Hopefully Forest and Bird actually get this government to reverse its proposed exceptions to the wetland protection rules in the 2020 National Environmental Standard (NES-F), which gives generous carveouts for coal mining, dumps, and quarrying.
As well as dozens of long interviews, she had gotten hold of the motherlode: the internal review of the National Party’s calamitous 2020 election defeat. The document had been closely guarded by then leader Judith Collins; copies were provided only to the nine board members, with MPs required to procede into the caucus room and read in situ, as if it were a precious text at the Turnbull Library. “We do not give our opponents ammunition,” said Collins.
The review did not mince words. “The genesis of the many issues faced by the party in the last term stem fundamentally from poor leadership and resulting bad culture and actions by bad actors which were often not called out early,” it found, as excerpted in the book that promises “the full story of how the National Party went to war with itself”.
Wonder which party Board member leaked her the report?
Extending the petrol tax cut and half price public transport into next year must be considered a very smart political move by the Labour government and puts the next move onto National.
Does National support it and by implication support what they have always labelled Labour's "excessive spending" or do they oppose it and show their true colours – the party that cares little for the poor and disadvantaged – and risk alienating the many voters who are thinking hard of returning to National?
I work in public transport and have had many discussions with people about the half price fares. I always thought that they would continue past August 31 because there is evidence that passenger numbers have increased significantly.
Mike the Lefty, yes I believe they have laid down the gauntlet for National.
Do the Nats moan and challenge, or pass the baton to Seymour the mouth?
Cost savings for those who use regular Public Transport appear to be significant in their budgets, plus this is targeting the correct groups.
Those with gas guzzlers are having to face a truer cost and the growing uptick in EVs perhaps is partly driven by the realisation that the change is supported and personally cost efficient.
National have looked to have had a perceived "Decent Leader" bounce, which is dropping away as people listen closely to the clumsy slogans watch the inept behaviour, and take note of positions on key issues and negative comments made.
The offered tax cuts have had their impact and sound hollow and stale, as experience has shown they are not a total answer as they do not take care of two large issues.
In a talk, their Leader said "everyone was over covid" and I then wondered whether he believed in climate change. The advertising about him says he takes it seriously. Where is the proof of that? When has he commented on actual problems? Like the recent flooding?
I have heard him say he thought people "were over this Government" quoting early polls.. Well the people in his circles may be, and he has made plain he thinks he can do things better. The hubris is amazing. Those few remaining nasties and a crop of newbies will do better? Tui!!.
Andrea Vance's Book will no doubt confirm some events and attitudes. It is plain they are not considering those who take Public Transport.
I was just coming back to add that. He is a far sharper writer than she will ever be.
The exercises and abuses of power in Blue Blood are generally very petty although Collins, true to form, contrived to make everyone around her miserable. It’s a book of unhappiness. No one achieves greatness. No one maintains any dignity.
Few had any to begin with; Hamilton East MP David Bennett appears throughout the book as a low-hanging villain, punished by Key for "alleged late-night antics in the Beehive's third-floor bar", dismissed by Chris Finlayson as a moron, and caught replying to a constituent who urged the party to roll Bridges, "Yeah, working on it."
Aides and sources and staffers and even people with names toil in the background, maddened by their masters. There scuttles Matthew Hooton, Muller's blundering amanuensis; there sighs Janet Wilson, who went to work for Collins, and foolishly offered the very thing Collins has always loathed: sound advice. All the while, the vultures in the Press Gallery keep their beady little eyes on the thing they want most in life: scalps.
You can lead a journalist to a longer deadline but you can't make them think.
But where is the wider scrutiny of why it was that a great many people in the National Party acted so ruinously, so grubbily, and, more than anything else, so selfishly? Was it the culture, was it the ideology? Was it the lack of anything resembling culture and ideology? Vance reports what happened, and how it happened. Why it happened is an open question.
despite universal pleas for the public to stay safe from health chiefs, not to travel and stay indoors, the Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, decided to tell the public to “enjoy the sunshine” on Sky News.
His comments were blasted on social media with one saying: “Dominic Raab…brushing off the impending record breaking, earth burning temperatures and saying people should ‘enjoy the sunshine’. Heaven help us all!”
….demand had surged from 209 million gallons a day to 242 million gallons, due to the hot weather…..
…..Thames Water said they were monitoring the situation all the time but said if they did not see "around or above average rainfall" in the coming months it may result in water restrictions.
Two thousand people in east Kent were left with no water or low pressure over the weekend….
Ironically air conditioning could also be the thing that turns public sentiment to doing something about climate change. On the day when a lot of people somewhere can't survive (as in die) without air conditioning, and the power supply fails. If this happens in a city it will be tragic, and messy.
However I suspect that the outcome will be a bigger power supply…
Mostly too dry, probably wouldn't get humid enough. And most of the tropics, while humid, doesn't quite get hot enough for the Wet Bulb to go over 35º. I'd pick the USA Midwest, Chicago came close in 1995
Not too stupid an idea. It has been surmised that the reason mammals survived the Chixulub impactor, while non-avian dinosaurs did not, is because the small mammals of the time were burrowers. And also nocturnal, the only time they came above ground was at night.
This could be the future of humanity in the humid tropical zones where day time temperatures above ground might regularly go above 35C wet bulb temperature.
Technically not….heating is a requirement as is ventilation….practically that usually means a heat pump which can also operate as an air conditioner, but air conditioning is not required per se.
Have you been through the HNZ standard rental agreement recently?
All the requirements are there in black and white. More than one heater, specify age of heat pump, materials and age of insulation on ceiling, wall and floor, vent extractors, multiple other detailed requirements. You can't make a heat pump go without power.
btw my rentals all have heat pumps, full wrap insulation, full double glazed, and HVAC, just to keep it a crispy.
have you read the thread?…all well and truely covered, and of course heat pumps are not the only acceptable heating solution to meet HHS but most pertinent of all, air conditioning is NOT required.
Invercargill?….no surprises there however i will note that those that have heat pumps that I know appear to have them running permanently ..summer ,winter, no matter the conditions. I happily admit I hate them with a passion but that is not the basis of my argument….rather than promoting the use of energy and consumer products (esp imported) we should be seeking to reduce energy consumption.
I only use them at night ( Just turned on as air t was 19.5c today) in winter,The house is designed so winter sun enters house,tiled conservatory,open doors and heat flows and surfeit protects from direct summer heat.During summer I open windows on south side (shaded) and heat moves to cool zone.
I agree we should be seeking to decrease energy consumption,it is known for example that temperature decreases in large urban centres over the weekends and holidays (Tokyo over 1c) mostly due to AC etc (urban centres also cool overnight more slowly then rural due to slow radiative cooling)
4. there is a hierarchy of sustainability that says start with passive tech before looking at high tech. Many cultures have developed ways of living in hot climates before industrialisation, we can learn from them.
5. the heatwave in the UK is a civil emergency, treat it as such rather than an inconvenience that can be solved by air con. Change plans, stay at home if possible and if this is going to be cool enough. Give portable air con to the people that really need it. Use passive tech to cool the body.
6. behaviour change is as important as tech solutions.
