A Chinese spy has risked his life to defect to Australia and is now offering a trove of unprecedented inside intelligence on how China conducts its interference operations abroad.
Wang “William” Liqiang is the first Chinese operative to ever blow his cover. He has revealed the identities of China’s senior military intelligence officers in Hong Kong, as well as providing details of how they fund and conduct political interference operations in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia.
[…]
In interviews with The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes, he has revealed in granular detail how Beijing covertly controls listed companies to fund intelligence operations, including the surveillance and profiling of dissidents and the co-opting of media organisations.
He has given previously unheard details about the kidnapping of five booksellers from Hong Kong and their rendition to the Chinese mainland. His testimony shows how Beijing’s spies are infiltrating Hong Kong’s democracy movement, manipulating Taiwan’s elections and operating with impunity in Australia.
It was a massive effort by Arthur Taylor, lawyer Francois, and the Greens, to get through the system and convince the Judiciary, Appeal Court, and finally Minister Little.
The principle of prisoner voting and enrolment has been won, it is a matter of extending it.
As Green MP Golriz says…”you don’t get human rights for being good, you get them for being human”
Cabinet approval has occurred , so NZF is on board.
Little isnt 'leaving it up to staffers' like before who bungled similar changes including those in NZF. What ever happened to Ministers being involved in the detail of offices work, now its like Hollywood – get your people to talk to my people.
If you penalised all those who broke the law by removing their vote, including speedsters, tax evaders, drunk/drugged drivers, owners of illegal arms, the violent, the bullies and the thieves, then what kind of a government would we have, elected by the fully law-abiding, what party would succeed?
With us in charge, we will keep you safe and happy and you really don’t need to concern yourself with the complicated work of governance. You don’t want to ‘tear down’ or ‘shake up’ the system: having a stable group of very wealthy people control the government has always led to the greatest level of stability and peace—look how stable Europe was for a thousand years when royal families and their landed gentry ruled. We’re the ones chosen by God or a brilliant DNA lineage to lead. Just go shopping and leave things to us.
The alternative is to spread the costs imposed by visitors once they leave their accomodation across general ratepayers. Before the mid 90's Queenstown had a considerable loading on the sewerage rate for visitor accomodation that was to pay for tourist related costs around the district. That got axed in rating legislation changes / tightening around then.
It's not about "rich people", rather not having to impose those costs on the "poor people" of the district.
I was thinking about Labour's restrictions on selling housing to overseas owners. From memory QLDC submitted to get an exemption because of the perceived value to the area of wealthy people who like to fly in and out but don't have residency.
Here we go,
The Queenstown council submission says if the exemptions are not made "the shock to the luxury housing market will be considerable"
Yeah, fair point, but viewed in the context of the process of testing and refining legislation as it goes through the parliamentary process this is quite normal. At the time there were quite a few developments in train that could have gone tits up if their markets had been cut off. The effects of this would have hurt the small contractors and staff working on them much ore than the developers who bounced on to the next deal / company.
With the glorious benefit of hindsight, the effect on property markets and development has been pretty much nil, just a shift from those who can't get residency easily to those that can, or don't need to. And maybe forcing people to go down the residency path resulting in more committed purchasers. An agent I know in that market was pretty grumpy at the time, he's got his smile back now.
There's something disturbing about a council that will make that kind of submission but cannot (or will not) sort out its housing crisis. In both cases it seems like the priority is making money rather than attending to the wellbeing of the community and the citizens that live there.
Not that QLDC is alone in this, it's common to varying degrees in most councils. Just more obvious and pronounced with QLDC.
I wouldn't say QLDC isn't doing anything about the housing issues in the district, there's the Housing Trust and the new District Plan has a dramatic loosening of residential flat provisions which make it much easier for established families to house another generation, past or future. There's also over 1000 high density appartments in various stages of construction, most of which are Trust, KiwiBuild or otherwise destined to worker / staff housing rather than the open market.
But the perverse thing about housing in Queenstown Lakes or Central Otago is that increasing supply results in a many more times increase in demand. Unfortunately it's been like that since at least 1862 and the only thing that has any effect is a really good downturn, which the place does with bells and whistles.
they’re trying to do things, but it’s not working. I would say they’re a reflection of the wider NZ housing crisis. They’re still prioritising making money over the needs of residents.
“But the perverse thing about housing in Queenstown Lakes or Central Otago is that increasing supply results in a many more times increase in demand”
Yep, and the conversation there should be about capping development until the housing crisis is fixed*. That would be heresy of course, but my point stands about prioritising wealthy people.
*do all the other things as well like rent caps, better tenancy protections, social housing and so on.
I'm intrigued why you think that the housing issues in Queenstown are different to Remuera, Khandallah or Fendalton, or any other desirable location. Would you promote affordable housing for all in those locations as well?
Arrowtown has a cap on development through an urban growth boundary. The effect this has had is to make 60's and 70's cribs worth near a million and effectively throw the community that built from that period out of town as flash money rolled into town and took over the place.
We have doubled our population in the last 10 years, so well over half our population aren't from here. There's considerable churn as well, so the long term local population is incredibly small. All that increase is discretionary, no one has to live here and there's effectively no economy outside tourism, which doesn't pay many million dollar mortgages, and building houses to house people to build more houses.
You could be really cynical and say that cash burn is the main driver of Queenstown's economy and not be far from the truth.
Sometimes I wonder if things would be any different if we actually did have a total halt on new green field development, allowed property prices to go through the stratosphere, and forced employers to provide staff accomodation. Then the only way you could live here would be if you had a job with accomodation, or could pay the open market rents, which would be up in the stratosphere along with property prices. Although the price would moderate demand, just like it does in Remuera, Khandallah or Fendalton.
“I’m intrigued why you think that the housing issues in Queenstown are different to Remuera, Khandallah or Fendalton, or any other desirable location. Would you promote affordable housing for all in those locations as well?”
Interesting question. I don’t see the QLDC area as akin to a wealthy suburb in a much large city (nor even Queenstown), but sure, why shouldn’t low income people live in Queenstown? Unless you are proposing to set a minimum wage of something like $30/hr, people will still need affordable housing. The difference with Fendalton is that there are other places in Chch that people on lower incomes can live. The housing crisis of course is changing all that.
“Arrowtown has a cap on development through an urban growth boundary. The effect this has had is to make 60’s and 70’s cribs worth near a million and effectively throw the community that built from that period out of town as flash money rolled into town and took over the place.”
I didn’t say put a cap on and do nothing else. I said put a cap on and then do all the things needed to solve the housing crisis. I think your example proves my point. All communities need affordable housing, and to get that needs multiple interventions.
My perspective on the economy (and again, thinking the whole area, not just the Queenstown, but probably now CODC as well, because as far as I can tell the housing crisis has spread) is that mass tourism must fail because of climate change, so better to start designing a different economic base, and if that’s happening may as well make it steady state given the bleeding obvious physical limits of the Wakatipu Basin. The QL area is also precarious in terms of the Alpine fault shifting. Intervention from council and govt isn’t necessarily going to raise housing costs, although I appreciate the bizarreness of making this argument for Queenstown given it is primarily driven by money. Still a goldmining town.
Back to QLDC. My preference is that the central govt regulates to force councils to make communities and residents the direct priority not asset management that is somehow meant to flow into benefits for the people that live in an area. Because QLDC *should be making housing crisis solutions part of their core function and they’re not even close to that.
You can be as human as you are driven to be, but to live in a community, a culture, you had better have respect for how being a human in that culture is, or you can be cast out. Airy fairy statements from people who have learned about life in theories, or in dreams of a better life don't hold water. Bob Dylan sang a song that
One might say apathy is the acceptance of the unacceptable , whereas leadership begins with a decisive refusal to do so. How can we tolerate what God finds intolerable
The overall context was something about rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem under Nehemiah
It sort of didnt get mentioned who was the philosopher- prince-activist who coined the phrase.
