Climate extremes make NZ’s supply chains highly vulnerable – it’s time to rethink how we grow and ship food

Written By: - Date published: 9:59 am, August 5th, 2023 - 32 comments
Categories: climate change, disaster, economy, farming, food, sustainability, transport - Tags: , , , ,

This post by Alan Renwick, Professor of Agricultural Economics at Lincoln is cross-posted from The Conversation, and also appeared at Greenpeace

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Alan Renwick, Lincoln University, New Zealand

Supermarket customers around New Zealand are noticing gaps in the grocery aisles that have nothing to do with the global pandemic or Ukraine war. It’s clear domestic food supply chains have been increasingly challenged by natural disasters and the ongoing impact of climate change.

Countdown recently warned customers that certain foods would be in short supply due to flooding on the East Coast. Time and again, we have seen such shortages and significant increases in the price of certain foods, particularly fresh produce.

The question is whether we have just been unlucky, or are these disruptions a result of deeper issues in the New Zealand food system? Are we more vulnerable than other countries, and if so, what does this mean for our food security?

Over the decades, New Zealand has centralised its food system and increased the risk that a single regional event could reverberate nationally. But it’s not too late to diversify and increase resilience across our food supply system.

Efficiency over resiliency

Modern food supply chains have largely been optimised for economic efficiency rather than resilience to supply-side shocks.

The agricultural sector has seen a process of increasing scale and specialised production – primarily to increase profitability. In part, this has been driven by land suitability.

The outcome is a relatively small number of large-scale processing factories and the concentration of enterprises in specific regions. For example, around 32% of New Zealand’s horticultural products come from the Bay of Plenty and Hawkes Bay.

At the retail end of the chain, large, centralised distribution centres and “just in time” delivery systems keep costs low for the two dominant supermarket chains, which account for between 80% and 90% of the food we consume. Food is brought to just a handful of distribution centres before being dispersed across their networks of stores.

But disruptions in one region can affect the entire country. In the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake, the distribution centres serving the entire South Island were damaged. Supermarkets were forced to ship supplies from their North Island hubs.

A recent study from the Timaru District Council found that while South Canterbury describes itself as the food bowl of New Zealand, 95% of the commercially-bought food in the district comes from outside the region.

Over-dependence on roads

The current supply chain model is totally reliant on the uninterrupted movement of products across the country through our transport network – in theory, comprised of road, rail, sea and air links.

In practice, just under 93% of freight goes by one mode – road. This compares with 72% in Germany.

Topography coupled with low population densities mean many regions are served by only one or, at most, two main roads suitable for freight trucks. We are nearly totally reliant on roads but our road networks are particularly vulnerable to climatic events and other natural disasters.

Our food distribution system seems to be better set up to get exports out or imports in through ports and airports than to move food around New Zealand. The vast majority of our agricultural products are exported rather than consumed in New Zealand.

Resilience in uncertain times

All the evidence suggests climate change is going to increase the challenges in our food system, with more frequent and intense weather events. Projected sea-level rise will also put more strain on our already vulnerable food system at the farm and processing levels, as well as our ability to move it around the country.

Regional councils are clearly concerned, and there is increasing discussion of the concepts of food resilience and local food networks.

But what does a food system designed around resilience rather than optimisation look like? Does it simply mean less choice and higher prices? Or can it tackle other challenges, such as diet and health, environmental concerns and broader food security?

Two possible and compatible paths are evident. The first relates to local food networks and involves diversification of the products produced within each region, at both the farm and processing and manufacturing levels.

The idea of distributed manufacturing – basically mini-factories dispersed through the country – has been discussed in the forestry sector in New Zealand but could equally be considered for food.

Some emerging technologies that reduce dependence on the local climate for production, such as vertical farming, could be important in local food networks. Aquaponics (farming both fish and plants together), or algae production in ponds, could also diversify local food resources.

The idea of “circularity” could help reduce dependence on external inputs. Food waste products, for example, could be turned into energy as well as fertiliser.

 

 

Alternative farming approaches – like vertical farming – could help New Zealand’s food supply resiliency.
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From supply chains to systems

Alternatively, we could keep the potential benefits of national scale production, but invest to reduce the vulnerabilities in our transport networks. As recent research highlights, there could be multiple benefits to reducing reliance on roads.

And we don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Only 6% of freight is transported by rail – this could be increased to diversify shipping options.

There may also be opportunities to make more out of coastal shipping routes. At the moment, this largely comprises the movement of bulk products such as fertiliser and cement.

However we tackle the increasing vulnerabilities in our food supply chain, we need to think of it as a food system and not simply a supply chain. The complex interactions in our food system mean changes to one part are likely to have wider economic, environmental, social and cultural impacts.

Tackling our potential vulnerability to climate change needs to be undertaken in the context of a wider strategy for the entire food system.The Conversation

Alan Renwick, Professor of Agricultural Economics, Lincoln University, New Zealand

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

32 comments on “Climate extremes make NZ’s supply chains highly vulnerable – it’s time to rethink how we grow and ship food ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. PsyclingLeft.Always 1
    5 August 2023 at 10:55 am

    Well thats great Prof Renwick's thoughts got a Post ! I did link to Prof Renwicks thoughts earlier..

    https://thestandard.org.nz/nationals-latest-policy-moar-roads/#comment-1962888

    The Re-Think is absolutely achievable. Just got to get on with it! Time is running down…

    Also….

