Labour wants to save the Kauri

Written By: - Date published: 12:15 pm, April 13th, 2014 - 47 comments
Categories: david cunliffe, Environment, labour - Tags:

kauri dieback 2

This is an issue that I have a particular interest in.  I posted previously on how Kauri dieback disease may result in the extinction of one of the most iconic species of Waitakere’s forest. Research into the disease has been ongoing for the past five years but recently National decided not to fund ongoing research.  It said that there was no hope of eradicating the disease and that basically it was giving up.  This is an appalling decision as the research that it was funding was showing some promise and through a combination of the use of Phosphite and steps to keep the spread of the phytophora that causes the disease there was some hope of at least holding the disease at bay.

This morning David Cunliffe has announced that a future Labour Government will fund ongoing research.  The text of his speech delivered in McCahon House in Titirangi is as follows:

“As a West Auckland MP I am very aware the kauri is an important part of this place.

The Waitakere Ranges with their thousands of kauri, are a taonga.

A century ago they were milled almost to extinction. They have regenerated. But now they are under threat again.

In 2006 Peter Madison of Forest and Bird discovered trees suffering from a disease on Piha’s Maungaroa Ridge.

Now we know there is a disease called Phytophthera taxon agathis (PTA) otherwise known as Kauri Dieback that that is killing the kauri.

It is a soil borne pathogen that gets in to the roots, damages the tissues that carry the nutrients and the tree starves to death.

Once infected, trees die.

An estimated 11% of kauri in the Waitakere Ranges are infected. The disease has spread throughout the North, Great Barrier and it was recently detected in the Coromandel.

The Hunua Ranges seem to be the only significant population of trees that remains disease free.

Unless we act to stop the spread of the disease, this iconic New Zealand species could be wiped out.

If that happens the ecology of the northern bush will be changed forever.

Over the last five years a small band of scientists, iwi, Councils, biosecurity workers, and environmentalists have done tremendous work trying to learn more about the disease, find what works in stopping the spread, and make the public more aware. 

Much has been achieved but it is early days.

That five-year programme runs out in two months’ time.

And over the last 18 months we in Labour have been horrified as the National Government has given every indication that it did not see the need to continue or increase the funding for it.

Officials from the Ministry of Primary Industries were last year advising the Minister to wind back the programme, not seek any new funding, and leave the fight against kauri dieback to the Councils and the iwi.

It beggars belief that the kauri dieback programme asking for around $8 million over five years was getting the run around, when Government rightly invests tens of millions of dollars a year into biosecurity threats to our primary industries – $85 million for example on the threat painted apple moth posed to our pine plantations.

But somehow the fate of the kauri didn’t rate.

Labour has different priorities.

We rate saving the kauri as a project of national and generational significance.

Which is why today I am announcing a $20 million ten-year commitment to the fight against kauri dieback.

Labour will back the work of iwi, of local Councils in the North, Auckland and the Waikato, of the scientists, and the community.

We may never discover a “cure” for kauri dieback.

But we must continue the research that has been started. If we don’t, we may never understand the disease well enough to stop its spread, or limit its effect.

We know that the vectors of the disease are related to human activity – soil carried on the boots of trampers – and introduced species in the case of feral pigs.

We can do something about those things.

The combination of eradicating feral pigs, the phyto-sanitary scrub and spray stations, mapping and surveillance of the trees, and track upgrades and closures – these measures can stop the spread of the disease.

These approaches have been deployed here in the Waitakere Ranges, but they have not been implemented systematically in Waipoua and the rest of the North. Nor in the Waikato.

Which is why this announcement goes further than just rolling over the activities and funding levels of what has been done over the last five years.

We are more than doubling the money the National Government has put into this work.

With $20 million from central government, and we believe another ten can be raised from Councils and other sources, our aim is to generate $30 million so this work can be not just continued but scaled up.

Finally, I want to say that it is appropriate to be making this announcement here today at the McCahon House.

Colin McCahon, our greatest painter, chose to live here among the kauri. He drew inspiration from them. He painted them. In fact he produced more than 50 works with kauri in the title.

The kauri, as McCahon saw, is a part of who we are as New Zealanders.

Saving the species from this disease demands a serious and committed response, and Labour will deliver just that.”