I suppose that Stott, an upper class anglican priest was of the leaders of world wide evangelist movement wasnt something you want to make reference to.
I suppose you’re attributing ulterior motives to me, which annoys me immensely at the best of times.
I took the quote from greywarshark’s comment (hence the HT) that you linked to and did not know about the full quote nor that it was from Stott or even who he was.
" Snips of Quotes used like art prints – because they look & sound good enrich all our lives and can act as signposts to where we've been and are going" – dukeofurl
And I got the quote from a site that I noted on my comment. It would be good if people didn't try to interfere and snipe at comments trying to stamp out ideas for consideration and to participate.
True millsy. I think I didn't like that all-embracing sound of having everything just because you are human, thing. I would like another option that jailed people can vote, but some are kept out of the community all their life, with a reasonable life but away behind lock and key. Others would serve a suspended sentence where they work on their attitudes, talk out most of the s..t and learn a different way to handle the rest, and then go out and practice it. Which would agree with Andrew Little's thought to encourage people to become treasured parts of society.
They are still members of and part of our society albeit incarcerated for a period. They have friends and family in the community and they will join the community again upon their release. It seems it is easier to hang on to a knighthood than to keep your voting rights.
Google is sort of helping by taking the fraudulent sites down, but a search still bring them up
What struck me was INZ response.
"INZ said any travellers who had used a third party site and were concerned about the validity of their NZeTA should go back to the site they bought it through.
"INZ is unable to assist in those circumstances, as the transaction is between the traveller and the site they used," Dunstan said."
Like a fraudulent site will say OOPs, yess the visa is wrong
AND
Dont INZ have a list of visas? – Are they taking visas from the fraudulent sites too?
These other sites , when legit, just act like a portal to the real NZeTA site. As many countries offer e visas for holiday travel etc its a common scam to either charge way over the top to just make a legit application ( and pay INZ their fee) or they dont really make a full application at all, keep all the money , and lie to you about having a valid e visa.
They arent stopping native trees being planted…. the mountain has had 100s of new native trees planted in the last year.
Its wholesale cutting of significant trees thats will denude the entire mountain thats the issue.
Another falsehood in the story is they have been given resource consent to remove trees, they havent. Its a management plan for all the maunga which covers in a vague way many issues , only a sentence or two mentions vegetation management as though it was peripheral matter.
Are you seriously asking us to believe that no resource consent has been granted for this work? Links please. Love to see where you are getting that idea from.
'Please provide a sketch of the proposal and clearly identify the number , species and location of each tree subject to the application, the proposed work and the location of all buildings and specific features (where relevant) on the site'
Their plans involved helicopters to assist in removal so it was really major.
The tree removal at Ōwairaka / Mount Albert is authorised by a resource consent approved by Auckland Council.
The resource consent approval was supported by independent expert ecological assessments, including in relation to the timing and staging of the tree removals.
The resource consent does not permit the removal of any exotic tree that has a native bird nesting in it.
Tūpuna Maunga Authority contractors will be undertaking the authorised activities in full compliance with the resource consent.
The Tūpuna Maunga Authority welcomes the support of The Tree Council and Forest and Bird for the ecological restoration of Ōwairaka / Mount Albert.
The resource consent approval was supported by independent expert ecological assessments, including in relation to the timing and staging of the tree removals.
Press releases arent resource consents . Of course they have experts on 'doing their plan' but a "real resource consent" is highly likely to have gone to notified hearing where objectors would have the full detail of what is proposed, how they are going to do it and the mitigation of the effects.
TMA actually say there supporting documentation isnt a resource consent “Notes for editors:
Vegetation management is in accordance with the Tūpuna Maunga Integrated
Management Plan (which underwent public consultation early 2016), the
Proposed Tūpuna Maunga Authority Integrated Management Plan Strategies
(which underwent public consultation mid-2019) and the Tūpuna Maunga
Authority Operational Plan.
"Tree wars: Auckland Council accused of flouting resource consent process over felling Western Springs pines"
The strange thing about TMA saying this
"One management objective is to facilitate the restoration of the natural, spiritual and indigenous landscape and to help restore and enhance the mauri (life force) and wairua (spiritual essence) of the maunga."
When europeans arrived in the Auckland isthmus , it was largely devoid of large trees mostly being dense bracken fern. The large maori population it had supported needed wood for fires , construction and other uses. The maunga were of course fortified so needed clear approaches and would have supported gardens as well on the less steep areas.
I think he lives in Mt Albert (recollection he mentioned it once).
I grew up on the western slopes of Mt Albert and although it is 30 plus years since I left the suburb, I'm upset those beautiful trees are going to be cut down.
I was talking to someone the other day who lives on the eastern slopes of Mt. Albert. Apparently there were many hundreds of protesters trying to block access early in the morning last week. The media present chose to publish a photo later that morning when the majority had left for work etc. and only a handful of protesters were left. Typical, to create the wrong impression.
The person I talked with… she and hubby live close to the 'hill'. I expect they were two among many who were not there for ideological reasons, but have a genuine concern for the fate of the trees.
And I'm with them. Native and imported tree species should be growing alongside each other (where it is appropriate) as symbolism of the multi-folded heritage this tiny nation has become.
"I grew up on the western slopes of Mt Albert and although it is 30 plus years since I left the suburb, I'm upset those beautiful trees are going to be cut down."
This is the conversation I haven't seen yet. Some people, probably quite a lot, form relationships with place, including with trees. I too feel grief when local trees are cut down in places that I have spent a lot of time, trees that were planted when my grandparents were young.
I also understand that many Māori may feel differently towards the same place, for obvious reasons.
This is very hard to resolve. Writing off the protestors as nimbys or selfish is unlikely to make it easier. We're still not very good at this in NZ.
You understand the conundrum. Sometimes when trees are cut down for questionable purposes a tiny piece of the life of an individual can die with those trees. Some of the trees on Mt Albert have probably been there since the mid-to-late 1800s. They are now significant historical features.
I want to see our indigenous fauna planted and flourish wherever possible because they are such an important part of our collective psyche. And there is plenty of room on Mt Albert where they will flourish without removing many of the other trees.
I hope Pingau is right. The trees I was referring to are not those to be removed.
I am part of the occupation team on Owairaka Mt Albert. If you would indulge me, some context:
1. The Hui visited the Maunga on a day when the occupation was staffed by a smaller number of people than normal, none of whom wanted to be put through being on TV. Disappointingly, Mihi had not taken the time to research in advance who the official spokesperson was (Anna Radford), or who the organisers were. That would have taken her no more than 15 minutes. Lisa has been helping the group with advice about how to occupy peacefully and legally and happened to be on site. She reluctantly did the interview after The Hui team said it was her or nothing. I will leave others to draw their own conclusions.
2. Since ‘The Hui’ program aired (and I'll be honest some of us cringed just a little), inquiries to our group have surged, particularly interest in our FB page and signatures on the petition (now over 3,000). The Hui FB thread reveals much support for our protest.
3. The Tupuna Maunga Authority is not Iwi, it is not the owner of the land. The TMA is an unelected, statutory body with huge resources and minimal accountability. It is made up of 6 councillors, hand-picked by the Mayor, and 6 representatives of Iwi. The 13th member is a non-voting, government appointee. Their job is to implement a co-governance regime that benefits all Aucklanders, on behalf of the very generous owners, the iwi of Tamaki Makaurau.
4. The TMA has an articulate and powerful chairman. Honour the Maunga (the protest group), on the other hand, started as a handful of concerned citizens, and has now grown to a group that numbers in excess of 1,000 members, all from a variety of ethnic and social backgrounds. Many are Maori. We are a group of ordinary people, for the most part unsophisticated in this type of action. What has united this diverse group of people together is our love for the tree scape and bird life of the Mountain.
