How has Conservation Fared Under This Government?

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, September 10th, 2020 - 39 comments
Categories: Conservation, Environment, eugenie sage, greens, labour, uncategorized - Tags:

I’m going to give this government just 5 out of 10 on the conservation front.

I’m not going to cover the RMA, since the legislation hasn’t taken shape yet. Nor am I broadening this out to water quality and farm practices.

But let’s have a look at the efforts that have gone into stopping nature getting worse.

I’ll start with the bad stuff. There’s a bit of it unfortunately.

Despite 40 years of activists and volunteers and donors working their guts out, most of our bird species continue to decline.

Each week through the email and mail I get updates from Forest and Bird telling me of the astonishing wins they are having in the High Court, Appeal Court and Supreme Court stopping outrages from miners. And updates about expanding this and that from Predator Free. I just love them.

But they aren’t the government, and they know the tide continues to turn against our native species.

Eight million years of our endemic bird diversity has been lost, and it’s just gone.

Only 14% of our birds have improved their survivability over the last 40 years.

And then there’s our native dolphins. Our Hector’s Dolphins have declined from around 30,000 individuals in 1970 to fewer than 8,000 today. Maui Dolphins have about 50 left and of that about 20 breeding females from the latest estimate. That means probable extinction within the next 2 parliamentary terms.

This year the Minister of Conservation and Minister of Fisheries have made some useful responses to try and limit the damage.

The government has also responded though the New Zealand biodiversity strategy.

Then there’s Tahr.

Following their backdown to control the explosion of Tahr deer in conservation areas including National Parks in 2018, plans for more Tahr control excited the commercial hunter fraternity to get 500 four-wheel-drive utes and their assorted grunts together to moan in unison, and then took DoC to the High Court and won, so the Department of Conservation has again scaled back controlling Tahr. There’s no one else responsible for this except the Minister of Conservation. There wasn’t the corresponding counter-protest that enabled the Minister to stand against the pressure either.

The carve-outs for Wapiti Deer in Fiordland National Park does, I am sure, keep some tourists happy; there are special arrangements in place for those gun-rack guys in Te Anau. But this one is just worse.

So that’s some pretty bad performance marks on the actual task of conservation.

But there’s two big things the Minister has done well.

The first is institutional support.

She got the money.

Budget 2018 got DoC the largest budget increase since 2002: $181.6 million over four years.

Out of that came volumes of cash for a whole squad of Predator Free projects, from Banks Peninsula, to Wellington’s Miramar Peninsula, to northland, and budget for getting on top of Wilding Pines through the Green Growth fund.

This last one was very important. In many areas like the Queenstown and Mackenzie basin, they’ll be removing longstanding infestations that have become a familiar part of the landscape. People are inclined to think any tree has a value. But the recent fires near Lake Pukaki only a few years after the devastating fires in Flock Hill have shown that wilding pines threaten the ecosystem, the economy, and society.

Yes, even Federated Farmers liked that one.

Like all the big expenditure increases from this term of government, it takes a year or two for the funding to really roll out there in the community, and even longer for its effects to be felt in measurable results. That’s especially the case where little furry animals have to have enough mustelids and possums shot and poisoned around them for them to feel safe enough to breed again with a fair survival rate. It takes time to get the mood on, even for a Kakapo that doesn’t see a mate more than once a season.

The second is in conservation estate control and expansion.

Rakitu island in the Hauraki Gulf is the latest predator-free triumph.

They are well underway to eradicate all predator pests from the Auckland Islands.

They’re preparing to eradicate the big pests across the whole of Stewart Island – the biggest project in New Zealand – because they now have the funding and will to do it.

This is bold ambition made manifest to protect whole islands – and there are so many more parts of the conservation estate that have electrified activist groups and mana whenua right across the country. Go all you rat killers!

On expanding the estate, while there has been no new national park formed for nearly 20 years, what this Minister has done is expand Kahurangi National Park by over 158,000 acres last year. This included the whole of the Mokikinui River catchment that had previously been threatened by a Meridian Energy proposal back in 2008. The Minister’s move increased the size of that national park by 14%.

