1) It’s entirely appropriate that members of the community who have concerns about the environmental, social and heritage impacts of development are able to have their say.
2) You’re talking about a cafe on a beach, not a vital infrastructure project needed to develop the economy.
Remember, the your line is that the RMA is holding back economic growth, not that it’s allowing community objections to cafes built in heritage buildings next to iconic beaches.
If anyone’s done research into this, do flick it through us. The Left is going to need to get its research and its lines on the RMA in order very soon.
habitat and biodiversity are THE key questions facing the world
leaders and partys come and go but if we destroy some or all of the vital principles of physical wellbeing on the plas net then humanity will be living living in a sh*thole
no apologies for the non-bleatway non complex terminology and argument
– 51,768 resource consents were processed through to a decision, up 7.7%
from 48,045 in 1999/00
– 0.69% (357) of resource consent applications processed were declined
compared to just under 1% declined 1999/00
– 4.1% (2,129) of resource consents were publicly notified compared to 5.2% in
1996-97 and 5% notified in 1999/00
– 1.5% (768) of resource consents were notified to affected parties only (limited
notification)
– 73% of all resource consents were processed within statutory time limits
compared to 76% in 1996-97 and 82% in 1999/00
– 1.0% (543) of resource consent decisions were appealed to the Environment
Court, unchanged from 1999/00
However, he seems to be arguing the the RMA isn’t effective enough at protecting the environment although it has become much more efficient since it’s inception.
The cafe was an entirely poor example and not what the National party had in mind when changing the RMA. A better example would be the wind farm in Otago.
Fact is it will get passed as National has the numbers easily. The left can choose to merely try and block it but I see that as a mistake. Instead they should see what they can add to the changes in the RMA that prevent environment destruction and to ensure the RMA doesn’t lose focus the community democracy aspect. Where there is the potential for trouble is with the Maori party. Which likely will oppose any changes in RMA policy in terms of the Treaty of Waitangi.
Incidentally the Labour party had no policy on the RMA. There’s was to keep it as it was. The Greens wished to strengthen the RMA. http://www.greens.org.nz/node/18156
National needs to be careful. On one hand its pointless leaving the RMA as it is. Where they need to be focus is that the changes can’t afford to lose its community democracy aspects or its environmental aspects. On the other hand anything that can speed up the process is a good thing.
I don’t think the changes National wish to bring are all doom and gloom for the left. I also think its an opportunity for the left to make a case for the RMA to be strengthen to ensure environmental protection without necessarily hurting the streamlining of the RMA. It just depends how the left handle it I suppose.
Gingercrush: interesting read of the Nats RMA policy. Thanks. I guess some of the items which might speed up the process might be a good thing. But the Priority Processing might be a problem. Does Priority equal bulldozing a project through, as the cartoon above would suggest?
I tend to agree with ginger in that there’s no need for Labour to be the type of opposition National has been.
The National party’s support of the repeal of section 69 is the one conspicuous exception I can think of (and they don’t like to talk about that one) to the way they performed in opposition.
Labour can and should be a constructive opposition party and work to achieve positive outcomes wherever possible regardless of the position they find themselves in, much as the Greens have done – from outside of government – with considerable success.
You mean like calling for cross-party agreement on electoral reform? So easy to be reasonable and inclusive when the numbers aren’t on your side anymore.
Not sure where you’re coming from with that Billy.
I’m not saying the government is obliged to listen, I just think the opposition should make an honest attempt at trying to work with the govt if possible rather than outright oppose everything the govt does 180 degrees.
The Nats showed they were capable of this with the repeal of sec 59 and the Greens do it all the time. I’m just saying I’d like to see Labour take this approach where they can legitimately do so.
What I mean Felix is that, given their behaviour when in government (over the EFA in particular), any call by Labour for cross party consensus on issues is going to ring a little hollow.
Billy: From what I understand, the Nat’s were totally opposed to both increasing the accounting transparency for political donations and increasing the election accounting period.
Since those were the two things that Labour was adamant had to change, there was a basic conflict. I’d expect that the same would happen when the law gets changed next time. While the Nat’s and Act were happy to attack anonymous trusts and ask NZF to open up their books, I noticed that they were reluctant to do the same for their trusts.
The area that there was room to move on in 2007 was the role of the 3rd parties, labelling etc. The Nat’s preferred to play a opposition role on those as well – probably because they didn’t like having to make their large donors become non-anonymous.
To be perfectly frank, I’d expect Labour to oppose major changes to those first two, and (if changed) resolve to change them back to transparency and realistic election periods when they have the numbers.
I thought they were looking to repeal the EFA go back to the 1993 Electoral Act but were going to take the sections in relation to donations from the EFA and insert them into the 1993 ACT.
RMA halted the progress of Project Aqua. Now that would have been worthwhile. No power cuts for the next few years.
RMA halted progress on Water Taxis around Tauranga Harbour in 2002/2003. Water Taxis would have been an ideal addition to the transport network in Tauranga, but due to “oil spill risks” “disturbance to wildlife” the Water Taxi business was doomed to failure.
Remedial work needed urgently on a Dam in the Hunua Ranges in 2003 delayed it by nearly a year
RMA is now causing issues with a skateboard park in Titahi Bay
RMA caused a headache for the Te Rauparaha Arena – which is finally open and is a bloody fantastic venue. Much better than the echolocaters nightmare that is TSB Arena.
Need I say more? Its amusing its Nactional that have to tidy up their mess… Labour at least attempted to work with it, but Nactional “Oh NO, it’s TOO hard”
OT: Is anyone else wondering how Key as “Tourism Minister” and Joyce being the CEO of “Jasons Travel Media” could be portrayed elsewhere? Would JTM benefit from such an arrangement? Could JTM be poised to publish insider information based on information Key would pass on to Joyce?
hs: From what I understand of the Nat’s policy on the EFA (there is bugger all of it).
They were planning on repealing the EFA and as you say heading back to the 1993 Act. After that they have said they’d either amend the EFA 1993 or add a new Act – but unspecified on what.
They haven’t specified what they’d do to legislate the enormous problems with the 1993 act. Personally I’d suspect that they will just drop back to the 1993 Act and do some tinkering after 6 months or a year. That would allow them to use the anonymous trusts to refill their coffers. If they hit any opposition to their ideas, then I’d expect them to leave it on the 1993 Act over the next election.
After all they did write the 1993 act to favour themselves in the first place. There is no benefit for them to fix their corrupt electoral law.
Jasper – Where do you live? Because I’m guessing its not where project aqua would have ruined your land. Project Aqua is perfect example of how the RMA works for communities. Need you say more? Yes. A skateboard park hardly an important piece of infrastructure, more like an eye sore to cater for a fad and then you mention some arena where consent was granted, so yes you do need to say more.
I’m not sure, I thought I read somewhere that they were definitely going to keep the bits in relation to transparency of donations – although guess we’ll have to wait and see and I would hope there’s more important things on the agenda in the short term.
Fair enough Billy. I too think Labour could have handled a lot of things a lot better in the last few years.
Of course they can’t “call for” inclusion as you put it, they’re not in govt and that’s that. As I said, the National govt has no obligation to work with them.
I does strike me as interesting though, that the deal with the maori party is seen as a safety valve on National’s left to be used when ACT wants to go too far right.
In many areas Labour’s policy is probably closer to National’s than either ACT or the maori party. If Labour are smart they’ll recognise the opportunities this presents and not cut off their nose(s) to spite their face(s).
I suspect though, that politically Labour wants to create the impression of more distance from National so we’ll probably see expediency take precedence over principle as usual.
And yes, if the local marae wants to erect something that will interfere with your quality of life then you should make a submission. Why wouldn’t you?
Nothing wrong with community democracy Tane – too often though the RMA was used to block projects that the bulk of the community supported.
The main benefactors of the RMA seem to have been the legal profession.
There are legitimate situations where a non-majority of the community have a right to block a project which has a very high impact on them. I think there are a few cases where you’re right, but that they’re mostly to do with wind turbines which oddly seem to face about five times the scrutiny of other projects. Not In My Back Yard, right? 😉
nah it’s true Felix, people who actually live in the affected areas are forever choosing to degrade their own quality of life. they just don’t seem to get how fly-by-night developers really have everyone’s best interests at heart.
On Close Up tonight the theme was about the RMA being used by competitors to block the building of a Supermarket over a period from 1987? to now. Court cases, appeals the lot. Many details of contention did not directly affect the complainants. eg Possible road problems 1 km down the road from the proposed site.
Competitors appealing for competitive reasons is not the same as appeals because I am directly affected. I suppose that part of the RMA should be tidied up?
Indeed Iammac. Thing is Nationals legislation will not put in effect the likes of Brett Dale is saying. Its mainly streamlining and changing what someone can appeal, argue, make a statement against. That is its intention. How strong it goes to where it could damage to the environment etc largely depends what role Act will play and what if any concessions can be made by National to get the left on board. One thing is I can’t see the Maori Party being happy with changes to the Act in regards to the Treaty. That should prove interesting.
