My very first avian friend from the stream to visit my place, Charlie Drake, demonstrating his stunt piloting skills.
Carefully calculates: weight, distance, height for clearance, angle of takeoff, climb rate, landing gear retraction point, lift required (BPM), drop point, landing zone.
Like to see anybody here do all that, and skip over that fence like that, just by flapping your arms!
It's been nearly 18 months since I've been able to start feeding my eels again.
I've been throwing chunks of bloody sheep's hearts into te wai for a week from 20 feet up atop my side of the stream bank, but the water's been flowing so strongly from rain it's been rolling the meat downstream & into the rapids, & I haven't seen any eels for months.
This morning the flow's more sedate. Within 10 minutes of throwing six big chunks into the water – 3 out into the middle, & 3 just pitched down into my Eel Spot, Elvira Longfin hove into view. Swimming up the rapids, then slowly traversing the width of the stream, getting on to the scent of (now very smelly) heart chunks & gobbling them down.
I know it's Elvira from her length, her colour (she's a light grey) & how after she'd got the mid-stream meat chunks, she made her way over to the Eel Spot, where she's probably going to lie in wait to see if that man comes down with some more meat on his Feeding Stick.
My (hopefully resident) Muscovy Duck just swam silently & sedately downstream again to just below my fence. It’s just started raining so I can’t use the camera, but I dashed inside & quickly got a slice of Molenberg Toast bread.
Broke it into big chunks & threw them down to it & I learned three more things about this Muscovy Duck:
1. It responded to being called “Hey, Muscovy. What a good boy. Just wait…” by cruising up to just below my bank & watching me.
2. It’s not as placid as I thought. The first bread chunk I threw down, a mallard drake half its size went after. Muscovy bit his side feathers & chased him off!
3. Every time it got a bread chunk, it WAGGED ITS massive TAIL FEATHERS! Like a happy dog. 😀
Amazing. This is a very good-looking creature. I’m gonna have so much fun interacting with this waterbird, with a bit of luck. 👍🏼
We really like these guys. What this clip doesn't mention is the booming mating call of the males that can be heard over quite long distances. You never see them fly, although they can – and rarely do they go on land. The only time we ever saw one out of the water was because it had been chased there by another male:
We like to think of them as the nuclear subs of the duck world.
All good, Anker. I liked your comment. My own, now extensive, observations of all the different kinds of birds I regularly interact with around here is that ALL birds are smart. They figure stuff out (especially food-related stuff) very quickly.
And some birds are standout clever. Parrots, spring to mind.
Pūkekos I would also put in that category (notwithstanding the number who get clobbered by cars on the road every day, because they prefer to walk to get somewhere rather than fly).
Pooklets invent games with “toys” to amuse themselves.
Gezza I remember my Dad showing me hens could not figure out how to get food on the other side of a wire netting fence. They would be back and forward keeping an eye on it getting agitated. Until one of their number would find the end of the fence go round it, then others would follow.
Some till did not "get it" and he would lift them over.
He said it explained 'Bird brained" but also talked about parrots and breeds who were problem solvers unlike the chickens.
Gezza I remember my Dad showing me hens could not figure out how to get food on the other side of a wire netting fence. They would be back and forward keeping an eye on it getting agitated. Until one of their number would find the end of the fence go round it, then others would follow.
Some till did not "get it" and he would lift them over. He said it explained 'Bird brained" but also talked about parrots and breeds who were problem solvers unlike the chickens.
FFS❗️ Bastards. Hope they throw the book at them. Wonder if the Army's Military Police have a lockup that could be made suitable for scrotes such as these?
I suspect there is going to be an extraordinary outpouring of contempt and hatred of gangs because delta has "outsmarted " our failures to contain it. The gangs are not the only shortcomings of our society.
I think the contempt is well earned. Lock these MIQ guys up. Corrections appear to have Covid Sussex. If I was a Miq nurse, it would be the bloody last straw.
needs to be a social contract. Rights and responsibilities
1. we're 18 months in, I would expect there to be security plans in place for people that are causing this kind of trouble
2. good to see the statement about the challenges for people going into MiQ from the community (as opposed to returnees). Maybe there needs to be culturally appropriate support as well. Hold the individuals accountable, and adapt around who is coming into the facility, everyone has their own needs.
What would cultural support involve? I guess everytime you bring a new person into the Jet Park, they risk infection and transferring it into the community.
From what I have heard from people who have been through MIQ the nurses are really busy, rushed off their feet. They are kind when taking temperatures etc, but the work swiftly due to time pressure.
I am not sure what arrangements there are for people at Jet Park for pastoral care, etc.
I'm going to hazard a guess that the hotel set up and processes are designed culturally around middle class Pākehā (in the same way that the Health system is). Many people can cope with that, some won't. The more you meet people culturally, the easier it is for them to manage their stress.
By culture I don't just mean ethnicity, but also class and so on.
It said the man, who is currently in hospital, had "been supplying to the communities of Raglan and Kawhia for many years", and urged people who had been in contact with him to destroy their supply and get a test.
After going to so much trouble and breaking the law to get it, I can't imagine too many people would then destroy their supply!!!!
I think you will find that, that evidence is heresay. So unless you can back it up with other evidence in court to prove your case, I wouldn't rest it there.
Yaneer Bar-Yam is an American scientist and activist specializing in complex systems. An expert in the quantitative analysis of pandemics, he advised policy makers on the Western African Ebola virus epidemic and founded EndCoronavirus.org, a global network of over 4,000 volunteers formed in February 2020 to provide information, guidelines, and policy advocacy to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. (from wikipedia).
He wrote a long thread on twitter two days ago (31 parts), the early parts quoted below, and it is a thought-provoking read. Yes, the arguments for one policy or the other are well canvased but this nails some interesting points.
COVID-19 must be eliminated, not become endemic, if America is to survive "More and more people seem to be accepting the idea the future will include COVID-19." Those people don’t understand what that means.
Take The Wall Street Journal, which on Friday published an article stating “COVID-19 will soon become endemic—and the sooner the better.” "This… is not just a formula for millions of deaths, but an absolute ticket to the end of the line for America, and likely for what we currently think of as modern society. We simply cannot live with endemic COVID-19. "
Hang on, let me say that again: We. Cannot. Live. With. Endemic. COVID-19. I can be louder. And I will be.
COVID-19 must be eliminated, not become endemic, if America is to survive
"More and more people seem to be accepting the idea the future will include COVID-19.
So much for all the apologists' arguments for abandoning New Zealand's Elimination Strategy for the Suppression Strategy championed by the likes of Australia’s Scott Morrison, and the UK’s Boris Johnson. And now our government.
I fully understand the sentiment aj. Exactly one year ago I was making the case here that we had enough information to eradicate COVID if we had the political will to do so. But if you pay attention to the origins of COVID and the politicisation of the responses to it – that opportunity was never going to be taken.
Instead we've been fed endless lines of of bullshit talking points. If you're disappointed with the outcome you sure have my sympathy.
and realize that its no real suprise that there isnt much appetite to dig too deeply into what really happend or be overly critical of China as it seems likely USA was donkey deep…
A novel corona virus made as an average of corona viruses, what could go wrong… only takes 1 accident.
Yup. I've been quietly following that story for a long time now. In Jan 2020 we were living with a Chinese family who have very good connections – and what we were told then about the Wuhan labs has been confirmed in almost every detail since.
As usual with these things it's non-trivial sorting the relevance and reliability of the information – but there are now multiple cross-linking sources that all back up that story Stuff has run. And I'm 90% certain there is considerably more to the story than even this.
I applaud the thousands of people working their butts off every day, working in MIQ, the contact tracing teams, the staff in hospitals, the vaccination and testing teams. Every soul who won't have given up in the fight against this disease. I don't imagine many of the decision makers sleeping long at nights.
And I hope the public work hard to keep to the rules around mask wearing, social distancing. Because people can protect themselves and others.