This is on top of getting a corridor of land to connect the Kahurangi and Abel Tasman National Parks together.

We will be well aware of the longstanding proposal by the Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand for a Remarkables National Park, and honestly I really want that one to happen.

But in the meantime, that Kahurangi expansion is as big as a reasonable-sized national park all by itself. Win.

The conservation stories in New Zealand are strong. I’m aware I get a false impression of our successes because I tend to go on highly trapped medium difficulty tracks with lots of tourists and millions in sponsorship. But it’s still damn cool to see the results there.

So, overall, Sage has been an impressive beltway mover who has delivered the money, strengthened DoC, strengthened our entire family of ecological activist institutions, and expanded and strengthened lots of the conservation estate.

But on the broad front of halting the decline of our endangered species, no show on the critical results area.

5 out of 10.

39 comments on “How has Conservation Fared Under This Government? ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Robert Guyton 1
    10 September 2020 at 7:43 am

    5 out of 10? Tahr very much!

  2. Incognito 2
    10 September 2020 at 8:13 am

    Phytophthora agathidicida.

    I thought that was a huge problem in your neck of the woods, as were giant rats and chicken chasers. In the Waitaks there are feral goats, wild pigs, feral cats, German wasps, to name a few. The Auckland City Council needs to increase its budget for pest control. Possums are roaming freely in the Auckland Domain. We need much more coordination between local, regional, and national agencies and Ministries. We need an effective strategy. It’s a shambles and money and huge amounts of effort are simply wasted. Only when it threatens our primary industry all guns start blazing, e.g. to combat Mycoplasma bovis or the painted apple moth.

    They deserve no more than 3 out of 10.

    • Ad 2.1
      10 September 2020 at 8:34 am

      If the post were discussing Auckland Council's conservation performance I'd agree with you.

      This post evaluates the performance of Conservation under this government.

      • Andre 2.1.1
        10 September 2020 at 8:49 am

        Kauri dieback isn't just an Auckland issue, it's an entire upper North Island issue.

        That Auckland council have had to take the lead and done most of the pushing against the problem is indeed a failing of this government. DOC and other agencies really should have been much more active and involved.

        • Ad 2.1.1.1
          10 September 2020 at 11:44 am

          Agree. Auckland Council failed comprehensively on Kauri Dieback and it was central government that came up with the funding in this term.

      • Incognito 2.1.2
        10 September 2020 at 8:55 am

        Ok then, I’ll try a different way: our strategy to eliminate Covid-19. It only works if/when we all work together (team of five million, GPs, DHBs, regional health agencies, MoH, et cetera), because we are all in it together. Conservation is no different (nor is action against CC)! My point was that if it is important and critical enough the central Government will act, decisively and effectively, but they are not.

        3 out of 10.

        • Ad 2.1.2.1
          10 September 2020 at 11:46 am

          Government remains far and away the dominant player in conservation, both in its estate and in its funding. As I was at pains to point out, there are thousands of groups fighting the good fight in conservation, have done for multiple decades. The NZ Team are working as hard as possible.

  3. KJT 3
    10 September 2020 at 8:38 am

    And on marine reserves and fishing basically nothing.

    Negotiation with Iwi over the Kermadecs has gone quiet.

    Sequestering a proportion of the sea floor from fishing of any sort seems to be in the too hard basket.

    The quota system is failing.

    The area I've sailed in most of my life, the inner Hauraki Gulf, is a desert compared to what it was like 30 years ago. With a disturbing lack of fingerlings. Which is certainly due to over fishing by recreational fishers, as bottom trawling was banned some time ago and other commercial fishing much reduced.

    Not that it is particularly this Government. Greens have pushed them into some progress. After National’s drill it, mine it.

    The ending of future oil permits is a big win, for our environment. However refusing to contemplate further taxes, including obviously “polluter pays” means no money for sustainable development and “just transitions”.

    • Draco T Bastard 3.1
      10 September 2020 at 9:06 pm

      Negotiation with Iwi over the Kermadecs has gone quiet.