7. going forward, plant trees, many many trees, create microclimates in all areas where humans live. Think about wildlife too. Restore ecologies. Plants keep local environments cooler, think like a forest. This needs some careful planning around other extreme weather events, so employ whole systems thinkers to do this.
what is needed in Southland and Otago is different from Auckland or Wellington. Rural vs urban and so on. Depends on the house, how sunny or shady, the weather over the year etc. There's no one size fits all.
I consider heat pumps fairly problematic in parts of Otago and Southland (and other places) because if there is a power outage, eg in a big storm in winter, then people have no way to keep themselves warm. I would never live without a wood burner. But we should be mandating (lol that word) very high efficiency wood stoves like those used in Europe, to lessen the amount of firewood burned and to protect air quality. We should also be planting firewood and managing that forestry sustainably. We should also be mandating grid tied solar. Multiple solutions and designed for local conditions and situations are best for resiliency eg solar power, solar hot water, a wood burner and mains power.
Air con for cooling can be replaced by passive cooling techniques, in builds and retrofitted. We should be planning this now (along with all the other things)
But we should be mandating (lol that word) very high efficiency wood stoves like those used in Europe, to lessen the amount of firewood burned and to protect air quality.
Invercargill isn't a rural town, it's a city, and has its own set of problems to resolve.
However one defines a city, burning wood for heat in Canterbury, Otago or Southland isn't good for you and the bans on different burners have increased steadily since 2015. Sure, the romance has gone, but it's pretty much like trying to make a clean combustion engine.
space heating with wood can be carbon neutral. ICE cars can't. You seem to not be aware what a high efficiency wood stove is.
What's the plan for people in Te Anau if the big one hits mid winter and there's no power for a month? Mass evacuation? Or a major snow storm in Central Otago that takes out power for a week? Do you think these things won't happen? We might get lucky and the Alpine Fault shifts in summer I guess. But the big storms and power losses are in our future. And much more frequent, which is the kicker. We think we can just fix everything, but as events get more frequent this becomes harder economically and technically (and it's likely we will experience materials shortages as well).
The poor elephant-seal hunters of the sub-Antarctic islands made their homes from driftwood and heated them by burning great slabs of elephant-seal blubber in their fire-places.
The change that is necessary is for the government to stop issuing permits for coal mining on Crown land in Huntly.
The change that is necessary is for the government to stop importing coal from Indonesia.
The change that is necessary is for the government to switch funding for more motorways into public transport.
The government need to ban intensive dairying conversions on traditional cropping lands unsuitable for it that lead to massive nitrate pollution of our waterways as well as increase our carbon emissions.
The government need to stop subsidising carbon intensive industries like Air New Zealand to the tune of $billion and start encouraging surface travel instead.
Until our leaders can stop being hypocrites, the only option for the rest of us is to cope with the symptoms the best we can.
Until our leaders can stop being hypocrites, the only option for the rest of us is to cope with the symptoms the best we can.
That's utterly defeatist, attitudinally and strategically. If we wait for governments we will lose. Governments and other leaders are people like us. Further, governments are dependent upon voters in short term cycles. If NZ doesn't want radical change, Labour can't force that.
Your position also strikes me as a cop out. Oh, we can't do anything until the government does. Bollocks. We can all do things now, all of us. Many things. The choices on what to do are better now than they used to be. No way am I going to wring my hands and give up on action just because Labour are stuck between a rock and a hard place.
There is a lot we can do to ease the worst of the effects especially if a we look towards how people adapted to hot climates before the advent of air con. For example the limewashed white homes in Greece. A number of years ago I read a paper advocating that we look to paint / use reflective colors on the rooves in densely populated areas as way of reducing the heat island effect. That's something we should be moving towards, Likewise we should be further reducing the amount of paved surface around housing and cities (I count fake lawn as paved) in exchange for more landscaped space to help reduce the heat island effect. No doubt we could also design with the prevailing winds in mind to maximise opportunties for ventilation.
Ventilation design doesn't need to utilise prevailing winds.
Design can use glazing and thermal mass to create hot air, as that air rises and releases through higher openings, it can pull air from vents lower down on the cooler side of the house.
A friend built a house in Spain using this passive method:
Again, we are several tens of thousands of homes short. what sort of heating could be used in NZ to allow to build affordable which already is something that is barely happening.
The coldest i lived through was – 33 in Germany 1986 (my windows were frozen shut as were the doors of the s-bahn and buses 🙂 and -25 in France in 95 (i learned how to chop firewood real fast!) the warmest somewhere around 40+ in the South of France IN 2003 (which was worse then the cold). So houses build with cold in mind and central gas heating in Germany, and River Stone build houses with huge fire places in France. Insulation alone is never going to fix it alone, and in order to be energy efficient you would have to replace most housing the world over. And i can not see that happening.
In NZ we can not even include planting to provide shade barriers in new settlements. These settlements like in OZ will be future ovens in which without air con no one will actually be able to live. Concreted over, no shade belts, and air cons blowing out hot heat into the already super hot outside.
some problems are easier to solve than others. It's possible to retrofit many houses in NZ to make them warmer and more energy efficient. Yes, space heating is still needed.
Much of the problems you name are political and social not technological.
The fuel and pt subsidy contributed around -.5%,which would extend for the rest of the year. Council Rates rise season is coming in the next 1/4,which affects both home owners and SME more,that was deemed problematic by the RBNZ .
In this release we get new housing building costs of 18%,which will also affect the RBNZ policy statement,this needs to be wacked to ensure stability and confidence in the construction industry.
Overall it seems that cost control is evident,as tradeable inflation is not that high considering the nz$ has depreciated 15% y on y.
Highest rate since 1990 a whole generation not prepared for price shocks,financial risks, also the most fragile generations
i suspect there will be significant lag in tradeable numbers, although commodities are falling considerably there will be a premium for the volatility and I expect our dollar will continue its downward trajectory….also Chinas output looks to be at serious risk.
First our electricity prices are not so sensitive to overseas commodity prices.The low cost of electricity over the last 1/4 for large users has been at the bottom of ranges for the last 2 years.
Second we have a good ability to produce fresh low cost food staples,which despite handwaving are readily available.
I am just reading about it now…..my sense is we have been but that may be changing….and as to timing, I dont possess a crystal ball, so its never too soon.
We may have the capacity to produce fresh low cost food staples – but that's not the reality that consumers are seeing. Fresh food prices (including locally grown/produced food) are continuing their upwards spiral.
Partly because of increased export demand/prices (if Fonterra can sell their butter for $7 kilo overseas, why would they sell it for $5 in NZ). And partly because of increased production costs (diesel for deliveries is only one). And partly because of weather (flooding, drought, etc.).
I buy fruit and veges from the local market gardens,I buy seasonal gluts,where most are around $1 -2 kilo at present,say spuds ,onions,pumpkin and kumara.Apples 1$ and kiwifruit $2 are around best value at the moment and I supplement from my deep freeze with berries ( pyo) and capsicums and courgettes brought during the autumn price lows.
Mince at my local butcher is still under 10$ a kilo,dairy which is tradeable is subject to o/s pricing,but Milk in canterbury is still cheap.