47 comments on “Labour wants to save the Kauri ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. BM 1
    13 April 2014 at 12:48 pm

    From one of your links

    But TV3 announced last night that the Government has given up on funding research because it believes that PTA cannot be eradicated. The Ministry for Primary Industries had previously spent $5 million on research but is not seeking an extension of funding.

    I’m sure the scientists at the Ministry for Primary Industries did not just decide to give up and have given it their best shot.

    Unless Cunnliffe has come into contact with new information or another group of scientists who think this virus can be stopped, he’s once again been a bit less than honest.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 1.1
      13 April 2014 at 12:55 pm

      It’s time for your reality check:

      National Party press release authors ≠ “scientists”.

    • Disraeli Gladstone 1.2
      13 April 2014 at 1:01 pm

      Cunliffe addresses the fact that a cure may not be found:

      “We may never discover a “cure” for kauri dieback.

      But we must continue the research that has been started. If we don’t, we may never understand the disease well enough to stop its spread, or limit its effect.

      We know that the vectors of the disease are related to human activity – soil carried on the boots of trampers – and introduced species in the case of feral pigs.

      We can do something about those things.

      The combination of eradicating feral pigs, the phyto-sanitary scrub and spray stations, mapping and surveillance of the trees, and track upgrades and closures – these measures can stop the spread of the disease.

      These approaches have been deployed here in the Waitakere Ranges, but they have not been implemented systematically in Waipoua and the rest of the North. Nor in the Waikato.”

    • One Anonymous Bloke 1.3
      13 April 2014 at 1:04 pm

      Reality check number two:

      A cursory examination of extant research shows large areas of uncertainty; the disease was not even formally identified until 2008.

      In science, where there’s uncertainty, you do more research. Or if you’re the National Party you cut the funding with an eye to opening up future areas for property development.

    • wtl 1.4
      13 April 2014 at 2:05 pm

      I’m sure the scientists at the Ministry for Primary Industries did not just decide to give up and have given it their best shot.

      Wrong. Here’s a quote from the original TV3 article:

      Scientists say the work they’ve done over the past five years is only now beginning to bear fruit.
      …
      They’re seeking an additional $15 million for research and management of the disease – money they say would be well spent so future generations can enjoy the tree known as the giant of the forest.

      But the Ministry for Primary Industries says it won’t be taking another funding bid to Cabinet, and any future funding will come from existing Budgets.

      So the scientists are asking for an extension of the finding. But the ministry itself (i.e. management) is not making an bid for further funding from the government.

    • mickysavage 1.5
      13 April 2014 at 2:27 pm

      BM

      If you read my previous post there is a lot of work that is occurring which are showing results. The use of Phosphite in particular has produced positive results.

      There is five years of research into the area and a number of dedicated scientists who will lose their ability to continue with their research. It is all out there BM. You should research before you post.

  2. Ad 2
    13 April 2014 at 2:39 pm

    Excellent. A small but significant (dare I say it spiritually important) acknowledgement of our land from Labour.

    But I want Labour to go a whole bunch further, and promise to revive the Department of Conservation from a skeletal and over-reformed institution beholden to corporate sponsorship, to one that honours its terrific staff and rebuilds it to be the primary defender of our birds and forests.

    Then I’ll know they are deeply serious about the environment, right across the system.

  3. Tamati 3
    13 April 2014 at 2:43 pm

    More of an attack on the Greens than the Government. If Labour out Greens the Greens, what is there left for Green voters?

    • Draco T Bastard 3.1
      13 April 2014 at 3:00 pm

      I don’t think that will ever happen. Labour is still too wedded to capitalism and the belief that it needs to destroy the environment to work.

      • Tamati 3.1.1
        13 April 2014 at 3:51 pm

        I don’t really think the Greens are that opposed to the fundamental beliefs of capitalism.

    • mickysavage 3.2
      13 April 2014 at 3:02 pm

      No it is not. I am certain the greens will fully support the proposal. Local greens that I have talked to are more than happy with the proposal.

      • Tamati 3.2.1
        13 April 2014 at 3:44 pm

        Of course the Greens will support this proposal. It’s just the sort of policy designed to suck in environmentalist voters that would naturally lean towards the Greens.

        • felix 3.2.1.1
          13 April 2014 at 7:08 pm

          Or it’s one of many policies that highlight the fact that there is a huge amount of common ground between Labour and the Greens…

  4. Lanthanide 4
    13 April 2014 at 2:44 pm

    Ok good. Now what about jobs?