4. When this began, it is my view the TMA thought our protest would quickly fissle. When that didn’t happen, they began to shift gear in a way that would make the National Party’s ‘dirty politics’ team blush. That is a story for when this is over, but I will say this – take much of what they say with a great deal of skepticism.
5. On a personal level, we have been subject to the vilest personal abuse, including a small group who have been posting (and promptly deleting) threatening material on personal FB pages, as well as on the Mt Albert Community FB page. The victims of most of this abuse have been women in our group, something I find particularly disturbing (pardon my middle age male protectionism). One of the most common themes of abuse has been to label us racists.
6. I sincerely invite anyone to visit our occupation. We are friendly, of diverse ethnicity, age, socio-economic background and political opinion. I am so far out of my comfort zone, and I am making personal sacrifices to be a part of this, but this is something I feel is right.
Thanks for reading, apologies for the length of this.
Im a frequent visitor to the mountain…long before 'the plan'. In a previous life I knew a bit about getting resource consents.
This doesnt sound like a proper notified resource consent, and my concerns were increased by TMA only ever referring to the 'Management Plan' and its consultation. The Tree Council ( whos ever heard of them before now) isnt really a primary source for information, its either Auckland Council or TMA. The Council may be playing the same emergency game they did at Western Springs
Im all for the new tree planting that has been done ( all about waist height) and removal of problem trees , and also under-story planting and a gradual change to native species
Please read my post above. For the record, the TMA do have consent for the work, but this was a non-notified consent. We have obtained a lot of material by way of LGOIMA, but much of the detail has been redacted.
We are in favour of the native planting, but not the process. We are also deeply concerned with the planting methodology, with significant numbers of plants previously planted on the Maunga already dead or dying.
It will not "denude the entire mountain" as for one, there is a large area that is under Watercare administration that has both exotic and other trees – no trees will be removed from this area as it it outside the Tupuna Maunga Integrated Management Plan.
I assume it is the area shown at the bottom left of the aerial photo (page 41 on the version I looked at).
It also seems that some of the protestors are exaggerating the relative number of trees to be cut down, referring to it as "clear-felling" and so on.
Apparently there are 850 trees on the Maunga (both native and exotic) and of these, 345 are to be felled (183 or so pest plants and mostly gum trees for the rest).
When I lived near there in the mid-90s and walked there a lot, I used to think it was a shame that there were so many monkey apples and flowering cherries spreading over the Maunga … so good on them for the well considered plan and I hope it gets underway soon.
Tui feed on the nectar of flowering cherries and kereru on the fruit of so-called weeds, including monkey apples. Gum trees are also a source of nectar for tui and kaka. Possibly one reason for the abundant tuis in Auckland and kereru more common than ever is the non-native nectar and fruit bearing trees. I favour mixed natives and exotics and regard the opinion below as ill-advised.
"The downside of a bird-friendly garden is the weeds brought in by visiting birds. Kereru and other fruit eaters will deposit privet seeds, monkey apple, woolly nightshade, non-native palm trees and many other invasive pest plants. Kereru love guava but they are a weed in tropical climates and climate change could make them a weed in our native bush too. Be vigilant and remove weeds, particularly anything that has seeds that birds eat and later deposit in native bush. These weed species invade natural habitats and upset the balanced ecosystem, ultimately negatively affecting bird life."
Yep, tui and kereru seem greatly chuffed with the exotic flowering trees at my place. The tuis particularly like the coral tree, but ordinary old bottlebrush seems perfectly acceptable.
Outside the boundary of the Owairaka Maunga (as with others), there is a proliferation of exotic trees. If the exotics on the maunga are removed, the birdlife will do what hungry birds do…travel in search of food. So they find that food, fly back over the Maunga, and 'deposit' the seeds of these exotics back amongst the native plantings. At least some of these survive, and off we go again.
Our concern is that with the loss of their habitat, the Maunga will lose these magnificent creatures permanently.
So make ya mind up, will the birds go away forever or just come and go as they do?
If there are lots of exotic weeds around the maunga that will seed back into it with the help of birds is that not more reason to clear these from the maunga itself? Weed management could be a big job once grassed areas are planted.
They will not come back to nest, not come back to settle. They will find and compete for food sources elsewhere, or die in the process. My comment to GG was in the context of his remark, and was a 'hypothetical'. At best, they may fly over, but even that is unlikely.
And what exotic weeds you are referring to? In the context of my comment, if that was even remotely likely, good luck with getting the TMA to clear those. They are struggling to keep the native plantings alive.
There are beautiful trees both "native" and imported. I saw a magnificent magnolia tree in full bloom today. An absolute picture. There are beautiful indigenous trees. They grow side by side as a symbol of our nationhood. There are weeds too – both native and imported. By all means remove them but don't touch the 100 plus year old trees. That constitutes an environmental crime of biblical proportions.
There are 345 trees earmarked for destruction. Of those a handful are classified as weeds, so the TMA are being disingenuous.
The plan to restore native vegetation to the Maunga has our support. The plan to cull a large number of healthy trees in 5 weeks, and replace them with mostly shrubs and grasses does not.
"The objective of the plan is to restore native vegetation so any exotic is a weed in that context."
No, it isn't. You can both 'restore native vegetation' and maintain exotic trees. The two can co-exist, and that is in fact closer to the spirit of the values of the Tupuna Maunga Authority, which speaks of recognising “European and other histories and interaction with the Maunga”.
"Sean Freeman, arborist and chair of the Tree Council, says that natives will not do well in the root span of eucalypts"
So don't plant any in the root span of eucalypts. There is plenty of other space on the Maunga, and ample other exotics (Cherry, Oak) to nurture the young natives. At least the very few actual trees the TMA are planting.
Yes the objective is to to restore native vegetation:
Plant types: Plants should be both culturally and ecologically appropriate. Eco-sourced plants where possible are preferred as these are adapted to the specific conditions of the area and will retain the locally specific variations present in their genetic diversity. Other native plants will be considered if they support cultural outcomes. Where possible, plants should be sourced from remnant populations on the Tūpuna Maunga or surrounding ecosystems. Plants will grow best on sites on which they are best adapted and respond to the area’s slope, soil characteristics and drainage, wind, aspect, the amount of shading, and proximity to the coast.
No mention of exotics here. "Eco-sourced" can only be native as exotics haven't been around long enough to have adapted to local conditions. "Other native plants will be considered".
This is not an issue about trees but rather one of colonialism. That people like you still think that you should get to impose your values over those of Maori, even after ownership has been transferred back to them.
But likewise, no mention of the removal of exotics either. In fact no-where in any of the TMA submissions (at least the ones that have been made public) does it mention the removal of all exotics.
"That people like you still think that you should get to impose your values over those of Maori, even after ownership has been transferred back to them. "
Ownership always comes with conditions. And in this case the transfer of ownership came with very specific conditions. The Maunga Authority have failed to take the wider community with them, and even they are acknowledging that now.
Hi Pingau…You are quoting from a press release from the TMA chairman. If you dig, you will find that the TMA is not the most reliable source on this issue. But here's a question…why would you think it is acceptable to cut down perfectly healthy trees, some of which are in excess of 100 years old? Why would you think it is acceptable to cull an entire stand of beautiful cherry trees (that despite what has been claimed are not pests) that provide an excellent food source for both Tui and Kereru?
Thanks Paddington for your reply. It sounds like the TMA has not taken into account the attachment that some people have to some of the species they wish to remove.
I would be guessing that the removal of all of the trees on the list at once is based on operational expenses but it could also be they just wanted to start with a "clean slate" by removing all the unwanted trees.
I agree that the implementation of their plan has been lacking but I still think that the removal of the pest trees was well-considered. It is hard to know what the criteria is for other (non-pest) trees that are not a hazard or how many there are.
I also disagree that cherry trees are not a pest – one sort is listed on the National Pest Plant Accord and several others are included in Regional Pest Management Strategies or on the DOC consolidated weed list. In my area, I see multiple wildings of various Prunus species in parks, gardens and in pine plantations and native bush. That tui and kereru eat the fruit is part of the problem as they then disperse the seed. These trees then displace the endemic and native plants that are the food and habitat for many species and all kinds of life.