Pretty different living in Auckland – have not seen any veges at $1-2/kg. Unless you're rural – there are no real farmer's markets – the market prices for fruit and veges are pretty comparable with the greengrocers (though may be slightly cheaper than the supermarkets). Of course, you have to get to the not-really-a-farmers-market. A separate trip probably wipes out whatever gains you might have made.
I buy my veges from the local Chinese food market. The price is probably pretty similar, but the quality and choice are better than the supermarket.
Butcher prices are pretty much equivalent with supermarkets at best. They're often more expensive – as they're pretty niche – appealing to the conscious consumer. Our Mad Butcher (long gone) is much mourned & I don't know if the remnants of the chain offer the original pricing benefits.
Dairy is the same price wherever you shop (generally slightly cheaper at Pak n Save – especially if you look out for the specials)
I too, use my freezer (also preserving for tomato passata and jams). But am conscious that being able to stock up when ingredients are 'cheap' is a privilege not everyone shares.
BTW – have had no success in freezing courgettes – they just go mushy – how do you do it?
If you want it to happen, you're going to have to legislate (or provide some form of economic incentive). Businesses are in business to make money. They don't make money by selling at a discount.
I'm not sure how Fonterra is relying on me for every cent it makes. If you're arguing that they are benefiting from the NZ environment, then look at making them pay for that – but, be aware that the price of the end product will go up.
Virtually every exporter trades on being "NZ" – and none of them sell their product at cut price in NZ. NZ wine, for example, is a good deal cheaper in London than it is in my local supermarket.
Belladonna – when businesses are in business to make a profit but do so with no concern for the society that supports them, and indulge in anti-social profit-gouging, they thoroughly deserve to be called out as public enemies.
Unfortunately, the media are now profit-driven, and are careful not to displease the marketers who run them (- even our 'state-owned' media are SOEs and now have bloody marketers as CEO..)
It appears to me that we have no hope of a sane system.
I think those building skills,may be useful for when the new housing sector corrects (as it should) and John and Max get exposed to full service from the Chow Bros.
There's also Gibbston Valley, varying stories about the Key's level of involvement but JK was very much the face of it at launch. Marketing is by Hamish Walker.
It's just down the road and unfortunately it's not Millbrook. Windy, cold and confined. I'd put it as a very likely candidate for a tits up with severely burnt contractors and buyers.
Serious roading works getting a safe entry off the State Highway into the development, they've been working on that for 6 months. Then there's all the development infrastructure and golf course. Lot of capital expenditure before they get any settlements. And got a long way to go before it looks like somewhere to build, just a fancy intersection under construction and a lot of gear and piles of dirt at present. But they can't do much until they've got an access.
Quite a few re-sales turning up already on TradeMe too.
Yeah, lots of projects around here have wound back until costs stabilise, even some of the Government funded Covid recovery projects.
It's a bit of a local sport this time every cycle to pick the projects that are going go tits up. Really a survival strategy, as if you get caught up in one, there's several each cycle and they're usually big, you're in for a change in circumstances.
Funny you ask about that, we've been looking at that a lot lately as they've picked up our old premises as a sales office. Landlord will be happy, suspect she's picked up the sales contract / listing as well.
My view is that it's on the right track and will find a very receptive market. I thought the form of it was quite modest and fits well There have been lots of proposals, some lower and greater footprint, others quite tall with lots of space, along with some very high density ideas. Hopefully it will be done professionally and the project can keep to it's aims
It's not really that ideal for permanent or family living, but a lot of people who come here don't want that, they want to be here for 6 months – 2 years and partake of what the place offers, and the CBD with it's dining and entertainment is very much part of that. Also appeal to the cribbie market in Sydney and Melbourne.
This medium residence tenure is a big part of the town, and has been for ever. Sometimes totally intentional, come here for a year or so with no intention of settling long term, sometimes a bit forced. Both groups spend more in the community than they earn, which is what makes the place go 'round.
It's been rather controversial as it's on the old camping ground, so is a bit triggering to those that want to go back to the 70's and pull up in the Holden or Chrysler and have a picnic, but in reality is catering to the 2022 version of the same demographic.
There's a lot of under capitalised private land around it too, so it will set a tone for future development up there.
Potential downside is what that amount of residential in Tāhuna will do to the traffic, but they will live there, most of our traffic issues are from people who don't live in Tāhuna driving in to have dinner and party. Taumata residents can walk in, but might need a taxi home, it's a bit of a hike with the wobbly boot…
catering to the 2022 version of the same demographic
AirBNB then?
The people who built the old cribs at Lakeview in the 40's and 50's were farmers and business people form Southland and Otago. They would have been the 1% of their little world south of the Waitaki.
Over time others have come in, initially from the north, and built larger and more opulent properties, elsewhere in Whaktipu, far surpassing the financial abilities of the descendants of the original Lakeview cribbies, although there's some seriously well set up retired Southland Farmers around the place.
Now we will have another cohort of people coming in and buying holiday houses (cribs) on the same piece of land who will partake in the energy of Whakatipu in the same way as the cribbies of the 50's, and people have for 800 years.
Pretty much the same as Southland Robert. Pretty much everything comes by road from the north there too.
Considerably bigger issue is electricity, only one line in, and through some tricky geology. That could fuck up our day with a lot less than the Alpine Fault, there's several a lot closer. At least food demand will reduce somewhat if one of the pylons falls off the hill. In the event you should be prepared for refugees, there's less than 5% local generation so life in Whakatipu will get hard as we loose the ability to provide and dispose of our water.
Fortunately it's owned by Transpower, who put a lot of effort into maintenance, rather than Aurora who've got a stadium to pay for. A fair lodge of our ORC rates go to that as well.
If anyone was of a mind to monkey wrench the place that powerline would be a good place to start.
A good shake along Nevis – Cardrona could require some quick decision making at SDC too, if something comes down in kawarau Gorge and sends Whakatipu Wai Maori back down the Mataura. Granted there would be some rapid scuttling around here as most decamp to higher ground. More refugees for Murihiku
Graeme (4.2.1.1) – apologies if this post is repeated, but I started it and it disappeared.
If the new Gibbston Valley elite subdivision/resort is on the side of the road I'm thinking it's being established, driving from Cromwell to Queenstown and back again it appears to me, there is very little sunshine if any, during the cold winter months. Even if I had the money to buy there (which I don't), it's not a place I'd want to live for that reason alone. Besides, I don't think I'd like the neighbours
I paid $2.57 litre for diesel today, lowest for months. My take is high fuel prices were cynical price gouging powered by Capitalism/ Businesses main mantra.. “ Never waste a good crisis “. Bastards.
Ben Van Beurden, chief executive of Shell, said that the company’s performance “has been helped by the macro and the macro has been impacted by the war in Ukraine”. He added that this situation means “we do have a better company, we do have a better performance, and yes indeed our shareholders will benefit from that as well”.
Murray Auchincloss, BP’s chief financial officer, said in February: “Certainly, it’s possible that we’re getting more cash than we know what to do with.”
Climate campaigners, however, have called the profits “obscene” and argued that the provision of fossil fuels would not be so lavishly rewarding if governments had acted properly to confront the escalating climate crisis.
