Here's just one illustration of how we in New Zealand are shameful laggards in de-fossilising our transport: Norway new vehicle sales are around 60% pure battery, and another 20% plug-in hybrid. In the overall fleet, pure battery and plug-in hybrids are up to about 20%. Dino-juice is well on its way out, in Norway.
We really need to sort out issues such as the scheduled application of road user charges to electric vehicles at the end of this year. Applying RUC of nearly 8 cents/km to electric vehicles would remove any fuel cost savings from going electric. I recently took on a project that's turned into fairly regular part-time employment, which is a 100km round-trip for me.
So instead of using my dear old Landie, I went looking for something a bit … more environmentally and fiscally and socially aware. (No, public transport is nowhere even remotely close to viable for this commute). I could just barely make the range of a second generation Leaf work, if I plugged in to charge at work. But I ended up getting a Honda Fit hybrid, and the petrol cost is less than just the RUC costs alone would be on a Leaf if they end up imposed on schedule, without even considering the charging cost.
In terms of new electric vehicles, there's a lot more choice coming at us really fast. At the moment, the lowest price new EV in NZ is the MG ZS ev, at just under $50k. But BYD are saying they are planning to sell their EA1 in Oz for under 35k dingodollars, so probably around the $40 mark here.
Camrys are much bigger than I like for daily use. I've still got the Landie for the big jobs, few as they may be.
I was a bit wary of potential reliability with the Fit, but everything I found online indicated the only real issues were with control software in the earliest models, which were quickly sorted with a software update.
I came close to going for a Prius plug-in, but the extra size and budget stretch needed, and that the pure-electric range would only cover about 1/4 of my km and the open road economy wasn't as good as the Fit, combined to tip it to the Fit. Besides, Prius. But if the pure-electric range covered my daily needs, then I would probably have gone for the Prius PHV, Prius image issues and size notwithstanding.
But jeez, I didn't think driving on pure electric would be as nice as it is. Wafting along at 50kmh or 90kmh with zero engine noise or vibration – it's bliss. It's super disappointing it only lasts a km or two on the flat before the engine has to fire up again. If that BYD EA1 actually does land here under $40k, I might end up breaking a lifetime habit of buying cheap cars and driving them til they're dead ten-ish years later, and spring for one.
Toyota Yaris 1.6 hybrid car or suv. Under $30k does 2.3litres to 100k ( that's about a third of the normal petrol usage – doesn't need to be plugged in. But I think they might be difficult to get hold of.
"There’s an EV mode but don’t get too excited. The owner’s manual suggests there’s a maximum electric-only range of only 1km (yep, a single, miserable kilometre…) and that it could be as little as a few hundred metres."
I have a larger toyota hybrid that uses about 60% of petrol a non hybrid uses and that's better than their literature suggests. I struggled to make sense of the article?? Toyota suggest the yaris uses about 1/3 of the petrol equivalent so that shouldn't be too far out? I'm not clear about why the article talks about only going 1km – seems kinda irrelevant. Otherwise it's up to the next in the range the Corolla.
Hybrids seem to be quite a good intermediate stage especially for people at the far end of the current battery distance ranges.
It's a middle class dilemma. I don't know what the average spend is on a car in NZ – from a quick look I can't find it. But I'd wager it's well under $20k and may be under $15K, The used hybrids and EVs at this price range are fairly old and and have issues (real or imagined) with range and/or battery life. Buyers who can't afford to make a bad economic decision are leery of them. You might, as Ad suggested, find a reliable used Camry hybrid or similar in this price range that you are prepared to take a punt on in terms of battery life. It will be years though before used Kia and Hyundai hybrids and the like turn up at this price, and the same issues will apply.
But even the middle class is being rorted – the price of new hybrids and EVs has been cynically jacked up sky-high. So that they make no economic sense for the buyer because the fuel savings don't cover the higher purchase price. And sitting in the background is inflated housing prices and the huge mortgages that have to be serviced – how long before this sucks middle class discretionary spending out of other sectors, or are people just expected to pile up more personal debt to save the planet with a flash EV?
I significantly stretched my usual budget and spent $10.5k on a 2014 model with 92500 km. I found precisely zero online chatter about battery degradation on Honda hybrids, unlike the plethora of online chatter about degradation in Prius Ni-MH batteries and Leaf batteries.
Even if the battery does degrade significantly, it's only going to have a tiny effect on fuel economy. It will still eliminate all the fuel waste sitting at lights, most of the fuel waste in stop-start traffic. It still has the Atkinson cycle engine, and the electric motor will still cover for the lowish torque at low to medium engine speeds characteristic of Atkinson cycle engines. It just won't be able to store quite as much from regenerative braking and going down hills, but that's only a small part of how it enables better economy.
Interesting facts Andre – every bit of info about EVs is new to me and I hope I will gradually get informed. Though can't afford one and am attached to old 1989 Toyota which I have insured for about $1000, third party.
It's a new language, eh.
I'm hoping when the time comes to replace my current suzuki 50cc, there will be some suzuki electric equivalents in a similar price range – currently the electrics I have searched online have been about twice the price. But I long for the day I can tootle around town without the engine noise, lol
Lack of engine noise will mean pedestrians having to be specially careful. Get forgetful and the car wil be onyou before you think to look, having not heard.
Mine is quiet but you do get used to looking for people who haven't heard. Much like the overseas tourists that used to be around Wellington looking the wrong way around before they step out.
I drive a black Leaf. My friends call it the Black Ninja, the way it sneaks up on people at the curb. One is therefore careful lest the paintwork be blemished. Later Leafs I believe make noises to alert pedestrians of their presence. I have toyed with the idea of recording my son-in-law's Harley and piping that through external speakers mounted in a pipe where the exhaust would be……
I have heard that some common hybrids can have the battery unit checked and as its made up of a number of cells they can find the cells that are worst of and only replace them
This is what the Prius looks like and others will be similar
I was wondering why they didn't do that. For some, a new battery costs as much as a new car. A cell servicing every 20,000km would be an affordable alternative.
I've looked into replacing cells they have to be the same age you can't just put new cells in.you can buy reconditioned complete packs for about a third of the new price.
They are fairly easy to change out the complete pack but the dealer's charge $1200 plus for an hrs work and will only put in new batteries.
Sorry Weka but in the box where my name appears it keeps reverting to tricledrownk no matter how many times I correct it.any suggestions on how I can correct this.i clear the box restore even the auto name feature comes up as Tricledrown then it reverts back to Tricledrownk.
Let's see if we can sort this out. What device are you using and what browser?
Can you please clarify if you can manually edit your name each time (and the problem is that it won't 'stick')? I'm seeing comments from you in the past week as Tricledrownk and Tricledrown. Why is that?
There is a lot of online chatter about hybrid battery degradation – most of it is simply ignorant. If they were so bad would you see so many taxis in Auckland that are hybrid? There are heaps of Prius, Aqua, and Corolla etc. around now. I have had a hybrid (2005 Prius) for 8 years now (1st NZ owner with 37k on the clock – now 150k). It has been the most reliable car I have ever owned and the only battery replacement has been the auxiliary which was 15 years old. Still returns 4.5 l /100km as it did when first bought. Basically halved my emission profile. Now looking to upgrade to something even more efficient.