One thing for sure: there will be many, many twists and turns over the coming year or two.
– mandatory scanning and rapid testing and masks and vaccines.
– disinformation by media has lost its potency
– public buy-in
"By my count, Taiwan has now had five brushes with Delta, including two sizeable outbreaks. Thus far it has prevailed, and in a sense, I’m breathing easier with that knowledge. But I’m still haunted by our lapse earlier this year and hope we don’t fall prey to our complacency once again. And so anxiety is par for the course. Each day I wear my mask and watch the vaccination rate inch up… And then I remember what it is like in so many other countries and remember how lucky I truly am."
Interesting article. They seem to have managed through this without the same reliance on lockdowns. The key elements have been mandatory scanning, rapid antigen testing and mandated mask wearing in public. The MoH seems to be resistant to rapid antigen testing, and our border saliva testing regime seems to be "held together by sellotape".
I feel we'll here more about rapid antigen testing in the near future. We followed Taiwan before (the parts of their response that seemed to suit our situation) and I hope we'll be doing the same again.
Privacy issues for sure. That would be a reason why we might always have short sharp lock downs – to allow the contact tracers to catch-up with the spread
Other key points are a comparative lack of ethnic diversity.
"According to government figures, over 95% of Taiwan's population of 23.4 million consists of Han Chinese"
And a comparatively well educated population.
"Although current law mandates only nine years of schooling, 95 percent junior high school students go on to a senior vocational high school, trade school, junior college, or university."
Which is one of the great things the MoH, government and advisors did in the first lockdowns – adapted what they'd learned from places like Taiwan and South Korea to better fit our needs. They can do that again.
Auckland City needs a root and branch overhaul of it's culture and operational effectiveness. Our 'employees' at AC have lost any kind of connection with communities, and the city is being run by a cabal that consists of Goff's 'A' team and a small group of unelected bureaucrats. Mitchell was probably not the right man for the job, but Joyce just might be.
Since the implementation of the super city, we have experienced the gradual erosion of the democratic process in the city. The local boards are largely toothless. CCO's such as Panuku and AT are run by incompetent ideologues who have a total disregard for the community. And if you want to be tribal, this has all developed under the oversight of two Labour mayors, and a current Council that is dominated by Labour/City Vision. What I'd like to see is a truly independent mayor, with the cajones to break up the stranglehold political groups have on the city.
The plan to get Banks in charge, and sell everything which wasn’t nailed down, was thwarted by Aucklanders, who remembered previous asset thefts/sorry, sales. They wannabee crooks still stuffed up as much as they could in revenge, led by Hyde.
Which is why National and ACT’s opposition to three waters is so blatently hypocritical.
If they had their druthers, it would have all been in private ownership by now, along with POAL, and other council assets, without even a hint of “Democratic control”.
Not sure if the structure proposed is the answer, but like DHB’s the current “local Democratic control” is illusion, not reality.
Not disagreeing with you on Banks etc. The supercity (and for that matter previous amalgamations) is a good example of how bigger is not always better.
Which brings me to 3Waters. Local democracy may be an illusion, but local control isn't. Despite a multi-million dollar misinformation campaign, and a $2.5bn 'inducement' offered to Council's, it seems certain the government is going to have to legislate control these assets away from ratepayers for what are very dubious reasons.
Only if you think that trying to fix the fuckup, that so many of the self perpetuating, old boys clubs have made of council' infrastructure, is 'dubious reasons".
“Local control” has often meant control by the self interested local well off who have the time and money to run for council. You can see it in council’s ignoring things like rural river pollution.
“Democratic consultation” is a joke.
I'm not convinced that an overpayed managerial monstrosity is the answer, either.
But if something isn't done we will have many more, Hastings, and worse.
Currently National is opposing it, but their favoured solution would be infinitely worse.
I live in Auckland. As ratepayers we have invested billions of dollars in water infrastructure, and unlike the scare tactics deployed by the advertising, we don't have 'nasties' in our water (a claim which brought an apology from an apology from the government). I also can see right through the financial sleight of hand that funds an inducement from money taken from ratepayers in the first place. If this plan is so good, why are 60 of the 67 councils opposed, why is the government spending millions of dollars selling it, and why the misinformation?
The current system may need reform, but before developing a solution, let’s actually understand the problem.
Councils are opposed out of pure self interest. Losing power and in some cases, things to borrow against. The Government criticism of councils is warrented. Of course they don’t like it.
All the mis-information I've seen has been from opponent's, such as Luxon. I wonder why.
The problems are pretty obvious. Lack of capability and investment by council's combined with our rapid increase in population.
Councils have been asking central Government to fund it. They must be aware that shouldn't come without central Government accountability. Otherwise money would just disappear into general council funding often to pet projects or contracts to mates.
Auckland may not have nasties in the water supply, but the sewage and stormwater systems are hopelessly inadequate and outdated. Needing billions in investment.
"Councils have been asking central Government to fund it.''
Because they have restricted their borrowing! And this is exactly what central government have been doing – criticising local Councils on one hand, and tying their hands behind their back with the other.
"but the sewage and stormwater systems are hopelessly inadequate and outdated. "
Not in Auckland. We've invested in upgrading those systems, including the central interceptor project currently underway.
"All the mis-information I've seen has been from opponent's"
Ah no. The advertising has shown green sludge coming out of taps. It talked about 'nasties' in the water. And there's plenty more examples.
Perhaps the most ironic thing in all this is that the Hawkes Bay Council, the district whose problems prompted a review of the way water is managed, don't support 3 Waters. That says something about just how bad the plan is.
I always liked that restauranteur John Palino. Who wanted to devolve the CBD and create satellite stand alone communities.
If you want to build a gazillion houses in Pokeno or Ararimu then you better have a plan to build retail, commerce and manufacturing jobs as well. The aim being for a self sufficient district. Thus reducing the need for travel.
Unfortunately he had an American accent which possibly ruined his chances. He seemed to be a good thinker with no political baggage.
To win the Auckland mayoralty, you need to have serious connections and/or backing. Labour have been smart and recognised the importance of a politically aligned mayor in the country's biggest city. Unfortunately both Brown and Goff have been poor performers on so many levels. Goff has overseen the city becoming a dysfunctional mess, with the private agenda's of his 'A' team taking priority over democracy and the best interests of the city.
New research show Pfizer vaccine reaches its maximum efficacy at 1 month after 2nd dose waning after 4 months but still preventing hospitalizations after 6 months. Recommendations for a 3rd dose for those over 65 and those with compromised immune systems.
Just how dumb are the Police? It turns out they did not roadblock the Tuakau bridge (near Port Waikato) when he covid border was established, and merely occasionally patrolled the backroad route from Waikato to Auckland. Good god… the mind boggles.
I gather it was due to the people at Port Waikato not being able to access a Supermarket during previous lockdowns, so they allowed access from Port Waikato to Tuakau.
WTF ! there's your waikato outbreak being assisted folks. Not so much dumb more like negligence.
A few locals from Raglan reckon it's been full of Jaffa's as soon as levels changed. What's the bet word got out Police werent there and everyone piled in.
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In the past 10 years or so – and that’s how quickly it has happened – all our comfortable convictions about the unassailability of free speech have been turned on their heads. Suddenly we find ourselves fighting again for rights we assumed were settled. Click here to watch the video ...
Enforced Fertility: The imminent overturning of Roe versus Wade by the US Supreme Court is certain to raise echoes here that are no less evocative of the dystopia envisioned by Margaret Atwood in The Handmaid’s Tale. Gilead can happen here.WITH THE UNITED STATES seemingly on the brink of becoming “Gilead”, ...
Not Wanted On Grounds Of Political Rejuvenation: Winston Peters did nothing more than visit the protest encampment erected by anti-vaxxers on the parliamentary lawn. A great many New Zealanders applauded him for meeting with the protesters and wondered why the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition could not do ...
