Landlord lobby group hopes National Government will ditch warm flat requirement

Written By: - Date published: 8:49 am, September 7th, 2020 - 56 comments
Categories: housing, housing insulation, national, poverty, same old national, uncategorized - Tags:

I suspect this is not the sort of endorsement that is actually helpful.

But a landlords’ organisation has told their members to hold off making their flats warmer and drier until after the election.

From Ben Leahy at the Herald:

Landlords should wait to see if National wins October’s election before spending money refitting their rentals up to new heating standards, a lobby group for property owners says.

The comments by the NZ Property Investors Federation have been labelled “deeply disappointing” by the Labour Party and questioned by the Real Estate Institute and the NZ Green Building Council.

The advice comes after National under new leader Judith Collins confirmed to the Herald it would tear up new Healthy Homes standards recently brought in by the Labour-led Government.

The standards require – from July 1, 2021 – that all rentals be fitted with insulation, heating and ventilation within 90 days of an existing tenant renewing their lease or a new tenant moving in.

Spokesperson Andrew King presents the proposal as giving tenants more choice.

King said he would personally install a heat pump straight away if his tenant wanted it and was willing to pay a higher rent because the tenant was the customer and needed pleasing.

Kris Faafoi’s response is typically blunt:

I would find it deeply disappointing if landlords were being given advice to hold off work that ensures they are providing safe, dry, healthy accommodation for fellow New Zealanders on the basis that a more malleable government might get into power and scrap basic standards that would see New Zealand’s poor track record on healthy housing vastly improved”.

The state of some of our rental properties is appalling and contributes significantly to adverse health and education outcomes for too many of our children.  The greater good argument behind the reforms is overwhelming, or should be unless you are missing a heart.

Andrew King’s endorsement of National’s policies is actually doing the left a favour.  He is clearly showing who is looking after the interests of landlords and the interests of ordinary people.

56 comments on “Landlord lobby group hopes National Government will ditch warm flat requirement ”

  1. tc 1

    You've nailed it Mickey as one for those 'missing a heart' which befits the image Jude's projecting.

  2. Ad 2

    A great time to knock on doors and ask for a vote.

  3. Sabine 3

    The standards require – from July 1, 2021 – that all rentals be fitted with insulation, heating and ventilation within 90 days of an existing tenant renewing their lease or a new tenant moving in.

    is this enforced by government or is it like the insulation warmer house (Since 1 July 2019, ceiling and underfloor insulation is compulsory in all rental homes where it is reasonably practicable to install. It must comply with the regulations and be safely installed.) where the tenant is supposed to enforce it by complaining to the Tenancy Tribunal when the Landlord does not fit the insulation/fan? And was that extended out to 21? I thought these were to be done by 2019? Different rule?

    https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/maintenance-and-inspections/insulation/#:~:text=Insulation%20is%20now%20compulsory%20in,regulations%20and%20be%20safely%20installed.

    “If tenants think their rental property doesn’t meet the insulation requirements, they should talk to their landlord first. If they can’t resolve the issue themselves, there are several options available, including mediation.”

    edit:add link

    • RedLogix 3.1

      The term "reasonably practicable to install" is an important consideration. Not all buildings can be easily retrofitted with insulation that fully complies with the current standards.

      For instance cathedral ceilings where it would require either the removal of the roof, or the complete reinstallation of a new lower false ceiling are major expenses. Or where the existing ceiling has beams or wooden features that should be retained, but make installing new insulation very hard. There are dozens of examples of why it's not always practical to retrofit an older building to fully comply. It may well be possible to make worthwhile improvements, but demanding every home built in NZ over the last century or more, suddenly perform like it was built last year is not reasonable.

      And adding more insulation is not always the whole answer. As it happens we have two older units side by side and some years back we went to the expense of adding full spec insulation to the walls to one of them as I was rennovating it. I have to say the end result was disappointing, I could never really tell the difference between the two.

      I fully support the idea of improving building performance across the board, but a 'one size fits all' regulatory approach is going to get push back from the many cases where the fit is a bad one.

      • Sabine 3.1.1

        so many words, so little meaning.

        I repeat it again so that you understand

        is this the same rule that was set about a few years ago and did it get extended

        is this to be enforced by the tenant in absence of Government?

        but i play your game, how many Cathedrals serve as rentals for the very poor and the soon to be very poor?

        but Churches that have been converted by private owners somehow can have insulation. SO maybe its not that it is too hard, its just that some don't want to upgrade their hovels form the 18th century into the 21th century cause profits.

        https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/renovations/103625196/three-kiwi-families-and-their-divine-church-conversions

        have a lovely day Red.