However it should be possible on an urban site like the Maunga that is a long way away from any native bush, for some of the mature exotic and invasive trees to be maintained and all wildings to be removed – at a cost of course, but some of these trees could possibly be retained for cultural reasons.
1. Re the Cherry's, the Owairaka Cherry's were misidentified by the TMA 'experts' as Prunus Campanulata. They are an entirely different species, and not a pest.
2. The 'clean slate' removal is being justified on the basis of operational costs, however that fails to take into account the climate impact of what is a large reduction in net biomass on the Maunga.
3. We have no objection to the removal of pest species, trees that are hazardous or diseased, or to the appropriate management of any tree on the Maunga. What we object to is the removal of a large number of healthy trees for no other reason than they are exotic.
4. With regards to the retention of exotics, the advice we have had is that the exotics could serve as canopy cover for the native plantings, and also continue to provide excellent food sources for our magnificent native bird life. We currently have Tui, Kereru, Morepork, Piwakawaka, the list goes on. Many of these birds have adapted to exotic tree produce, which has meant their populations thrive. Our concern is that with the loss of their habitat, the Maunga will lose these magnificent creatures permanently.
beautiful cherry trees (that despite what has been claimed are not pests)
If you are talking about Taiwan Cherry they fucking well are pests. In Northland you can see whole hillsides covered in this menace. I've killed many just on my half acre urban property but still they come.
Hi Solkta. The Cherry's on Owairaka are not the Taiwan Cherry (Prunus campanulata), although they have been mis-identified as such by the TMA and their 'experts'. I'll leave that to sink in.
The Owairaka Cherry's are considerably lighter in shade, and have an entirely different flower, and have now been identified as an entirely different species.
We are awaiting the final specification, but the arborist has confirmed they are not a pest species, not the Taiwanese cherry. On a related note, I have seen today a list, compiled for the TMA and submitted by them as part of a works program, of all of the 345 trees to be felled. Only a handful are 'pests', by their own assessment at that time. The Cherry’s are not listed in that compilation/report as pests.
Those photos are interesting. I know Mt Albert intimately and the area shown in the main photo is the remains of an old Maori Pa site. When we were children it was still possible to find shells collected by the former inhabitants. There are no trees there apart from the few stunted specimens in the photo. But further around there are lots of beautiful trees lining the access road that should not be touched.
It was my assumption they were the trees they plan to cut down.
Hi Anne…the trees to be cut down include many along that access road, and also the full stand of cherry's that stand in the corner of the archery area. Some from our group have started putting ribbons around the 'condemned' trees. We acknowledge there are trees that need to be removed e.g. privet and some of the eucalyptus. But all at once?
If you know Owairaka – Mt Albert well, please come up. The only access we are restricting is to people with chainsaws!
Thank you so much for your informed responses Paddington. As I suspected, a group of local officials (big frogs in little pools as my late Dad used to call them) have turned officious because their 'mode of operation' has been called into question by the masses.
Normally I would be over the bridge to join you before you could say Jack Robinson, but I am currently semi-disabled due to injury and back problems – the curse of advancing years. But I will be keeping a close eye on developments from the balmy Shore and I am certainly with all of you in spirit. Please let your fellow protesters know. I might even know some of the older ones who grew up or have lived in Mt Albert for many years.
'Former ICANN CEO Fadi Chehade personally registered the domain name currently used by Ethos Capital in May and it was registered as a limited company in the US state of Delaware on May 14. "
General election 2019: Jeremy Corbyn to remain neutral in any new Brexit vote
and from The Express which I can't get 23/11/2019:
12 hours ago – BORIS JOHNSON could win more general election seats than Labour but still be forced to watch Jeremy Corbyn enter Number 10 instead, a polling expert has warned. … Joe Twyman of Delta Poll said Mr Johnson’s Conservative party could win more seats than Labour but not stay in …
Quite a contrast in the way National plans to treat prisoners, this time with compulsory work. I would have thought this was a non issue because I thought work is a privilege inside (?)
Anyhoo it looks like they are fishing for a reaction of some kind.
Its top of page on Stuff right now in case anyone is interested although the article is almost as short as my post.
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
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 ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
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. ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
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 ...
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This could be a very big deal.
https://twitter.com/60Mins/status/1197680666814533632
A Chinese spy has risked his life to defect to Australia and is now offering a trove of unprecedented inside intelligence on how China conducts its interference operations abroad.
Wang “William” Liqiang is the first Chinese operative to ever blow his cover. He has revealed the identities of China’s senior military intelligence officers in Hong Kong, as well as providing details of how they fund and conduct political interference operations in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia.
[…]
In interviews with The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes, he has revealed in granular detail how Beijing covertly controls listed companies to fund intelligence operations, including the surveillance and profiling of dissidents and the co-opting of media organisations.
He has given previously unheard details about the kidnapping of five booksellers from Hong Kong and their rendition to the Chinese mainland. His testimony shows how Beijing’s spies are infiltrating Hong Kong’s democracy movement, manipulating Taiwan’s elections and operating with impunity in Australia.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/defecting-chinese-spy-offers-information-trove-to-australian-government-20191122-p53d1l.html
Lengthy itrm on Stuff:
https://i.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/117659323/the-moment-a-chinese-spy-decided-to-defect-to-australia
If they have infiltrated Australia at the level he claims then they've infiltrated NZ as well.
Wonder where/how we can watch the interview tonight?
Shoutout to Minister of Justice Andrew Little for largely restoring the right to vote to prisoners.
Those serving over 3 years still don't.
It was a massive effort by Arthur Taylor, lawyer Francois, and the Greens, to get through the system and convince the Judiciary, Appeal Court, and finally Minister Little.
The principle of prisoner voting and enrolment has been won, it is a matter of extending it.
As Green MP Golriz says…”you don’t get human rights for being good, you get them for being human”
'Won' until wreckers like the Nats next get into power. Their current frontperson has promised the same already.
Until Winston decides to block it.
Wouldn't he be more inclined to double down?
Sorry, I meant under a future Nat govt. I take the point about his sad history in the current one.
Sadder being in opposition though …
National 56 seats
NZ First 9 seats
Greens + Labour is 54 seats.
Cabinet approval has occurred , so NZF is on board.
Little isnt 'leaving it up to staffers' like before who bungled similar changes including those in NZF. What ever happened to Ministers being involved in the detail of offices work, now its like Hollywood – get your people to talk to my people.
Another nail in the coffin of NZF, great news
If you penalised all those who broke the law by removing their vote, including speedsters, tax evaders, drunk/drugged drivers, owners of illegal arms, the violent, the bullies and the thieves, then what kind of a government would we have, elected by the fully law-abiding, what party would succeed?
"Let he who is without sin cast the first vote!"
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/117658836/prisoner-voting-rights-to-be-restored-ahead-of-2020-election
Mr Bridges?
Have you seen Nick Smiths rap sheet
Contempt of family court
Witness tampering
defamation , settled with money and abject apology.
If Smith had not had the public purse to fund his many trips to court over the years because of his loose mouth, he would be bankrupt many times over.
Maybe a slightly more
she'llwe'll be right version of this?https://www.truthdig.com/articles/will-americas-billionaires-start-a-second-civil-war/
Donald Trump:
That's pretty much the state of affairs in Queenstown-Lakes District Council.
Check out their District Plan for the rabbit-hole care-outs for specific developments.
And of course the number of billionaire end-time estates in which the locals are basically groundskeepers. A manicured plutocracy.
In Queenstown and Wanaka, we're living most our lives living in a gangsta's paradise.
Where the local council petitions the government for a special exemption from national legislation, because rich people.