  5. anon 5
    13 April 2014 at 2:53 pm

    Perhaps some of the vast waste that goes on eco-advertising and eco -brochures eco- festivals and eco- campaigning could go to the scientists . Less eco brain washing and more doing. Neither local or central government need more taxpayers money. Nor a larger percentage spent on the environment. There is a huge share going on environment. We need to use it better.

    • Draco T Bastard 5.1
      13 April 2014 at 3:23 pm

      Less eco brain washing and more doing.

      But you’re more than happy for the capitalist/consumerist brainwashing that goes on costing us billions every year?

      Neither local or central government need more taxpayers money.

      Actually, they probably do so that they can do the things that need to be done. Also, most of the money disappears in interest. Stop paying the banks and rich people so much for doing SFA and we’ll all be better off.

      • anon 5.1.1
        13 April 2014 at 5:54 pm

        “But you’re more than happy for the capitalist/consumerist brainwashing that goes on costing us billions every year? ”
        Hmmm no I never said anything of the sort.

        My comment stands as it was. That there has been vast sums on eco advertising and propoganda using taxpayers money – under the guise of environmentalism – but really campaigning. I could use specific examples. But I think we all know what we’re talking about. I would just like environmental funding used on the environment without all the associated politics. Politics should be funded by supporters.

        • Draco T Bastard 5.1.1.1
          13 April 2014 at 7:03 pm

          Hmmm no I never said anything of the sort.

          You just failed to point out the billions spent on campaigning for capitalism. Several million of which comes out of taxpayer funds. The rest is paid for by the rest of us through the dead-weight loss of profit.

          But I think we all know what we’re talking about.

          No, I think that you’re just making shit up to justify your ideology like most libertarians. The environment really is quite important – without it we all die so protecting it against the ravages of capitalism is really important.

          I would just like environmental funding used on the environment without all the associated politics.

          Society happen to be political – not economic.

    • greywarbler 5.2
      13 April 2014 at 4:27 pm

      anon
      +1

  6. Tracey 6
    13 April 2014 at 4:08 pm

    kauri grove in cornwall park has notices about staying away from kauri roots.

    once a fortnight in summer wedding and other photographers with their clients taking photos and disturbing roots.

    we have really become a selfish and short sighted society.

    • greywarbler 6.1
      13 April 2014 at 4:33 pm

      No Tracey just being human. Appreciating the trees and wanting to have their beauty in the back of wedding photos. And the immediate occasion is at top of the mind, the special situation for the couple and their guests.

      It is not in this frame that the average person starts thinking of kauri dieback disease even if they have heard about it. And the temptation to get close to the majestic trees would probably overcome signs. They would have to be roped off to provide a physical mark of where the public stops.

      More needs to be done in the way of signage. People are not going to suddenly become careful greenies, and that is just how we are. And NZ as a whole country seems to wait for a tragic event to happen before it does preventative stuff.

      • felix 6.1.1
        13 April 2014 at 7:20 pm

        “And the immediate occasion is at top of the mind, the special situation for the couple and their guests.”

        That’s by definition “selfish and short sighted”.

      • Tracey 6.1.2
        14 April 2014 at 7:39 am

        and ignored the notices… there are plenty of trees in cornwall park to choose from.

  7. TightyRighty 7
    13 April 2014 at 4:34 pm

    One day, i wish the Labour Party would do all that the supporters on the standard demand of them if they were in government.

    • Draco T Bastard 7.1
      13 April 2014 at 4:58 pm

      Considering your own ideology of destroying the environment, the economy and society one wonders why you’d be in so total support of policies that do the opposite.

  8. Clean_power 8
    13 April 2014 at 4:48 pm

    I suspect David needs to save his own skin before the kauri.

  9. vto 9
    13 April 2014 at 7:13 pm

    Been planting many kauri down here in Te Waipounamu the last many years – some of them doing very well. Get them in the right spot and they go nuts. Reckon they were plentiful down these parts until the last ice age wiped them out to where they are now, and their spreading by dropping seeds will take to the next ice age for them to return. So, if you lot up in Te Ika-a-Maui ever need any just holler.

    no chedda needed.

    Everyone all over the whole place should just start planting them. They are actually very fast growing, not slow at all, and only take a little space until about the age of 200. Oh, and they are also a very handsome and strong tree.

    Get planting everyone!

    • felix 9.1
      13 April 2014 at 7:26 pm

      Any advice on kauri planting would be much appreciated vto.

