When images of storm surge waters pouring into New York subways and train tunnels in China with commuters trapped inside railway carriages with flood water up to their necks. It is hard to know what to make of this.
Except to say that this is even worse than the bike bridge.
With predicted sea level rise of over one metre by 2100 and five metres 2300, alongside storm surge events, (if the current portal remains at Victoria Park or even the Britomart Centre), the projected design life of this tunnel will be short, before it will/is flooded as well.
I find it interesting that both, National and Labour are in lock step behind this proposal.
It would be interesting to know what the Green Party's position is.
Do the Green Party support or oppose the government's $15 billion under harbour tunnel?
Can we expect a statement from the Green Party leaders or Green Party spokesperson on transport, either endorsing, or condemning this proposal?
Bonkers.
Blowout! Auckland harbour tunnels will cost $15 billion
Simon Wilson, NZ Herald, 7 Aug 2021
The estimated cost of an Auckland harbour crossing by tunnel, as promoted by Finance Minister Grant Robertson on Tuesday, has ballooned to $15 billion.
This is a 50 per cent increase on the previous estimate, of $10 billion….
Probably should get on with building a new bridge, Add dedicated bus lanes both ways so the busway is as efficient as possible. Pedestrian/Cyclist/Ebike/Scooter lanes under the main deck.
I'm not convinced on a tunnel nor rail as public transport from the shore. I'm more in favor of an electrified bus fleet.
Another bridge is all very well but where to put it?
The present harbour bridge has enough capacity. It's the on ramps and merging traffic that jams the whole motorway system. Another bridge marrying into this system will compound the problems
Isn't it time that the powers realise that the CBD is only a small blip on the Ak landscape and the need for everybody to congregate there is one of the major congestion causes.
Wouldn't it be far more cost effective to offer businesses some real incentive to relocate into Aks many dormitory suburbs, there by negating the need for people to travel to or through the CBD.
Adding to that – we push everyone into the same space… and time.
There's no reason we could not stagger work times to alleviate rush hour woes.
9-5 should be just one of a range of shift options. Companies that can should flex their flexibility.
Work from home is good and well but I note on social media community pages the biggest whingers typically work from home. It may be making them antisocial? An alternative is to have some office days, and some work from home days. These also could run on staggered times.
It's not that hard to think outside the box unless you're a moron – something which many business and council executives seem to take great pride in.
The uptake of public transport is however in dire straits because covid. So while I like the ideal of getting everyone on buses, I completely understand the reticence of many to utilise the services. Plan B is to electrify our fleets.
In the interim, who's enjoying the traffic jams other than oil executives.
Well clearly that plan doesn't work, large numbers of Aucklanders sit stuck in traffic every day. We're talking predominantly white collar workers: Share their cars? – lol jokes!
My neighbourhood's full of pot bellied pigs who, as a rite of passage to their 50's, get themselves a sports car. Share? Give a toss? More lols.
Covid has totally bitch-slapped attempts to get us into public transport, and ride sharing is not taking off either.
Nature separates species in time and space because it works. Huge diversity in a single tree can be found. Partitioning works. Night bugs, dawn bugs, day bugs, dusk bugs… canopy, sub-canopy, ground, below ground…
We can learn from this – or we can claim our superiority over nature once more and jam everyone and everything in the same space and time – cos that's working out great.
All because we make a plan doesn't mean it's a good plan. Seen central city lately? – our town planners are freaking morons.
Does this mean all IT people move to the north, all insurance people to the west and all bank people to the south? Are we starting a mass migration project here?
If people don't move permanently, based on their new work location, there's the possibility of more road chaos: In an ideal world with all business in a central spot (CBD) and all workers of the CBD evenly distributed around that centre means very little interference in the commute. After a split of the single CBD into several smaller CBDs it can, dependent on the worker distribution, lead to longer commutes for a significant number of people (that can't move) and to more "crossings" of workers that have to travel to a remote CBD.
Yes, let us now listen to the howls of outrage from ACT and the Nats about this $5,000 million increase in cost after their howls about a bike/pedestrian bridge costing just 4.6% of the cost of the tunnel.
But of course they love cars so much they will say nothing.
With predicted sea level rise of over one metre by 2100 and five metres 2300, alongside storm surge events, (if the current portal remains at Victoria Park or even the Britomart Centre), the projected design life of this tunnel will be short, before it will/is flooded as well.
Sea-level rise is faster than previously believed and could exceed 1 metre by the end of the century unless global emissions are reduced, according to a survey of more than 100 specialists.
Based on new knowledge of climate sensitivity and polar ice melt, the experts say coastal cities should prepare for an impact that will hit sooner than predicted by the United Nations and could reach as high as 5 metres by 2300.
BTW I was involved in setting out the upgrading of Fanshaw Street and well remember the excavation of the foot path outside the then vodafone building. We hit water after about 50cm which would recede after high tide. (ie that main arterial -which is on reclaimed land – is just over 50cm above high water mark)
Can Jenny or you tell us what the projected design life of this tunnel is and how short it will be when those predicted environmental changes in 2100 and 2300 (and in between) eventuate?
Let’s hear from Macro or Jenny whether they have anything of substance to support Jenny’s claim about the short projected design life of the tunnel. Sounds to me that somebody did these projections and that they were not plucked out of thin air. Maybe this is already accounted for in the design plans and this is part-reason for the high projected cost. So, let’s hear it.