Have you got a link here Weka? The only one I can think of is the visitor levy Which government have said they will consider
The alternative is to spread the costs imposed by visitors once they leave their accomodation across general ratepayers. Before the mid 90's Queenstown had a considerable loading on the sewerage rate for visitor accomodation that was to pay for tourist related costs around the district. That got axed in rating legislation changes / tightening around then.
It's not about "rich people", rather not having to impose those costs on the "poor people" of the district.
I was thinking about Labour's restrictions on selling housing to overseas owners. From memory QLDC submitted to get an exemption because of the perceived value to the area of wealthy people who like to fly in and out but don't have residency.
Here we go,
https://www.interest.co.nz/property/93297/governments-coming-under-pressure-make-changes-and-exemptions-its-legislation-barring
Yeah, fair point, but viewed in the context of the process of testing and refining legislation as it goes through the parliamentary process this is quite normal. At the time there were quite a few developments in train that could have gone tits up if their markets had been cut off. The effects of this would have hurt the small contractors and staff working on them much ore than the developers who bounced on to the next deal / company.
With the glorious benefit of hindsight, the effect on property markets and development has been pretty much nil, just a shift from those who can't get residency easily to those that can, or don't need to. And maybe forcing people to go down the residency path resulting in more committed purchasers. An agent I know in that market was pretty grumpy at the time, he's got his smile back now.
There's something disturbing about a council that will make that kind of submission but cannot (or will not) sort out its housing crisis. In both cases it seems like the priority is making money rather than attending to the wellbeing of the community and the citizens that live there.
Not that QLDC is alone in this, it's common to varying degrees in most councils. Just more obvious and pronounced with QLDC.
I wouldn't say QLDC isn't doing anything about the housing issues in the district, there's the Housing Trust and the new District Plan has a dramatic loosening of residential flat provisions which make it much easier for established families to house another generation, past or future. There's also over 1000 high density appartments in various stages of construction, most of which are Trust, KiwiBuild or otherwise destined to worker / staff housing rather than the open market.
But the perverse thing about housing in Queenstown Lakes or Central Otago is that increasing supply results in a many more times increase in demand. Unfortunately it's been like that since at least 1862 and the only thing that has any effect is a really good downturn, which the place does with bells and whistles.
they’re trying to do things, but it’s not working. I would say they’re a reflection of the wider NZ housing crisis. They’re still prioritising making money over the needs of residents.
“But the perverse thing about housing in Queenstown Lakes or Central Otago is that increasing supply results in a many more times increase in demand”
Yep, and the conversation there should be about capping development until the housing crisis is fixed*. That would be heresy of course, but my point stands about prioritising wealthy people.
*do all the other things as well like rent caps, better tenancy protections, social housing and so on.
I'm intrigued why you think that the housing issues in Queenstown are different to Remuera, Khandallah or Fendalton, or any other desirable location. Would you promote affordable housing for all in those locations as well?
Arrowtown has a cap on development through an urban growth boundary. The effect this has had is to make 60's and 70's cribs worth near a million and effectively throw the community that built from that period out of town as flash money rolled into town and took over the place.
We have doubled our population in the last 10 years, so well over half our population aren't from here. There's considerable churn as well, so the long term local population is incredibly small. All that increase is discretionary, no one has to live here and there's effectively no economy outside tourism, which doesn't pay many million dollar mortgages, and building houses to house people to build more houses.
You could be really cynical and say that cash burn is the main driver of Queenstown's economy and not be far from the truth.
Sometimes I wonder if things would be any different if we actually did have a total halt on new green field development, allowed property prices to go through the stratosphere, and forced employers to provide staff accomodation. Then the only way you could live here would be if you had a job with accomodation, or could pay the open market rents, which would be up in the stratosphere along with property prices. Although the price would moderate demand, just like it does in Remuera, Khandallah or Fendalton.
“I’m intrigued why you think that the housing issues in Queenstown are different to Remuera, Khandallah or Fendalton, or any other desirable location. Would you promote affordable housing for all in those locations as well?”
Interesting question. I don’t see the QLDC area as akin to a wealthy suburb in a much large city (nor even Queenstown), but sure, why shouldn’t low income people live in Queenstown? Unless you are proposing to set a minimum wage of something like $30/hr, people will still need affordable housing. The difference with Fendalton is that there are other places in Chch that people on lower incomes can live. The housing crisis of course is changing all that.
“Arrowtown has a cap on development through an urban growth boundary. The effect this has had is to make 60’s and 70’s cribs worth near a million and effectively throw the community that built from that period out of town as flash money rolled into town and took over the place.”
I didn’t say put a cap on and do nothing else. I said put a cap on and then do all the things needed to solve the housing crisis. I think your example proves my point. All communities need affordable housing, and to get that needs multiple interventions.
My perspective on the economy (and again, thinking the whole area, not just the Queenstown, but probably now CODC as well, because as far as I can tell the housing crisis has spread) is that mass tourism must fail because of climate change, so better to start designing a different economic base, and if that’s happening may as well make it steady state given the bleeding obvious physical limits of the Wakatipu Basin. The QL area is also precarious in terms of the Alpine fault shifting. Intervention from council and govt isn’t necessarily going to raise housing costs, although I appreciate the bizarreness of making this argument for Queenstown given it is primarily driven by money. Still a goldmining town.
Back to QLDC. My preference is that the central govt regulates to force councils to make communities and residents the direct priority not asset management that is somehow meant to flow into benefits for the people that live in an area. Because QLDC *should be making housing crisis solutions part of their core function and they’re not even close to that.
What is more, it can be an opening through which the mindset of a serial criminal could be changed and successful rehabilitation rates improved.
Don't expect the tunnel visioned National Party conservatives to be able to comprehend such an outcome though.
You can be as human as you are driven to be, but to live in a community, a culture, you had better have respect for how being a human in that culture is, or you can be cast out. Airy fairy statements from people who have learned about life in theories, or in dreams of a better life don't hold water. Bob Dylan sang a song that
I always thought this was a test run for removing the franchise from other groups later on down the track.
First prisoners currently serving..
…then those on parole
…then those with criminal conviction
…then those on benefits or unemployed
…then those who dont own property..
There’s not test as such, it’s already underway and in full swing. They don’t even have to use force or threats. To paraphrase Sacha Baron Cohen:
Plutocracy, based on shared apathy, is on the march.
Combine that with a powerful quote (HT to greywarshark):
I think these two short sentences or statements rather sum up our current predicament quite ‘nicely’.
The full quote – from John Stott is
The overall context was something about rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem under Nehemiah
Thank you and in what other ways does this contribute to the thread?
Open mike … its an amuse bouche
We were already on the mains.
from this
It sort of didnt get mentioned who was the philosopher- prince-activist who coined the phrase.
I suppose that Stott, an upper class anglican priest was of the leaders of world wide evangelist movement wasnt something you want to make reference to.
I suppose you’re attributing ulterior motives to me, which annoys me immensely at the best of times.
I took the quote from greywarshark’s comment (hence the HT) that you linked to and did not know about the full quote nor that it was from Stott or even who he was.
" Snips of Quotes used like art prints – because they look & sound good enrich all our lives and can act as signposts to where we've been and are going" – dukeofurl
And I got the quote from a site that I noted on my comment. It would be good if people didn't try to interfere and snipe at comments trying to stamp out ideas for consideration and to participate.
So says Sniper in chief.
True millsy. I think I didn't like that all-embracing sound of having everything just because you are human, thing. I would like another option that jailed people can vote, but some are kept out of the community all their life, with a reasonable life but away behind lock and key. Others would serve a suspended sentence where they work on their attitudes, talk out most of the s..t and learn a different way to handle the rest, and then go out and practice it. Which would agree with Andrew Little's thought to encourage people to become treasured parts of society.
Etta James with Bob Dylan's Gotta Serve Somebody.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwkOdv443_o&index=7&list=PLMXRJyeLJ82rcOEMz1m3cPgafFzyiPcVr
They are still members of and part of our society albeit incarcerated for a period. They have friends and family in the community and they will join the community again upon their release. It seems it is easier to hang on to a knighthood than to keep your voting rights.
yup. Like in the US.
