidelines labelled “sneaky backdoor attack”
Federated Farmers: It’s damn lies and alternative facts
When the river runs dry: The true cost of NZ water
“No-one owns water”
National is ruining our rivers

This current National government isn’t going to leave much in the way of a legacy. Does it really want to be remembered for allowing the poisoning of our water?

66 comments on “A legacy of poisoned water ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Janet 1
    28 April 2017 at 7:57 am

    Whats new. We have been saying the diary takeover of everywhere a cow can stand is wrong, for years for years, and not only for water quality reasons , but for the need for farming New Zealand to stay diversified and ultimately sustainable and we are fourth, fifth and sixth generation NZ farmers. But who listened ! Who acted ? Nobody !
    Change the government to one who understands how this world works, naturally.
    Look for the Lorax….. it’s sure not Steven Joyce who only thinks of biggering and biggering.

    • Molly 1.1
      28 April 2017 at 10:15 am

      Hi Janet.

      As farmers, did you manage to get heard at all by Federated Farmers or Fonterra (if you are a shareholder?).

      What avenue do farmers such as yourselves have to get heard at national body level? (I’m just thinking it may be very difficult for sustainable method farmers to be heard, and wonder if there is a place for them to go)

      • Janet 1.1.1
        28 April 2017 at 12:17 pm

        Exactly right as sustainable lifestyle farmers have no voice and actually threaten political directions where production gains over ride environmental outcomes….

        • roy cartland 1.1.1.1
          28 April 2017 at 3:26 pm

          Janet, it’s time to bring your sustainable and conscientious farmer mates over and stand with the greenies on this. It’s you and us against the destroyers, not greenies against *all* farmers.

          I’m actually pro farming, but anti-taking-the-piss, as I imagine you are.

  2. Jenny Kirk 2
    28 April 2017 at 8:27 am

    “This current National government isn’t going to leave much in the way of a legacy. Does it really want to be remembered for allowing the poisoning of our water?”

    They don’t care. They probably all have swimming pools and don’t ever swim anywhere else – so it doesn’t matter to them if others want to swim in lakes or rivers.

    • keepcalmcarryon 2.1
      28 April 2017 at 10:39 am

      No its worse than not caring and its worse than “allowing” our water to be poisoned.
      This government is actively subsidising the poisoning of our water.
      Its not accidental, its not poor management , its active destruction.
      What else do you call policy of doubling primary production, including a half billion dollar taxpayer irrigation subsidy and removing democratic protection by gutting ECan?
      Take a look at the Mackenzie country next time you are down that way and see what they have done. Then read the reports on loss of native habitat.

      Labour, be definitive on this, its time for waving the stick on water allocation and breaches of consents. Its time to cancel some allocations and enforce nitrogen caps on all our farming systems.
      This pollution is not accidental, its government policy.
      Do not let the National government get away with this.

      • Fustercluck 2.1.1
        28 April 2017 at 2:30 pm

        Nitrogen and phosphorus caps are key. Its not the the number of cows or dairying itself, it is the rampant over-fertilizaiton of the land that is hosing the water.

        We have a perverse system with the fert co-ops where the amount of rebate farmers get is based on the amount of superphos they use. There is a structural incentive to pollute.

        Never heard a word about this. Ever.

    • Chris 2.2
      28 April 2017 at 6:31 pm

      A good protest could be taking a few cows for a swim in a few of those swimming pools.

  3. Ad 3
    28 April 2017 at 8:59 am

    The political upside for the opposition is there’s nothing National can do through to election day.

    The increasing damage will increase due to the massive irrigation schemes and weak regulation by South Island regional councils.

    To turn it around you would have to alter whole District Plans – which is years worth of leaking legal poison. Which means for years to come it will be really really hard to halt, before you get to reversing the trends.

    Mike Joy’s suggestion this morning of replacing the $400 million irrigation fund with a $400 million reparation fund looked incredibly practical. Hope a future government picks up on it.

    If that doesn’t happen I’m just gong to keep writing cheques to Forest and Bird. They are the real river protectors in this country.

    • Rosemary McDonald 3.1
      28 April 2017 at 9:25 am

      “Mike Joy’s suggestion this morning of replacing the $400 million irrigation fund with a $400 million reparation fund looked incredibly practical. Hope a future government picks up on it.”