Again there is virtually no public transport around here and we have to travel regularly at least 150k (300k return) way beyond the range of a Leaf. Friend had one for a while but was lucky enough to upgrade to a Tesla. I have to admit I had some difficulty with the 10th commandment* on first sight.
Yep, it is rare for a Prius battery to crap out. Most of the articles that went into actual detail showed the car was doing Star Trek mileages, and/or extreme temperatures.
But still, I took the complete absence of complaints about Fit batteries to be a good sign, when compared to the cornucopia of complaints about such rare problems that occurred in the Prius batteries.
Andre – I don't want to down the argument for EV but there are 2 glaring issues:
1/ what is NZ going to do with some 2.5 million cars that actually cannot be converted but became instant trash
2/ Batteries, the amount of raw material -Lithium, nickel and cobalt are the key metals used to make those batteries – is being mined in poor countries the activity is devastating on the environment. The issue of disposal is not solved. Funny how this is being advertised as a environmentally better solution. This is ruining the environment in larger proportions and faster. But of cause its not at our doorstep.
My take is nothing really has changed, the emperor has new clothes and we now poison the soil until we cant grow food anymore. The drive to self destruction has not been broken at all. The run for profits is selling the average punter that buying an extraordinary expensive car is so much better. But really it isn't.
The 2.5 million existing ICE vehicles will end the same way as all almost all the other vehicles disposed of up til now. They will be crushed and/or shredded, and sent off to be recycling.
Battery recycling is entirely feasible, and is starting to become an actual thing now that significant quantities of end-of-life batteries are becoming available. Here's just one effort: https://insideevs.com/features/441524/tesla-jb-straubel-future-battery-recycling/ There's plenty more going on, you just need to make a very minimal effort to educate yourself.
If you had actually fully read my original post, you might have come to the last paragraph where I specifically addressed the cobalt and nickel issues. A lot of the new EVs use battery chemistries that don't use cobalt or nickel. The most popular alternative is lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP), as used in BYD vcars and trucks and buses and dome of Tesla's made in China models.. These weren't preferred a few years ago because of lower energy density, but with improvements in battery technology they are now better than the best cobalt and nickel batteries were just a few years ago. As well as being much longer lasting.
Middle class dilemma now, everyone's dilemma eventually if we want to let catastrophic climate change happen. Someone has to step up and effect change. Or not I guess, and we let everything burn to the ground. Are we going to take this seriously or not?
(It will be a long time before I can afford an EV, I'm relying on the middle classes to bring the price down).
(It will be a long time before I can afford an EV, I'm relying on the middle classes to bring the price down).
i guess that will be the problem if the middle class has got no money to spend on an overpriced EV. In my circle of people i know absolutly no one who owns a car that has cost more then 5 grand, if people do own a new car its Lease plan via work.
That is what i hope is that the people who drive gasguzzlers now for work in work vehicle will get the EVs first, and that that hopefully brings the price down for all. If it does not, which also would not surprise me those that are not in a rich enough class to afford one of these vehicles will have to content with a. walk (for those that can), b. cycle (for those that can), c. public transport (where it exists) and the rest is shit outta luck.
I suspect the issue isn’t going to be ev affordability but lack of other solutions. PT, cycle infrastructure, relocalising services and work, train network, and so on.
I guess it will be both. A large number of cars in NZ are business cars, i expect these to be EV when that becomes mandatory. Then there are those that already have them or will upgrade and can either afford it outright, or slap the car on the mortgage.
how the lower income to poor people are to afford these vehicles i have no idea.
I know a few people that are scared of this day for exactly this reason. But i expect the government to give tax incentives to those that can afford these cars to reaise 'interest' and 'uptake' and then for those that can't afford it, sucks to be them.
We will end up affording them same as we do with ice cars now, second hand resale and imports.
But I don’t think we can see how it will work because it hasn’t happened before and we will have to transition off the kind of car use and reliance we have now into a different kind of society. Not many people with good vision on that, relatively. Yet.
I am staggered that over 20,000 extra cars were put on our roads in May alone. Weka's link is all gung-ho about sales, but gives no figure for the number of old cars taken off the road.
I doubt if that number would get to 10,000. Can anyone reassure me?
If we are constantly putting far more cars onto the roads than we are taking off, the matter of how many are hybrid is irrelevant. We will always be worsening our carbon footprint.
And gridlock will spread everywhere. Not even national's big road-building programmes will prevent gridlock everywhere.
Nobody seems to be doing any planning or intervention on how many vehicles are being put onto our roads each year compared to how many are taken off .
Sheer stupidity, unless I am wrong in assuming that fewer vehicles are being taken off.
As far as I can tell, all those graphs show increasing numbers of vehicles, with no indication of whether we are taking any vehicles off the road at all.
Changing to more fuel-efficient vehicles does not help our carbon footprint if we are constantly putting more vehicles onto our roads than we are taking off.
There is information about new registrations in LTSA data, as well as some downloadable datasets.
If you're just guesstimating, then basically you can look at the charts with new and renewed registrations, particularly light passenger vehicles. The line (total vehicles) is going up, but if the "existing" point for 2015 is lower than the "new plus existing" in 2014, then some cars have gone off the road.
EVs are spiking, but as a proportion of the fleet larger engined "light passenger vehicles" have also increased regularly over 40 years. I'm thinking SUVs.
But EV tech seems to be maturing quickly, and buses are increasing in number quickest of all, so, it's not all bleak. But it is complex, and easy to focus on the wood instead of all the trees.
It's difficult to find because it's a particularly niche piece of data, and there are many twigs to examine, and sometimes one needs to be familiar with data collections and the mindset of data collators to know how to search for a particular twig.
Most things are available, it's just a case of figuring out who has it and where to find it and how to get it. Organisations literally have people highly trained at doing exactly that. And nosy fellows like me watching them do it.
If you go to Weka's link, select "2019 annual fleet statstics", and "view sections", you can download a pdf report and an xlsx workbook. I believe you're after sheet 5.1 in the workbook.
BUT
the report is more helpful. There are more cars with bigger engines, but per capita travel in those vehicles is lower and the CO2 emissions of those vehicles is also lower than older vehicles.
I bought a 4-door 1.2 litre Suzuki Swift new for $20k 3 years ago. It runs on the smell of an oily rag and compares well in terms of emissions with somewhat larger EV's. Suzuki now make a hybrid Swift which I think is $26k new and has even lower emissions.
Hi Andre, it is laudable that car manufactures offer EV's.
I have some questions though.
Lets say we have some
As at 31 May 2021
As at 31 May 2021Vehicle TypeTotal5,493,773AGRICULTURAL MACHINE2,849ATV8,109BUS32,796GOODS VAN/TRUCK/UTILITY806,577HIGH SPEED AGRICULTURAL VEHICLE144MOBILE MACHINE23,500MOPED31,618MOTOR CARAVAN48,229MOTORCYCLE167,758PASSENGER CAR/VAN3,505,856SPECIAL PURPOSE VEHICLE3,315TRACTOR45,923TRAILER NOT DESIGNED FOR H/WAY USE980TRAILER/CARAVAN816,119
If the point you're trying to make is that there are lots of other kinds of vehicles that are also fossil-fueled, all I can suggest is pick whatever class of vehicle you're interested, and search for electric [whatever kind of vehicle you're interested in].
Come on ACT and/or the Green Party! Time to do some virtue signalling and expose this to loads of sunlight and oxygen. Or do you have something to hide as well …?