    According to a recent study, coastal shipping produces a fifth of the carbon emissions (well-to-wheel) of road freight. Rail also performed well, with about a quarter of trucking emissions.

    Despite this, trucking accounts for nearly 80 per cent of New Zealand's heavy goods transport, and a 94.5 per cent share of the total emissions from heavy freight transport.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/488712/a-shift-to-coastal-shipping-and-rail-could-cut-nz-s-freight-transport-emissions-why-aren-t-we-doing-it

    Why..indeed.

    • Patricia Bremner 1.1
      5 August 2023 at 12:54 pm

      yes 100% PLA, of course the oil and truck lobby are huge players. Some engineers as well.surprise

  2. Tony Veitch 2
    5 August 2023 at 11:15 am

    I recall in my youth (a fair while ago) the arrival of the first stone fruit of the season from Central Otago.

    We need to return to seasonality. And stop eating grapes from California or Chile.

    • Mike the Lefty 2.1
      5 August 2023 at 11:24 am

      Modern consumers want and expect everything and anything will be available at the supermarket at any time and if it has to be flown thousands of kilometers in a plane with a huge carbon footprint they don't give a monkeys as long as it is there when they go down to Pak’n Save.

    • Ad 2.2
      5 August 2023 at 11:37 am

      Roxburgh and Ettrick fruit growers started rejecting rail pricing as early as the 1940s, even though it ran right past them. The transfer to trucks was fast.

      • Blazer 2.2.1
        5 August 2023 at 6:35 pm

        What you are really pointing out is the lack of forward planning regarding infrastructure by a series of expedient governments.

        If rail was integrated into the plans,there would have been better utilisation.

        Building distribution warehouses near rail links would have been efficient and cost effective.

        Your 'example' of Otago fruit growers in the 40's is not compelling.

        I remember Shoprite a FMCG enterprise had a warehouse in Penrose where they could efficiently dispatch goods all along the supply chain.

        Their main problem was..pilfering.Containerisation addressed that issue,but the trucking lobby just got more and more influence.

        NZR ,Kiwirail became a plaything for the financial charlatans….kindly called asset strippers and in reality …blackmailers..imo.

        • Ad 2.2.1.1
          5 August 2023 at 8:25 pm

          There's no lack of forward plans for rail.

          Many of them do come off, as they did this weekend in Ruakura with no small help from Waikato Tainui. That's a decade-long plan and has a massive housing and industrial plan around it too.

          Many other projects such as the spurs to all the milk factories both south Island and North have occurred inside the last decade.

          And the investment they are putting into Picton and Wellington Ports for the new ferries is really huge.

          And Te Huia under this government is actually doing OK. May never break even but who cares.

          But others such as the big spur to Marsden Point never seem to get out of planning phase.

          And Kiwirail tend not to take as much care about commuter rail track investment, which is why Auckland is such a mess for several years.

    • Patricia Bremner 2.3
      5 August 2023 at 12:57 pm

      And to do home preserves and freezing produce, to meet off season needs and lower the carbon miles.heart

  3. Mike the Lefty 3
    5 August 2023 at 11:20 am

    Absolutely!

    There has been over the past two or three decades a move away from local producers in regions to corporate producers in a few concentrated areas, mostly near big urban centres.

    There are certainly a few advantages to this: larger nearby work force, near to ports for shipping etc, but it also concentrates the vast bulk of the production in small areas – vulnerable to climatic events in the case of fruit and veges – and in the hands of very large, usually overseas corporate companies who's profits go overseas.

    In my own region I see evidence of how things have changed. Greytown used to be the apple and berry fruit growing centre of NZ. Now there is only one large commercial orchard and a few smaller ones. Levin/Otaki used to be famed for its market gardens and now most of them are gone. Opiki used to one of the biggest potato growing areas in the North Island but the potato farms have virtually disappeared. You used to be able to buy locally grown spuds in Palmerston North, now they are from South Auckland. It is probably similar in other regions.

    Everything now has to be big and centralised, because smaller lower tech regional establishments don't make the millions of dollars of profit that is demanded by investors.

    Incidentally, there is a small (but growing) milk distribution outfit called Happy Herd who are trying to do things in a more carbon neutral way. Happy Herd sets up milk vending machines in selected shops so you can buy real milk, without plastic wrapped around it, in a bottle that you can bring (or buy). The milk is often shipped in containers to the outlets in specially-equipped E-bikes.

    "Supply chain" has become an English language idiom over the last few years. I guess we never thought about it before because it was usually grower/manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer to consumer. That we had enough labour and equipment was assumed. Not so much now. Consumers now demand everything to be there when they want it, immediately, but to do this demands people willing to work night shifts, work in horrible weather, on holidays and weekends – and not everyone wants to do this.

    I believe that smaller is better than bigger, but of course that puts me in conflict with the political right who always believe that bigger is better and centralisation is the key.

    One thing I can be sure of, National won't be doing anything but building the roads they are planning and will smugly say that these new roads will solve the problem of supply chains. (They won't).