Sorry, I should have made it clear that I was asking about Jenny’s claims about the short(ened) life of the tunnel rather than about the sea level predictions and storm surges. I was surprised about her claims regarding the tunnel as I was not aware of such bold assertions and risk assessments by experts. BTW, I can read links 😉
Yep that is the case – but even so we only have to look at the recent flooding of the NY subway, and the recent similar flooding in China to know that such a tunnel would not be without risk.
Obviously it depends upon where the entrance to the tunnel would be located. As I pointed out above the land around the viaduct basin back to the bottom of Franklin Street and the bottom of Queen Street is actually reclaimed land and little above current High water. The amount of flooding in a freshly dug hole some 100 m from the wharf side had to be seen to be believed. You couldn't pump it out – the contractors had to wait till the tide went out to work. It was basically just loads of rock and rubble.
Recent disruptions to the Tube in London saw locals dealing with the bus system to try to get to work. Suffice it to say there were many disappointed bosses/punters etc waiting for their workers/entertainment to arrive.
As one comic said of the price and service: It's like paying 20 quid for a basic cheeseburger and getting a plate of shit.
There's no real contingencies built into anything. The neo-libs have demanded efficiency and now we see they've actually served us all a big plate of shit. How's the eating?
These folks fixated on BAU are merely whistling in the wind to try keep their spirits up. It's a nonsensical but understandable reaction to realities they're finding too hard to accept. The weather is breaking systems at such a rate we'll run out of funds to fix them.
Major crisis are converging. Countries are burning and crops are failing all over. Even here in 'the best place to spend an apocalypse' we're seeing how the weather doesn't give a toss about such hubris.
Diversification and decentralisation is absolutely called for. The global supply chain is a joke in the face of ever increasing storm severity and frequency – the oceans will become uninsurable – ships as ecological disasters waiting to happen. It's not if, it's when.
Really, we need to hunker down and collectively create resilience in our systems right now! As for business types, they need to sit the fuck down and shut the fuck up.
Me? Tunnels? I only want to eliminate tunnel vision.
Yeah ok, that was as flat as my screen…
What I see is climate change is happening much faster than anticipated. Scientists try hard not to be alarmist but we've been told for several decades we're heading off a cliff and not two fucks was given.
As things now progress at a faster clip, tipping points will kick off other tipping points and the whole shebang will cascade into chaos long before such dates given like 2100 (1 m rise) etc. We've got nothing left in the bank, zero time.
We should be on a war footing right now. Instead – we're "looking forward to November when COP26 world leaders meet to discuss climate"… AGAIN!!! How fucking ridiculous and hopeless and full of shit are these people. I guess every summit they get another massive backhander by oil Inc. so it's all good for them, till they realise they're also fucked.
These billionaire clowns signing up for NZ citizenship so they can hide down here after fucking everything. Disgraceful, inhuman assholes.
Tunnel, bridge, traffic flow… PFFFT. How about stop banks, wetlands, crop diversification, local manufacturing. Assessment of what we can and can't make and fill the gaps to do what we can. Circular economy, local economy. Divest and diverge from the sociopaths right now.
But no, another distraction. Olympics, a new phone, some vacuous celebrity bint talking about another vacuous celebrity clown.
What's the bet half that ship full of covid infected sailors is brimming with Amazon products. For the must haves.
See, I thought Jenny was saying the tunnel was a stupid idea because the entrance might be under water in a hundred years. Not sure what Auckland Transport can do about crop diversification before then…
It's all connected and you know it. Our obsession with getting traffic moving is a ridiculous sideshow in the face of climate change which is now upon us.
We need to be on a war footing, doing all we can to mitigate the worst effects because there is no time left. We can worry about future roads when the future is not in question.
So you be flippant and foolish all you like. You know exactly what I'm talking about.
…..Can Jenny or you tell us what the projected design life of this tunnel is and how short it will be when those predicted environmental changes in 2100 and 2300 (and in between) eventuate?
Hi Incognito, as you are probably aware there is a lot of uncertainty about when the predicted environmental changes brought on by climate change will eventuate.
In answer to your question about when these events may eventuate; recent events here and overseas which caught many experts by surprise, seem to suggest that the modeling of when these events will eventuat may be underestimating the expected time line.
In answer to your other question about the designe life of this tunnel:
As yet, none of the details of this proposed tunnel, including its projected design life, have been released by the government.
However, I would expect that the designers have factored in climate change into their planning.
On good authority I have been advised that there is probably more than even chance, that a storm surge caused by a climate change supercharged cyclone, will see the southern portal to this tunnel, muted to be at Victoria Park, being overtopped within the next 50 years.
Taking these factores into account, I would say that the designers are probably aiming for a design life of 25 years.
Speaking personally, (and you may disagree), but I think that if we are going to spend $15 billion on anything, I would hope it would be on something that will last a bit longer than that.
If the Northern Pathway bike bridge was bonkers, this is completely bonkers.
"A compelling BCA may be difficult to produce. The last time it was done, in November 2020, the BCA was 0.2. That's a return of only 20 cents in value for every dollar spent.
Even the proposed $685 million Northern Pathway bridge has a better BCA: it's 0.4…."
"This is a 50 per cent increase on the previous estimate, of $10 billion…."
Though the government have not said whether this $15 billion tunnel will include a road option, the previous estimate of $10 billion was for the rail and road option.
From this I think we can safely assume, that the government has caved in to political pressure from the powerful roading lobby, and political allies, the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the National and Act parties.
In spite of right wing ideological committment to private cars.
One thing Auckland doesn't need is another road way across the Waitemata feeding into the inner city and Northern motorway increasing congestion and pollution.
