Billions down the drain on roads to nowhere

Written By: - Date published: 12:13 pm, February 15th, 2012 - 42 comments
Categories: Gerry Brownlee, sustainability, transport - Tags: , ,

Gerry Brownlee has weakly attempted to fob off the decline in benefit:cost ratio of highway projects under National. ‘Sure’ he says ‘we’ve been funding projects that barely break even while high BCR spending like early childhood education gets cut, but things will turn around’. Um, no. Look at the projects National has on the horizon, more good money after bad.

Take Transmission Gully, 60 cents of benefit for every dollar spent.

Or the Puhoi to Wellsford Holiday Highway, $1.10 for every dollar spent – if you’re lucky. In generating these numbers the officials ignore peak oil, remember.

After that is the next round of ‘Roads of National Significance’, appropriately named because they would make the commute a little quicker in some National-leaning constituencies. But at what cost to the rest of us? NZTA hasn’t done the numbers officially but bear in mind these are the roads that didn’t make the first cut, so they’re going to be even more worthless.

But it’s not all about the benefits and costs, apparently. Brownlee begs us to remember that these roads to nowhere have ‘strategic fit’. I presume that means we need a good road into Northland so we can move the legions quickly if the Gauls invade. Actually, ‘strategic fit’ is just bureaucrat-speak for ‘what the minister wants’.

There’s a $15b plus hole in the transport budget over the coming two decades and National is using the money we do have on worthless pet projects. Who would have thought this is how we would face the age of peak oil?

42 comments on “Billions down the drain on roads to nowhere ”

  1. tc 1

    Is Joyce no longer mishandling this portfolio and it’s now GB’s ?

  2. Rusty Shackleford 2

    Only the same rationalizations that are used to justify the lefts pet projects.

    • Blighty 2.1

      So, what, you support billions of our money being wasted?

      • Rusty Shackleford 2.1.1

        From what I have written, what would lead you to infer that?

        • McFlock 2.1.1.1

          Well, the only alternative is that you’re arguing some sort of equivalence or indistinguishable nature between Brownlee and “the left”, which only a nutbar would suggest (even if you included the current Labour party in “the left”).

          • Rusty Shackleford 2.1.1.1.1

            You are right McFlock, there is little difference between Labour (the ‘left’) and National (the ‘right’). The only difference is what they like to waste billions of dollars on.

            • McFlock 2.1.1.1.1.1

              So rusty is a nutbar, Q.E.D.

            • Blighty 2.1.1.1.1.2

              Well, if you don’t support Brownlee wasting billions, why are you trying to excuse him with the hackneyed ‘they do it too’ line?

              • Rusty Shackleford

                I wasn’t excusing Brownlee. I was pointing out the hypocrisy of a left wing commentator laying on criticism for profligate spending.

                • McFlock

                  It wasn’t the amount of spending that was being criticised, it was the amount of spending for little or no net business or public good benefit.
                    
                  Too subtle for you?

                • bbfloyd

                  don’t lie rust bucket…. you are apologising for the pie eater at maximum spin…. do you really think that you aren’t utterly transparent?

  3. tc 3

    Another example of an MSM unable to follow some basic economics, get some responses and generally hold them to account.
    Northland-AKL will always be clogged this money just moves the choke point a little further each time it’s TG that’s a head scratcher as it’s the same as just burning hunders of millions.

    • insider 3.1

      It’s as much about resiliance for Wellington’s northern access as volume of traffic. duplication is necessary to maintain access in emergency like an earthquake. The current coast road could end up like the Manawatu Gorge meaning no road access of any capacity.

  4. vto 4

    It’s not a road to nowhere, it is a road to Wellsford ………………..

  5. muzza 5

    When do you reckon we can expect some sort of treasury/RBNZ audit..

    That will clear up where all these roads lead eh!

  6. DH 6

    These big infrastructure projects have always been Nationals Achilles heel. They never added up, they seemed designed only to reward a favoured few with juicy contracts. You just don’t spend on this kind of infrastructure when your books are in the red.

    • tc 6.1

      Don’t forget the now more easily accessable land that can be carved up as a new supercity suburb and you have to wonder who owns that land and benefits.

      There’s also a watercare project around a private developments which’s being objected to, went all quiet last year now it’s back in full swing….mmmm always good to get the public paying for infrastructure required for a private development. Wonder if there’s a link between supercity and watercare.