Report in Herald re doggy website over charging for the NZ eVisa
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12287510
Google is sort of helping by taking the fraudulent sites down, but a search still bring them up
What struck me was INZ response.
"INZ said any travellers who had used a third party site and were concerned about the validity of their NZeTA should go back to the site they bought it through.
"INZ is unable to assist in those circumstances, as the transaction is between the traveller and the site they used," Dunstan said."
Like a fraudulent site will say OOPs, yess the visa is wrong
AND
Dont INZ have a list of visas? – Are they taking visas from the fraudulent sites too?
Sort of weird
These other sites , when legit, just act like a portal to the real NZeTA site. As many countries offer e visas for holiday travel etc its a common scam to either charge way over the top to just make a legit application ( and pay INZ their fee) or they dont really make a full application at all, keep all the money , and lie to you about having a valid e visa.
Bring it on, the faster the better.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/117622561/waiheke-littatrap-trial-sees-4000-pieces-of-rubbish-prevented-from-entering-waterways
Revealing interview on The Hui with serial activist and first-generation migrant Lisa Prager about mana whenua and Mt Albert – brilliant example of giving someone enough rope (9m): https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2019/11/meet-the-activists-trying-to-stop-native-trees-being-planted-on-mt-albert.html
They arent stopping native trees being planted…. the mountain has had 100s of new native trees planted in the last year.
Its wholesale cutting of significant trees thats will denude the entire mountain thats the issue.
Another falsehood in the story is they have been given resource consent to remove trees, they havent. Its a management plan for all the maunga which covers in a vague way many issues , only a sentence or two mentions vegetation management as though it was peripheral matter.
Are you seriously asking us to believe that no resource consent has been granted for this work? Links please. Love to see where you are getting that idea from.
They always refer back to the management plan, which isnt a resource consent for significant vegetation removal .
Council bodies can be funny like that, proceed without doing the full consents. They have done it before
Heres what they should have but they dont , its always some bumpf about consultation for the management plan with bullet points like
'Proactively manage plant pests and inappropriate exotic vegetation;' yes thats it !
This is an outline of what a vegetation removal consent would start with
https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/building-and-consents/working-on-around-trees/Documents/application-resource-consent-trees.pdf
Amoung other things
'Please provide a sketch of the proposal and clearly identify the number , species and location of each tree subject to the application, the proposed work and the location of all buildings and specific features (where relevant) on the site'
Their plans involved helicopters to assist in removal so it was really major.
Seems they do have consent.
Legal approval
The tree removal at Ōwairaka / Mount Albert is authorised by a resource consent approved by Auckland Council.
The resource consent approval was supported by independent expert ecological assessments, including in relation to the timing and staging of the tree removals.
The resource consent does not permit the removal of any exotic tree that has a native bird nesting in it.
Tūpuna Maunga Authority contractors will be undertaking the authorised activities in full compliance with the resource consent.
The Tūpuna Maunga Authority welcomes the support of The Tree Council and Forest and Bird for the ecological restoration of Ōwairaka / Mount Albert.
https://www.treecouncil.org.nz/tupuna-maunga-authority-media-release-re-owairaka-mount-albert-trees/
[link fixed – weka]
Thank you.
Press releases arent resource consents . Of course they have experts on 'doing their plan' but a "real resource consent" is highly likely to have gone to notified hearing where objectors would have the full detail of what is proposed, how they are going to do it and the mitigation of the effects.
TMA actually say there supporting documentation isnt a resource consent
“Notes for editors:
Vegetation management is in accordance with the Tūpuna Maunga Integrated
Management Plan (which underwent public consultation early 2016), the
Proposed Tūpuna Maunga Authority Integrated Management Plan Strategies
(which underwent public consultation mid-2019) and the Tūpuna Maunga
Authority Operational Plan.
Same old same old for this clear felling
"Tree wars: Auckland Council accused of flouting resource consent process over felling Western Springs pines"
The strange thing about TMA saying this
"One management objective is to facilitate the restoration of the natural, spiritual and indigenous landscape and to help restore and enhance the mauri (life force) and wairua (spiritual essence) of the maunga."
When europeans arrived in the Auckland isthmus , it was largely devoid of large trees mostly being dense bracken fern. The large maori population it had supported needed wood for fires , construction and other uses. The maunga were of course fortified so needed clear approaches and would have supported gardens as well on the less steep areas.
To believe you or the Tree Council? Hmmm
Ask the people at Western Springs , the Council just went ahead anyway , something about an emergency consent.
Does the Tree Council know something that TMA hasnt even got on its website?
Oh yes the details were "'Proactively manage plant pests and inappropriate exotic vegetation;'
Who could object that as its admirable aspiration.
What's Western Springs got to do with it?
What reason would the Tree Council have to lie about the consent?
Western Springs, emergency provision because the trees were dangerous.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12193121&ref=art_readmore
Why are you upset about this, Duke?
I think he lives in Mt Albert (recollection he mentioned it once).
I grew up on the western slopes of Mt Albert and although it is 30 plus years since I left the suburb, I'm upset those beautiful trees are going to be cut down.
I was talking to someone the other day who lives on the eastern slopes of Mt. Albert. Apparently there were many hundreds of protesters trying to block access early in the morning last week. The media present chose to publish a photo later that morning when the majority had left for work etc. and only a handful of protesters were left. Typical, to create the wrong impression.
There was a one-off gathering organised by Brash and co. The smaller remainder with the placards have denied being connected with them.
The person I talked with… she and hubby live close to the 'hill'. I expect they were two among many who were not there for ideological reasons, but have a genuine concern for the fate of the trees.
And I'm with them. Native and imported tree species should be growing alongside each other (where it is appropriate) as symbolism of the multi-folded heritage this tiny nation has become.
"I grew up on the western slopes of Mt Albert and although it is 30 plus years since I left the suburb, I'm upset those beautiful trees are going to be cut down."
This is the conversation I haven't seen yet. Some people, probably quite a lot, form relationships with place, including with trees. I too feel grief when local trees are cut down in places that I have spent a lot of time, trees that were planted when my grandparents were young.
I also understand that many Māori may feel differently towards the same place, for obvious reasons.
This is very hard to resolve. Writing off the protestors as nimbys or selfish is unlikely to make it easier. We're still not very good at this in NZ.
Thanks weka.
You understand the conundrum. Sometimes when trees are cut down for questionable purposes a tiny piece of the life of an individual can die with those trees. Some of the trees on Mt Albert have probably been there since the mid-to-late 1800s. They are now significant historical features.
I want to see our indigenous fauna planted and flourish wherever possible because they are such an important part of our collective psyche. And there is plenty of room on Mt Albert where they will flourish without removing many of the other trees.
I hope Pingau is right. The trees I was referring to are not those to be removed.
To Anne & others.
I am part of the occupation team on Owairaka Mt Albert. If you would indulge me, some context:
1. The Hui visited the Maunga on a day when the occupation was staffed by a smaller number of people than normal, none of whom wanted to be put through being on TV. Disappointingly, Mihi had not taken the time to research in advance who the official spokesperson was (Anna Radford), or who the organisers were. That would have taken her no more than 15 minutes. Lisa has been helping the group with advice about how to occupy peacefully and legally and happened to be on site. She reluctantly did the interview after The Hui team said it was her or nothing. I will leave others to draw their own conclusions.
2. Since ‘The Hui’ program aired (and I'll be honest some of us cringed just a little), inquiries to our group have surged, particularly interest in our FB page and signatures on the petition (now over 3,000). The Hui FB thread reveals much support for our protest.