Just a joke Patricia…..I made a friendly comment and owned up the other day when I wrote "incite" instead of "insight" and somebody humorously picked me up on it.
Meanwhile I agree with your comment below that ships arriving here where half of the crew have Covid are a major Covid risk to NZ. Port and ship workers should be vaccinated already as a priority.
Does anyone out there have info as to what percentage of these workers have been vaccinated?
This was predictable as the third cargo ship in as many weeks. Just like Australia having Covid community transmission and the trans Tasman bubble being suspended for 8 weeks.
That is the issue The transmission by healthy people/asymptomatic people/vaccinated people is why mask wearing in mandatory in many vaccinated countries. Delta is a difficult and dangerous beast.
But if we're still accepting frieght, don't port workers make sure shipboard containers etc are hooked up properly before being hoisted, pilots guide vessels in, and various victuallers do their thing?
There can be mitigations and distancing around most of those activities, but since day ISTR port workers being viewed as frontline staff. With, I believe, fewer breaches than MIQ.
Which could be regarded as another example of precarious workers being "essential yet unappreciated".
And I don't just mean disease leaks, I mean shit like people going to liquor stores, crossover at the check in counter, that dude who popped into the person's room for half an hour or so…
If you're looking for reasons for lack of progress in conservation issues in this government, look no further than this article and the sustained inability of the Minister to act on governance issues with Maori that are of her own making.
Then there's the cycleways into Glen Eden, which I frequently drive beside and have yet to see a single cyclist using. Dedicating part of the roadway for cyclists isn't actually the problem, it's that fukn moron traffic engineers put the worst kind of speedbumps in as well. The kind that give you the least bump inside your car when you maintain full speed over them, but are really unpleasant if you slow down for them. So the only real effect is gratuitously increasing wear and tear on your car's suspension.
40 years ago in Palmerston North engineers were able to install speed bumps that were a long, high sine wave. So it was smooth and gentle going over them at speeds up to 40ish km/hr, but take them over 50 in most cars it would be horribly uncomfortable and often bottom the suspension.
Not even pretty blue dots would make me voluntarily visit the alienating, meaningless desert of Takapuna – a festering excrescence that ruins quite a nice beach.
Auckland's footpaths are used a lot. Around our way money has been spent on an unused cycle lane, so the footpaths haven't been repaired in decades. Auckland Council has lost the plot.
Aiming a 'one trick pony' jab at Collins would be generous, imo, but if she's on the lovely money then bottle her immediately, starting with those precious 'genie eyebrows'.
Are they Port of Tauranga employees? If they are, how much time do we need to give private sector employers to get this sorted – or are they so ineffectual that the Government needs to regulate now? Looks like we might again be putting ourselves at risk by appeasing businesses – while, ironically, the government gets lambasted for not appeasing them enough.
Not sure the whole story is a little concerning given unloading was paused then restarted then crew testing done… but thought vaccination rates on the border were much better than that… surely MOH would have been keeping track… if not better get a move on because it seems a massive vulnerability.
I really hope we quarintine the effected workers for 14 days, its only going to need one case to slip through.
Well with no vaccine mandate what would anyone expect? Bishop is blaming the Govt of course, so are National promoting a mandate? Is anyone? If not, then plenty of people won't get vaccinated, including privately employed port workers, as is their right.
I do wonder where this sits within health and safety legislation given the danger involved and increased likelihood of exposure to Delta…
The next week or so will potentially make or break the covid response as our overall vaccination rate is nowhere near high enough if delta gets a toehold.
A decade of treating workers like shit says it ain't the shipping company.
The Maritime Union has backed calls by whistle blowers at Port of Tauranga who have come forward after suffering serious workplace injuries.
Several workers spoke to Newshub after suffering chronic injuries while driving long shifts on container straddles, but had to remain anonymous for fear of retribution by employers.
Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Craig Harrison says Port of Tauranga gets glowing references as a profitable business in the media – but that profit is obtained from unsatisfactory working practices.
Casual workers at the Port of Tauranga say they are too scared to report accidents and injuries for fear their employer will blacklist them for future work.
The union representing port workers, the Maritime Union, says casual workers fear they will be overlooked for work if they report being injured on the job.
Aren't these 98 people front line workers? The 89 should now be told, as they are not vaccinated, they are on unpaid leave until they either get vaccinated, or the port finds them another position (if any available) that is not front line, if they don't want to be vaccinated.
I thought front line people were already supposed to be fully vaccinated. Hasn't the date been and gone. This is how Covid will get back in otherwise.
Nope not all border worker were covered in Group 1 and 2. Remember also that Group three has just officially begun to be vaccinated at the End of July, which is now 10 days ago, and Group 4 is still a bit away, unless they now just open to all ages – which is what they should/could do.
“However only 54 percent of active port workers have been fully vaccinated, and we need to see this number increased to avoid the risk of COVID-19 entering the country via our ports.
“I am extending the mandatory order to cover a further 1800 currently unvaccinated active border workers. This is necessary to lift the uptake of the vaccine among the wider border workforce and strengthen our ongoing response to COVID-19.
On 1 May 2021, it became mandatory for a narrow group of border workers and Government officials working at the border or an MIQ facility to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
From 15 July 2021, it will also become mandatory for most border workers (air and port) to be vaccinated. This is required by new legislation. The COVID-19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Amendments Order 2021 comes into effect at 11:59pm on 14 July.
When affected workers must get vaccinated by
All government employees must have had their first dose by 26 August 2021.
