'Horrendous situation': Queenstown council under fire over vacant cabins
Council PR man Sam White confirms to Mountain Scene that 32 of the 45 cabins on the site are not being used, news that infuriates Queenstown housing advocates who say council needs to get off its backside and pay the money to get the homes up to scratch.
With the rental housing crisis the worst it’s ever been, the majority of cabins on the Queenstown council-owned Lynch Block site are sitting empty because City Hall hasn’t invested the money to meet healthy home standards.
I note the "hasnt invested". IMO this is about money. And not so much about bringing the places up to standard (FFS ! ) …IMO more about the land value . And always has been : (
32 unused places. When people (workers incl) are living in cars ?!
I'd say shame on the QLDC..but they dont have any.
It is a requirement under the Local Authorities (Members’ Interests) Act 1968 for all elected members to declare any pecuniary (or other specified) interests. Under the Local Government Act 2002 section 54A, a register of these declarations must be publicly available.
I live in the Queenstown Lakes district and there is no doubt that the Council has been spectacularly useless at addressing the accommodation crisis. No measures at all have been taken to encourage the thousands of empty houses in the district to open up for rental purposes.
I have a son living in a Queenstown backpacker for $50 a night so that he can get to his job there. Rental accommodation is non-existent.
But on Checkpoint last night, when answering questions about the 32 empty council-owned cabins, Mayor Lewes went on and on about how valuable the land was where the cabins are situated, which to me sounded like his preference was to sell this land to a developer, rather than spend the money to allow people to live in the 32 cabins.
With this attitude the accommodation crisis will only get worse.
Hi BG. Thanks for reply. I did seem to remember you lived in this area. I have sympathy for your Son . And all the other hard pressed. And re the Mayor ? I didnt see it..but that would confirm my thought. Developer money…much more important.
There is way more light..and heat being applied to this now. By some fucked off people. Who want answers. So….maybe there will be some revealing?
Im def looking. There are some ? Outnumbered…as always. Sadly, money..and apathy rule. (altho voter apathy maybe not so much..as the cold gets stronger ! )
This…would be laughable if they weren't serious. Cold as charity? Have a hot shower. Price reduced for now…
I am homeless/houseless in the waiuku/awhitu peninsula area…
No hot showers here..
Interesting that the town with the worst reputation for treating their homeless.. Queenstown…provides hot showers for the homeless/travellers…
Whereas where I am..under the aegis of the Auckland city council..(who..believe it or not..has a special committee to look after the homeless…but apparently their brief is to only build houses for the homeless…(would like to know how many they have built)…and they are not allowed to actually provide/fund practical help for the homeless..as in ablution blocks/whatever..
Here there is nothing/zip/nada..and no council plans for that to change in any way for the better..
There are a surprising number of green/left voters moving into the district….the population in the Queenstown Lakes is both increasing rapidly and is moving away from the old "farmers, developers and their friends" make up to a much more diverse mix. Wanaka may well be bigger than Queenstown in 20 years time especially if the Tarras airport is built, which I think will happen.
Labour and the Greens did quite well in the 2020 election here.
People around here are getting really angry about the lack of rental accommodation…..it is an issue in Wanaka as well as Queenstown….it is single issues like this that can focus people on voting for change.
I've lived in one of those cabins, in the mid 80's. It's exactly the same now as it was then. It was a 1950's crib / bach and wouldn't have been too bad in it's time and in summer (Queenstown was always, and still is primarily a summer resort), but winter at the camping ground was challenging. Frozen toilet in the morning would be the story this morning.
One of the cabins might have a bit more space but a car would be a lot warmer right now.
The Motor Camp has been controversial for ever. It goes back to the very start of the town where a bit of land was set aside for 'community purposes', it later became used as a camping ground and various parcels were added to it, becoming a quite large camping ground close to the centre of Queenstown by the 60's. The council leased sites to wealthy Otago and Southland families who built cribs there and generations had their holidays on the site, just like many other camping grounds around the country.
By 80's / 90's the wealthy families had moved on to having proper holiday houses around town and were keeping their cribs up at the Camping Ground for a bit of rental income and the hope of a fat capital gain from the Council. Eventually Council terminated the leases and the wealthy Otago and Southland families got shafted. In the meantime the Camping Ground had become the home to what's now the Freedom Camper demographic and they got a bit possessive of their prime spot in town.
Once Council had possession they demolished / removed most of the cribs and the old Camp, redeveloping the Camp part and selling off development rights to a large portion. The resulting development, if it happens, will be for a similar demographic to the 40's cabins, but the 2030 version of those people.
Hi Graeme. Thanks for very detailed reply and local insight. I also know them well…as I used to do contract work around there years back. Amazing the situation. I truly wonder at it. And I absolutely agree, as you, and BG say…some very big dollars to be made on the QLDC and developer side. Could be that Housing Trust be the best solution?
Anyway..as I say, theres going to be a lot more exposure on this.
The worker accomodation issue has been a thing for a very very long time, and has a lot of complexities and nuances. Before neolibs became a thing all the big employers had staff housing, government, banks, transport, hotels etc, and there was a lot of it. All that was 'rationalised' in the neolib revolution. Now the same employers can't get, or retain, staff because there's nowhere affordable and / or stable for them to live. And yet there's 10x as many houses here as there was in 1984.
The housing trust is doing a lot of very good work, but they are catering for a huge demand. Add to that the huge number of people who come here for the perceived lifestyle and then can't afford to live here, of are outside the Trust's remit, you have to have a job and there has to be a benefit to the community from getting Trust housing. Evidently they only take on a very small percentage of people who express interest, and then the waiting list is many times their available units.
We turn over (churn) a huge proportion of our population as well, in 90's it was perceived wisdom that we churned half our population every two years. Probably a bit more stable right now but that could change dramatically if property development went south. People leave for a verity of reasons, cost of living being one, the shallowness of the economy another, and the extreme compeditivness of the place another, there's always someone coming over the hill that will pay more for your house and do your job for less, the place can be brutal.