      • vto 9.1.1
        13 April 2014 at 7:43 pm

        I am no expert felix, just an avid planter of kauri. Have spoken to experts though, which combined with what I have seen goes like this ….. they have two sets of roots – spreading ones near the surface which do all the feeding, don’t get them excessively wet. Then they have a central tap root which apparently goes deep for the water. Humping and hollowing apparently works for this if you have flat swampyish land. Keep them out of spots which catch the frost, or cool/cold air, like depressions or up against a fence at the bottom of a slope where cold air pools (while they are small anyway). They also have a preference for certain pH in soils which I am not sure of.

        Just had a quick google and there is loads of info available. I have just planted where I have been able to, which is not always best places, and hoped for the best. Some have grown about a foot in ten years (wrong spot), while others have surpassed all the other natives planted at the same time and are gigantic already.

        I just load them in wherever I can. I also give them away as gifts and the like. People always look at me sideways (surprise) but I just encourage them to plant plant plant.

        In the Gardens of Tane in Akaroa there are two kauri planted in, I think, 1954 (they have plaques to commemorate something). Those gardens now have been left to revegetate and have a great deal of bush cover which must help with the very dry conditions and loess soils there, but when they were planted the gardens would have been mown dry grass, and dry dry dry most of the time. These two kauri would have trunks probably the circumstance of a human arm circle and be as high as any other tree in the gardens. All in the most improbable place for them.

        Just plant them felix, plant heaps. If they don’t fire then no loss. And they genuinely take up little space – they grow straight up like a pencil for the first 100-200 years before spreading.

        • vto 9.1.1.1
          13 April 2014 at 7:55 pm

          hee hee … (blush) “These two kauri would have trunks probably the circumstance of a human arm circle and be as high as any other tree in the gardens”

          … the circumference …… what I mean is you can just reach around them with both arms

          and I exaggerate a little on the height, but they are up there with the tallest in those gardens ….

        • vto 9.1.1.2
          13 April 2014 at 8:49 pm

          Oh, and a couple more things…

          They like some shelter from the wind when young (especially cold wind). It was recommended to me that on a larger plantation-type scale cabbage trees are good for this as they provide shelter when younger and then as the kauri get taller the cabbage dies away. I have used any old quick growing native for this, like pittos, though some of the kauris have kept up with the pittos height-wise.

          Also, plant them as smaller plants rather than larger i.e. the ones about 2-3 ft high, not the ones 5-6 or more feet high which need staking. This is a good tip imo – the plants do better.

          They also have a curious growing manner. They will sit dormant for about 4 months and develop a bulbous bud right in the top of the stem/trunk, then all of a sudden this bud will burst out and grow very quickly and tall relative to the plant for about 6 weeks before stopping dormant for the next 4 months or so. It’s great to watch the bulbousing bud and the very rapid growth when it bursts forth. It sprouts usually one set of branches and a tall stem during this growth.

          • felix 9.1.1.2.1
            13 April 2014 at 11:01 pm

            Awesome v, cheers for the tips.

            • Alistair 9.1.1.2.1.1
              14 April 2014 at 4:00 pm

              Kauri are easy to grow and hardy. For larger areas buy 1 or 2yr old seedlings from a specialist native wholesale nursery like the one at maungatapere, pot them up and leave a couple years until a hand’s breadth high then out into the ground among the weeds to protect from drying winds and staked so they can be seen amongst the weeds.

              Young seedlings can be planted straight out rather than in pots first, but need damp/mossy areas for a good survival rate. Once their roots get growing they shouldn’t be disturbed at all. Once established, they grow faster in open areas with good light, but the one thing they hate while small is drying out over summer months from sun/wind.

              Areas with Pungas/tree ferns can be a problem as masses of fallen fronds will smother small kauris, so stakes are essential amongst pungas to identify them until they grow taller, also the pungas shade can make the forest floor too dark for them to flourish.

          • ScottGN 9.1.1.2.2
            14 April 2014 at 9:31 am

            They can’t be as frost-tender as people think either since there is one growing very happily in Queenstown Gardens (albeit not as fast as it might grow up north). I’ve seen it totally weighed down under heavy snow or hard frost or summer drought and it doesn’t seem to mind. It does, however get good wind protection from the Douglas firs that grow all around the end of the gardens.

            • vto 9.1.1.2.2.1
              14 April 2014 at 9:41 am

              Yep, they are truly one of New Zealand’s great species. They are one of the world’s great trees.