My understanding of l(L)iberal was those that saw Corbyn as an anti-semite, Assange as treacherous, keepers of the status quo. Kinda like conservatives on the left side of politics.
Small el liberal in NZ historically has meant socially liberal people who vote on the left.
Large el L liberal is a political position and theory that most people here aren’t even aware of. Adrian and others use it as a pejorative and label designed to corral. I don’t find it particularly helpful because it’s often inaccurately applied.
the people you refer to are what I would call centre lefties.
liberal also has a more modern meaning, basically socially liberal but comfortable with neoliberal economics so long as progress can be made. Eg the term liberal feminism is used to mean feminists who want equal pay but don’t act to end the patriarchy.
"the people you refer to are what I would call centre lefties" …aahhh No, the people referred to as 'Liberals' are Centrists, which is it's own quite defined and distinct ideology.
And we know this because as we have seen with our own eyes, the way the Third Way Centrists in the UK and the establishment Centrist Dems defended their ideology against the actual Progressive Left as aggressively as any political ideologue we have seen in action recently in western politics.
These Free market Liberal Imperialists and their media arm are a more immediate threat and major obstacle at present to any Progressive Left project taking root anywhere in the West than the Right IMO, thereby making them a serious threat to the survival of our planet.
Not sure how many leftish people thought assange was "treacherous". Or even Corbyn as personally being anti-Semitic (although the party as a whole seemed to have a problem that was never addressed).
meh.
Why does the left have so many labels?
So people on the left know who to hate.
……work was still being done to figure out next steps and chief executive Naomi James said they were in talks with central government about ways to create jobs, or repurpose the site.
"That could be anything from imports of other products, green energy and fuel opportunities through to the solar farm….."
I'm not a pitiless shit happy to see such social damage, I am hopeful that these highly skilled workers may find a place at the proposed solar farm.
This is my hope.
That the transition from a fossil fuel economy is done in a just way.
This transition must happen.
Or don't you accept the need for us to move away from fossil fuels?
We should be making the most of this opportunity to make the solar farm a reality.
I share my pity with the Mayor of Dunedin for those affected by the Southland floods, and, the even much greater social damage caused if we don't embrace a just transition.
While we have our own refinery we could potentially refine our own crude which i think atm is exported take that ability away and we are totally dependent on a foreign country for our fuel , not good in my view for a people who still have some way to go before we can transition to other fuels and noone knows whats arround the corner etc .Neither would there be much in the way of jobs in a solar farm once its up an running you could prob run the whole shebang with a couple of technicians an a couple of robots to keep the panels clean .
zouch. Walks on the field at a high point, walks off to find all that's come back.
Almost as bad as that woman who tweeted about AIDS in Africa before getting onto a 12 hour flight there, and getting off the flight to find out she'd been fired (she was back with the company within a few years, so not exactly a career-ender then, either).
Still, as long as he hasn't been turning up to EDL rallies or David Irving book signings recently, he should be ok. Most people know that depressed teens say stupid shit sometimes.
But there seems at the same time to be a youth worship – the young green Councillor will come up with some amazing magic and practical answer to all convoluted problems that will enable the Great Forward Leap into a Better Future.
Who has found the Covid vaccine booking 0800 number, I have searched for ages and followed every direction to my DHB and still no number. Somebody really does need a kick up the arse for anything complicated in doing this.
You can always contact your GP to get the latest information. If you haven't one then I think you should look for a group practice where appropriate for you. They do try to help you with your health problems if they run good management.
There's a link on the MOH covid website to the various DHb's and what they are doing. What I don't get is why they are making such a meal out of it.
I'm Capital & Coast and they are wasting money sending out invitations etc. The Flu shot doesn't have a lot of admin for the person being stabbed so why don't they use a similar system.
Just print up a bar coded form with a few rip off bits similar to an electoral voting form – you go in on your allocated day with address/age proof -fill out background information – give them bit one get stabbed and scanned then give them bit two to scan when you go in for the second shot. Immuno/other groups get the form from their Doctor.
Just allocate days to go by initial letter of surname or something similar.
Then at the end just check up on the numbers where there is only one scan. It's an exercise in getting shots into arms not in trying to collect and store ready to be hacked the personal details of everyone – which seems to be a health department obsession.
100 years since WW1 and big spending on updating our Memorial to that War. In Key's time. Easier to direct people's attention to those memories of the past which have a hold on people's consciousness. But there was WW2 so much closer that took my birth father who served bravely, and the Vietnam War and the Afghanistan war – and …? Enough to think about and should be top and front in our minds. But no, sort of slid under the carpet. And that is a discomforting place to be.
Turoa Karatea frequently scratches himself until he bleeds, but time is running out for him to get compensation for a condition he says was caused by Agent Orange. Will a Waitangi Tribunal inquiry finally deliver for Karatea and other Vietnam veterans before the last of the veterans die?
Ahh, my sister has phoned it through to me but she only got it because her husbands mate passed it on to them. It all seems very clandestine, very secret squirrel stuff.
Anyway it is 080026 88 22, pass it own but carefully like Richie Mounga organising his backline. And just another moan, if this is one of the most important numbers in NZ history why isn’t it a simple one like any company with a competent info department manages to get. I think I can see why the Government is giving health a bloody good kicking.
Lives lost, scarred people, lost revenue to the area because of lack of objective informed direction from government agencies and lost mana for the people there and all NZ.
Eight adventurers died on the submarine volcano. Another 16 would later succumb to horrific burns, inhalation and blast injuries. And 25 survivors were left with lifelong physical and mental recoveries from the explosion.
Despite tourist companies leading visitors onto New Zealand's most active volcano for decades, some stakeholders' health and safety obligations were unclear.
RNZ can now reveal the confusion went right to the top.
Small government good, effective government bad – say the neoliberalists! Just like the pig farm idea introduced by Roger Douglas. (Can he be deknighted now we feel benighted)? Animal Farm was run by pigs who promised and made rules that they gradually altered till what the animals got was the opposite of what they had been told.
Israel's Health Ministry says a small number of heart inflammation cases observed mainly in young men who received Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine in Israel were likely linked to their vaccination.
This was perhaps exacerbated by the stresses that so many young Israeli men are experiencing as they battle the horrific, blood-thirsty Palestinians that threaten Israel. /sarc
But an analysis by Deloitte also showed such an investment would reap economic rewards, with a growth in GDP of up to $23b, and thousands of jobs created.
One of the most important pieces of data, however, was a projection on how the investment would impact ratepayers – and likely what councils will be concerned about the most…
By foregoing the reforms, it showed the cost burden on ratepayers would be extremely lopsided. Some could end up paying nearly $14,000 a year in their water bill, while others would pay just $1,900. But if reforms did go ahead, and if two to four entities were created to oversee the water network, the bill would instead be a lot more evenly split amongst ratepayers. The highest average bill would end up being just $1,600 while the lowest average would be around $800.
My present bill is I think no more than $200 pa. And what does the master grinder Deloitte consider our water would be profitable for? And are we still virtually giving it away to overseas exploiters?
In a lot of urban areas the "water" bill is mostly for sewage disposal. Watercare in Auckland does a pro rata from the water meter volume (78.5% homes and 95% for apartments) to have a volume for the waste disposal network. The waste disposal cost is 1.75 X that of water per 1000L plus a fixed yearly charge
The pure water supply is around 25% of account ( inc GST)
"The United States is all for more development and investments in the Islands, but that investment should adhere to international standards for environmentally and socially sustainable development, and should be pursued transparently, with public consultation.