    Labour won't be doing anything much about it either. They will hum and ha and say it is a worthy idea but……. (there are always buts) …….it is too radical and we have seen before Labour recoiling from any suggestion they are thinking outside the norm.

  4. Ad 4
    5 August 2023 at 11:35 am
    1. "Supermarket customers around New Zealand are noticing gaps in the grocery aisles that have nothing to do with the global pandemic or Ukraine war."

    The shortage of cheap eggs is due to changes in government regulation of chicken farms. We adjusted fine.

    1. "around 32% of New Zealand’s horticultural products come from the Bay of Plenty and Hawkes Bay"

    Hawkes Bay have a local rail line and port and BoP has a great port and this reflects their regional specialisation. All NZ major milk factories have rail lines directly to them, and that is the great majority of NZ's agricultural exports. The transport infrastructure is appropriate and suited.

    1. "The vast majority of our agricultural products are exported rather than consumed in New Zealand."

    Since that is what our economy has done for 160 years and will always do, the current setup is appropriate.

    1. "The outcome is a relatively small number of large-scale processing factories and the concentration of enterprises in specific regions."

    That centralisation has occurred for about 130 years and cannot be unwound since all of our major food export companies are very concentrated, and, again, are not going to be unwound.

    1. The link to Queenstown Lakes food resilience project is lovely but in reality tourists want everything right here right now all the time, and pay for it. Tourism is the QLDC economy. And practically, the QLDC climate demands that we import most of our food.

    In Wanaka we now have 10 2×1 raised beds and it will take a year before they give 20% of what we need ourselves. Happy to buy local if it's there but generally small scale farmers price according to what tourists will pay, which is of course exhorbitant.

    • weka 4.1
      5 August 2023 at 12:44 pm

      TS comment editor doesn't handle numbered lists well if there are line spaces between the numbered point.

    • weka 4.2
      5 August 2023 at 12:56 pm

      "Supermarket customers around New Zealand are noticing gaps in the grocery aisles that have nothing to do with the global pandemic or Ukraine war."

      The shortage of cheap eggs is due to changes in government regulation of chicken farms. We adjusted fine.

      This is a good example of how regulation can force farmers to change without the sky falling in.

      "around 32% of New Zealand’s horticultural products come from the Bay of Plenty and Hawkes Bay"

      Hawkes Bay have a local rail line and port and BoP has a great port and this reflects their regional specialisation. All NZ major milk factories have rail lines directly to them, and that is the great majority of NZ's agricultural exports. The transport infrastructure is appropriate and suited.

      Food resilience for NZ and export are different goals. The issue here is to what extent we can increase food resiliency by making changes to the transport system.

      "The vast majority of our agricultural products are exported rather than consumed in New Zealand."

      Since that is what our economy has done for 160 years and will always do, the current setup is appropriate.

      It won't do if we allow climate to get so bad it collapses farming in NZ. As important as export is, food resilience is more fundamental.

      "The outcome is a relatively small number of large-scale processing factories and the concentration of enterprises in specific regions."

      That centralisation has occurred for about 130 years and cannot be unwound since all of our major food export companies are very concentrated, and, again, are not going to be unwound.

      One way or another they will be unwound. Either we do it now, proactively, or we wait until climate/ecological collapse forces us to. There has been much more centralisation in recent decades, and that makes food supply less resilient as climate changes.

      The link to Queenstown Lakes food resilience project is lovely but in reality tourists want everything right here right now all the time, and pay for it. Tourism is the QLDC economy. And practically, the QLDC climate demands that we import most of our food.

      In Wanaka we now have 10 2×1 raised beds and it will take a year before they give 20% of what we need ourselves. Happy to buy local if it's there but generally small scale farmers price according to what tourists will pay, which is of course exhorbitant.

      Tourism as we know it currently won't survive the climate crisis that's already locked in, let alone if we don't act to prevent worse. Did QL not learn anything from the pandemic? If it continues to put its all its free range eggs in that basket, it will be a laughing stock next time there's a tourism shock. Fortunately there are a lot of people in the area working on resiliency and sustainability, so fingers crossed the council and business leaders will get on board sooner rather than later.

      I know people in that district who grow a large proportion of their food. The local climate doesn't prevent that. But the point here isn't that everyone has to grow their own food, or eat only local. It's about how to make the systems resilient to the coming conditions.

      That means localised and diversified as appropriate. Local might mean back garden, neighbourhood, community garden, local farming, regional farming, importing from other provinces, importing from other NZ islands, importing from the Pacific. Concentric rings, with most of our needs can be met within the closer circles. By the time we get out past the Pacific we should be thinking about coffee and chocolate, not grapes from California. A fairly simple analysis of energy shows why that matters, but looking at food production and other resources helps too, as well as ecology (bees and almond production is a good one).

      • Ad 4.2.1
        5 August 2023 at 3:59 pm

        I'm not sure you understand what rail is for. It delivers massive, heavy bulky items from a mine or factory to a port. It's never going to retail organic boxes to sporadic urban networks.

        Rail takes about 13% of NZ's freight task. Rail is currently way, way too unreliable now to load more freight onto it. That will take many years to fix. In Ruakura they've just opened it to rail which is a big step, but it's handling milk powder, logs, cars, machinery, and containers.