May The Force Be With Us: With New Zealanders under 40, nostalgia for a time when politics worked gains little purchase. Politics hasn’t swerved to any noticeable degree since the 1980s, becoming in the Twenty-First Century a battle between marketing strategies, not ideologies. Young New Zealanders critique political advertisements in ...
Dane Giraud reflects on his working class upbringing and how campaigning for free speech radicalised him Evidence to support censorship as a tool for social cohesion is paltry. I Read the NZ Human Rights Commission website, and 99% of their ‘evidence’ is anecdotal. When asked why we need hate speech ...
As you may have noticed, I have been slowly working my way through the works of Agatha Christie. At the time of writing, I have read some thirty-eight of her books – less than half her total output, but arguably enough to get a reasonable handle on it. It ...
Population growth has some effect on economic growth, but it is complicated especially where infrastructure is involved. We need to think more about it. In an opinion piece in the New Zealand Herald, John Gascoigne claimed that New Zealand was a ‘tragic tale of economic decline’. He gave no evidence ...
The Greens have been almost invisible since the 2020 election. Despite massive crises impacting on people’s lives, such as climate change, housing, inequality, and the cost of living, they’ve had very little to say. On this week’s highly contentious issue of politicians being banned from Parliament by Trevor Mallard, the ...
The government has announced it will be replacing all coal boilers in schools by 2025: All remaining coal boilers in New Zealand schools will be replaced with cleaner wood burners or electric heating by 2025, at a cost of $10 million, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced. The coal ...
Israeli news media and politicians often complain about the activity of neo-Nazis in Ukraine. “Activists and supporters of Ukrainian nationalist parties hold torches as they take part in a rally to mark the 112th birth anniversary of Stepan Bandera, in Kyiv, Ukraine, January 1, 2021. Credit: Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters The recent ...
CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY Mr Speaker, It has taken four-and-a-half years to even start to turn the legacy of inaction and neglect from the last time they were in Government together. And we have a long journey in front of us! ...
Today Greens Te Mātāwaka Chair and Health Spokesperson, Dr Elizabeth Kerekere, said “The Greens have long campaigned for an independent Māori Health Authority and pathways for Takatāpui and Rainbow healthcare. “We welcome the substantial funding going into the new health system, Pae Ora, particularly for the Māori Health Authority, Iwi-Partnership ...
Budget 2022 shows progress on conservation commitments in the Green Party’s cooperation agreement Green Party achievements in the last Government continue to drive investment in nature protection Urgent action needed on nature-based solutions to climate change Future budget decisions must reflect the role nature plays in helping reduce emissions ...
Landmark week for climate action concludes with climate budget Largest ever investment in climate action one of many Green Party wins throughout Budget 2022 Budget 2022 delivers progress on every part of the cooperation agreement with Labour Budget 2022 is a climate budget that caps a landmark week ...
Green Party welcomes extension to half price fares Permanent half price fares for Community Services Card holders includes many students, which helps implement a Green Party policy Work to reduce public transport fares for Community Services Card holders started by Greens in the last Government Budget 2022 should be ...
New cost of living payment closely aligned to Green Party policy to expand the Winter Energy Payment Extension and improvement of Warmer Kiwi Homes builds on Green Party progress in Government Community energy fund welcomed The Green Party welcomes the investment in Budget 2022 to expand Warmer Kiwi ...
Budget 2022 support to reduce homelessness delivers on the Green Party’s cooperation agreement Bespoke support for rangatahi with higher, more complex needs The Green Party welcomes the additional investment in Budget 2022 for kaupapa Māori support services, homelessness outreach services, the expansion of transitional housing, and a new ...
Green Party reaffirms call for liveable incomes and wealth tax Calls on Government to cancel debt owed to MSD for hardship assistance such as benefit advances, and for over-payments The Green Party welcomes the support for people on low incomes Budget 2022 but says more must be done ...
Our Government has just released this year’s Budget, which sets out the next steps in our plan to build a high wage, low carbon economy that gives economic security in good times and in bad. It’s full of initiatives that speed up our economic recovery and ease cost pressures for ...
A stronger democracy is on the horizon, as Golriz Ghahraman’s Electoral (Strengthening Democracy) Amendment Bill was pulled from the biscuit tin today. ...
Tomorrow, the Government will release this year’s Budget, setting out the next steps in our plan to build a high wage, low carbon economy that gives economic security in good times and in bad. While the full details will be kept under wraps until Thursday afternoon, we’ve announced a few ...
As a Government, we made it clear to New Zealanders that we’d take meaningful action on climate change, and that’s exactly what we’ve done. Earlier today, we released our next steps with our Emissions Reduction Plan – which will meet the Climate Commission’s independent science-based emissions reduction targets, and new ...
Emissions Reduction Plan prepares New Zealand for the future, ensuring country is on track to meet first emissions budget, securing jobs, and unlocking new investment ...
The Greens are calling for the Government to reconsider the immigration reset so that it better reflects our relationship with our Pacific neighbours. ...
Hamilton City Council and Whanganui District Council have both joined a growing list of Local Authorities to pass a motion in support of Green Party Drug Reform Spokesperson Chlöe Swarbrick’s Members’ bill to minimise alcohol harm. ...
Today, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a major package of reforms to address the immediate skill shortages in New Zealand and speed up our economic growth. These include an early reopening to the world, a major milestone for international education, and a simplification of immigration settings to ensure New Zealand ...
Proposed immigration changes by the Government fail to guarantee pathways to residency to workers in the types of jobs deemed essential throughout the pandemic, by prioritising high income earners - instead of focusing on the wellbeing of workers and enabling migrants to put down roots. ...
Ehara taku toa i te toa takatahi, engari taku toa he toa takimano – my strength is not mine alone but the strength of many (working together to ensure safe, caring respectful responses). We are striving for change. We want all people in Aotearoa New Zealand thriving; their wellbeing enhanced ...
The Green Party is throwing its support behind the 10,000 allied health workers taking work-to-rule industrial action today because of unfair pay and working conditions. ...
Since the day we came into Government, we’ve worked hard to lift wages and reduce cost pressures facing New Zealanders. But we know the rising cost of living, driven by worldwide inflation and the war in Ukraine, is making things particularly tough right now. That’s why we’ve stepped up our ...
An independent review of New Zealand’s detention regime for asylum seekers has found arbitrary and abusive practices in Aotearoa’s immigration law, policy, and practice. ...
Tiwhatiwha te pō, tiwhatiwha te ao. Tiwhatiwha te pō, tiwhatiwha te ao. Matariki Tapuapua, He roimata ua, he roimata tangata. He roimata e wairurutu nei, e wairurutu nei. Te Māreikura mārohirohi o Ihoa o ngā Mano, takoto Te ringa mākohakoha o Rongo, takoto. Te mātauranga o Tūāhuriri o Ngai Tahu ...
Three core networks within the tourism sector are receiving new investment to gear up for the return of international tourists and business travellers, as the country fully reconnects to the world. “Our wider tourism sector is on the way to recovery. As visitor numbers scale up, our established tourism networks ...
The Government is contributing $100,000 to a Mayoral Relief Fund to help the Levin community following this morning’s tornado, Minister for Emergency Management Kiri Allan says. “My thoughts are with everyone who has been impacted by severe weather events in Levin and across the country. “I know the tornado has ...
The Quintet of Attorneys General have issued the following statement of support for the Prosecutor General of Ukraine and investigations and prosecutions for crimes committed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine: “The Attorneys General of the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand join in ...
Morena tatou katoa. Kua tae mai i runga i te kaupapa o te rā. Thank you all for being here today. Yesterday my colleague, the Minister of Finance Grant Robertson, delivered the Wellbeing Budget 2022 – for a secure future for New Zealand. I’m the Minister of Health, and this was ...
