To all the residents of Nelson, and all the brave people fighting the fires, we are thinking of you as you begin another day.
If you live there and participate in the Standard, special thoughts of “Keep safe Keep well.”
Aren’t we glad in Nelson that there are still community-minded volunteers willing to turn out to help the governance and work to keep our community going!
If left to PPP, or contracted out to private enterprise completely, we wouldn’t get the commitment and the systematic organisation; money and profit would get in the way. In the old days before fire insurance and community involvement, individual businesses would have their own coverage for fire, the other buildings nearby were left to burn down. Community is all in life, at the base of it.
Collingwood, small and isolated has had its share and the history of its fires date from early colonial times. http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-NHSJ06_06-t1-body1-d6.html
Nelson Historical Society Journal, Volume 6, Issue 6, 2008
Collingwood Fires, 1857 to 2004 authored by Penny Griffith
This was one of the worst: 4 1904: November 7 (Monday)
Fire started in a loft above Stallard’s bakery while the bakers were having supper next door after putting bread in the oven; the alarm was raised at 12.45 am. In very windy (westerly) conditions the fire spread rapidly; buildings were evacuated and people (‘for the most part half clad’) ran into the street, but the fire spread across the road. Cold lashing rain followed but it was calm and fine by 6 am. The fire was so bright it could be seen from Bainham, and it was claimed a newspaper could be read at Kaituna.
No evidence was found to prove how the fire originated but the ‘carelessness’ of Collingwood residents was referred to, ‘as there seems no doubt that a small and regular supply of water would have put the fire out when it first originated’.
All 21 buildings on both sides of Tasman St were destroyed, together with hens. Everything in fire-proof safes was turned to cinders, and gold melted into blobs [see, for example, the postmaster’s watch now in the Collingwood Museum]. The piano from the Public Hall was saved, plus some stock. Because the Post Office was destroyed, news initially had to be sent from Parapara, but by early afternoon a temporary telegraph office had been set up at the Courthouse. The Golden Bay Argus printery was destroyed but the Takaka newspaper office was used (the first issue being delayed by only 12 hours) until the printery was rebuilt and in operation again for the issue of 8 December. John McKinna (73) [spelt as ‘McKenna’ in Nelson papers] died from a heart attack in the afternoon after helping to fight the fire.
Was thinking most kiwis are earthquake and housefire ready etc. A big information campaign about being forest fire ready, how to prevent fires in summer etc would be massively beneficial.
Can only hope the good folk of Nelson and the Tasman area remain safe and well throughout their present predicament, which hopefully will come to an end soon.
Just a suggestion, but it might be a good idea if you gave some proof of what you are accusing me of, so that people can judge for themselves the verity of your accusation. (A smart alec unrelated gif doesen’t count).
Just in case; Tulsi Gabbard met with Assad. Her trip was funded by a fascist group. Assad commits genocide. These are all facts that you can try and disprove if you like. Be my guest.
So what? She has no doubt met with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama as well.
Her trip was funded by a fascist group.
U.S. “lawmakers”—and NZ ones as well—are frequently funded by fascist groups to tour Israel. Why do we not see you jumping up and down about that?
Assad commits genocide.
Really? Your argument for this about as rigorous as your insistence yesterday that Bill was a supporter of Assad. I note that assertion collapsed as soon as I challenged it, and you downgraded your accusation to the just as inflammatory charge that he was an “apologist.” You also charged me with the same offence.
Simply ridiculous, Jenny. Your mad accusations carry about as much weight as a Gosman post.
Are you interested in stoushes Morrissey rather than saving this bit of the planet, and its small civil society from growing degradation? Are you Irish Mr Breen? Is it true that Irish are aggressive and like a good punch-up? I would like to be enlightened on these matters if you will.
I think that if you look over this writer’s oeuvre, Mr Shark, you will see that he (i.e., moi) is very opposed to “stoushes”, AKA, unlawful interventions, AKA wars of aggression. I feel nothing but contempt for the people who shout for others to go to war.
Thank you Morrissey for that reply. You like to approach matters in a novel way at times, and I wondered if you were Irish. Often the English seem rather sour and dour, which perhaps explains something of our NZ temperament (and Brexit muddle perhaps). If you don’t want to say for some reason fine.
Sorry, Shark, I wasn’t avoiding your question, I simply forgot to add that, yes, I am indeed Irish. And I must confess that, yes, I do occasionally enjoy a “stoush”, AKA a “barney”, AKA a troid, AKA a “dust-up.”
But that’s just online. I do not support sending other young men and women to kill people in Syria or Afghanistan or Iraq or Venezuela or anywhere else. And I think there’s a special place in Hell for the people who do advocate those things.
Couldn’t help being curious. I’ve got an Irish bloke in my family and I have noticed he is very definite about things, which is better than being like soggy tissue for sure.
And I agree let’s go back to different ways of managing sovereignty and limiting barbarism. Perhaps baring our teeth at one another, desperate singing contests, swearing and punching and wrestling extravaganzas, If there is war, though person to person combat can result in large casualties, you get to be buried in identifiable pieces.
Today you can be blown into smithereens, which sound quite little bits, by something from overhead that you can’t fight or avoid, or it drops chemicals that gas everyone and/or… Just seen Peter Jackson’s WW1 They Shall Never Grow Old. It seems however that war remains forever young and fresh in country’s minds and the young men get sent off to be the pawns.
You see, James has the answer. They don’t have to say anything, he knows they are wrong. Hell he’s clever! Oh, and rational and mature and far-sighted and flexible, and …
Well, political parties have this thing called policy and they like to share it at opportune times so people are reminded of what they are about. There is no need for the Greens to do this currently re CC, everybody knows they are creating a Climate Commission.
And it is great the Nact are reminding people how negligent they are on this issue given how CC IS the news at the mo.
What is this “Climate Commission” going to do?
Spend the next 20 years holding a conversation?
Oh well, I suppose such a group may provide taxpayer paid jobs for their otherwise unemployable members.
Perhaps they will stick Turei onto it.
In that case I reckon you do often observe failure in others and especially in politicians. Failure, it’s everywhere around us because so many fall short of the mark because they aim too high …
Is shit useless when you tell the country there is no housing crisis or being shit useless is when you believe it? Or is it something complicated like there being a housing crisis and you don’t recognise it?
Yes tywford was shit useless at shutting down the bogus meth testing wasn’t he.
James I will tell you what shit useless is. National sitting on their arses for 9 years while the house issues in 2008 became a roaring crisis. And you people come on here and have the Gaul to criticise tywford.
Go away and read up on what happened under National in terms of housing
This one is getting really boring, can you not find something else to moan about? You are starting to look like Ed dumping this in so often at the start of Open Mike.
Jenny etc
Those words from solkta should be absorbed. You are sounding like Ed. It’s getting that you are Chicken Little yelling that The Sky is Falling. Can you try to concentrate on NZ and present us with the facts of your concerns because you care and we should know about them. That would be good. Just make them
as short as possible. And there are plenty of people having a go at the furriners and their doings.
Little NZ gets pushed and pulled by overseas doings, how we manage is our first concern surely. We have a chance of patching the boat and keeping afloat if we look after home affairs, while keeping a weather eye out for storms.
Shipping analogy! I see us as the Dingy Dinghy, but it’s my dingy dinghy, and yours. Let’s keep it seaworthy. LoL
I think it is a reasonable question. The Greens are virtually invisible. Why?
When they have been given so many opportunities to answer their detractors and raise their public profile?
Just as James (who hates the Greens), realises, the Greens silence and public invisibility will ensure their dipping below 5%.
Personally I disagree with James that if the Greens spoke up “it would hurt their polls even more”. Instead it is their silence is that is condemning. Not their message, which is just not being put out there. Meanwhile Todd Muller takes every opportunity to put National’s position.
P.S. (As for being first up on the Open Mike, Open Mike usually opens at 7am my comment appeared at 8.05, hardly first up).
But is it every day you wake with a worried frown. and release it over the blog?
Do you ever feel happy – it’s important to relax occasionally? Do you have a cat or dog I wonder? None of my business of course, but they do seem to provide solace for many.
If the question I raised disturbs you, maybe you should try answering it, instead of casting nasturtiums as to the state of my mental health.
And yes I do have cats, and lots of other animals in my care, all who worship me as some sort of benevolent dictator. One of them has just now climbed into an empty brown paper shopping bag just to amuse me. As I look at it’s cute little face peering out at me, I think of you.
Thanks Jenny tghat’s a kind thought. And the point I am making though you apparently resent it, is that we need to have more kind thoughts in our lives, and pass those on to others. And we need to have positivism not constant negativism; a balance so we can keep our spirits up and mix with others the same, going forward! If we want a chance to have a life that we enjoy that is. Because it could vanish into vicious dictatorship and loss of freedom, albeit with a smooth, smiling face.
Someone gave a link to Chinese moves, to be in by next year, of joining everyone up with an app or something and the populace will get points for behaving correctly according to the dicta from the authorities. And those who don’t get the required points, things will be withdrawn from their life.
Hi Grey I can’t imagine how you see that I am being negative. I am putting up an inspiring positive vision of the way forward, I am calling for leadership, I am providing positive examples, ie Cortez, of the sort of inspiring and positive outspoken leadership that I am calling for the Greens to provide.
And I am positive that they are capable of it.
As for kind thoughts, I have lots of them. For the Greens, for our Prime Minister. I want them to be the very best they can be. The science demands it.
There is nothing negative about my vision.
‘Grandma, what did you do about climate change when you were Prime Minister?’
‘Hello Darling, what a great question’
Way back in 2019, when the Green Party, in response to the climate emergency, banned all internal flights for the their MPs on principle, and as a leading example of the way forward.
As the then leader of the Labour Party and the country, to prevent our parliamentary ally, the Green Party, becoming isolated, or put at a disadvantage compared to the climate change denying parties and MPs. I immediately responded, by supporting a Green Party Bill to extend this ban to all government and opposition MPs. (As part of this package, I also supported our other government ally New Zealand First to begin double tracking the rail connection to Northland).
This became a leading example to the world, and was the beginning of the world wide switch away from commercial aviation, towards surface travel that you see today.
I also supported legislation to move the subsidy for free air travel, into supplying all MPs with the latest video and IT suites, to put them more in touch with their constituents and each other.
Happy birthday darling, I hope you like the mini-AI electric train set I bought you.
I’m sympathetic to your stance, actually. I did criticise it when you applied it to James, but I agree there’s no real reason Marama or any of the others ought to keep quiet.
If I was advising the Green caucus, I’d suggest they brainstorm the looming necessity of positioning themselves for the next election, and as part of that give themselves a mandate for aspirational policy signalling.
They could even discuss who ought to lead that, if putting the onus on Marama is asking too much. Gareth is the only one who has publicly self-identified as leftist. As a centrist I have no problem with him performing such a leadership role. He did stand for the leadership. I expect he could do it on that informal basis. It would probably be prudent for him to run each speech by them before he holds a press conference.
That’s a method likely to work okay in respect of what you feel is missing. Herding is making them into coalition conformists. They can do that still, while repositioning as described. It’s a walk & chew gum simultaneously type of challenge. Multi-tasking.
Obviously the Green Caucus discuss strategy on an ongoing basis. I don’t think it is any secret that Gareth is the Caucus strategist. As for delivering press conferences, obviously these need to be done by the MP who holds the portfolio concerned.
Merely conforming to a prescription induces the herding she is complaining about. Protocols only get you so far. There’s also a time for improvising, and they need to factor that in.
Applying the precautionary principle. Perception that they are allowing themselves to get boxed in by MMP constraints increases the danger of dropping below the threshold. Being imaginative, and enterprising, will impress voters more and build support.
Gareth making press releases beyond his portfolios would simply confuse voters. The whole point is to push forward the person who is actually handling the issue.
One thing that I’m not sure anyone has looked at is how many voters are (for want of a better term) Green “reservists” like me – I prefer Labour, but believe both are essential to be in parliament. So if the Greens look dicey like last time, I’ll vote Green (like last time).
Not to mention how many Greens are staunch – frankly I think they can guarantee 5% unless they suddenly abandon all Green principles. And the Blue-Green wet dream won’t cut it for those guys – we’re talking snails over industry territory.
I was greatly encouraged by the PM’s partial ban on new off shore oil and gas exploration. In my opinion it should have been a ban on all new off shore oil and gas exploration. Still, it was a step in the right direction. This is an example of the sort of positive inspiring lead I am talking about. It captured the world’s imagination. We need more of it.
@28:32 minutes
….. We announced last year, that if we are to be honest with ourselves about our future, we need to transition away from oil and gas and fossil fuels, so we have ceased to offer any more permits for oil and gas exploration in New Zealand, off shore. That was a significant move
Piss off Jenny. That is not the “PM’s partial ban on new off shore oil and gas exploration” but rather a Green Party initiative that from my understanding was hard fought for. You are being slimy to say that you are not being negative towards the Greens while attributing their successes to Labour.
There is only one poll that matters and that is the election. At that time the Greens will be judged on how they have delivered policy objectives. Foremost will be the Carbon Act and the cannabis referendum (and hopefully act).
The fact that Todd Muller has especially targeted Gen. Zero in his public attack, signals to me that the National Party has no intention of honouring any Zero Carbon legislation.
Todd Muller’s repeated demand that New Zealand must not take a lead on climate change, shows that National will do everything in their power to undermine and sabotage this piece of legislation.
Todd Muller’s lack of good faith over the Zero Carbon legislation needs to be answered.
I mean, when is enough, enough?
As well as attacking Gen Zero, and attacking the government “for being blinded by Green ideology”
Conservative politicians have also lashed out at Greenpeace over exposing illegal fishing.
Again not a murmur from the Green Party in response.