        The useful model is for little electric vans to scoot around a region buying and selling according to local surpluses. The Longwood Loop is a good example but there are others like Woop, Casual Foodie, Good Food Collective and Foodbox that do this really well.

        The systems aren't magical, and don't involve rail. The system is simply entrepeneurs with attractive websites and networks and vans assisting a connection from one little specialist to another. The only useful network innovation to that is digital and enables change in minutes not years.

  5. Shanreagh 5
    5 August 2023 at 1:37 pm

    By the time we get out past the Pacific we should be thinking about coffee and chocolate, not grapes from California. A fairly simple analysis of energy shows why that matters, but looking at food production and other resources helps too, as well as ecology (bees and almond production is a good one).

    This is an important point to be remembered Weka when talking to those who say…but. but .but we import chocolate and coffee and sugar. We do this because at the moment we cannot grow them here in NZ, in the quantities needed.

    We can grow table grapes, they come seasonally. So we are not deprived of table grapes…we just need to wait to buy them in NZ or buy them from Aus whose seasons line up with ours and with whom we have close economic ties. Actually getting them from Aus even with the food miles is better to me than the US, as they are in season, Aus has a wide variety in climate and the grapes are probably paddock grown.

    What makes me wonder is sometimes with the mandarins/oranges from Aus compared with NZ. Sometimes they are cheaper in the supermarkets than their NZ counterparts.

    I think it would be great to have an examination of supermarket buying patterns and how they (deleteriously imo) directly affect local growing. Particularly product placement from regional industries/growers. Apparently supermarkets have a limited direct spend for products in their region. They are encouraged to buy through the hubs (South Island one in Chch). This means that locals have no market really for specialist or seasonal products, except at the gate or farmers markets.

    • weka 5.1
      5 August 2023 at 2:03 pm

      pretty sure we could produce sugar here if we really had to. The issue will be if the in-country transport miles are better than importing from Australia. eg might be better to ship from Queensland to the SI than from Northland, but Auckland might be able to get its sugar from close to home.

      Coffee, chocolate, vanilla (!) etc could come from our Pacific neighbours.

      Harder to see the rationale for importing grapes, or any fresh produce. Why not just have them as a seasonal food? I'm guessing the carbon footprint of refrigerated and frozen shipping isn't pretty, better to keep it for essentials.

      • Shanreagh 5.1.1
        5 August 2023 at 2:52 pm

        Agree with you – coffee, choc, vanilla can come from Pacific neighbours.

        I agree about table grapes & California and keeping fruit & vegetables seasonally, and if we really needed an extended season (do we?) we could get from Aus.

        Transport is important.

        • Mike the Lefty 5.1.1.1
          5 August 2023 at 3:19 pm

          It is all very well to say that WE should treat fruit and veges as seasonal but we have vast fruit growing areas like in Central Otago and Bay of Plenty dedicated to sending fruit to Asia and Europe in their off-season making billions of dollars for our economy.

          • weka 5.1.1.1.1
            5 August 2023 at 3:21 pm

            NZ can lead the way on relocalised, regeag, seasonal eating diets and economy.

            It's not like those export markets are going to survive climate collapse anyway.

            • Mike the Lefty 5.1.1.1.1.1
              6 August 2023 at 10:06 am

              A little footnote here.

              A few years ago I visited the Te Puke kiwifruit farm with the big kiwifruit emblem on the state highway.

              It was January, off season for production and when I asked about buying any fruit I discovered the only kiwifruit they had was imported from Italy.

              Keeping overseas markets supplied with fresh fruit has become a market normality, seasonal deficiencies no longer acceptable. Carbon footprint irrelevant.

              • weka …
                6 August 2023 at 11:15 am

                I assume it's why the stone fruit we buy in supermarkets is often poor compared to what is actually grown. The best stuff gets sent off shore.

                • Mike the Lefty …
                  6 August 2023 at 11:44 am

                  Yes. The fruit we get at supermarkets like Pak'n Save is absolute crap compared with the good stuff exported. The export fruit is handled as little as possible compared with the bruised stuff we get sold domestically. Plus the supermarkets don't worry too much about handling and storing produce correctly – I was told this by a person who used to work in the produce department of a Palmerston North Pak'n Save.

  6. Phillip ure 6
    5 August 2023 at 6:54 pm

    No thoughts on the elephant in the room…the heavily polluting animal extractive industries…?

    Noting that the number one polluter in nz is fonterra…and seven of the other nine are slaughter houses,.(stuff published this top ten some months back..)

    That inconvenient truth,. that just won’t go away…eh..?

  7. PsyclingLeft.Always 7
    6 August 2023 at 1:15 pm

    AFRA says one third of all food produced goes to waste and food rescue is part of the solution.

    https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/07/04/a-closer-look-at-some-of-the-foods-going-to-waste-in-aotearoa/

    The shitberg of NZ foodwaste. Especially when its been transported. At cost… to our Climate.

    "Super" market duopoly filling their shelves….to waste most of it?

    Good on AFRA, Fair Food, and all the other Good Guys trying to make a difference.