Urgent Budget night legislation to stop major supermarkets blocking competitors from accessing land for new stores has been introduced today, Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Dr David Clark said. The Commerce (Grocery Sector Covenants) Amendment Bill amends the Commerce Act 1986, banning restrictive covenants on land, and exclusive covenants ...
It is a pleasure to speak to this Budget. The 5th we have had the privilege of delivering, and in no less extraordinary circumstances. Mr Speaker, the business and cycle of Government is, in some ways, no different to life itself. Navigating difficult times, while also making necessary progress. Dealing ...
Budget 2022 provides funding to implement the new resource management system, building on progress made since the reform was announced just over a year ago. The inadequate funding for the implementation of the Resource Management Act in 1992 almost guaranteed its failure. There was a lack of national direction about ...
The Government is substantially increasing the amount of funding for public media to ensure New Zealanders can continue to access quality local content and trusted news. “Our decision to create a new independent and future-focused public media entity is about achieving this objective, and we will support it with a ...
$662.5 million to maintain existing defence capabilities NZDF lower-paid staff will receive a salary increase to help meet cost-of living pressures. Budget 2022 sees significant resources made available for the Defence Force to maintain existing defence capabilities as it looks to the future delivery of these new investments. “Since ...
More than $185 million to help build a resilient cultural sector as it continues to adapt to the challenges coming out of COVID-19. Support cultural sector agencies to continue to offer their important services to New Zealanders. Strengthen support for Māori arts, culture and heritage. The Government is investing in a ...
It is my great pleasure to present New Zealand’s fourth Wellbeing Budget. In each of this Government’s three previous Wellbeing Budgets we have not only considered the performance of our economy and finances, but also the wellbeing of our people, the health of our environment and the strength of our communities. In Budget ...
It is my great pleasure to present New Zealand’s fourth Wellbeing Budget. In each of this Government’s three previous Wellbeing Budgets we have not only considered the performance of our economy and finances, but also the wellbeing of our people, the health of our environment and the strength of our communities. In Budget ...
Four new permanent Coroners to be appointed Seven Coronial Registrar roles and four Clinical Advisor roles are planned to ease workload pressures Budget 2022 delivers a package of investment to improve the coronial system and reduce delays for grieving families and whānau. “Operating funding of $28.5 million over four ...
Establishment of Ministry for Disabled People Progressing the rollout of the Enabling Good Lives approach to Disability Support Services to provide self-determination for disabled people Extra funding for disability support services “Budget 2022 demonstrates the Government’s commitment to deliver change for the disability community with the establishment of a ...
Fairer Equity Funding system to replace school deciles The largest step yet towards Pay Parity in early learning Local support for schools to improve teaching and learning A unified funding system to underpin the Reform of Vocational Education Boost for schools and early learning centres to help with cost ...
$118.4 million for advisory services to support farmers, foresters, growers and whenua Māori owners to accelerate sustainable land use changes and lift productivity $40 million to help transformation in the forestry, wood processing, food and beverage and fisheries sectors $31.6 million to help maintain and lift animal welfare practices across Aotearoa New Zealand A total food and ...
House price caps for First Home Grants increased in many parts of the country House price caps for First Home Loans removed entirely Kāinga Whenua Loan cap will also be increased from $200,000 to $500,000 The Affordable Housing Fund to initially provide support for not-for-profit rental providers Significant additional ...
Child Support rules to be reformed lifting an estimated 6,000 to 14,000 children out of poverty Support for immediate and essential dental care lifted from $300 to $1,000 per year Increased income levels for hardship assistance to extend eligibility Budget 2022 takes further action to reduce child poverty and ...
More support for RNA research through to pilot manufacturing RNA technology platform to be created to facilitate engagement between research and industry partners Researchers and businesses working in the rapidly developing field of RNA technology will benefit from a new research and development platform, funded in Budget 2022. “RNA ...
A new Business Growth Fund to support small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to grow Fully funding the Regional Strategic Partnership Fund to unleash regional economic development opportunities Tourism Innovation Programme to promote sustainable recovery Eight Industry Transformation Plans progressed to work with industries, workers and iwi to transition ...
Budget 2022 further strengthens the economic foundations and wellbeing outcomes for Pacific peoples in Aotearoa, as the recovery from COVID-19 continues. “The priorities we set for Budget 2022 will support the continued delivery of our commitments for Pacific peoples through the Pacific Wellbeing Strategy, a 2020 manifesto commitment for Pacific ...
Boost for Māori economic and employment initiatives. More funding for Māori health and wellbeing initiatives Further support towards growing language, culture and identity initiatives to deliver on our commitment to Te Reo Māori in Education Funding for natural environment and climate change initiatives to help farmers, growers and whenua ...
New hospital funding for Whangārei, Nelson and Hillmorton 280 more classrooms over 40 schools, and money for new kura $349 million for more rolling stock and rail network investment The completion of feasibility studies for a Northland dry dock and a new port in the Manukau Harbour Increased infrastructure ...
$168 million to the Māori Health Authority for direct commissioning of services $20.1 million to support Iwi-Māori Partnership Boards $30 million to support Māori primary and community care providers $39 million for Māori health workforce development Budget 2022 invests in resetting our health system and gives economic security in ...
Biggest-ever increase to Pharmac’s medicines budget Provision for 61 new emergency vehicles including 48 ambulances, along with 248 more paramedics and other frontline staff New emergency helicopter and crew, and replacement of some older choppers $100 million investment in specialist mental health and addiction services 195,000 primary and intermediate aged ...
Landmark reform: new multi-year budgets for better planning and more consistent health services Record ongoing annual funding boost for Health NZ to meet cost pressures and start with a clean slate as it replaces fragmented DHB system ($1.8 billion year one, as well as additional $1.3 billion in year ...
Fuel Excise Duty and Road User Charges cut to be extended for two months Half price public transport extended for a further two months New temporary cost of living payment for people earning up to $70,000 who are not eligible to receive the Winter Energy Payment Estimated 2.1 million New ...
A return to surplus in 2024/2025 Unemployment rate projected to remain at record lows Net debt forecast to peak at 19.9 percent of GDP in 2024, lower than Australia, US, UK and Canada Economic growth to hit 4.2 percent in 2023 and average 2.1 percent over the forecast period A ...
Cost of living payment to cushion impact of inflation for 2.1 million Kiwis Record health investment including biggest ever increase to Pharmac’s medicines budget First allocations from Climate Emergency Response Fund contribute to achieving the goals in the first Emissions Reduction Plan Government actions deliver one of the strongest ...
Budget 2022 will help build a high wage, low emissions economy that provides greater economic security, while providing support to households affected by cost of living pressures. Our economy has come through the COVID-19 shock better than almost anywhere else in the world, but other challenges, both long-term and more ...
Health Minister Andrew Little will represent New Zealand at the first in-person World Health Assembly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from Sunday 22 – Wednesday 25 May (New Zealand time). “COVID-19 has affected people all around the world, and health continues to ...
New Zealand is committing to trade only in legally harvested timber with the Forests (Legal Harvest Assurance) Amendment Bill introduced to Parliament today. Under the Bill, timber harvested in New Zealand and overseas, and used in products made here or imported, will have to be verified as being legally harvested. ...
The Government has welcomed the release today of StatsNZ data showing the rate at which New Zealanders died from all causes during the COVID-19 pandemic has been lower than expected. The new StatsNZ figures provide a measure of the overall rate of deaths in New Zealand during the pandemic compared ...
Legislation that will help prevent serious criminal offending at sea, including trafficking of humans, drugs, wildlife and arms, has passed its third reading in Parliament today, Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta announced. “Today is a milestone in allowing us to respond to the increasingly dynamic and complex maritime security environment facing ...
Trade and Export Growth Minister Damien O’Connor is set to travel to Thailand this week to represent New Zealand at the annual APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) meeting in Bangkok. “I’m very much looking forward to meeting my trade counterparts at APEC 2022 and building on the achievements we ...