      Has the bones of a solid campaign….Action Station or the like?

      Or we could all boycott dairy products until the dairy herd is reduced and farmers are held accountable for polluting.

      Low impact dairy farming is possible ….http://www.radionz.co.nz/programmes/water-fools/story/201841352/water-fools-sacred-pipi-beds-polluted

      “Mr Watson and his wife Sue milk about 280 cows in the flood prone Waiotahe Valley and in the past five years they’ve halved the number of cows and switched to once a day milking.

      The new system requires less expensive feed, less fertiliser, and less work.

      It was a more sustainable way of farming and the family had not looked back, said Mr Watson.

      “We’ve basically not quite halved the amount of effluent we create.””

      Perhaps more focus should go on those who make a real effort to reduce environmental impacts from dairy farming…

      • Janet 3.1.1
        28 April 2017 at 11:58 am

        I agree , the fastest way to start to turn the situation around is to work with the farmers to motivate them to voluntarily adjust their farming systems. A lot of public education is needed to help some of these farmers see ways forward out of this predicament that they in many cases unwittingly have found themselves in.

  4. ianmac 4
    28 April 2017 at 9:05 am

    It is hard to know what to add to the above column Anthony. Such a depressing outlook. Sighs loudly.
    Sorry kids. Back then we didn’t realist that we had it so good and now the Government just ignores our concerns.

    • gsays 4.1
      28 April 2017 at 11:25 am

      Hi ianmac, I can add something.
      There are a few more sobering aspects to intensive farming.
      Recently ‘spray and pray’ has been highlighted.
      This has a massive impact on soil structur and it’s ability to function, e.g. hold water, nutrients etc .

      Sorry if any of this is teaching you to suck eggs.

      Seemingly harmless practices, none of it sustainable.

  5. saveNZ 5
    28 April 2017 at 9:16 am

    The government has failed every body. Canterbury sounds like a basket case where it’s too dry to run cows in many places, let alone cram more in and steal the community water.

    The farmers could diversify to another less water intensive farming measure for goodness sake. Even if the government helped them, still better than stealing and polluting the water.

    Don’t blame the farmers, it’s the government leading the charge and changing the laws to make it so.

    Maybe somebody can read ‘the golden goose’ to the Natz, in parliament today. It might be over their heads so get the opposition to get a few sock puppets to mime it out for the yokels.

  6. tc 6
    28 April 2017 at 9:36 am

    Ffs hang this albatross around national/acts neck, shout loudly about it and let the chips fall where they may.

    Farmers vote national so go hard labour/greens

    • saveNZ 6.1
      28 April 2017 at 10:15 am

      Although similar left blame discourses to the National party discourses against beneficiaries… not sure all the ‘bad’ Kiwi polluters goes down well if you are trying to get votes…

      Labour and Greens need to get away from punishing and blaming and try something constructive. Most farmers are not educated lobbyists pushing the government – they are more just trying to run their farms with industry telling them to put more nutrients on, banks giving them money to expand… etc etc They are not rocket scientists – just do what they are told and try to have as little government involvement as possible.

      The sad thing is the government’s policy is to drive out family farms that are more sustainable, and the ‘new’ mega farms run by big business.

      That is the worry for farmers and the Greens and the public.

      • tc 6.1.1
        28 April 2017 at 11:28 am

        Becoming tenants in our own country is another issue they need to be bashed over.

        Stuff the nuanced approach go for broke and keep it simple

      • Draco T Bastard 6.1.2
        28 April 2017 at 11:31 am

        Labour and Greens need to get away from punishing and blaming and try something constructive.

        Why shouldn’t we hold people accountable for their actions? Especially when they’ve known for decades the consequences of those actions.

        Most farmers are not educated lobbyists pushing the government – they are more just trying to run their farms with industry telling them to put more nutrients on, banks giving them money to expand… etc etc

        If they’re that uneducated then they shouldn’t be in business and most definitely shouldn’t be allowed to run a farm.

    • McFlock 6.2
      28 April 2017 at 11:32 am

      An albatross?
      wouldn’t that curse them to stay at the helm of the country while everyone else was dead?

      “there was a country” said he…

      • saveNZ 6.2.1
        28 April 2017 at 4:10 pm

        It’s not actually getting the left any votes by the blame game. Just pushes the rural industry to the Natz on a platter and turns them off change.