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    However much I'm falling downNever enoughHowever much I'm falling outNever, never enough!Whatever smile I smile the mostNever enoughHowever I smile I smile the mostSongwriters: Robert James Smith / Simon Gallup / Boris Williams / Porl ThompsonToday in Nick’s Kōrero:A death in the Emergency Department at Rotorua Hospital.A sad homecoming and ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Question Two of The Kākā Project of 2026 for 2050 (TKP 26/50)

    Kia ora.Last month I proposed restarting The Kākā Project work done before the 2023 election as The Kākā Project of 2026 for 2050 (TKP 26/50), aiming to be up and running before the 2025 Local Government elections, and then in a finalised form by the 2026 General Elections.A couple of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Why is God Obsessed with Spanking?

    Hi,If you’ve read Webworm for a while, you’ll be aware that I’ve spent a lot of time writing about horrific, corrupt megachurches and the shitty men who lead them.And in all of this writing, I think some people have this idea that I hate Christians or Christianity. As I explain ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Inside the public service

    In 2023, there were 63,117 full-time public servants earning, on average, $97,200 a year each. All up, that is a cost to the Government of $6.1 billion a year. It’s little wonder, then, that the public service has become a political whipping boy castigated by the Prime Minister and members ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • New Models Show Stronger Atlantic Hurricanes, and More of Them

    This is a re-post from This is Not Cool Here’s an example of some of the best kind of climate reporting, especially in that it relates to impacts that will directly affect the audience. WFLA in Tampa conducted a study in collaboration with the Department of Energy, analyzing trends in ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Where ever do they find these people?

    A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, is how Winston Churchill described the Soviet Union in 1939.  How might the great man have described the 2024 government of New Zealand, do we think? I can't imagine he would have thought them all that mysterious or enigmatic. I think ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Motorway madness

    How mad is National's obsession with roads? One of their pet projects - a truck highway to Whangārei - is going to eat 10% of our total infrastructure budget for the next 25 years: Official advice from the Infrastructure Commission shows the government could be set to spend 10 ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Our transport planning system is fundamentally broken

    Ever since Wayne Brown became mayor (nearly two years ago now) he’s been wanting to progress an “integrated transport plan” with the government – which sounded a lot like the previous Auckland Transport Alignment Project (ATAP) with just a different name. It seems like a fair bit of work progressed ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago
  • Thou Shalt Not Steal

    And they taught usWhoa-oh, black woman, thou shalt not stealI said, hey, yeah, black man, thou shalt not stealWe're gonna civilise your black barbaric livesAnd we teach you how to kneelBut your history couldn't hide the genocideThe hypocrisy to us was realFor your Jesus said you're supposed to giveThe oppressed ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • How mismanagement, not wind and solar energy, causes blackouts

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections In February 2021, several severe storms swept across the United States, culminating with one that the Weather Channel unofficially named Winter Storm Uri. In Texas, Uri knocked out power to over 4.5 million homes and 10 million people. Hundreds of Texans died as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • The ‘Infra Boys’ Highway to Budget Hell

    Chris Bishop has enthusiastically dubbed himself and Simeon Brown “the Infra Boys”, but they need to take note of the sums around their roading dreams. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, September ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Media Link: “AVFA” on the politics of desperation.

    In this podcast Selwyn Manning and I talk about what appears to be a particular type of end-game in the long transition to systemic realignment in international affairs, in which the move to a new multipolar order with different characteristics … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • The cost of flying blind

    Just over two years ago, when worries about immediate mass-death from covid had waned, and people started to talk about covid becoming "endemic", I asked various government agencies what work they'd done on the costs of that - and particularly, on the cost of Long Covid. The answer was that ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Seymour vs The Clergy

    For paid subscribers“Aotearoa is not as malleable as they think,” Lynette wrote last week on Homage to Simeon Brown:In my heart/mind, that phrase ricocheted over the next days, translating out to “We are not so malleable.”It gave me comfort. I always felt that we were given an advantage in New ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Unstoppable Minister McKee

    All smiles, I know what it takes to fool this townI'll do it 'til the sun goes downAnd all through the nighttimeOh, yeahOh, yeah, I'll tell you what you wanna hearLeave my sunglasses on while I shed a tearIt's never the right timeYeah, yeahSong by SiaLast night there was a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Could outdoor dining revitalise Queen Street?

    This is a guest post by Ben van Bruggen of The Urban Room,.An earlier version of this post appeared on LinkedIn. All images are by Ben. Have you noticed that there’s almost nowhere on Queen Street that invites you to stop, sit outside and enjoy a coffee, let alone ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    4 days ago
  • Hipkins challenges long-held Labour view Government must stay below 30% of GDP

    Hipkins says when considering tax settings and the size of government, the big question mark is over what happens with the balance between the size of the working-age population and the growing number of Kiwis over the age of 65. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Your invite to Webworm Chat (a bit like Reddit)

    Hi,One of the things I love the most about Webworm is, well, you. The community that’s gathered around this lil’ newsletter isn’t something I ever expected when I started writing it four years ago — now the comments section is one of my favourite places on the internet. The comments ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago
  • Seymour’s Treaty bill making Nats nervous

    A delay in reappointing a top civil servant may indicate a growing nervousness within the National Party about the potential consequences of David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill. Dave Samuels is waiting for reappointment as the Chief Executive of Te Puni Kokiri, but POLITIK understands that what should have been a ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #36

    A listing of 34 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, September 1, 2024 thru Sat, September 7, 2024. Story of the week Our Story of the Week is about how peopele are not born stupid but can be fooled ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago
  • Time for a Change

    You act as thoughYou are a blind manWho's crying, crying 'boutAll the virgins that are dyingIn your habitual dreams, you knowSeems you need more sleepBut like a parrot in a flaming treeI know it's pretty hard to seeI'm beginning to wonderIf it's time for a changeSong: Phil JuddThe next line ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Six.