Settlement of the first pay-equity agreement in the health sector is hugely significant, delivering pay rises of thousands of dollars for many hospital administration and clerical workers, Health Minister Andrew Little says. “There is no place in 21st century Aotearoa New Zealand for 1950s attitudes to work predominantly carried out ...
Health Minister Andrew Little opened a new intensive care space for up to 12 ICU-capable beds at Christchurch Hospital today, funded from the Government’s Rapid Hospital Improvement Programme. “I’m pleased to help mark this milestone. This new space will provide additional critical care support for the people of Canterbury and ...
Budget 2022 will continue to deliver on Labour’s commitment to better services and support for mental wellbeing. The upcoming Budget will include a $100-million investment over four years for a specialist mental health and addiction package, including: $27m for community-based crisis services that will deliver a variety of intensive supports ...
Budget 2022 will continue to deliver on Labour’s commitment to better mental wellbeing services and support, with 195,000 primary and intermediate aged children set to benefit from the continuation and expansion of Mana Ake services. “In Budget 2022 Labour will deliver on its manifesto commitment to expand Mana Ake, with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan Harris Rimmer, Professor and Director of the Policy Innovation Hub, Griffith Business School, Griffith University The Australian Labor Party will form government either outright or in a minority government. The ALP has so far gained a small 2.8% two-party preferred national ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Morrison government has been resoundingly defeated, with Labor headed for office, although whether in a minority or majority was unclear late Saturday night. The election has been a triumph for the teal independents, with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Nethery, Senior Lecturer in Politics and Policy Studies, Deakin University Joel Carrett/AAP One of the most stunning features of the 2022 election has been the challenge from teal independents in Liberal seats. At the close of counting on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne AAP/Lukas Coch With 53% counted at Saturday’s federal election, the ABC is calling 72 of the 151 House of Representatives seats for Labor, 52 for the Coalition, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denis Muller, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancing Journalism, The University of Melbourne It really started unravelling for Scott Morrison on All Saints Day, November 1 2021, when French President Emmanuel Macron branded him a liar. Asked by Bevan Shields, who is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marija Taflaga, Lecturer, School of Political Science and International Relations, Australian National University It is incredible the government that led Australia through the pandemic with one of the highest vaccination rates, some of the lowest per capita death rates and, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Bongiorno, Professor of History, ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University Wes Mountain/The Conversation, CC BY-ND Labor’s successful bid for government – only its fifth victory from opposition since the first world war – was based ...
Auckland Central Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick has revealed an alarming failure by the Department of Conservation to live up to its name and protect native kororā (penguins) at Pūtiki Bay on Waiheke Island. “DOC was asked to submit on the Kennedy Point ...
Policy failure over the last eight years — including a massive cut to the ABC’s international funding — has weakened Australia’s voice in the Pacific to its lowest ebb since the Menzies government established the first radio shortwave service across the region more than 80 years ago. Now, with China’s ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern early in March insisted there was no cost-of-living “crisis” in New Zealand. Now her right-hand man, Grant Robertson, has presented a budget which he proudly claims deals with that very same “crisis”, giving away $1 billion in an emergency cost-of-living package. About 2.1 million New Zealanders ...
Podcast - This Budget needed to tackle health and climate while delivering cost-of-living relief. Deputy Political Editor Craig McCulloch assesses the implications. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne AAP/Lukas Coch The federal election is on Saturday. Polls close at 6pm local time; that means 6pm AEST in the eastern states, 6:30pm in SA and the ...
Analysis - It was the government's biggest week of the year with the Budget and the Emissions Reduction Plan coming out, and neither was given much of a welcome, Peter Wilson writes. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ataus Samad, Lecturer, Western Sydney University Mick Tsikas/AAP With the election almost upon us, thoughts are more than ever turned to political survival. While getting pre-selected and winning elections are the initial, difficult challenges of a political career, a major ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Chart by Keith Rankin. We know that New Zealand has one of the world’s lowest mortality outcomes, so far, in the Covid19 pandemic. (So has North Korea.) It’s still far too early to access the costs incurred – loss of utility enjoyed by actual and ‘would-have-been’ ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liz Giuffre, Senior Lecturer in Communication, University of Technology Sydney Lillie Eiger/ Sony You’ve probably heard the name Harry Styles. He is the current “real big thing” in popular music. But how did a former boy band star become ...
New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty managing director Mark Harris is advocating for a stamp duty on foreign buyers of residential property. Following yesterday’s Budget 2022 announcement, Harris believes that a stamp duty would help increase the ...
And how did the people react to the boost in spending announced in this year’s Budget to promote our wellbeing? In some cases by pleading for more; in other cases, by grouching they got nothing. But Budget spending is never enough. Two lots of bleating came from the Human Rights ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra University of Canberra Professorial Fellow Michelle Grattan and Emma La Rouche, from the University of Canberra’s Media and Communications team, look at the last week of the campaign as Australians head to the polls. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Hurlimann, Associate Professor in Urban Planning, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock It will be impossible to tackle climate change unless we transform the way we build and plan cities, which are responsible for a staggering 70% of global emissions. ...
Military spending allocated in the 2022 Wellbeing Budget is $6,077,484,000 - an average of more than $116.8 million every week, and a 10.4% increase on actual spending in 2021. [1] This year’s increase illustrates yet again that the government remains ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Tingay, John Curtin Distinguished Professor (Radio Astronomy), Curtin University JIM LO SCALZO/EPA The United States Congress recently held a hearing into US government information pertaining to “unidentified aerial phenomena” (UAPs). The last investigation of this kind happened ...
Bank shareholders, speculators, investors, and ticket clippers will be partying for days over the enormous profits they’ll be expecting following Labour’s budget reveal yesterday. After a 48 percent increase in profits in 2021, banks in particular ...
Budget 2022 has a relatively small amount of new cash allocated to science, research and innovation. This budget comes ahead of what could become a major overhaul of the research, science, and innovation sector in the coming years, with MBIE now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Curtin, Professor of Politics and Policy, University of Auckland Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks to parliament via video link from COVID isolation during budget day.Getty Images All budgets are about economics and politics, and 2022’s was no different. The Labour ...
Early this Sunday evening there will be a phone alert you can’t ignore – but don’t worry, it’s just a test. This year’s nationwide test of the Emergency Mobile Alert system will take place on Sunday 22 May between 6-7pm It is expected ...
It was announced today that the inaugural Chinese Medicine Council of New Zealand (CMCNZ) has been appointed by the Minister of Health, Hon. Andrew Little. This brings the Chinese medicine profession in under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peggy Kern, Associate professor, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock It’s been a big week and you feel exhausted, and suddenly you find yourself crying at a nice nappy commercial. Or maybe you are struck with a cold or the coronavirus ...
No, we haven’t fully analysed Budget 2022, but we did listen to Finance Minister Grant Robertson’s speech. He took great pride in announcing his fifth Budget invests $5.9 billion a year in net new operating spending, while introducing multi-year funding packages that also draw from Budget 2023 and Budget 2024 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hassan Vally, Associate Professor, Epidemiology, Deakin University Victor Grabarczyk/unsplash Dogs have an exceptional sense of smell. We take advantage of this ability in many ways, including by training them to find illicit drugs, dangerous goods and even people. In ...
The Government is using dirty tactics as it pushes through enabling legislation to increase PAYE revenue by 10% under the cover of yesterday’s Budget, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union in response to the Income Insurance Scheme (Enabling ...
RNZ Pacific A total of NZ$196 million has been set aside for Pacific services in Aotearoa New Zealand in this year’s Budget. A big chunk of that — $76 million will go on Pacific health services. Finance Minister Grant Robertson said the cash injection would be used to support Pacific ...
By George Heagney of Stuff A group of students from West Papua, the Melanesian Pacific region in Indonesia, are fearful about their futures in New Zealand after their scholarships were cut off. A group of about 40 students have been studying at different tertiary institutions in New Zealand, but in ...