3. The Tupuna Maunga Authority is not Iwi, it is not the owner of the land. The TMA is an unelected, statutory body with huge resources and minimal accountability. It is made up of 6 councillors, hand-picked by the Mayor, and 6 representatives of Iwi. The 13th member is a non-voting, government appointee. Their job is to implement a co-governance regime that benefits all Aucklanders, on behalf of the very generous owners, the iwi of Tamaki Makaurau.
4. The TMA has an articulate and powerful chairman. Honour the Maunga (the protest group), on the other hand, started as a handful of concerned citizens, and has now grown to a group that numbers in excess of 1,000 members, all from a variety of ethnic and social backgrounds. Many are Maori. We are a group of ordinary people, for the most part unsophisticated in this type of action. What has united this diverse group of people together is our love for the tree scape and bird life of the Mountain.
4. When this began, it is my view the TMA thought our protest would quickly fissle. When that didn’t happen, they began to shift gear in a way that would make the National Party’s ‘dirty politics’ team blush. That is a story for when this is over, but I will say this – take much of what they say with a great deal of skepticism.
5. On a personal level, we have been subject to the vilest personal abuse, including a small group who have been posting (and promptly deleting) threatening material on personal FB pages, as well as on the Mt Albert Community FB page. The victims of most of this abuse have been women in our group, something I find particularly disturbing (pardon my middle age male protectionism). One of the most common themes of abuse has been to label us racists.
6. I sincerely invite anyone to visit our occupation. We are friendly, of diverse ethnicity, age, socio-economic background and political opinion. I am so far out of my comfort zone, and I am making personal sacrifices to be a part of this, but this is something I feel is right.
Thanks for reading, apologies for the length of this.
Im a frequent visitor to the mountain…long before 'the plan'. In a previous life I knew a bit about getting resource consents.
This doesnt sound like a proper notified resource consent, and my concerns were increased by TMA only ever referring to the 'Management Plan' and its consultation. The Tree Council ( whos ever heard of them before now) isnt really a primary source for information, its either Auckland Council or TMA. The Council may be playing the same emergency game they did at Western Springs
Im all for the new tree planting that has been done ( all about waist height) and removal of problem trees , and also under-story planting and a gradual change to native species
Hi Duke
Please read my post above. For the record, the TMA do have consent for the work, but this was a non-notified consent. We have obtained a lot of material by way of LGOIMA, but much of the detail has been redacted.
We are in favour of the native planting, but not the process. We are also deeply concerned with the planting methodology, with significant numbers of plants previously planted on the Maunga already dead or dying.
It will not "denude the entire mountain" as for one, there is a large area that is under Watercare administration that has both exotic and other trees – no trees will be removed from this area as it it outside the Tupuna Maunga Integrated Management Plan.
I assume it is the area shown at the bottom left of the aerial photo (page 41 on the version I looked at).
https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/about-auckland-council/how-auckland-council-works/kaupapa-maori/comanagement-authorities-boards/tupuna-maunga-tamaki-makaurau-authority/Pages/tupuna-maunga-integrated-management-plan.aspx
It also seems that some of the protestors are exaggerating the relative number of trees to be cut down, referring to it as "clear-felling" and so on.
Apparently there are 850 trees on the Maunga (both native and exotic) and of these, 345 are to be felled (183 or so pest plants and mostly gum trees for the rest).
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1911/S00490/hui-to-be-held-at-wairaka-mt-albert.htm
When I lived near there in the mid-90s and walked there a lot, I used to think it was a shame that there were so many monkey apples and flowering cherries spreading over the Maunga … so good on them for the well considered plan and I hope it gets underway soon.
Tui feed on the nectar of flowering cherries and kereru on the fruit of so-called weeds, including monkey apples. Gum trees are also a source of nectar for tui and kaka. Possibly one reason for the abundant tuis in Auckland and kereru more common than ever is the non-native nectar and fruit bearing trees. I favour mixed natives and exotics and regard the opinion below as ill-advised.
"The downside of a bird-friendly garden is the weeds brought in by visiting birds. Kereru and other fruit eaters will deposit privet seeds, monkey apple, woolly nightshade, non-native palm trees and many other invasive pest plants. Kereru love guava but they are a weed in tropical climates and climate change could make them a weed in our native bush too. Be vigilant and remove weeds, particularly anything that has seeds that birds eat and later deposit in native bush. These weed species invade natural habitats and upset the balanced ecosystem, ultimately negatively affecting bird life."
https://localmatters.co.nz/news/27236-plant-enthusiast-offers-top-tips-pulling-birds.html
Yep, tui and kereru seem greatly chuffed with the exotic flowering trees at my place. The tuis particularly like the coral tree, but ordinary old bottlebrush seems perfectly acceptable.
Hi GG
Outside the boundary of the Owairaka Maunga (as with others), there is a proliferation of exotic trees. If the exotics on the maunga are removed, the birdlife will do what hungry birds do…travel in search of food. So they find that food, fly back over the Maunga, and 'deposit' the seeds of these exotics back amongst the native plantings. At least some of these survive, and off we go again.
But you just said below at 11:59pm:
Our concern is that with the loss of their habitat, the Maunga will lose these magnificent creatures permanently.
So make ya mind up, will the birds go away forever or just come and go as they do?
If there are lots of exotic weeds around the maunga that will seed back into it with the help of birds is that not more reason to clear these from the maunga itself? Weed management could be a big job once grassed areas are planted.
They will not come back to nest, not come back to settle. They will find and compete for food sources elsewhere, or die in the process. My comment to GG was in the context of his remark, and was a 'hypothetical'. At best, they may fly over, but even that is unlikely.
And what exotic weeds you are referring to? In the context of my comment, if that was even remotely likely, good luck with getting the TMA to clear those. They are struggling to keep the native plantings alive.
At best, they may fly over, but even that is unlikely.
The majority of the trees on the maunga are natives and will remain. You are just making up nonsense.
A "weed" is a plant growing in the wrong place. The objective of the plan is to restore native vegetation so any exotic is a weed in that context.
Bullshit.
There are beautiful trees both "native" and imported. I saw a magnificent magnolia tree in full bloom today. An absolute picture. There are beautiful indigenous trees. They grow side by side as a symbol of our nationhood. There are weeds too – both native and imported. By all means remove them but don't touch the 100 plus year old trees. That constitutes an environmental crime of biblical proportions.
Fescue is my favourite lawn species, but when Fescue grows in my vege beds it is a weed.
If you own land then you can plant a Magnolia there.
There are 345 trees earmarked for destruction. Of those a handful are classified as weeds, so the TMA are being disingenuous.
The plan to restore native vegetation to the Maunga has our support. The plan to cull a large number of healthy trees in 5 weeks, and replace them with mostly shrubs and grasses does not.
"…but when Fescue grows in my vege beds it is a weed."
But when natives are planted under the protective canopy of beautiful exotics, they thrive.
@paddington
How about replying to what i am saying rather than just going off on auto-rant:
But when natives are planted under the protective canopy of beautiful exotics, they thrive.
Sean Freeman, arborist and chair of the Tree Council, says that natives will not do well in the root span of eucalypts:
@1.22
https://www.rnz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018722866
Yes the objective is to to restore native vegetation:
https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/about-auckland-council/how-auckland-council-works/kaupapa-maori/comanagement-authorities-boards/tupuna-maunga-tamaki-makaurau-authority/integratedmanagementplanstrategies/proposed-tupuna-maunga-integrated-management-plan-strategies-part-2.pdf
No mention of exotics here. "Eco-sourced" can only be native as exotics haven't been around long enough to have adapted to local conditions. "Other native plants will be considered".
This is not an issue about trees but rather one of colonialism. That people like you still think that you should get to impose your values over those of Maori, even after ownership has been transferred back to them.
"No mention of exotics here. "
But likewise, no mention of the removal of exotics either. In fact no-where in any of the TMA submissions (at least the ones that have been made public) does it mention the removal of all exotics.
