local government
Categories under local government
- auckland supercity (417)
- C&R (18)
- local body elections (119)
- supercity (101)
What happened to one person one vote?
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, June 28th, 2019 - 34 comments
Did you know that under our local electoral system some people get more than one vote?
Tamihere has some strange friends
Written By: - Date published: 8:02 am, February 26th, 2019 - 20 comments
John Tamihere has been endorsed by Jordan Williams for Auckland’s mayoralty. And his campaign has commissioned the Taxpayers Union to do a cost cutting exercise.
23 dinosaur councils refuse to sign Climate Change commitment
Written By: - Date published: 9:29 am, February 20th, 2019 - 78 comments
Thames-Coromandel mayor and former National Party MP Sandra Goudie has called a request to sign up to LGNZ’s Climate Change declaration irresponsible at the same time as the Council has entered a coastal inundation notation on the titles for a Retirement Village development it issued consent for.
Show us the money Simon
Written By: - Date published: 9:06 am, January 31st, 2019 - 82 comments
Hopefully the media will ask of National the tough questions, like how it is going to increase spending in critical areas, pay down debt and give us a tax cut at the same time.
Roastbusters redux
Written By: - Date published: 9:46 am, January 27th, 2019 - 92 comments
One of the Roastbusters this week has talked publicly about what happened in an apparent attempt to start a music career. And John Tamihere has started his Mayoral campaign having to answer questions about his attitude to what happened.
The wonder of e-bikes and e-scooters
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, January 6th, 2019 - 20 comments
The rise of cycleways, e-bikes, and e-scooters is steadily revolutionising commutes around Auckland, especially Central Auckland. Like public transport the economic reasons for commuters are easy to understand. You don’t get ridiculous parking costs or the lousy variable commute times of fat footprint cars jammed up on crowded roads.
Political punditry in 2019
Written By: - Date published: 8:57 am, January 4th, 2019 - 79 comments
The media has recently reviewed its predictions from last year and made a few new ones. How did it go? And what is going to happen in the next 12 months?
Wow, Anak Krakatau is just gone..
Written By: - Date published: 11:17 am, December 31st, 2018 - 14 comments
The progeny of Krakatoa, Anak Krakatau, that blew up and dropped most of its volume into the ocean to cause the December 22nd tsunami in Indonesia was very intense. Satellite radar images show that it lost most of its volume and the cone is just gone. That was just a minor eruption in a crowded world.
Simon who?
Written By: - Date published: 7:52 am, November 22nd, 2018 - 43 comments
National MP Simon O’Connor is thinking of a tilt at Auckland’s mayoralty.
Auckland Council is investigating online voting
Written By: - Date published: 12:34 pm, November 21st, 2018 - 63 comments
Auckland Council wishes to conduct a trial of online voting at next year’s local government elections. Is it time to try this out as a voting system?
RIP Penny Bright
Written By: - Date published: 8:11 am, October 5th, 2018 - 33 comments
Veteran Auckland political activist Penny Bright has died.
Modern Technology Is Eroding Our Society
Written By: - Date published: 11:12 pm, September 30th, 2018 - 52 comments
People are losing their people skills rapidly and it is having an effect on society.
Remembering Chris Morley
Written By: - Date published: 3:21 am, August 27th, 2018 - 7 comments
On Friday 27 July 2018, Wellington Tramways Union Vice President Chris Morley passed away after a short battle with Cancer, aged 62. Chris had been a Wellington bus driver since 1978, when public transport in the city was run and controlled by Wellington City Council. In 2008 I was privileged to be elected to the Tramways Union […]
Families Package and Auckland Regional Fuel tax kick in
Written By: - Date published: 10:24 am, July 2nd, 2018 - 48 comments
Labour’s Family Package and the Auckland Regional Fuel tax have both kicked in.
Petrol is going up, and up
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, June 30th, 2018 - 57 comments
Not all the current government’s fault, but the arrival of the fuel tax this weekend heralds a number of very sharp rises in what we have to pay in order to run a car.
English Council Elections
Written By: - Date published: 10:02 am, May 7th, 2018 - 16 comments
By Nick Kelly – Upper Hutt boy in London.
National wants to add to Auckland’s gridlock
Written By: - Date published: 4:11 pm, May 2nd, 2018 - 16 comments
National has promised to overturn Auckland’s Regional Fuel Tax. But has no proposal for how the funding will be replaced.
The Big Auckland Transport announcement
Written By: - Date published: 1:30 pm, April 26th, 2018 - 39 comments
Minister Phil Twyford and Mayor Phil Goff announced the ATAP, the transport programme for Auckland for the next ten years. At $28 billion it is the largest civil infrastructure programme since World War II.