“The greed of these companies is staggering,” said Lori Lodes, executive director of Climate Power, an advocacy group. “We’ve heard their executives bragging about how much the agony of inflation and the tragedy of the war in Ukraine has allowed them to raise prices. These profits are going right into their pockets.”
You are fortunate. Where I live in Auckland diesel is still over $3/l. Why are we still being fleeced?
We were told in 2017 the government was watching the industry and would action if there was anything untoward. $0.40/l price difference, perhaps the govt should take another look ??
When advocating for gun reform, there will have to be considered reasonable responses to those that point out the reduction in harm because someone else had a weapon.
The public conversation on gun reform is happening now.
If you don't think being able to strategise to come up with a reasonable response to an inevitable pushback is worthwhile, well I'm sure you have some other convincing argument in mind…
The occasions when this occurs tend to be less well reported by the media – perhaps because the bloodbath is reduced (if it bleeds, it leads, is well established as a MSM mantra).
Look, I'm not arguing that there are more of them, or that it's a desirable outcome – but supporting Molly in pointing out that 'I've never seen any reported' is not a winning strategy in convincing anyone.
And, also, that if the shooter is shot before he goes ahead and kills large numbers of people, it's never going to be listed as a mass shooting.
I know what you are saying Molly. Those who mount this argument in favour of not doing away with open gun ownership have not really thought it through.
There is no mana in shooting someone. It is never ever a good thing. This is why we have specific declarations of war that lift the laws about shooting another country's military ie people but dressed in a uniform. This is why we have strong laws against guns and against people randomly killing others. To justify having open slather on carrying guns because one day you might be able to kill someone else who is on a rampage …….
I might obtain a chest held grenade launcher on the basis that the Russians may leave Ukraine and arrive in south Wellington. Or perhaps I could have used it against the Italian Airforce plane landing in Chch on its way to the Antarctic. This featured in some weird anti vaxxer story.
In my mind no mana attaches to either shooter, no matter if you are gunman no 1 or gunman no 2. Not sure for GM2 if it could even be called legal self defence.
It is like when Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald. I was about 9 when this happened and naively thought it was a good thing that the baddy had been killed. It was then I had the rule of law and civilisations, and who and when can shoot other people explained to me by my father. I’ve never forgotten it.
However bearing mind the Rittenhouse verdict it is clear that the US has a very different view about guns and killing people.
Yes – it has noticeably gone corporate. Set up to be destroyed from within like Forest & Bird was. License income has never been greater – thus far not reflected in better services.
I thought regional councils became an arm of the Feds shortly before inception, well in Otago anyway.
F&G's tenure must be coming close to the end, they've had a pasting in environment Court and it can't be long before DOC starts quietly assuming their responsibilities
That is true, Graeme, but since then, some woke progressives have infiltrated the regional councils and caused all sorts of problems. They need expunging!
Well, you ever want to see a good example of a guy who had done dumb and criminal stuff in his background. then simply devote his remaining short life to doing good for homeless and poor Maori of the Far North, look no further than Ricky Houghton.
Relax folks former national MP (2 years) dan bidois has the solutions to inflation from his stuff soapbox.
Shelve 3 waters, health reforms, akl light rail and lotsa eco babble you'd expect to surround the key messages on 3 waters, health and public transport.
Chris Trotter ponders on the appeal of foul mouthed people to some voters by looking at Donald Trump and Leo Molloy. The points are well made.
My big concern is that this type of person has really no clues about dealing with people and I shiver when I think of the mayhem that could take place in ACC. They would need a very strong CEO to keep Molloy in his place. The CE would need to expect that there may be runs at their job as well in an effort to dislodge any mild incumbent so a more 'suitable' one could be installed. No workplace needs this kind of rubbish.
We had enough of it from late 1980s to 1990s in the PS with its array of odd CEs, following the Rogernomics/Ruthenasia platforms who did not know anything about how the PS worked.
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TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced$802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Carereport in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquirypublished its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone iconon the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive:Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloittereport for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’sOliver LewisScoop:Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announcedthe Board of Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Orderimage, ...
Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
Open access notablesImproving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society:To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum. While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation. “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan. “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests. Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone. Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
Last summer when Matairangi burned, Ginny and Tom stood at the window of their lounge, watching kākā shoot skyward from the burning trees. From the distance, they looked to Ginny like pages torn from books and thrown into a bonfire. It was Tom, voice tight, who told her it was ...
Opinion: The Canadian short story writer Alice Munro – winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013 – died in May at the age of 92. Her work was about “the damage people inflict on one another in the name of love”, Deborah Treisman wrote in the New Yorker. ...
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Good to see this Canterbury coal mine preparing to close.
Coal Mine Appeals Hard-Hitting Decision on Closure and Remediation | Newsroom
Hopefully Forest and Bird actually get this government to reverse its proposed exceptions to the wetland protection rules in the 2020 National Environmental Standard (NES-F), which gives generous carveouts for coal mining, dumps, and quarrying.
Toby Manhire reviews Andrea Vance's book on the Nats (includes link to 55 min podcast I have not listened to). Sounds a bit more promising than I thought. https://thespinoff.co.nz/books/18-07-2022/we-didnt-know-how-nasty-it-got-andrea-vance-on-nationals-long-nightmare
Wonder which party Board member leaked her the report?
Extending the petrol tax cut and half price public transport into next year must be considered a very smart political move by the Labour government and puts the next move onto National.
Does National support it and by implication support what they have always labelled Labour's "excessive spending" or do they oppose it and show their true colours – the party that cares little for the poor and disadvantaged – and risk alienating the many voters who are thinking hard of returning to National?
I work in public transport and have had many discussions with people about the half price fares. I always thought that they would continue past August 31 because there is evidence that passenger numbers have increased significantly.
Mike the Lefty, yes I believe they have laid down the gauntlet for National.
Do the Nats moan and challenge, or pass the baton to Seymour the mouth?
Cost savings for those who use regular Public Transport appear to be significant in their budgets, plus this is targeting the correct groups.
Those with gas guzzlers are having to face a truer cost and the growing uptick in EVs perhaps is partly driven by the realisation that the change is supported and personally cost efficient.
National have looked to have had a perceived "Decent Leader" bounce, which is dropping away as people listen closely to the clumsy slogans watch the inept behaviour, and take note of positions on key issues and negative comments made.
The offered tax cuts have had their impact and sound hollow and stale, as experience has shown they are not a total answer as they do not take care of two large issues.
In a talk, their Leader said "everyone was over covid" and I then wondered whether he believed in climate change. The advertising about him says he takes it seriously. Where is the proof of that? When has he commented on actual problems? Like the recent flooding?
I have heard him say he thought people "were over this Government" quoting early polls.. Well the people in his circles may be, and he has made plain he thinks he can do things better. The hubris is amazing. Those few remaining nasties and a crop of newbies will do better? Tui!!.
Andrea Vance's Book will no doubt confirm some events and attitudes. It is plain they are not considering those who take Public Transport.
Steve Braunias provides an entertaining take on Vance's book. Blue Blood
http://www.newsroom.co.nz/national-the-autopsy
Braunias' take on Blue Blood is very good. If I found the book lying somewhere, I'd thumb through it 🙂
Exquisite review from Braunias. Good reviews from real writers are sometimes a lot better than the thing being reviewed. That's the case here.