      • fraser 6.1.1

        isnt that link mark ford? 🙂

      • DH 6.1.2

        The projects stank right from the beginning, Nationals infrastructure policy is a carbon copy from the NZ council for infrastructure development. Their members are made up largely of businesses who don’t even use infrastructure. They just build it or buy it.

        The returns to the Govt from roads are not financial, they’re economic. They also take a very long time to show results and a Govt running a deficit the size of ours just does not spend borrowed money on projects like that. The Govt gets a return via extra tax income resulting from an increase in GDP, it will take ten years before they even get enough to pay the interest (if they ever do). If this was a business the receivers would be called in long before the projects started showing any meaningful benefits.

        This is the first spending the Govt should have cut when the books went into the red.

    • insider 6.2

      I think the c/b ratios are not the important issue for these projects. What drives the govt IMO is a belief that increased capacity in infrastructure will unlock long term economic potential. Bigger is ultimately better.

      C/b is not necessaily the definer of whether you do something = that will be driven by many other strategic and political aims just like any govt decision – would investing in Kiwibank, Air NZ and rail ever pass a c/b test, or home insulation or broadband to the home? c/b around these projects is more about how you prioritise IMO as the decision to do uses other criteria.

      • mik e 6.2.1

        We will have very expensive cycle ways

      • Ad 6.2.2

        Strategic alignment (for example to a regional growth strategy such as the Auckland Plan) can and should be part of a Benefit Cost ratio evaluation.

        But in the case of motorways the whole idea of a special category called Roads of National Significance has become its own weighting code – that’s the wrongly politicized part.

        Prioritisation in transport infrastructure should otherwise be transparent throughout the Regional Land Transport Programme, effectively as bids from all regions to the National Land Transport Fund. The rigor around this is furiously tight, and through the LTMA requirement to use a Special Consultative Procedure very open to public scrutiny. This whole process will be launched around the country in the end of February.

        Those RONS should be eradicated as a category, to let the real competition on merit hold above the whole evaluative process.

    • Reality Bytes 6.3

      Indeed, and it goes against the Nat’s ‘Just let the market take care of it philosophy.’

      I do agree with the Nats that a lot of this is work will have some important benefits:
      Straight safe uncongested motorways and roads are a great thing for us to aim for, they help us to economise on limited fossil/other fuels, and improve safety etc…

      However it’s the prioritisation over other projects (that could have greater benefits) which is wrong imo. That’s what makes too much of these motorway projects a poor choice at this point in time.

      At this stage we’d see greater benefits just getting people onto more efficient methods of bulk human transport imo. Especially considering a lot of personal transport use is merely for the sake of moving a bunch of personal biomass on a daily basis to some place or other in a 2 ton steel shell. It isn’t really that practical on a per person basis when you think about it.

      It’s that lack of consideration into alternatives that is Nationals archilles heel. It’s a shame they don’t look at the options and discuss them in a public forum, and rationally consider the bigger picture with a view to minimise our transport pollution and energy requirements.

      • Colonial Viper 6.3.1

        Indeed, and it goes against the Nat’s ‘Just let the market take care of it philosophy.’

        The NATs only let the free market ‘take care of things’ when it will enrich their mates. Any other time and they are quite willing to intervene and in a big way.

      • DH 6.3.2

        “However it’s the prioritisation over other projects (that could have greater benefits) which is wrong imo. That’s what makes too much of these motorway projects a poor choice at this point in time.”

        It’s not about priorities, the corollary to that argument is the money should have been spent on something else.

        The money shouldn’t have been spent at all. They borrowed it, at a time when the country is already heavily in debt & running a large operating deficit. The interest bill on the Nats infrastructure spending will hit $1billion per year which is more than 1.5% of existing crown revenue.

    • Jenny 6.4

      DH you only need to google the words “The Well Connected Group” to identify these arrogantly self named favoured few. With their connections are able to feast at the public trough, while others go hungry.

      They have no shame.

  7. Colonial Viper 7

    Who would have thought this is how we would face the age of peak oil?

    John Michael Greer did. Its a logical response by those who are not willing to entertain anything but the continuation of endless growth and business as usual prosperity for themselves.