At the end of the day. For now at least any plans National will bring should still ensure environment concerns and private citizens will still have a say.
Another thing is that often in terms of housing developments etc. That goes back to the council. For instance, here in Merivale and St Albans Christchurch. Often people will will make an argument in terms of the damage demolishing an older building will have on the heritage of these two suburbs. These two suburbs vote National in a big way. Thing is, this is barely a government matter, rather a council matter. The council sets the RMA process for such matters. Thus, if people want change in this area. Go to the council.
Here, I tend to agree that constant bulldozing of heritage/older houses is having a detrimental affect in St. Albans and Merivale. Personally I would like to see it changed so any housing before 1940 must get additional consent.
—-
Anyway, National’s RMA changes should not mean concerns over the environment or cultural/heritage concerns can’t be addressed. It will however mean people can’t use the RMA for commercial purposes ie. Iammac’s example. Likewise the bill is to make it easier for consents and streamlining the RMA for large infrastructure projects. The left have legitimate concerns that the bill will mean changes that put less relevance in terms of the environment and cultural/heritage concerns and community democracy.
If you are that concerned about the changes National will bring. Do not block the bill or protest. Only protest after you’ve had a say. These changes will require three readings in the house it will too need to go to select committee. That is where the left can influence it and make changes to the bill. This is also where the public gets their say. Also a lot of the RMA comes down to your local council.
For instance, if you’re concerned about building developments in your area. Ie. someone has purchased a 1910 era building and wish to demolish that and put in a new building development. Use the consent process to have your say. The sad thing is under current and new legislation, likely you are unaware of changes in your community.
Most importantly, go to your council and ask them to enact changes preventing the widespread demolishing of older/heritage buildings. And have your say when it comes to council elections. Its disgusting that while 70+% vote in a National election yet barely over 50% or hell in some places less than 50% vote in council elections. A disturbing figure. Councils are hugely influential in terms of what can and can’t be built in your area. And there are plenty of candidates wanting to change these areas.
hs: I suspect that there is probably nothing higher on the Nact’s agenda.
After all it takes time to get legislation through, and NACT is probably going to need all help it can get for the next election. It wasn’t exactly a tremendous victory.
Of course the nact’s higher standard is to not have a level playing field (I couldn’t resist that)
Why do you insist on saying that Iprent. You want something not impressive. Take a look at 2005. That wasn’t impressive in the slightest. Had National gained 3% we would have had a National-led government. 2005 was the closest election since 1993. 2011 already proves interesting because New Zealand First’s 4% could go anywhere. 2008 was close to an extent. But not as close as the left likes to think. And anyone thinking 2011 is cakewalk for the left are delusional. Do you really think National wants a single term in government?
As for the EFA. Well it needs rid of. Sure National will likely play to its own favour. But the EFA is a disgusting piece of legislation, that should never have passed and why anyone continues to defend it is beyond me.
—-
And I’ll say it right now, National will continue to be the government in 2011.
“On Close Up tonight the theme was about the RMA being used by competitors to block the building of a Supermarket over a period from 1987? to now. Court cases, appeals the lot. Many details of contention did not directly affect the complainants. eg Possible road problems 1 km down the road from the proposed site.
Competitors appealing for competitive reasons is not the same as appeals because I am directly affected. I suppose that part of the RMA should be tidied up?”
Yes lanmac, I watched that story – and I’ve read about it in repeated Herald articles over the years, although my recollection of those articles is blurry.
It worried me watching that story tonight, but I’ve been thinking about that further. I think there is an element of the story that hasn’t come out – or at least, hasn’t been widely commentated on.
My thoughts are this – the building is basically completed, it just hasn’t been fitted as there was a court injunction or similar that stopped progress.
The possible implication to me is that, given consent was issued and building started in the first place, there was some flaw with the initial consent that bought the process to a halt.
There may be relevant issues with the RMA to be dealt with, but a possible alternative or complementary factor would appear to me to be that Foodstuffs, despite all the suits and lawyers, failed to follow the RMA process completely – in fact possibly attempted to short-cut it. What other reason would there be for overturning a consent once issued? If that is the case, then the company can only blame themselves. I may do some research on the background.
Yes the regulation may be a little on the tight side – but given what we are going through in the financial markets currently, anyone pushing unfettered process and ACT’s “flexbility for companies to do business” message has limited credibility without a very strong and comprehensive case. So far we haven’t seen that case, just lots of anecdotes.
There were clear majorities on the left, to the point where HC could cherry pick largely compatible coalitions to get the required majorities in the house. Remember that number of electorate seats won doesn’t matter. What matters is seats in the house.
2005 was a knife edge election and so was 2008. In the end both came down to just a few seats in the house to get a majority. Effectively NACT have hoovered all of the conservative vote apart from that fragment still remaining to UF since 2002. Effectively there is no centre parties any longer since NZF has probably gone into a dissolution like the Alliance did. The only reason that NACT won was because they destroyed NZF electorally.
To try to make the NACT coalition stable at the centre, they had to reach to the MP. Well just have a close look at the party voting in the maori electorates. The MP has to be able to show benefits to voters to get them to repeat that vote. Those concessions will cause problems in NACT. If they get stalled, it is likely that the MP will withdraw to protect their vote. The NZLP is a very good campaigner in those seats – just ask the MP politicians.
2008 has a high likelihood of being the highpoint of the conservative vote. That is assuming that Labour sticks close to the centre, which I think that they will Goff/King is a pretty clear signal. There isn’t likely to be any faction fighting in the NZLP, too many of us will work to ensure that there isn’t.
Frankly I’d be surprised if the NACT’s manage to get a second term, after all they’re trying for Labour-lite, and I’ve never actually noticed many NACT’s that would be happy settling for that. It wouldn’t surprise me if they fail to survive this term. They only just scraped over the line which leaves things wide open for waka jumping exercises.
BTW: Of the NZF voters more than 70% are likely to go left rather than right. You’re not talking entrepreneurs here. Look at the NZF party vote in the Moari electorates, and look at it against the age demographic in general seats. They aren’t the votes of the affluent with tax grievances.
Competely disagree. Labour needed both the Greens and the Alliance. United only brought 1 seat. And at the time New Zealand First was poisoned and so they could not go there. National has chosen to work with the Maori party and United Future. They don’t have to they choose to. You keep talking about waka-jumping and where are these waka-jumpers going to come from? That argument hardly washes nor makes sense.
Also don’t make the mistake in believing lower income people don’t vote National.The provinces in particular put a lie to that.That New Zealand First vote can and will go several ways. Yes one assumes the majority will vote Labour. But 70% is perhaps too much.
You also make the presumption the National party is somehow going to break up or stuff up. Neither of those should be presumed. Like I said National want long-term governance. They’re hardly going to break up and no one has been able to say why or how they’ll break up. They won’t go far to the right. But movement to the right will not necessarily hurt them at the polls.The 2005 election showed that the difference between the right and the left wasn’t that much.
The left have a problem too. The Greens. Its always a factor. With the centre gone at this stage anyway. Labour is dependent on the Greens. Surely as much a fear factor for a number of people in this country as Act. We haven’t seen a situation yet where the Greens have held the power. If ever Labour gets in and must have the Greens vote and there isn’t an additional larger party in there to keep it going too left. You have to ask whether this country will tolerate it. National could campaign on this and it could do damage. And I do believe there are elements that are very scared of the Green party. I even think Labour are very wary to ever be so reliant with the Greens.
As for Labour now it doesn’t have Clark leading. We don’t know how much a difference that will make. If pollings go down for Labour. That is going to bring murmurs in that party. You talk about them being stable now. But if they’re at a point where the polls are telling a story of likely defeat. You will see blood. They’ve been sensible so far. But if National does well, Labour will burn themselves just like National did in the early 2000s.
—–
The sensible left realise that National has worked itself out well and has a set a platform that could point to a long-term and successful arrangement. The hard left or the irrational left point to problems but rather hope that National will self-destruct. Its a viewpoint one should be wary of. In New Zealand there is a long history that any government will typically last two terms or more. The exceptions are 1951 and 1974. National has been 4-5 years rebuilding its base and more importantly capturing that centre. They have now got the Maori party onboard. National is looking at coalitions that will result in more support.There is danger in being reliant on Act and using the Maori for a more centrist approach. But if successful this could be long-term.
I disagree with this election being National going Labour-lite. In 2005 they were very right and they garnered 39%. They pushed tax cuts. What happened between 2005-2008? Labour delivered tax cuts. Who did Labour go to for confidence and supply? They didn’t go to the left, they went to New Zealand First and United Future. If the 2005 election told us anything. It was Labour who moved. National did move you’re quite right. They got rid of the right rhetoric something they always had to do. Yes they too moved to the centre. They kept the best of what Labour delivered sure. But there are many elements National polled on that still largely point to a right-wing agenda. How far right can they move? Not that far sure.