The Green Party are burning up their political capital like there is no tomorrow, all so as not to offend the National Party in attempt to get the National Party to sign up to the Zero Carbon Bill.
I have read the proposed Bill* one of the main paragraphs reads in part, “We can get most of the way there using solutions that are already available. Getting there will involve moving towards 100% renewable electricity….” This is something that Todd Muller says National are against, claiming it is too expensive.
“…..with electricity production already at 85 per cent renewable. We can continue to increase this, but as we approach 100 per cent renewable electricity, the last few per cent become very expensive and don’t deliver significant emissions reductions.”
Todd Muller, National Party climate change spokesperson
Getting to 100% renewable would be a milestone achievement, and a leading example to the world, Muller’s quibbles that the last little bit would be to expensive to be worth it, ignores the importance of giving a global lead, which of course is fully in line with National’s anti-leadership ‘Fast Follower’ strategy.
When are these knuckle draggers going to be challenged and exposed?
If Gen Zero thought they were going to get away with a straight out attack on Todd Muller, they should go back to school and do some learning.
They got what they were asking for.
Shaw and the Greens have no choice but to keep their heads down until his bill gets into parliament again. Because unless he keeps Todd Muller and National on side, he is going to get fucked over clause by clause in Cabinet by NZF on the only bill he cares about.
Because unless he keeps Todd Muller and National on side, he is going to get fucked over clause by clause in Cabinet by NZF on the only bill he cares about.
I’m sorry, but I find this sentence ambiguous. Is he going to get fucked over by NZF and therefore needs National’s votes? Why would National not fuck him over, as well? Regardless, does this mean we all are going to get fucked over, euphemistically speaking? Oh boy, it sounds like the Roman orgy in Caligula.
A good question if you are a small animal figuring out how not to die underneath an elephant.
But the answer is:
Because just as National did with the anti-smacking bill in the last gasp of the Clark government, National get to take all the political credit for rescuing the government. Labour and the Greens spend massive amounts of political capital, leading into election year, and National look like the heroes of climate change to middle New Zealand and to their base.
Todd Muller is a fucking tool who is simply handing more ammunition to everyone who thinks he’s a tool.
Why on earth would the Greens get in a stoush with him now? They’re not going to change his mind, and anyone they do persuade will have forgotten by next November. And the more the fool keeps talking, the more any “blue-green” party looks like a shill if they’ll go into government with him.
The Greens know how to campaign, and better than most parties in parliament.
The Greens are active and out & about doing their things. People who are genuinely interested will know and pay attention. People who are less interested in the Greens may be happy to rely on the distorted ‘messaging’ by MSM. Less is more, right now.
Barely dragged over the line at the last election, its worst result at the polls since 2005 ironically gave it the best result it’s had in being part of a government.
There are Green Ministers! And Ministers in areas that are green bread and butter issues: Minister of Climate Change for co-leader James Shaw, Minister of Conservation and Associate Minister of Environment for Eugenie Sage, and Associate Minister of Transport for Julie Anne Genter.
All of these portfolios should have seen the Green Party thrive and constantly be in the spotlight for making great, positive, green change. Instead it’s gone missing…..
David Cormack
Just my point, the Green Party has gone missing. And their disappearance from public life is reflected in their poll results.
Politics is a public affair it is conducted publicly. Todd Muller seems to have taken this mantra to heart with his public attacks on the government and the Green Party and Gen Zero. accusing them of being “blinded by Green Ideology”.
You would have thought that Muller’s public attacks would have been the perfect opportunity for either of the Green Party leaders to deliver a devastating riposte.
As school kids march all around the world for their governments to do something about climate change, the Green Party seems to have made little effort to emulate it here…..
David Cormack
We live in an age when politicians must become activists and activists must become politicians must become activists.
Why didn’t the Green Party show some solidarity to Greenpeace and Gen Zero when they were under attack?
……if the media didn’t want to report on the Very Serious issues that the Green Party talked Very Seriously about then that wasn’t the Green Party’s fault. That was the media’s fault for not taking those Very Serious issues Seriously enough……
David Cormack
The Green Party can’t blame the media this time, because the Green Party haven’t given the media anything to go on.
And then along came Vernon Tava.
He ran for co-leader when Russel Norman stood down and his one platform was that the Green Party should be open to working with National.
Rightfully dismissed, he’s cropped up again as a possible leader of a “blue-green” party. One that is environmentally friendly but would be open to working with National. Vernon doesn’t seem to have a lot of tricks.
This ridiculous idea got a huge amount of coverage and was the perfect opportunity for the Green Party to leap into the conversation. To reassert themselves as the environmental party of New Zealand.
David Cormack
I have mentioned the attack on Greenpeace, I have mentioned the attack on the Government and Gen Zero. Both opportunities for the Green Party to “reassert themselves as the environmental party of New Zealand”. I had forgot to mention this, but yeah. What on earth? Again, why are the Green Party so silent?
Why are the Green Party so absolutely missing from public life?
You are concerned at length about the Greens. Why not write what you have on here first direct to both of the Leaders of the Green Party. Give them something direct under their noses to send a form reply then ignore, or not Jenny…
Instead you are chipping away at them as the Coalition tries to advance in hostile territory where citizens have to be encouraged to make moves that should have been started 20 years ago. You aren’t helping the Greens or the Coalition in government by bad mouthing them so much.
I have written, emailed, texted, phoned, facebook messaged, Green MPs, with zero response. I and other climate activists have requested appointments for discussions with them. It is like sending messages into an empty void.
I have even tried to button hole them at public events, I have traveled across the region to attend such meetings. Questions from the floor are disallowed at stage managed public events.. I have stood patiently with lots of other people in queues to meet with them at the end of the same public meetings only to have time to trade brief pleasantries, before they have to move onto the next person.
And now you say I shouldn’t voice my concerns in this forum either?
It is my honest opinion that the Green Party are headed for electoral oblivion if they don’t break out of their self appointed public silence, on the matters of the day, especially when they or their allies are being attacked. People will think that they have no answers when the Nats publicly attack them and they keep their silence.
I see the meteoric rise of Alexandria Cortez, who never backs down from a fight, and I wonder why we can’t have leaders like that here?
All I can say Ad. It had better be a doozy. If it is not and is just more vague and distant targets, but no agreed action in the here and now. I don’t think it will rescue the Greens.
Go Assange. His greatest problem is that for a while he was a media darling.
“Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad” is a slogan for today.
The leaders of the world have gone mad under the affects of desiring ever more money and power, so they have turned into sub-Gods. People who disagree are maddened enough to stand against them, giving the sub-Gods the unchallengeable right to destroy them.
And the media raised Assange in public eyes which can for a while strongly idolise someone, then turn around with opposite strong emotions and censure them.
Gilbert & Sullivan illustrates the problem of the exploiter of information or the truth-teller –
A Disagreeable Man, I Can’t Think Why https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql13RNb9OGI
Assange problem started when he became a darling of the left wing, then released more information showing left wing politicians to be as fallible as right wing politicians.
It hurts when someone proves your heroes are as bad as your enemies
[TS: Your comments are being held in moderation until you acknowledge the mod note on your previous contribution here. TRP]
Ah tuppence biscuit, I thought you got away with your comments yesterday & it seemed like the moderator’s threats were nary but a wet bus ticket. But no, TS is appearing to be a little more Putin like with its treatment of you.
Thanks for the news re Swiss support for the narcissist. I’ve been critical of his character defects and reluctance to transcend them, but as an authentic whistleblower I still feel he deserves support.
If they take the load off Ecuador, it will be a good move and I expect it will enhance their global reputation as supporters of natural justice. I hope they succeed in negotiating the transfer. If May refuses to allow it, she will destroy her credibility as a political leader.
Dennis, if you’re searching for a casual descriptor of Julian Assange, “the narcissist” is hardly appropriate. I accept he seems to be narcissistic, but that applies to virtually anyone in the public eye to some degree or other.
Rogue killer regimes in London and Washington are seeking to destroy Assange not because he’s a narcissist, but because he’s a truth-teller.
It’s because of his behaviour. The spoilt-brat syndrome he exhibits so readily. His lack of empathy re inconsiderate attitude to his hosts. Lack of empathy usually signifies narcissism. Telling the truth ought to be a discipline applied to oneself, not merely state misbehaviour. He hasn’t matured sufficiently to become a responsible individual…
Media coverage of what he has said and done in the past couple of years. Alienating his hosts was so unwise it can only have been due to his inability to see things from their point of view. Gratitude for their moral stand on his behalf ought to have been factored in to his view of the situation. Lack of it made it obvious he was being selfish.
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman (1903) “Maxims for Revolutionists”
Irish dramatist & socialist (1856 – 1950)
🤩 Could be, eh? Judged by the progress he does actually manage to produce, perhaps. More likely if he grows up a little and develops a better attitude. Adversity brings out character in some folks.
20 minutes and they never mentioned sexual assault once.
And if the Aussies worked hard (won’t happen) and got the UK to ignore the bail-jumping (highly unlikely), why would he need a consular escort to the airport?
I watched the first third of it, don’t have time for more. The arse-licker syndrome, normally prevalent among rightists. He correctly identifies Labour as equally part of the problem, so it makes leftists into fore-lock tuggers performing ritual obeisance to the Americans.
Yeah, I know. Sword of Damocles suspended over her. Will it drop? The EU head has served her mixed messages in recent days. No renegotiation, then possible renegotiation today. Because, if they do reach a compromise, it could save her. She could soldier on, regardless of lowered credibility.
Even if the EU renegotiate, they’re not suddenly going to roll over.
She’s already shat the bed so badly that nobody wants the job. Compared with Brexit, the concomitant Irish border issue, austerity, and everything else, whether Assange changes self-imposed prison under her watch would not even amount to a footnote.
To the British, yes. To folks expecting any political leader to honour a whistle-blower, acting on the basis of public service, it would be terminally discrediting. Even politicians who are conservative ought to balance their desire to serve the elites against a moral duty to serve the public. Can’t discount that necessity.
Labour is (on the face of it) returning to
its basic roots with the well being agenda.
However by meeting with business and farming they are also
adding more substance to the rebuild and broadening appeal
and making it harder for National to label Labour as flaky.
Sound economically + fairer tax system. Responsible immigration.
Compassionate socially eg housing, education, women, Maori.
Keeping the Green ,Women, Young and Maori vote
as independent allies is also very smart.
Just need to work on the Grey vote a bit more.
Labour needs to broaden its media face by not relying on JA.
Steve Joyce was John Keys shield for years.
Jones and Peters do good work but are Mavericks.
Satchi and Satchi would identify and choreograph the suitable lieutenants.
Advantage Labour?.
That mention of Saatchi and Saatchi – does Labour have guidance from the likes of them? Labour has what to balance Cosby Textor? They need to do better than Phil Quin, Josie Pagani, Mike Williams et al. A professional body – do they have one, can they afford one? Can they afford not to?
When you’ve got a PM who’s that good to camera, and who personally made up “Let’s Do This”, the guidance is less necessary. I can’t recall a better political communicator other than Bill Clinton.
Well, so much for Kiwibuild providing housing for people who couldn’t otherwise get a first home. https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/110468062/six-wanaka-kiwibuild-houses-on-open-market
Six houses that were built under the Twitford banner that nobody wanted to buy. Now they are being dumped onto the open market. They are too expensive apparently. Why am I not surprised.
I wonder how much he cost to the Country has been so far, and whether they have managed to blow through the whole $2 billion dollars yet?
Why has Twyford still got a position in Cabinet? Is there no display of ineptitude that is sufficient to get sacked by our current lot of idiots in the Government?
You’re correct, that’s how it looks on paper. The increased supply of housing will trickle down and the large profits for the lucky ones already on the property ladder will trickle up. It’s a win-win!
One fly in the ointment could be that the better-off will not release their house on the property market but rent it out or advertise on Airbnb. In fact, that could be a perverse outcome of CGT unless it’s accompanied with a raft of other measures to discourage less helpful kinds of behaviour.
You merely display your ignorance with comments such as this. If you bothered to read the article it quite clearly states:
But now six finished properties are listed for sale. Although buyers will not have to go through a ballot to purchase them, they still must meet KiwiBuild purchase criteria.
But you didn’t read the article, you silly little fellow.
If you did you might, just might, have seen that your comments merely spew forth from a morass of ignorance.
What on earth have you been drinking, smoking or injecting you stupid schmuck?
For further information I would suggest you reference a single statement I have made that could possibly lend any credence to your stupid remark.
Indeed I will wager you cannot find a single statement I have made in todays post on Venezuela.
If I never commented on the subject how does your silly little brain come to any conclusion at all on my views on Venezuela?
Oh that’s right you can’t so you just spew forth your fantasies.
What a dick you are.
People who had never bothered to register for Kiwibuild and now get a chance to buy because no one who registered wanted, or could afford the properties.
What evidence do you think will ever be produced to demonstrate that anyone who does buy one of these places will actually have qualified? Why do I think the Government will refuse to prove they were eligible and that they will say that the privacy of the purchaser is more important than the integrity of the scheme?
What are the chances that the actual purchase price is ever released and that the taxpayer won’t lose a lot of money from the deal?
Why do you seem to consider you should trust the ill conceived scheme promoted by Phool Twyford?
His record certainly doesn’t inspire any confidence does it?
I would suggest that leaving Twyford in these jobs for three terms would destroy both housing and transport.
Luckily I can’t see it happening. He is such a fool that I think Winston will sack him by later in this year. He is the most incompetent Minister in any senior role I have ever seen.
When both Winston First and the Red-Green parties vanish at the next election it won’t matter of course.
I really thought that it was time for a change after 3 terms. National were tired, as all 3 term Governments are. Unfortunately I was right in thinking that the current coalition troika were incapable of forming a competent Government. I only hope that National can come up with a proper competent and fresh team after only one term in Opposition. God knows they will have a lot of cleaning up to do from the activities of loose cannons like Phool..