      There's no reason to negotiate. The Kermadecs were not part of NZ at the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi and thus not part of their traditional fishing grounds as protected by the Treaty.

      Curtis and Macauley were discovered (1788) by the crew of the British ship “Lady Penrhyn.” The others were found (1793) by the French navigator Joseph d’Entrecasteaux, who named the entire group after one of his ships. The first Europeans who settled there (1837) sold garden crops to passing whalers, but they were forced to leave by a volcanic eruption in 1872; the islands were resettled in 1878 but were evacuated at the beginning of World War I. The group was annexed to New Zealand in 1887. A meteorological–communications station, established on Raoul in 1937, remains, but permanent settlement is discouraged by the extreme isolation of the group.

      Yep, the islands were British in 1840 and stayed that way until 1887.

      as bottom trawling was banned some time ago

      Just because it was banned doesn't mean to say that it stopped.

  4. Robert Guyton 4
    10 September 2020 at 9:31 am

    Any government can only go so far as the culture of the society they represent, allows them to. An agricultural-based culture like ours is resistant to the call of the wild. This will not change until our culture changes. A beetle reading this would despair.

  5. Janet 5
    10 September 2020 at 10:30 am

    Only two things need be considered by those directing pest control funding for purpose of conservation gain.

    1/ cost per ha to deliver.

    2/ that the "outcome" target is met whilst having the least impact on communities and non-target deaths.

    The only way this can be delivered is by returning to open public tender for all operational work. Contractors, community groups, helicopter companies and academic's wishing to deliver management "input" can then all tender based on achievement and efficiency!

    This has not happened since 2017 . The contracts put out for tender have required 1080 capability from the tenderers!

    Pest control just is running in never ending circles biting its tail feeding academics. Helicopter companies and poison manufacturing companies -one of them the government itself. You are right 5 /10 !

  6. Tricledrown 6
    10 September 2020 at 10:56 am

    Compared to National 11 out of 10 Nick Smith the greatest environmental disaster in modern history.Smith single handedly allowed massive expansion of Dairy farming polluting most rivers admitting it would take 75 years to clean up our waterways.

    Any other industrial business would have been shut down and bankrupted by fines.

    • bwaghorn 6.1
      10 September 2020 at 11:48 am

      Not wanting to let smith off the hook but dairy expansion has been at full speed since atleast the 1980s (fuck I'm getting old!!!)

      It was under the Clark government that they started pulling all the central north island pine forests out for dairy.

  7. Stuart Munro 7
    10 September 2020 at 11:41 am

    Not seeing a lot of progress myself – the only predator free initiatives with really good outcomes are the community based ones, like Dawn Chorus, which are prospering in some areas.

    Not a fan of mass aerial poisoning.

    The rivers project is a fail – nitrate levels need to come down.

    Nothing real on global warming.

    A tiny proportion of Shane Jone's tree planting might do some good – but most are short cycle exotic timber blocks.

    So a bureaucratic, but not a public success.

    • Janet 7.1
      10 September 2020 at 5:26 pm

      Yes , community groups of unprofessional enthusiastic volunteers are getting good results in small areas on specialised projects…till their enthusiam runs out , but they and their results in pest control generally are not even a close match ,when compared to the area one professional pest controller can cover and the results he can achieve.

      Pest control management in NZ is being compromised by big business interests, academic egos and DOC,s short sightedness in mustering up (cheap) volunteers, starting up new trainees programs etc. all instead of simply returning to tendering out blocks for pest control. Currently our very experienced , professional pest controllers all over NZ are not where they should be … in the forests, Since 2017 they have been sidelined into the "out of work."category. Most of them live in rural New Zealand.

      • Stuart Munro 7.1.1
        10 September 2020 at 8:16 pm

        DoC used to have their own specialists back in the day, a few rounds of cost-cutting back. It's the knowledge of these former workers which drives much of the public scepticism of the current crude mass-kill approaches.

        I'm sure that pest destruction folk would adopt integrated strategies – if only they could be rid of the worthless faux-commercial managerial clowns responsible for the current debacle.