        • tc 6.2.1.1
          28 April 2017 at 4:20 pm

          Imo the rural community always votes blue, efforts to swing them are a waste of scarce opposition resources.

          Agree with dtb that if the blame fits wear it and in this case its blatant from encouraging intenstification/corporate model/neutering water standards/hobbling and gutting govt depts with environmental briefs etc etc

          Screw the softly softly and call them for the wreckers they are. Motivating the non voters is crucial and a strong message is required.

        • McFlock 6.2.1.2
          28 April 2017 at 4:29 pm

          Actually, my comment was just a lighthearted observation that the albatross analogy is from the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, whereas if we want this government to sink a millstone might be more appropriate…

          Anyway, as to “blame game”, as TC points out the farmers who don’t care about waterways don’t vote leftish anyway. The ones who do care will also be pissed about the rest of the country subsidising the polluters.

  7. Cinny 7
    28 April 2017 at 9:51 am

    A legacy of poisoned water and a legacy of pristine water exploitation for export.

    An excess of nitrogen should be utilised instead rather than used to poison our waterways in the name of greed. Would it be appropriate to have some sort of ‘cap’ on large scale commercial dairy farms? Seems sensible to me considering the damage that is happening to the environment.

    Maybe farmers should be growing nitrogen loving crops to absorb the excess nitrogen in conjunction with their nitrogen excreting dairy farms.

    Maybe if they did they would find the crops possibly making a great profit for them than the cows? After all nitrogen loving crops include medical marijuana, the economic benefits of which would be massive for NZ. Not to mention the benefits of a crop which requires no herbicides or pesticides to grow, as well as absorbing excess nitrogen from the soil. Would be a win win for the environment and the economy. JS.

  8. The Fairy Godmother 8
    28 April 2017 at 10:07 am

    It’s so awful and humans do not need cows milk. Infants and young children do fine on just mother’s milk. We could have breast milk banks for for children with no mothers or mothers unable to feed them and a culture that supports 2 years paid maternity leave. There is no reason to consume cows milk.

    • saveNZ 8.1
      28 April 2017 at 10:36 am

      Sadly under 30% of Kiwi mother’s breastfeed exclusively up to 6 months which is the recommendation from World Health Organsisation. Yet another bad statistic….

      • The Fairy Godmother 8.1.1
        28 April 2017 at 12:34 pm

        It’s a tragedy when the natural age for weaning is sometime in the sixth year. Human infants along with other primates are very helpless and undeveloped compared with other mammals such as cows which are on their feet soon after birth. It’s about what we value as a society. I am rereading Marilyn waring counting for nothing at the moment and it seems to me some of the most valuable things such as our environment and mothers milk have no monetary value and therefore our society doesn’t care.

        • Rosemary McDonald 8.1.1.1
          28 April 2017 at 3:14 pm

          “I am rereading Marilyn waring counting for nothing ”

          +lots and lots. 🙂

          (A vastly under acknowledged work by both the right (Oh my god!!! Unpaid work has value!!!) and the left (We’re not going give credit to work done by a former National MP!!!).

  9. Antoine 9
    28 April 2017 at 10:56 am

    Is whitebait munted because of whitebaiting, or for some other reason?

  10. Draco T Bastard 10
    28 April 2017 at 11:25 am

    We shouldn’t be surprised. Many farmers have lobbied to prevent effective regulation of farms and the pollution that they produce and our government have supported them. What we need now is a government that will bring in string regulation and enforcement of those regulations. If this means that some farmers will go under, well, that’s the nature of the market.

    What we cannot afford is to continue to allow them to pollute our waterways.

  11. Venezia 11
    28 April 2017 at 11:44 am

    And Bill English, in his usual dishonest way, on the news last night, blamed the urban population for the disgusting state of our fresh water sources. Non one in MSM pointed out that urban sources are 1% of the total. Farming occupies 40% f total.

    • David Kinane 11.1
      28 April 2017 at 1:09 pm

      Yes that bias was in the Herald reporting yesterday I felt. Emphasis first on the urban waterways masked the rural devastation.

  12. Draco T Bastard 12
    28 April 2017 at 1:37 pm

    It’s possibly OT for this thread but I think it has bearing.