Auckland’s new fuel tax
Written By: - Date published: 10:04 am, March 23rd, 2018 - 37 comments
The signs are that Aucklanders are going to support a regional fuel tax designed to alleviate congestion.
A storm is coming
Written By: - Date published: 11:04 am, February 12th, 2018 - 65 comments
A big storm is set to hit Auckland next week. And it won’t be the last.
Auckland Council by election hypocrisy alert
Written By: - Date published: 11:03 am, January 22nd, 2018 - 13 comments
The National candidate for the Maungakiekie Tamaki Auckland Council by election is complaining that if the Labour candidate wins it will trigger a costly by election. But he is ignoring the fact that the three current by elections have all been caused by National endorsed local government representatives resigning.
Can This Government Regain Power on Its Policies?
Written By: - Date published: 11:46 am, January 17th, 2018 - 82 comments
The sixth Labour led Government has made a good start to its term. But what policy results will New Zealand have to vote for and campaign on in 2020?
Is it time to Nationalise Auckland?
Written By: - Date published: 8:51 am, January 13th, 2018 - 52 comments
It has been a decade now since Minister of Local Government Rodney Hide proposed amalgamating all of Auckland’s city councils into one enormous entity by dumping much of the Royal Commission’s proposals. Well it’s time to hold its results to account.
Sea level rise: coming to a town near you
Written By: - Date published: 10:52 am, December 12th, 2017 - 39 comments
From Newsroom:
“We now see building new suburbs on land prone to liquefaction in much of the country as foolish … We should see allowing new subdivisions on vulnerable coastal land as equally foolish.”
– Commissioner for the Environment, Jan Wright
All aboard for awesome public transport
Written By: - Date published: 10:03 am, November 30th, 2017 - 40 comments
What’s actually behind the employment discontent in New Zealand’s public transport? Turns out its the rule changes National brought in. CTU Secretary Sam Huggard blogs from Together.
Nett migration – still coming in fast and not going out.
Written By: - Date published: 8:21 am, November 23rd, 2017 - 42 comments
Statistics NZ has released the latest nett permanent and long term migration figures for the year to date at October 2017. There is a slight fall from a few months previously. But it remains a sustained high putting major pressure on infrastructure and resources – especially in Auckland. We need to massively cut any new migration here for years to catch up with the work.
Auckland’s impending environmental crisis
Written By: - Date published: 11:30 am, November 2nd, 2017 - 12 comments
Unless Auckland Council finds more funding for the environment the predictions for what will happen are dire.
NRT: This stinks
Written By: - Date published: 8:40 am, October 11th, 2017 - 71 comments
Idiot/Savant points to the unfairness of the Government having forced Christchurch red zone families off their land and now trying to sell that land at a profit.
Transport in Auckland and National’s deliberate incompetence
Written By: - Date published: 6:58 am, July 25th, 2017 - 36 comments
National appear to be completely uninterested in spending Aucklander’s transport taxes on Auckland. Instead they want to put in roads that have no economic measurable benefits for Auckland except to increase the road congesting trucks on our roads. Why do National hate Auckland?
National again subsidises their land banking contributors from taxpayer funds.
Written By: - Date published: 8:41 am, July 24th, 2017 - 25 comments
The announcement that National were granting infrastructure funds to develop housing projects in the far north and south of Auckland caused me some amusement. Wisely Auckland council resisted this boondongle that only benefits land bankers, speculators and their political party (National) for some time. To the point where National used taxpayer funds instead.
The possible privatisation of Ports of Auckland
Written By: - Date published: 8:59 am, May 19th, 2017 - 134 comments
The Government is attempting through coercion and cajoling to get Auckland Council to privatise Ports of Auckland.
- The NZ government’s plan to withhold COVID inquiry findings until 2026 leaves the country ill-prep...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shaun Hendy, Professor of Physics, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Getty Images The first report from a Royal Commission of Inquiry to review New Zealand’s response to the COVID pandemic was due to be released this month. ...4 days ago - 6 things to do if your child’s weight is beyond the ideal range – and 1 thing to avoid
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nick Fuller, Clinical Trials Director, Department of Endocrinology, RPA Hospital, University of Sydney JPC-PROD/Shutterstock One of the more significant challenges we face as parents is making sure our kids are growing at a healthy rate. To manage this, we take them ...4 days ago
- ‘Catastrophic declines’: massive data haul reveals why so many plants and animals suffer after f...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Don Driscoll, Professor in Terrestrial Ecology, Deakin University The megafires that tore through Australia’s forests in 2019–20 burnt more than ten million hectares. The tragedy prompted a massive research effort to understand how plants and animals were affected. So what did ...4 days ago
- First off, have a plan – 5 ways young people can stay safe at schoolies
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Hutton, Professor of Nursing, Western Sydney University Year 12 exams are finishing around Australia and celebrations are beginning. Thousands of students will mark the end of high school in coming weeks with “schoolies”. This is an important rite of passage ...4 days ago
- Australia has backed away from plans to introduce local quotas on streaming platforms – again
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexa Scarlata, Research Fellow, Media & Communication, RMIT University The federal government has quietly shelved plans to introduce local requirements for Australian screen content on streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney+. In October, Federal Arts Minister Tony Burke flagged quotas were being ...4 days ago
- Help Me Hera: Why do I only befriend people nobody else can stand?