  8. infused 8

    Just fucking build Transmission Gully. Jesus Christ, it’s only been 50 years – just do it!

    • Jenny 8.1

      Public transport, it’s been over fifty years of dismantling. We should be the ones swearing and blaspheming. Instead of the mad roading lobbyists who have got their way every single time. Whether it is tearing up railway, or tram lines, or dismantling trolley bus overheads. Or massive motorway construction, or privatising public transport infrastructure. Fifty years of continuing assault on public transport is what makes me want to curse. Particularly when I am sitting in another endless jammed up motorway.

      • infused 8.1.1

        Yet people still aren’t using the trains in the Wellington region because they are so crap. NZ’s landscape is such that public transport really doesn’t make much sense in some areas.

        I’m not going to catch a bus or a train. The fairs are high. Buses are always late and slow. Same with the trains. The ‘express’ services are a joke. The only decent service in Wellington is the Wairarapa connection.

        What about the Auckland rail loop? That’s the biggest joke of the lot.

        • DH 8.1.1.1

          Your argument is a bit contradictory. If the reason for not using the trains is due to poor service then it follows that improving the service will increase patronage. That’s an endorsement for spending more on trains.

          • infused 8.1.1.1.1

            Nope. You need to read the news about the train services here. No one will use them because they are slow and expensive. That’s not going to change (service speeds).

          • insider 8.1.1.1.2

            Jenny is dead wrong about the dismantling of public transport in Wellington, There has been huge investment over many years be it lines upgrades, new units, tunnel work and electrification. Taking out trolley bus wires makes sense for some routes as they are not suitable for many of the narrow hill roads they used to travel.

            AS a user I think their issue is that problems seem to come in clusters and the issues have been major – people stuck for hours and it happening regularly, though the really bad failures seem to be much much less. While it doesn’t take much to shift people off them but it takes a lot to get them back, but they do come back. My local station carpark is overflowing onto wasteland. That has not happened before.

            • Jenny 8.1.1.1.2.1

              Yes I live in South Auckland, where more motorway construction has actually increased congestion.

              The $2 Billion Wiri Motorway bypass has dumped hundreds of cars that used to clog up Wiri Station Road, directly onto the Southern Motorway, This has resulted in North South commuters now being caught up in an even bigger traffic jam involving instead not hundreds of vehicles but thousands.

              Same with the 400m $Billion dollar Victoria motorway tunnel to nowhere.

              More Motorways means less money for public transport, means more people have to buy and use cars, which means that new motorways are clogged as soon as they are built.

              So what’s the answer?

              Build even more motorways!!!

        • mikesh 8.1.1.2

          This is probably true as far as it goes, but if everyone used public transport most of the time instead of using cars we would probably be able to afford a better and cheaper service. The trouble is that trying to have both options seems to increase the overall costs of both – the costs of running mostly empty buses in the case of public transport, and the costs of roading, policing, accidents, and the costs of the cars themselves in the case of private.

  9. aerobubble 9

    I have a real problem with the massive huntly bypass that runs through a high valley. They obviously knew the price of oil would continue to rise and the costs of taking this new route would be prohibitive to trucks, that would continue to run through the flat gorge route.

    Then National-ACT police toward letting cars get noisier, when you have a lot of young workers who like to rush from running the rat runs in their souped up noise carts (and avoid local traffic lights) by going through the residential back streets (from 5.30am onwards), you have to wonder what National are smoking, they obviously don’t care workers get a sleep in before work, they obviously pretty much don’t consider general environmental noise and vibrations (some are heavy trucks now). But still Nat-ACT loosen the roadworthy criteria for cars too the detriment of a National voting electorate, since they won it the road noise has increased substantially, go figure.

  10. Kevyn 10

    These RoNS are so sacrosanct that NZTA was instructed that rebuilding Christchurch was not to take any money away from the RoNS. The result is a recommendation to Cabinet to limit NZTA’s contribution to $50m pa (it collects $100m pa from Christchurch traffic), top that up with $32m pa from the $5.5bn CERF slushfund then insist that aftershocks aren’t earthquakes so that half the road repair cost is omitted when calculating that the government is contributing 82% of the road rebuild cost, all of which leaves the ratepayers with an extra $250 to pay for even though that amount could be funded by NZTA if it wasn’t diverting that amount from Christchurch to the RoNS over the next 5 years.