I was just coming back to add that. He is a far sharper writer than she will ever be.
Wonderful review – thanks Scotty.
Tova finds a way to make the book about Labour: https://www.todayfm.co.nz/home/opinion/2022/07/this-book-about-national-shows-how-bad-things-can-getlabour-should-read-it.html
Is it too late to stop climate change?
The future is clear, extreme heat, no water.
And we have a new term for it.
If you haven't got air conditioning at home. Get it.
"If you haven't got air conditioning at home. Get it."
Therein lies the problem
Indeed.
If you have the space, a clay soil and the will, dig a little cave. When the temperature gets too high, crouch in it 🙂
If you have the space, a clay soil and the will, dig a little cave. When the temperature gets too high, crouch right over, and kiss your arse goodbye.
🙂
Never.
Give.
Up.
I will never give up.
No surrender
If your solution, for those who can't afford air conditioning, is to dig a hole in the mud to crawl into. I fear that you have.
The planet cant afford the air conditioning
I know.
Not without completely decarbonising our supply chain, transport and energy systems, and agriculture, at least.
'Rational' behaviour producing the outcome we seek to avoid….its complicated (reductionism helps unscramble it)…yet another paradox
Ironically air conditioning could also be the thing that turns public sentiment to doing something about climate change. On the day when a lot of people somewhere can't survive (as in die) without air conditioning, and the power supply fails. If this happens in a city it will be tragic, and messy.
However I suspect that the outcome will be a bigger power supply…
and our near neighbour a likely candidate
Mostly too dry, probably wouldn't get humid enough. And most of the tropics, while humid, doesn't quite get hot enough for the Wet Bulb to go over 35º. I'd pick the USA Midwest, Chicago came close in 1995
https://www.reddit.com/r/australia/comments/5td0kc/badgerys_creek_in_western_sydney_had_a_wetbulb/
Wouldnt rule it out
Not given up. Too busy digging.
Keep digging.
Not too stupid an idea. It has been surmised that the reason mammals survived the Chixulub impactor, while non-avian dinosaurs did not, is because the small mammals of the time were burrowers. And also nocturnal, the only time they came above ground was at night.
This could be the future of humanity in the humid tropical zones where day time temperatures above ground might regularly go above 35C wet bulb temperature.
NZ will be well placed to farm camels. Nile perch for the aquaculture industry. Oz should move into spice – Shai Hulud will love the outback.
It's a government requirement on all rental properties.
Safe and warm people.
Technically not….heating is a requirement as is ventilation….practically that usually means a heat pump which can also operate as an air conditioner, but air conditioning is not required per se.
Have you been through the HNZ standard rental agreement recently?
All the requirements are there in black and white. More than one heater, specify age of heat pump, materials and age of insulation on ceiling, wall and floor, vent extractors, multiple other detailed requirements. You can't make a heat pump go without power.
btw my rentals all have heat pumps, full wrap insulation, full double glazed, and HVAC, just to keep it a crispy.
Thats got little to do with air conditioners.
Actually there's in practicality very little difference.
Heat Pumps vs Air Conditioners | Compare Heat Pump vs AC (carrier.com)
You know you can set them to cool the air, yeah?
have you read the thread?…all well and truely covered, and of course heat pumps are not the only acceptable heating solution to meet HHS but most pertinent of all, air conditioning is NOT required.
Have a look at the heating days/vs cooling days across sites in NZ.
Some such as Invercargill have 2 cooling days vs 160 heating days.Canterbury towns have the largest temperature range (and the lowest humidity)
https://www.degreedays.net/
Enter weather station number for your location.
Invercargill?….no surprises there however i will note that those that have heat pumps that I know appear to have them running permanently ..summer ,winter, no matter the conditions. I happily admit I hate them with a passion but that is not the basis of my argument….rather than promoting the use of energy and consumer products (esp imported) we should be seeking to reduce energy consumption.
I only use them at night ( Just turned on as air t was 19.5c today) in winter,The house is designed so winter sun enters house,tiled conservatory,open doors and heat flows and surfeit protects from direct summer heat.During summer I open windows on south side (shaded) and heat moves to cool zone.
I agree we should be seeking to decrease energy consumption,it is known for example that temperature decreases in large urban centres over the weekends and holidays (Tokyo over 1c) mostly due to AC etc (urban centres also cool overnight more slowly then rural due to slow radiative cooling)
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/11/7/074003
Air temp was about that here too….unfortunately at around 100kph
Easterly at the coast,little wind
You've obviously never experienced a 30 degree Canterbury summer day
Obviously…
…you have no idea what you speak of.
Here's how not to freak out Jenny.
1. we waste a lot of water. So water restrictions at this point are probably manageable (haven't looked at the details).
2. going forward, there is a range of tech we don't use currently in the mainstream that conserves water. We can integrate that.
3. air conditioning is one of the drivers of climate change. See https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/29/the-air-conditioning-trap-how-cold-air-is-heating-the-world
4. there is a hierarchy of sustainability that says start with passive tech before looking at high tech. Many cultures have developed ways of living in hot climates before industrialisation, we can learn from them.
5. the heatwave in the UK is a civil emergency, treat it as such rather than an inconvenience that can be solved by air con. Change plans, stay at home if possible and if this is going to be cool enough. Give portable air con to the people that really need it. Use passive tech to cool the body.
6. behaviour change is as important as tech solutions.
7. going forward, plant trees, many many trees, create microclimates in all areas where humans live. Think about wildlife too. Restore ecologies. Plants keep local environments cooler, think like a forest. This needs some careful planning around other extreme weather events, so employ whole systems thinkers to do this.
We're way past all that.
I have been freaking out about this for more than 2 decades.
We need to urgently decarbonise now.
Sweet. Please stop advocating for an increase in air con.
people need to know how to change, not just that change is necessary
consider that the government insists in air con for heating in their warmer home policies. At least were feasable.
What sort of heating do you think in NZ would work on both islands that does conserve on energy and does not fuck up the environment?
what is needed in Southland and Otago is different from Auckland or Wellington. Rural vs urban and so on. Depends on the house, how sunny or shady, the weather over the year etc. There's no one size fits all.
I consider heat pumps fairly problematic in parts of Otago and Southland (and other places) because if there is a power outage, eg in a big storm in winter, then people have no way to keep themselves warm. I would never live without a wood burner. But we should be mandating (lol that word) very high efficiency wood stoves like those used in Europe, to lessen the amount of firewood burned and to protect air quality. We should also be planting firewood and managing that forestry sustainably. We should also be mandating grid tied solar. Multiple solutions and designed for local conditions and situations are best for resiliency eg solar power, solar hot water, a wood burner and mains power.
Air con for cooling can be replaced by passive cooling techniques, in builds and retrofitted. We should be planning this now (along with all the other things)
All the new builds are regulated by region already, and are heading to get stronger.
Consultation document – Building Code update 2021 (mbie.govt.nz)
In rural towns you combine wood fire air pollution with car pollution and you get deaths by the thousands. The regulations have gone up and up but
Air pollution: Invercargill revealed as deadliest centre – study | RNZ News
In Otago and Southland a new build with two heatpumps and underfloor heating is a minimum. Few are putting in chimneys for burners.