Privately employed border workers must have had their first dose by 30 September 2021.
After the dates above, any new workers covered by the Order will need to have their first dose before starting work. This applies to government and private business employees
So even by Government orders currently there is no mandate that forces people to be vaccinated at this point. See bold above.
One might find it easy to complain about misinformation etc, but it can't be stressed enough that a. People currently working in Ports for private companies and government as of today are not mandated to be fully vaccinated. They still have till the end of August and September to do so. That is not Misinformation, that is straight from govt. and the covid site.
Just a quick note re your first paragraph. Group 3 have been able to get vaccinated since May. Group 4 has been underway since late July and those 50 years old and above can get vaccinated from this Friday (this age cohort has been brought forward apparently today).
According to this, if you believe the government, Group 4 has started 28 July with people aged 60. Today is the 9th of August.
Not sure how many people you expect to get vaccinated in 11 days. I'd say atm they are trying to get as many jabs in as many arms they can get and supplies allow. Assuming that most Port worker will be younger then sixty, not many of these will have gotten the invite for the jab, and as per the government mandate if they are working for a private company they have until the 30 of september for their first jab and until the 28 th of August if they work for government.
I'm 57 with nothing to bump me up the priority list. I got my texted invite to book on Friday 6th August. I'm booked in to get my DNA-reprogramming-space-laser microchips installed on Wednesday next week (initially got a slot for this Thursday, but had to reschedule)
If a border worker hasn't yet received an invitation to book their employer must enter their details on the border worker register and the DHB are to prioritise their vaccination.
So … it is dependant on the individual worker (and if that doesn't happen) then the employer to make it happen.
Like Andre I got my invite to book on the first day that my age cohort was eligible. I am booked for this Friday for jab 1. It all seems pretty easy to me and I don't really understand why so many of the port workers were unvaccinated. I am tending towards casting accusing looks in the direction of the employers/PCBUs.
there is no requirement for any border worker to be vaccinated as of today, they have until end of August and end of September for their FIRST JABS.
so you can look and cast an accusatory eye where you would like, but it does not negate the guidelines by government. Which i posted above. And until the government changes these guidelines, the governement should not blame anyone.
As for you finding it easy, heck i found it even easier. I was included in ‘wider’ whanau and did only need to provide my NHS number and have now been fully vaccinated for over a week now.
So unless you can actually provide anything to show proof that these workers are all evil bad doers hellbent on bringing the country to the brink with their unvaccinated ways, you should simply accept the fact that as per the government guidelines they are not mandated to be vaccinated before Aug for government border staff and Sept for private employment border staff.
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Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
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. ...
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 ...
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, ...
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. ...
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. ...
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BAU in the age of climage change?
When images of storm surge waters pouring into New York subways and train tunnels in China with commuters trapped inside railway carriages with flood water up to their necks. It is hard to know what to make of this.
Except to say that this is even worse than the bike bridge.
With predicted sea level rise of over one metre by 2100 and five metres 2300, alongside storm surge events, (if the current portal remains at Victoria Park or even the Britomart Centre), the projected design life of this tunnel will be short, before it will/is flooded as well.
I find it interesting that both, National and Labour are in lock step behind this proposal.
It would be interesting to know what the Green Party's position is.
Do the Green Party support or oppose the government's $15 billion under harbour tunnel?
Can we expect a statement from the Green Party leaders or Green Party spokesperson on transport, either endorsing, or condemning this proposal?
Bonkers.
Probably should get on with building a new bridge, Add dedicated bus lanes both ways so the busway is as efficient as possible. Pedestrian/Cyclist/Ebike/Scooter lanes under the main deck.
I'm not convinced on a tunnel nor rail as public transport from the shore. I'm more in favor of an electrified bus fleet.
Another bridge is all very well but where to put it?
The present harbour bridge has enough capacity. It's the on ramps and merging traffic that jams the whole motorway system. Another bridge marrying into this system will compound the problems
Isn't it time that the powers realise that the CBD is only a small blip on the Ak landscape and the need for everybody to congregate there is one of the major congestion causes.
Wouldn't it be far more cost effective to offer businesses some real incentive to relocate into Aks many dormitory suburbs, there by negating the need for people to travel to or through the CBD.
I like the way you're thinking.
Adding to that – we push everyone into the same space… and time.
There's no reason we could not stagger work times to alleviate rush hour woes.
9-5 should be just one of a range of shift options. Companies that can should flex their flexibility.
Work from home is good and well but I note on social media community pages the biggest whingers typically work from home. It may be making them antisocial? An alternative is to have some office days, and some work from home days. These also could run on staggered times.
It's not that hard to think outside the box unless you're a moron – something which many business and council executives seem to take great pride in.
The uptake of public transport is however in dire straits because covid. So while I like the ideal of getting everyone on buses, I completely understand the reticence of many to utilise the services. Plan B is to electrify our fleets.
In the interim, who's enjoying the traffic jams other than oil executives.
Even better if work times are same to utilise car sharing and public transport to cut back traffic and not just in big apple.
Well clearly that plan doesn't work, large numbers of Aucklanders sit stuck in traffic every day. We're talking predominantly white collar workers: Share their cars? – lol jokes!
My neighbourhood's full of pot bellied pigs who, as a rite of passage to their 50's, get themselves a sports car. Share? Give a toss? More lols.
Covid has totally bitch-slapped attempts to get us into public transport, and ride sharing is not taking off either.