How would nuclear bombing part of the Marshall Islands repeatedly by the USA fit in with that worthy-sounding set of guidelines and principles?
The purpose of Operation Crossroads was to investigate the effect of nuclear weapons on naval warships. Testing in the islands began at Bikini Atoll with the Shot Able test, on July 1, 1946. … These were also the first U.S. nuclear detonations since the “Little Boy” and “Fat Man” bombs dropped over Japan. https://www.atomicheritage.org/location/marshall-islands
Tom Lehrer was writing about the nuclear bomb tensions back in the 1960s – oh we have come a long and reasoned way since then! Remember this is satire about the serious backdrop to all the flimflam that we hear from our 'betters' amongst our good leaders looking to advance Humanity and Peace.
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The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, 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?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title of ...
Introduction Pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Its blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements has made it a favorite among players of all ages and skill levels. As the sport’s popularity continues to surge, the question on ...
Abstract: Soccer, the global phenomenon captivating millions worldwide, has a rich history that spans centuries. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations, but the modern version we know and love emerged through a complex interplay of cultural influences and innovations. This article delves into the fascinating journey of soccer’s evolution, ...
Tinting car windows offers numerous benefits, including enhanced privacy, reduced glare, UV protection, and a more stylish look for your vehicle. However, the cost of window tinting can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article provides a comprehensive guide to help you understand how much you can expect to ...
The pungent smell of gasoline in your car can be an alarming and potentially dangerous problem. Not only is the odor unpleasant, but it can also indicate a serious issue with your vehicle’s fuel system. In this article, we will explore the various reasons why your car may smell like ...
Tree sap can be a sticky, unsightly mess on your car’s exterior. It can be difficult to remove, but with the right techniques and products, you can restore your car to its former glory. Understanding Tree Sap Tree sap is a thick, viscous liquid produced by trees to seal wounds ...
The amount of paint needed to paint a car depends on a number of factors, including the size of the car, the number of coats you plan to apply, and the type of paint you are using. In general, you will need between 1 and 2 gallons of paint for ...
Jump-starting a car is a common task that can be performed even in adverse weather conditions like rain. However, safety precautions and proper techniques are crucial to avoid potential hazards. This comprehensive guide will provide detailed instructions on how to safely jump a car in the rain, ensuring both your ...
Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
Jack Vowles writes – 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’. ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 - ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has arrived at Kokoda Station, Northern province, at the start of his state visit to Papua New Guinea. Both Albanese and Prime Minister James Marape will meet with the locals and the Northern Provincial government before they begin their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Wallace, Professor, School of Politics Economics & Society, Faculty of Business Government & Law, University of Canberra Shutterstock An important principle was invoked by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week in defence of the government’s Future Made in Australia industry ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Security forces reinforcements were sent from France ahead of two rival marches in the capital Nouméa today, at the same time and only two streets away one from the other. One march, called by Union Calédonienne party (a component of the ...
A poll last August found that just 16% of New Zealanders oppose bringing back the ‘Three Strikes’ law. The nationwide poll of 1,000 New Zealanders was commissioned by Family First NZ and carried out by Curia Market Research. ...
The solo show from Ana Scotney is both sprawling and intimate, and a must-see, writes Mad Chapman. In the opening moments of Scattergun: After the Death of Rūaumoko, writer and performer Ana Scotney lays out the groundwork, literally. Silently moving around the square stage, Scotney is not so much dancing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Burridge, Professor of Linguistics, Monash University Who makes the words? Why are trees called trees and why are shoes called shoes and who makes the names? – Elliot, age 5, Eltham, Victoria Good question Elliot! Let’s start with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne at amRawpixel.com/Shutterstock Roles of health professionals are still unfortunately often stuck in the past. That is, before the ...
COMMENTARY:By Malcolm Evans Last week’s leaked New York Times staff directive, as to what words can and cannot be used to describe the carnage Israel is raining on Palestinians, is proof positive, since those reports are published verbatim here in New Zealand, that our understanding of the conflict is ...
In the case of New Zealand, the results confirm that there is no popular support for the vicious austerity program being imposed by the National Party-led government, which is backed in all fundamental respects by the opposition Labour Party. ...
The ‘Vampire’ singer has never visited our part of the world, but that might all be about to change. We assess the evidence.Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour is pulling in massive crowds as it whips around the US and Europe, even helping to catapult regular supporting act Chappell Roan ...
Testing of drinking water in rural Canterbury over the weekend by Greenpeace revealed that several public town supplies were reaching levels of nitrate above 5 mg/L - the threshold which a growing body of scientific evidence has linked to increased ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rohan Fisher, Information Technology for Development Researcher, Charles Darwin University It may come as a surprise to hear 2023 was Australia’s biggest bushfire season in more than a decade. Fires burned across an area eight times as big as the 2019–20 Black ...
Responding to the Government’s announcement of changes to resource management laws, Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, said: “These changes are a step in the right direction in terms of removing ideological and unworkable ...
More than two years after the Human Rights Council called for the establishment of a national human rights commission, such a body has yet to be formed. ...
Comment:An emergency management system with wide variations in performance, significant capability gaps, funding shortfalls and above all a setup that is not meeting the needs of New Zealanders at times of crisis. The Government’s inquiry into the response to Cyclone Gabrielle and other severe weather events in the North ...
Welcome to the whirring wonders of one brain trying to align its actions with its beliefs within a system it thinks is evil. My brain has been spiralling in a woke conundrum ever since I found out a bookshop I’ve never been to was shutting down. Good Books, a bookshop ...
We repeat our call for criminal justice policy to be based on evidence, something the three strikes regime neglects to recognise – with no evidence that it either reduces crime or assists with rehabilitation. ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor in Honiara With only four more seats in the 50-member Parliament yet to be officially declared, there is no outright winner in the Solomon Islands elections. As of Monday, the two largest blocs in the winner’s circle, independents and the incumbent Prime Minister Manasseh ...
Two/fiftyseven is a multi-purpose space hidden in the heart of Wellington that is paving a way for sustainable building and responsible landlording in Aotearoa and beyond.By 2060 the world is predicted to double its entire building stock, which equates to building an entire New York City every 34 days, ...
Popstars wasn’t just a reality television revolution, it was also a huge moment for Y2K fashion.It’s 25 years since girl group TrueBliss was formed on New Zealand national television, breaking new ground for both the reality television industry and the shiny clothing industry. With the first episode on NZ ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Pepping, Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology, Griffith University Marvin / Shutterstock Are all single people insecure? When we think about people who have been single for a long time, we may assume it’s because single people have insecurities that make ...
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Cricket tragics and I am one, will be delighted about NZs current performance at Lords.
Yes especially Devon Conway
Black Caps v England: Devon Conway produces magical debut century at Lord's | Stuff.co.nz
Early days I know, win this test and maybe the UK press will stop asking questions about the ODI final.
Stolen as it was.
The UK press are referring to him as 'from South Africa'
I'm sure that when they ever mention Ben Stokes they always refer to him as "New Zealand player Ben Stokes".
I mean surely they would? Wouldn't they?
No surprises there.