—-
The voting public is smarter than we think. In 1999 they voted left sure, that was the only route it could go after a very tired right-wing government. 2002 they knew Labour would win, they didn’t like what they saw in National. But the electorate knew too much power for Labour was dangerous. Thus a far stronger vote for the centre. 2005 you saw the left and right fighting over very small territory. I dare say this was anyone’s game and the electorate didn’t quite trust National thus Labour got it in the end.
2008 the electorate proved itself again by not allowing the Maori party to be kingmaker.
—-
Ack its nearly 3am. And once again something that should take a paragraph ends up being several and poorly punctuated with horrid grammar so to sum up.
Yes its possible Labour can win in 2011. But its just as likely if not more likely National will win again in 2011. I say National because I actually see a different route for 2011. I see National digging further into the cities. The Left should hold hope in winning again in 2011. But don’t pin it off National making mistakes or moving to the right. And don’t think its a walk in the park. Labour knows it won’t be that. I just don’t understand why the left blogosphere can’t comprehend that.
MMP – all electorates vote every party, they just do it with different percentages. Labour won in 1999 largely because of the rural votes.
In 1999 and 2002, NZF would be difficult to work with, but could have been pulled into a left-leaning coalition if required. Every MMP election throws up a range of parties to form coalitions. What I’m arguing is that there are usually a lot more votes for them on the leftish side on average than the right.
National appears to be as internally factional as Labour was in its worst days. It looks like it is only the need to win elections cohesively that hasn’t caused the party breakouts that the NZLP has already done. It was almost liberating for the NZLP because it meant that there was a high degree of internal cohesiveness. With the Nats it has in the past tended to show up in not doing changes when required. I don’t think that it will be much different this time.
The greens are almost getting mainstream these days. It is only the voters on the right that are susceptible to scare tactics about them. They’re unlikely to change their minds, but they’re also unlikely to vote left either. People that will vote for the greens are getting older and therefore more numerous. They are also entering the NZLP. The fear factor is getting less. Act on the other hand still has quite a lot of fear factor including on the right.
It won’t be a walk in the park to win in 2011 – lots of work to do. But it is a *lot* harder to remain popular in government than it is to get kudo’s in opposition. Government is an exercise in the dismal science, especially when carrying the superannuation burden. It means that there is a lot of room to point out flaws in decisions, and Labour is very good at it.
In the end the right didn’t get an overwhelming victory, it got a narrow victory. That just doesn’t leave a lot of room for maneuvere.
The NACT’s screwing up. Yep – I expect that, they always have. But basically like any government they will do so – it is the nature of government. In their case I’d just expect it will come earlier rather than later. Because of the blogs I’d also expect that it will be harder to manage the spin.
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John MacCormickOver the last 40 years, New Zealanders – and people in other countries – have experienced big changes in the jobs they do and where they live and work. These changes include: a decline in manufacturing jobs an increase in jobs in ‘information-intensive’ industries (which are better paid ...
Nick Wilson, Leah Grout, Mereana Wilson, Anja Mizdrak, Phil Shoemack, Michael BakerProtecting waterways has the benefits of: (1) protecting water from hazardous microbes; (2) minimising cancer risk and other problems from nitrates in water; (3) avoiding algal blooms that are hazardous to health; (4) protecting mahinga kai uses (cultural ...
by The Council of Disobedient Women In a press release today Massey University announced it has decided to rebrand and reorientate after struggling to be a University for grown-ups. For some time the University has wanted to be a safe play space for wee-woke-misogynists who have been really badly triggered ...
After a brief dalliance with 'hard Revoke' it looks like the Lib Dems are changing ground on on Brexit, with leader Jo Swinson reverting to calling for a second referendum on Johnson's deal.The party has tabled an amendment to the Queen’s speech requesting that any deal brought back from Brussels ...
The government has decided that someone has done Something Bad. But despite their belief, there seems to be no evidence that they have actually broken the law. So the government's solution is to pass a retrospective law allowing them to be punished anyway, on a lower standard of proof. If ...
So, Judith Collins has done a Facebook rant about climate change, peddling the same shit National has been shovelling for the past twenty years: the impacts are overstated, there's no need to do anything about it, and its too hard anyway (oh, and its so unfair that people who peddle ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzThere is a lot of discussion on the benefits of ...
I came across this song quite by accident. If it isn't one of Greta Thunberg's favourites - it should be.Video courtesy of YouTube.This post is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
Last month, NZDF's shoddy coverup of what it knew about civilian casualties in Operation Burnham began to fall apart, with the revelation that a report on the matter, which NZDF claimed not to have, had been sitting in an NZDF safe for the past nine years. Yesterday, the man responsible ...
While many imagine that countries like the USA and Europe dominate space activities, in fact India is now a major player on this stage. It launches satellites for its own purposes and also commercially, and has constellations orbiting our planet and returning data of vital importance to that nation in ...
Thanks to a report from the Acting Inspector General of Intelligence and Security following a complaint by Nicky Hager, we have come to find out that the SIS illegally spied on Mr. Hager on behalf of the NZDF after publication of Hager’s 2011 book, Other People’s Wars. The NZDF justified ...
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING MYTH 1: Global temperatures are rising at a rapid, unprecedented rate. FACT: The HadCRUT3 surface temperature index, produced by the Hadley Centre of the UK Met Office and the Climate Research Unit of the University of East Anglia, shows warming to 1878, cooling to 1911, ...
For the past week, Extinction Rebellion has been peacefully protesting in London to demand action on climate change. The British government's response? Ban their protests:Police have banned Extinction Rebellion protests from continuing anywhere in London, as they moved in almost without warning to clear protesters who remained at the movement’s ...
An essay by Judith Collins MP reported on Carbon News yesterday seems to show an alarming shift in attitude within the National Party. Collins argues against the Zero Carbon Bill, the Paris Agreement, and downplays the magnitude of climate impacts. The Paris Agreement was adopted in December 2015 and ratified ...
When they were running for election, Labour promised to overhaul the Employment Relations Act and introduce fair pay agreements to set basic pay and conditions on an industry level, preventing bad employers from undercutting good ones. They followed this up by establishing a working group, which reported back in January ...
A list of indicators of bad science – many of these are found in articles promoted by anti-fluoride activists. Anti-fluoride activists have been pouring money into a scaremongering campaign warning pregnant women not to drink fluoridated water. They claim fluoride will lower the IQ of their future child. Fluoride ...
Nothing Left To Say: Labour's pollster, Stephen Mills, remains swaddled-up in the comforting myths of the 1980s. As if the experience of Roger Douglas’s genuinely radical post-Muldoon policy agenda was literally a once-in-a-lifetime thing – as much as the party could possibly absorb for at least the next 50 years.MEMO ...
The Royal Commission on abuse in care is very significant for the disability community. For many decades last century, thousands of disabled children, and adults who managed to survive, were locked away from families and communities. This was not for anything they had done, but for the perceived threat their ...
With an unfair voting system, uneven electorates and an un-elected upper house, the UK's "democracy" is barely worthy of the name. But now the government wants to make it worse:The government has been accused of suppressing voters’ rights with the potential disenfranchisement of tens of thousands of people after plans ...
Back in the 90's and early 2000's, the building industry was building leaky homes which should never have been granted consent. Now it turns out they've been building dodgy office blocks as well:New imaging technology has revealed hundreds of major buildings nationwide have defective or missing concrete or reinforcing steel. ...
Local body election results were released over the weekend, to joy or despair depending on where you live. In Auckland, Phil Goff trounced John Tamihere, who is muttering darkly about running for Parliament again (but which party would want him?) Wellington is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Weta Workshop, except ...
How could government evolve over the next decades? Reports of democracy’s imminent demise are greatly exaggerated. However, satisfaction with political systems in many countries is low, so there is much to do for governments of all political stripes to improve relevance and trust. Digital technologies are seen as one ...
Two years have now gone by since the Friday afternoon when my university-student son and I headed out of our Barcelona flat to a nearby primary school, designated as a polling station for the vote that was to be held the following Sunday: the referendum on Catalonia’s independence from Spain ...
Overruled: The joint decision of Finance Minister, Grant Robertson (Labour) and his Associate Minister, David Parker (Labour) arguably the two most powerful ministers in Jacinda Ardern’s government, to grant OceanaGold the consents which Land Information Minister, Eugenie Sage (Greens) had earlier denied them, offers bitter proof of how hard fighting ...
More than double the number of people who will vote in this year’s local body elections have tried marijuana or urinated somewhere they shouldn’t have. As local elections look set for the lowest turnout in decades, with many regions falling well short of 40%, the Government is exploring a number ...
A Statement on Abortion Law Reform by the Council of Disobedient Women On the eve of bringing an end to antiquated, anti-women abortion laws Green MP Jan Logie intends to write women out of the Bill. With a stroke of the pen, the woke are aiming for total erasure ...