It's Whakatipu, the place of strength, that makes you strong. That's why people want to come here and be part of it. Unfortunately that energy takes it's toll on people and isn't appreciation of it isn't universal.
But it's our home, we have been able to make it work, but those skills make it hard to fit into other communities.
Re the "neolib revolution"…I was working there..doing all kinds. I was living there..when the first Mediterranean Style (aka leaky home) were being thrown up. Thrown literally
I did wonder at? And some Tradies were pretty vocal about…..
But money as always….
Later I got some not so lovely jobs. One I well remember…groundfloor apartment Kelvin Heights, was smelling real bad. Scumbag developers had dug into a slope…thrown up units using concrete blocks. No…drainage , or sealer on blocks ! etc etc. Water pouring thru blocks. Carpet was nearly growing mushrooms. Tenant understandably pissed off !
Later….QLDC paying out millions..because of : earlier QLDC. You prob know about the Building Inspections which werent…
And….short term gain…for very long pain. The neolib way.
What has been learned from any of this type of thinking ?. Seems a bit of fuck all.
It's been next year for the last 40 years, and really a lot longer. Not really political on a national scale, but waiting for things to line up locally.
Yes Phillip, because of that worry I have donated $60 a fortnight. No outings for lunch with the girls 'till we win!!
We haven't a hope of matching their war chest, but small amounts often and support we can offer puts "Feet on the ground"
I feel as you do.
Sure prices are scary, but they are not better in Australia. A friend's daughter has had her rent go from $550 to $750 a week, so landlord greed is there as well. Our son in Queensland was telling me some things have doubled in price, and veg and fruit are scary. Electricity is going up 10 to 24% depending on the plan they are on. Covid fallout.
There is a concerted effort to show our Government as chaotic.
A group are researching all possible errors and their media mouth pieces are magnifying and running with the headlines to create an impression. imo
The "Good News' is being crowded out. We have seen this before in Key's time.
Seymore has announced he intends to force National to undo Labour's work. OK!!! The stakes are high so we need to support the main idea. Wellbeing of people and place.
The greed merchants are lining up.imo.
So come on Labour and Green and Maori Party supporters, believe we are able to change things. It may not be quick, but it is so much better now than in 2015./16.
Yes, greed merchants indeed, Patricia. No doubt Luxon's little popover to the UK a few months ago fitted in long talks with Serco over private prisons and the debt companies who cream interest off student debt.
Meanwhile his recent Oz trip was almost certainly to look over the LibNat's privatisation of CentreLink, the disbursment system for pensions and benefits. Plus haggling over the possible cost of a used RoboDebt computer system. And capped by a cosy chat with the earnestly Pentecostal former-PM, Scott Morrison, about how to open government to The Rapture by consolidating Ministries.
And as it increases in development, you'll get designs of panels that don't look so ugly and spoil the aesthetic. Quite apart from the tesla roof, there are these:
Agree Roy and agree with gsays above. Solar is the way to go.
My experience from Spain, where I travelled recently for 10 weeks in rural areas, was that the solar panels are able to be blended into the landscape. While they still have adverse effects these tend only to be noticeable when you are very close to the panels.
Solar is rapidly getting cheaper than wind towers too. This the data to 2020:
"the global weighted-average levelized cost of electricity for newly commissioned utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) projects fell by 85% between 2010 and 2020, from $0.381/kWh to $0.057/kWh. Over the same period, costs for onshore wind projects declined by 56%, from $0.089/kWh to $0.039/kWh."
Yes, (Western) Europe! Where I guess they have more of an attachment to aesthetics than we or the States do. Europe seems to be at the forefront of many of the visually appealing solar panel designs.
It's similar with wind turbine design – if you want to get the majority on side, don't just go for the cheapest, most utilitarian design, make them appealing; something people want to look at. It's not beyond the scope of creative minds, the Scnadies have been doing it for years.
Turbines, not towers. Some of the designs are pretty wiggy, but my point is that with the creativity at our collective disposal we must be able to come up with attractive (or at least not hideous) ones. Funding for the arts has a practical use after all.
Solar power is booming. Global photovoltaic capacity grew from 1.4 GW in 2000 to 760 GW in 2020, and solar power now generates almost 4% of the world’s electricity, according to the International Energy Agency. But experts say this astonishing growth in low-carbon power is also a ticking time bomb.
More than 90% of photovoltaic (PV) panels rely on crystalline silicon and have a life span of about 30 years. Forecasts suggest that 8 million metric tons (t) of these panels will have reached the end of their working lives by 2030, a tally that is projected to reach 80 million t by 2050 (Nat. Energy 2020, DOI: 10.1038/s41560-020-0645-2). But today’s technologies for recycling these units are inefficient and rarely deployed.
That is an enormous problem. PV panels contain toxic materials, like lead, that can cause environmental pollution, yet many are dumped in landfills when they die. They also contain valuable materials that could be reused to make new solar cells, but today these resources are mostly wasted.
Yes Joe90, there are always problems, but as the article you reference says:
"Researchers are now racing to develop chemical technologies that can help dismantle solar cells and strip away the valuable metals within. Others are reprocessing the cells’ silicon wafers so that they can be turned into fresh batches of solar-grade silicon. Several European projects aim to make these kinds of processes commercially viable in the next few years."
“In the EU, legislation requires PV manufacturers to recycle waste panels and recover at least 80% of their mass, an effort largely organized through an industry consortium called PV Cycle. In 2018, French waste management company Veolia opened a dedicated PV recycling facility to process this waste, recovering bulk materials and low-grade silicon.”
I find it hard to believe that the volume of material being generated from end-of-life solar panels is significant in comparison with the overall waste being produced from all manufacturing and industry.
I also doubt that the gearboxes that are being replaced annually in the Tararua ranges wind-turbines are being recycled.
Globally, the mass of all the blades expected to be retired by 2050 may be as high as 43 million t, according to a study led by Barlow (Waste Manage. 2017, DOI:
This 43 million tonnes of wind tower blades to be retired is amazing given that one of the key characteristics of the blades is that they are very light
Reinforcing fibres and composites make up 70% of their mass so >55m blades are weighing in at >twelve tonnes and newer >120m blades are pushing >26 tonnes each.