    When the river runs dry: The true cost of NZ water

    The Government says nobody owns the water, but that hasn’t stopped people making hundreds of thousands of dollars selling it, reports Eloise Gibson

    The message trickled down from Bill English a month ago, albeit in watered-down form.

    New Zealand will probably not start charging businesses to use fresh water, English told the AM Show, because it is too difficult and would upend a century-old convention of letting people have it for free. “You’d have to work out pretty basic things like who owns it? What would you charge them?” he said.

    But in the absence of a Government price tag, the market has put a value on water in some of our driest regions: between 70c and $1.60 for a thousand litres – a cubic metre – and most recently about $1.

    It’s not just this governments inaction about protecting our waterways that’s poisoning our water but also the fact that excessive licenses have been dished out by the councils and now people are making a massive profit on that declining availability.

  13. Wyndham 13
    28 April 2017 at 3:47 pm

    All the way through this National Party water debacle there’s one MP whose name pops up repeatedly – – – Nick Smith. He has vigorously defended the government’s point of view often lambasting those that query him in parliament.

  14. WILD KATIPO 14
    28 April 2017 at 3:57 pm

    I see we are moving onto a ‘ safe ‘ topic…

    How ‘ nice’…

    How ‘ neutral ‘

    How ‘ banal’….

    ‘Water Quality ‘

    Here’s a working class solution , – why not prosecute the offending bastards and be done with the fucking issue?

    Get on top of it and shit all over the offending party’s heads?

    Make em scared to let even one dairy cow piss in a creek.

    Ever heard of Riparian planting and fencing ???

    Instead of your bullshit pussyfooting around and entertaining yourselves online with the latest online fad on how bad the world has gotten post 1984 , – put your money where your mouths are and campaign to bring the offending fuckers to court , – and while your at it , – start naming and shaming councils, corporations and backyard farming outfits who collude in the whole neo liberal charade.

    Grab a pair of balls and get on with the fucking job.

    We’ve only got until September until we get to kick the arse of this shithead govt – and that’s only 5 fucking months away you fools !!!!

    • marty mars 14.1
      28 April 2017 at 5:15 pm

      Dairy is indeed out of control as are city folk having their water wastage and not giving a shit about their shit – maybe you’re doing your bit maybe you can look in the mirror, maybe… can you say you are not also implicated and responsible for this disaster.

      • WILD KATIPO 14.1.1
        28 April 2017 at 6:53 pm

        The best bit anyone of us can do is vote this govt out in September.

        And from there we work backwards.

        Theres not a lot of good wringing our hands on the sidelines going tut tut tut, is there ?,… that’ll change nothing. Screw the bastards. The only way we get change is by the vote. And if there’s one thing about this blogsite that turns my gut is that it tolerates those who come as wolves come in sheep’s clothing.

        Che Guevara had a saying about inner city / urbane communists :

        He called them ‘ useful tools’.

        And the reason he viewed them as such was because they were tantamount to being like tits on a bull. Always seeking for the ideal / optimum conditions before they got off their fat bloody arses and did anything. They were viewed by the rural people as liability’s while they did all the heavy lifting and shed their blood fighting the Batista’s.

        You want change ? … vote in Labour with its support party the Greens and NZ First.

        Then you will see some action.

        Then you will see some accessibility and positive measures to end this literal load of shit in our rivers.

    • WILD KATIPO 15.1
      28 April 2017 at 7:01 pm

      All very nice for future economic initiatives but I want to swim in a fucking river and not contract E. coli / campylobacter diarrhea , thank you very much.

  16. WILD KATIPO 16
    28 April 2017 at 7:12 pm

    Sittin here in the middle of suburbia listening to a possum burping and farting and growling , … the Pukekos have gone into mating and nesting and all I’ve got is some scrub introduced cats screaming as they fight over who gets the latest questionable 100 square meters of turf to brawl over…

    FFS ,.. lifes tough on a country lad living in the city.

    Ferk your lattes .

    Just do the right thing and vote for Labour , the Greens or NZ First.

    Preferably Labour as that will bring the rest of them onboard.

    • bugsolutely nz 16.1
      28 April 2017 at 7:58 pm

      yea that will fix it, different snouts at the trough. Its not till we make fundamental changes in the way we treat this planet that it will start to heal.