Musings continue apace about “the experienced businessman!” soon to be taking up a National Party MP position. Or to be more accurate, being parachuted into a seat to shut down their former MP Jamie-Lee Ross, who despite his own shortcomings shed at least some more light on the inner workings ...
The Ugandan government wants to murder gay people:Uganda has announced plans to impose the death penalty on homosexuals. The bill, colloquially known as “Kill the Gays” in Uganda, was nullified five years ago on a technicality, but the government said on Thursday it plans to resurrect it within weeks. The ...
Hassan Vally, La Trobe UniversityWho doesn’t want to know if drinking that second or third cup of coffee a day will improve your memory, or if sleeping too much increases your risk of a heart attack? We’re invested in staying healthy and many of us are interested in reading ...
Freedom Of Speech? The Säuberung (cleansing by fire) was the work of the German Student Union which, on 10 May 1933, under the watchful eye of the Nazi Reichminister for Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, consigned 25,000 books to the flames in a ritual exorcism of “un-German thought”. According to the logic of the ...
“There can be no such thing as kaupapa Māori political parties or politics in Aotearoa” (Willie Jackson, Labour Party (2017). Māori TV, General/List Election Special) I begin with that claim because at the time, I was confounded at first that it fell out of Willie Jackson’s mouth, and then ...
New Zealand has prided itself for decades with regard to its lack of pollution, and all will be aware that the ‘100% Pure New Zealand‘ meme is under threat through land, water and air pollution of various causes. There is another type of contamination that the country also faces: light ...
New Zealand’s media is doing its part in Japan, reassuring those in the path of the storm that they won’t miss any rugby while away from their flooded homes. New Zealand sports reporters stationed in Japan for the Rugby World Cup have had the rare and heartwarming opportunity to inform ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones is the only Cabinet member in favour of putting it all on green. As Finance Minister Grant Robertson finds himself with an enormous $7.5 billion surplus, the Government has begun intense, at times contentious conversations about whether to put the money on red or black at ...
by Susanne Kemp At the start of September close to 100,000 school teachers went on strike in Jordan. They demanded a 50% pay rise. A pay rise actually agreed to by the regime back in 2014. In early October, however, in the face of government repression and threats, the teachers’ ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzWhy do people still think climate change isn’t real?David ...
Back in 2011, journalist Nicky Hager published Other People's Wars, an expose on NZDF's activities over the previous decade of the "war on terror". NZDF didn't like this, and especially didn't like the fact that it was base don leaks from their own. So, they had the SIS investigate him ...
The Zero Carbon Bill is due back from select committee in two weeks, and will likely pass its final stages in November. So naturally, farmers are planning a hate-march against it. But they're not just demanding lower methane targets so they can keep on destroying the planet; they're also demanding ...
Last year, California burned. This year, to stop it happening again (or rather, to stop themselves from being found liable if it happens again), Pacific Gas and Electric is cutting power to half the state for a week:Schools are closed. Traffic lights down. Tunnels dark. Businesses unopened. Hospitals running on ...
The Best Way: Missing from the on-line voting debate is any reference to the voting system that produces turn-out figures ranging from 77 to 93 percent of registered voters. The voting system used to collect and count the votes cast in our parliamentary elections. The system that involves citizens making ...
Among the great new bunch of political friends we have been making recently is the excellent Australian-based Marxist gender-critical site, Freer Lives. So we asked the comrade who set up that blog to write something for Redline on the blog, himself, his analysis of the rise of gender politics and ...
Journalist Andrew Dickens, reporting from the 2019 New Zealand First Conference, states that the Party once again proved “they are more than a sideshow”. In his op-ed article for NewstalkZB, Mr Dickens said he has always been an admirer of the Party, saying they are “a true centrist party”. “[NZ ...
New Zealand First's potential policy of compulsory community service for ages 15-19 years old has been getting support from those in the industry. A policy remit was passed during their recent Conference in Christchurch, gaining the support of a majority of its membership. Party leader Winston Peters has been talking ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says the Party hopes to decide it’s stance pill testing at music festivals "before the season of concern", with festivals generally held during the summer months. Mr Peters' comments come in an interview with TVNZ's Q+A and follow a remit from the party's youth ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says he has been told to be "alert" to potential cost blowouts for the light rail project in Auckland. Mr Peters said no such concerns were raised with him from ministerial colleagues, including Transport Minister Phil Twyford of the Labour Party. He suggested that ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters Leader of New Zealand First The Benefits of having New Zealand First in the Centre: Security, Experience & Balance 2.00pm, 20th October 2019 Ladies and Gentlemen Thank you all for your warm welcome to this, the party’s 26thConvention. Speaking on behalf of caucus colleagues, it’s great to ...
Fletcher Tabuteau, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs Fletcher Tabuteau is travelling to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu this week to continue toadvance important bilateral relationships in our region consistent with thePacific Reset. Mr Tabuteau will engage in a range of bilateral meetings and visit New Zealand development ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is predicting a hard Brexit for the United Kingdom, as he believes British Prime Minister Boris Johnson won’t be able to negotiate terms before the October 30 deadline. The Minister, who was one of the first to publicly come out and predict British voters would leave ...
Speaking at the Council of Trade Unions' (CTU) biennial conference, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters told unionists that any future attacks on the Government won't work. "Now, we are being attacked by the union movement in this country. You can have your views but I'm here to say standing ...
We want every New Zealander to be happy, safe, and healthy. To do this, we need to support strong, safe communities, and a robust and efficient health system. ...
Defence Minister Ron Mark has used his powers to overrule a noise complaint ruling against Whenuapai airbase on the grounds of "national security". The Environment Court last month released a ruling in favour of a private developer, declaring the Auckland airbase had to comply with noise restrictions when it performs ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has opened fire against "unreconstructed morons" after NZ First MP Shane Jones was photographed on holiday holding an AR-15 rifle. Mr Peters is defending Mr Jones, telling Magic Talk host Peter Williams that his MP was just having fun "like most people do". "The ...
New Zealand First Deputy Leader and Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau was in attendance during the morning blessing of the Rotorua Lakefront development project. Around 60 people gathered on the shores of Lake Rotorua, including city mayor Steve Chadwick and deputy Dave Donaldson. The Lakefront development is a ...
Forestry Minister Shane Jones is considering reining in on conversions of farmland to forestry, and also issued a warning to foreign-owned forestry companies that make up nearly 75 per cent of the industry. He said too many foreign companies had not provided enough access for domestic processors to get timber. ...
Speaking to Radio NZ, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said the tightening of the parental category visa is a direct result of the Party’s coalition negotiations with the Labour Party. He said the new changes switch the financial onus from the parent moving to New Zealand to the child ...
The Coalition Government is set to cut red tape in the building and construction sector in an effort to allow more houses to be built, including prefabricated houses. The changes will enable the mass factory production of "high quality" buildings, slash the likely number of building inspections for factory produced ...
Since coming into Government, we’ve worked hard to tackle homelessness and make sure everyone has a warm, dry home. And today, on World Homeless Day, we want to report back and update you on our progress so far. ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has hit back at National Party leader Simon Bridges who criticized the Coalition Government’s approach to crime, and said that the latter isn't credible in his attack on the Government over gang recruitment. "We've got as massive drug problem in this country. It is ...
New Zealand Mānuka honey exporters have welcomed an initiative by the Coalition Government to help secure the term “mānuka honey” to be used exclusively by Kiwi exporters, ensuring that our multimillion-dollar industry is protected. Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones had recently announced that a Provincial Growth Funding of $5.7 ...
Political commentator Mike Hosking has labelled New Zealand First leader Winston Peters as “the voice of reason in a government soft on drugs”, for the Party’s stance on drug testing at music festivals. “If common sense is worth a vote, Winston Peters is quids in,” Mr Hosking said. The Labour ...
Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau has announced Provincial Growth Funding to ensure work opportunities in Turangi and Whanganui, through its skills and employment programme, Te Ara Mahi. A fund of $500,000 will go to Rafting NZ in Turangi for a 16-week river guide training course to train ...
Treasury has shown that the Coalition Government has a $7.5 billion surplus, which is $4 billion higher than what was expected in the 2019 Budget unveiled last May. It is also $2 billion higher than the actual surplus unveiled this time last year, and at a size that has not ...
Official Information Act figures released to NZME show there were 350 assaults on officers in the year to the end of June, 79 more than the year before. The increase in attacks have sparked calls for more legal protection for first responders to be enacted. The assaults included officers being ...
“Nobody wants to see babies uplifted”, this was the pronouncement of Minister for Children Hon. Tracey Martin as her department, Oranga Tamariki, faces multiple inquiries into the number of babies being taken from their families. “But a baby can die with a single punch, “the Minister continued. “So sometimes, Oranga ...
We're making progress on tackling the long-term challenges: from homelessness, to strengthening border security, to bringing banking back New Zealand's small towns. ...