“The blades of the wind turbine are far more efficient when they are light in weight…. Lightweight blades make it easier to assemble and disassemble the wind turbine structure and allow the blades to turn more smoothly and efficiently, enhancing their performance."
"There are several disadvantages of heavier wind turbine blades, one being they are substantial pieces of mechanical materials and can have lengths of up to 180 feet. This, coupled with the fact that the entire wind turbine structure can reach over 460 feet, can make them rather unsightly…..Wind turbine blades that are heavy in structure and weight are more expensive to manufacture and assemble."
"The pads are 16m wide octagonal shape with depths varying from 2.55m at the centre to 1.5m at the edges. Each pad contained 375m3 of 30MPa concrete and 28 tonne of reinforcing steel."
Warning this is a pdf link. interesting all the same.
There are lots of discussions in Europe about of loss of arable land due to the concrete islands of these turbines. Also, the blades are changed and yes, you guessed it, the "old' ones are just left on the ground as no one wants to deal with them. There is not much talk about it but under those turbines one can find quite a number of birds being victim of those blades. I doubt that the situation is any better in NZ. I feel that, before embarking on those "green" solutions, perhaps legislation has to force those propagating and selling the product to make it a true green solution including waste, environmental impact, food security, water contamination etc.
I don't mind the asthetics of solar arrays, nor wind turbines TBH. I have friends that live downwind of Trustpower and Merdidian's farms in Ballance. Sounds like you are at the ocean with the constant gentle roar.
Have a read of how events unfolded in Fairfield. Hamilton deputy mayor talked to a meeting stacked with local and national conspiracy nutters on what the 20 min city concept is in practice.
Things took a quick turn from the rational in a hurry. One step further along the lunacy spectrum hitting politics. It may seem silly, but I find it very worrying. Social media misinformation has hijacked many NZers to the point of craziness.
Wonder if the hard time being experienced by the Wellington Mayor is fed by conspiracy nutters. If you can't get elected then destroy democratic meetings?
Yes ianmac, Our son in Hamilton says they try to disrupt all the time, and the dirt bike riders in the city try to provoke the law to cover for other crime. The use of Police Helicopters are having some success at linking people places and incidents.
I told everyone that Invercargill was electing a mini – Brown
PS, Just noticed that story is not totally available for free, but you get the picture. Media is being paid by Govt to support the Govt (with reference to the Public Interest Journalism Fund)
And with a selfish attitude to 3 Waters and racism.
Comments made during a recent New Zealand Taxpayers Union “Hands Off Our Homes” meeting, so unsurprising
To be fair, I think that Nobby Clark does at least have extensive council experience in Invercargill. From reading about the running saga of the ousting of Bullshit and Jellybeans mayor Shadbolt, I got the impression Clark was de facto mayor in recent years.
Absolutly, if Act become the permant home for say the 15-20 percent of the right it allows the Nats to move closer to the centre and only needing to find 30-35 to be in govt. A lack of viable coalition partners has been the Nats accillies heal in an mmp enviroment.
You can be certain that money/power brokers on the right will be quite happy with how things are playing out.
I wonder at the political depth available to a Nat or NACT government once elected. There is very little rollover of MPs with ministerial experience, not to mention Luxon's failings. A new government will be a government at sea.
I worry not only for NZ's internal public life, but because the world situation will require strong expert leadership for NZ in the next decade. I think Ardern's step down was also because she understands the global challenges ahead of humanity.
I know politics is super important.. (ahem…) but this is potentially the biggest news story in the history of humankind… and not a squeak out of the mainstream media.
Alas, alien magicians won't fix our self-made problems on spaceship Earth – we're just not sufficiently exceptional to be worth the bother. And, if they're polluting Earth's biosphere with their faulty UFOs, why should we think they could help us anyway?
Only humans might save their global civilisation – emphasis on might.
Strategy – have the media onside, during a war – including a Cold War – there are state secrets such as tech developments that are not part of the public domain. Area 51 meant information at highest security clearance levels (Capitol Hill rules over 50 states and media are banned from some Committee hearings on grounds of security).
So, claims, without evidence, of having alien stuff – are here a diversion from their growing capability with the tech they do have. Artificial intelligence meets quantum computing and meta verse – and the rest is in sci fi. Chinese social credit and the threat of the rule of the imperial palace of heaven over the US democracy. Psychological warfare in the 21st C – AUKUS levels 1 and 2 and tech development – magic weapons.
This and the case in Oz is why self ID was a mistake. It's the ones who will not transition who are the most obnoxious, the ones with least regard for what women want.
For mine, human rights bodies and courts should ignore any complaint/action (as to access to womens spaces) by those who those who merely self ID.
If the spa's claims to the court are credible then no application was actually lodged to use the spa. Seems to be legal harassment over their policy documentation.
Yep, the Councillors had their feet on Brown’s throat and should have kept them there.
Lotu and Alf had a good alternative proposal but others vacillated. The Councillors may as well all go surfing now for the remainder of their terms as they have essentially waved the white flag.
Chopper, the OECD and the European Central Bank agree as to the reason for Oz price hikes.
'Why are the price rises happening? International research conducted by the OECD concluded “corporate profits contributed far more to Australia’s rise in inflation through the past year than from wages and other employee costs”. There’s been similar analysis from the European Central Bank. The Reserve Bank of Australia and Treasury disagree, I guess because the OECD is led by notorious communist Mathias Cormann.'
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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 ...
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Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title of ...
Introduction Pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Its blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements has made it a favorite among players of all ages and skill levels. As the sport’s popularity continues to surge, the question on ...
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. ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
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 ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
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. ...
Until this month, Auckland swimmer Hazel Ouwehand had never met a qualifying time in an Olympic event for a New Zealand team, even as a junior. Now she’s very likely off to the Paris Olympics after swimming well under the qualifying standard in the 100m butterfly twice – both in ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble.Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
A poem from Bill Manhire’s 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.My World War I Poem Inside each trench, the sound of prayer. Inside each prayer, the sound of digging. Image courtesy of Auckland War Memorial Museum. ...
