I am curious if any of y'all here think Aotearoa buying bitumen from overseas is a step forward, a good idea?
Just been looking at an article about Marsden Point and found NZ First have gotten an investigation into reopening the refinery. Resilience has been cited.
Refinery closes, badda bing badda boom, Cyclone Gabriel hits.
From a NZ First petition- "“The devastation brought on by Cyclone Gabriella is immense. New Zealand is now in desperate need of bitumen for the lengthy and expensive roading rebuild – a quality product which Marsden Point was once producing for us locally until it was shut down."
Now, I get that Peters and Jones aren't everyone's cup of tea. This is part of NZF policy that is supportable.
Neo-liberalism failure yet again, unless it is working exactly as it should…
Sourcing bitumen from a wider market should allow us to get a product that is more suitable to our needs. Marsden Pt was very limited in what crude it could process, and the properties of the crud that comes out the bottom (bitumen) is governed to a large extent by the crude that goes in. It can be modified to an extent with additives, but you'd get a much better product if you started with something more suitable. Not an issue in some applications, but in some parts of NZ roading concerns struggled to build adequate roads with Marsden Pt bitumen.
Outcome will depend on whether NZTA sources on performance or price.
There's nothing resilient about a policy that is centred in everyone that can afford it having a car or two. Is NZF's resiliency a climate denying adaptation position? Resiliency washing.
Resiliency would look like this:
baseline relocalisation of as many systems as we can especially food production and work.
rebuild neighbourhoods so many things are within walking/biking/PT distance
make those neighbourhoods desirable
use sustainability design eg each element serves multiple functions (this is how you build resiliency into systems) eg relocalising food production reduces GHGs, provides jobs, fresher and healthier food, less miles
The things I have named reduce miles. Less mills travelled = less road maintenance = less bitumen used.
I'm guessing that that is against NZF policy, which would see expansion of the bitumen sector as a good thing.
You can also say that persevering with Marsden Pt was just as daft.
We would have then been locked in to using the capacity of the refinery for the rest of it's life, and with completely wrong market signals once consumption dropped below refinery capacity, and the owners had to dump excess fuel into the market at reduced prices.
Without having to keep the Marsden Pt refinery operating we can source fuel to match a reducing demand.
I suspect your position is predicated on the idea that we will always have access to overseas supplies. What if there is a GCF or war or other event that means we don't?
There is absolutely no doubt we will transition to renewables.
Either with a planned and staged transition, or, one forced by decreasing resources and and steadily more unliveable climate. Accompanied by wars and sociatal breakdown. Given the preponderance of anto-social AGW denialist nutters, like NZ, gaining power worldwide at present, the second is more likely
Unfortunately increases in energy efficiency are negated by rising population. And with vehicles, by increases in vehicle size. The total proportion of renewables has remained stubbornly about 10% since 1990. Mostly due to inertia and lack of investment by successive Governments.
one forced by decreasing resources and and steadily more unliveable climate. Accompanied by wars and sociatal breakdown
that's definitely a transition, but it's not what most people mean when they say transition to renewables. If there are resource wars, GFC, societal breakdown, where will NZ be getting all its lithium from?
I don't think anyone has answered the question of what NZ would do if we lost our import supply of crude oil and we have no refinery. That's a transition too I guess
If we lose our import supply of oil then having a refinery is irrelevant.
Whether we import oil to refine here, or import refined products, it is still subject to the same supply constraints.
BTW. Renewables are not dependant on lithium. It currently makes batteries more efficient, but you can have renewable, and even rather good batteries/ power supplies without it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_redox_flow_battery
If we lose our import supply of oil then having a refinery is irrelevant.
How is it irrelevant?
Whether we import oil to refine here, or import refined products, it is still subject to the same supply constraints.
Of course, but the scenario is where we can't import crude or refined, but have domestic crude and a refinery or not. I don't know why this is so hard to address.
The refinery was originally an attempt at import substitution. Keeping the expense of refining off our balance of trade. Which made sense 50 years ago. Until it was sold in the “great fire sale” in the 90’s which meant the oil companies who bought it, not NZ, benefited from the subsequent earnings.
Now. What makes sense is still import substitution. But with renewables which don't require billions per year paid to offshore oil producers.
we’re really talking at cross purposes here. Your argument is based on us not tipping into collapse, and in that sense it makes sense.
My question, which in fact still hasn’t been answered, is what happens if there is no more overseas source of crude or refined and all we have is our own crude? If you say ‘but we don’t have enough oil locally to meet demand!’, well of course, just like we won’t have enough import if the global system collapses.