While not untrue, I wonder if they did the same about Kelvin Peterson. Before he fell out with his team mates of course.
Nice to see we found some batsmen that actually do what they are supposed to do, and actually score more than 30.
Here's just one illustration of how we in New Zealand are shameful laggards in de-fossilising our transport: Norway new vehicle sales are around 60% pure battery, and another 20% plug-in hybrid. In the overall fleet, pure battery and plug-in hybrids are up to about 20%. Dino-juice is well on its way out, in Norway.
https://cleantechnica.com/2021/06/02/norways-plugin-ev-transition-continues-83-3-share-in-may-with-ford-mustang-mach-e-overall-bestseller/
We really need to sort out issues such as the scheduled application of road user charges to electric vehicles at the end of this year. Applying RUC of nearly 8 cents/km to electric vehicles would remove any fuel cost savings from going electric. I recently took on a project that's turned into fairly regular part-time employment, which is a 100km round-trip for me.
So instead of using my dear old Landie, I went looking for something a bit … more environmentally and fiscally and socially aware. (No, public transport is nowhere even remotely close to viable for this commute). I could just barely make the range of a second generation Leaf work, if I plugged in to charge at work. But I ended up getting a Honda Fit hybrid, and the petrol cost is less than just the RUC costs alone would be on a Leaf if they end up imposed on schedule, without even considering the charging cost.
In terms of new electric vehicles, there's a lot more choice coming at us really fast. At the moment, the lowest price new EV in NZ is the MG ZS ev, at just under $50k. But BYD are saying they are planning to sell their EA1 in Oz for under 35k dingodollars, so probably around the $40 mark here.
(To forestall the inevitable complaints about scarce resources, the EA1 uses LFP batteries, ie nickel and cobalt free. Now if only they could change to rare-earth free motors such as the induction motors Tesla and Audi use on some of their products, or other designs such as the Mahle magnet-free wound-rotor wound-stator design)
Is 8c the intended or current RUC? Who came up with that?
Is Norway paying for its transition by selling oil?
Did you consider a reliable sedan hybrid like a Toyota Camry?
We're all going to have to make the same choices you made, so it's useful to see your choice criteria.
Plenty of couples get into spreadsheets for it. Eyeroll.
Camrys are much bigger than I like for daily use. I've still got the Landie for the big jobs, few as they may be.
I was a bit wary of potential reliability with the Fit, but everything I found online indicated the only real issues were with control software in the earliest models, which were quickly sorted with a software update.
I came close to going for a Prius plug-in, but the extra size and budget stretch needed, and that the pure-electric range would only cover about 1/4 of my km and the open road economy wasn't as good as the Fit, combined to tip it to the Fit. Besides, Prius. But if the pure-electric range covered my daily needs, then I would probably have gone for the Prius PHV, Prius image issues and size notwithstanding.
But jeez, I didn't think driving on pure electric would be as nice as it is. Wafting along at 50kmh or 90kmh with zero engine noise or vibration – it's bliss. It's super disappointing it only lasts a km or two on the flat before the engine has to fire up again. If that BYD EA1 actually does land here under $40k, I might end up breaking a lifetime habit of buying cheap cars and driving them til they're dead ten-ish years later, and spring for one.
Toyota Yaris 1.6 hybrid car or suv. Under $30k does 2.3litres to 100k ( that's about a third of the normal petrol usage – doesn't need to be plugged in. But I think they might be difficult to get hold of.
"There’s an EV mode but don’t get too excited. The owner’s manual suggests there’s a maximum electric-only range of only 1km (yep, a single, miserable kilometre…) and that it could be as little as a few hundred metres."
https://evcentral.com.au/2020-toyota-yaris-hybrid-review/
I have a larger toyota hybrid that uses about 60% of petrol a non hybrid uses and that's better than their literature suggests. I struggled to make sense of the article?? Toyota suggest the yaris uses about 1/3 of the petrol equivalent so that shouldn't be too far out? I'm not clear about why the article talks about only going 1km – seems kinda irrelevant. Otherwise it's up to the next in the range the Corolla.
Hybrids seem to be quite a good intermediate stage especially for people at the far end of the current battery distance ranges.
It's a middle class dilemma. I don't know what the average spend is on a car in NZ – from a quick look I can't find it. But I'd wager it's well under $20k and may be under $15K, The used hybrids and EVs at this price range are fairly old and and have issues (real or imagined) with range and/or battery life. Buyers who can't afford to make a bad economic decision are leery of them. You might, as Ad suggested, find a reliable used Camry hybrid or similar in this price range that you are prepared to take a punt on in terms of battery life. It will be years though before used Kia and Hyundai hybrids and the like turn up at this price, and the same issues will apply.
But even the middle class is being rorted – the price of new hybrids and EVs has been cynically jacked up sky-high. So that they make no economic sense for the buyer because the fuel savings don't cover the higher purchase price. And sitting in the background is inflated housing prices and the huge mortgages that have to be serviced – how long before this sucks middle class discretionary spending out of other sectors, or are people just expected to pile up more personal debt to save the planet with a flash EV?
I significantly stretched my usual budget and spent $10.5k on a 2014 model with 92500 km. I found precisely zero online chatter about battery degradation on Honda hybrids, unlike the plethora of online chatter about degradation in Prius Ni-MH batteries and Leaf batteries.
Even if the battery does degrade significantly, it's only going to have a tiny effect on fuel economy. It will still eliminate all the fuel waste sitting at lights, most of the fuel waste in stop-start traffic. It still has the Atkinson cycle engine, and the electric motor will still cover for the lowish torque at low to medium engine speeds characteristic of Atkinson cycle engines. It just won't be able to store quite as much from regenerative braking and going down hills, but that's only a small part of how it enables better economy.
Interesting facts Andre – every bit of info about EVs is new to me and I hope I will gradually get informed. Though can't afford one and am attached to old 1989 Toyota which I have insured for about $1000, third party.
It's a new language, eh.
I'm hoping when the time comes to replace my current suzuki 50cc, there will be some suzuki electric equivalents in a similar price range – currently the electrics I have searched online have been about twice the price. But I long for the day I can tootle around town without the engine noise, lol
Lack of engine noise will mean pedestrians having to be specially careful. Get forgetful and the car wil be onyou before you think to look, having not heard.
There are moped riders who think they are invulnerable. They'd be a hazard, like cyclists.
But then they have a spill, and realise we're about the squishiest people around. Besides, at least we have reggo plates.
Mine is quiet but you do get used to looking for people who haven't heard. Much like the overseas tourists that used to be around Wellington looking the wrong way around before they step out.
I drive a black Leaf. My friends call it the Black Ninja, the way it sneaks up on people at the curb. One is therefore careful lest the paintwork be blemished. Later Leafs I believe make noises to alert pedestrians of their presence. I have toyed with the idea of recording my son-in-law's Harley and piping that through external speakers mounted in a pipe where the exhaust would be……
I have heard that some common hybrids can have the battery unit checked and as its made up of a number of cells they can find the cells that are worst of and only replace them
This is what the Prius looks like and others will be similar
I was wondering why they didn't do that. For some, a new battery costs as much as a new car. A cell servicing every 20,000km would be an affordable alternative.
Think I'll wait for Toyotas solid state battery versions.
Plenty of companies do that. Easily found just by searching a phrase such as nz hybrid battery replacement.