There are three books I have wolfed down in one sitting over the last two years. Colleen Maria Lenihan’s gorgeous and sad debut Kōhine, Noelle McCarthy’s memoir Grand about becoming her mother and then unbecoming her, and now Hine Toa, a staunch yet gentle self-portrait by living legend Ngāhuia te ...
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Asia Pacific Report Students and activist staff at Australia’s University of Sydney (USyd) have set up a Gaza solidarity encampment in support of Palestinians and similar student-led protests in the United States. The camp was pitched as mass graves, crippled hospitals, thousands of civilian deaths and the near-total destruction of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James B. Dorey, Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong Australian teddy bear bees are cute and fluffy, but get a look at that massive (unbarbed) stinger! James Dorey Photography Most of us have been stung by a bee and we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Roberts, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong Aussie~mobs/FlickrVictor Farr, a private in the 1st Infantry Battalion, was among the first to land at Anzac Cove just before dawn on April 25 1915. Victor Farr ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Gregory Moore I had the good fortune to care for the sugar gum at The University of Melbourne’s Burnley Gardens in Victoria where I worked for ...
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. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Ong ViforJ, ARC Future Fellow & Professor of Economics, Curtin University Just when we think the price of rentals could not get any worse, this week’s Rental Affordability Snapshot by Anglicare has revealed low-income Australians are facing a housing crisis like ...
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 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Holmes, Professorial Fellow in Sport, University of Canberra When the news broke last weekend that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive to a banned drug in early 2021 and were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games six months later ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cally Jetta, Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead; College for First Nations, University of Southern Queensland Australian War MemorialAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people, as well as sensitive historical information ...
RNZ News Melissa Lee has been ousted from New Zealand’s coalition cabinet and stripped of the Media portfolio, and Penny Simmonds has lost the Disability Issues portfolio in a reshuffle. Climate Change and Revenue Minister Simon Watts will take Lee’s spot in cabinet. Simmonds was a minister outside of cabinet. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Lindenmayer, Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University laurello/Shutterstock Some reports and popular books, such as Bill Gammage’s Biggest Estate on Earth, have argued that extensive areas of Australia’s forests were kept open through frequent burning by ...
Analysis - Christopher Luxon framing the demotion of two ministers as the portfolios getting "too complex" is a charitable way of saying they weren't up to the job. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With Jim Chalmers’s third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief – beyond the tax cuts – although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As ...
Analysis: Melissa Lee has lost the media portfolio and her spot in Cabinet after multiple failed attempts to find solutions for a media industry in crisis. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister announced Lee would be losing her spot in Cabinet along with her media and communications ministerial portfolio. The job ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Wilmot, Senior Lecturer, Film, Deakin University Among the many Australian who served during the second world war, there is a small group of people whose stories remain largely untold. These are the Muslim men and women who, while small in number, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Saunders, PhD Candidate, University of Canberra There has been much analysis and praise of Justice Michael Lee’s recent judgement in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case against Channel Ten. Many people were openly relieved to read Lee’s “forensic” and “nuanced” application of law ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathy Gibbs, Program Director for the Bachelor of Education, Griffith University zEdward_Indy/Shutterstock Around one in 20 people has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It’s one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood and often continues into adulthood. ADHD is diagnosed ...
The Fairer Future coalition of anti-poverty groups say Whaikaha must be properly funded going forward, and that to argue that poor financial management of the new Ministry is a red herring by the Prime Minister. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is today congratulating Hon. Paul Goldsmith on his appointment as Minister for Media and Communications and urges him to rule out state intervention in the private media sector. ...
Asia Pacific Report The West Papuan resistance OPM leader has condemned Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden, accusing their countries of “six decades of treachery” over Papuan independence. The open letter was released today by OPM chairman Jeffrey P Bomanak on the eve of ANZAC Day ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits and quirks of New Zealanders at large. This week: writer and one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2024, Lauren Groff.The book I wish I’d writtenIf I wish I’d written a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Fechner, Research Fellow, Social Marketing, Griffith University mavo/Shutterstock Imagine having dinner at a restaurant. The menu offers plant-based meat alternatives made mostly from vegetables, mushrooms, legumes and wheat that mimic meat in taste, texture and smell. Despite being given that ...
“Three Strikes is a dead-end policy proposed by a dead-end government. The Three Strikes law ignores the causes of crime, instead just brutalising people already crushed by the cost of living.” ...
By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist An Australian-born judge in Kiribati could well face deportation later this week after a tribunal ruling that he should be removed from his post. The tribunal’s report has just been tabled in the Kiribati Parliament and is due to be debated by MPs ...
With its clear mandate for police use, political nuances, and nuanced public trust, Denmark's insights provide valuable considerations for Australia and New Zealand. ...
Books editor Claire Mabey reviews poet Louise Wallace’s debut novel. A famous poet once said to me that he’s always suspicious when a poet publishes a novel. I never really understood why but maybe it’s something to do with cheating on your first form. Louise Wallace is a poet. She’s ...
For a few months at the turn of the millennium, TrueBliss burned bright as the biggest pop stars in the country. Alex Casey chats to two superfans who still hold the flame. During a humble backyard wedding in Nelson, 1999, one of the cordially invited guests had to excuse themselves ...
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I note the "hasnt invested". IMO this is about money. And not so much about bringing the places up to standard (FFS ! ) …IMO more about the land value . And always has been : (
32 unused places. When people (workers incl) are living in cars ?!
I'd say shame on the QLDC..but they dont have any.
Do councils have a pecuniary interests register?
Maybe there is more than one landlord in their midst.
If so, shaming will not work,
Yes, of course, and here it is:
https://www.qldc.govt.nz/your-council/elected-members/register-of-interests
Knock yourself out.
Thanks incog.
I will have a geez after a few chores on this gorgeous Manawatu day.
I live in the Queenstown Lakes district and there is no doubt that the Council has been spectacularly useless at addressing the accommodation crisis. No measures at all have been taken to encourage the thousands of empty houses in the district to open up for rental purposes.