The point of keeping a refinery on shore isn’t to avoid or delay transition to renewables, it’s to hold one thread of resilience. Might not be a good thread to hold, but that argument hasn’t been made yet because you, Graeme and Ad are all arguing within the context of current economics, not early collapse scenarios. Which is why I keep the repeated the question.
NZ might get really lucky and we get a L/G/TPM government in 2026, and we get serious about transition. But it will have to include degrowth and powerdown soon because there is no way to transition fully to renewables any more. That window has passed.
We will always have access to crude oil so far as I can tell.
(I have a lot of big-state leftie sympathy for your view of Marsden Point).
Even if our access to the refineries of Singapore, South Korea and Japan were shut down (say in the case of China invading Taiwan), we would still get it from Australia's refineries. It is Gull, BP and CALTEX that provide those sources already.
International access doesn't seem to be forcing fuel substitution locally. For example despite massive growth in electricity production here over the last decade, Huntly's owner Genesis was quite happy to switch to brown Indonesian coal while our super-high-grade coking coal went to the Chinese and Thai steel mills.
That's the BAU argument. Meanwhile, climate scientists and communicators, journalists, and transitioners are all pointing to collapse of civilisation if we don't drop GHGs fast. There's some chance that we will change voluntarily, but it's looking more likely that we will be forced into hard change. So yes, losing access to global supplies of crude oil is a scenario we should be considering, at least in our thinking.
With that crude we were able to make diesel, jet fuel, petrol and fuel oil for ships.
Also much needed bitumen for repairs.
No matter which way you look at it we are now less resilient, and more reliant on the whims of the market and beholden to shareholders of shipping companies.
The oil shocks showed that it was immeterial whether we imported oil in refined or crude form. The local production is exported to where ever the oil companies can make the most money for it.
If there are shortages in markets that can pay more, what do you think is going to happen?
If there are shortages in markets that can pay more, what do you think is going to happen?
the NZ economy collapses and we do a hard and fast transition to an agrarian economy large based on internal production?
What you and Graeme and Ad are arguing is economics. At some point in a collapse we have a choice between protecting the economy or protecting our ability to function as a nation state. What you are all saying is true, but what gsays and I are saying is true too. We're just talking about different stages of an unknown process.
"…a choice between protecting the current BAU neoliberal economy or protecting our ability to function as a nation state…"
The economic system we use now isn't the only one, and it's certainly not prepared or useful for what is coming down the line with the polycrisis of climate/ecological collapse, resources depletion and war, social unrest.
But further, if the global economic system collapses, what do you think will happen to the NZ one? We won't have a choice about keeping teh current economic system, but we have choices now about transition, and future proofing (to the extent we can).
The collapse of the global sytem will inivitably collapse NZ.
We have already seen how that works, in several worldwide depressions. We don't have the capacity to transition to an internal economy. Successive Governments of all stripes have demolished local capacity in favour of exporting milk powder. Muldoon was, in fact, the last Government to try and build future resiliance.
Even if we can feed ourselves, do you think neighbours with their huge populations and military, are going to let us be? How do you deal with millions of refugees from countries that no longer support life?
The best thing for resiliance, as far as energy goes, is to separate ourselves from the global system of oil supply and rely on sustainable local sources.
It still needs a large degree of hope, that in the inevitable catastrophic failure of global climate, New Zealanders will be allowed to use our own resources. Resources that NACT will have already sold.
"If there are shortages in markets that can pay more, what do you think is going to happen?"
This is the problem with Aotearoa being a global market participant. Our viability as a society is at the whims of 'the market' and companies that have balance sheets that are way bigger than this nation's.
That is why we must pivot away from this Chicago School way of doing things.
We do not have the oil reserves to support our consumption – as Joe90 says we rely on imported crude. Reopening Marsden Point is not going to change that.
the world cannot afford our consumption, we are one of the countries well into overshoot. That's the not the issue, because we have to drop consumption anyway. The issue is what would happen if we lose access to imported crude. Can we mine our own crude but no longer have a way of refining it?
All these debates (including I would guess NZF), revolve around the idea that civilisation is going to continue BAU. It's not.
Apples aren't mined, they're harvested. In a woodland-style orchard-garden, apple trees need no inputs other than what settles upon them from the sky, across their whole lifecycle. Apple fruits are given generously and nothing is asked in return. The crop grows greater and greater every year. Sunlight, air, water, and a live medium to grow in, all free, is all that's required for this resource.
Pears and plums also, feijoa, fig, peach, apricot, quince, loquat, grape, mulberry, sweet chestnut, hazel, walnut; this is just the first few of a very long list 🙂
Education about food stories is important in changing attitudes.