Here's just the first one that popped up: https://hybridcore.co.nz/hybridcore-shop/
I've looked into replacing cells they have to be the same age you can't just put new cells in.you can buy reconditioned complete packs for about a third of the new price.
They are fairly easy to change out the complete pack but the dealer's charge $1200 plus for an hrs work and will only put in new batteries.
Tricledown, you've been repeatedly making a typo in your username, which means that a moderator has to do some work for your comment to appear.
You're now in premod, which means your comments won't appear at all until I've seen you acknowledge this mod note and agree to take more care.
Let's see if we can sort this out. What device are you using and what browser?
Can you please clarify if you can manually edit your name each time (and the problem is that it won't 'stick')? I'm seeing comments from you in the past week as Tricledrownk and Tricledrown. Why is that?
There is a lot of online chatter about hybrid battery degradation – most of it is simply ignorant. If they were so bad would you see so many taxis in Auckland that are hybrid? There are heaps of Prius, Aqua, and Corolla etc. around now. I have had a hybrid (2005 Prius) for 8 years now (1st NZ owner with 37k on the clock – now 150k). It has been the most reliable car I have ever owned and the only battery replacement has been the auxiliary which was 15 years old. Still returns 4.5 l /100km as it did when first bought. Basically halved my emission profile. Now looking to upgrade to something even more efficient.
Again there is virtually no public transport around here and we have to travel regularly at least 150k (300k return) way beyond the range of a Leaf. Friend had one for a while but was lucky enough to upgrade to a Tesla. I have to admit I had some difficulty with the 10th commandment* on first sight.
* Thou shalt not covert thy neighbours donkey.
Yep, it is rare for a Prius battery to crap out. Most of the articles that went into actual detail showed the car was doing Star Trek mileages, and/or extreme temperatures.
But still, I took the complete absence of complaints about Fit batteries to be a good sign, when compared to the cornucopia of complaints about such rare problems that occurred in the Prius batteries.
Andre – I don't want to down the argument for EV but there are 2 glaring issues:
1/ what is NZ going to do with some 2.5 million cars that actually cannot be converted but became instant trash
2/ Batteries, the amount of raw material -Lithium, nickel and cobalt are the key metals used to make those batteries – is being mined in poor countries the activity is devastating on the environment. The issue of disposal is not solved. Funny how this is being advertised as a environmentally better solution. This is ruining the environment in larger proportions and faster. But of cause its not at our doorstep.
https://www.automotiveworld.com/articles/risky-business-the-hidden-costs-of-ev-battery-raw-materials/
My take is nothing really has changed, the emperor has new clothes and we now poison the soil until we cant grow food anymore. The drive to self destruction has not been broken at all. The run for profits is selling the average punter that buying an extraordinary expensive car is so much better. But really it isn't.
The 2.5 million existing ICE vehicles will end the same way as all almost all the other vehicles disposed of up til now. They will be crushed and/or shredded, and sent off to be recycling.
Battery recycling is entirely feasible, and is starting to become an actual thing now that significant quantities of end-of-life batteries are becoming available. Here's just one effort: https://insideevs.com/features/441524/tesla-jb-straubel-future-battery-recycling/ There's plenty more going on, you just need to make a very minimal effort to educate yourself.
If you had actually fully read my original post, you might have come to the last paragraph where I specifically addressed the cobalt and nickel issues. A lot of the new EVs use battery chemistries that don't use cobalt or nickel. The most popular alternative is lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP), as used in BYD vcars and trucks and buses and dome of Tesla's made in China models.. These weren't preferred a few years ago because of lower energy density, but with improvements in battery technology they are now better than the best cobalt and nickel batteries were just a few years ago. As well as being much longer lasting.
Middle class dilemma now, everyone's dilemma eventually if we want to let catastrophic climate change happen. Someone has to step up and effect change. Or not I guess, and we let everything burn to the ground. Are we going to take this seriously or not?
(It will be a long time before I can afford an EV, I'm relying on the middle classes to bring the price down).
i guess that will be the problem if the middle class has got no money to spend on an overpriced EV. In my circle of people i know absolutly no one who owns a car that has cost more then 5 grand, if people do own a new car its Lease plan via work.
That is what i hope is that the people who drive gasguzzlers now for work in work vehicle will get the EVs first, and that that hopefully brings the price down for all. If it does not, which also would not surprise me those that are not in a rich enough class to afford one of these vehicles will have to content with a. walk (for those that can), b. cycle (for those that can), c. public transport (where it exists) and the rest is shit outta luck.
10,000 new car sales in May.
Compared to 11,200 used import sales. (Edit).
https://www.interest.co.nz/news/110693/passenger-car-sales-posted-their-own-set-new-records-may-buyers-choosing-larger-and
I suspect the issue isn’t going to be ev affordability but lack of other solutions. PT, cycle infrastructure, relocalising services and work, train network, and so on.
I guess it will be both. A large number of cars in NZ are business cars, i expect these to be EV when that becomes mandatory. Then there are those that already have them or will upgrade and can either afford it outright, or slap the car on the mortgage.
how the lower income to poor people are to afford these vehicles i have no idea.
I know a few people that are scared of this day for exactly this reason. But i expect the government to give tax incentives to those that can afford these cars to reaise 'interest' and 'uptake' and then for those that can't afford it, sucks to be them.
We will end up affording them same as we do with ice cars now, second hand resale and imports.
But I don’t think we can see how it will work because it hasn’t happened before and we will have to transition off the kind of car use and reliance we have now into a different kind of society. Not many people with good vision on that, relatively. Yet.
It will be interesting to watch, that is for sure.
I am staggered that over 20,000 extra cars were put on our roads in May alone. Weka's link is all gung-ho about sales, but gives no figure for the number of old cars taken off the road.
I doubt if that number would get to 10,000. Can anyone reassure me?
If we are constantly putting far more cars onto the roads than we are taking off, the matter of how many are hybrid is irrelevant. We will always be worsening our carbon footprint.
And gridlock will spread everywhere. Not even national's big road-building programmes will prevent gridlock everywhere.
Nobody seems to be doing any planning or intervention on how many vehicles are being put onto our roads each year compared to how many are taken off .
Sheer stupidity, unless I am wrong in assuming that fewer vehicles are being taken off.
But I bet I am right!
for comparison
https://www.transport.govt.nz/statistics-and-insights/fleet-statistics/sheet/vehicle-fleet
As far as I can tell, all those graphs show increasing numbers of vehicles, with no indication of whether we are taking any vehicles off the road at all.
Changing to more fuel-efficient vehicles does not help our carbon footprint if we are constantly putting more vehicles onto our roads than we are taking off.
I feel more cynical than ever.
Not sure it's cynicism, as such.
There is information about new registrations in LTSA data, as well as some downloadable datasets.
If you're just guesstimating, then basically you can look at the charts with new and renewed registrations, particularly light passenger vehicles. The line (total vehicles) is going up, but if the "existing" point for 2015 is lower than the "new plus existing" in 2014, then some cars have gone off the road.
EVs are spiking, but as a proportion of the fleet larger engined "light passenger vehicles" have also increased regularly over 40 years. I'm thinking SUVs.
But EV tech seems to be maturing quickly, and buses are increasing in number quickest of all, so, it's not all bleak. But it is complex, and easy to focus on the wood instead of all the trees.
I thought the saying was that one could not see the wood for the trees..