By Craig McCulloch, RNZ News deputy political editor More than two million New Zealanders will get a one-off $350 sweetener as part of the Budget’s centrepiece $1 billion cost-of-living relief package. The temporary short-term support is counterbalanced by a record $11.1 billion for the health system as the government scraps ...
Asia Pacific Report newsdesk A movement dedicated to peaceful self-determination among indigenous groups in the Pacific is the latest group in Aotearoa to add support for struggling Papuan students caught in Aotearoa New Zealand after an abrupt cancellation of their scholarships. About 70 Papuan students are currently in New Zealand ...
RNZ Pacific The pro-independence coalition parties of Kanaky New Caledonia have selected their candidates for the French Legislative elections next month. Wali Wahetra from the Palika Party is standing in one electoral district, and Gerard Reignier from Union Caledonienne is standing in the other. Speaking with La Premiere, Wahetra explained ...
COMMENTARY:By Nina Santos in AucklandOn May 9, the Philippines went to the polls in what has been called “by far the most divisive and consequential electoral contest” in the Philippines.The electoral race had boiled down to two frontrunners: one was the current Vice-President Leni Robredo, running on ...
PNG Post-Courier Governor-General Grand Chief Sir Bob Dadae has described Papua New Guinea’s late Deputy Prime Minister Sam Basil as a vibrant and visionary leader who was passionate about his people and the electorate. He said Basil loved and dedicated his life to the people of Bulolo until his unexpected ...
Are you receiving NZ Superannuation? If you are, then no, you are not one of the 2.1 million Kiwi’s getting the $350 cost of living supplement announced in the 2022 Budget. If you hold a Gold card the extension of the half priced public ...
On May 19th, the Government released its 2022 Budget which included a number of initiatives to help vulnerable whānau in our communities. Many of these initiatives focus on a proactive strategy to recover from the effects of COVID. Within the community ...
Budget 2022 has been a disappointment for New Zealand’s leading advocate for older people. Although the Grey Power Federation is pleased to note that the Government is investing $3.103 million over four years to continue implementing the Better Later ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Gillespie, Professor of Law, University of Waikato Ukraine’s sea port of Mariupol, blockaded and now fallen to Russian forces.Getty Images Trying to gauge the worst aspect of the Russian invasion of Ukraine is difficult. For some, it will be the ...
The Government has committed $37.485m to continue the work of achieving a thriving, fair and sustainable construction sector. The funding will support the Construction Sector Accord to deliver its Construction Sector Transformation Plan 2022-2025. “This ...
The Commission commends the Government’s Budget 2022 investment in specialist mental health and addiction, particularly the investment in community-based crisis services, specialist child and adolescent mental health and addiction services, and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Kenny, Professor, Australian Studies Institute, Australian National University You first have to lose an election on principle if you want to win one on principle. This was how Labor rationalised the miscalculations that led to its “Don’s Party” disappointment in 1969, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Camilla Hoyos, Research Fellow, University of Sydney Shutterstock There is increasing recognition of the important role sleep plays in our brain health. Growing evidence suggests disturbed sleep may increase the risk of developing dementia. I and University of Sydney ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Wilson, Associate Professor of Leadership, Swinburne University of Technology Shutterstock Whatever the result of the 2022 election, one thing is clear: many Australians are losing faith that their social institutions serve their interests. Our annual survey of 4,000 Australians ...
National Party leader Christopher Luxon has labelled the Budget a "backwards Budget" and with "bandaid" solutions. Watch his post-Budget speech here ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The text arrived on Thursday morning, from a woman who helps me with my horses. “And now I have to do that voting thing. Recommendations please? Who is best?” Well Margaret, after an unedifying ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Margaret Hellard, Deputy Director (Programs), Burnet Institute Australia’s COVID death toll is rising, yet public health measures to reduce transmission such as mask mandates are largely a thing of the past. It’s time for governments and the community to consider what ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society and NATSEM, University of Canberra Shutterstock Early in the election campaign, on April 14, we learned that Australia’s unemployment rate had slipped below 4% in March, to 3.95% – ...
The sum includes about $1.8 billion to wipe out DHB deficits, while Pharmac will receive $191m over two years to fund new drugs - with a particular focus on cancer care. ...
E tū welcomes Budget 2022, which includes a range of measures that will help E tū members and their communities during a time of increased hardship coming out of the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. E tū Assistant National Secretary Annie Newman ...
The 2022 Budget was delivered against a gloomier backdrop. The latest forecasts suggest more subdued growth, more persistent inflation, and further tightening in the labour market. The headline numbers provided little surprise. The Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wendy Bonython, Associate Professor of Law, Bond University Shutterstock This Saturday, most Australians over 18 will vote in the federal election. The right to participate in elections is enshrined in international and domestic human rights law. Under Australia’s Commonwealth ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Shaw, Professor of Politics, Massey University Getty Images One way to make sense of Finance Minister Grant Robertson’s fifth budget speech was to see it as a political performance working on different levels. First, Labour needs this budget ...
Greater Wellington welcomed news today that the Government will permanently fund cheaper public transport fares for community services card hold holders. Chair of Greater Wellington Daran Ponter said there had been strong support for this type ...
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My very first avian friend from the stream to visit my place, Charlie Drake, demonstrating his stunt piloting skills.
Carefully calculates: weight, distance, height for clearance, angle of takeoff, climb rate, landing gear retraction point, lift required (BPM), drop point, landing zone.
Like to see anybody here do all that, and skip over that fence like that, just by flapping your arms!
Whoopee❗️
It's been nearly 18 months since I've been able to start feeding my eels again.
I've been throwing chunks of bloody sheep's hearts into te wai for a week from 20 feet up atop my side of the stream bank, but the water's been flowing so strongly from rain it's been rolling the meat downstream & into the rapids, & I haven't seen any eels for months.
This morning the flow's more sedate. Within 10 minutes of throwing six big chunks into the water – 3 out into the middle, & 3 just pitched down into my Eel Spot, Elvira Longfin hove into view. Swimming up the rapids, then slowly traversing the width of the stream, getting on to the scent of (now very smelly) heart chunks & gobbling them down.
I know it's Elvira from her length, her colour (she's a light grey) & how after she'd got the mid-stream meat chunks, she made her way over to the Eel Spot, where she's probably going to lie in wait to see if that man comes down with some more meat on his Feeding Stick.
I am a happy hermit. 👴🏼
And … Yay 😀
My (hopefully resident) Muscovy Duck just swam silently & sedately downstream again to just below my fence. It’s just started raining so I can’t use the camera, but I dashed inside & quickly got a slice of Molenberg Toast bread.
Broke it into big chunks & threw them down to it & I learned three more things about this Muscovy Duck:
1. It responded to being called “Hey, Muscovy. What a good boy. Just wait…” by cruising up to just below my bank & watching me.
2. It’s not as placid as I thought. The first bread chunk I threw down, a mallard drake half its size went after. Muscovy bit his side feathers & chased him off!
3. Every time it got a bread chunk, it WAGGED ITS massive TAIL FEATHERS! Like a happy dog. 😀
Amazing. This is a very good-looking creature. I’m gonna have so much fun interacting with this waterbird, with a bit of luck. 👍🏼
We really like these guys. What this clip doesn't mention is the booming mating call of the males that can be heard over quite long distances. You never see them fly, although they can – and rarely do they go on land. The only time we ever saw one out of the water was because it had been chased there by another male:
We like to think of them as the nuclear subs of the duck world.
Love it Geeza. Apparently birds have a large cerebellum which is the centre of the brain concerned with balance
I get mistakenly called Geeza so often, now that I’m 66, I sometimes wish I’d chosen that monicker instead of Gezza. 😀 (Pronounced Jezza, btw.)