How do I end this cycle of misery, once and for all? Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nz Dear Hera How do I break a lifelong pattern of forming close friendships with people that nobody else can stand? Ever since I was about 12, I have had a succession of very ...4 days ago - One NZ learns the hard way, don’t rely on Elon Musk
The Commerce Commission files criminal charges against the telco for over-promising, after SpaceX failed to deliver its much-vaunted direct-to-cell satellite service on schedule The post One NZ learns the hard way, don’t rely on Elon Musk appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago - First the Ferraris, then the mansion – tech leader takes record property hit
Multi-million dollar houses in exclusive private estates have been the biggest winners, and the biggest losers, in the three-year property downturn The post First the Ferraris, then the mansion – tech leader takes record property hit appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- Live: Hīkoi heads to Rotorua as Treaty Principles Bill gets first reading
The hīkoi will leave from Huntly this morning and hold a gathering in Hamilton. ...4 days ago - On the frontlines of Hīkoi mō te Tiriti
Thousands converged on Auckland, the day before the first reading of the controversial Treaty Principles Bill, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund for The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...4 days ago
- Retracing the footsteps of past Māori protest movements
As the nationwide hīkoi for Te Tiriti made its way through Auckland it stopped at two sites synonymous with Māori resistance - Bastion Point and Ihumātao. ...4 days ago
- Treaty Principles Bill: Bill of Rights Act advice ‘quite damning’ – academic
The government's lawyers have advised the Treaty Principles Bill is consistent with the Bill of Rights Act - but only because they expect courts would not allow it to override that law or the Treaty itself. ...4 days ago
- Number of speed safety cameras slashed but cost per camera doubles
The government told RNZ the 800-camera network had been unfunded. ...4 days ago
- Health officials warned government more money needed to meet targets
Released documents show health officials made clear their belief the targets couldn't be reached without more funding. ...4 days ago
- D-Day for government’s Treaty Principles Bill
The legislation is up for its first reading after Question Time this afternoon. ...4 days ago
- You’re gonna miss the post office when it’s gone
Despite it dwindling locations and reduced service, NZ Post remains a pillar in every community, writes Hera Lindsay Bird. Every Saturday morning I arrive at 7.30am, and enter the post office box lobby. Behind the narrow corridor of identical red letterboxes, there is a locked room, full of ancient Christmas ...4 days ago
- ‘Whaka round, find out’: When the hīkoi came to Auckland
The Toitū te Tiriti hīkoi reached Auckland on Wednesday, seeing thousands cross the Harbour Bridge and walk around the coast to Bastion Point. Lyric Waiwiri-Smith joined them. Atop Bastion Point, a crowd of red, black and white gathered at the end of what we’ve been told is a history-making moment. ...4 days ago
- Survivors say torture widespread, Govt says that’s unlikely
Survivors and lawyers are calling on the Govt to release legal advice that says other abuse at psychiatric institutions doesn’t meet the definition of torture The post Survivors say torture widespread, Govt says that’s unlikely appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- An often-toxic artificial lake receives a collective shrug
A man-made lake north of Christchurch is a ‘filthy drain’ but few seem interested in fixing it The post An often-toxic artificial lake receives a collective shrug appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- Trump appealed to left-behind people in left-behind places
Opinion: Many commentators are trying to make sense of the re-election of Donald Trump and as a geography teacher, I always think geography is a valuable discipline to make sense of momentous and world-changing events.Let’s start with some simple stories, ones that I have heard in the last few days. ...4 days ago
- When women hit the grass ceiling of coaching
There’s a subject Alice Soper wants to stop writing about.It’s the sidelining of women when it comes to rugby coaching.But she can’t, as long as the problem still exists.“So often we get caught up in the good news,” she says.“There’s like a toxic positivity that’s attached to a lot of ...4 days ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 14 November
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 14 November appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- Labour needs to learn the art of the deal
Opinion: Unless the Democrats and Labour trim their policy sails accordingly, they will lose elections that matter The post Labour needs to learn the art of the deal appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- Trump II and the coming ‘golden age’ of tyranny in the Middle East
In his rambling victory speech on November 5, Donald Trump, having stoked the fears of Americans throughout his campaign, and sporting extra fake tan for the occasion, spoke of a new ‘golden age’.In terms of Middle East foreign policy, with whom will Trump look to build this ‘golden age’?In May ...4 days ago