    But hey look on the bright side – it plays right into the blame the city councillors and replace them with commissioners (after which we’ll get CCC merged with SDC and WDC perhaps) strategy.

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    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    3 days ago
  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    3 days ago
  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    3 days ago
  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    3 days ago
  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    4 days ago
  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    5 days ago
  • Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts

    Cats, with their independent spirit and beguiling purrs, have captured the hearts of humans for millennia. In New Zealand, felines are no exception, boasting the highest national cat ownership rate globally [definition cat nz cat foundation]. An estimated 1.134 million pet cats grace Kiwi households, compared to 683,000 dogs ...

    5 days ago
  • Or is that just they want us to think?
    Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Did global warming stop in ...
    6 days ago
  • Arguing over a moot point.
    I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    Turning Point: What has turned me away from the mainstream news media is the very strong message that its been sending out for the last few years.” “And what message might that be?” “That the people who own it, the people who run it, and the people who provide its content, really don’t ...
    6 days ago
  • Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
    No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago
  • Sad tales from the left
    Michael Bassett writes –  Have you noticed the odd way in which the media are handling the government’s crackdown on surplus employees in the Public Service? Very few reporters mention the crazy way in which State Service numbers rocketed ahead by more than 16,000 during Labour’s six years, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • In Whose Best Interests?
    On The Spot: The question Q+A host, Jack Tame, put to the Workplace & Safety Minister, Act’s Brooke van Velden, was disarmingly simple: “Are income tax cuts right now in the best interests of lowering inflation?”JACK TAME has tested another MP on his Sunday morning current affairs show, Q+A. Minister for Workplace ...
    6 days ago
  • Don’t Question, Don’t Complain.
    It has to start somewhereIt has to start sometimeWhat better place than here?What better time than now?So it turns out that I owe you all an apology.It seems that all of the terrible things this government is doing, impacting the lives of many, aren’t necessarily ‘bad’ per se. Those things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Auckland faces 25% water inflation shock
    Three Waters became a focus of anti-Government protests under Labour, but its dumping by the new Government hasn’t solved councils’ funding problems and will eventually hit the back pockets of everyone. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 8:06 am today are:The Government ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Small accomplishments and large ironies
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago
  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.    “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
    New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Joint US and NZ declaration
    April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research.   “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government redress for Te Korowai o Wainuiārua
    The Government is continuing the bipartisan effort to restore its relationship with iwi as the Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Claims Settlement Bill passed its first reading in Parliament today, says Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith. “Historical grievances of Te Korowai o Wainuiārua relate to 19th century warfare, land purchased or taken ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Focus on outstanding minerals permit applications
    New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals is working to resolve almost 150 outstanding minerals permit applications by the end of the financial year, enabling valuable mining activity and signalling to the sector that New Zealand is open for business, Resources Minister Shane Jones says.  “While there are no set timeframes for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Applications open for NZ-Ireland Research Call
    The New Zealand and Irish governments have today announced that applications for the 2024 New Zealand-Ireland Joint Research Call on Agriculture and Climate Change are now open. This is the third research call in the three-year Joint Research Initiative pilot launched in 2022 by the Ministry for Primary Industries and Ireland’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Tenancy rules changes to improve rental market
    The coalition Government has today announced changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to encourage landlords back to the rental property market, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “The previous Government waged a war on landlords. Many landlords told us this caused them to exit the rental market altogether. It caused worse ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Boosting NZ’s trade and agricultural relationship with China
    Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay will visit China next week, to strengthen relationships, support Kiwi exporters and promote New Zealand businesses on the world stage. “China is one of New Zealand’s most significant trade and economic relationships and remains an important destination for New Zealand’s products, accounting for nearly 22 per cent of our good and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Freshwater farm plan systems to be improved
    The coalition Government intends to improve freshwater farm plans so that they are more cost-effective and practical for farmers, Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay have announced. “A fit-for-purpose freshwater farm plan system will enable farmers and growers to find the right solutions for their farm ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New Fast Track Projects advisory group named
    The coalition Government has today announced the expert advisory group who will provide independent recommendations to Ministers on projects to be included in the Fast Track Approvals Bill, say RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones. “Our Fast Track Approval process will make it easier and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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