              That this National/Act/Maori/UF government will give $400million to farmers irrigation which degrades the environment and pull $5million from saving the kauri says everything anyone needs to know about what they value on our planet. Shameful.

              Shame on National. Shame on Act. Shame on Maori. Shame on United Future.

          • Antonina 9.1.1.2.3
            14 April 2014 at 3:57 pm

            Yes it is great to see that happening from seed collected. Unfortunately one of mine – planted about 40 years ago seems to have succumbed to the disease.

  10. Dennis Scoles 10
    14 April 2014 at 12:08 am

    Labour will have more than kauri dieback to contend with, as the Dept. of Conservation has confirmed to me my fears that two totara trees in Whangarei have a pathogen that the Depart. is looking at that is attacking our totara trees, another icon New Zealander. They say that the disease was first noticed in trees in 2011, and as yet they have not identified it.
    It would seem that our control of pests and diseases is out of control. Add to the two tree diseases, Fruit Fly, Bee Mite, Kiwifruit pathogen, and waterway polution and we may soon no longer be able to claim a ‘Clean Green Image’.
    Dennis Scoles.

    • Tracey 10.1
      14 April 2014 at 9:05 am

      just trees. just bees. nothing to worry about cos we are not part of the ecosystem… oh wait

  11. MrSmith 11
    14 April 2014 at 6:02 pm

    Crocodile tears from a party that supports Mining&Deep sea oil/Gas exploration.

    According to wkik….. we have about 4% for the original forests left and as much as I love the forest and these magnificent trees, stunts like this should be seen for what they are, which looks to me like shameless dog whistling from Labour for the Green vote.

  12. Ian 12
    14 April 2014 at 6:40 pm

    I used to sell a product to Avocado growers who had issues with Phytophthera.
    see
    http://www.biomagic.co.nz/products-horticultural/unloc/

    Maybe something they could use for the kauris…

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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • Melissa Lee and the media: ending the quest
    Chris Trotter writes –  MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago

  • The Hoon around the week to April 19
    TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • The ‘Humpty Dumpty’ end result of dismantling our environmental protections
    Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Nicola's Salad Days.
    I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago

  • Study sees climate change baking in 19% lower global income by 2050
    TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Weekly Roundup 19-April-2024
    It’s Friday again. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week on Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered at the government looking into a long tunnel for Wellington. On Wednesday we ran a post from Oscar Simms on some lessons from Texas. AT’s ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    1 day ago

  • Jack Vowles: Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  The data is from February this ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    1 day ago

  • Clearing up confusion (or trying to)
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago

  • How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log iPhone Without Computer
    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A Step–by–Step Guide Losing your iPhone call history can be frustrating, especially when you need to find a specific number or recall an important conversation. But before you panic, know that there are ways to retrieve deleted call logs on your iPhone, even without a computer. This guide will explore various methods, ranging from simple checks to utilizing iCloud backups and third–party applications. So, let‘s dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. That‘s why they introduced the “Recently Deleted“ folder for various apps, including the Phone app. This folder acts as a safety net, storing deleted call logs for up to 30 days before permanently erasing them. Here‘s how to check it: Open the Phone app on your iPhone. Tap on the “Recents“ tab at the bottom. Scroll to the top and tap on “Edit“. Select “Show Recently Deleted“. Browse the list to find the call logs you want to recover. Tap on the desired call log and choose “Recover“ to restore it to your call history. 2. Restore from iCloud Backup: If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, you might be able to retrieve your deleted call log from a previous backup. However, keep in mind that this process will restore your entire phone to the state it was in at the time of the backup, potentially erasing any data added since then. Here‘s how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose “Erase All Content and Settings“. Follow the on–screen instructions. Your iPhone will restart and show the initial setup screen. Choose “Restore from iCloud Backup“ during the setup process. Select the relevant backup that contains your deleted call log. Wait for the restoration process to complete. 3. Explore Third–Party Apps (with Caution): ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How to Factory Reset iPhone without Computer: A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring your Device
    Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • How to Call Someone on a Computer: A Guide to Voice and Video Communication in the Digital Age
    Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
    Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications: Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
    The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
    Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
    Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
    A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    2 days ago

  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    2 days ago

  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

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

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

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

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    4 days ago

  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago

  • PM’s South East Asia mission does the business
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago

  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
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