We need as least as many cars coming off the road as we are putting on to just start breaking even and making progress with EVs.
It seems we have no real indication of how many cars are coming off our roads.. and I suspect that if we did, we would cringe.
To interrupt the flow of cheap imported cars would provoke the ire of the entire right-wing pro-market economy sector.
Is this why it is so hard to find figures for just how many cars are coming off our roads?
It's difficult to find because it's a particularly niche piece of data, and there are many twigs to examine, and sometimes one needs to be familiar with data collections and the mindset of data collators to know how to search for a particular twig.
Most things are available, it's just a case of figuring out who has it and where to find it and how to get it. Organisations literally have people highly trained at doing exactly that. And nosy fellows like me watching them do it.
If you go to Weka's link, select "2019 annual fleet statstics", and "view sections", you can download a pdf report and an xlsx workbook. I believe you're after sheet 5.1 in the workbook.
BUT
the report is more helpful. There are more cars with bigger engines, but per capita travel in those vehicles is lower and the CO2 emissions of those vehicles is also lower than older vehicles.
And buses are increasing in number.
Good stuff to go to bed on, looks like lol
I bought a 4-door 1.2 litre Suzuki Swift new for $20k 3 years ago. It runs on the smell of an oily rag and compares well in terms of emissions with somewhat larger EV's. Suzuki now make a hybrid Swift which I think is $26k new and has even lower emissions.
Hi Andre, it is laudable that car manufactures offer EV's.
I have some questions though.
Lets say we have some
As at 31 May 2021
As at 31 May 2021 Vehicle TypeTotal5,493,773AGRICULTURAL MACHINE2,849ATV8,109BUS32,796GOODS VAN/TRUCK/UTILITY806,577HIGH SPEED AGRICULTURAL VEHICLE144MOBILE MACHINE23,500MOPED31,618MOTOR CARAVAN48,229MOTORCYCLE167,758PASSENGER CAR/VAN3,505,856SPECIAL PURPOSE VEHICLE3,315TRACTOR45,923TRAILER NOT DESIGNED FOR H/WAY USE980TRAILER/CARAVAN816,119
If the point you're trying to make is that there are lots of other kinds of vehicles that are also fossil-fueled, all I can suggest is pick whatever class of vehicle you're interested, and search for electric [whatever kind of vehicle you're interested in].
Here's just my first hit for electric tractor: https://www.futurefarming.com/Machinery/Articles/2020/3/John-Deere-We-believe-in-electric-tractors-100-552869E/.
Or electric rubbish truck: https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/emack-lr-electric-garbage-truck/
It is impossible to follow the money.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/pete-mckenzie-politics-rife-with-dark-money
Come on ACT and/or the Green Party! Time to do some virtue signalling and expose this to loads of sunlight and oxygen. Or do you have something to hide as well …?
Here is one for tour local Imperialist Liberals, you know who you are….
Two Centuries Of ‘The Imperialist, Warmongering, Hate-Filled Guardian’
https://www.medialens.org/2021/two-centuries-of-the-imperialist-warmongering-hate-filled-guardian/
…Guard Dogs of the Liberal status quo, always have been and still are.
Not sure we have many Liberals in NZ
Wave a stick round these parts and you'll hit half a dozen of them.
Capital L Liberal isn't really a thing in NZ.
My understanding of l(L)iberal was those that saw Corbyn as an anti-semite, Assange as treacherous, keepers of the status quo. Kinda like conservatives on the left side of politics.
Small el liberal in NZ historically has meant socially liberal people who vote on the left.
Large el L liberal is a political position and theory that most people here aren’t even aware of. Adrian and others use it as a pejorative and label designed to corral. I don’t find it particularly helpful because it’s often inaccurately applied.
the people you refer to are what I would call centre lefties.
liberal also has a more modern meaning, basically socially liberal but comfortable with neoliberal economics so long as progress can be made. Eg the term liberal feminism is used to mean feminists who want equal pay but don’t act to end the patriarchy.
Thanks weka. Yr last paragraph resonates, there is a ' blow the bridge, I'm over' or 'I'm alright, Jack' attitude to them.
"the people you refer to are what I would call centre lefties" …aahhh No, the people referred to as 'Liberals' are Centrists, which is it's own quite defined and distinct ideology.
And we know this because as we have seen with our own eyes, the way the Third Way Centrists in the UK and the establishment Centrist Dems defended their ideology against the actual Progressive Left as aggressively as any political ideologue we have seen in action recently in western politics.
These Free market Liberal Imperialists and their media arm are a more immediate threat and major obstacle at present to any Progressive Left project taking root anywhere in the West than the Right IMO, thereby making them a serious threat to the survival of our planet.
Not sure how many leftish people thought assange was "treacherous". Or even Corbyn as personally being anti-Semitic (although the party as a whole seemed to have a problem that was never addressed).
meh.
Why does the left have so many labels?
So people on the left know who to hate.
You are right about the hate.
During the height of Assange's turmoil there was a lot of hate directed at him round these parts.
The 'left' saves it's worse for it's own. Often stemming from a kinda purity Olympics.
Well, I for one don't think I ever accused Assange of being "treacherous".
I would have liked him to have faced trial for his alleged sexual assaults, though. I guess for the true left that's "po-tay-to po-tah-to" though.
They say every cloud has a silver lining.
Could this be a good news story?
From sunny Northland:
Bring it on, I say.
That's over 100 of Northlands last $100k salaries up and gone.
So it's reasonable to deduce in your glee you're a pitiless shit happy to see such social damage.
That's not very charitable of you Ad.
I'm not a pitiless shit happy to see such social damage, I am hopeful that these highly skilled workers may find a place at the proposed solar farm.
This is my hope.
That the transition from a fossil fuel economy is done in a just way.
This transition must happen.
Or don't you accept the need for us to move away from fossil fuels?
We should be making the most of this opportunity to make the solar farm a reality.
I share my pity with the Mayor of Dunedin for those affected by the Southland floods, and, the even much greater social damage caused if we don't embrace a just transition.
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-02-06-2021/#comment-1796034
Instead of being dependent on imported fossil fuels, the North could be our solar energy capital.
Wouldn't you like to see that?
I took it that way at first too, but if you ignore the headline Jenny’s comment makes more sense and less callously. She’s cheering green jobs.
While we have our own refinery we could potentially refine our own crude which i think atm is exported take that ability away and we are totally dependent on a foreign country for our fuel , not good in my view for a people who still have some way to go before we can transition to other fuels and noone knows whats arround the corner etc .Neither would there be much in the way of jobs in a solar farm once its up an running you could prob run the whole shebang with a couple of technicians an a couple of robots to keep the panels clean .
Didn't Fletcher's pride itself on being a social responsible corporate?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/300323481/mainfreight-and-fletcher-building-two-very-different-wage-subsidy-stories
Responsible to shareholders not wider society.
Fletchers thanks the NZ and Oz govt for their generosity…..yeah right.
Who amongst us covered themselves in glory at 19 yrs old?
https://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/black-caps/125330762/england-rookie-ollie-robinsons-sexist-and-racists-tweets-return-to-haunt-him-at-lords
His apology seems fulsome and sincere. I question the motives of the retweeter.
I've not read this but yes, I'm thankful social media wasn't a thing in my teens, or 20s for that matter, I didn't mature until well into my 30s.
zouch. Walks on the field at a high point, walks off to find all that's come back.