“destroy both housing and transport”… “Winston will sack him”… “troika were incapable of forming a competent government”… The more snipes and turds you sprinkle through your comments, the more desperate you look.
As for most incompetent minister in any senior position you’ve seen, you do realise that two ministers and an associate minister signed off on Novopay.
Well that at least has given me a good laugh.
You call the total collapse of this Government major policy activity as being in some way comparable to the temporary difficulties with a payroll system for teachers?
The problems with Novopay were of course cured when the last Government took them seriously and put Stephen Joyce in charge of fixing the problem. This he did.
I thought about how I would consider Novopay and Kiwibuild in terms of a comparison with accidents at sea.
Novopay is rather like spilling a full cup of coffee over yourself when travelling on the Cook Strait ferry.
Uncomfortable at the time and a nuisance until you can get at your luggage and change your clothes.
The complete shambles that is Kiwibuild is best compared to the sinking of the Wahine back in 1968. A complete disaster.
A third example would be the mess that is the Census of 12 months ago. That is about like finding that your car on the vehicle deck was smashed into by a truck and is a write-off. It needn’t have been as bad if, shortly after the Census was held, the Government and the Department, had accepted that getting any valid results out of the exercise was impossible and decided to have another Census in 2021 in what would have been the traditional year (ending in 1). They didn’t of course. The Government Statistician and the Minister simply buried their heads in the sand and pretended that everything was just peachy.
Meanwhile we have McFlock saying that Twyford just needs a little more time. What a funny fellow he is.
Thousands of people went underpaid, not paid, and some overpaid for months, missing rent and mortgage payments and having to take out loans. It took Mr Don’t-fix-it over a year to sort out after two ministers signed off without thinking about the words “mission critical”.
And you call that a spilled cup of coffee.
And not building enough houses in the first year is a sign of the most incompetent minister you have ever seen.
Albert Finney, Brit actor has died 82. He was five times Oscar nominee and earlier from the Royal Shakespeare Company.
His last film role came in 2012 James Bond film Skyfall, in which he played the irascible gamekeeper Kincaid.
A life-long fan of Manchester United, he declined a CBE in 1980 and a knighthood in 2000. “I think the Sir thing slightly perpetuates one of our diseases in England, which is snobbery,” he said at the time.
He was also reluctant to discuss his craft. “My job is acting, and that is why I hate interviews or lectures, explaining myself to an audience,” he once said.
Finney was married three times and had one child with his first wife, the actress Jane Wenham.
He was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2007, after which he largely disappeared from public view.
I just looked at a trailer and I don’t think it would the film enabled today. Somehow the funding would dry up or something. It would be inappropriate.
Too much echoing real life happenings.
Yes the nobility is already in the person. Knighthoods are good for a laugh though. I like the Monty Python skit of the Knight Who Never Gives Up.
And in French taunting the castle guard scorns the silly k-nites.
It was being modified for people with disabilities.
It’s a really long process to decide what changes need to be made, get funding, draw up the plans, get quotes, get more funding, get a builder to do it (all bespoke work depending on the disability) etc.
I know someone who has done it once and is about to do it again and she envisioned a 12 month to 18 month time frame.
“I know someone who has done it once and is about to do it again and she envisioned a 12 month to 18 month time frame.”
If that is the case best to leave the job to someone who knows what they are doing.
I have done a few of these jobs for HNZ in the past. They already have plumbers, builders, sparkies etc. Pretty standard stuff. ramps, hand rails, level entry shower,
They vary depending on the house and the clients disability. Nothing difficult about it. Two or three weeks and job done.
Stop being disingenuous, James. Of course this situation does not signal that the housing crisis is over.
First the article says that disability renovations to that house have taken 20 months – which takes the original decisions etc to do so back to about May 2017 ie. in the National Govt era. 20 months does seem to be a long time when it appears that the house already has a lot of disability features, but it does not surprise me given the current state of the building industry.
However, what bemuses me about that article is here is the local Mayor saying he is looking for a home for a family whose current Council-owned house is being put up for sale by his own Council because they no longer want to provide social housing to anyone other than pensioners.
It would appear that the family may qualify for Housing NZ accommodation. If so and the house meets their needs in accord with Housing NZ criteria, why doesn’t the Council offer the Council-owned house to Housing NZ at a reasonable market rate agreed on the basis of market prices for similar house sales and/or say three market price assessments. This would then allow the family to stay in the house they have been living in without incurring moving costs, upheaval etc probably requiring financial assistance from the govt via WINZ etc. Just saying.
Whoever organised a state house to be empty for that long should be given a Knighthood or Damehood for the unique achievement and a Prime Minister’s award for creativity.Such has never happened before.
Then some officials in all sorts of departments should be sacked for not breaking rules and protocols and customary health and safety things and just going ahead and putting a new family in there the day after it was vacated.
Not only did they deny a family a home, they denied fuckwits the opportunity to attack the government for breaking rules and protocols and customary health and safety things by putting a family in it improperly and in less than perfect circumstances.
Anyway, on thinking about it calmly, it probably happened because the Housing NZ people on the Kapiti Coast are still coming to and are slow to process the new mindset after the years of brainwashing: THERE IS NO HOUSING CRISIS, THERE IS NO HOUSING CRISIS, THERE IS NO HOUSING CRISIS …
Nah, he’s not ripping into him, he’s calling him out. I was expecting something more substantial but it’s the usual clickbait by lazy uncreative MSM waiting for snappy little tweets to ‘inspire’ their snappy little headlines.
True to a degree and certainly perception is all important. I actually think that until JLR is back in Parliament (expected there this week) it will be hard to gauge the situation. Did you read JLR’s interview by mental health blogger, Hadley Robinson-Lewis on The Daily Blog last week? Worth the few minutes it takes IMO.
in terms of Bridges keeping quiet, I have my doubts he will be able to sustain that, especially if the leaks from his caucus continue which could be likely. Check out this Newshub report on the Nat gathering in Hamilton on Thurs/Friday. Two carefully worded mentions that indicate they had leaks from a caucus source as to what went on in the closed sessions.
China in direct talks with U.S. army, new sanctions on way
RNZ, 9 February 2019
China is holding direct communications with members of the U.S. military urging them to abandon President Donald Trump and is also preparing new sanctions aimed at increasing pressure on him, a senior Beijing official said.
The Xi Jinping administration expects further military defections from Trump’s side, the official told Xinhua in an interview, despite only a few senior officers having done so since opposition leader Nancy Pelosi declared herself interim president last month, backed by China and dozens of other countries.
“We believe these to be those first couple pebbles before we start really seeing bigger rocks rolling down the hill,” the official said this week, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We’re still having conversations with members of the former Trump regime, with military members, although those conversations are very, very limited.”
The official declined to provide details on the discussions or the level at which they are being held, and it was unclear whether such contacts could create cracks in the U.S. fascist leader’s support from the military, which is pivotal to his grip on power.
With the U.S. military still loyal to Trump, a source in Beijing close to the opposition expressed doubts whether the Xi Jinping administration had laid enough groundwork to spur a wider mutiny in the ranks.
“It depends on what they’re offering,” Hua Chunying, vice president of the Council of the Bo’ao Forum think tank in Beijing, said.
“Are there incentives built into these contacts that will at least cause people to question their loyalty to the regime?” ….
What’s democracy got to do with Trump, Bolton, Pompeo, Pence, and Abrams? This is all about brute power, and demonstrating who’s boss. In motivation and even in modus operandi (terrorizing vassals and little guys into silence or complicity*) it’s little different from a Mafia boss enforcing his will.
They were here to start a culture war, and Charlie Kirk was looking forward to the backlash.
“There will be retaliation, there will be protest,” the 25-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, a right-wing student organisation with close links to Donald Trump, said in London recently as he described plans for an assault on British university campuses. “You will see that it takes individuals to go straight into the fire to start a movement.”
But already some of the Tory activists Kirk recruited to launch Turning Point in the UK are having second thoughts about its war on “cultural marxism”, according to several people familiar with their internal discussions. Within days of the launch, one of the “influencers” tapped to front the campaign has distanced himself from the group, BuzzFeed News has learned.
“There was a sense of people realising, ‘Who are these cranks?’” one source said.
“These 26 people are so hard-working that each one of them achieves about 146 million times more per day than a person from the lazier parts of the world”
“First, the cameras on boats. The coalition government has completely iced the project. The decision will be delayed till August. This isn’t just a matter of letting things slip – they actually had to unpick existing regulations to make it happen. We’ve just learnt the fishing industry wrote Nash a letter totally opposing cameras in July last year, while hypocritically running TV ads with the memorable line “we have nothing to hide“. Nash’s current line is that he won’t implement the cameras without the “buy-in” of the fishing industry.”
Re the other guy: “he gets campaign money from Talley’s, one of the biggest players in the business. He received ten thousand dollars from the company towards his election campaign.”
“Jones strongly rejects any impropriety in his links with Talley’s, but it’s worth remembering this is also the fishing company that MPI found to be unlawfully under-reporting the weight of their cartons in the hoki fishery and hence under-reporting their catch. This MPI compliance investigation never saw the light of day until Greenpeace leaked it. Predictably Talley’s were not prosecuted because, as MPI’s head of compliance said, “we know from experience that prosecution will achieve behavioural change for maybe four or five years at best.” So they had a quiet chat instead and buried the report.”
“we know from experience that prosecution will achieve behavioural change for maybe four or five years at best.”
That’s like excusing crimes from being prosecuted and paid for with some sort of recompense because it is known that there is recidivism, so ‘What’s the use’ let ’em lie. Trouble is they know we are stupid and con’t care about having good government, and so they don’t feel shy about telling us that we can shut up and get stuffed, when they brazenly admit what they are doing. The right wing attitude that we receive from the RWNJs here, ‘You can fuss, but we have the power, and you are just irritating twerps to be put in their place’.
Another type of flow battery that looks interesting.
It uses a liquid electrolyte solution and a solid sacrificial anode. You fill up with charged electrolyte (and drain your discharged electrolyte) every 500km or so, and get a new anode every 5000km or so. The discharged electrolyte goes back to a solar or wind farm to be recharged (or could be done at the fillup station with a grunty enough grid connection).
Just noticed from the front page photo accompanying the Venezuela piece that our very own Slimin’ Bridges appears to be following the tie-length example set by the short-fingered vulgarian.
Here is further evidence of the consequences of under regulation in the accomodation market.
Putting “hotel guests” in the middle of people’s ordinary lives can cause major disruption.
I do know that some airbnb guests in apartment blocks are asked to lie to residents by saying they are relatives of or house-sitters for the owner. This isn’t secure and it isn’t fair to the residents of apartment blocks with airbnb set up in them.
Great to see the Pride March well attended and on their own terms rather than being further highjacked by corporate PR departments and the Police wishing to promote themselves.
Kia ora R&R The Crown owes Tangata Whenua ART it inclueds Te reo waiata haka carving that is needed to keep our great culture pumping .
They suppressed Tangata Whenua Art for decades.
One just has to check old footage of VIP being welcomed to Powhiri to Aotearoa I just checked out BOb Marleys Poehiri the quality in those days is not as good as today
I BACK the Idear that we NEED to record our Kaumatua knowledge no one is doing that I have heard of at the minute that needs to stepped up.
There is a big surge in the demand for Tangata Whenua Art in the motu and Papatuanuku not just Aotearoa Art all indigenous cultures art is getting a great increase in demand .indigenous cultures respect wild life and our enviroment mother earth more that the west do and we are seeing the mess that is being made of our wildlife and Papatuanuku because of the lack of respect for others
Ka kite ano
We have to forget about the oil barrons distraction’s trump brexit and others and all work together to battle CLIMATE CHANGE everything else will / is irrelevant if we go past the tipping POINT.
The world is in the middle of what is likely to be the warmest 10 years since records began in 1850, says the Met Office.
Will the forecast temperature rises bust the Paris climate agreement?
The Met Office says that 2015 was the first year in which the global annual average surface temperature reached 1C above the pre-industrial level, which is generally taken to mean the temperatures between 1850 and 1900.
Each year since then, the global average has hovered close to or above the 1C mark. Now, the Met Office says that trend is likely to continue or increase over the next five years.
“We’ve just made this year’s forecasts and they go out to 2023 and what they suggest is rapid warming globally,” Prof Adam Scaife, head of long term forecasting at the Met Office, told BBC News.
“By looking at individual years in that forecast we can now see for the first time, there is a risk of a temporary, and I repeat temporary, exceedance of the all-important 1.5C threshold level set out in the Paris climate agreement.”
Last October, UN scientists published a special report on the long-term impacts of a temperature rise of 1.5C.
They concluded that it would take a massive carbon cutting effort to keep the world from tipping over the limit by 2030. The Met Office analysis now says there’s a 10 percent chance of this happening within the next five years.
“It’s the first time the forecasts have shown a significant risk of exceedance – it is only temporary. We are talking about individual years fluctuating above the 1.5 degree level,” said Prof Scaife.
“But the fact that that can happen now due to a combination of general warming and the fluctuations due to things like El Niño events in the next few years does mean we are getting close to that threshold.”
How confident is the Met Office of its prediction?
The Met Office says it has a 90 percent confidence limit in the forecasts for the years ahead.
It says that from 2019 to 2023, we will see temperatures ranging from 1.03C to 1,57C above the 1850-1900 level, with enhanced warming over much of the globe, especially over areas like the Arctic.
The research team says it is pretty certain in its predictions because of its past experience. The team’s previous forecast, made in 2013, predicted the rapid rate of warming that’s been observed over the past five years. It even predicted some of the lesser known details such as the patch of cooling seen in the North Atlantic and the cooler spots in the Southern Ocean.
If the observations over the next five years match the forecasts, then the decade between 2014 and 2023 will be the warmest in more than 150 years of records.