    The “double shocks” in post Cold War international affairs. The end of the Cold War fundamentally altered the global geostrategic context. In particular, the end of the nuclear “balance of terror” between the USA and USSR, coupled with the relaxation … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Buried deep

    Here's a bike on Manchester St, Feilding. I took this photo on Friday night after a very nice dinner at the very nice Vietnamese restaurant, Saigon, on Manchester Street.I thought to myself, Manchester Street? Bicycle? This could be the very spot.To recap from an earlier edition: on a February night ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies, Excerpt Five.

    Military politics as a distinct “partial regime.” Notwithstanding their peripheral status, national defense offers the raison d’être of the combat function, which their relative vulnerability makes apparent, so military forces in small peripheral democracies must be very conscious of events … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • Leadership for Dummies

    If you’re going somewhere, do you maybe take a bit of an interest in the place? Read up a bit on the history, current events, places to see - that sort of thing? Presumably, if you’re taking a trip somewhere, it’s for a reason. But what if you’re going somewhere ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Home again

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Dead even tie for hottest August ever

    Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:The month of August was 1.49˚C warmer than pre-industrial levels, tying with 2023 for the warmest August ever, according ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Sept 7

    The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate science on rising temperatures and the debate about how to responde to climate disinformation; and special guest ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Have We an Infrastructure Deficit?

    An Infrastructure New Zealand report says we are keeping up with infrastructure better than we might have thought from the grumbling. But the challenge of providing for the future remains.I was astonished to learn that the quantity of our infrastructure has been keeping up with economic growth. Your paper almost ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    7 days ago
  • Councils reject racism

    Last month, National passed a racist law requiring local councils to remove their Māori wards, or hold a referendum on them at the 2025 local body election. The final councils voted today, and the verdict is in: an overwhelming rejection. Only two councils out of 45 supported National's racist agenda ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago
  • Homage to Simeon Brown

    Open to all - happy weekend ahead, friends.Today I just want to be petty. It’s the way I imagine this chap is -Not only as a political persona. But his real-deal inner personality, in all its glory - appears to be pure pettiness & populist driven.Sometimes I wonder if Simeon ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    7 days ago
  • Government of deceit

    When National cut health spending and imposed a commissioner on Te Whatu Ora, they claimed that it was necessary because the organisation was bloated and inefficient, with "14 layers of management between the CEO and the patient". But it turns out they were simply lying: Health Minister Shane Reti’s ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago
  • The professionals actually think and act like our Government has no fiscal crisis at all

    Treasury staff at work: The demand for a new 12-year Government bond was so strong, Treasury decided to double the amount of bonds it sold. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, September ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 6-September-2024

    Welcome to another Friday and another roundup of stories that caught our eye this week. As always, this and every post is brought to you by the Greater Auckland crew. If you like our work and you’d like to see more of it, we invite you to join our regular ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies; Excerpt Four.

    Internal versus external security. Regardless of who rules, large countries can afford to separate external and internal security functions (even if internal control functions predominate under authoritarian regimes). In fact, given the logic of power concentration and institutional centralization of … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • A Hole In The River

    There's a hole in the river where her memory liesFrom the land of the living to the air and skyShe was coming to see him, but something changed her mindDrove her down to the riverThere is no returnSongwriters: Neil Finn/Eddie RaynerThe king is dead; long live the queen!Yesterday was a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bright Blue His Jacket Ain’t But I Love This Fellow: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power E...

    My conclusion last week was that The Rings of Power season two represented a major improvement in the series. The writing’s just so much better, and honestly, its major problems are less the result of the current episodes and more creatures arising from season one plot-holes. I found episode three ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Who should we thank for the defeat of the Nazis

    As a child in the 1950s, I thought the British had won the Second World War because that’s what all our comics said. Later on, the films and comics told me that the Americans won the war. In my late teens, I found out that the Soviet Union ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #36 2024

    Open access notables Diurnal Temperature Range Trends Differ Below and Above the Melting Point, Pithan & Schatt, Geophysical Research Letters: The globally averaged diurnal temperature range (DTR) has shrunk since the mid-20th century, and climate models project further shrinking. Observations indicate a slowdown or reversal of this trend in recent decades. ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live at 5pm

    Photo by Jenny Bess on UnsplashCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with special guests:5.00 pm - 5.10 pm - Bernard and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Media Link: Discussing the NZSIS Security Threat Report.

    I was interviewed by Mike Hosking at NewstalkZB and a few other media outlets about the NZSIS Security Threat Report released recently. I have long advocated for more transparency, accountability and oversight of the NZ Intelligence Community, and although the … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • How do I make this better for people who drive Ford Rangers?