Nature separates species in time and space because it works. Huge diversity in a single tree can be found. Partitioning works. Night bugs, dawn bugs, day bugs, dusk bugs… canopy, sub-canopy, ground, below ground…
We can learn from this – or we can claim our superiority over nature once more and jam everyone and everything in the same space and time – cos that's working out great.
All because we make a plan doesn't mean it's a good plan. Seen central city lately? – our town planners are freaking morons.
Does this mean all IT people move to the north, all insurance people to the west and all bank people to the south? Are we starting a mass migration project here?
If people don't move permanently, based on their new work location, there's the possibility of more road chaos: In an ideal world with all business in a central spot (CBD) and all workers of the CBD evenly distributed around that centre means very little interference in the commute. After a split of the single CBD into several smaller CBDs it can, dependent on the worker distribution, lead to longer commutes for a significant number of people (that can't move) and to more "crossings" of workers that have to travel to a remote CBD.
Cue howls of moneyed rage from chamber of commerce and cbd real estate speculators.
Yes, let us now listen to the howls of outrage from ACT and the Nats about this $5,000 million increase in cost after their howls about a bike/pedestrian bridge costing just 4.6% of the cost of the tunnel.
But of course they love cars so much they will say nothing.
Really? You made that up, didn’t you?
From the link that Jenny included in her comment
BTW I was involved in setting out the upgrading of Fanshaw Street and well remember the excavation of the foot path outside the then vodafone building. We hit water after about 50cm which would recede after high tide. (ie that main arterial -which is on reclaimed land – is just over 50cm above high water mark)
Thanks.
Can Jenny or you tell us what the projected design life of this tunnel is and how short it will be when those predicted environmental changes in 2100 and 2300 (and in between) eventuate?
I'm guessing a tunnel under a harbour probably already has a hefty pumping system installed, and stopbank dams at both portals are really easy to do.
Let’s hear from Macro or Jenny whether they have anything of substance to support Jenny’s claim about the short projected design life of the tunnel. Sounds to me that somebody did these projections and that they were not plucked out of thin air. Maybe this is already accounted for in the design plans and this is part-reason for the high projected cost. So, let’s hear it.
@Incognito – I was replying to your comment expressing surprise at the figures quoted by Jenny and simply referring you to the link she had submitted supporting her comment. That 1 metre of SLR by 2100 is now currently being suggested by some in the field as a possible scenario is quite a wake up call. The current level of warming is around 1.2C and a recent report notes that the Earth's energy imbalance doubled in the 14 years from 2005 to 2019. 2.0C (catastrophic warming) is not just a possibility it is almost a certainty. We can kiss any fond thought of containing warming to 1.5C goodbye.
Sorry, I should have made it clear that I was asking about Jenny’s claims about the short(ened) life of the tunnel rather than about the sea level predictions and storm surges. I was surprised about her claims regarding the tunnel as I was not aware of such bold assertions and risk assessments by experts. BTW, I can read links 😉
Yep that is the case – but even so we only have to look at the recent flooding of the NY subway, and the recent similar flooding in China to know that such a tunnel would not be without risk.
Isn't the NY subway operating again?
Temporary disruption on occasion (when nobody should be using it anyway, e.g. a hurricane) isn't necessarily a major problem.
Obviously it depends upon where the entrance to the tunnel would be located. As I pointed out above the land around the viaduct basin back to the bottom of Franklin Street and the bottom of Queen Street is actually reclaimed land and little above current High water. The amount of flooding in a freshly dug hole some 100 m from the wharf side had to be seen to be believed. You couldn't pump it out – the contractors had to wait till the tide went out to work. It was basically just loads of rock and rubble.
OK.
So how high will the entrances be built?
What's the expected lifespan of the structure?
Is it anything the Dutch haven't dealt with for a few hundred years?
Not quite, the oldest Dutch tunnel is this one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maastunnel
The Drogden Tunnel, on the Danish side of the new Øresund Bridge.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%98resund_Bridge#Drogden_Tunnel
lol I meant more the "reclaimed land below sea level" sort of thing
Recent disruptions to the Tube in London saw locals dealing with the bus system to try to get to work. Suffice it to say there were many disappointed bosses/punters etc waiting for their workers/entertainment to arrive.
As one comic said of the price and service: It's like paying 20 quid for a basic cheeseburger and getting a plate of shit.
There's no real contingencies built into anything. The neo-libs have demanded efficiency and now we see they've actually served us all a big plate of shit. How's the eating?
These folks fixated on BAU are merely whistling in the wind to try keep their spirits up. It's a nonsensical but understandable reaction to realities they're finding too hard to accept. The weather is breaking systems at such a rate we'll run out of funds to fix them.
Major crisis are converging. Countries are burning and crops are failing all over. Even here in 'the best place to spend an apocalypse' we're seeing how the weather doesn't give a toss about such hubris.
Diversification and decentralisation is absolutely called for. The global supply chain is a joke in the face of ever increasing storm severity and frequency – the oceans will become uninsurable – ships as ecological disasters waiting to happen. It's not if, it's when.
Really, we need to hunker down and collectively create resilience in our systems right now! As for business types, they need to sit the fuck down and shut the fuck up.
So how many auckland tunnels are you after?
Ooohh, I sense an underwater spaghetti junction coming on.
Squiddy Junction!
😀
Me? Tunnels? I only want to eliminate tunnel vision.
Yeah ok, that was as flat as my screen…
What I see is climate change is happening much faster than anticipated. Scientists try hard not to be alarmist but we've been told for several decades we're heading off a cliff and not two fucks was given.