        • RedLogix 3.1.1.1

          A 'cathedral ceiling' is a building term that has nothing to do with converted churches. It's the very common arrangement where instead of having a flat ceiling with a large void above, instead the sloping roof rafter beams are left exposed as a feature and the ceiling boards are fixed above them.

          Another term is 'vaulted ceiling'. They can be very fancy, but they're also very common in all types and standards of building.

        • Sacha 3.1.1.2

          is this the same rule that was set about a few years ago

          No. This is what comes next.

      • Draco T Bastard 3.1.2

        It may well be possible to make worthwhile improvements, but demanding every home built in NZ over the last century or more, suddenly perform like it was built last year is not reasonable.

        Yes, even houses have a use by date. If a house can't be brought up to modern standards then its use by date has obviously passed and it should be torn down. Doing so would be cheaper for the community in the long run.

        And, no, that's not an excuse for landlords to demand a profit from government largess.

        • RedLogix 3.1.2.1

          If a house can't be brought up to modern standards then its use by date has obviously passed and it should be torn down.

          That would include a lot of buildings dating from the 70's and 80's.

          And the reality of rentals is that many are buildings that are in the last 20% or so of their economic life. Many landlords actually invest quite extensively in renovating their older units, and while it's reasonable to demand that they are improved, to insist they must all be brought up to 2020 standards is not always practical.

          • Draco T Bastard 3.1.2.1.1

            That would include a lot of buildings dating from the 70's and 80's.

            I've lived in houses from that era – many had a use by date sometime in the 1990s. The shortcuts used while building them have left them as death traps. I have seen places where structural walls didn't have the necessary structure. In one place one of the structural walls was, quite literally, hanging from the ceiling while being propped up by the gibboard and, yes, it had been like that from new.

            Many landlords actually invest quite extensively in renovating their older units,

            Many do but, from what we're seeing in the news, many more don't.

            to insist they must all be brought up to 2020 standards is not always practical.

            If it's not practical to bring them up to modern standards then they're past their use by date as they are, quite simply, not suitable for living in. That's really what the standards are for, to define what is the minimum standard for a house to be lived in.

            • RedLogix 3.1.2.1.1.1

              And what are we to do about the very large number of privately owned homes that do not meet 2020 standards? Give them all 90 days to get up to spec or throw the occupiers out into the street?

              FFS there is a reason why improved building code standards are not necessarily made retrospective.

          • Ad 3.1.2.1.2

            One of our rentals is from the 1880s and it now needs re-pointing in places. But the timber in the basement is from an old ship so it's Ironwood or Jarrah or something ridiculously dense. It's due for a good-sized revival so there's a fair bit of money going into it in the next three months.

            Another one is from 1970 and it's brick with concrete block base. Even that one needs a bit of pointing now. But otherwise it's carpet and a new washing machine.

            Most householders struggle to keep up their existing one house given how expensive upgrades are now – even the minimum 5% of the value of the house per year isn't really affordable now.

            I got through a fair bit of my annual maintenance list for our main house in Level 4 lockdown, but that was still doing something on the list every day.

      • bwaghorn 3.1.3

        I've pink batted 3 house with no crawl space . It's not a big job to take off the iron install the batts and ut it back on . Of course paying a pro will come with the added cost of scaffolding but it ain't that hard.

        • Draco T Bastard 3.1.3.1

          Walls are the hard part but even that's not hard any more.

          Of course, that won’t help if the walls are rotten which can be a high probability for older homes, say, from the 1970s/80s.

          • infused 3.1.3.1.1

            that stuffs shit. you can't run any wires once thats put in place.

            • Muttonbird 3.1.3.1.1.1

              As if landlords do any work on their houses.

              That’s not the Kiwi way.

            • Draco T Bastard 3.1.3.1.1.2

              Well, you can, depending on if there's underfloor space or an attic to run the wires in. Just means that the connection boxes are going to be on the wall rather than in it and the wires running in some sort of channelling up/down the wall. Won't look the best, but it would still work.

  4. "Landlord lobby group hopes National Government will ditch warm home requirement"

    Its a 'rental' or 'flat' to the landlord and homeowner class..its 'home' to the life time renters….maybe if we started acknowledging that fact then the conversation (and maybe …action) around housing could finally start moving forward at something other than a (pre global warming) glacial pace.

    Language matters.

  5. Tiger Mountain 5

    As if any more evidence was needed that neo rentiers with their “ex staties”, and some professional landlords too, have really got it in for tenants. Recall when student allowances were raised by $50pw? Within hours certain Wellington Student accomodation prices rose by $50pw!