    Home, home again to a long warm embrace. Plenty of reasons to be glad to be back.But also, reasons for dejection.You, yes you, Simeon Brown, you odious little oik, you bible thumping petrol-pandering ratfucker weasel. You would be Reason Number One. Well, maybe first among equals with Seymour and Of-Seymour ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • A missed opportunity

    The government introduced a pretty big piece of constitutional legislation today: the Parliament Bill. But rather than the contentious constitutional change (four year terms) pushed by Labour, this merely consolidates the existing legislation covering Parliament - currently scattered across four different Acts - into one piece of legislation. While I ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Nicola Willis Seeks New Sidekick To Help Fix NZ’s Economy

    Synopsis:Nicola Willis is seeking a new Treasury Boss after Dr Caralee McLiesh’s tenure ends this month. She didn’t listen to McLiesh. Will she listen to the new one?And why is Atlas Network’s Taxpayers Union chiming in?Please consider subscribing or supporting my work. Thanks, Tui.About CaraleeAt the beginning of July, Newsroom ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Inflation alive and kicking in our land of the long white monopolies

    The golden days of profit continue for the the Foodstuffs (Pak’n’Save and New World) and Woolworths supermarket duopoly. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 5:The Groceries Commissioner has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The thermodynamics of electric vs. internal combustion cars

    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler I love thermodynamics. Thermodynamics is like your mom: it may not tell you what you can do, but it damn well tells you what you can’t do. I’ve written a few previous posts that include thermodynamics, like one on air capture of ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Three.

    The notion of geopolitical  “periphery.” The concept of periphery used here refers strictly to what can be called the geopolitical periphery. Being on the geopolitical periphery is an analytic virtue because it makes for more visible policy reform in response … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • Venus Hum

    Fill me up with soundThe world sings with me a million smiles an hourI can see me dancing on my radioI can hear you singing in the blades of grassYellow dandelions on my way to schoolBig Beautiful Sky!Song: Venus Hum.Good morning, all you lovely people, and welcome to the 700th ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • I Went to a Creed Concert

    Note: The audio attached to this Webworm compliments today’s newsletter. I collected it as I met people attending a Creed concert. Their opinions may differ to mine. Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago
  • Government migration policy backfires; thousands of unemployed nurses

    The country has imported literally thousands of nurses over the past few months yet whether they are being employed as nurses is another matter. Just what is going on with HealthNZ and it nurses is, at best, opaque, in that it will not release anything but broad general statistics and ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 week ago
  • A Time For Unity.

    Emotional Response: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon addresses mourners at the tangi of King Tuheitia on Turangawaewae Marae on Saturday, 31 August 2024.THE DEATH OF KING TUHEITIA could hardly have come at a worse time for Maoridom. The power of the Kingitanga to unify te iwi Māori was demonstrated powerfully at January’s ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • Climate Change: Failed again

    National's tax cut policies relied on stealing revenue from the ETS (previously used to fund emissions reduction) to fund tax cuts to landlords. So how's that going? Badly. Today's auction failed again, with zero units (of a possible 7.6 million) sold. Which means they have a $456 million hole in ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Two.

    A question of size. Small size generally means large vulnerability. The perception of threat is broader and often more immediate for small countries. The feeling of comparative weakness, of exposure to risk, and of potential intimidation by larger powers often … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago

  • New Bill to crack down on youth vaping

    The coalition Government has introduced legislation to tackle youth vaping, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill (No 2) is aimed at preventing youth vaping.  “While vaping has contributed to a significant fall in our smoking rates, the rise in youth vaping ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Interest in agricultural and horticultural products regulatory review welcomed

    Regulation Minister David Seymour, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, and Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard have welcomed interest in the agricultural and horticultural products regulatory review. The review by the Ministry for Regulation is looking at how to speed up the process to get farmers and growers access to the safe, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Bill to allow online charity lotteries passes first reading

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government is moving at pace to ensure lotteries for charitable purposes are allowed to operate online permanently. Charities fundraising online, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust and local hospices will continue to do ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Tax exempt threshold changes to benefit startups

    Technology companies are among the startups which will benefit from increases to current thresholds of exempt employee share schemes, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Revenue Minister Simon Watts say. Tax exempt thresholds for the schemes are increasing as part of the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2024-25, Emergency ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Getting the healthcare you need, when you need it

    The path to faster cancer treatment, an increase in immunisation rates, shorter stays in emergency departments and quick assessment and treatments when you are sick has been laid out today. Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has revealed details of how the ambitious health targets the Government has set will be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Targeted supports to accelerate reading

    The coalition Government is delivering targeted and structured literacy supports to accelerate learning for struggling readers. From Term 1 2025, $33 million of funding for Reading Recovery and Early Literacy Support will be reprioritised to interventions which align with structured approaches to teaching. “Structured literacy will change the way children ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Survivors invited to Abuse in Care national apology

    With two months until the national apology to survivors of abuse in care, expressions of interest have opened for survivors wanting to attend. “The Prime Minister will deliver a national apology on Tuesday 12 November in Parliament. It will be a very significant day for survivors, their families, whānau and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Rangatahi inspire at Ngā Manu Kōrero final

    Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini kē - My success is not mine alone but is the from the strength of the many. Aotearoa New Zealand’s top young speakers are an inspiration for all New Zealanders to learn more about the depth and beauty conveyed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Driving structured literacy in schools