Ka kite ano links below P.S Some neanderthal lie and say its just summer YEA RIGHT.
Kia ora R&R Eco Maori says one is a Kiwi so long as you show respect for people and our enviroment Kiwis those that don’t want to be called a Kiwi don’t get IT .
There you go paul henry disrespecting a fellow kiwi .
United we are strong devided we are weak Kiwi unites the good people of Aotearoa who want and give respect fellow Kiwis in my views
I do beleve Matariki should be celerbrated yes Matariki was delibreately suppressed to stop Matariki giving Maori Mana,
There are chovernistic raciest people in all cultures and Maori is no different .
Ka kite ano
I see this new tech for refrigerator and air conditioning in 2016 scientific mag this story is from 2016 we need to invest in efficencys as this is the low hanging fruit on OUR Worlds journey to becoming Carbon neutral some people dont want effiencys as there profits will fall.
Innovative refrigerator developed using multistage sound wave engine
Shinya Hasegawa and colleagues at Tokai University have developed a refrigerator (107 C) powered only by waste heat that generated sound waves in an innovative multistage traveling wave thermoacoustic engine. The refrigerator produced the gas oscillations and refrigeration at a temperature lower than the boiling point of water and achieved a minimum cold temperature of -107.4 C when the hot temperature was 270 C. The findings are published in the journal of Applied Thermal Engineering, November 2016.
The operation of thermoacoustic (TA) engines is based on the heating, cooling and oscillation of acoustic (sound) waves created by the thermal expansion and contraction of gases such as helium enclosed dedicated cavities. The potential of TA engines for generating clean and renewable energy was demonstrated in seminal reports published in the late 1990s and early 2000s by researchers in the USA. Notably, these reports into the modern implementations of TA engines have led to increased worldwide research on the development of high efficiency TA engines to convert heat into useful power.
Two of the main hurdles to the proliferation of this technology are (1) high efficiency systems operable at less than 300 C as compared to the 400 to 600 C range at the moment; and (2) robust design so that the systems could be used in a wide range of environments such as fishing boats and heavy industries.
Hasegawa and colleagues have designed a high efficiency multistage-type thermoacoustic (MS-TA) engine, without moving parts, that operates at less than 300 C; the temperature of more than 80% of industrial waste heat. The design of the MS-TA engine was based on finite element numerical analysis conducted by Hasegawa and his group.
Background and aims
“TA engines do not have moving parts, are easy to maintain, potentially high efficiency, and low cost,” says Shinya Hasegawa, an associate professor at the Department of Prime Mover Engineering, Tokai University, Hiratsuka, Japan. “My goals in this research are to develop TA engines that operates at less than 300 C with more that 30% efficiency, and also to demonstrate a refrigerator operating at -200 C at these low temperatures.”
This sound waves techology that can be used for fridges sounds interesting. Any tech people who know enough to comment on how viable it is and whether we could use it for lower carbon footprint etc.?
We have to stop buying prouducts that use Palm oil that is produced unsestainable.
We have to stop putting money before the welbeing of our wildlife we are the guardians of MotherEarth & her creatures some people are exployting this all for $$$$$$$$$$$$$ humans are linked to the wildlife .
The main threat to the survival of orangutan populations in the wild is the massive expansion of palm oil plantations in Borneo and Sumatra.
Palm oil is the most widely used vegetable oil in the world, having even surpassed soya in terms of usage. Surging global demand for palm oil has fueled massive forest destruction throughout Indonesia and Malaysia, countries that together account for 85% of the world’s palm oil production. Palm oil is ubiquitous! Half the packaged food (and other) products found on supermarket shelves now contain palm oil. Palm oil and palm kernel oil are found in all manner of baked goods, such as cookies, bread, and potato chips, as well as in chocolate and milk (where it adds Vitamin A). Palm oil has also replaced coconut as the main cooking oil traditionally used in Indonesia as well as replacing peanut oil in Myanmar. Palm oil is also extensively used in cosmetics and toiletries where it adds creaminess and/or foam to the product. Palm oil is an important ingredient in the manufacturing of soaps, shampoos, detergents, and toothpaste. Increasingly, palm oil is used as a biofuel.
Oil palms only grow in the tropics and need much water. Originally native to South America and West Africa, palm oil plantations have now spread throughout the wet tropics to Papua New Guinea, parts of Asia, Kenya, and also back to countries in West Africa and South America where the palms are native. The problem with palm oil is that vast areas of virgin tropical rain forest are clear cut to open up land for cultivation. Palm oil is a huge industry. Palm oil accounts for 11% of Indonesia’s export earnings and is the most valuable agricultural export. Overall, it is Indonesia’s third largest export earner.
The recent expansion of vast monocrop oil palm plantations in Asia, the Neotropics, and Africa threatens large areas of tropical rain forests. The two most affected countries in this expansion are Indonesia and Malaysia, home of the imperiled orangutans. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) indicated in 2007 that oil palm plantations are the leading cause of rainforest destruction in Malaysia and Indonesia. Another study by Princeton and a Swiss institution reported that between 1990 and 2005, up to 60% of palm oil expansion occurred at the expense of primary tropical rain forest. The establishment of palm oil plantations has been a disaster not only for endangered wildlife such as orangutans and tigers (in Sumatra) but has also exacerbated conflict with local communities in Indonesia over traditional land rights. Local people have been evicted from their customary land holdings and local communities impoverished, leading to much conflict with palm oil concession companies. Ka kite ano links below
Kia ora Newshub looks like everyone is having a good time at the Big Gay Out in Auckland today. Te twerker.
Our Australian cousins are getting a bad run from Mother Nature there pollies in power are still deniers.
Its a good day for sports in Waikato today Ka pai
Ka kite ano
Kia ora The AM Show The Chinese Terracotta army is a great view of Chinas long history.
People have to start making choices that include the risk to animals as well as humans when choice are being made the wild fires and flooding forests being cleared choice being made for money over the best choices to save animals and wild life .
Jason I do think it’s a joke that the Australian Army cannot fly stock food in to Townsville to feed the animals that are effected by the floods the roads are stuffed so fodder can’t be trucked in.
What about companies selling alcohol that does more damage to society than most others Substances and its sold in supermarkets go figure.
Rude you made that Wahine feel uncomfortable respect for all is a lesson you need to learn why did the other Mayor not get interview.
Mark I was going to comment on the 10 questions competition I chose not to comment on it.
Internet tech is a dubble edged sword it has its good and bad points it all about have good knowledge on the tech and a ballance. Ain’t nothing wrong with Rugby it’s a game every one can play Ka kite ano.
Putting solar panels on our drinking water reservoir and lakes is cool the solar panels stay cool in summer and prouduce up to 20 more power dosen’t use expencive land slows the growth of alge that is caused by our farms leaching urea it our water a lot of positives get the big tick copying this move.
Putting Solar Panels on Water Is a Great Idea—but Will It Float?
The U.S. has been slow to embrace the technology, even though Japan and China are zooming ahead
Winemaker Greg Allen had a problem. As president of Far Niente Winery in Napa Valley, California, he had done the math on how much land the vineyard could possibly dedicate to solar panels, to offset energy costs. The figure—about two acres—“really hurt,” Allen says. So he compromised: Far Niente completed an array of 2,296 solar panels, 994 of which float on pontoons tethered to the bottom of the winery’s pond. The installation was the world’s first nonexperimental floating solar array.
That was in 2008. Since then floating photovoltaics have proliferated in Asia—yet not so much in the U.S. Japan has more than 60 installations, the most of any country in the world. China, a bourgeoning giant in renewable energy, claims the world’s largest array. That facility, which went online in 2017, floats atop an artificial lake created from a collapsed coal mine near the city of Huainan. The 166,000 panels can produce some 40 megawatts, or enough electricity to power about 15,000 homes. A {{2018 World Bank report estimated the global potential for floating solar arrays on artificial water surfaces would exceed 400 gigawatts.}}}
But floating installations also offer several advantages over land-based arrays: Most obvious is they do not take up valuable parcels that could be used for agriculture or development. The technology can be easier to install than land-based or roof-mounted systems; once assembled, crews float them into place and anchor them. The arrays can improve the environment as well; blocking sunlight from penetrating the water can reduce evaporation and inhibit algae blooms. (It is not yet clear how the arrays might affect fish, birds or other wildlife.) And because solar cells become less efficient as they heat up, the water’s cooling effect can{{ increase their conversion ability by as much as 20 percent.}}
Given the benefits, the sluggish pace of adoption in the U.S.—which had just 14 installations at the end of 2018—can be puzzling. Teresa Barnes, who manages the photovoltaic reliability group at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), says the availability of open land could be one factor. Yet lack of land has often been a driver at the
small number of U.S. sites. That was the case for the Kelseyville County Waterworks District in California, which installed a 720-panel array on its wastewater treatment pond in 2018. Good payback is another incentive; the district anticipates it will recoup installation costs within eight years of operation. Links below ka kite ano
Kia ora Newshub the polls give me hope that we will be able to combat climate changes Ka pai
I seen that scientists review on our insects collapseing they are treasure that we need yes the pesticides that the big companies flog to us lieing that the chemicals have no negative effect on on human and the wildlife YEA RIGHT Organic farming will save our insects and awa rivers and Environment. NZ big companies best start to invest in organic farming products or risk going BROKE.
Times are changing for the better in Aotearoa society Ka pai
Its not on that people import workers and rip them off hope the offenders gets what they deserve.
The Sir Edmund Hillary trust does a good deed with the youth Kayaking and his grandson kayaking trip in Antarctic. Ka kite ano
The Crowd goes Wild sorry Guys I have chosen not to comment on our sports stars as unusual phenomenon happens ECO MAORI enjoys the show heaps Kia kaha Ka kite ano
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- 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. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
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 ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
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. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
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. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
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. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
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. ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
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 ...
I was initially resistant to the idea often suggested to me that the Government should deliver an arts strategy. The whole point of the arts and creativity is that people should do whatever the hell they want, unbound by the dictates of politicians in Wellington. Peter Jackson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Eleanor ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 26 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
To all the residents of Nelson, and all the brave people fighting the fires, we are thinking of you as you begin another day.
If you live there and participate in the Standard, special thoughts of “Keep safe Keep well.”
+ 1 yep
Aren’t we glad in Nelson that there are still community-minded volunteers willing to turn out to help the governance and work to keep our community going!
If left to PPP, or contracted out to private enterprise completely, we wouldn’t get the commitment and the systematic organisation; money and profit would get in the way. In the old days before fire insurance and community involvement, individual businesses would have their own coverage for fire, the other buildings nearby were left to burn down. Community is all in life, at the base of it.
Collingwood, small and isolated has had its share and the history of its fires date from early colonial times.
http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-NHSJ06_06-t1-body1-d6.html
Nelson Historical Society Journal, Volume 6, Issue 6, 2008
Collingwood Fires, 1857 to 2004 authored by Penny Griffith
This was one of the worst:
4 1904: November 7 (Monday)
Fire started in a loft above Stallard’s bakery while the bakers were having supper next door after putting bread in the oven; the alarm was raised at 12.45 am. In very windy (westerly) conditions the fire spread rapidly; buildings were evacuated and people (‘for the most part half clad’) ran into the street, but the fire spread across the road. Cold lashing rain followed but it was calm and fine by 6 am. The fire was so bright it could be seen from Bainham, and it was claimed a newspaper could be read at Kaituna.
No evidence was found to prove how the fire originated but the ‘carelessness’ of Collingwood residents was referred to, ‘as there seems no doubt that a small and regular supply of water would have put the fire out when it first originated’.
All 21 buildings on both sides of Tasman St were destroyed, together with hens. Everything in fire-proof safes was turned to cinders, and gold melted into blobs [see, for example, the postmaster’s watch now in the Collingwood Museum]. The piano from the Public Hall was saved, plus some stock. Because the Post Office was destroyed, news initially had to be sent from Parapara, but by early afternoon a temporary telegraph office had been set up at the Courthouse. The Golden Bay Argus printery was destroyed but the Takaka newspaper office was used (the first issue being delayed by only 12 hours) until the printery was rebuilt and in operation again for the issue of 8 December. John McKinna (73) [spelt as ‘McKenna’ in Nelson papers] died from a heart attack in the afternoon after helping to fight the fire.
+! Patricia
Everyone is working so hard doing what they can, emergency crews etc have been phenomenal.
Perhaps the crows have something to teach us about planning.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/382102/crows-solve-tricky-problem-by-planning-ahead-study-finds
That was a very cool link Grey.
Was thinking most kiwis are earthquake and housefire ready etc. A big information campaign about being forest fire ready, how to prevent fires in summer etc would be massively beneficial.
Thumbs up to that statement Patricia (1).
Can only hope the good folk of Nelson and the Tasman area remain safe and well throughout their present predicament, which hopefully will come to an end soon.
Todd Muller has launched two public attacks on the environmental movement and the government over the past month.
Why have the Greens been silent, with not even a squeak?
Why are the Greens so invisible, when this invisibility is hurting them in the polls?
Because when they talk it hurts them in the polls even more.
I’m looking forward to seeing them under 5%
You wish.
The example of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shows it pays to speak up and fight your corner.
With even the slightest tweet of criticism of her from the Republicans, Cortez hits back, lifting her profile into the stratosphere.
The Green Party’s silence in inexplicable.
Ha! Pretending to support AOC on the one hand, slandering Tulsi Gabbard on the other.
https://i0.wp.com/bobcesca.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/cant-tell-if-serious.jpg
Hi Morrissey.
Just a suggestion, but it might be a good idea if you gave some proof of what you are accusing me of, so that people can judge for themselves the verity of your accusation. (A smart alec unrelated gif doesen’t count).