    Rent Control now!

    Massive State house and apartment build now!

    • Draco T Bastard 5.1

      Massive State house and apartment build now!

      This.

      We actually need enough state housing to replace all present rentals.

      • millsy 5.1.1

        You would think that private landlords would be on board with more state housing, given that the lumpenproetarians they complain about, would be in the state houses and not tarnishing their retirement investment portfolios.

    • bwaghorn 5.2

      I bet not one person has ever thought 'I want to buy a rental because I care about people that need to rent' it's always about making a $ or paying the bills while you are of6 doing something else.

  6. Tricledrown 6

    Yeah that is utopic dreaming unfortunately.

    A combination of a capital gains tax ,a building warrant of fitness,building more state houses,building more affordable houses,having a one stop building code/development/resource consent,engineering/architectural certificates.

    Is desperately needed.past efforts of building large numbers of state houses in one area has lead to longterm endemic poverty.

    Their needs to be a balance for the best outcomes.

    • left_forward 6.1

      Really hard to follow your sentence construction – but if I get it, then I don't!

      Caring for your fellow human beings is not uncommon – doing the right thing is not some unattainable ideal – just do it FFS.

  7. Cricklewood 7

    All well in good installing heat pumps but gotta make sure people can actually afford to turn them on first…

    • greywarshark 7.1

      Yes Cricklewood – the most important thing, and this rarely gets mentioned! When it comes to warm houses, because of concerns about I think P10 pollution in the air and bad health for the chesty, we end up with solutions that tick the boxes, but don’t warm the fingers. Smoke and mirrors!

    • Shanreagh 7.2

      Great point. I am ever hopeful that there will be the appetite from Govt to undo the energy 'reforms' (Bradford's bulldust) where there is every person and their dogs clipping the ticket between the power creators and the power users. Many home owners have to watch energy consumption very carefully so no different from their neighbours who rent.

      This is long overdue and a large elephant in the room for many households.

      When we were discussing the Tiwai situation a few months ago a poster had the idea that this power could be used to lessen the cost of power to Southlanders and Otago residents to provide a welcome attraction/incentive for people to move there. Treating people equally when their circumstances are not equal is the very worst response but this is what happens. For people to live in warm houses down south costs much more than in Auckland yet energy costs the same more or less.

      We also need to get rid of the faddism that is our response to energy use. Since I have been a homeowner in Wellington (40 years) we have gone from gas everything to wood burners to heat pumps and now to solar. Typically these heat one or two rooms optimally. Meantime no research is being done on whole house heating systems (say boilers/radiators) so that the costs to install can come down, nor working out how to retrofit villas close to the ground so that black plastic can be used, let alone under floor insulation. This has been my cracked record for the last 30 or so years.

      Of course if we were to develop whole house heating systems to suit our housing stock we still have to be able to afford to pay for it out of household budgets.

  8. greywarshark 8

    Pretty stark evidence of the 'climate' we are in.

  9. Tricledrown 9

    DTB it's much cheaper to bring most houses up to modern standards than demolish and rebuild.

    Consenting and design costs start at $150,000 before any work is started then the cost of demolition $25,000 plus.

    More than a major renovation repiling proofing recladding etc.

    Older houses are built better than most modern houses especially since the destruction of the building code in 1991 by National and subsequent tinkering by both Labour and National.

    Leaky buildings is a $50 billion problem that hasn't been fixed yet.

    The building code only requires the workmanship and materials to be guaranteed for 10 yrs when in the old days a house was made to last 50 years most lasting more than a 100 with regular maintenance!

    I have a 135 year old house it has had about $60,000 dollars of work done on it another $40,000 to be spent .For me to build an equivalent new home would cost over $550 ,000. Its built of rimu and Kauri timber which is far stronger and more durable than any modern timbers.

    • Climaction 9.1

      lol. modern timbers.

    • Draco T Bastard 9.2

      it's much cheaper to bring most houses up to modern standards than demolish and rebuild.

      For most its an option. For those it isn't then the house needs to come down and be replaced because doing so will be cheaper in the long run with healthier families living in them.

      The building code only requires the workmanship and materials to be guaranteed for 10 yrs when in the old days a house was made to last 50 years most lasting more than a 100 with regular maintenance!

      Yes, the continuing cheapness that modern capitalists demand so as to make a higher profit. Pine used to be grown for thirty years before it was cut so it would be suitable for building as the wood gets stronger as the trees age. Now it's down to 18 as there's more profit in it.