"That people like you still think that you should get to impose your values over those of Maori, even after ownership has been transferred back to them. "
Ownership always comes with conditions. And in this case the transfer of ownership came with very specific conditions. The Maunga Authority have failed to take the wider community with them, and even they are acknowledging that now.
Hi Pingau…You are quoting from a press release from the TMA chairman. If you dig, you will find that the TMA is not the most reliable source on this issue. But here's a question…why would you think it is acceptable to cut down perfectly healthy trees, some of which are in excess of 100 years old? Why would you think it is acceptable to cull an entire stand of beautiful cherry trees (that despite what has been claimed are not pests) that provide an excellent food source for both Tui and Kereru?
The overall TMA plan has some really good elements to it, but the implementation is anything but "well considered", and a growing number of experts, and even Forest and Bird, are now acknowledging that. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/117549183/mt-albert-tree-removal-felling-would-be-cruel-on-nesting-birds-experts-say
Thanks Paddington for your reply. It sounds like the TMA has not taken into account the attachment that some people have to some of the species they wish to remove.
I would be guessing that the removal of all of the trees on the list at once is based on operational expenses but it could also be they just wanted to start with a "clean slate" by removing all the unwanted trees.
I agree that the implementation of their plan has been lacking but I still think that the removal of the pest trees was well-considered. It is hard to know what the criteria is for other (non-pest) trees that are not a hazard or how many there are.
I also disagree that cherry trees are not a pest – one sort is listed on the National Pest Plant Accord and several others are included in Regional Pest Management Strategies or on the DOC consolidated weed list. In my area, I see multiple wildings of various Prunus species in parks, gardens and in pine plantations and native bush. That tui and kereru eat the fruit is part of the problem as they then disperse the seed. These trees then displace the endemic and native plants that are the food and habitat for many species and all kinds of life.
However it should be possible on an urban site like the Maunga that is a long way away from any native bush, for some of the mature exotic and invasive trees to be maintained and all wildings to be removed – at a cost of course, but some of these trees could possibly be retained for cultural reasons.
Hi Pingau
1. Re the Cherry's, the Owairaka Cherry's were misidentified by the TMA 'experts' as Prunus Campanulata. They are an entirely different species, and not a pest.
2. The 'clean slate' removal is being justified on the basis of operational costs, however that fails to take into account the climate impact of what is a large reduction in net biomass on the Maunga.
3. We have no objection to the removal of pest species, trees that are hazardous or diseased, or to the appropriate management of any tree on the Maunga. What we object to is the removal of a large number of healthy trees for no other reason than they are exotic.
4. With regards to the retention of exotics, the advice we have had is that the exotics could serve as canopy cover for the native plantings, and also continue to provide excellent food sources for our magnificent native bird life. We currently have Tui, Kereru, Morepork, Piwakawaka, the list goes on. Many of these birds have adapted to exotic tree produce, which has meant their populations thrive. Our concern is that with the loss of their habitat, the Maunga will lose these magnificent creatures permanently.
beautiful cherry trees (that despite what has been claimed are not pests)
If you are talking about Taiwan Cherry they fucking well are pests. In Northland you can see whole hillsides covered in this menace. I've killed many just on my half acre urban property but still they come.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/northland/106498308/invasion-of-taiwan-cherry-tree-causes-concern
https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/115129751/taiwan-cherry-tree-given-eradication-status-in-nelsontasman-plan
Hi Solkta. The Cherry's on Owairaka are not the Taiwan Cherry (Prunus campanulata), although they have been mis-identified as such by the TMA and their 'experts'. I'll leave that to sink in.
The Owairaka Cherry's are considerably lighter in shade, and have an entirely different flower, and have now been identified as an entirely different species.
So what species are they?
We are awaiting the final specification, but the arborist has confirmed they are not a pest species, not the Taiwanese cherry. On a related note, I have seen today a list, compiled for the TMA and submitted by them as part of a works program, of all of the 345 trees to be felled. Only a handful are 'pests', by their own assessment at that time. The Cherry’s are not listed in that compilation/report as pests.
Those photos are interesting. I know Mt Albert intimately and the area shown in the main photo is the remains of an old Maori Pa site. When we were children it was still possible to find shells collected by the former inhabitants. There are no trees there apart from the few stunted specimens in the photo. But further around there are lots of beautiful trees lining the access road that should not be touched.
It was my assumption they were the trees they plan to cut down.
Hi Anne…the trees to be cut down include many along that access road, and also the full stand of cherry's that stand in the corner of the archery area. Some from our group have started putting ribbons around the 'condemned' trees. We acknowledge there are trees that need to be removed e.g. privet and some of the eucalyptus. But all at once?
If you know Owairaka – Mt Albert well, please come up. The only access we are restricting is to people with chainsaws!
Thank you so much for your informed responses Paddington. As I suspected, a group of local officials (big frogs in little pools as my late Dad used to call them) have turned officious because their 'mode of operation' has been called into question by the masses.
Normally I would be over the bridge to join you before you could say Jack Robinson, but I am currently semi-disabled due to injury and back problems – the curse of advancing years. But I will be keeping a close eye on developments from the balmy Shore and I am certainly with all of you in spirit. Please let your fellow protesters know. I might even know some of the older ones who grew up or have lived in Mt Albert for many years.
Thanks, and will do. All the best for a speedy recovery.
Not sure whether .org.nz will be affected but hey, private equity.
https://twitter.com/ossia/status/1197950543706112001
Fadi Chehade …thats a name to remember
'Former ICANN CEO Fadi Chehade personally registered the domain name currently used by Ethos Capital in May and it was registered as a limited company in the US state of Delaware on May 14. "
Thanks for the tip Joe – I'm just in the process of renewing an org.nz domain name I sponsor so will ensure it is renewed out to 10 years.
Might be better to also buy the plain .nz of the same name, for shorter periods each. 🙂
Non-profit ownership for our .nz registry, thankfully: https://registry.internetnz.nz/
Rather ominous.
https://twitter.com/shannynmoore/status/1198400801145683969
trump 'Confounds the Science' – worth a listen if you haven't seen it, saw it on The Listening Post this last night.
That was tops Cinny. I had to laugh even if it was a hollow one.
Did you get to the A & P show? Great weather for it.
That clip was a goodie 🙂
Didn't make it to the show, the garden was calling instead 🙂 But it looks like it was an epic show and santa parade.
Not sure if there's more to this, but really?
https://twitter.com/BashirMohamed/status/1198299591466086401
Free speech only when it suits them,
Brexit
https://www.bbc.com/news/election-2019-50511329
General election 2019: Jeremy Corbyn to remain neutral in any new Brexit vote
and from The Express which I can't get 23/11/2019:
12 hours ago – BORIS JOHNSON could win more general election seats than Labour but still be forced to watch Jeremy Corbyn enter Number 10 instead, a polling expert has warned. … Joe Twyman of Delta Poll said Mr Johnson’s Conservative party could win more seats than Labour but not stay in …
Seems BBC wants a Johnson win.
https://twitter.com/AaronBastani/status/1198261302898176000
Turkeys
With one move, National destroy all their own attack lines ("no life experience", "kids march but don't pay taxes", "get a real job", etc, etc … ):
Nats pick 17 year old to be MP
They don't look too energised in the accompanying photo.
It is a refreshing difference from the recycled money traders, CEOs, Crown Prosecutors, tobacco lobbyists, and pseudo-farmers, to name a few.
All those possibilities lie before him..
Quite a contrast in the way National plans to treat prisoners, this time with compulsory work. I would have thought this was a non issue because I thought work is a privilege inside (?)
Anyhoo it looks like they are fishing for a reaction of some kind.
Its top of page on Stuff right now in case anyone is interested although the article is almost as short as my post.
Poll results in this morning….oh nooos! Might be just the beginning…
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/117662933/labour-ahead-while-national-dips-below-40-in-new-stuff-poll
Very good idea.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/117667874/shane-jones-wants-a-blue-highway-and-special-economic-zone-at-hicks-bay