Did you miss this bit in my comment?
Invercargill isn't a rural town, it's a city, and has its own set of problems to resolve.
They have re-regulated wood burning stoves across Canterbury and Otago and Southland for quite a while, and the air pollution is still killing people.
Home heating measures in my clean air zone | Environment Canterbury (ecan.govt.nz)
Approved heating appliances | Otago Regional Council (orc.govt.nz)
Southland wood burner ban coming into effect | RNZ News
However one defines a city, burning wood for heat in Canterbury, Otago or Southland isn't good for you and the bans on different burners have increased steadily since 2015. Sure, the romance has gone, but it's pretty much like trying to make a clean combustion engine.
NZ doesn't routinely use high efficiency woodburners. We're just not very good at this yet.
The car industry reacts the same way.
space heating with wood can be carbon neutral. ICE cars can't. You seem to not be aware what a high efficiency wood stove is.
What's the plan for people in Te Anau if the big one hits mid winter and there's no power for a month? Mass evacuation? Or a major snow storm in Central Otago that takes out power for a week? Do you think these things won't happen? We might get lucky and the Alpine Fault shifts in summer I guess. But the big storms and power losses are in our future. And much more frequent, which is the kicker. We think we can just fix everything, but as events get more frequent this becomes harder economically and technically (and it's likely we will experience materials shortages as well).
Is it the home-fires killing people in these cities … or the diesel fuelled trucks driving through the city wot dun it?
Wooly jumpers.
wooly mammoths, heat a village
The poor elephant-seal hunters of the sub-Antarctic islands made their homes from driftwood and heated them by burning great slabs of elephant-seal blubber in their fire-places.
Let's hope it doesn't descend to that!
The change that is necessary is for the government to stop issuing permits for coal mining on Crown land in Huntly.
The change that is necessary is for the government to stop importing coal from Indonesia.
The change that is necessary is for the government to switch funding for more motorways into public transport.
The government need to ban intensive dairying conversions on traditional cropping lands unsuitable for it that lead to massive nitrate pollution of our waterways as well as increase our carbon emissions.
The government need to stop subsidising carbon intensive industries like Air New Zealand to the tune of $billion and start encouraging surface travel instead.
Until our leaders can stop being hypocrites, the only option for the rest of us is to cope with the symptoms the best we can.
That's utterly defeatist, attitudinally and strategically. If we wait for governments we will lose. Governments and other leaders are people like us. Further, governments are dependent upon voters in short term cycles. If NZ doesn't want radical change, Labour can't force that.
Your position also strikes me as a cop out. Oh, we can't do anything until the government does. Bollocks. We can all do things now, all of us. Many things. The choices on what to do are better now than they used to be. No way am I going to wring my hands and give up on action just because Labour are stuck between a rock and a hard place.
There is a lot we can do to ease the worst of the effects especially if a we look towards how people adapted to hot climates before the advent of air con. For example the limewashed white homes in Greece. A number of years ago I read a paper advocating that we look to paint / use reflective colors on the rooves in densely populated areas as way of reducing the heat island effect. That's something we should be moving towards, Likewise we should be further reducing the amount of paved surface around housing and cities (I count fake lawn as paved) in exchange for more landscaped space to help reduce the heat island effect. No doubt we could also design with the prevailing winds in mind to maximise opportunties for ventilation.
Ventilation design doesn't need to utilise prevailing winds.
Design can use glazing and thermal mass to create hot air, as that air rises and releases through higher openings, it can pull air from vents lower down on the cooler side of the house.
A friend built a house in Spain using this passive method:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trombe_wall
Thermal mass building, and solar design can also reduce temperature fluctuations.
Again, we are several tens of thousands of homes short. what sort of heating could be used in NZ to allow to build affordable which already is something that is barely happening.
The coldest i lived through was – 33 in Germany 1986 (my windows were frozen shut as were the doors of the s-bahn and buses 🙂 and -25 in France in 95 (i learned how to chop firewood real fast!) the warmest somewhere around 40+ in the South of France IN 2003 (which was worse then the cold). So houses build with cold in mind and central gas heating in Germany, and River Stone build houses with huge fire places in France. Insulation alone is never going to fix it alone, and in order to be energy efficient you would have to replace most housing the world over. And i can not see that happening.
In NZ we can not even include planting to provide shade barriers in new settlements. These settlements like in OZ will be future ovens in which without air con no one will actually be able to live. Concreted over, no shade belts, and air cons blowing out hot heat into the already super hot outside.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/435088/parts-of-sydney-may-be-too-hot-to-live-in-within-decades
some problems are easier to solve than others. It's possible to retrofit many houses in NZ to make them warmer and more energy efficient. Yes, space heating is still needed.
Much of the problems you name are political and social not technological.
Inflation at 7.3 percent (32 year high).
https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/annual-inflation-at-7-3-percent-32-year-high/
higher end….RBNZ brow will be furrowed
The fuel and pt subsidy contributed around -.5%,which would extend for the rest of the year. Council Rates rise season is coming in the next 1/4,which affects both home owners and SME more,that was deemed problematic by the RBNZ .
In this release we get new housing building costs of 18%,which will also affect the RBNZ policy statement,this needs to be wacked to ensure stability and confidence in the construction industry.
Overall it seems that cost control is evident,as tradeable inflation is not that high considering the nz$ has depreciated 15% y on y.
Highest rate since 1990 a whole generation not prepared for price shocks,financial risks, also the most fragile generations
i suspect there will be significant lag in tradeable numbers, although commodities are falling considerably there will be a premium for the volatility and I expect our dollar will continue its downward trajectory….also Chinas output looks to be at serious risk.
Interesting times?
We have 2 good defensive capabilities.
First our electricity prices are not so sensitive to overseas commodity prices.The low cost of electricity over the last 1/4 for large users has been at the bottom of ranges for the last 2 years.
Second we have a good ability to produce fresh low cost food staples,which despite handwaving are readily available.
That is true…countered by the fact we import just about everything else, even a surprising amount of food.
We shouldnt starve or freeze…..fingers crossed.
At this juncture, it would be wise to grow more vegetables nearby to our populated areas, yes?
probably…though I expect we already do, those that we can.
Maybe I meant, we should grow more vegetables for our populated areas.
Prepare for trouble. Get dedicated crops into the ground.
This is not a drill (imo).
I am just reading about it now…..my sense is we have been but that may be changing….and as to timing, I dont possess a crystal ball, so its never too soon.
Not as good as I had thought from the sounds of it…
https://www.hortnz.co.nz/assets/Environment/National-Env-Policy/JR-Reference-Documents-/KPMG-2017-NZ-domestic-vegeable-production-.pdf
Productive land loss, population growth and lack of strategy before we even consider climate change….
and then theres the plankton
We may have the capacity to produce fresh low cost food staples – but that's not the reality that consumers are seeing. Fresh food prices (including locally grown/produced food) are continuing their upwards spiral.