Associate Transport Minister Shane Jones has backed the ambitious plan to move Auckland’s port to Northport, at Whangarei harbour, which he says will be the “King Kong of infrastructure”. The plan is part of the recommendations of a six-person independent working group, which has recommended the Ports of Auckland be ...
A six-member independent working group selected the option of moving Auckland’s port to Northport, in Whangarei, ahead of other options. In what could be New Zealand’s most ambitious infrastructure project yet, a major expansion of the Marsden Point port could happen within 15 years. The project, officially called the “Upper ...
The final Electricity Price Review recommended prohibiting prompt payment discounts but allowing “reasonable” late fees. The findings of this review was welcomed by the Coalition Government, but they hope companies will follow through with its recommendations without regulations needed to be passed. Meridian Energy had already stopped prompt payment discounts, ...
Fletcher Tabuteau, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF)through its skills and employment programme, Te Ara Mahi,will invest nearly $600,000 to ensure work opportunities for locals in Turangia and Whanganui, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. “I’m pleased to announce the PGF ...
An export-led economy is one of New Zealand First’s key principles, and our commitment to achieving this is shown by the continuing skyrocketing demand for our beef and sheep meat exports. Beef + Lamb New Zealand's New Season Outlook 2019-20 report forecasts beef, lamb and mutton prices to lift from ...
A Bill to improve prison security and ensure the fair, safe, and humane treatment of people in prison while upholding public safety has passed its third reading. Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis says the Corrections Amendment Bill makes a number of changes to ensure the Corrections Act 2004 is fit for ...
Minister for Māori Development, Nanaia Mahuta, has selected Arihia Bennett MNZM, Chief Executive Officer of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, as the Te Puni Kōkiri appointed representative on the New Zealand-China Council. The New Zealand-China Council (the Council) was established in 2012 as a New Zealand led and funded organisation ...
Responsibility for processing the small number of Southern Response claims still to be settled will be transferred to EQC by the end of the year. “As claim numbers reduce, it no longer makes sense for the Crown to have two organisations processing the remaining Canterbury claims,” Grant Robertson says. “Since ...
Health Minister David Clark is encouraging Whanganui residents to take up the opportunity for free bowel screening, which can detect cancer early when it’s easier to treat. Over the next two years 12,000 Whanganui locals, aged 60 to 74 will be invited to participate in the National Bowel Screening ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio, heads to Oslo today to represent New Zealand at the sixth Our Ocean Conference, which is being hosted by the Norwegian Government from the 23-24 October. “The Our Ocean Conference mobilises real action on issues like marine plastic pollution and the impacts of ...
Two secondary-school initiatives are being expanded as part of the Government’s plan to see more young New Zealanders take up a trade to help close the skills gap. This includes the largest single increase in Trades Academy places in recent years. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Education Minister Chris ...
Session 4: Pacific Connectivity – Youth, Media and New Opportunities Kia ora tatou katoa and Warm Pacific greetings to one and all. Representatives of Tainui, the local people of the land, or manawhenua – the indigenous peoples of this area – have welcomed you this morning in accordance with ...
The Government today announced its support for a project that could substantially reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions from cattle. The announcement was made as part of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor’s visit to Nelson’s Cawthron Aquaculture Park. The Cawthron Institute will receive $100,000 from the Government’s ...
Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni has welcomed the first reading of the New Zealand Superannuation and Veteran’s Pension Legislation Amendment Bill. “Every New Zealander has a stake in New Zealand Superannuation and Veteran’s Pension,” says Carmel Sepuloni. “They are our most common form of social assistance – nearly 800,000 New ...
Babies in Auckland aged six months and over can receive a free vaccination and children will all have access to vaccines, Associate Minister of Health Julie Anne Genter announced today at Papatoetoe High School. The move comes as part of Government efforts to step up the fight against measles. ...
***Check against delivery*** Good morning. It is a pleasure to be here, and to have the honour of opening this important conference on behalf of the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. Let us take the opportunity to acknowledge all the people who have helped make today possible, including our special ...
Police Minister Stuart Nash says the safety of frontline officers and members of the public will be the focus of a new trial of specialist Police response teams in three of our largest urban centres. Police have this morning released details of an initiative to be trialled in Counties Manukau, ...
The Minister of Fisheries is calling for entries for a new public award to celebrate innovation in our seafood sector. “I have established the Seafood Sustainability Awards to recognise and celebrate those throughout industry, tangata whenua and communities who demonstrate outstanding dedication and innovation towards the sustainability of New Zealand’s ...
Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter welcomes leaders in the private sector taking action on closing their gender pay gaps to ensure a fairer workplace for all New Zealanders. Ms Genter today launched a new report, Addressing the gender pay gap and driving women’s representation in senior leadership, from the Champions for ...
Government Ministers today welcomed the release of a marine environment report highlighting the four key issues affecting our oceans, estuaries and coastlines. The release underlines the importance of government proposals to combat climate pollution, ensure clean freshwater, protect biodiversity, make land use more sustainable, and reduce waste and plastic. Environment ...
The Government has approved funding for a new acute mental health facility for Waikato which will provide better care and support to people with mental health and addiction issues. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Health Minister Dr David Clark announced the $100 million project to replace the aging Henry Rongomau ...
The Government is making progress on its goal to integrate te reo Māori into education by 2025, with over 500 teachers and support staff already graduating from Te Ahu o te Reo Māori, Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis announced today. Kelvin Davis made the announcement at an awards ceremony in Waikanae today, for ...
Statistics Minister James Shaw has welcomed the first release of 2018 Census data. The first release of data today, 23 September, includes key data on population, regional growth, the number of homes and the size of different ethnic groups in New Zealand. Data from the 2018 Census will support the ...
Minister for Statistics James Shaw today announced a public consultation on a proposed algorithm charter for government agencies. The charter has been developed by the Government Chief Data Steward in response to growing calls for more transparency in government use of data. Computer algorithms – procedures or formulas for solving ...
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor, Climate Change Minister James Shaw and visiting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte co-hosted a business roundtable in Auckland this morning focused on working together to address climate change. “The Netherlands is an important partner for New Zealand. We share a strong agricultural history. Sustainable agribusiness and ...
The Government is taking action to build an inclusive economy where more of us receive our fair share at work and businesses can compete on great products and services, not undercutting wages and conditions, Immigration and Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. Two consultations launched today seek feedback ...
The future for New Zealand’s threatened indigenous freshwater fish looks brighter with the passing of the Conservation (Indigenous Freshwater Fish) Amendment Bill in Parliament today said Minister of Conservation, Eugenie Sage. “Until now, our freshwater fish legislation has been 20 years out of date. We have lacked effective tools to ...
At 1.30pm tomorrow, hundreds of thousands of Kiwis will join about 65 million people around the globe in ShakeOut, the world’s biggest earthquake drill. The annual drill is to remind people of the right action to take during an earthquake which is to Drop, Cover, Hold, and to practise their ...
Kiwis are benefiting from higher wage growth and low inflation under the Coalition Government. Stats NZ data out today shows the rise in the cost of living remains low, as annual Consumers Price Index (CPI) inflation fell to 1.5% in September from 1.7% in June. “The low inflation comes as ...
New Zealand’s economic strength and resilience has been recognised in a major update on the state of the global economy. The IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook released overnight shows a reduced global growth forecast over the next two years as issues like the US-China trade war and Brexit take hold. ...
Justice Minister Andrew Little has today introduced a new Bill to prevent terrorism and support the de-radicalisation of New Zealanders returning from overseas. The Terrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill gives the New Zealand Police the ability to apply to the High Court to impose control orders on New Zealanders who ...
A Bill that proposes targeted changes to simplify the processes for Māori land owners when engaging with the Māori Land Court has had its First Reading today. “The approach taken by the Government is to ensure that the protection of Māori land remains a priority as we seek to improve ...
Let me first thank all the new unionists and members in the room. There is nothing more important to improving people’s working lives than people making the decision to care, to get on board and help, to take up the reins and get involved. Congratulations to you. You bring the ...
Minister of Defence Ron Mark has signed a certificate exempting the activity of engine testing at Whenuapai Airbase from the Resource Management Act 1991. The Act gives the Minister of Defence the power to exempt activities for the purposes of national security. The certificate will mean the recent Environment Court ...
Finance Minister Grant Robertson has announced New Zealand will join the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action while attending APEC meetings in Chile. The objective of the 39 member Coalition is to share information and promote action to tackle climate change. It was formed in April this year, in ...
Feedback sought– Lyttelton commercial zone parking The Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Poto Williams, is seeking feedback on a proposal to remove on-site car parking requirements for new developments in the Lyttelton commercial zone. The proposal, by Christchurch City Council, asks that powers under section 71 of the Greater ...
Hon Minister Poto Williams Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration MEDIA STATEMENT Tuesday 15 October 2019 Feedback sought – Hagley Oval The Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Poto Williams, is seeking feedback on a proposal about Hagley Oval. The proposal was developed by Regenerate Christchurch ...
