local government

Categories under local government

It’s time for Auckland to work

Written By: - Date published: 8:44 am, March 12th, 2020 - 12 comments

2020 will now be the year that New Zealand will now rely on Auckland to get its shit together.

Postal voting – essentially dead

Written By: - Date published: 7:41 am, February 25th, 2020 - 62 comments

Stuff has an article up about last years local body elections in Auckland. As usual  the interesting parts are at the end. But I have to reiterate – online voting isn’t the answer. As a programmer, I’d just call it stupid and dangerous.

Pure clear water

Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, February 21st, 2020 - 44 comments

It’s probably time to notice why Jones’ Provincial Growth Fund had to step in and provide several million of funding to patch up the water supply emergency in Northland.

The Government’s $12 billion infrastructure package

Written By: - Date published: 11:33 am, January 29th, 2020 - 96 comments

The details of the Government’s $12 billion infrastructure announcement have been released. 

Common-wealth Government

Written By: - Date published: 8:14 am, November 18th, 2019 - 16 comments

Advantage is testing an idea out. What will a common accountability framework for the government look like?

Wellington mayor-elect flip-flops on sale of Wellington Airport

Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, October 30th, 2019 - 26 comments

One of the first acts of Wellington mayor-elect, Andy Foster has been to reverse his stance on the council’s 34% holding in Wellington International Airport Ltd (WIAL). Whether he can get his plan to sell the airport stake past a once hostile public or a leftist-dominated council also seems about as likely as his desire to bulldoze through another tunnel through Mt Vic.

Brittle cities

Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, October 29th, 2019 - 10 comments

It is pretty hard to miss a variety of cities around the world going nuts for apparently minor offences.

The Government-Auckland relationship

Written By: - Date published: 1:22 pm, October 25th, 2019 - 26 comments

The Sky City National Convention Centre fire brings the Government Auckland relationship to a very sharp edge. It was tense before. It’s worse now.

Later climate change deniers

Written By: - Date published: 12:01 pm, October 15th, 2019 - 73 comments

The recent local government elections resulted in a number of people committed to addressing climate change being elected. And an apparent thinning of those who think that it is a hoax.

Online voting – no. Try polling booths

Written By: - Date published: 8:10 am, October 14th, 2019 - 42 comments

Amid calls to install online voting from the technologically illiterate who are appear to be unaware of the risks, there is clear disagreement from those who do know the risks. Politicians should listen to them. While postal voting is an expensive and failing system, online voting as a system is certain to be way worse. 

Dunedin’s Aaron Hawkins

Written By: - Date published: 9:37 am, October 13th, 2019 - 23 comments

Dunedin is going to be a very interesting test of politics and opportunity over this coming three years for this new mayor.

2019 local body election results

Written By: - Date published: 1:05 pm, October 12th, 2019 - 79 comments

Discussion post for live election results and turnout stats.

Will online voting solve the turnout problem

Written By: - Date published: 12:52 pm, October 8th, 2019 - 38 comments

Auckland Council voting returns are very low. But is the problem voter apathy or is our postal system not up to scratch? And will digital voting be a panacea?

Rates, debt, growth and PPP

Written By: - Date published: 9:38 am, October 8th, 2019 - 33 comments

Stuff had an interesting piece looking at rates, taxes and local infrastructure “Rates are much lower than you think, and they’re responsible for miserable growth in cities”. They just missed out one crucial factor. The way that PPP debates often block infrastructure. Interesting that got missed..

C&R candidate says something really offensive and stupid

Written By: - Date published: 2:08 pm, October 3rd, 2019 - 21 comments

A Whau Community and Resident Local Board candidate has apologised for using racist slurs against a minority group and accusing them of engaging in widespread fraud. But despite his apology an C&R spokesperson has doubled down on his original statements.

Local government: who to vote for?

Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, September 27th, 2019 - 1 comment

Resources for progressive voters, on candidates in the 2019 local body elections.

How to vote in STV

Written By: - Date published: 12:15 pm, September 26th, 2019 - 21 comments

An example Single Transferable Vote ballot

It’s local voting time again, and more councils are using STV- while the Electoral Commission will tell you how to rank candidates, they won’t tell you how to vote effectively. Should you leave candidates off your list if you know what relative order they would go in?

Monorail!

Written By: - Date published: 9:08 am, September 16th, 2019 - 26 comments

Auckland mayoral candidate Craig Lord has announced a policy that may turn the campaign on its head.  Or may not.

The Free Speech Coalition goes to court

Written By: - Date published: 9:02 am, September 5th, 2019 - 70 comments

Jordan Williams and the Free Speech Coalition are in the High Court protecting the rights of Lauren Southern and Stefan Molyneux to express views the details of which Mr Williams does not know.

Transmission Gully

Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, September 2nd, 2019 - 69 comments

NZTA have determined to not proceed with tolling the Transmission Gully motorway.  Does this make it the country’s largest single transport waste? 

Talk is cheap Tamihere

Written By: - Date published: 5:13 am, August 22nd, 2019 - 56 comments

I am really not a fan of political candidates bullshitting. John Tamihere – candidate for Auckland city Mayor, is this kind of blowhard. He is the epitome of the kind of fool who seems to keep his brain mounted right next to his testicles to inform his mouth what to say. He released a transport policy fantasy… I’ll vote for Goff.

Smells Like Stale Male Spirit

Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, August 18th, 2019 - 92 comments

We live in a rich and diverse society but this is not reflected in our local government.

Dunedin South as Next Fox River Dump Disaster?

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, August 10th, 2019 - 75 comments

If we thought the devastation and mess caused by a flood ripping through the old dump at Fox Glacier village was bad, just wait until a decent storm punches through the old dump of New Zealand’s fifth largest city on its coastline. It’s getting close.

Arnhem Land and Ihumātao

Written By: - Date published: 8:28 am, August 5th, 2019 - 44 comments

A Recent High Court decision in Australia suggests that protection of indigenous land rights may be better than we think.

Ihumātao

Written By: - Date published: 7:32 am, July 31st, 2019 - 119 comments

The background to the Ihumatao dispute is complex and problematic and resolving it may require the Government to review issues relating to privately held land and treaty claims.

Bye bye Banks

Written By: - Date published: 12:35 pm, July 26th, 2019 - 8 comments

John Banks has announced that he will not be standing for Auckland’s mayoralty.

Matata

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, July 18th, 2019 - 44 comments

Many a bold claim has been made for the necessity of responding to climate change, but when it comes to storms affecting one’s own home, Matata is surely the test case of this century.

Dinosaurs Fight Extinction Rebellion

Written By: - Date published: 12:46 am, July 17th, 2019 - 181 comments

Dinosaurs are speeding up our extinction.

Nats must hate Auckland’s building consents boom

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, July 15th, 2019 - 59 comments

The rate at which the building consents have increased in Auckland, and the shift to a more useful mix, has been incredibly fast. You can understand why National after their decade of failure for housing and transport have been targeting the authors of that success. It highlights National’s economic incompetence.

The return of Banks?

Written By: - Date published: 11:47 am, July 14th, 2019 - 28 comments

John Banks is reported to be considering another run at the Auckland mayoralty.

Southland and Thames think they don’t have climate crises

Written By: - Date published: 8:21 am, July 4th, 2019 - 163 comments

Regular Standard contributor Robert Guyton put up a great fight but has failed to persuade the dinosaurs on Environment Southland to declare a climate emergency.

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