    • Janet 16.2
      28 April 2017 at 8:35 pm

      Still kind of hoping The Lorax will appear and lead the way forward… in other words there is nothing, no one out there that I am convinced meets all the needs of leading NZ at the moment. Very disconcerting.

  17. Tautoko Mangō Mata 17
    28 April 2017 at 9:06 pm

  18. timeforacupoftea 18
    28 April 2017 at 9:35 pm

    The report failed to say salmon and trout are the biggest threat to our native fish species are which nearing extinction.
    They could start by removing trout and salmon from the rivers and lakes.

    Some small towns are still dumping sewerage in lakes and rivers.
    You would think they should have been fixed by now.

    If any dairy farm is dumping in rivers they should automatically be shut down.
    For all farmers livestock and cropping, If runoff from paddocks after heavy rain enters rivers same sort of cop especially if no in paddock ponding areas have not been established.
    It has been pointed out to me from time to time around Otago Southland and Canterbury where topsoil is washed off paddocks straight into creeks and rivers during storms etc.

    Perhaps no swimming or wading in rivers either until they are clean again.

    I would be interested to know how clean the mighty Clutha River is, the river always looks perfect but you do see a dirty stain as small streams and rivers drain into it for a few hundred meters down stream then it is clear and beautiful again and probably drinkable.

    • keepcalmcarryon 18.1
      29 April 2017 at 8:34 am

      It failed to say trout and salmon are the biggest threat because thats unproven?
      Also pollution kills introduced trout too. What you have spouted is the fed farmers line.
      The actual stuff we do measure isnt comfortable for farmers to talk about though is it:

      http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/91956116/serious-pressures-facing-rivers-government-report-finds

      “t found nitrogen levels were worsening at more than half of the measured sites. Nitrogen levels were worst at urban sites, but were declining significantly in pastoral areas.

      The decline in pastoral areas coincided with an increase intensive agriculture. Nitrogen leaching from agriculture had increased by 29 per cent since 1990, it said. The main source was livestock urine”

      Remembering of course urban acounts for 1% land area, agriculture 40%

      • timeforacupoftea 18.1.1
        29 April 2017 at 10:48 am

        In reply to :
        (keepcalmcarryon 18.1
        29 April 2017 at 8:34 am
        It failed to say trout and salmon are the biggest threat because thats unproven?
        Also pollution kills introduced trout too. What you have spouted is the fed farmers line.
        The actual stuff we do measure isnt comfortable for farmers to talk about though is it:)

        Please !
        KeepCalm : All I said was from my husbands and his friends 60 years of fishing knowledge not fed farmers as you suggest.
        These guys lure fish using imitation white bate lures all season and catch trout with stomachs full of white bate.
        Did Gary Taylor ask enough lure fishermen if they had much luck with imitation white bate lures. Our guys don’t know they were never asked.

        • keepcalmcarryon 18.1.1.1
          29 April 2017 at 8:45 pm

          Fed farmers ran an attack against fish and game (protectors of water quality) implying trout were the baddies and that fish and game somehow protected freshwater carp (invasive pest species), which was rubbish.
          Certainly trout eat whitebait no question.But that effect has been constant since establishment, if not declining recently, yet Native fish are even more threatened.

          With introduced trout numbers in decline in polluted waterways, and habitat loss and pollution major factors in native fish decline, the increased threat to native fish does mirror the increase in pollution were are learning of, rather closely do you see.

          I think we should at a minimum ban the sale of whitebait and ideally close whitebait fishing altogether.

          PS: Fed farmers perverse logic says that your husband and friends have contributed to native fish decline by supporting Fish and Game!

          Read this clown:
          http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/91008689/taking-aim-at-fish–game-over-conflict-of-interests

  19. millsy 19
    28 April 2017 at 11:56 pm

    Everyone forgets that when all these fancy irrigation schemes come online, they arent going to be run as a charity. They are going to be run for profit. So when the farmers get the bill, they are going to be under pressure to make even more and more $$$, and our rivers are going to take more of a pounding.

  20. Philj 20
    29 April 2017 at 6:58 pm

    Katipo. I would call Health and Safety to ensure I am safe before I go for a swim. Lol. The Banks have the farmers by the proverbials. Getting farmers to be indebted,
    they are trapped once they have the costly irrigation systems. And the Government(taxpayers) are paying for this!

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    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 19

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2024

    Open access notables Improving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society: To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

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