Just in case; Tulsi Gabbard met with Assad. Her trip was funded by a fascist group. Assad commits genocide. These are all facts that you can try and disprove if you like. Be my guest.
Tulsi Gabbard met with Assad.
So what? She has no doubt met with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama as well.
Her trip was funded by a fascist group.
U.S. “lawmakers”—and NZ ones as well—are frequently funded by fascist groups to tour Israel. Why do we not see you jumping up and down about that?
Assad commits genocide.
Really? Your argument for this about as rigorous as your insistence yesterday that Bill was a supporter of Assad. I note that assertion collapsed as soon as I challenged it, and you downgraded your accusation to the just as inflammatory charge that he was an “apologist.” You also charged me with the same offence.
Simply ridiculous, Jenny. Your mad accusations carry about as much weight as a Gosman post.
Are you interested in stoushes Morrissey rather than saving this bit of the planet, and its small civil society from growing degradation? Are you Irish Mr Breen? Is it true that Irish are aggressive and like a good punch-up? I would like to be enlightened on these matters if you will.
I think that if you look over this writer’s oeuvre, Mr Shark, you will see that he (i.e., moi) is very opposed to “stoushes”, AKA, unlawful interventions, AKA wars of aggression. I feel nothing but contempt for the people who shout for others to go to war.
Thank you Morrissey for that reply. You like to approach matters in a novel way at times, and I wondered if you were Irish. Often the English seem rather sour and dour, which perhaps explains something of our NZ temperament (and Brexit muddle perhaps). If you don’t want to say for some reason fine.
Sorry, Shark, I wasn’t avoiding your question, I simply forgot to add that, yes, I am indeed Irish. And I must confess that, yes, I do occasionally enjoy a “stoush”, AKA a “barney”, AKA a troid, AKA a “dust-up.”
But that’s just online. I do not support sending other young men and women to kill people in Syria or Afghanistan or Iraq or Venezuela or anywhere else. And I think there’s a special place in Hell for the people who do advocate those things.
Couldn’t help being curious. I’ve got an Irish bloke in my family and I have noticed he is very definite about things, which is better than being like soggy tissue for sure.
And I agree let’s go back to different ways of managing sovereignty and limiting barbarism. Perhaps baring our teeth at one another, desperate singing contests, swearing and punching and wrestling extravaganzas, If there is war, though person to person combat can result in large casualties, you get to be buried in identifiable pieces.
Today you can be blown into smithereens, which sound quite little bits, by something from overhead that you can’t fight or avoid, or it drops chemicals that gas everyone and/or… Just seen Peter Jackson’s WW1 They Shall Never Grow Old. It seems however that war remains forever young and fresh in country’s minds and the young men get sent off to be the pawns.
You see, James has the answer. They don’t have to say anything, he knows they are wrong. Hell he’s clever! Oh, and rational and mature and far-sighted and flexible, and …
I didn’t say they were wrong. I just inferred they lost more votes talking than being quite.
Last thing I can remember them doing was reclaiming the word cunt.
They are useless
Did you mean ‘implied’ when you wrote ‘inferred’?
Some might infer bitterness from you that they reclaimed the word cunt and you want it back. And some might conclude it never left.
Dream on troll…they have a solid 7-8 per cent base
And yet the poll lower than that. Must be losing it huh?
Well, political parties have this thing called policy and they like to share it at opportune times so people are reminded of what they are about. There is no need for the Greens to do this currently re CC, everybody knows they are creating a Climate Commission.
And it is great the Nact are reminding people how negligent they are on this issue given how CC IS the news at the mo.
What is this “Climate Commission” going to do?
Spend the next 20 years holding a conversation?
Oh well, I suppose such a group may provide taxpayer paid jobs for their otherwise unemployable members.
Perhaps they will stick Turei onto it.
I pick it will be less successful than kiwi build
Of course, you would, but it depends on how you define “success”, doesn’t it?
Actually delivering what they say they will.
In that case I reckon you do often observe failure in others and especially in politicians. Failure, it’s everywhere around us because so many fall short of the mark because they aim too high …
And others are just shit at their jobs. Twyford would be an amazing example of shit useless.
Is shit useless when you tell the country there is no housing crisis or being shit useless is when you believe it? Or is it something complicated like there being a housing crisis and you don’t recognise it?
Shit useless is whoever taught James to read and write.🤣
I believe he’s a home-schooled autodidact.
Lol. A product of the UK, apparently.
Yes tywford was shit useless at shutting down the bogus meth testing wasn’t he.
James I will tell you what shit useless is. National sitting on their arses for 9 years while the house issues in 2008 became a roaring crisis. And you people come on here and have the Gaul to criticise tywford.
Go away and read up on what happened under National in terms of housing
James; you’re such a wet blanket. Or soggy tissue. Can’t decide which is the best descriptor.
Sticky tissue?
Ffs kiwi build is a 10 year programme. It is ridiculous to judge it so soon.
I remind people how the building of the Sydney opera house unfolded…..how the architect was slated etc. it is of course an absolute master piece
Better than ignoring the issue, supressing debate or piling on the Greenwash that we had for the last 9 years
ps
This one is getting really boring, can you not find something else to moan about? You are starting to look like Ed dumping this in so often at the start of Open Mike.
Jenny etc
Those words from solkta should be absorbed. You are sounding like Ed. It’s getting that you are Chicken Little yelling that The Sky is Falling. Can you try to concentrate on NZ and present us with the facts of your concerns because you care and we should know about them. That would be good. Just make them
as short as possible. And there are plenty of people having a go at the furriners and their doings.
Little NZ gets pushed and pulled by overseas doings, how we manage is our first concern surely. We have a chance of patching the boat and keeping afloat if we look after home affairs, while keeping a weather eye out for storms.
Shipping analogy! I see us as the Dingy Dinghy, but it’s my dingy dinghy, and yours. Let’s keep it seaworthy. LoL
I think it is a reasonable question. The Greens are virtually invisible. Why?
When they have been given so many opportunities to answer their detractors and raise their public profile?
Just as James (who hates the Greens), realises, the Greens silence and public invisibility will ensure their dipping below 5%.
Personally I disagree with James that if the Greens spoke up “it would hurt their polls even more”. Instead it is their silence is that is condemning. Not their message, which is just not being put out there. Meanwhile Todd Muller takes every opportunity to put National’s position.
P.S. (As for being first up on the Open Mike, Open Mike usually opens at 7am my comment appeared at 8.05, hardly first up).
But is it every day you wake with a worried frown. and release it over the blog?
Do you ever feel happy – it’s important to relax occasionally? Do you have a cat or dog I wonder? None of my business of course, but they do seem to provide solace for many.
The political becomes personal.
Really Grey?
If the question I raised disturbs you, maybe you should try answering it, instead of casting nasturtiums as to the state of my mental health.
And yes I do have cats, and lots of other animals in my care, all who worship me as some sort of benevolent dictator. One of them has just now climbed into an empty brown paper shopping bag just to amuse me. As I look at it’s cute little face peering out at me, I think of you.
Thanks Jenny tghat’s a kind thought. And the point I am making though you apparently resent it, is that we need to have more kind thoughts in our lives, and pass those on to others. And we need to have positivism not constant negativism; a balance so we can keep our spirits up and mix with others the same, going forward! If we want a chance to have a life that we enjoy that is. Because it could vanish into vicious dictatorship and loss of freedom, albeit with a smooth, smiling face.
Someone gave a link to Chinese moves, to be in by next year, of joining everyone up with an app or something and the populace will get points for behaving correctly according to the dicta from the authorities. And those who don’t get the required points, things will be withdrawn from their life.
Hi Grey I can’t imagine how you see that I am being negative. I am putting up an inspiring positive vision of the way forward, I am calling for leadership, I am providing positive examples, ie Cortez, of the sort of inspiring and positive outspoken leadership that I am calling for the Greens to provide.
And I am positive that they are capable of it.
As for kind thoughts, I have lots of them. For the Greens, for our Prime Minister. I want them to be the very best they can be. The science demands it.
There is nothing negative about my vision.
I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t think calling the Greens “invisible” isn’t negative. They’re politicians, not stealth bombers.
I’m sympathetic to your stance, actually. I did criticise it when you applied it to James, but I agree there’s no real reason Marama or any of the others ought to keep quiet.
If I was advising the Green caucus, I’d suggest they brainstorm the looming necessity of positioning themselves for the next election, and as part of that give themselves a mandate for aspirational policy signalling.
They could even discuss who ought to lead that, if putting the onus on Marama is asking too much. Gareth is the only one who has publicly self-identified as leftist. As a centrist I have no problem with him performing such a leadership role. He did stand for the leadership. I expect he could do it on that informal basis. It would probably be prudent for him to run each speech by them before he holds a press conference.
That’s a method likely to work okay in respect of what you feel is missing. Herding is making them into coalition conformists. They can do that still, while repositioning as described. It’s a walk & chew gum simultaneously type of challenge. Multi-tasking.
Obviously the Green Caucus discuss strategy on an ongoing basis. I don’t think it is any secret that Gareth is the Caucus strategist. As for delivering press conferences, obviously these need to be done by the MP who holds the portfolio concerned.
Merely conforming to a prescription induces the herding she is complaining about. Protocols only get you so far. There’s also a time for improvising, and they need to factor that in.
Applying the precautionary principle. Perception that they are allowing themselves to get boxed in by MMP constraints increases the danger of dropping below the threshold. Being imaginative, and enterprising, will impress voters more and build support.
Gareth making press releases beyond his portfolios would simply confuse voters. The whole point is to push forward the person who is actually handling the issue.
One thing that I’m not sure anyone has looked at is how many voters are (for want of a better term) Green “reservists” like me – I prefer Labour, but believe both are essential to be in parliament. So if the Greens look dicey like last time, I’ll vote Green (like last time).
Not to mention how many Greens are staunch – frankly I think they can guarantee 5% unless they suddenly abandon all Green principles. And the Blue-Green wet dream won’t cut it for those guys – we’re talking snails over industry territory.
Hi Grey,
I was greatly encouraged by the PM’s partial ban on new off shore oil and gas exploration. In my opinion it should have been a ban on all new off shore oil and gas exploration. Still, it was a step in the right direction. This is an example of the sort of positive inspiring lead I am talking about. It captured the world’s imagination. We need more of it.
@28:32 minutes
Piss off Jenny. That is not the “PM’s partial ban on new off shore oil and gas exploration” but rather a Green Party initiative that from my understanding was hard fought for. You are being slimy to say that you are not being negative towards the Greens while attributing their successes to Labour.
There is only one poll that matters and that is the election. At that time the Greens will be judged on how they have delivered policy objectives. Foremost will be the Carbon Act and the cannabis referendum (and hopefully act).
One of the targets of Todd Muller’s public attack has been Generation Zero.
James Shaw has said, that the Zero Carbon legislation is “directly the brainchild” of Generation Zero.
The fact that Todd Muller has especially targeted Gen. Zero in his public attack, signals to me that the National Party has no intention of honouring any Zero Carbon legislation.
Todd Muller’s repeated demand that New Zealand must not take a lead on climate change, shows that National will do everything in their power to undermine and sabotage this piece of legislation.
Todd Muller’s lack of good faith over the Zero Carbon legislation needs to be answered.
I mean, when is enough, enough?
As well as attacking Gen Zero, and attacking the government “for being blinded by Green ideology”
Conservative politicians have also lashed out at Greenpeace over exposing illegal fishing.
Again not a murmur from the Green Party in response.
The Green Party are burning up their political capital like there is no tomorrow, all so as not to offend the National Party in attempt to get the National Party to sign up to the Zero Carbon Bill.
I have read the proposed Bill* one of the main paragraphs reads in part, “We can get most of the way there using solutions that are already available. Getting there will involve moving towards 100% renewable electricity….” This is something that Todd Muller says National are against, claiming it is too expensive.
Getting to 100% renewable would be a milestone achievement, and a leading example to the world, Muller’s quibbles that the last little bit would be to expensive to be worth it, ignores the importance of giving a global lead, which of course is fully in line with National’s anti-leadership ‘Fast Follower’ strategy.
When are these knuckle draggers going to be challenged and exposed?
*https://zerocarbonact.nz/
If Gen Zero thought they were going to get away with a straight out attack on Todd Muller, they should go back to school and do some learning.
They got what they were asking for.
Shaw and the Greens have no choice but to keep their heads down until his bill gets into parliament again. Because unless he keeps Todd Muller and National on side, he is going to get fucked over clause by clause in Cabinet by NZF on the only bill he cares about.
I’m sorry, but I find this sentence ambiguous. Is he going to get fucked over by NZF and therefore needs National’s votes? Why would National not fuck him over, as well? Regardless, does this mean we all are going to get fucked over, euphemistically speaking? Oh boy, it sounds like the Roman orgy in Caligula.
“Why would National not fuck him over as well?”
A good question if you are a small animal figuring out how not to die underneath an elephant.
But the answer is:
Because just as National did with the anti-smacking bill in the last gasp of the Clark government, National get to take all the political credit for rescuing the government. Labour and the Greens spend massive amounts of political capital, leading into election year, and National look like the heroes of climate change to middle New Zealand and to their base.
Todd Muller is a fucking tool who is simply handing more ammunition to everyone who thinks he’s a tool.
Why on earth would the Greens get in a stoush with him now? They’re not going to change his mind, and anyone they do persuade will have forgotten by next November. And the more the fool keeps talking, the more any “blue-green” party looks like a shill if they’ll go into government with him.
The Greens know how to campaign, and better than most parties in parliament.
Jenny I get regular Green Party messages on fbook detailing policies…things they are doing
Hi Bearded Git, Could let us lay people know what the Green Party are doing.
https://www.facebook.com/nzgreenparty/
You seem to be on the same page as David Cormack: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12200816
The Greens are active and out & about doing their things. People who are genuinely interested will know and pay attention. People who are less interested in the Greens may be happy to rely on the distorted ‘messaging’ by MSM. Less is more, right now.