I have a son living in a Queenstown backpacker for $50 a night so that he can get to his job there. Rental accommodation is non-existent.
But on Checkpoint last night, when answering questions about the 32 empty council-owned cabins, Mayor Lewes went on and on about how valuable the land was where the cabins are situated, which to me sounded like his preference was to sell this land to a developer, rather than spend the money to allow people to live in the 32 cabins.
With this attitude the accommodation crisis will only get worse.
Hi BG. Thanks for reply. I did seem to remember you lived in this area. I have sympathy for your Son . And all the other hard pressed. And re the Mayor ? I didnt see it..but that would confirm my thought. Developer money…much more important.
There is way more light..and heat being applied to this now. By some fucked off people. Who want answers. So….maybe there will be some revealing?
I hope so.
We need to elect a solid Labour/Green Council.
Im def looking. There are some ? Outnumbered…as always. Sadly, money..and apathy rule. (altho voter apathy maybe not so much..as the cold gets stronger ! )
This…would be laughable if they weren't serious. Cold as charity? Have a hot shower. Price reduced for now…
I am homeless/houseless in the waiuku/awhitu peninsula area…
No hot showers here..
Interesting that the town with the worst reputation for treating their homeless.. Queenstown…provides hot showers for the homeless/travellers…
Whereas where I am..under the aegis of the Auckland city council..(who..believe it or not..has a special committee to look after the homeless…but apparently their brief is to only build houses for the homeless…(would like to know how many they have built)…and they are not allowed to actually provide/fund practical help for the homeless..as in ablution blocks/whatever..
Here there is nothing/zip/nada..and no council plans for that to change in any way for the better..
And I reckon that both sucks and blows..
It will never happen.
Whatever it's called, it need to be green and focused on those that actually do the work.
There are a surprising number of green/left voters moving into the district….the population in the Queenstown Lakes is both increasing rapidly and is moving away from the old "farmers, developers and their friends" make up to a much more diverse mix. Wanaka may well be bigger than Queenstown in 20 years time especially if the Tarras airport is built, which I think will happen.
Labour and the Greens did quite well in the 2020 election here.
People around here are getting really angry about the lack of rental accommodation…..it is an issue in Wanaka as well as Queenstown….it is single issues like this that can focus people on voting for change.
@ aj..
That's a big call…
Would like to hear your reasons for saying that..
As I think that as climate change increasingly smashes into our faces..a labour green party becomes more and more likely..
And I presume you are a nact supporter..
National..an ideologically bankrupt party… constantly looking backwards…in this case to the key era..
And the raving loonies party…act…want nothing less than a far right revolution..and to dance upon the necks of the poor…
Whereas labour are sorta struggling their way back from neoliberal-incrementalism…to a form of democratic socialism…albeit at a snail's pace…
And the greens are the greens..the party focusing on what our future will be…and supporting a green revolution…
Which is what we need..
So the likelihood of a labour green government in more than just name…is very very high..
So…your reasons for supporting the bankrupt and the raving loonies are..?
I've lived in one of those cabins, in the mid 80's. It's exactly the same now as it was then. It was a 1950's crib / bach and wouldn't have been too bad in it's time and in summer (Queenstown was always, and still is primarily a summer resort), but winter at the camping ground was challenging. Frozen toilet in the morning would be the story this morning.
One of the cabins might have a bit more space but a car would be a lot warmer right now.
The Motor Camp has been controversial for ever. It goes back to the very start of the town where a bit of land was set aside for 'community purposes', it later became used as a camping ground and various parcels were added to it, becoming a quite large camping ground close to the centre of Queenstown by the 60's. The council leased sites to wealthy Otago and Southland families who built cribs there and generations had their holidays on the site, just like many other camping grounds around the country.
By 80's / 90's the wealthy families had moved on to having proper holiday houses around town and were keeping their cribs up at the Camping Ground for a bit of rental income and the hope of a fat capital gain from the Council. Eventually Council terminated the leases and the wealthy Otago and Southland families got shafted. In the meantime the Camping Ground had become the home to what's now the Freedom Camper demographic and they got a bit possessive of their prime spot in town.
Once Council had possession they demolished / removed most of the cribs and the old Camp, redeveloping the Camp part and selling off development rights to a large portion. The resulting development, if it happens, will be for a similar demographic to the 40's cabins, but the 2030 version of those people.
Now QLDC in lumped with 45 of the better cabins in a discrete part of the old Camping Ground that were built to a slightly better standard. Some have been brought up to current standards, but others are too buggered to be worth fixing. Long term the local Housing Trust would like to get hold of the site and put 150 appartments on it which would be a good thing, they do some good work. Unfortunately it's also a very prime site in town and lot's of other parties want to pay Council very large sums to secure it. So the issue will go on for some time yet, or maybe QLDC might be about to hand the block over to the Housing Trust.
Hi Graeme. Thanks for very detailed reply and local insight. I also know them well…as I used to do contract work around there years back. Amazing the situation. I truly wonder at it. And I absolutely agree, as you, and BG say…some very big dollars to be made on the QLDC and developer side. Could be that Housing Trust be the best solution?
Anyway..as I say, theres going to be a lot more exposure on this.
The worker accomodation issue has been a thing for a very very long time, and has a lot of complexities and nuances. Before neolibs became a thing all the big employers had staff housing, government, banks, transport, hotels etc, and there was a lot of it. All that was 'rationalised' in the neolib revolution. Now the same employers can't get, or retain, staff because there's nowhere affordable and / or stable for them to live. And yet there's 10x as many houses here as there was in 1984.
The housing trust is doing a lot of very good work, but they are catering for a huge demand. Add to that the huge number of people who come here for the perceived lifestyle and then can't afford to live here, of are outside the Trust's remit, you have to have a job and there has to be a benefit to the community from getting Trust housing. Evidently they only take on a very small percentage of people who express interest, and then the waiting list is many times their available units.