As things now progress at a faster clip, tipping points will kick off other tipping points and the whole shebang will cascade into chaos long before such dates given like 2100 (1 m rise) etc. We've got nothing left in the bank, zero time.
We should be on a war footing right now. Instead – we're "looking forward to November when COP26 world leaders meet to discuss climate"… AGAIN!!! How fucking ridiculous and hopeless and full of shit are these people. I guess every summit they get another massive backhander by oil Inc. so it's all good for them, till they realise they're also fucked.
These billionaire clowns signing up for NZ citizenship so they can hide down here after fucking everything. Disgraceful, inhuman assholes.
Tunnel, bridge, traffic flow… PFFFT. How about stop banks, wetlands, crop diversification, local manufacturing. Assessment of what we can and can't make and fill the gaps to do what we can. Circular economy, local economy. Divest and diverge from the sociopaths right now.
But no, another distraction. Olympics, a new phone, some vacuous celebrity bint talking about another vacuous celebrity clown.
What's the bet half that ship full of covid infected sailors is brimming with Amazon products. For the must haves.
See, I thought Jenny was saying the tunnel was a stupid idea because the entrance might be under water in a hundred years. Not sure what Auckland Transport can do about crop diversification before then…
It's all connected and you know it. Our obsession with getting traffic moving is a ridiculous sideshow in the face of climate change which is now upon us.
We need to be on a war footing, doing all we can to mitigate the worst effects because there is no time left. We can worry about future roads when the future is not in question.
So you be flippant and foolish all you like. You know exactly what I'm talking about.
p.s. hahaha, gosh, good one.
Yes, it is all connected.
But local transport needs shouldn't be held in stasis because we still have coal-fired power plants.
We need to move off fossil fuels while still updating our infrastructure. How does increasing traffic congestion help address climate change?
Hi Incognito, as you are probably aware there is a lot of uncertainty about when the predicted environmental changes brought on by climate change will eventuate.
In answer to your question about when these events may eventuate; recent events here and overseas which caught many experts by surprise, seem to suggest that the modeling of when these events will eventuat may be underestimating the expected time line.
In answer to your other question about the designe life of this tunnel:
As yet, none of the details of this proposed tunnel, including its projected design life, have been released by the government.
However, I would expect that the designers have factored in climate change into their planning.
That being the case;
With rising ocean temperatures that fuel hurricanes, with expanding tropical zones, with tropical cyclones creeping further south. (and north).
On good authority I have been advised that there is probably more than even chance, that a storm surge caused by a climate change supercharged cyclone, will see the southern portal to this tunnel, muted to be at Victoria Park, being overtopped within the next 50 years.
Taking these factores into account, I would say that the designers are probably aiming for a design life of 25 years.
Speaking personally, (and you may disagree), but I think that if we are going to spend $15 billion on anything, I would hope it would be on something that will last a bit longer than that.
The interesting thing to look for, will be length of coverage the insurance industry are prepared to give this structure.
Time for an OIA?
No doubt their decision will be informed by the tunnel floodings overseas.
Go for it, Jenny! And let us know when you get the answers to your enquiries.
https://www.dia.govt.nz/Official-Information-Act-requests
Most LG assets are self insured (uninsured)
Never asked when these weather-related events may eventuate.
Your “good authority” is of no use to us if we cannot verify anything.
In other words, you have no idea and making a wild uneducated guess. What’s new?
As I suspected, you made it up.
Thanks for confirming and clarifying.
You are perfectly entitled to talk claptrap about sea level rise. But that does not mean we have to swallow it
If the Northern Pathway bike bridge was bonkers, this is completely bonkers.
Though the government have not said whether this $15 billion tunnel will include a road option, the previous estimate of $10 billion was for the rail and road option.
From this I think we can safely assume, that the government has caved in to political pressure from the powerful roading lobby, and political allies, the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the National and Act parties.
In spite of right wing ideological committment to private cars.
One thing Auckland doesn't need is another road way across the Waitemata feeding into the inner city and Northern motorway increasing congestion and pollution.
Madness.
The old bridge simply doesn't fit all modes, wasn't built for light rail, and is so old it's irredeemably fragile.
People should just accept its expensive.
No one in NZ outside Auckland has a clue about the scale we now operate at.
CRL is $5b and 3.3kms long. Over a million a metre. Started by National government.
Spend the money.
Some things never change – the US war machine 'destroying the village to save it!
Plaque ship in tauranga, 100 workers have been on board, hang onto your hat hope our luck holds, I say shut tauranga now.
Some anti-plaque toothpaste should sort this….or is it a plague ship?
Had your fun at someone else's expense. "q" instead "g" Big deal!!
Just a joke Patricia…..I made a friendly comment and owned up the other day when I wrote "incite" instead of "insight" and somebody humorously picked me up on it.
Meanwhile I agree with your comment below that ships arriving here where half of the crew have Covid are a major Covid risk to NZ. Port and ship workers should be vaccinated already as a priority.
Does anyone out there have info as to what percentage of these workers have been vaccinated?
Sorry over the top reaction. Sensitive about word difficulties for some.
No worries.
I'll have to brush up on my spelling
A very frightening event, which shows the difficulties facing port and ship workers during the shortages and delays caused by the pandemic.
This was predictable as the third cargo ship in as many weeks. Just like Australia having Covid community transmission and the trans Tasman bubble being suspended for 8 weeks.
See how the next 14 days go.
Hopefully all the Tauranga port workers and their families are vaccinated (they are supposed to be) so hopefully no need to lock Tauranga down.