  8. Sabine 8
    10 September 2020 at 12:33 pm

    How well did the companies do that cover the country side in 1080? That is how well conservation does.
    Also lets rip out blackberry to encourage the growth of convulus and kudzu.

  9. PaddyOT 9
    10 September 2020 at 1:39 pm

    And a big fat zero out of a million for the little boy who claims his roots from Oparure in Ngati Maniapoto on his facebook posting ( July 2020 ). Dame Rangimarie would have been ashamed with Bridges selling out on his own mana whenua.

    " Simon confessed – he didn't realise he was opening up protected New Zealand Land including 96% of Pureora Forest Park, a forest which is described by the Department of Conservation as “a hidden wonderland of tall trees, clear rivers and rare wildlife”.

    If you've ever been in Pureora forest park and knew of its pre-colonial history, not only being incredibly unique in the world for its species and of its physical and sacred importance; then knew of Pureora's long history of decimation, you would then know that this National government is malignant and wilfully putting its interests with big corporates first.

    https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1405/S00129/pureora-forest-park-should-never-be-mined.htm

    The pursuit of getting back to economic growth overides that lovely word 'conservation' . Economic growth is the killer. What is forgotten is that economic growth is a fruitless, finite task, never to be achieved in the near future because the resources stolen from 'the people of the commons' and then annihilated are finite resources for capitalism to continue to thrive on too.

    The part of the RMA, fostering engagement with Māori, or any people, means nothing in pursuit of wealth.

    The following video is one a 7 year old showed me yesterday from their current school "sustainability" studies. They are not studying politics ! If the grandchild gets the idea already, who really is responsible and has the power to keep future dreams alive ? Saving a bird isn't the problem only an ambulance.

    https://youtu.be/WmVLcj-XKnM

    NZ and the world wouldn't need "conservation" if man was not here. That the problem was merely seen as Labour's to fix or have failed at by giving a score, then we all fail again.

    The powerful BigBoys rule.

    https://www.nfrt.org.nz/pureora-too-precious-to-mine/

  10. Draco T Bastard 10
    10 September 2020 at 2:41 pm

    On Wednesday, the High Court in Wellington heard the New Zealand Tahr Foundation’s request for a judicial review of the DOC’s tahr cull programme which it said was “indiscriminate”, and that there had been a lack of consultation.

    I'd say that that was poor judgement on the behalf of the environment as the New Zealand Tahr Foundation doesn't actually have a right to be consulted in removing pests. In fact, according to that article, the number of Tahr is estimated to be ~30,000 above allowed numbers.

    And, of course, nothing more about the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary since NZFirst nixed it.

    • Ad 10.1
      10 September 2020 at 4:03 pm

      The 1993 Himalayan Tahr Control Plan set the total allowed Tahr population in the central South Island mountains at 10,000 animals.

      Legislation allows for a managed population of up to 10,000 tahr across Crown pastoral leases, private land and public conservation land to co-exist with our native species.

      It's about 30,000 now.

      Well beyond the ability of recreational hunters to keep them from exploding.

      • Draco T Bastard 10.1.1
        10 September 2020 at 4:24 pm

        I'd say that the population has already exploded. The article says this:

        “The first of those reported the total number of tahr on public conservation land in the period between 2016 and 2018 to be estimated at 34,292, representing a 95 per cent confidence interval in a range between 24,777 and 47,461 animals.”

        And, of course, the business person says that they need more than the legally mandated maximum of 10,000 for a tourism that's now not happening.

      • Graeme 10.1.2
        10 September 2020 at 8:12 pm

        The irony of the tahr situation is that a cull back down to 10,000 would improve the trophy value of the heard.

        Prior to the culls in 70's for meathunting and in 80's for conservation the heads weren't up to much. Following the reduction in numbers heads improved and very good trophy heads became common and an industry developed around hunting them and servicing those hunters. At the top end there's big money involved getting trophy animals, even with New Zealanders.