My apologies Gezza! I make those sorts of mistakes sometimes
All good, Anker. I liked your comment. My own, now extensive, observations of all the different kinds of birds I regularly interact with around here is that ALL birds are smart. They figure stuff out (especially food-related stuff) very quickly.
And some birds are standout clever. Parrots, spring to mind.
Pūkekos I would also put in that category (notwithstanding the number who get clobbered by cars on the road every day, because they prefer to walk to get somewhere rather than fly).
Pooklets invent games with “toys” to amuse themselves.
Gezza I remember my Dad showing me hens could not figure out how to get food on the other side of a wire netting fence. They would be back and forward keeping an eye on it getting agitated. Until one of their number would find the end of the fence go round it, then others would follow.
Some till did not "get it" and he would lift them over.
He said it explained 'Bird brained" but also talked about parrots and breeds who were problem solvers unlike the chickens.
Gezza I remember my Dad showing me hens could not figure out how to get food on the other side of a wire netting fence. They would be back and forward keeping an eye on it getting agitated. Until one of their number would find the end of the fence go round it, then others would follow.
Some till did not "get it" and he would lift them over. He said it explained 'Bird brained" but also talked about parrots and breeds who were problem solvers unlike the chickens.
Could the moderator remove the above unedited copy Thanks.
I suspect there have been advantages for humans in breeding “dumbed down” domesticated chickens, Patricia.
Different hens from ours.
We used to joke that the movie, Chicken run, was true.
And "free range" is BS.
With 5 acres to range over they spent most of their lives camped by our back door, and shitting!
Even though you rarely saw them far from the food, they still managed rotten egg traps all over the place.
Bloody dickheads wrecking everything for the rest of us following the rules.
Covid-19: Jet Park MIQ rooms trashed as staff battle guests with gang links | Stuff.co.nz
FFS❗️ Bastards. Hope they throw the book at them. Wonder if the Army's Military Police have a lockup that could be made suitable for scrotes such as these?
Love it Geeza. Apparently birds have a large cerebellum which is the centre of the brain concerned with balance
I suspect there is going to be an extraordinary outpouring of contempt and hatred of gangs because delta has "outsmarted " our failures to contain it. The gangs are not the only shortcomings of our society.
I think the contempt is well earned. Lock these MIQ guys up. Corrections appear to have Covid Sussex. If I was a Miq nurse, it would be the bloody last straw.
needs to be a social contract. Rights and responsibilities
two things.
1. we're 18 months in, I would expect there to be security plans in place for people that are causing this kind of trouble
2. good to see the statement about the challenges for people going into MiQ from the community (as opposed to returnees). Maybe there needs to be culturally appropriate support as well. Hold the individuals accountable, and adapt around who is coming into the facility, everyone has their own needs.
I think it must be tough in MIQ.
What would cultural support involve? I guess everytime you bring a new person into the Jet Park, they risk infection and transferring it into the community.
From what I have heard from people who have been through MIQ the nurses are really busy, rushed off their feet. They are kind when taking temperatures etc, but the work swiftly due to time pressure.
I am not sure what arrangements there are for people at Jet Park for pastoral care, etc.
I'm going to hazard a guess that the hotel set up and processes are designed culturally around middle class Pākehā (in the same way that the Health system is). Many people can cope with that, some won't. The more you meet people culturally, the easier it is for them to manage their stress.
By culture I don't just mean ethnicity, but also class and so on.
and some people are just arseholes, so I'm talking about increasing the chances of things working out, not absolutely guaranteeing it.
I think putting them in MIQ in Mt. Eden prison for say six months or until they pay for the damage may help.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-delta-outbreak-hamilton-index-case-has-gang-connections-and-long-history-say-sources/RJDMT47ANTGCSH52R7L67BLAKA/
I rest my case your Honour
I love this part:
It said the man, who is currently in hospital, had "been supplying to the communities of Raglan and Kawhia for many years", and urged people who had been in contact with him to destroy their supply and get a test.
After going to so much trouble and breaking the law to get it, I can't imagine too many people would then destroy their supply!!!!
Just tell 'em that's where they really put the microchip trackers.
I think you will find that, that evidence is heresay. So unless you can back it up with other evidence in court to prove your case, I wouldn't rest it there.
Yaneer Bar-Yam is an American scientist and activist specializing in complex systems. An expert in the quantitative analysis of pandemics, he advised policy makers on the Western African Ebola virus epidemic and founded EndCoronavirus.org, a global network of over 4,000 volunteers formed in February 2020 to provide information, guidelines, and policy advocacy to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. (from wikipedia).
He wrote a long thread on twitter two days ago (31 parts), the early parts quoted below, and it is a thought-provoking read. Yes, the arguments for one policy or the other are well canvased but this nails some interesting points.
Pretty much says it all.
So much for all the apologists' arguments for abandoning New Zealand's Elimination Strategy for the Suppression Strategy championed by the likes of Australia’s Scott Morrison, and the UK’s Boris Johnson. And now our government.
I fully understand the sentiment aj. Exactly one year ago I was making the case here that we had enough information to eradicate COVID if we had the political will to do so. But if you pay attention to the origins of COVID and the politicisation of the responses to it – that opportunity was never going to be taken.
Instead we've been fed endless lines of of bullshit talking points. If you're disappointed with the outcome you sure have my sympathy.
Yeah you read articles like this
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/300424689/revealed-wuhan-and-us-scientists-planned-to-create-new-coronaviruses
and realize that its no real suprise that there isnt much appetite to dig too deeply into what really happend or be overly critical of China as it seems likely USA was donkey deep…
A novel corona virus made as an average of corona viruses, what could go wrong… only takes 1 accident.
Yup. I've been quietly following that story for a long time now. In Jan 2020 we were living with a Chinese family who have very good connections – and what we were told then about the Wuhan labs has been confirmed in almost every detail since.
As usual with these things it's non-trivial sorting the relevance and reliability of the information – but there are now multiple cross-linking sources that all back up that story Stuff has run. And I'm 90% certain there is considerably more to the story than even this.
Yes, disappointed, given up hope, no.
I applaud the thousands of people working their butts off every day, working in MIQ, the contact tracing teams, the staff in hospitals, the vaccination and testing teams. Every soul who won't have given up in the fight against this disease. I don't imagine many of the decision makers sleeping long at nights.
And I hope the public work hard to keep to the rules around mask wearing, social distancing. Because people can protect themselves and others.
One thing for sure: there will be many, many twists and turns over the coming year or two.
Here,here.
Zero can still be done. Even with Delta
Key points:
– mandatory scanning and rapid testing and masks and vaccines.
– disinformation by media has lost its potency
– public buy-in
"By my count, Taiwan has now had five brushes with Delta, including two sizeable outbreaks. Thus far it has prevailed, and in a sense, I’m breathing easier with that knowledge. But I’m still haunted by our lapse earlier this year and hope we don’t fall prey to our complacency once again. And so anxiety is par for the course. Each day I wear my mask and watch the vaccination rate inch up… And then I remember what it is like in so many other countries and remember how lucky I truly am."
Taipei reports zero local COVID cases for full week
Interesting article. They seem to have managed through this without the same reliance on lockdowns. The key elements have been mandatory scanning, rapid antigen testing and mandated mask wearing in public. The MoH seems to be resistant to rapid antigen testing, and our border saliva testing regime seems to be "held together by sellotape".
I feel we'll here more about rapid antigen testing in the near future. We followed Taiwan before (the parts of their response that seemed to suit our situation) and I hope we'll be doing the same again.
Contact tracing involves people's cell phone gps records
I suspect mandating contact tracing in NZ would not go down well.
Privacy issues for sure. That would be a reason why we might always have short sharp lock downs – to allow the contact tracers to catch-up with the spread
Other key points are a comparative lack of ethnic diversity.
"According to government figures, over 95% of Taiwan's population of 23.4 million consists of Han Chinese"
And a comparatively well educated population.