Yes you are right. David Cormack seems to be referencing similar themes and more that I have mentioned here. Thanks for this Incog.
From the link supplied by Incognito
Just my point, the Green Party has gone missing. And their disappearance from public life is reflected in their poll results.
Politics is a public affair it is conducted publicly. Todd Muller seems to have taken this mantra to heart with his public attacks on the government and the Green Party and Gen Zero. accusing them of being “blinded by Green Ideology”.
You would have thought that Muller’s public attacks would have been the perfect opportunity for either of the Green Party leaders to deliver a devastating riposte.
We live in an age when politicians must become activists and activists must become politicians must become activists.
Why didn’t the Green Party show some solidarity to Greenpeace and Gen Zero when they were under attack?
The Green Party can’t blame the media this time, because the Green Party haven’t given the media anything to go on.
I have mentioned the attack on Greenpeace, I have mentioned the attack on the Government and Gen Zero. Both opportunities for the Green Party to “reassert themselves as the environmental party of New Zealand”. I had forgot to mention this, but yeah. What on earth? Again, why are the Green Party so silent?
Why are the Green Party so absolutely missing from public life?
Do they want to be irrelevant?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12200816
You are concerned at length about the Greens. Why not write what you have on here first direct to both of the Leaders of the Green Party. Give them something direct under their noses to send a form reply then ignore, or not Jenny…
Instead you are chipping away at them as the Coalition tries to advance in hostile territory where citizens have to be encouraged to make moves that should have been started 20 years ago. You aren’t helping the Greens or the Coalition in government by bad mouthing them so much.
I have written, emailed, texted, phoned, facebook messaged, Green MPs, with zero response. I and other climate activists have requested appointments for discussions with them. It is like sending messages into an empty void.
I have even tried to button hole them at public events, I have traveled across the region to attend such meetings. Questions from the floor are disallowed at stage managed public events.. I have stood patiently with lots of other people in queues to meet with them at the end of the same public meetings only to have time to trade brief pleasantries, before they have to move onto the next person.
And now you say I shouldn’t voice my concerns in this forum either?
It is my honest opinion that the Green Party are headed for electoral oblivion if they don’t break out of their self appointed public silence, on the matters of the day, especially when they or their allies are being attacked. People will think that they have no answers when the Nats publicly attack them and they keep their silence.
I see the meteoric rise of Alexandria Cortez, who never backs down from a fight, and I wonder why we can’t have leaders like that here?
Maybe the Greens like a little too much of the “herbal jazz cigarettes”. A good reason for their relaxed stance re answering questions.
You won’t see them back until they have something delivered into law in Parliament. And there’s only one bill of any note that’s theirs coming up.
Only once that is through will they be able to campaign.
All I can say Ad. It had better be a doozy. If it is not and is just more vague and distant targets, but no agreed action in the here and now. I don’t think it will rescue the Greens.
Maybe the Greens don’t want to be rescued.
Maybe Shaw’s got the more audacious goal in mind:
Cross Parliamentary agreement on climate change mitigation for New Zealand.
It may well come at the expense of the Green Party, but it may not.
I mean if they can survive nut jobs like Metiria Turei self-immolating 4 weeks out from election, maybe the Green base is still good for 5%.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa8rSc2dung&ab_channel=thejuicemedia
They just following what our shitty little lap dog mp’s did years ago. Ahh Australia, so slow on nasty hard right ideological B.S.
Here’s at least one Aussie who shows some backbone
Former Aus. diplomat Tony Kevin and his plan to save Assange
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjqsbyGGUIE
On that topic, news from Switzerland
https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/wikileaks_geneva-politicians-vote-to-propose-julian-assange-asylum/44740406
Strangely, not reported elsewhere as yet
Go Assange. His greatest problem is that for a while he was a media darling.
“Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad” is a slogan for today.
The leaders of the world have gone mad under the affects of desiring ever more money and power, so they have turned into sub-Gods. People who disagree are maddened enough to stand against them, giving the sub-Gods the unchallengeable right to destroy them.
And the media raised Assange in public eyes which can for a while strongly idolise someone, then turn around with opposite strong emotions and censure them.
Gilbert & Sullivan illustrates the problem of the exploiter of information or the truth-teller –
A Disagreeable Man, I Can’t Think Why
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql13RNb9OGI
and a parody on He is a very model of a modern major-general
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svCpEIRAkjM
Assange problem started when he became a darling of the left wing, then released more information showing left wing politicians to be as fallible as right wing politicians.
It hurts when someone proves your heroes are as bad as your enemies
[TS: Your comments are being held in moderation until you acknowledge the mod note on your previous contribution here. TRP]
Ah tuppence biscuit, I thought you got away with your comments yesterday & it seemed like the moderator’s threats were nary but a wet bus ticket. But no, TS is appearing to be a little more Putin like with its treatment of you.
Thanks for the news re Swiss support for the narcissist. I’ve been critical of his character defects and reluctance to transcend them, but as an authentic whistleblower I still feel he deserves support.
If they take the load off Ecuador, it will be a good move and I expect it will enhance their global reputation as supporters of natural justice. I hope they succeed in negotiating the transfer. If May refuses to allow it, she will destroy her credibility as a political leader.
Dennis, if you’re searching for a casual descriptor of Julian Assange, “the narcissist” is hardly appropriate. I accept he seems to be narcissistic, but that applies to virtually anyone in the public eye to some degree or other.
Rogue killer regimes in London and Washington are seeking to destroy Assange not because he’s a narcissist, but because he’s a truth-teller.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rXPrfnU3G0&t=466s
It’s because of his behaviour. The spoilt-brat syndrome he exhibits so readily. His lack of empathy re inconsiderate attitude to his hosts. Lack of empathy usually signifies narcissism. Telling the truth ought to be a discipline applied to oneself, not merely state misbehaviour. He hasn’t matured sufficiently to become a responsible individual…
Fair comment, Dennis. But let’s face it, he’s a choirboy compared to the people trying to destroy him.
That is your opinion of him Dennis. What do you base this on?
Media coverage of what he has said and done in the past couple of years. Alienating his hosts was so unwise it can only have been due to his inability to see things from their point of view. Gratitude for their moral stand on his behalf ought to have been factored in to his view of the situation. Lack of it made it obvious he was being selfish.
Is he an example of the quote –
🤩 Could be, eh? Judged by the progress he does actually manage to produce, perhaps. More likely if he grows up a little and develops a better attitude. Adversity brings out character in some folks.
All interesting thinking. What did you think of the comments from past diplomat Kevin that Fransesca put up at 3.1.1. Seems a sound man in his views.
20 minutes and they never mentioned sexual assault once.
And if the Aussies worked hard (won’t happen) and got the UK to ignore the bail-jumping (highly unlikely), why would he need a consular escort to the airport?
I watched the first third of it, don’t have time for more. The arse-licker syndrome, normally prevalent among rightists. He correctly identifies Labour as equally part of the problem, so it makes leftists into fore-lock tuggers performing ritual obeisance to the Americans.
Brexit.
Yeah, I know. Sword of Damocles suspended over her. Will it drop? The EU head has served her mixed messages in recent days. No renegotiation, then possible renegotiation today. Because, if they do reach a compromise, it could save her. She could soldier on, regardless of lowered credibility.
Even if the EU renegotiate, they’re not suddenly going to roll over.
She’s already shat the bed so badly that nobody wants the job. Compared with Brexit, the concomitant Irish border issue, austerity, and everything else, whether Assange changes self-imposed prison under her watch would not even amount to a footnote.
To the British, yes. To folks expecting any political leader to honour a whistle-blower, acting on the basis of public service, it would be terminally discrediting. Even politicians who are conservative ought to balance their desire to serve the elites against a moral duty to serve the public. Can’t discount that necessity.
Labour is (on the face of it) returning to
its basic roots with the well being agenda.
However by meeting with business and farming they are also
adding more substance to the rebuild and broadening appeal
and making it harder for National to label Labour as flaky.
Sound economically + fairer tax system. Responsible immigration.
Compassionate socially eg housing, education, women, Maori.
Keeping the Green ,Women, Young and Maori vote
as independent allies is also very smart.
Just need to work on the Grey vote a bit more.
Labour needs to broaden its media face by not relying on JA.
Steve Joyce was John Keys shield for years.
Jones and Peters do good work but are Mavericks.
Satchi and Satchi would identify and choreograph the suitable lieutenants.
Advantage Labour?.
Rata’s in bloom. It’s going to be a mast year.
Not until budget 2019 lands well.
If it doesn’t land well in the public, Labour know they have simply pushed almost all the hard political work out to the 2020 election.
That mention of Saatchi and Saatchi – does Labour have guidance from the likes of them? Labour has what to balance Cosby Textor? They need to do better than Phil Quin, Josie Pagani, Mike Williams et al. A professional body – do they have one, can they afford one? Can they afford not to?
When you’ve got a PM who’s that good to camera, and who personally made up “Let’s Do This”, the guidance is less necessary. I can’t recall a better political communicator other than Bill Clinton.
Well, so much for Kiwibuild providing housing for people who couldn’t otherwise get a first home.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/110468062/six-wanaka-kiwibuild-houses-on-open-market
Six houses that were built under the Twitford banner that nobody wanted to buy. Now they are being dumped onto the open market. They are too expensive apparently. Why am I not surprised.
I wonder how much he cost to the Country has been so far, and whether they have managed to blow through the whole $2 billion dollars yet?
Why has Twyford still got a position in Cabinet? Is there no display of ineptitude that is sufficient to get sacked by our current lot of idiots in the Government?
If more houses get built then more people have homes – it’s as simple as that.
The people who buy expensive homes release less expensive homes giving opportunity for people in a different price bracket.
Sounds an awful lot like trickle down housing supply to me 😉
You’re correct, that’s how it looks on paper. The increased supply of housing will trickle down and the large profits for the lucky ones already on the property ladder will trickle up. It’s a win-win!
One fly in the ointment could be that the better-off will not release their house on the property market but rent it out or advertise on Airbnb. In fact, that could be a perverse outcome of CGT unless it’s accompanied with a raft of other measures to discourage less helpful kinds of behaviour.
You merely display your ignorance with comments such as this. If you bothered to read the article it quite clearly states:
But you didn’t read the article, you silly little fellow.
If you did you might, just might, have seen that your comments merely spew forth from a morass of ignorance.
Alwyn is almighty concerned that Phil Twyford is going to Venezuelanise NZH. For further information, I refer to today’s other post on this topic.
What on earth have you been drinking, smoking or injecting you stupid schmuck?
For further information I would suggest you reference a single statement I have made that could possibly lend any credence to your stupid remark.
Indeed I will wager you cannot find a single statement I have made in todays post on Venezuela.
If I never commented on the subject how does your silly little brain come to any conclusion at all on my views on Venezuela?
Oh that’s right you can’t so you just spew forth your fantasies.
What a dick you are.
Are you morrie in disguise wally?
Apologies, Alwyn, I hope to get back to you tomorrow.
I did read it you little diesel soaked seagull.
People who had never bothered to register for Kiwibuild and now get a chance to buy because no one who registered wanted, or could afford the properties.
What evidence do you think will ever be produced to demonstrate that anyone who does buy one of these places will actually have qualified? Why do I think the Government will refuse to prove they were eligible and that they will say that the privacy of the purchaser is more important than the integrity of the scheme?
What are the chances that the actual purchase price is ever released and that the taxpayer won’t lose a lot of money from the deal?
Why do you seem to consider you should trust the ill conceived scheme promoted by Phool Twyford?
His record certainly doesn’t inspire any confidence does it?
Twyford needs three terms.
In both transport and housing.
In housing the institutions both public and private are taking too long to gear up.
In transport the institution is in a leadership-led cataclysm and it is crippling delivery in his key policies.
Both will now take years to fix.
I would suggest that leaving Twyford in these jobs for three terms would destroy both housing and transport.
Luckily I can’t see it happening. He is such a fool that I think Winston will sack him by later in this year. He is the most incompetent Minister in any senior role I have ever seen.
When both Winston First and the Red-Green parties vanish at the next election it won’t matter of course.
I really thought that it was time for a change after 3 terms. National were tired, as all 3 term Governments are. Unfortunately I was right in thinking that the current coalition troika were incapable of forming a competent Government. I only hope that National can come up with a proper competent and fresh team after only one term in Opposition. God knows they will have a lot of cleaning up to do from the activities of loose cannons like Phool..
“destroy both housing and transport”… “Winston will sack him”… “troika were incapable of forming a competent government”… The more snipes and turds you sprinkle through your comments, the more desperate you look.
As for most incompetent minister in any senior position you’ve seen, you do realise that two ministers and an associate minister signed off on Novopay.
Well that at least has given me a good laugh.
You call the total collapse of this Government major policy activity as being in some way comparable to the temporary difficulties with a payroll system for teachers?
The problems with Novopay were of course cured when the last Government took them seriously and put Stephen Joyce in charge of fixing the problem. This he did.
I thought about how I would consider Novopay and Kiwibuild in terms of a comparison with accidents at sea.
Novopay is rather like spilling a full cup of coffee over yourself when travelling on the Cook Strait ferry.
Uncomfortable at the time and a nuisance until you can get at your luggage and change your clothes.
The complete shambles that is Kiwibuild is best compared to the sinking of the Wahine back in 1968. A complete disaster.
A third example would be the mess that is the Census of 12 months ago. That is about like finding that your car on the vehicle deck was smashed into by a truck and is a write-off. It needn’t have been as bad if, shortly after the Census was held, the Government and the Department, had accepted that getting any valid results out of the exercise was impossible and decided to have another Census in 2021 in what would have been the traditional year (ending in 1). They didn’t of course. The Government Statistician and the Minister simply buried their heads in the sand and pretended that everything was just peachy.