      Could you imagine the people own the forests waiting 400 years for rimu to mature so that we could have good timber to build our homes?

  10. Byd0nz 10

    Better to have a Govt that would regulate rent to match a tenants income with any landlord disagreeing, buy the property off them and add it to Gvt housing stock. Who needs more than one house anyway.

    • Michael 10.1

      Couldn't agree more. Govt needs to drive slumlords out of business altogether not make excuses for them and passing laws they have no intention of enforcing.

    • greywarshark 10.2

      One of the problems with treating rentals as cash cows, is the expectation of what would be considered a 'good' return. Buy it cheap, and charge market rates would be beaut for a while. But then because it was cheap and not in good order, money has to be spent on it. The landlord is not prepared to take a drop in his return in order to bring the house up to reasonable standard, he wants to keep milking the property and the tenant. So the place deteriorates if there is no government intervention to ensure repairs and maintenance are carried out.

      The other thing is that with the rising prices in the house market, a property can be revalued each year and the rent expected being set at a percentage of valuation, must go up to meet this required return. If house rents had provision that they must be worked out on historical value plus work carried out, that would lead to a much lower rent.

      At present the ability to raise the rents at will, for no extra expenditure except perhaps rising rates, makes housing very attractive. The ability to get increased profit for no outlay encourages more people into the housing market, demand pushes up prices, increasing values push up rents and there is a nasty feedback loop here. Government must take steps to stop this loathsome business practice – they must control this swingeing, financial finagling.

  11. Cricklewood 11

    Pretty much, I can picture politicians patting themselves on the back at getting Slum Lords in say Cannons Creek to install heat pumps. Then wandering off saying Job well done we've made those homes so much healthier with barely any thought given to the fact the Tennant's wont be able to afford running them.

  12. Michael 12

    Landlords don't have too much to fear from Labour govts either. As someone earlier in the thread pointed out, there's no appetite to actually enforce any of these new requirements by government so the status quo will continue.

  13. mpledger 13

    The thing is that any improvements are not just for the current tenants but for all subsequent tenants. To say that they shouldn't have to put in a heat pump/insulation etc because this tenant doesn't want it, doesn't mean the next tenants won't desperately need it.

  14. RosieLee 14

    1+v

  15. RosieLee 15

    ‘I don’t want a heat pump’ said no rental tenant ever.
    Well, this tenant is really concerned. My place is warm and dry, insulated to the new standard, and I keep it well-ventilated. I live in a temperate climate and seldom have to use my heater in winter. I do not want a heat pump and I cannot afford anything which may cause the rent to rise.
    Surely this can be dealt with on a case by case basis.

  16. Cricklewood 16

    Perhaps, but I'll bet we see the market flooded with cheap heat pumps that are poorly suited to NZ conditions and the houses they are trying to heat.

    Basically these requirements are a shitty bandaid trying to cover the fact Slum Lords only exist because successive govts have failed to build social housing instead fisting over huge amounts to the slum lords by way of accommodation supplements etc.

    Its a massive wealth transfer to the landlord class and it needs a Labour Green govt that are prepared to really transformative in terms of social housing. Given Labours track record since Lange I dont think its likely.

    • RosieLee 16.1

      Absoeffinlutely.

    • Foreign waka 16.2

      Yep, that is sadly true. It seems there is a lot of talk but no action. We do know that laws can be pushed through within 24 hours, don't we. So one could argue that decisive action is actually possible. Of cause only if it helps with public relations and the right audience.

    • millsy 16.3

      Heat pumps are a scam as far as I am concerned. In my experience they are hugely expensive to run.

      • Shanreagh 16.3.1

        And that is the crux of the problem. No matter how the upgrade happens and with what, heat pumps still cost money to run, ie to bring out any benefit of having a heat pump you still have to pay for it. Our energy costs are horrendous. As I said above the energy market is a mass/mess of ticket clippers all the way through with cost & several pluses then left to the poor, in many cases literally, consumer to pay. This hang-over from the time of Max Bradford needs a serious political investigation.

        If this is the current mode/fad then at least make it economic for tenants & people on fixed incomes to afford. If we can make it affordable for all then so much the better.

