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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Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
I was initially resistant to the idea often suggested to me that the Government should deliver an arts strategy. The whole point of the arts and creativity is that people should do whatever the hell they want, unbound by the dictates of politicians in Wellington. Peter Jackson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Eleanor ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
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The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
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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
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.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyH1rlSqfkA