Meanwhile we have McFlock saying that Twyford just needs a little more time. What a funny fellow he is.
Thousands of people went underpaid, not paid, and some overpaid for months, missing rent and mortgage payments and having to take out loans. It took Mr Don’t-fix-it over a year to sort out after two ministers signed off without thinking about the words “mission critical”.
And you call that a spilled cup of coffee.
And not building enough houses in the first year is a sign of the most incompetent minister you have ever seen.
Says it all, really.
Your mask has slipped, alwyn.
Normally restrained, tonight you are lashing out and indulging in conspiracy theories and name-calling.
Is it because you had your own words read back to you?
For reference, alwyn, this is the statement you made which you need to retract, and apologise to the forum for.
I await your fulsome and sincere apology.🤣
Albert Finney, Brit actor has died 82. He was five times Oscar nominee and earlier from the Royal Shakespeare Company.
His last film role came in 2012 James Bond film Skyfall, in which he played the irascible gamekeeper Kincaid.
A life-long fan of Manchester United, he declined a CBE in 1980 and a knighthood in 2000.
“I think the Sir thing slightly perpetuates one of our diseases in England, which is snobbery,” he said at the time.
He was also reluctant to discuss his craft. “My job is acting, and that is why I hate interviews or lectures, explaining myself to an audience,” he once said.
Finney was married three times and had one child with his first wife, the actress Jane Wenham.
He was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2007, after which he largely disappeared from public view.
Finney also backed the epic fulm “If” an all time favourite of mine.
I just looked at a trailer and I don’t think it would the film enabled today. Somehow the funding would dry up or something. It would be inappropriate.
Too much echoing real life happenings.
Someone who turns down knighthoods is of noble character.
Yes the nobility is already in the person. Knighthoods are good for a laugh though. I like the Monty Python skit of the Knight Who Never Gives Up.
And in French taunting the castle guard scorns the silly k-nites.
The Knights who say “Ni!”.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/business/110418610/700000-state-home-on-kpiti-coast-sits-empty-for-20-months
Beautiful 700k family state house left empty.
I guess the homeless crisis is officially over then.
It was being modified for people with disabilities.
It’s a really long process to decide what changes need to be made, get funding, draw up the plans, get quotes, get more funding, get a builder to do it (all bespoke work depending on the disability) etc.
I know someone who has done it once and is about to do it again and she envisioned a 12 month to 18 month time frame.
Specific actual people or just in case?
“I know someone who has done it once and is about to do it again and she envisioned a 12 month to 18 month time frame.”
If that is the case best to leave the job to someone who knows what they are doing.
I have done a few of these jobs for HNZ in the past. They already have plumbers, builders, sparkies etc. Pretty standard stuff. ramps, hand rails, level entry shower,
They vary depending on the house and the clients disability. Nothing difficult about it. Two or three weeks and job done.
It is the palaver around the highly-rationed funding that slows things down. Paying a whole lot of people to say ‘no’.
Stop being disingenuous, James. Of course this situation does not signal that the housing crisis is over.
First the article says that disability renovations to that house have taken 20 months – which takes the original decisions etc to do so back to about May 2017 ie. in the National Govt era. 20 months does seem to be a long time when it appears that the house already has a lot of disability features, but it does not surprise me given the current state of the building industry.
However, what bemuses me about that article is here is the local Mayor saying he is looking for a home for a family whose current Council-owned house is being put up for sale by his own Council because they no longer want to provide social housing to anyone other than pensioners.
It would appear that the family may qualify for Housing NZ accommodation. If so and the house meets their needs in accord with Housing NZ criteria, why doesn’t the Council offer the Council-owned house to Housing NZ at a reasonable market rate agreed on the basis of market prices for similar house sales and/or say three market price assessments. This would then allow the family to stay in the house they have been living in without incurring moving costs, upheaval etc probably requiring financial assistance from the govt via WINZ etc. Just saying.
Whoever organised a state house to be empty for that long should be given a Knighthood or Damehood for the unique achievement and a Prime Minister’s award for creativity.Such has never happened before.
Then some officials in all sorts of departments should be sacked for not breaking rules and protocols and customary health and safety things and just going ahead and putting a new family in there the day after it was vacated.
Not only did they deny a family a home, they denied fuckwits the opportunity to attack the government for breaking rules and protocols and customary health and safety things by putting a family in it improperly and in less than perfect circumstances.
Anyway, on thinking about it calmly, it probably happened because the Housing NZ people on the Kapiti Coast are still coming to and are slow to process the new mindset after the years of brainwashing: THERE IS NO HOUSING CRISIS, THERE IS NO HOUSING CRISIS, THERE IS NO HOUSING CRISIS …
James…That comment is so stupid it should be worth a ban…arguments based on real facts please troll.
Jami-Lee Ross rips into Simon Bridges in mental health tweet.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/02/jami-lee-ross-rips-into-simon-bridges-in-mental-health-tweet.html
Nah, he’s not ripping into him, he’s calling him out. I was expecting something more substantial but it’s the usual clickbait by lazy uncreative MSM waiting for snappy little tweets to ‘inspire’ their snappy little headlines.
Yes it’s clickbait and the media love it. Ross will be the go-to guy for gossip on Simon.
I think JLR is losing the PR battle on this
Losing to who, and who has more to lose?
Losing to Bridges and this might actually help Bridges, in the long run
How?
The longer it goes on the more it looks like JLR is being vindictive especially if Bridges keeps quiet
Not saying that’s how the situation is but instead how it looks
Mind you I’ve occasionally (albeit extremely rarely) been wrong in the past before and I may well be wrong here
True to a degree and certainly perception is all important. I actually think that until JLR is back in Parliament (expected there this week) it will be hard to gauge the situation. Did you read JLR’s interview by mental health blogger, Hadley Robinson-Lewis on The Daily Blog last week? Worth the few minutes it takes IMO.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2019/02/04/exclusive-tdb-interview-with-jami-lee-ross/
in terms of Bridges keeping quiet, I have my doubts he will be able to sustain that, especially if the leaks from his caucus continue which could be likely. Check out this Newshub report on the Nat gathering in Hamilton on Thurs/Friday. Two carefully worded mentions that indicate they had leaks from a caucus source as to what went on in the closed sessions.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/02/national-discusses-sinking-winston-peters-vote-at-caucus-retreat.amp.html
Didn’t Weewoss reply to Slick’s dopey pronouncement puckers?
Something about ‘battles and wars’; something…
At least we know who has more to lose.
JLR is a gift to the Coalition that just keeps on giving.
Fireblade (8) … Parliament resumes next week. Could be an interesting year.
JLR might be about to fire off on all cylinders very soon. He seemed pretty sharp at responding to SB’s recent tweet re mental health!
Might not be such a smooth ride for Simon after all this term!
Have the popcorn ready.
One of the wealthiest men in the world with unlimited resources and a score to settle.
This should be fun.
https://twitter.com/KimZetter/status/1093725317535956992
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/02/08/did-national-enquirer-blackmail-amazons-jeff-bezos-protect-saudi-crown-prince
And I thought it was going to be about tax evasion. Disappointing.
Seems about right.
https://twitter.com/F24Debate/status/1093960768872161281
China in direct talks with U.S. army, new sanctions on way
RNZ, 9 February 2019
China is holding direct communications with members of the U.S. military urging them to abandon President Donald Trump and is also preparing new sanctions aimed at increasing pressure on him, a senior Beijing official said.
The Xi Jinping administration expects further military defections from Trump’s side, the official told Xinhua in an interview, despite only a few senior officers having done so since opposition leader Nancy Pelosi declared herself interim president last month, backed by China and dozens of other countries.
“We believe these to be those first couple pebbles before we start really seeing bigger rocks rolling down the hill,” the official said this week, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We’re still having conversations with members of the former Trump regime, with military members, although those conversations are very, very limited.”
The official declined to provide details on the discussions or the level at which they are being held, and it was unclear whether such contacts could create cracks in the U.S. fascist leader’s support from the military, which is pivotal to his grip on power.
With the U.S. military still loyal to Trump, a source in Beijing close to the opposition expressed doubts whether the Xi Jinping administration had laid enough groundwork to spur a wider mutiny in the ranks.
“It depends on what they’re offering,” Hua Chunying, vice president of the Council of the Bo’ao Forum think tank in Beijing, said.
“Are there incentives built into these contacts that will at least cause people to question their loyalty to the regime?” ….
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/world/382103/us-in-direct-talks-with-venezuelan-army-new-sanctions-on-way
Analogy doesn’t work.
Why not? Apart from the fact that it’s an insult to Venezuela to compare it to the U.S.
There’s a few.
China is close to the military equal of the United States.
China and the United States are negotiating substantially already.
No one from the United States military has ever defected to China.
China is not a democracy.
If you ran the allegory from Cuba to Venezuela you’d get a better result I’m sure.
China is not a democracy.
What’s democracy got to do with Trump, Bolton, Pompeo, Pence, and Abrams? This is all about brute power, and demonstrating who’s boss. In motivation and even in modus operandi (terrorizing vassals and little guys into silence or complicity*) it’s little different from a Mafia boss enforcing his will.
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3qjZnEiOCc
tl:dr – millennial conservative wunderkinder are malignant know-nothings who grew up on a diet of Info Wars and YouTube conspiracy videos.
https://twitter.com/TP_Ambridge/status/1093202249998831616
They were here to start a culture war, and Charlie Kirk was looking forward to the backlash.
“There will be retaliation, there will be protest,” the 25-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, a right-wing student organisation with close links to Donald Trump, said in London recently as he described plans for an assault on British university campuses. “You will see that it takes individuals to go straight into the fire to start a movement.”
But already some of the Tory activists Kirk recruited to launch Turning Point in the UK are having second thoughts about its war on “cultural marxism”, according to several people familiar with their internal discussions. Within days of the launch, one of the “influencers” tapped to front the campaign has distanced himself from the group, BuzzFeed News has learned.
“There was a sense of people realising, ‘Who are these cranks?’” one source said.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/alexspence/pro-trump-turning-point-loses-star-activists
a new avatar that looks like a bendy swastika …jeez Wayne
Turning Point Ambridge, dude.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNEawM6vZf4
Exposing the lie of the meritocracy bullshit of the right!
26 most hard-working people as rich as 3.8 billion laziest people combined
“These 26 people are so hard-working that each one of them achieves about 146 million times more per day than a person from the lazier parts of the world”
um, its about working smart and hard, some people have that combination of talents and do very well, good on them, I salute their success.
Can I sell you a bridge?
why?
Because you might want to put a toll booth on it – a nice little earner.
Um Alan it’s about you popping up like burnt toast, with some overdone, tasteless, useless remark.
Ha! Not heard that one before. Love it.
Alan – are you being satirical?
If not, your daft comment is exactly the point…
Russel Norman is gunning for two coalition ministers: https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/08-02-2019/russel-norman-nash-and-jones-are-leading-nz-fishing-into-rotten-waters/
“First, the cameras on boats. The coalition government has completely iced the project. The decision will be delayed till August. This isn’t just a matter of letting things slip – they actually had to unpick existing regulations to make it happen. We’ve just learnt the fishing industry wrote Nash a letter totally opposing cameras in July last year, while hypocritically running TV ads with the memorable line “we have nothing to hide“. Nash’s current line is that he won’t implement the cameras without the “buy-in” of the fishing industry.”
Re the other guy: “he gets campaign money from Talley’s, one of the biggest players in the business. He received ten thousand dollars from the company towards his election campaign.”
“Jones strongly rejects any impropriety in his links with Talley’s, but it’s worth remembering this is also the fishing company that MPI found to be unlawfully under-reporting the weight of their cartons in the hoki fishery and hence under-reporting their catch. This MPI compliance investigation never saw the light of day until Greenpeace leaked it. Predictably Talley’s were not prosecuted because, as MPI’s head of compliance said, “we know from experience that prosecution will achieve behavioural change for maybe four or five years at best.” So they had a quiet chat instead and buried the report.”
“we know from experience that prosecution will achieve behavioural change for maybe four or five years at best.”
That’s like excusing crimes from being prosecuted and paid for with some sort of recompense because it is known that there is recidivism, so ‘What’s the use’ let ’em lie. Trouble is they know we are stupid and con’t care about having good government, and so they don’t feel shy about telling us that we can shut up and get stuffed, when they brazenly admit what they are doing. The right wing attitude that we receive from the RWNJs here, ‘You can fuss, but we have the power, and you are just irritating twerps to be put in their place’.
Does Gnashy sympathise ideologically or is he bought and paid for?
The Pompous Prince of Provincial Pukupatting would see no impropriety in a well feathered nest.
Another type of flow battery that looks interesting.
It uses a liquid electrolyte solution and a solid sacrificial anode. You fill up with charged electrolyte (and drain your discharged electrolyte) every 500km or so, and get a new anode every 5000km or so. The discharged electrolyte goes back to a solar or wind farm to be recharged (or could be done at the fillup station with a grunty enough grid connection).
https://phys.org/news/2019-02-refillable-technology-energy-electric-car.html
lprent
Twice now I have had this line come at the bottom of a comment that has time left for editing –
‘You can no longer edit this comment’.
Just noticed from the front page photo accompanying the Venezuela piece that our very own Slimin’ Bridges appears to be following the tie-length example set by the short-fingered vulgarian.
Reckon it’s for the same reasons?
Here is further evidence of the consequences of under regulation in the accomodation market.
Putting “hotel guests” in the middle of people’s ordinary lives can cause major disruption.