  17. Austringer 17

    One of my lads got this one Bedroom flat last year, in a long, ago homestead home converted years back into five flats of differing size. His, One bedroom flat cost him $260.00. PER WEEK, with exploit bonded cost added and agents fee on top. This agent assured my lad, the place has been re-decorated with new carpet and shower replacing the old outdated bath. So, my lad, dad come and see my new flat, well I ask, did they import the painters, being a retired Tradesperson, the painting cheap water paint, one coat all over every room, rolled with a heavy pelt roller, shocking, then the refurbished ex bath now shower room, hot water trickle full blast cold water. Where is the hot water tank son, in the hall, so open the cupboard on the floor is the water tank from day one of the building!s birth. So gets on the phone sitting in the lounge looking to talk to the agent to find who owns this tenement that would if brick not be found out of place in Glasgow!s Gorbals of the sixties, that!s private commercial information that I cannot share. Where is the heating for this slum, where is the hot water pressure for this slum, I ask the owners about these things he says but it!s up to them to alter these faults says this land agent, I can!t force them, then why advertise this modern renovated flat. My lad is back home with me this winter, and I see this tenement in it!s entirety is on the market.

    .

  18. NZ has too many amateur landlords who don't know wtf they are doing, view tenants with hate and suspicion, and don't want to pay a cent to maintain their property to a habitable standard. We need a "Rental home standards" agency that inspects properties and helps landlords to comply with the law. And if they fail to comply then face penalties. This agency should carry out random checks, or checks on request of landlord or tenant. Remove any right of the landlord to enter the property. Take the owner/ renter asymmetric power dynamic out of the equation and have the relationship managed by a government agency

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    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 ...
    19 hours 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 ...
    19 hours 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, ...
    19 hours 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, ...
    19 hours 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
    19 hours 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
    20 hours 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
    23 hours 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
    23 hours 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
    23 hours 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
    1 day 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 ...
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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 ...
    1 day 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
    1 day 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 ...
    1 day ago
  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 days ago
  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 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 ...
    3 days ago
  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    3 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
    3 days ago
  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    3 days ago
  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    3 days ago
  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    4 days ago
  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    5 days ago
  • Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts

    Cats, with their independent spirit and beguiling purrs, have captured the hearts of humans for millennia. In New Zealand, felines are no exception, boasting the highest national cat ownership rate globally [definition cat nz cat foundation]. An estimated 1.134 million pet cats grace Kiwi households, compared to 683,000 dogs ...

    5 days ago
  • Or is that just they want us to think?
    Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Did global warming stop in ...
    6 days ago
  • Arguing over a moot point.
    I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    Turning Point: What has turned me away from the mainstream news media is the very strong message that its been sending out for the last few years.” “And what message might that be?” “That the people who own it, the people who run it, and the people who provide its content, really don’t ...
    6 days ago
  • Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
    No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago
  • Sad tales from the left
    Michael Bassett writes –  Have you noticed the odd way in which the media are handling the government’s crackdown on surplus employees in the Public Service? Very few reporters mention the crazy way in which State Service numbers rocketed ahead by more than 16,000 during Labour’s six years, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • 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
    2 hours 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
    13 hours ago
  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    2 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
    2 days ago
  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.    “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
    New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Joint US and NZ declaration
    April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research.   “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government redress for Te Korowai o Wainuiārua
    The Government is continuing the bipartisan effort to restore its relationship with iwi as the Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Claims Settlement Bill passed its first reading in Parliament today, says Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith. “Historical grievances of Te Korowai o Wainuiārua relate to 19th century warfare, land purchased or taken ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Focus on outstanding minerals permit applications
    New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals is working to resolve almost 150 outstanding minerals permit applications by the end of the financial year, enabling valuable mining activity and signalling to the sector that New Zealand is open for business, Resources Minister Shane Jones says.  “While there are no set timeframes for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Applications open for NZ-Ireland Research Call
    The New Zealand and Irish governments have today announced that applications for the 2024 New Zealand-Ireland Joint Research Call on Agriculture and Climate Change are now open. This is the third research call in the three-year Joint Research Initiative pilot launched in 2022 by the Ministry for Primary Industries and Ireland’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Tenancy rules changes to improve rental market
    The coalition Government has today announced changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to encourage landlords back to the rental property market, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “The previous Government waged a war on landlords. Many landlords told us this caused them to exit the rental market altogether. It caused worse ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Boosting NZ’s trade and agricultural relationship with China
    Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay will visit China next week, to strengthen relationships, support Kiwi exporters and promote New Zealand businesses on the world stage. “China is one of New Zealand’s most significant trade and economic relationships and remains an important destination for New Zealand’s products, accounting for nearly 22 per cent of our good and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Freshwater farm plan systems to be improved
    The coalition Government intends to improve freshwater farm plans so that they are more cost-effective and practical for farmers, Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay have announced. “A fit-for-purpose freshwater farm plan system will enable farmers and growers to find the right solutions for their farm ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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