We turn over (churn) a huge proportion of our population as well, in 90's it was perceived wisdom that we churned half our population every two years. Probably a bit more stable right now but that could change dramatically if property development went south. People leave for a verity of reasons, cost of living being one, the shallowness of the economy another, and the extreme compeditivness of the place another, there's always someone coming over the hill that will pay more for your house and do your job for less, the place can be brutal.
It's Whakatipu, the place of strength, that makes you strong. That's why people want to come here and be part of it. Unfortunately that energy takes it's toll on people and isn't appreciation of it isn't universal.
But it's our home, we have been able to make it work, but those skills make it hard to fit into other communities.
Re the "neolib revolution"…I was working there..doing all kinds. I was living there..when the first Mediterranean Style (aka leaky home) were being thrown up. Thrown literally
I did wonder at? And some Tradies were pretty vocal about…..
But money as always….
Later I got some not so lovely jobs. One I well remember…groundfloor apartment Kelvin Heights, was smelling real bad. Scumbag developers had dug into a slope…thrown up units using concrete blocks. No…drainage , or sealer on blocks ! etc etc. Water pouring thru blocks. Carpet was nearly growing mushrooms. Tenant understandably pissed off !
Later….QLDC paying out millions..because of : earlier QLDC. You prob know about the Building Inspections which werent…
And….short term gain…for very long pain. The neolib way.
What has been learned from any of this type of thinking ?. Seems a bit of fuck all.
I hope some get angry and Activated enough….
Yes, and that comment, "It would be best to decide next year". (Because the Nacts might be in and we will get the rise in value?) sick isn't it!!!imo
Hi Patricia. I am really quite worried for NZ if Nact ever get control. IMO there will be some terrible change and consequence then.
Please Labour and Green. Fight back. For all our future.
They need NZF there for some guidance otherwise no direction.
It's been next year for the last 40 years, and really a lot longer. Not really political on a national scale, but waiting for things to line up locally.
Yes Phillip, because of that worry I have donated $60 a fortnight. No outings for lunch with the girls 'till we win!!
We haven't a hope of matching their war chest, but small amounts often and support we can offer puts "Feet on the ground"
I feel as you do.
Sure prices are scary, but they are not better in Australia. A friend's daughter has had her rent go from $550 to $750 a week, so landlord greed is there as well. Our son in Queensland was telling me some things have doubled in price, and veg and fruit are scary. Electricity is going up 10 to 24% depending on the plan they are on. Covid fallout.
There is a concerted effort to show our Government as chaotic.
A group are researching all possible errors and their media mouth pieces are magnifying and running with the headlines to create an impression. imo
The "Good News' is being crowded out. We have seen this before in Key's time.
Seymore has announced he intends to force National to undo Labour's work. OK!!! The stakes are high so we need to support the main idea. Wellbeing of people and place.
The greed merchants are lining up.imo.
So come on Labour and Green and Maori Party supporters, believe we are able to change things. It may not be quick, but it is so much better now than in 2015./16.
Yes, greed merchants indeed, Patricia. No doubt Luxon's little popover to the UK a few months ago fitted in long talks with Serco over private prisons and the debt companies who cream interest off student debt.
Meanwhile his recent Oz trip was almost certainly to look over the LibNat's privatisation of CentreLink, the disbursment system for pensions and benefits. Plus haggling over the possible cost of a used RoboDebt computer system. And capped by a cosy chat with the earnestly Pentecostal former-PM, Scott Morrison, about how to open government to The Rapture by consolidating Ministries.
Cheers tWiggle. Too right, all plans are to promote profit at any cost. Scary that people might be looking at them seriously?
This seems quite unforgivable, especially since they would likely be renting the cabis out to people desperately needed there for hospitality etc.
Agrivoltaics.
Combining PV solar panels and agriculture. Shade tolerant food plants grown under PV arrays.
One of the benefits is a reduction of irrigation of up to 50%.
Here is an interesting 13 minute overview.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgZBlD-TCFE
And as it increases in development, you'll get designs of panels that don't look so ugly and spoil the aesthetic. Quite apart from the tesla roof, there are these:
Terracotta:
https://www.dyaqua.it/invisiblesolar/_en/rooftile-invisible-solar-integrated-for-heritage.php
Glass:
https://www.popsci.com/turn-your-smartphone-into-solar-panel/
Agree Roy and agree with gsays above. Solar is the way to go.
My experience from Spain, where I travelled recently for 10 weeks in rural areas, was that the solar panels are able to be blended into the landscape. While they still have adverse effects these tend only to be noticeable when you are very close to the panels.
Solar is rapidly getting cheaper than wind towers too. This the data to 2020:
"the global weighted-average levelized cost of electricity for newly commissioned utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) projects fell by 85% between 2010 and 2020, from $0.381/kWh to $0.057/kWh. Over the same period, costs for onshore wind projects declined by 56%, from $0.089/kWh to $0.039/kWh."
https://www.powermag.com/the-solar-and-wind-power-cost-value-conundrum/
If these cost changes are carried forward to 2023 at the same rate the relative costs are (and closing rapidly) :
Solar 0.042/kWh
Onshore Wind 0.033/kWh
Yes, (Western) Europe! Where I guess they have more of an attachment to aesthetics than we or the States do. Europe seems to be at the forefront of many of the visually appealing solar panel designs.
It's similar with wind turbine design – if you want to get the majority on side, don't just go for the cheapest, most utilitarian design, make them appealing; something people want to look at. It's not beyond the scope of creative minds, the Scnadies have been doing it for years.
Wind towers appealing….you've lost me.
Turbines, not towers. Some of the designs are pretty wiggy, but my point is that with the creativity at our collective disposal we must be able to come up with attractive (or at least not hideous) ones. Funding for the arts has a practical use after all.
https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2014/05/noiseless-shell-shaped-wind-turbine-for-households-unveiled/
https://arborwind.com/vertical-axis-wind-turbines/
https://www.amusingplanet.com/2015/11/the-bahrain-world-trade-center-has.html
https://reneweconomy.com.au/bladeless-wobbling-wind-turbines-to-begin-tests-in-europe/
I see now…will check those out…thanks Roy
This one looks like it has potential.
https://youtu.be/l3sSCwi4VJA
In respect to solar vs wind, no moving parts for solar.