Ladies and gentlemen, NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff, members of respective unions – thank you for the invitation to speak to you today. This might be preaching to the choir, but the importance of trade unions in New Zealand’s historical arch is difficult to understate. And it is my belief that ...
"Let’s start by acknowledging that it has been a huge year. " Police Association Annual Conference James Cook Grand Chancellor Hotel Wellington Nau mai, haere mai. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, ka nui te mihi, ki a koutou katoa. President of the Police Association, Chris Cahill; Members of the Association and ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters and Minister of Defence Ron Mark have announced the New Zealand Government’s decision to again deploy a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 (P-3) maritime patrol aircraft to support the implementation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions imposing sanctions against North Korea. New ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says New Zealand continues to have serious concerns for peace and stability in north-east Syria. “Recent reports that hundreds of ISIS-affiliated families have fled from a camp are deeply concerning from a humanitarian and security perspective”, Mr Peters says. “While we acknowledge Turkey’s domestic security ...
Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor is warning travelling Kiwis to be vigilant as the high-season for the crop-eating brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is under way. “We’re on high alert to stop BMSB arriving in NZ. The high season runs until April 30 and we’ve strengthened our measures to stop stink ...
The Government is moving swiftly to change the law to improve the welfare and pastoral care of students living in university halls of residence and other tertiary hostels. Cabinet has agreed to several changes, including creating a new mandatory Code of Practice that sets out the duty of pastoral care ...
The Minister for Conservation Eugenie Sage has launched a new comprehensive trapping guide for community trappers to help them protect our native birds, plants and other wildlife, at Zealandia in Wellington today. ‘A practical guide to trapping’, has been developed by the Department of Conservation (DOC), and was launched during ...
Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter welcomes PHARMAC’s move to improve access to long-acting reversible contraception (LARCs). PHARMAC has today announced it will fund the full cost of Mirena and Jaydess for anyone seeking long term contraception, lifting previous restrictions on access to Mirena. “I welcome women having greater choices ...
Orange-fronted parakeets will still get protection but some mohua populations miss out as DoC reduces the area of forest being covered by 1080 poison. ...
The main way small countries like New Zealand can lead on climate change is through our ideas. Policies developed here may help other countries with similar issues, writes David Frame. ...
By Rebecca Ananian-Welsh Australians picked up their morning papers yesterday to find heavily blacked-out text instead of front-page headlines. This bold statement was instigated by the “Your Right to Know” campaign, an unlikely coalition of Australian media organisations fighting for press freedom and source protection. A key reform advocated by a ...
Surrounding sites evacuated and one reported hospitalised in serious condition as blaze rips through two floors of the under-construction building in the Auckland CBDLast updated: 6.30pmParts of central Auckland have been brought to a standstill this afternoon after a major fire broke out shortly after 1pm at the Sky City ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Phil McManus, Professor of Urban and Environmental Geography: Head of School of Geosciences, University of Sydney In the wake of a shocking ABC report on the dismal end of many racehorses’ lives in slaughterhouses, many Australians are questioning whether the horse racing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mohiuddin Ahmed, Lecturer of Computing & Security, Edith Cowan University Machines and the internet are woven into the fabric of our society. A growing number of users, devices and applications work together to produce what we now call “big data”. And this ...
After an unusually nasty campaign for their country, Canada has gone to the polls. They’ve decided that Justin Trudeau will continue as prime minister, but just like in New Zealand, he’ll have to work with coalition politics. What’s happened?After a brutal and at times humiliating campaign, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau has ...
“The Prime Minister must publicly support an immediate ban on Gay Conversion Therapy . If I was Jacinda I would feel morally obligated to give more confidence on where I stand, when I have asked for, and received, support from that community.” ...
New abortion law marks significant and needed progress for reproductive rights in New Zealand Amnesty International has today made its submission to the Abortion Legislation Committee in Wellington. The rights at stake in the legislation include the rights ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.Transport Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): NZ Transport Agency to Phil Twyford: We should have done better ...
Crisis of Safety and Confidence in our Engineering, Building and Construction Industries Please find attached a copy of an Open Letter from Professor Maan Alkaisi, Spokesperson CTV Families Group. This was sent a short time ago to the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, ...
Safe speed limits are survivable speed limits and this is what AT has endorsed in its step change decision today. This decision is a landmark that sets the scene for a new focus on road safety in New Zealand. ...
The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) says the inadequate treatment of urology patients in Southern District Health Board is distressing and should serve as a broad reminder to DHB management to listen when specialists raise concerns. ...
Informed via telegram that Netflix has released a full trailer for the new season of The Crown, Tara Ward puts on her best boxhat and white gloves to find out what round three will bring. The good Lorde told us we’ll never be royals, so the first full trailer for the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Dehm, Lecturer, University of Technology Sydney Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie has some sobering reading to do over the coming weeks: an 88-page Senate report into the government-sponsored bill to repeal the medevac law that allow refugees and asylum seekers in Papua ...
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lol very clever. The scary thing is what is after.
about time too. silly bloody RMA. another hand brake on progress.
We live in hope. As soon as the act is dropped the better.
Yeah, that whole community democracy thing… total drag eh guys?
Nothing wrong with community democracy Tane – too often though the RMA was used to block projects that the bulk of the community supported.
The main benefactors of the RMA seem to have been the legal profession.
“…too often though the RMA was used to block projects that the bulk of the community supported.”
Name 5.
Bet you can’t without:
contradicting “Nothing wrong with community democracy”
or using weird defintions for: “RMA was used to block ” or “bulk of the community supported”.
PB… first one that came to mind was the Piha cafe
Lukas.
1) It’s entirely appropriate that members of the community who have concerns about the environmental, social and heritage impacts of development are able to have their say.
2) You’re talking about a cafe on a beach, not a vital infrastructure project needed to develop the economy.
Remember, the your line is that the RMA is holding back economic growth, not that it’s allowing community objections to cafes built in heritage buildings next to iconic beaches.
3) Resource consent was granted.
Aren’t 98% of consents granted without contest?
Ianmac: 99% are granted without contest, and half of the applications that are contested are allowed after the case has been heard.
I assume the 0.5% are held up indefinitely or cancelled.
Surely the important stat is what % of projects are blocked by value? That way, a blocked cafe is not the same as a blocked power station.
Does anyone have that stat?
Ianmac: I seem to recall that about 95% are granted without public consultation, thereby putting the lie to this entire line of argument.
L
If anyone’s done research into this, do flick it through us. The Left is going to need to get its research and its lines on the RMA in order very soon.
habitat and biodiversity are THE key questions facing the world
leaders and partys come and go but if we destroy some or all of the vital principles of physical wellbeing on the plas net then humanity will be living living in a sh*thole
no apologies for the non-bleatway non complex terminology and argument
habitat and biodiversity are far too important to be left to rugged individuals with a chainsaw, bulldozer and some sort of pissweak vision
From Rod Oram’s 2007 paper on the RMA:
However, he seems to be arguing the the RMA isn’t effective enough at protecting the environment although it has become much more efficient since it’s inception.
The cafe was an entirely poor example and not what the National party had in mind when changing the RMA. A better example would be the wind farm in Otago.
http://national.org.nz/files/2008/RMA.pdf – Not nearly as scary as some people make it out.
Fact is it will get passed as National has the numbers easily. The left can choose to merely try and block it but I see that as a mistake. Instead they should see what they can add to the changes in the RMA that prevent environment destruction and to ensure the RMA doesn’t lose focus the community democracy aspect. Where there is the potential for trouble is with the Maori party. Which likely will oppose any changes in RMA policy in terms of the Treaty of Waitangi.
Incidentally the Labour party had no policy on the RMA. There’s was to keep it as it was. The Greens wished to strengthen the RMA.
http://www.greens.org.nz/node/18156
National needs to be careful. On one hand its pointless leaving the RMA as it is. Where they need to be focus is that the changes can’t afford to lose its community democracy aspects or its environmental aspects. On the other hand anything that can speed up the process is a good thing.
I don’t think the changes National wish to bring are all doom and gloom for the left. I also think its an opportunity for the left to make a case for the RMA to be strengthen to ensure environmental protection without necessarily hurting the streamlining of the RMA. It just depends how the left handle it I suppose.
Gingercrush: interesting read of the Nats RMA policy. Thanks. I guess some of the items which might speed up the process might be a good thing. But the Priority Processing might be a problem. Does Priority equal bulldozing a project through, as the cartoon above would suggest?
I tend to agree with ginger in that there’s no need for Labour to be the type of opposition National has been.
The National party’s support of the repeal of section 69 is the one conspicuous exception I can think of (and they don’t like to talk about that one) to the way they performed in opposition.
Labour can and should be a constructive opposition party and work to achieve positive outcomes wherever possible regardless of the position they find themselves in, much as the Greens have done – from outside of government – with considerable success.