It doesn't matter if they are vaccinated or not, they are still going to spread it to those unvaccinated.
That is the issue The transmission by healthy people/asymptomatic people/vaccinated people is why mask wearing in mandatory in many vaccinated countries. Delta is a difficult and dangerous beast.
Absolutely, that's why we need everyone that wants to be vaccinated, to be vaccinated as soon as possible.
Quite, but they aren't, so if there are cases found among the port workers whether vaccinated or not, Tauranga must be locked down.
I can't believe port workers have been allowed to go on board foreign vessels. Tell me that is not true.
Don't they kinda have to?
Oh, well. If people are looking for the source of all outbreaks in NZ since May 2020, look no further than the ports.
Well, no. That's not how any of that works.
But if we're still accepting frieght, don't port workers make sure shipboard containers etc are hooked up properly before being hoisted, pilots guide vessels in, and various victuallers do their thing?
There can be mitigations and distancing around most of those activities, but since day ISTR port workers being viewed as frontline staff. With, I believe, fewer breaches than MIQ.
Which could be regarded as another example of precarious workers being "essential yet unappreciated".
I don't believe port workers have had fewer breaches than MIQ because there have been no substantiated breaches at MIQ since the lift button case.
It is true that they are on the front line so I'm annoyed that ports and maritime unions and the MoH don't seem to have this under control yet.
Do not associate with foreign crew at any distance, it's that simple.
How about before the lift button case?
And I don't just mean disease leaks, I mean shit like people going to liquor stores, crossover at the check in counter, that dude who popped into the person's room for half an hour or so…
More dysfunction in the public service
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/conservation-board-bust-up-minister-weighs-in-ex-chair-speaks
The number of ministries being exposed grows by the day.
If you're looking for reasons for lack of progress in conservation issues in this government, look no further than this article and the sustained inability of the Minister to act on governance issues with Maori that are of her own making.
Sadly the dysfunction isnt confined to Conservation
It's impressively concentrated there.
Prolly cheaper to dynamite the bridge and make ppl stick to their own side or go round.
North Island power constraint 1730-2000 (9/8/2021)
https://www.transpower.co.nz/sites/default/files/interfaces/can/CAN%20Low%20Residual%20Situation%204025411929.pdf
Market responds with most expensive pricing on the planet (afaik)
$10000 mwh.
https://www1.electricityinfo.co.nz/
Glenbrook will shut down inside a year at this rate. They've warned Minister Woods in writing.
Market says so must be correct.
All hail the almighty market.
Rolling blackouts wtf is going on… no warnings either
Continues into tuesday,with significant constraints.
https://www.transpower.co.nz/sites/default/files/interfaces/can/CAN%20Low%20Residual%20Situation%204027695919.pdf
Need to lower consumption significantly ie reduce vanity lighting such as sky tower etc.and issue conservation notifications.
What's on tvnz 1 at 4:30 PM today? The freeview guide says it's confidential. Should we brace for a Covid case announcement?
https://freeviewnz.tv/tvguide/whats-on/?channelId=9
Well, whatever it is it ain't gonna be confidential after 4:30pm.
This will be it:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-coronavirus-prime-minister-jacinda-ardern-gives-updates-on-vaccinations-rollout/GAEYWS5QHVTZLCMBHCCHKIXG3I/
For those who live outside of Auckland, you can once again look on and contemplate the madness of our Council and it's extended organisations.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2021/08/henderson-residents-fuming-after-shambolic-safety-trial-sees-192k-of-taxpayer-money-spent-on-painting-intersection-blue.html
Yep.
Then there's the cycleways into Glen Eden, which I frequently drive beside and have yet to see a single cyclist using. Dedicating part of the roadway for cyclists isn't actually the problem, it's that fukn moron traffic engineers put the worst kind of speedbumps in as well. The kind that give you the least bump inside your car when you maintain full speed over them, but are really unpleasant if you slow down for them. So the only real effect is gratuitously increasing wear and tear on your car's suspension.
40 years ago in Palmerston North engineers were able to install speed bumps that were a long, high sine wave. So it was smooth and gentle going over them at speeds up to 40ish km/hr, but take them over 50 in most cars it would be horribly uncomfortable and often bottom the suspension.
Agreed.
There seems to be a prevailing madness in Auckland at the moment on spending money on ideological brain farts. This one in Takapuna was $400,000, and that (like the debacle in Henderson) also had Panuku’s fingerprints on it.
Not even pretty blue dots would make me voluntarily visit the alienating, meaningless desert of Takapuna – a festering excrescence that ruins quite a nice beach.
Auckland's footpaths are also barely used at all now.
May as well demolish them too.
Auckland's footpaths are used a lot. Around our way money has been spent on an unused cycle lane, so the footpaths haven't been repaired in decades. Auckland Council has lost the plot.
Aiming a 'one trick pony' jab at Collins would be generous, imo, but if she's on the lovely money then bottle her immediately, starting with those precious 'genie eyebrows'.
Surely, Judith Collins meant accidental one trick pony?
Wow only 9 out of 98 workers who boarded the Covid ship vaccinated…
Given its only been a short time period and its delts surely we need to get them into an MIQ facility for 2 weeks asap…
Fully paid of course…
Are they Port of Tauranga employees? If they are, how much time do we need to give private sector employers to get this sorted – or are they so ineffectual that the Government needs to regulate now? Looks like we might again be putting ourselves at risk by appeasing businesses – while, ironically, the government gets lambasted for not appeasing them enough.