Partly because of increased export demand/prices (if Fonterra can sell their butter for $7 kilo overseas, why would they sell it for $5 in NZ). And partly because of increased production costs (diesel for deliveries is only one). And partly because of weather (flooding, drought, etc.).
I buy fruit and veges from the local market gardens,I buy seasonal gluts,where most are around $1 -2 kilo at present,say spuds ,onions,pumpkin and kumara.Apples 1$ and kiwifruit $2 are around best value at the moment and I supplement from my deep freeze with berries ( pyo) and capsicums and courgettes brought during the autumn price lows.
Mince at my local butcher is still under 10$ a kilo,dairy which is tradeable is subject to o/s pricing,but Milk in canterbury is still cheap.
Pretty different living in Auckland – have not seen any veges at $1-2/kg. Unless you're rural – there are no real farmer's markets – the market prices for fruit and veges are pretty comparable with the greengrocers (though may be slightly cheaper than the supermarkets). Of course, you have to get to the not-really-a-farmers-market. A separate trip probably wipes out whatever gains you might have made.
I buy my veges from the local Chinese food market. The price is probably pretty similar, but the quality and choice are better than the supermarket.
Butcher prices are pretty much equivalent with supermarkets at best. They're often more expensive – as they're pretty niche – appealing to the conscious consumer. Our Mad Butcher (long gone) is much mourned & I don't know if the remnants of the chain offer the original pricing benefits.
Dairy is the same price wherever you shop (generally slightly cheaper at Pak n Save – especially if you look out for the specials)
I too, use my freezer (also preserving for tomato passata and jams). But am conscious that being able to stock up when ingredients are 'cheap' is a privilege not everyone shares.
BTW – have had no success in freezing courgettes – they just go mushy – how do you do it?
"if Fonterra can sell their butter for $7 kilo overseas, why would they sell it for $5 in NZ".
Because the rely entirely upon NZ for every cent they make?
Because they trade on being "NZ"
Because they have a responsibility to support the country that supports them?
Because they are exporting New Zealand produce??
Yes?
No??
If you want it to happen, you're going to have to legislate (or provide some form of economic incentive). Businesses are in business to make money. They don't make money by selling at a discount.
I'm not sure how Fonterra is relying on me for every cent it makes. If you're arguing that they are benefiting from the NZ environment, then look at making them pay for that – but, be aware that the price of the end product will go up.
Virtually every exporter trades on being "NZ" – and none of them sell their product at cut price in NZ. NZ wine, for example, is a good deal cheaper in London than it is in my local supermarket.
Belladonna – when businesses are in business to make a profit but do so with no concern for the society that supports them, and indulge in anti-social profit-gouging, they thoroughly deserve to be called out as public enemies.
Unfortunately, the media are now profit-driven, and are careful not to displease the marketers who run them (- even our 'state-owned' media are SOEs and now have bloody marketers as CEO..)
It appears to me that we have no hope of a sane system.
I can see Grant and Adrian asking in unison.
"Hey Clint! Is this good or bad?"
Grant and Adrian dont need Clint to tell them that grass is green.
Very furrowed
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU2207/S00254/reserve-bank-announces-new-standing-repurchase-facility.htm
Is this the latest plan for dealing with inflation? A new kind of savings account for banks. Thats certain to fix inflation.
An indication of the level of concern I'd suggest
Unfortunately, this might be another nail tapped into the Government’s coffin so big that even John Key could drive it in, after a few go’s.
https://thestandard.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/key-hammer-nail.mov
I think those building skills,may be useful for when the new housing sector corrects (as it should) and John and Max get exposed to full service from the Chow Bros.
There's also Gibbston Valley, varying stories about the Key's level of involvement but JK was very much the face of it at launch. Marketing is by Hamish Walker.
It's just down the road and unfortunately it's not Millbrook. Windy, cold and confined. I'd put it as a very likely candidate for a tits up with severely burnt contractors and buyers.
Is roading an issue there?
Serious roading works getting a safe entry off the State Highway into the development, they've been working on that for 6 months. Then there's all the development infrastructure and golf course. Lot of capital expenditure before they get any settlements. And got a long way to go before it looks like somewhere to build, just a fancy intersection under construction and a lot of gear and piles of dirt at present. But they can't do much until they've got an access.
Quite a few re-sales turning up already on TradeMe too.
There will be a large blowout on the infrastructure earthworks,wait to they get an updated pricing on services.
Yeah, lots of projects around here have wound back until costs stabilise, even some of the Government funded Covid recovery projects.
It's a bit of a local sport this time every cycle to pick the projects that are going go tits up. Really a survival strategy, as if you get caught up in one, there's several each cycle and they're usually big, you're in for a change in circumstances.
What do you think of the QLDC joint venture Lakeview?
10 hectares is a lot even for Queenstown.
Lakeview Development (qldc.govt.nz)
Funny you ask about that, we've been looking at that a lot lately as they've picked up our old premises as a sales office. Landlord will be happy, suspect she's picked up the sales contract / listing as well.
My view is that it's on the right track and will find a very receptive market. I thought the form of it was quite modest and fits well There have been lots of proposals, some lower and greater footprint, others quite tall with lots of space, along with some very high density ideas. Hopefully it will be done professionally and the project can keep to it's aims
It's not really that ideal for permanent or family living, but a lot of people who come here don't want that, they want to be here for 6 months – 2 years and partake of what the place offers, and the CBD with it's dining and entertainment is very much part of that. Also appeal to the cribbie market in Sydney and Melbourne.
This medium residence tenure is a big part of the town, and has been for ever. Sometimes totally intentional, come here for a year or so with no intention of settling long term, sometimes a bit forced. Both groups spend more in the community than they earn, which is what makes the place go 'round.
It's been rather controversial as it's on the old camping ground, so is a bit triggering to those that want to go back to the 70's and pull up in the Holden or Chrysler and have a picnic, but in reality is catering to the 2022 version of the same demographic.
There's a lot of under capitalised private land around it too, so it will set a tone for future development up there.
Potential downside is what that amount of residential in Tāhuna will do to the traffic, but they will live there, most of our traffic issues are from people who don't live in Tāhuna driving in to have dinner and party. Taumata residents can walk in, but might need a taxi home, it's a bit of a hike with the wobbly boot…
Good to hear the perspective thankyou Graeme.
AirBNB then?
The people who built the old cribs at Lakeview in the 40's and 50's were farmers and business people form Southland and Otago. They would have been the 1% of their little world south of the Waitaki.
Over time others have come in, initially from the north, and built larger and more opulent properties, elsewhere in Whaktipu, far surpassing the financial abilities of the descendants of the original Lakeview cribbies, although there's some seriously well set up retired Southland Farmers around the place.
Now we will have another cohort of people coming in and buying holiday houses (cribs) on the same piece of land who will partake in the energy of Whakatipu in the same way as the cribbies of the 50's, and people have for 800 years.
How's the food-security issue looking for Q-town, Graeme?
An Alpine shake, a severance of the supply-lines from the north?
All rosey?
Pretty much the same as Southland Robert. Pretty much everything comes by road from the north there too.