I understand the gearboxes in the big turbines on the Tararua ranges are being replaced annually.
PV panels have their issues.
Solar power is booming. Global photovoltaic capacity grew from 1.4 GW in 2000 to 760 GW in 2020, and solar power now generates almost 4% of the world’s electricity, according to the International Energy Agency. But experts say this astonishing growth in low-carbon power is also a ticking time bomb.
More than 90% of photovoltaic (PV) panels rely on crystalline silicon and have a life span of about 30 years. Forecasts suggest that 8 million metric tons (t) of these panels will have reached the end of their working lives by 2030, a tally that is projected to reach 80 million t by 2050 (Nat. Energy 2020, DOI: 10.1038/s41560-020-0645-2). But today’s technologies for recycling these units are inefficient and rarely deployed.
That is an enormous problem. PV panels contain toxic materials, like lead, that can cause environmental pollution, yet many are dumped in landfills when they die. They also contain valuable materials that could be reused to make new solar cells, but today these resources are mostly wasted.
https://cen.acs.org/environment/recycling/Solar-panels-face-recycling-challenge-photovoltaic-waste/100/i18
Yes Joe90, there are always problems, but as the article you reference says:
"Researchers are now racing to develop chemical technologies that can help dismantle solar cells and strip away the valuable metals within. Others are reprocessing the cells’ silicon wafers so that they can be turned into fresh batches of solar-grade silicon. Several European projects aim to make these kinds of processes commercially viable in the next few years."
“In the EU, legislation requires PV manufacturers to recycle waste panels and recover at least 80% of their mass, an effort largely organized through an industry consortium called PV Cycle. In 2018, French waste management company Veolia opened a dedicated PV recycling facility to process this waste, recovering bulk materials and low-grade silicon.”
I find it hard to believe that the volume of material being generated from end-of-life solar panels is significant in comparison with the overall waste being produced from all manufacturing and industry.
I also doubt that the gearboxes that are being replaced annually in the Tararua ranges wind-turbines are being recycled.
Be wary of perfection being the enemy of good.
Apples with apples.
Globally, the mass of all the blades expected to be retired by 2050 may be as high as 43 million t, according to a study led by Barlow (Waste Manage. 2017, DOI:
https://archive.li/AUfgj#selection-2733.3-2737.12
This 43 million tonnes of wind tower blades to be retired is amazing given that one of the key characteristics of the blades is that they are very light
Reinforcing fibres and composites make up 70% of their mass so >55m blades are weighing in at >twelve tonnes and newer >120m blades are pushing >26 tonnes each.
Light they ain't and there's three to a rotor.
Ok joe90 that is open to debate:
“The blades of the wind turbine are far more efficient when they are light in weight…. Lightweight blades make it easier to assemble and disassemble the wind turbine structure and allow the blades to turn more smoothly and efficiently, enhancing their performance."
"There are several disadvantages of heavier wind turbine blades, one being they are substantial pieces of mechanical materials and can have lengths of up to 180 feet. This, coupled with the fact that the entire wind turbine structure can reach over 460 feet, can make them rather unsightly…..Wind turbine blades that are heavy in structure and weight are more expensive to manufacture and assemble."
https://altenergyoptions.com/should-wind-turbine-blades-be-heavy-or-light/
That would make sense, and be very expensive. The true costs of windpower may only now be coming home to roost.
Don't mention the concrete.
"The pads are 16m wide octagonal shape with depths varying from 2.55m at the centre to 1.5m at the edges. Each pad contained 375m3 of 30MPa concrete and 28 tonne of reinforcing steel."
Warning this is a pdf link. interesting all the same.
https://cdn.ymaws.com/concretenz.org.nz/resource/resmgr/docs/conf/2006/s5_p3_davey_green.pdf
There are lots of discussions in Europe about of loss of arable land due to the concrete islands of these turbines. Also, the blades are changed and yes, you guessed it, the "old' ones are just left on the ground as no one wants to deal with them. There is not much talk about it but under those turbines one can find quite a number of birds being victim of those blades. I doubt that the situation is any better in NZ. I feel that, before embarking on those "green" solutions, perhaps legislation has to force those propagating and selling the product to make it a true green solution including waste, environmental impact, food security, water contamination etc.
I’m sure that you’re correct but I wish you had supported your assertions with some evidence.
Here are 2 articles to sharpen the mind with:
Mortality limits used in wind energy impact assessment underestimate impacts of wind farms on bird populations (https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6360).
Paint it black: Efficacy of increased wind turbine rotor blade visibility to reduce avian fatalities (https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6592).
Those terracotta units are handsome.
I don't mind the asthetics of solar arrays, nor wind turbines TBH. I have friends that live downwind of Trustpower and Merdidian's farms in Ballance. Sounds like you are at the ocean with the constant gentle roar.
Those terracotta solar tiles are amazing…missed that yesterday sorry.
20 min cities conspiracy theories: at a Residents Association near you
Have a read of how events unfolded in Fairfield. Hamilton deputy mayor talked to a meeting stacked with local and national conspiracy nutters on what the 20 min city concept is in practice.
Things took a quick turn from the rational in a hurry. One step further along the lunacy spectrum hitting politics. It may seem silly, but I find it very worrying. Social media misinformation has hijacked many NZers to the point of craziness.
Wonder if the hard time being experienced by the Wellington Mayor is fed by conspiracy nutters. If you can't get elected then destroy democratic meetings?
Yes ianmac, Our son in Hamilton says they try to disrupt all the time, and the dirt bike riders in the city try to provoke the law to cover for other crime. The use of Police Helicopters are having some success at linking people places and incidents.
Care to summarise? That link is quite a lot to wade thru.
Twiggle 8:43: – One step further along the lunacy spectrum hitting politics.
https://www.southlandexpress.co.nz/news/mayors-comments-on-media-funding-labelled-ignorant/
I told everyone that Invercargill was electing a mini – Brown
PS, Just noticed that story is not totally available for free, but you get the picture. Media is being paid by Govt to support the Govt (with reference to the Public Interest Journalism Fund)
And with a selfish attitude to 3 Waters and racism.