I do know that some airbnb guests in apartment blocks are asked to lie to residents by saying they are relatives of or house-sitters for the owner. This isn’t secure and it isn’t fair to the residents of apartment blocks with airbnb set up in them.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/business/110453472/tenants-forced-to-move-out-because-of-drunken-airbnb-guests-next-door
Brexit and Northern Ireland all explained!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cfI5on5n84
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/firefighters-lament-winds-preventing-them-putting-tasman-fire-in-days
The thing is, to get the containment/firebreak lines done & in conjunction with the winds whatever the directions are to those.
IF the effort goes into that, AT some point the fire has to start turning on itself.
Great to see the Pride March well attended and on their own terms rather than being further highjacked by corporate PR departments and the Police wishing to promote themselves.
A good reset by the community.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2019/02/thousands-turn-out-for-new-auckland-pride-march-up-queen-street.html
Kia ora R&R The Crown owes Tangata Whenua ART it inclueds Te reo waiata haka carving that is needed to keep our great culture pumping .
They suppressed Tangata Whenua Art for decades.
One just has to check old footage of VIP being welcomed to Powhiri to Aotearoa I just checked out BOb Marleys Poehiri the quality in those days is not as good as today
I BACK the Idear that we NEED to record our Kaumatua knowledge no one is doing that I have heard of at the minute that needs to stepped up.
There is a big surge in the demand for Tangata Whenua Art in the motu and Papatuanuku not just Aotearoa Art all indigenous cultures art is getting a great increase in demand .indigenous cultures respect wild life and our enviroment mother earth more that the west do and we are seeing the mess that is being made of our wildlife and Papatuanuku because of the lack of respect for others
Ka kite ano
We have to forget about the oil barrons distraction’s trump brexit and others and all work together to battle CLIMATE CHANGE everything else will / is irrelevant if we go past the tipping POINT.
The world is in the middle of what is likely to be the warmest 10 years since records began in 1850, says the Met Office.
Will the forecast temperature rises bust the Paris climate agreement?
The Met Office says that 2015 was the first year in which the global annual average surface temperature reached 1C above the pre-industrial level, which is generally taken to mean the temperatures between 1850 and 1900.
Each year since then, the global average has hovered close to or above the 1C mark. Now, the Met Office says that trend is likely to continue or increase over the next five years.
“We’ve just made this year’s forecasts and they go out to 2023 and what they suggest is rapid warming globally,” Prof Adam Scaife, head of long term forecasting at the Met Office, told BBC News.
“By looking at individual years in that forecast we can now see for the first time, there is a risk of a temporary, and I repeat temporary, exceedance of the all-important 1.5C threshold level set out in the Paris climate agreement.”
Last October, UN scientists published a special report on the long-term impacts of a temperature rise of 1.5C.
They concluded that it would take a massive carbon cutting effort to keep the world from tipping over the limit by 2030. The Met Office analysis now says there’s a 10 percent chance of this happening within the next five years.
“It’s the first time the forecasts have shown a significant risk of exceedance – it is only temporary. We are talking about individual years fluctuating above the 1.5 degree level,” said Prof Scaife.
“But the fact that that can happen now due to a combination of general warming and the fluctuations due to things like El Niño events in the next few years does mean we are getting close to that threshold.”
How confident is the Met Office of its prediction?
The Met Office says it has a 90 percent confidence limit in the forecasts for the years ahead.
It says that from 2019 to 2023, we will see temperatures ranging from 1.03C to 1,57C above the 1850-1900 level, with enhanced warming over much of the globe, especially over areas like the Arctic.
The research team says it is pretty certain in its predictions because of its past experience. The team’s previous forecast, made in 2013, predicted the rapid rate of warming that’s been observed over the past five years. It even predicted some of the lesser known details such as the patch of cooling seen in the North Atlantic and the cooler spots in the Southern Ocean.
If the observations over the next five years match the forecasts, then the decade between 2014 and 2023 will be the warmest in more than 150 years of records.
Ka kite ano links below P.S Some neanderthal lie and say its just summer YEA RIGHT.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/environment/381910/world-headed-for-warmest-period-on-record
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zPd8YoC1ak
Kia ora R&R Eco Maori says one is a Kiwi so long as you show respect for people and our enviroment Kiwis those that don’t want to be called a Kiwi don’t get IT .
There you go paul henry disrespecting a fellow kiwi .
United we are strong devided we are weak Kiwi unites the good people of Aotearoa who want and give respect fellow Kiwis in my views
I do beleve Matariki should be celerbrated yes Matariki was delibreately suppressed to stop Matariki giving Maori Mana,
There are chovernistic raciest people in all cultures and Maori is no different .
Ka kite ano
I see this new tech for refrigerator and air conditioning in 2016 scientific mag this story is from 2016 we need to invest in efficencys as this is the low hanging fruit on OUR Worlds journey to becoming Carbon neutral some people dont want effiencys as there profits will fall.
Innovative refrigerator developed using multistage sound wave engine
Shinya Hasegawa and colleagues at Tokai University have developed a refrigerator (107 C) powered only by waste heat that generated sound waves in an innovative multistage traveling wave thermoacoustic engine. The refrigerator produced the gas oscillations and refrigeration at a temperature lower than the boiling point of water and achieved a minimum cold temperature of -107.4 C when the hot temperature was 270 C. The findings are published in the journal of Applied Thermal Engineering, November 2016.
The operation of thermoacoustic (TA) engines is based on the heating, cooling and oscillation of acoustic (sound) waves created by the thermal expansion and contraction of gases such as helium enclosed dedicated cavities. The potential of TA engines for generating clean and renewable energy was demonstrated in seminal reports published in the late 1990s and early 2000s by researchers in the USA. Notably, these reports into the modern implementations of TA engines have led to increased worldwide research on the development of high efficiency TA engines to convert heat into useful power.
Two of the main hurdles to the proliferation of this technology are (1) high efficiency systems operable at less than 300 C as compared to the 400 to 600 C range at the moment; and (2) robust design so that the systems could be used in a wide range of environments such as fishing boats and heavy industries.
Hasegawa and colleagues have designed a high efficiency multistage-type thermoacoustic (MS-TA) engine, without moving parts, that operates at less than 300 C; the temperature of more than 80% of industrial waste heat. The design of the MS-TA engine was based on finite element numerical analysis conducted by Hasegawa and his group.
Background and aims
“TA engines do not have moving parts, are easy to maintain, potentially high efficiency, and low cost,” says Shinya Hasegawa, an associate professor at the Department of Prime Mover Engineering, Tokai University, Hiratsuka, Japan. “My goals in this research are to develop TA engines that operates at less than 300 C with more that 30% efficiency, and also to demonstrate a refrigerator operating at -200 C at these low temperatures.”
Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2016-12-refrigerator-multistage.html#jCp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwV4GkniFNo
https://phys.org/news/2016-12-refrigerator-multistage.html
This sound waves techology that can be used for fridges sounds interesting. Any tech people who know enough to comment on how viable it is and whether we could use it for lower carbon footprint etc.?
We have to stop buying prouducts that use Palm oil that is produced unsestainable.
We have to stop putting money before the welbeing of our wildlife we are the guardians of MotherEarth & her creatures some people are exployting this all for $$$$$$$$$$$$$ humans are linked to the wildlife .
The main threat to the survival of orangutan populations in the wild is the massive expansion of palm oil plantations in Borneo and Sumatra.
Palm oil is the most widely used vegetable oil in the world, having even surpassed soya in terms of usage. Surging global demand for palm oil has fueled massive forest destruction throughout Indonesia and Malaysia, countries that together account for 85% of the world’s palm oil production. Palm oil is ubiquitous! Half the packaged food (and other) products found on supermarket shelves now contain palm oil. Palm oil and palm kernel oil are found in all manner of baked goods, such as cookies, bread, and potato chips, as well as in chocolate and milk (where it adds Vitamin A). Palm oil has also replaced coconut as the main cooking oil traditionally used in Indonesia as well as replacing peanut oil in Myanmar. Palm oil is also extensively used in cosmetics and toiletries where it adds creaminess and/or foam to the product. Palm oil is an important ingredient in the manufacturing of soaps, shampoos, detergents, and toothpaste. Increasingly, palm oil is used as a biofuel.
Oil palms only grow in the tropics and need much water. Originally native to South America and West Africa, palm oil plantations have now spread throughout the wet tropics to Papua New Guinea, parts of Asia, Kenya, and also back to countries in West Africa and South America where the palms are native. The problem with palm oil is that vast areas of virgin tropical rain forest are clear cut to open up land for cultivation. Palm oil is a huge industry. Palm oil accounts for 11% of Indonesia’s export earnings and is the most valuable agricultural export. Overall, it is Indonesia’s third largest export earner.
The recent expansion of vast monocrop oil palm plantations in Asia, the Neotropics, and Africa threatens large areas of tropical rain forests. The two most affected countries in this expansion are Indonesia and Malaysia, home of the imperiled orangutans. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) indicated in 2007 that oil palm plantations are the leading cause of rainforest destruction in Malaysia and Indonesia. Another study by Princeton and a Swiss institution reported that between 1990 and 2005, up to 60% of palm oil expansion occurred at the expense of primary tropical rain forest. The establishment of palm oil plantations has been a disaster not only for endangered wildlife such as orangutans and tigers (in Sumatra) but has also exacerbated conflict with local communities in Indonesia over traditional land rights. Local people have been evicted from their customary land holdings and local communities impoverished, leading to much conflict with palm oil concession companies. Ka kite ano links below
https://orangutan.org/rainforest/the-effects-of-palm-oil/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTZ6sFW7kCg
Kia ora Newshub looks like everyone is having a good time at the Big Gay Out in Auckland today. Te twerker.
Our Australian cousins are getting a bad run from Mother Nature there pollies in power are still deniers.
Its a good day for sports in Waikato today Ka pai
Ka kite ano
Kia ora The AM Show The Chinese Terracotta army is a great view of Chinas long history.
People have to start making choices that include the risk to animals as well as humans when choice are being made the wild fires and flooding forests being cleared choice being made for money over the best choices to save animals and wild life .
Jason I do think it’s a joke that the Australian Army cannot fly stock food in to Townsville to feed the animals that are effected by the floods the roads are stuffed so fodder can’t be trucked in.
What about companies selling alcohol that does more damage to society than most others Substances and its sold in supermarkets go figure.
Rude you made that Wahine feel uncomfortable respect for all is a lesson you need to learn why did the other Mayor not get interview.
Mark I was going to comment on the 10 questions competition I chose not to comment on it.
Internet tech is a dubble edged sword it has its good and bad points it all about have good knowledge on the tech and a ballance. Ain’t nothing wrong with Rugby it’s a game every one can play Ka kite ano.
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEXhZ8PwM-Y
Putting solar panels on our drinking water reservoir and lakes is cool the solar panels stay cool in summer and prouduce up to 20 more power dosen’t use expencive land slows the growth of alge that is caused by our farms leaching urea it our water a lot of positives get the big tick copying this move.
Putting Solar Panels on Water Is a Great Idea—but Will It Float?
The U.S. has been slow to embrace the technology, even though Japan and China are zooming ahead
Winemaker Greg Allen had a problem. As president of Far Niente Winery in Napa Valley, California, he had done the math on how much land the vineyard could possibly dedicate to solar panels, to offset energy costs. The figure—about two acres—“really hurt,” Allen says. So he compromised: Far Niente completed an array of 2,296 solar panels, 994 of which float on pontoons tethered to the bottom of the winery’s pond. The installation was the world’s first nonexperimental floating solar array.
That was in 2008. Since then floating photovoltaics have proliferated in Asia—yet not so much in the U.S. Japan has more than 60 installations, the most of any country in the world. China, a bourgeoning giant in renewable energy, claims the world’s largest array. That facility, which went online in 2017, floats atop an artificial lake created from a collapsed coal mine near the city of Huainan. The 166,000 panels can produce some 40 megawatts, or enough electricity to power about 15,000 homes. A {{2018 World Bank report estimated the global potential for floating solar arrays on artificial water surfaces would exceed 400 gigawatts.}}}
But floating installations also offer several advantages over land-based arrays: Most obvious is they do not take up valuable parcels that could be used for agriculture or development. The technology can be easier to install than land-based or roof-mounted systems; once assembled, crews float them into place and anchor them. The arrays can improve the environment as well; blocking sunlight from penetrating the water can reduce evaporation and inhibit algae blooms. (It is not yet clear how the arrays might affect fish, birds or other wildlife.) And because solar cells become less efficient as they heat up, the water’s cooling effect can{{ increase their conversion ability by as much as 20 percent.}}
Given the benefits, the sluggish pace of adoption in the U.S.—which had just 14 installations at the end of 2018—can be puzzling. Teresa Barnes, who manages the photovoltaic reliability group at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), says the availability of open land could be one factor. Yet lack of land has often been a driver at the
small number of U.S. sites. That was the case for the Kelseyville County Waterworks District in California, which installed a 720-panel array on its wastewater treatment pond in 2018. Good payback is another incentive; the district anticipates it will recoup installation costs within eight years of operation. Links below ka kite ano
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/putting-solar-panels-on-water-is-a-great-idea-mdash-but-will-it-float/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6KNJ39DNkI
Kia ora Newshub the polls give me hope that we will be able to combat climate changes Ka pai
I seen that scientists review on our insects collapseing they are treasure that we need yes the pesticides that the big companies flog to us lieing that the chemicals have no negative effect on on human and the wildlife YEA RIGHT Organic farming will save our insects and awa rivers and Environment. NZ big companies best start to invest in organic farming products or risk going BROKE.
Times are changing for the better in Aotearoa society Ka pai
Its not on that people import workers and rip them off hope the offenders gets what they deserve.
The Sir Edmund Hillary trust does a good deed with the youth Kayaking and his grandson kayaking trip in Antarctic. Ka kite ano
The Crowd goes Wild sorry Guys I have chosen not to comment on our sports stars as unusual phenomenon happens ECO MAORI enjoys the show heaps Kia kaha Ka kite ano