        While there's lots of marketing stories of 13 -14" bulls being seen on some blocks, there's not many heads in that league coming off the hill. Plenty of sub-trophy bulls, which make it very easy for general hunter to get a tahr. An elite hunter I work with spent two weeks on a very good block this year and didn't fire a shot, saw an awful lot of animals, but nothing he thought worth shooting. There's that many animals there they are overstocked and aren't developing properly.

        It probably won't be long before there's moves from the top end guides to have the population reduced to improve the quality of the heads. They get good money for a 13" bull, and plenty of customers, but not so much when the best they can provide is 10-12"

  11. Maurice 11
    10 September 2020 at 6:08 pm

    In its native habitat, Thar now survives only as remnant populations due to hunting and habitat loss. The most viable and easily protected population is in New Zealand – about half the Thar in the World live here … so lets destroy them and help wipe out the species?

    Now THAT is real 'conservation'

    • Andre 11.1
      10 September 2020 at 6:13 pm

      Reducing the population down to 10,000 in order to give native ecosystems a break from the damage they do is not helping to wipe out the species.

    • Draco T Bastard 11.2
      10 September 2020 at 8:37 pm

      How about we catch them and export them back?

      Would anybody pay for their repatriation?

    • greywarshark 11.3
      10 September 2020 at 8:51 pm

      Exaggeration Maurice – good for a gossip but we try to think things out here.

      • McFlock 11.3.1
        10 September 2020 at 9:05 pm

        It's the horses and the auckland Island pigs all over again.

        NZ loves to threaten globally unique populations on the grounds that they weren't here before Cook and Tasman.

        Next we'll be Jurassic-parking the Haast eagle, and looking askance at anyone who thinks it might be a bad idea (although it would also be a fucking awesome idea, as long as we release it in Australia. That country's already full of "fuck nope" animals, anyway).

        • Draco T Bastard 11.3.1.1
          10 September 2020 at 9:34 pm

          NZ loves to threaten globally unique populations on the grounds that they weren't here before Cook and Tasman.

          True.

          The problem is that people think conservation is about protecting the species that are/were there already rather than protecting the environment so that what species are there can evolve into a new balance.

          After the Māori wiped out the Moā Australia, with its emus, would be about the only place where the Haast Eagle could fulfil its diet.

      • Maurice 11.3.2
        13 September 2020 at 10:17 am

        … so there is no 'policy' to be "pest free" by 2050?

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    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    18 hours ago

  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    18 hours ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    18 hours ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    19 hours ago

  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    22 hours ago

  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 day ago

  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago

  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago

  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago

  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – 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. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    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
    2 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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 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
    2 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 ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    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
    3 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 ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 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 ...

    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 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
    5 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 ...
    Bowalley Road
    5 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 ...
    Bowalley Road
    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

  • The Song of Saqua: Volume VII
    In order to catch up to the actual progress of the D&D campaign, I present you with another couple of sessions. These were actually held back to back, on a Monday and Tuesday evening. Session XV Alas, Goatslayer had another lycanthropic transformation… though this time, he ran off into the ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    6 days ago

  • Accelerating the Growth Rate?
    There is a constant theme from the economic commentariat that New Zealand needs to lift its economic growth rate, coupled with policies which they are certain will attain that objective. Their prescriptions are usually characterised by two features. First, they tend to be in their advocate’s self-interest. Second, they are ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    6 days ago

  • The only thing we have to fear is tenants themselves
    1. Which of these acronyms describes the experience of travelling on a Cook Strait ferry?a. ROROb. FOMOc. RAROd. FMLAramoana, first boat ever boarded by More Than A Feilding, four weeks after the Wahine disaster2. What is the acronym for the experience of watching the government risking a $200 million break ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago

  • Peters talks of NZ “renewing its connections with the world” – but who knew we had been discon...
    Buzz from the Beehive The thrust of the country’s foreign affairs policy and its relationship with the United States have been addressed in four statements from the Beehive over the past 24 hours. Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters somewhat curiously spoke of New Zealand “renewing its connections with a world ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 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
    5 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
    11 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
    12 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
    14 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
    15 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
    17 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
    18 hours 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
    23 hours 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
    1 day 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    6 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
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