Comments made during a recent New Zealand Taxpayers Union “Hands Off Our Homes” meeting, so unsurprising
https://www.pressreader.com/new-zealand/otago-daily-times/20230608/281513640549698
aj, the link has an article referring to yours.
To be fair, I think that Nobby Clark does at least have extensive council experience in Invercargill. From reading about the running saga of the ousting of Bullshit and Jellybeans mayor Shadbolt, I got the impression Clark was de facto mayor in recent years.
The link is to just the first post at that Facebook site.
This is what happens when your culture refuses to treat ignorance as a moral failing.
What was the misinformation?
If this is right, and plenty of farmers defect to ACT, what’s National good for?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/132266877/federated-farmers-releases-political-wishlist-for-this-years-election
Should their % of the vote drop below the low 30s, are they viable as an alternative government?
I have previously linked this…
The Fed Farm union wasn't quite militant/political enough for him ?!
IMO Act are going for…well I wont say gold… more a dairyshit brown. (incl added extra Climate denial) .
NZ will be fucked if Nact pull it off…..
Absolutly, if Act become the permant home for say the 15-20 percent of the right it allows the Nats to move closer to the centre and only needing to find 30-35 to be in govt. A lack of viable coalition partners has been the Nats accillies heal in an mmp enviroment.
You can be certain that money/power brokers on the right will be quite happy with how things are playing out.
Not sure about that high for Act. I can see 10-15. But I can’t see Nats getting much more than 30. Not with Luxon dragging them down.
I wonder at the political depth available to a Nat or NACT government once elected. There is very little rollover of MPs with ministerial experience, not to mention Luxon's failings. A new government will be a government at sea.
I worry not only for NZ's internal public life, but because the world situation will require strong expert leadership for NZ in the next decade. I think Ardern's step down was also because she understands the global challenges ahead of humanity.
Interesting article from Bernard Hickey re Mayor Brown
https://open.substack.com/pub/thekaka/p/dawn-chorus-finally-the-rainy-day?r=awkty&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
For anyone interested link to live stream of today's Auckland Council meeting resumes at 1.00pm
https://councillive.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/
Hang in there Donald Trump.
You're the only way the Democrats are going to get back into the White House next year.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/former-president-trump-says-has-been-indicted
Indicted, or guilty, or in jail, just keep going.
I know politics is super important.. (ahem…) but this is potentially the biggest news story in the history of humankind… and not a squeak out of the mainstream media.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSj7QsHRxHQ&ab_channel=NewsNation
3 part article with Background and fact checking..
https://thedebrief.org/fact-check-q-a-with-debrief-co-founder-and-investigator-tim-mcmillan-part-1/
Need to know.. more to come..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQjbFZT9_EM&ab_channel=NeedtoKnow
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Mod note
Alas, alien magicians won't fix our self-made problems on spaceship Earth – we're just not sufficiently exceptional to be worth the bother. And, if they're polluting Earth's biosphere with their faulty UFOs, why should we think they could help us anyway?
Only humans might save their global civilisation – emphasis on might.
Have a guess – which countries?
If you can't be bothered to provide even a one sentence summary of your topic, I can't be bothered to click on the links.
Just saying "Hey, Youtube exists" doesn't cut it.
CIA created CT.
1947 – off the record to the media, it was a UFO.
1947 – on the record, there was no UFO
Strategy – have the media onside, during a war – including a Cold War – there are state secrets such as tech developments that are not part of the public domain. Area 51 meant information at highest security clearance levels (Capitol Hill rules over 50 states and media are banned from some Committee hearings on grounds of security).
So, claims, without evidence, of having alien stuff – are here a diversion from their growing capability with the tech they do have. Artificial intelligence meets quantum computing and meta verse – and the rest is in sci fi. Chinese social credit and the threat of the rule of the imperial palace of heaven over the US democracy. Psychological warfare in the 21st C – AUKUS levels 1 and 2 and tech development – magic weapons.
No "women only" spaces anywhere – ever.
https://reduxx.info/korean-womens-spa-forced-to-erase-biological-women-from-policy-after-trans-identified-male-complaint/?fbclid=IwAR2R0VAF6s5nEEna_WrGYL1P0p8XRgecXBbVX0ZrMfRfYKwlVfHFGj1Q8j4
This and the case in Oz is why self ID was a mistake. It's the ones who will not transition who are the most obnoxious, the ones with least regard for what women want.
For mine, human rights bodies and courts should ignore any complaint/action (as to access to womens spaces) by those who those who merely self ID.
Them's been making a real effort to fit in recently by shaving off the full beard.
If the spa's claims to the court are credible then no application was actually lodged to use the spa. Seems to be legal harassment over their policy documentation.
Julie Fairey and Richard Hills – what complete centrist sell-outs.
Yep, the Councillors had their feet on Brown’s throat and should have kept them there.
Lotu and Alf had a good alternative proposal but others vacillated. The Councillors may as well all go surfing now for the remainder of their terms as they have essentially waved the white flag.
How is taking on 60M more in debt a 'good proposal' ?
[Please correct your e-mail address in your next comment, thanks – Incognito]
Mod note
Bugger the Greedy.
Making our lives hell.
Need a laugh ?
Sensitive baby boom or Y generation types, just scroll past please, the video below will be way to much for you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND7ySrmrvdw
Guardian opinion on cost of living rises in Oz
Chopper, the OECD and the European Central Bank agree as to the reason for Oz price hikes.
'Why are the price rises happening? International research conducted by the OECD concluded “corporate profits contributed far more to Australia’s rise in inflation through the past year than from wages and other employee costs”. There’s been similar analysis from the European Central Bank. The Reserve Bank of Australia and Treasury disagree, I guess because the OECD is led by notorious communist Mathias Cormann.'
https://billmitchell.org/blog/?p=60899
The argument that interest rate rises by the RBA have been driving rental price increases is starting to be put across in their media.