Felix,
You mean like calling for cross-party agreement on electoral reform? So easy to be reasonable and inclusive when the numbers aren’t on your side anymore.
Not sure where you’re coming from with that Billy.
I’m not saying the government is obliged to listen, I just think the opposition should make an honest attempt at trying to work with the govt if possible rather than outright oppose everything the govt does 180 degrees.
The Nats showed they were capable of this with the repeal of sec 59 and the Greens do it all the time. I’m just saying I’d like to see Labour take this approach where they can legitimately do so.
What I mean Felix is that, given their behaviour when in government (over the EFA in particular), any call by Labour for cross party consensus on issues is going to ring a little hollow.
Billy: From what I understand, the Nat’s were totally opposed to both increasing the accounting transparency for political donations and increasing the election accounting period.
Since those were the two things that Labour was adamant had to change, there was a basic conflict. I’d expect that the same would happen when the law gets changed next time. While the Nat’s and Act were happy to attack anonymous trusts and ask NZF to open up their books, I noticed that they were reluctant to do the same for their trusts.
The area that there was room to move on in 2007 was the role of the 3rd parties, labelling etc. The Nat’s preferred to play a opposition role on those as well – probably because they didn’t like having to make their large donors become non-anonymous.
To be perfectly frank, I’d expect Labour to oppose major changes to those first two, and (if changed) resolve to change them back to transparency and realistic election periods when they have the numbers.
I thought they were looking to repeal the EFA go back to the 1993 Electoral Act but were going to take the sections in relation to donations from the EFA and insert them into the 1993 ACT.
RMA halted the progress of Project Aqua. Now that would have been worthwhile. No power cuts for the next few years.
RMA halted progress on Water Taxis around Tauranga Harbour in 2002/2003. Water Taxis would have been an ideal addition to the transport network in Tauranga, but due to “oil spill risks” “disturbance to wildlife” the Water Taxi business was doomed to failure.
Remedial work needed urgently on a Dam in the Hunua Ranges in 2003 delayed it by nearly a year
RMA is now causing issues with a skateboard park in Titahi Bay
RMA caused a headache for the Te Rauparaha Arena – which is finally open and is a bloody fantastic venue. Much better than the echolocaters nightmare that is TSB Arena.
Need I say more? Its amusing its Nactional that have to tidy up their mess… Labour at least attempted to work with it, but Nactional “Oh NO, it’s TOO hard”
OT: Is anyone else wondering how Key as “Tourism Minister” and Joyce being the CEO of “Jasons Travel Media” could be portrayed elsewhere? Would JTM benefit from such an arrangement? Could JTM be poised to publish insider information based on information Key would pass on to Joyce?
hs: From what I understand of the Nat’s policy on the EFA (there is bugger all of it).
They were planning on repealing the EFA and as you say heading back to the 1993 Act. After that they have said they’d either amend the EFA 1993 or add a new Act – but unspecified on what.
They haven’t specified what they’d do to legislate the enormous problems with the 1993 act. Personally I’d suspect that they will just drop back to the 1993 Act and do some tinkering after 6 months or a year. That would allow them to use the anonymous trusts to refill their coffers. If they hit any opposition to their ideas, then I’d expect them to leave it on the 1993 Act over the next election.
After all they did write the 1993 act to favour themselves in the first place. There is no benefit for them to fix their corrupt electoral law.
Jasper – Where do you live? Because I’m guessing its not where project aqua would have ruined your land. Project Aqua is perfect example of how the RMA works for communities. Need you say more? Yes. A skateboard park hardly an important piece of infrastructure, more like an eye sore to cater for a fad and then you mention some arena where consent was granted, so yes you do need to say more.
Lynn
I’m not sure, I thought I read somewhere that they were definitely going to keep the bits in relation to transparency of donations – although guess we’ll have to wait and see and I would hope there’s more important things on the agenda in the short term.
Tane:
Why should other people have a say in what you do?
Perhaps I should put in a submission against the local Marae when it wants to erect something?
Fair enough Billy. I too think Labour could have handled a lot of things a lot better in the last few years.
Of course they can’t “call for” inclusion as you put it, they’re not in govt and that’s that. As I said, the National govt has no obligation to work with them.
I does strike me as interesting though, that the deal with the maori party is seen as a safety valve on National’s left to be used when ACT wants to go too far right.
In many areas Labour’s policy is probably closer to National’s than either ACT or the maori party. If Labour are smart they’ll recognise the opportunities this presents and not cut off their nose(s) to spite their face(s).
I suspect though, that politically Labour wants to create the impression of more distance from National so we’ll probably see expediency take precedence over principle as usual.
Brett,
Because we all have to live here together.
And yes, if the local marae wants to erect something that will interfere with your quality of life then you should make a submission. Why wouldn’t you?
Felix:
People are making submissions on others private land, that in no way have any effect on their quality of life and that is the problem.
Really? Haven’t come across that myself.
There are legitimate situations where a non-majority of the community have a right to block a project which has a very high impact on them. I think there are a few cases where you’re right, but that they’re mostly to do with wind turbines which oddly seem to face about five times the scrutiny of other projects. Not In My Back Yard, right? 😉
nah it’s true Felix, people who actually live in the affected areas are forever choosing to degrade their own quality of life. they just don’t seem to get how fly-by-night developers really have everyone’s best interests at heart.
On Close Up tonight the theme was about the RMA being used by competitors to block the building of a Supermarket over a period from 1987? to now. Court cases, appeals the lot. Many details of contention did not directly affect the complainants. eg Possible road problems 1 km down the road from the proposed site.
Competitors appealing for competitive reasons is not the same as appeals because I am directly affected. I suppose that part of the RMA should be tidied up?
Indeed Iammac. Thing is Nationals legislation will not put in effect the likes of Brett Dale is saying. Its mainly streamlining and changing what someone can appeal, argue, make a statement against. That is its intention. How strong it goes to where it could damage to the environment etc largely depends what role Act will play and what if any concessions can be made by National to get the left on board. One thing is I can’t see the Maori Party being happy with changes to the Act in regards to the Treaty. That should prove interesting.
At the end of the day. For now at least any plans National will bring should still ensure environment concerns and private citizens will still have a say.
Another thing is that often in terms of housing developments etc. That goes back to the council. For instance, here in Merivale and St Albans Christchurch. Often people will will make an argument in terms of the damage demolishing an older building will have on the heritage of these two suburbs. These two suburbs vote National in a big way. Thing is, this is barely a government matter, rather a council matter. The council sets the RMA process for such matters. Thus, if people want change in this area. Go to the council.
Here, I tend to agree that constant bulldozing of heritage/older houses is having a detrimental affect in St. Albans and Merivale. Personally I would like to see it changed so any housing before 1940 must get additional consent.
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Anyway, National’s RMA changes should not mean concerns over the environment or cultural/heritage concerns can’t be addressed. It will however mean people can’t use the RMA for commercial purposes ie. Iammac’s example. Likewise the bill is to make it easier for consents and streamlining the RMA for large infrastructure projects. The left have legitimate concerns that the bill will mean changes that put less relevance in terms of the environment and cultural/heritage concerns and community democracy.
If you are that concerned about the changes National will bring. Do not block the bill or protest. Only protest after you’ve had a say. These changes will require three readings in the house it will too need to go to select committee. That is where the left can influence it and make changes to the bill. This is also where the public gets their say. Also a lot of the RMA comes down to your local council.
For instance, if you’re concerned about building developments in your area. Ie. someone has purchased a 1910 era building and wish to demolish that and put in a new building development. Use the consent process to have your say. The sad thing is under current and new legislation, likely you are unaware of changes in your community.
Most importantly, go to your council and ask them to enact changes preventing the widespread demolishing of older/heritage buildings. And have your say when it comes to council elections. Its disgusting that while 70+% vote in a National election yet barely over 50% or hell in some places less than 50% vote in council elections. A disturbing figure. Councils are hugely influential in terms of what can and can’t be built in your area. And there are plenty of candidates wanting to change these areas.
hs: I suspect that there is probably nothing higher on the Nact’s agenda.
After all it takes time to get legislation through, and NACT is probably going to need all help it can get for the next election. It wasn’t exactly a tremendous victory.
Of course the nact’s higher standard is to not have a level playing field (I couldn’t resist that)
Why do you insist on saying that Iprent. You want something not impressive. Take a look at 2005. That wasn’t impressive in the slightest. Had National gained 3% we would have had a National-led government. 2005 was the closest election since 1993. 2011 already proves interesting because New Zealand First’s 4% could go anywhere. 2008 was close to an extent. But not as close as the left likes to think. And anyone thinking 2011 is cakewalk for the left are delusional. Do you really think National wants a single term in government?
As for the EFA. Well it needs rid of. Sure National will likely play to its own favour. But the EFA is a disgusting piece of legislation, that should never have passed and why anyone continues to defend it is beyond me.
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And I’ll say it right now, National will continue to be the government in 2011.