Considerably bigger issue is electricity, only one line in, and through some tricky geology. That could fuck up our day with a lot less than the Alpine Fault, there's several a lot closer. At least food demand will reduce somewhat if one of the pylons falls off the hill. In the event you should be prepared for refugees, there's less than 5% local generation so life in Whakatipu will get hard as we loose the ability to provide and dispose of our water.
Fortunately it's owned by Transpower, who put a lot of effort into maintenance, rather than Aurora who've got a stadium to pay for. A fair lodge of our ORC rates go to that as well.
If anyone was of a mind to monkey wrench the place that powerline would be a good place to start.
A good shake along Nevis – Cardrona could require some quick decision making at SDC too, if something comes down in kawarau Gorge and sends Whakatipu Wai Maori back down the Mataura. Granted there would be some rapid scuttling around here as most decamp to higher ground. More refugees for Murihiku
Graeme (4.2.1.1) – apologies if this post is repeated, but I started it and it disappeared.
If the new Gibbston Valley elite subdivision/resort is on the side of the road I'm thinking it's being established, driving from Cromwell to Queenstown and back again it appears to me, there is very little sunshine if any, during the cold winter months. Even if I had the money to buy there (which I don't), it's not a place I'd want to live for that reason alone. Besides, I don't think I'd like the neighbours![wink wink](https://cdn2.thestandard.org.nz/wp-content/plugins/ark-wysiwyg-comment-editor/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/wink_smile.png?x42494)
Like I said, it aint Millbrook
I paid $2.57 litre for diesel today, lowest for months. My take is high fuel prices were cynical price gouging powered by Capitalism/ Businesses main mantra.. “ Never waste a good crisis “. Bastards.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/may/13/oil-gas-producers-first-quarter-2022-profits
You're not wrong
Time for a Windfall Tax.
You are fortunate. Where I live in Auckland diesel is still over $3/l. Why are we still being fleeced?
We were told in 2017 the government was watching the industry and would action if there was anything untoward. $0.40/l price difference, perhaps the govt should take another look ??
Another mall shooting in the US.
Perhaps not as devastating as intended because a 20yr old pulled out a pistol and shot the gunman.
https://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2022/07/17/greenwood-park-mall-shooting-indianapolis/65375408007/
When advocating for gun reform, there will have to be considered reasonable responses to those that point out the reduction in harm because someone else had a weapon.
Not the case in any previous situations I have seen reported. Well done finding an exception.
It just happened a couple of hours ago.
The public conversation on gun reform is happening now.
If you don't think being able to strategise to come up with a reasonable response to an inevitable pushback is worthwhile, well I'm sure you have some other convincing argument in mind…
A reasonable response would be: Not the case in any previous situations I have seen reported.
If you are head nodding with your friends, then yes.
If you are trying to persuade others, then you might need more.
The occasions when this occurs tend to be less well reported by the media – perhaps because the bloodbath is reduced (if it bleeds, it leads, is well established as a MSM mantra).
A random assortment of other examples:
https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/churchs-head-of-security-says-he-killed-an-evil-not-a-human-in-taking-down-gunman/2283824/
https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/crime/2017/11/25/police-discuss-rockledge-homicide-apprehension-gunman/894502001/
https://nypost.com/2017/11/06/sharpshooting-plumber-fired-shot-that-took-down-texas-church-gunman/
https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/charleston-police-shooting-victim-pulled-assault-rifle-on-party/
This is one where the gunman was tackled, rather than shot
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-05-15/multiple-people-shot-at-church-in-laguna-woods-o-c-sheriff-says
That's great. Quite a few others in recent years.. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mass_shootings_in_the_United_States#List_of_mass_shootings_(21st_century)
Look, I'm not arguing that there are more of them, or that it's a desirable outcome – but supporting Molly in pointing out that 'I've never seen any reported' is not a winning strategy in convincing anyone.
And, also, that if the shooter is shot before he goes ahead and kills large numbers of people, it's never going to be listed as a mass shooting.
True. Imagine if the shooter found it harder to get a gun in the first place..
Pretty difficult to imagine in Auckland ATM.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/two-dead-after-shooting-in-aucklands-glendene/4UEBIAPN3TCGERVCWOWMHKKGOU/
I know what you are saying Molly. Those who mount this argument in favour of not doing away with open gun ownership have not really thought it through.
There is no mana in shooting someone. It is never ever a good thing. This is why we have specific declarations of war that lift the laws about shooting another country's military ie people but dressed in a uniform. This is why we have strong laws against guns and against people randomly killing others. To justify having open slather on carrying guns because one day you might be able to kill someone else who is on a rampage …….
I might obtain a chest held grenade launcher on the basis that the Russians may leave Ukraine and arrive in south Wellington. Or perhaps I could have used it against the Italian Airforce plane landing in Chch on its way to the Antarctic. This featured in some weird anti vaxxer story.
In my mind no mana attaches to either shooter, no matter if you are gunman no 1 or gunman no 2. Not sure for GM2 if it could even be called legal self defence.
It is like when Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald. I was about 9 when this happened and naively thought it was a good thing that the baddy had been killed. It was then I had the rule of law and civilisations, and who and when can shoot other people explained to me by my father. I’ve never forgotten it.
However bearing mind the Rittenhouse verdict it is clear that the US has a very different view about guns and killing people.
Feds takeover of Fish & Game complete – regional councils next!
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/whanganui-chronicle/news/opinion-changes-at-fish-game-nz-beneficial-for-everyone/2VQPNARETV4EZOZYPKLMM4I7VA/
Yes – it has noticeably gone corporate. Set up to be destroyed from within like Forest & Bird was. License income has never been greater – thus far not reflected in better services.
The "Dirty Dairying" campaign died in a ditch.
I thought regional councils became an arm of the Feds shortly before inception, well in Otago anyway.
F&G's tenure must be coming close to the end, they've had a pasting in environment Court and it can't be long before DOC starts quietly assuming their responsibilities
That is true, Graeme, but since then, some woke progressives have infiltrated the regional councils and caused all sorts of problems. They need expunging!
Well, you ever want to see a good example of a guy who had done dumb and criminal stuff in his background. then simply devote his remaining short life to doing good for homeless and poor Maori of the Far North, look no further than Ricky Houghton.
Northland community hero Ricky Houghton dies aged 62 (1news.co.nz)
He gave it all he got.
Relax folks former national MP (2 years) dan bidois has the solutions to inflation from his stuff soapbox.
Shelve 3 waters, health reforms, akl light rail and lotsa eco babble you'd expect to surround the key messages on 3 waters, health and public transport.
So predictable
https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2022/07/an-unvarnished-straight-talking-working.html
Chris Trotter ponders on the appeal of foul mouthed people to some voters by looking at Donald Trump and Leo Molloy. The points are well made.
My big concern is that this type of person has really no clues about dealing with people and I shiver when I think of the mayhem that could take place in ACC. They would need a very strong CEO to keep Molloy in his place. The CE would need to expect that there may be runs at their job as well in an effort to dislodge any mild incumbent so a more 'suitable' one could be installed. No workplace needs this kind of rubbish.
We had enough of it from late 1980s to 1990s in the PS with its array of odd CEs, following the Rogernomics/Ruthenasia platforms who did not know anything about how the PS worked.
Reminds me of Louis Crimp.