Not sure the whole story is a little concerning given unloading was paused then restarted then crew testing done… but thought vaccination rates on the border were much better than that… surely MOH would have been keeping track… if not better get a move on because it seems a massive vulnerability.
I really hope we quarintine the effected workers for 14 days, its only going to need one case to slip through.
Well with no vaccine mandate what would anyone expect? Bishop is blaming the Govt of course, so are National promoting a mandate? Is anyone? If not, then plenty of people won't get vaccinated, including privately employed port workers, as is their right.
I do wonder where this sits within health and safety legislation given the danger involved and increased likelihood of exposure to Delta…
The next week or so will potentially make or break the covid response as our overall vaccination rate is nowhere near high enough if delta gets a toehold.
I wonder if it was the shipping company that laid down the law.
Possibly we are very exposed re shipping 3 major players have already withdrawn from Oceania…
A decade of treating workers like shit says it ain't the shipping company.
The Maritime Union has backed calls by whistle blowers at Port of Tauranga who have come forward after suffering serious workplace injuries.
Several workers spoke to Newshub after suffering chronic injuries while driving long shifts on container straddles, but had to remain anonymous for fear of retribution by employers.
Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Craig Harrison says Port of Tauranga gets glowing references as a profitable business in the media – but that profit is obtained from unsatisfactory working practices.
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU2107/S00002/port-of-tauranga-is-responsible-for-worker-harm.htm
22 Feb, 2012 12:00 PM
[…]
Casual workers at the Port of Tauranga say they are too scared to report accidents and injuries for fear their employer will blacklist them for future work.
The union representing port workers, the Maritime Union, says casual workers fear they will be overlooked for work if they report being injured on the job.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/safety-fears-raised-at-tauranga-port/VBVKPAU2NFWPBBVSEMU2K7QGZE/
Aren't these 98 people front line workers? The 89 should now be told, as they are not vaccinated, they are on unpaid leave until they either get vaccinated, or the port finds them another position (if any available) that is not front line, if they don't want to be vaccinated.
I thought front line people were already supposed to be fully vaccinated. Hasn't the date been and gone. This is how Covid will get back in otherwise.
Nope not all border worker were covered in Group 1 and 2. Remember also that Group three has just officially begun to be vaccinated at the End of July, which is now 10 days ago, and Group 4 is still a bit away, unless they now just open to all ages – which is what they should/could do.
But here from the Ministry in 12 July 2021
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/govt-makes-covid-19-vaccinations-mandatory-more-border-jobs
https://covid19.govt.nz/covid-19-vaccines/how-to-get-a-covid-19-vaccination/vaccinations-and-work/border-and-miq-worker-vaccinations/
How the requirements work
So even by Government orders currently there is no mandate that forces people to be vaccinated at this point. See bold above.
One might find it easy to complain about misinformation etc, but it can't be stressed enough that a. People currently working in Ports for private companies and government as of today are not mandated to be fully vaccinated. They still have till the end of August and September to do so. That is not Misinformation, that is straight from govt. and the covid site.
Just a quick note re your first paragraph. Group 3 have been able to get vaccinated since May. Group 4 has been underway since late July and those 50 years old and above can get vaccinated from this Friday (this age cohort has been brought forward apparently today).
https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-vaccines/covid-19-getting-vaccine/covid-19-vaccine-rollout
https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-vaccines/covid-19-getting-vaccine/covid-19-vaccine-rollout
According to this, if you believe the government, Group 4 has started 28 July with people aged 60. Today is the 9th of August.
Not sure how many people you expect to get vaccinated in 11 days. I'd say atm they are trying to get as many jabs in as many arms they can get and supplies allow. Assuming that most Port worker will be younger then sixty, not many of these will have gotten the invite for the jab, and as per the government mandate if they are working for a private company they have until the 30 of september for their first jab and until the 28 th of August if they work for government.
so yeah, group 4 has been 'open' since 28 July.
I'm 57 with nothing to bump me up the priority list. I got my texted invite to book on Friday 6th August. I'm booked in to get my DNA-reprogramming-space-laser microchips installed on Wednesday next week (initially got a slot for this Thursday, but had to reschedule)
(alwyn, eat your heart out!)
If a border worker hasn't yet received an invitation to book their employer must enter their details on the border worker register and the DHB are to prioritise their vaccination.
https://covid19.govt.nz/covid-19-vaccines/how-to-get-a-covid-19-vaccination/vaccinations-and-work/border-and-miq-worker-vaccinations/
So … it is dependant on the individual worker (and if that doesn't happen) then the employer to make it happen.
Like Andre I got my invite to book on the first day that my age cohort was eligible. I am booked for this Friday for jab 1. It all seems pretty easy to me and I don't really understand why so many of the port workers were unvaccinated. I am tending towards casting accusing looks in the direction of the employers/PCBUs.
there is no requirement for any border worker to be vaccinated as of today, they have until end of August and end of September for their FIRST JABS.
so you can look and cast an accusatory eye where you would like, but it does not negate the guidelines by government. Which i posted above. And until the government changes these guidelines, the governement should not blame anyone.
As for you finding it easy, heck i found it even easier. I was included in ‘wider’ whanau and did only need to provide my NHS number and have now been fully vaccinated for over a week now.
So unless you can actually provide anything to show proof that these workers are all evil bad doers hellbent on bringing the country to the brink with their unvaccinated ways, you should simply accept the fact that as per the government guidelines they are not mandated to be vaccinated before Aug for government border staff and Sept for private employment border staff.