- Book of the Week: Day of the lizard
When I first spotted the new illustrated book Geckos & Skinks: The remarkable lizards of Aotearoa in the window of a Wellington bookstore in October (I was visiting with my wife Fi who was going to WOW with her cousins and niece. I wasn’t. I went once in 2002 and ...4 days ago
- Daily crossword, Thursday 14 November
The post Daily crossword, Thursday 14 November appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- Global carbon budget will be used up in six years
The annual carbon budget report from the Global Carbon Project dropped on Wednesday morning, reminding diplomats at the COP29 climate summit in Baku exactly what they were there for.Contrary to some hopes that carbon dioxide emissions have now peaked, the report estimates 2024 will set a new record for fossil ...4 days ago
- West Papuan leader makes ‘raise our banned flag’ plea over new threat
Asia Pacific Report An exiled West Papuan leader has called on supporters globally to show their support by raising the Morning Star flag — banned by Indonesia — on December 1. “Whether in your house, your workplace, the beach, the mountains or anywhere else, please raise our flag and send ...4 days ago
- Government to impose ‘duty of care’ on digital platforms: Communiations Minister Rowland
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government will develop and legislate a “Digital Duty of Care” to place the onus on platforms to keep people safe and better prevent online harms, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland has announced. In a ...4 days ago
- Senior NZ lawyers call for Treaty Principles Bill to be abandoned
By Lillian Hanly, RNZ political reporter Members of the King’s Counsel, some of New Zealand’s most senior legal minds, say the controversial Treaty Principles Bill “seeks to rewrite the Treaty itself” and are calling on the prime minister and the coalition government to “act responsibly now and abandon” it. More ...4 days ago
- COP29: Does NZ have the credibility to lead carbon trading talks?
By Eloise Gibson, RNZ climate change correspondent New Zealand’s Climate Change Minister Simon Watts is going to the global climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan next week, where he will be co-leading talks on international carbon trading. But the government has been unable to commit to using the trading mechanism he ...4 days ago
- Abuse survivors petition Parliament to accept all Royal Commission recommendations
The day after the government apologised to abuse survivors, some presented a petition calling on it to implement all recommendations from the Royal Commission's report. ...4 days ago
- Jim Chalmers has provided an extra $900 million to boost productivity. But this ‘high priority’ ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roy Green, Emeritus Professor of Innovation, University of Technology Sydney Productivity is the greatest structural problem in our economy, according to Treasurer Jim Chalmers. He says there is “no higher priority for reform”. Announcing a A$900 million productivity fund to be shared ...4 days ago
- Shortsightedness is on the rise in children. There’s more we can do than limit screen time
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Flora Hui, Honorary Fellow, Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Melbourne School of Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne Asada Nami/Shutterstock Myopia in children is on the rise. The condition – also known as shortsightedness – already affects up to 35% ...4 days ago
- The House: This week in Parliament
The House - All eyes are on the government as it issues an official Crown apology and navigates the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill, but what else is going on at Parliament this week? ...4 days ago
- ASB defends profit, warns of ‘big tech’ takeover of banking
ASB chairperson Dame Therese Walsh has told a parliamentary committee its $1.4 billion profit last year was not excessive. ...4 days ago
- Hīkoi protest: Thousands march through key Auckland sites on day three
Thousands of supporters crossed the Auckland Harbour Bridge on Wednesday, causing it to rock and sway under their feet. ...4 days ago
- Free Speech Union Endorses Carter’s Copyright (Parody And Satire) Amendment Bill, But It Raises Qu...
We commend the Green Party’s Bill to protect the speech rights of creators, artists, and commentators who are regularly targets of censorship. We hope this represents the turning of a new leaf in their defence of all speech rights. ...4 days ago - Unlicensed online casinos face $5m fines in gambling crackdown
Online casino operators could be fined up to $5 million if they set up an unlicensed website under new rules being introduced. ...4 days ago
- Donald Trump fancies himself a skilled dealmaker, but Middle East peace might be beyond him
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus Professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University Donald Trump’s re-election as the US president last week comes at a time of extreme volatility in the Middle East. The president-elect has promised to end all wars. ...4 days ago
The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.
Recent Comments