Almost as bad as that woman who tweeted about AIDS in Africa before getting onto a 12 hour flight there, and getting off the flight to find out she'd been fired (she was back with the company within a few years, so not exactly a career-ender then, either).
Still, as long as he hasn't been turning up to EDL rallies or David Irving book signings recently, he should be ok. Most people know that depressed teens say stupid shit sometimes.
I suppose the most important bit is if he can forgive himself.
Brutal irony. At the start of the test, where you may expect National Anthems there was a wee monologue about inclusivity.
Probably why his posts surfaced while he was on the field.
Memorable comments are going to be remembered by someone.
But there seems at the same time to be a youth worship – the young green Councillor will come up with some amazing magic and practical answer to all convoluted problems that will enable the Great Forward Leap into a Better Future.
Who has found the Covid vaccine booking 0800 number, I have searched for ages and followed every direction to my DHB and still no number. Somebody really does need a kick up the arse for anything complicated in doing this.
The MoH number on my Nelson card was – Healthline 0800 358 5453. Hope that works.
You can always contact your GP to get the latest information. If you haven't one then I think you should look for a group practice where appropriate for you. They do try to help you with your health problems if they run good management.
When you get the email saying its time the login link to book is in the email
The 0800 number AUCKLAND is 0800 2VAX COVID (282926)
Other areas are slightly changed number
There's a link on the MOH covid website to the various DHb's and what they are doing. What I don't get is why they are making such a meal out of it.
I'm Capital & Coast and they are wasting money sending out invitations etc. The Flu shot doesn't have a lot of admin for the person being stabbed so why don't they use a similar system.
Just print up a bar coded form with a few rip off bits similar to an electoral voting form – you go in on your allocated day with address/age proof -fill out background information – give them bit one get stabbed and scanned then give them bit two to scan when you go in for the second shot. Immuno/other groups get the form from their Doctor.
Just allocate days to go by initial letter of surname or something similar.
Then at the end just check up on the numbers where there is only one scan. It's an exercise in getting shots into arms not in trying to collect and store ready to be hacked the personal details of everyone – which seems to be a health department obsession.
100 years since WW1 and big spending on updating our Memorial to that War. In Key's time. Easier to direct people's attention to those memories of the past which have a hold on people's consciousness. But there was WW2 so much closer that took my birth father who served bravely, and the Vietnam War and the Afghanistan war – and …? Enough to think about and should be top and front in our minds. But no, sort of slid under the carpet. And that is a discomforting place to be.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/443953/maori-war-veteran-s-skin-still-peeling-50-years-after-agent-orange-exposure
Turoa Karatea frequently scratches himself until he bleeds, but time is running out for him to get compensation for a condition he says was caused by Agent Orange. Will a Waitangi Tribunal inquiry finally deliver for Karatea and other Vietnam veterans before the last of the veterans die?
Ahh, my sister has phoned it through to me but she only got it because her husbands mate passed it on to them. It all seems very clandestine, very secret squirrel stuff.
Anyway it is 080026 88 22, pass it own but carefully like Richie Mounga organising his backline. And just another moan, if this is one of the most important numbers in NZ history why isn’t it a simple one like any company with a competent info department manages to get. I think I can see why the Government is giving health a bloody good kicking.
Lives lost, scarred people, lost revenue to the area because of lack of objective informed direction from government agencies and lost mana for the people there and all NZ.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/443934/whakaari-white-island-confusion-over-safety-responsibilities-at-senior-level
A super-heated, highly-acidic eruption tore across the crater without warning.
Ash concealed huge landmarks – helicopter landing pads, an old sulphur factory and a shipping container.
Eight adventurers died on the submarine volcano.
Another 16 would later succumb to horrific burns, inhalation and blast injuries.
And 25 survivors were left with lifelong physical and mental recoveries from the explosion.
Despite tourist companies leading visitors onto New Zealand's most active volcano for decades, some stakeholders' health and safety obligations were unclear.
RNZ can now reveal the confusion went right to the top.
Small government good, effective government bad – say the neoliberalists! Just like the pig farm idea introduced by Roger Douglas. (Can he be deknighted now we feel benighted)? Animal Farm was run by pigs who promised and made rules that they gradually altered till what the animals got was the opposite of what they had been told.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/443905/israel-reports-pfizer-vaccine-probable-link-to-heart-inflammation
Israel's Health Ministry says a small number of heart inflammation cases observed mainly in young men who received Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine in Israel were likely linked to their vaccination.
This was perhaps exacerbated by the stresses that so many young Israeli men are experiencing as they battle the horrific, blood-thirsty Palestinians that threaten Israel. /sarc
Water, water everywhere and not a drop for drinking, buy it by the thimbleful as you can afford it.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/443956/mayors-split-over-key-water-reforms
Completed by the Water Industry Commission for Scotland, it ramped up the estimated cost of how much work needs doing to upgrade the country's water systems.
But an analysis by Deloitte also showed such an investment would reap economic rewards, with a growth in GDP of up to $23b, and thousands of jobs created.
One of the most important pieces of data, however, was a projection on how the investment would impact ratepayers – and likely what councils will be concerned about the most…
By foregoing the reforms, it showed the cost burden on ratepayers would be extremely lopsided. Some could end up paying nearly $14,000 a year in their water bill, while others would pay just $1,900.
But if reforms did go ahead, and if two to four entities were created to oversee the water network, the bill would instead be a lot more evenly split amongst ratepayers.
The highest average bill would end up being just $1,600 while the lowest average would be around $800.
My present bill is I think no more than $200 pa. And what does the master grinder Deloitte consider our water would be profitable for? And are we still virtually giving it away to overseas exploiters?
In a lot of urban areas the "water" bill is mostly for sewage disposal. Watercare in Auckland does a pro rata from the water meter volume (78.5% homes and 95% for apartments) to have a volume for the waste disposal network. The waste disposal cost is 1.75 X that of water per 1000L plus a fixed yearly charge
The pure water supply is around 25% of account ( inc GST)
https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/443989/us-to-pacific-leaders-be-wary-of-funds-with-strings-attached
Antony Blinken told a virtual summit of leaders and delegates from 11 Pacific countries that economic coercion across the region was on the rise.
While making no specific mention of China, he also spoke of threats to order in the region.
"The United States is all for more development and investments in the Islands, but that investment should adhere to international standards for environmentally and socially sustainable development, and should be pursued transparently, with public consultation.
How would nuclear bombing part of the Marshall Islands repeatedly by the USA fit in with that worthy-sounding set of guidelines and principles?
The purpose of Operation Crossroads was to investigate the effect of nuclear weapons on naval warships. Testing in the islands began at Bikini Atoll with the Shot Able test, on July 1, 1946. … These were also the first U.S. nuclear detonations since the “Little Boy” and “Fat Man” bombs dropped over Japan. https://www.atomicheritage.org/location/marshall-islands
Tom Lehrer was writing about the nuclear bomb tensions back in the 1960s – oh we have come a long and reasoned way since then! Remember this is satire about the serious backdrop to all the flimflam that we hear from our 'betters' amongst our good leaders looking to advance Humanity and Peace.
Who's Next (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdtAFIl2jhc
So Long Mom (a song for WW111) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pklr0UD9eSo
We will all go together When We Go https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frAEmhqdLFs