Many of us still have memories of or access to sweet smelling fresh fruit. Food kms matter.
People once had your attitude to the car and walked in front of it at 5 miles an hour with a flag calling "car coming" so it did not scare the work horses.
Now we have to face that the age of the car needs a rethink, as it is a resource greedy thing which pollutes.
Local foods and 15 minute cities are on the planning board, pity our cities have such dinosaurs as mayors.
the apple as a thing on a supermarket shelf won't be a thing for very much longer in human terms if we don't transition.
eg frosts taking out the flowers/buds, extreme heat causing apple drop or making it impossible for workers to be in the orchard, high winds or floods damaging trees and apples, changes in insect populations.
Meanwhile, the regen farmers are ahead of the game in terms of adapting to variation in weather and climate.
Don't need value added to apple varieties that are grown for nutrition and health. The value is in what we eat, and how the land is tended where it grows.
No, not economic, but around having the flexibility to reduce petroleum use seamlessly to as low as possible.
Maintaining Marsden Pt would mean we are locked into usage at the refinery's minimum capacity, then a sudden step to imports or zero. I see it better to make that adjustment as quickly as we can. Also the same situation is playing out in Australia and around the world where refinery capacity is being rationalised to fewer, larger refineries.
The import risks would be similar for refined product or crude. But with both options we have a very sudden adjustment to make if there's any disruption.
The government should nationalize these fossil fuel resources as soon as possible. When the time comes they will then be able to shut them down, where as leaving them in private sector hands is provoking a legal battle getting in the way of dis-establishing these industries.
Keeping a too small, inefficient, long past it's use by date, refinery, running, is Daft!
Nothing to do with resiliance as the oil, whether refined or not, is imported anyway.
We should be transitioning to sustainable energy produced locally, not continuing to spend on oil imports with all the negatives of the fortune we spend propping up the oil industry, on our balance of trade.
Net spending on oil is greater than our net dairy earnings. Replacing that with wind, hydro and solar will be a huge boost to our current account.
Not to mention avoiding all the military spend on supporting US wars, over oil.
Lastly, spending billions to keep oil infrastructure assets going which should be redundant in future, instead of spending on renewables goes against the AGW adaptation we need, which has had the can kicked down the road for too long already.
A fact not mentioned clearly in the concern of government about welfare of late, the 2022 drum beat about the need for opening the border to migrant workers in 2022 – because they were not available locally. The reluctance of employers to hire older workers.
In 2022 the former Government
launched an older workers employment action plan focussing on access to training and up-skilling for people aged 50 and over to ensure they can find jobs or stay in work.
With 40% of long term jobseeker support recipients aged 50 to 64, the need is clearly there, and the plan aims to improve employment services so this age group feels more comfortable using them.
"The only problem for the three fledgling unions, all with strong ties to the anti-vax movement, is that there’s no Rachel Mangan, Ken Lawson or Howard Granger on the publicly-accessible registers of teachers, nurses and doctors in New Zealand.
In fact, not one of the names listed on the “testimonials” page of the three unions’ websites shows up on those registers."
Yes, that is how it goes. If the victim is trans – it is a national emergency – declared a "hate crime", vigils are held, new laws are demanded.
If the perpetrator is trans – don't mention it. Well, on para 22 if you must. But you have to make sure that the first words (and the headline) are "woman" and "her".
I have been out on the road/amongst the (true) precariat for about six years now..
And one observation I would make is how fucked up so many gen xers seem to be…
And it is largely down to alcohol..and 'p'..
And it is p I am addressing here..
And definitions: p is meth/speed..the most garbage/damaging of drugs..
( And while we are at it..'crack' here is not 'crack'..crack is cocaine put thru another chemical process…I have had habits on both of them…largely in other parts of the planet…)
And I would like to present what I think is a viable option to help p-heads kick that crap..and to move them onto something much easier to kick..
I think the treatment authorities should use prescribed cocaine much the same way they used methadone to help heroin addicts quit…
For those people really wanting to quit..allow them to use cocaine to help them get thru the speed-withdrawals..(which can be really fucked ugly..if the literature on the matter is to be believed..)
And I recommend using cocaine for this purpose largely from my own experiences .
In that having been addicted to alcohol/heroin/ciggies/coke/crack..I have come up with my own withdrawal ranking list..
I have heroin at 8.5.out of ten in difficulty…alcohol and ciggies at 4/10..
And cocaine.?..cocaine struggles to reach 1/10 ..