    The coalition Government is driving confidence in reading and writing in the first years of schooling. “From the first time children step into the classroom, we’re equipping them and teachers with the tools they need to be brilliant in literacy. “From 1 October, schools and kura with Years 0-3 will receive ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Labour’s misleading information is disappointing

    Labour’s misinformation about firearms law is dangerous and disappointing, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says.   “Labour and Ginny Andersen have repeatedly said over the past few days that the previous Labour Government completely banned semi-automatic firearms in 2019 and that the Coalition Government is planning to ‘reintroduce’ them.   ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Govt takes action on mpox response, widens access to vaccine

    The Government is taking immediate action on a number of steps around New Zealand’s response to mpox, including improving access to vaccine availability so people who need it can do so more easily, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. “Mpox is obviously a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Next steps agreed for Treaty Principles Bill

    Associate Justice Minister David Seymour says Cabinet has agreed to the next steps for the Treaty Principles Bill. “The Treaty Principles Bill provides an opportunity for Parliament, rather than the courts, to define the principles of the Treaty, including establishing that every person is equal before the law,” says Mr Seymour. “Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government unlocking potential of AI

    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced a programme to drive Artificial Intelligence (AI) uptake among New Zealand businesses. “The AI Activator will unlock the potential of AI for New Zealand businesses through a range of support, including access to AI research experts, technical assistance, AI tools and resources, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government releases Wairoa flood review findings

    The independent rapid review into the Wairoa flooding event on 26 June 2024 has been released, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced today. “We welcome the review’s findings and recommendations to strengthen Wairoa's resilience against future events,” Ms ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Promoting faster payment times for government

    The Government is sending a clear message to central government agencies that they must prioritise paying invoices in a timely manner, Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Andrew Bayly says. Data released today promotes transparency by publishing the payment times of each central government agency. This data will be published quarterly ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Acknowledgement to Kīngi Tuheitia speech

    E te māngai o te Whare Pāremata, kua riro māku te whakaputa i te waka ki waho moana. E te Pirimia tēnā koe.Mr Speaker, it is my privilege to take this adjournment kōrero forward.  Prime Minister – thank you for your leadership. Taupiri te maunga Waikato te awa Te Wherowhero ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Interim fix to GST adjustment rules to support businesses

    Inland Revenue can begin processing GST returns for businesses affected by a historic legislative drafting error, Revenue Minister Simon Watts says. “Inland Revenue has become aware of a legislative drafting error in the GST adjustment rules after changes were made in 2023 which were meant to simplify the process. This ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Strong uptake for cervical screening self-test

    More than 80 per cent of New Zealand women being tested have opted for a world-leading self-test for cervical screening since it became available a year ago. Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti and Associate Minister Casey Costello, in her responsibility for Women’s Health, say it’s fantastic to have such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document sets ambitious direction

    Regulation Minister David Seymour welcomes the Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document, which sets out how the Ministry will carry out its work and deliver on its purpose. “I have set up the Ministry for Regulation with three tasks. One, to cut existing red tape with sector reviews. Two, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Māori Education Advisory Group established

    The Education Minister has established a Māori Education Ministerial Advisory Group made up of experienced practitioners to help improve outcomes for Māori learners. “This group will provide independent advice on all matters related to Māori education in both English medium and Māori medium settings. It will focus on the most impactful ways we can lift ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government welcomes findings of NZ Superannuation Fund review

    The Government has welcomed the findings of the recent statutory review into the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation and the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, Minister of Finance Nicola Willis says. The 5-yearly review, conducted on behalf of Treasury and tabled in Parliament today, found the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • First of five new Hercules aircraft takes flight

    Defence Minister Judith Collins today welcomed the first of five new C-130J-30 Hercules to arrive in New Zealand at a ceremony at the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Base Auckland, Whenuapai. “This is an historic day for our New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and our nation. The new Hercules fleet ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Have your say on suicide prevention

    Today, September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day, a time to reflect on New Zealand’s confronting suicide statistics, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “Every death by suicide is a tragedy – a tragedy that affects far too many of our families and communities in New Zealand. We must do ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Action to grow the rural health workforce

    Scholarships awarded to 27 health care students is another positive step forward to boost the future rural health workforce, Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “All New Zealanders deserve timely access to quality health care and this Government is committed to improving health outcomes, particularly for the one in five ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Pharmac delivering more for Kiwis following major funding boost

    Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour has welcomed the increased availability of medicines for Kiwis resulting from the Government’s increased investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the Government,” says Mr Seymour. “When our Government assumed office, New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sport Minister congratulates NZ’s Paralympians

    Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop has congratulated New Zealand's Paralympic Team at the conclusion of the Paralympic Games in Paris.  “The NZ Paralympic Team's success in Paris included fantastic performances, personal best times, New Zealand records and Oceania records all being smashed - and of course, many Kiwis on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government progresses response to Abuse in Care recommendations

    A Crown Response Office is being established within the Public Service Commission to drive the Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. “The creation of an Office within a central Government agency was a key recommendation by the Royal Commission’s final report.  “It will have the mandate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Passport wait times back on-track

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says passport processing has returned to normal, and the Department of Internal Affairs [Department] is now advising customers to allow up to two weeks to receive their passport. “I am pleased that passport processing is back at target service levels and the Department ...
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