“On Close Up tonight the theme was about the RMA being used by competitors to block the building of a Supermarket over a period from 1987? to now. Court cases, appeals the lot. Many details of contention did not directly affect the complainants. eg Possible road problems 1 km down the road from the proposed site.
Competitors appealing for competitive reasons is not the same as appeals because I am directly affected. I suppose that part of the RMA should be tidied up?”
Yes lanmac, I watched that story – and I’ve read about it in repeated Herald articles over the years, although my recollection of those articles is blurry.
It worried me watching that story tonight, but I’ve been thinking about that further. I think there is an element of the story that hasn’t come out – or at least, hasn’t been widely commentated on.
My thoughts are this – the building is basically completed, it just hasn’t been fitted as there was a court injunction or similar that stopped progress.
The possible implication to me is that, given consent was issued and building started in the first place, there was some flaw with the initial consent that bought the process to a halt.
There may be relevant issues with the RMA to be dealt with, but a possible alternative or complementary factor would appear to me to be that Foodstuffs, despite all the suits and lawyers, failed to follow the RMA process completely – in fact possibly attempted to short-cut it. What other reason would there be for overturning a consent once issued? If that is the case, then the company can only blame themselves. I may do some research on the background.
Yes the regulation may be a little on the tight side – but given what we are going through in the financial markets currently, anyone pushing unfettered process and ACT’s “flexbility for companies to do business” message has limited credibility without a very strong and comprehensive case. So far we haven’t seen that case, just lots of anecdotes.
gc: I keep saying that because you need to look at the 1999 election and 2002 elections for what a clearcut victory looks like under MMP.
http://1999.electionresults.govt.nz/e9/html/e9_partI.html
http://2002.electionresults.org.nz/partystatus.html
There were clear majorities on the left, to the point where HC could cherry pick largely compatible coalitions to get the required majorities in the house. Remember that number of electorate seats won doesn’t matter. What matters is seats in the house.
2005 was a knife edge election and so was 2008. In the end both came down to just a few seats in the house to get a majority. Effectively NACT have hoovered all of the conservative vote apart from that fragment still remaining to UF since 2002. Effectively there is no centre parties any longer since NZF has probably gone into a dissolution like the Alliance did. The only reason that NACT won was because they destroyed NZF electorally.
To try to make the NACT coalition stable at the centre, they had to reach to the MP. Well just have a close look at the party voting in the maori electorates. The MP has to be able to show benefits to voters to get them to repeat that vote. Those concessions will cause problems in NACT. If they get stalled, it is likely that the MP will withdraw to protect their vote. The NZLP is a very good campaigner in those seats – just ask the MP politicians.
2008 has a high likelihood of being the highpoint of the conservative vote. That is assuming that Labour sticks close to the centre, which I think that they will Goff/King is a pretty clear signal. There isn’t likely to be any faction fighting in the NZLP, too many of us will work to ensure that there isn’t.
Frankly I’d be surprised if the NACT’s manage to get a second term, after all they’re trying for Labour-lite, and I’ve never actually noticed many NACT’s that would be happy settling for that. It wouldn’t surprise me if they fail to survive this term. They only just scraped over the line which leaves things wide open for waka jumping exercises.
BTW: Of the NZF voters more than 70% are likely to go left rather than right. You’re not talking entrepreneurs here. Look at the NZF party vote in the Moari electorates, and look at it against the age demographic in general seats. They aren’t the votes of the affluent with tax grievances.
Competely disagree. Labour needed both the Greens and the Alliance. United only brought 1 seat. And at the time New Zealand First was poisoned and so they could not go there. National has chosen to work with the Maori party and United Future. They don’t have to they choose to. You keep talking about waka-jumping and where are these waka-jumpers going to come from? That argument hardly washes nor makes sense.
Also don’t make the mistake in believing lower income people don’t vote National.The provinces in particular put a lie to that.That New Zealand First vote can and will go several ways. Yes one assumes the majority will vote Labour. But 70% is perhaps too much.
You also make the presumption the National party is somehow going to break up or stuff up. Neither of those should be presumed. Like I said National want long-term governance. They’re hardly going to break up and no one has been able to say why or how they’ll break up. They won’t go far to the right. But movement to the right will not necessarily hurt them at the polls.The 2005 election showed that the difference between the right and the left wasn’t that much.
The left have a problem too. The Greens. Its always a factor. With the centre gone at this stage anyway. Labour is dependent on the Greens. Surely as much a fear factor for a number of people in this country as Act. We haven’t seen a situation yet where the Greens have held the power. If ever Labour gets in and must have the Greens vote and there isn’t an additional larger party in there to keep it going too left. You have to ask whether this country will tolerate it. National could campaign on this and it could do damage. And I do believe there are elements that are very scared of the Green party. I even think Labour are very wary to ever be so reliant with the Greens.
As for Labour now it doesn’t have Clark leading. We don’t know how much a difference that will make. If pollings go down for Labour. That is going to bring murmurs in that party. You talk about them being stable now. But if they’re at a point where the polls are telling a story of likely defeat. You will see blood. They’ve been sensible so far. But if National does well, Labour will burn themselves just like National did in the early 2000s.
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The sensible left realise that National has worked itself out well and has a set a platform that could point to a long-term and successful arrangement. The hard left or the irrational left point to problems but rather hope that National will self-destruct. Its a viewpoint one should be wary of. In New Zealand there is a long history that any government will typically last two terms or more. The exceptions are 1951 and 1974. National has been 4-5 years rebuilding its base and more importantly capturing that centre. They have now got the Maori party onboard. National is looking at coalitions that will result in more support.There is danger in being reliant on Act and using the Maori for a more centrist approach. But if successful this could be long-term.
I disagree with this election being National going Labour-lite. In 2005 they were very right and they garnered 39%. They pushed tax cuts. What happened between 2005-2008? Labour delivered tax cuts. Who did Labour go to for confidence and supply? They didn’t go to the left, they went to New Zealand First and United Future. If the 2005 election told us anything. It was Labour who moved. National did move you’re quite right. They got rid of the right rhetoric something they always had to do. Yes they too moved to the centre. They kept the best of what Labour delivered sure. But there are many elements National polled on that still largely point to a right-wing agenda. How far right can they move? Not that far sure.
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The voting public is smarter than we think. In 1999 they voted left sure, that was the only route it could go after a very tired right-wing government. 2002 they knew Labour would win, they didn’t like what they saw in National. But the electorate knew too much power for Labour was dangerous. Thus a far stronger vote for the centre. 2005 you saw the left and right fighting over very small territory. I dare say this was anyone’s game and the electorate didn’t quite trust National thus Labour got it in the end.
2008 the electorate proved itself again by not allowing the Maori party to be kingmaker.
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Ack its nearly 3am. And once again something that should take a paragraph ends up being several and poorly punctuated with horrid grammar so to sum up.
Yes its possible Labour can win in 2011. But its just as likely if not more likely National will win again in 2011. I say National because I actually see a different route for 2011. I see National digging further into the cities. The Left should hold hope in winning again in 2011. But don’t pin it off National making mistakes or moving to the right. And don’t think its a walk in the park. Labour knows it won’t be that. I just don’t understand why the left blogosphere can’t comprehend that.
Off to work so only a couple of points.
MMP – all electorates vote every party, they just do it with different percentages. Labour won in 1999 largely because of the rural votes.
In 1999 and 2002, NZF would be difficult to work with, but could have been pulled into a left-leaning coalition if required. Every MMP election throws up a range of parties to form coalitions. What I’m arguing is that there are usually a lot more votes for them on the leftish side on average than the right.
National appears to be as internally factional as Labour was in its worst days. It looks like it is only the need to win elections cohesively that hasn’t caused the party breakouts that the NZLP has already done. It was almost liberating for the NZLP because it meant that there was a high degree of internal cohesiveness. With the Nats it has in the past tended to show up in not doing changes when required. I don’t think that it will be much different this time.
The greens are almost getting mainstream these days. It is only the voters on the right that are susceptible to scare tactics about them. They’re unlikely to change their minds, but they’re also unlikely to vote left either. People that will vote for the greens are getting older and therefore more numerous. They are also entering the NZLP. The fear factor is getting less. Act on the other hand still has quite a lot of fear factor including on the right.
It won’t be a walk in the park to win in 2011 – lots of work to do. But it is a *lot* harder to remain popular in government than it is to get kudo’s in opposition. Government is an exercise in the dismal science, especially when carrying the superannuation burden. It means that there is a lot of room to point out flaws in decisions, and Labour is very good at it.
In the end the right didn’t get an overwhelming victory, it got a narrow victory. That just doesn’t leave a lot of room for maneuvere.
The NACT’s screwing up. Yep – I expect that, they always have. But basically like any government they will do so – it is the nature of government. In their case I’d just expect it will come earlier rather than later. Because of the blogs I’d also expect that it will be harder to manage the spin.