"Although current law mandates only nine years of schooling, 95 percent junior high school students go on to a senior vocational high school, trade school, junior college, or university."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwanese_people
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Taiwan
Which is one of the great things the MoH, government and advisors did in the first lockdowns – adapted what they'd learned from places like Taiwan and South Korea to better fit our needs. They can do that again.
Thinking about Mark Mitchell not running for the Mayoralty in Auckland.
Thought 1, he fancies his chances in a coup battle.
Thought 2, he's been told to stand down to make way for someone with more profile, either Paula Bennett or Steven Joyce.
He's also benefitted from the oily orca's services, not a great look.
Auckland City needs a root and branch overhaul of it's culture and operational effectiveness. Our 'employees' at AC have lost any kind of connection with communities, and the city is being run by a cabal that consists of Goff's 'A' team and a small group of unelected bureaucrats. Mitchell was probably not the right man for the job, but Joyce just might be.
You must be joking. Everything either privatised or paved.
Since the implementation of the super city, we have experienced the gradual erosion of the democratic process in the city. The local boards are largely toothless. CCO's such as Panuku and AT are run by incompetent ideologues who have a total disregard for the community. And if you want to be tribal, this has all developed under the oversight of two Labour mayors, and a current Council that is dominated by Labour/City Vision. What I'd like to see is a truly independent mayor, with the cajones to break up the stranglehold political groups have on the city.
The council structure was set by Rodney Hide and National. The last thing they wanted was democracy.
Well if so, Brown and Goff have well and truly proven the structure effective!
The plan to get Banks in charge, and sell everything which wasn’t nailed down, was thwarted by Aucklanders, who remembered previous asset thefts/sorry, sales. They wannabee crooks still stuffed up as much as they could in revenge, led by Hyde.
Which is why National and ACT’s opposition to three waters is so blatently hypocritical.
If they had their druthers, it would have all been in private ownership by now, along with POAL, and other council assets, without even a hint of “Democratic control”.
Not sure if the structure proposed is the answer, but like DHB’s the current “local Democratic control” is illusion, not reality.
Not disagreeing with you on Banks etc. The supercity (and for that matter previous amalgamations) is a good example of how bigger is not always better.
Which brings me to 3Waters. Local democracy may be an illusion, but local control isn't. Despite a multi-million dollar misinformation campaign, and a $2.5bn 'inducement' offered to Council's, it seems certain the government is going to have to legislate control these assets away from ratepayers for what are very dubious reasons.
Only if you think that trying to fix the fuckup, that so many of the self perpetuating, old boys clubs have made of council' infrastructure, is 'dubious reasons".
“Local control” has often meant control by the self interested local well off who have the time and money to run for council. You can see it in council’s ignoring things like rural river pollution.
“Democratic consultation” is a joke.
I'm not convinced that an overpayed managerial monstrosity is the answer, either.
But if something isn't done we will have many more, Hastings, and worse.
Currently National is opposing it, but their favoured solution would be infinitely worse.
I live in Auckland. As ratepayers we have invested billions of dollars in water infrastructure, and unlike the scare tactics deployed by the advertising, we don't have 'nasties' in our water (a claim which brought an apology from an apology from the government). I also can see right through the financial sleight of hand that funds an inducement from money taken from ratepayers in the first place. If this plan is so good, why are 60 of the 67 councils opposed, why is the government spending millions of dollars selling it, and why the misinformation?
The current system may need reform, but before developing a solution, let’s actually understand the problem.
Councils are opposed out of pure self interest. Losing power and in some cases, things to borrow against. The Government criticism of councils is warrented. Of course they don’t like it.
All the mis-information I've seen has been from opponent's, such as Luxon. I wonder why.
The problems are pretty obvious. Lack of capability and investment by council's combined with our rapid increase in population.
Councils have been asking central Government to fund it. They must be aware that shouldn't come without central Government accountability. Otherwise money would just disappear into general council funding often to pet projects or contracts to mates.
Auckland may not have nasties in the water supply, but the sewage and stormwater systems are hopelessly inadequate and outdated. Needing billions in investment.
"Councils have been asking central Government to fund it.''
Because they have restricted their borrowing! And this is exactly what central government have been doing – criticising local Councils on one hand, and tying their hands behind their back with the other.
"but the sewage and stormwater systems are hopelessly inadequate and outdated. "
Not in Auckland. We've invested in upgrading those systems, including the central interceptor project currently underway.
"All the mis-information I've seen has been from opponent's"
Ah no. The advertising has shown green sludge coming out of taps. It talked about 'nasties' in the water. And there's plenty more examples.
Perhaps the most ironic thing in all this is that the Hawkes Bay Council, the district whose problems prompted a review of the way water is managed, don't support 3 Waters. That says something about just how bad the plan is.
The "nasties in the water is untrue".
I don't think so.
Hastings was just one example.
If you think Aucklands sewage and stormwater systems are adequate. I have a bridge to sell you.
I always liked that restauranteur John Palino. Who wanted to devolve the CBD and create satellite stand alone communities.
If you want to build a gazillion houses in Pokeno or Ararimu then you better have a plan to build retail, commerce and manufacturing jobs as well. The aim being for a self sufficient district. Thus reducing the need for travel.
Unfortunately he had an American accent which possibly ruined his chances. He seemed to be a good thinker with no political baggage.
To win the Auckland mayoralty, you need to have serious connections and/or backing. Labour have been smart and recognised the importance of a politically aligned mayor in the country's biggest city. Unfortunately both Brown and Goff have been poor performers on so many levels. Goff has overseen the city becoming a dysfunctional mess, with the private agenda's of his 'A' team taking priority over democracy and the best interests of the city.
This 2nd jabs not a very good tech upgrade, still need glasses and my back still hurts, gates needs to up his game.
Windows 11 is on it's way I believe.
They're not going to waste those expensive microchips on you. You're not the target demographic.
Surely Bill doesn't need to type a big long search string like that – unless the Ask Epstein feature is broken?
Well, he’s dead, so …
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/bill-gates-odd-comment-about-jeffrey-epstein-well-hes-dead/RZE3D3DJGKANWMXTHIVBT4WFMY/
Heh
Got second vax on Tuesday. Side affects? I've had worse hangovers but at least there was some fun acquiring them.
At this stage ,5 hrs in just the same sore arm as last time . Went straight back to work and docked a few hundred lambs.
You are a person who will help see us through – even though you might not know it, or even care for that matter.
95% immunity in four weeks time bwaghorn. Cheers
New research show Pfizer vaccine reaches its maximum efficacy at 1 month after 2nd dose waning after 4 months but still preventing hospitalizations after 6 months. Recommendations for a 3rd dose for those over 65 and those with compromised immune systems.
Just how dumb are the Police? It turns out they did not roadblock the Tuakau bridge (near Port Waikato) when he covid border was established, and merely occasionally patrolled the backroad route from Waikato to Auckland. Good god… the mind boggles.
I gather it was due to the people at Port Waikato not being able to access a Supermarket during previous lockdowns, so they allowed access from Port Waikato to Tuakau.
Dumb as. Know that area well. They obviously didnt ask the local plods for advice. Typical know it all management
WTF ! there's your waikato outbreak being assisted folks. Not so much dumb more like negligence.
A few locals from Raglan reckon it's been full of Jaffa's as soon as levels changed. What's the bet word got out Police werent there and everyone piled in.
It's tempting to set up a go fund me to bring this guy out to a Density Church rally. Except he's sure to have much better uses for that money.
Classic.
This is what twitter was invented for.
So 'dumb fucks' can get their arse handed back to them on a plate.
Unbelievable.
Smartly dressed palagi door to door salesman, no mask, knocking on every door in our street hawking home insulation deals.
Really?
In a low decile area with with two gang houses.
In a South Auckland suburb of interest where everyone has been urged to get tested.
https://home.nzcity.co.nz/news/article.aspx?id=340742
Sounds like an aspiring National Party candidate?