After using reasonably heroic amounts of the stuff…for a rather long time…(I used to mix it with my heroin..and ..after kicking that..still used coke)
Anyway..I decided to kick it..and that was that..I just stopped..
A couple of mildly restless nites sleep..and that was it..
Compared to anything else cocaine is so easy to kick/stop using..
This is why I would recommend cocaine be available to be prescribed to p-addicts..to get them thru the hell of meth-withdrawals..as a stepping-stone..
Sounds like that approach could be worth a try. The authorities could test its effectiveness, maybe?
I just hope NZ doesn't follow the USA and Canada and get a wave of fentanyl, which is impossible to get off once you start on it. Apparently the dealers mix it in with heroin but don't tell their customers.
I think there has to be a change in mindset by the medical professionals…to treating cocaine just like any other medication..and using it for those purposes..
It would be effective to help p-addicts..and would also be very effective for the aged/infirmed…
and with/for the latter it would be delivering a better quality of life..when that is most needed..
The United States on Friday restored its longstanding policy that settlements are inconsistent with international law, reversing a stance implemented by the former administration, hours after Israel announced a plan to advance the construction of thousands of new settlement homes in response to a terror shooting in the West Bank.
“We’ve seen the reports and I have to say we’re disappointed in the announcement,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in response to a question on the matter during a press conference in Argentina.
“It’s been long-standing US policy under Republican and Democratic administrations alike that new settlements are counterproductive to reaching an enduring peace.”
"We’ve seen the reports and I have to say we’re disappointed in the announcement,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in response to a question on the matter during a press conference in Argentina.
“It’s been long-standing US policy under Republican and Democratic administrations alike that new settlements are counterproductive to reaching an enduring peace.”
The genocide-enabling USA make me want to puke. "Disappointed". Really?
How about what you are doing is wrong on so many levels so fucking stop it or we will not supply you with any more weapons and you're on your own."
Nah. It's just "counter-productive."
The USA government should be despised as genocide enablers.
Because becoming more conservative as you age is about about getting richer. And millennials/gen z have never got richer because boomers grabbed the lot for themselves. It's not fucking rocket science.
/
The Link between Age and Conservatism Is Breaking
Millennials and Gen Z are not becoming more conservative as they age, as generations before them did. Why?
[…]
Most polls show that Millennials and Gen Z are not becoming more conservative as they age, the way that Boomers and Gen X did before them.
Of course the coalition of chaos plans to allow the Seamounts of the Southwest Pacific to be vandalised.
In the Southeast Pacific, off the coast of Chile, underwater mountains create a breathtaking deep-sea landscape where cold-water corals, intricate glass sponges, anemones, and a host of creatures that captivate the imagination are thriving. Nearly half of the animals living here exist nowhere else on Earth. Seamounts are oases for biodiversity; for the last month, an international team of scientists explored this understudied region in our global ocean. Data and imagery collected on the #SEPacificSeamounts expedition will help advance Chile’s effort to establish a high-seas marine protected area along the Nazca and Salas y Gómez Ridges.
VALPARAISO, Chile – An international group of scientists, led by Dr. Javier Sellanes of the Universidad Católica del Norte, may have discovered more than 100 new species living on seamounts off the coast of Chile. The recent Schmidt Ocean Institute expedition resulted in identifying deep-sea corals, glass sponges, sea urchins, amphipods, squat lobsters, and other species likely new to science.
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Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
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 ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. 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 ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
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I am curious if any of y'all here think Aotearoa buying bitumen from overseas is a step forward, a good idea?
Just been looking at an article about Marsden Point and found NZ First have gotten an investigation into reopening the refinery. Resilience has been cited.
Refinery closes, badda bing badda boom, Cyclone Gabriel hits.
From a NZ First petition- "“The devastation brought on by Cyclone Gabriella is immense. New Zealand is now in desperate need of bitumen for the lengthy and expensive roading rebuild – a quality product which Marsden Point was once producing for us locally until it was shut down."
Now, I get that Peters and Jones aren't everyone's cup of tea. This is part of NZF policy that is supportable.
Neo-liberalism failure yet again, unless it is working exactly as it should…
New Zealand has been buying all bitumen from overseas since early 2021 – more money in it.
https://contractormag.co.nz/contractor/marsden-point-bitumen/
Sourcing bitumen from a wider market should allow us to get a product that is more suitable to our needs. Marsden Pt was very limited in what crude it could process, and the properties of the crud that comes out the bottom (bitumen) is governed to a large extent by the crude that goes in. It can be modified to an extent with additives, but you'd get a much better product if you started with something more suitable. Not an issue in some applications, but in some parts of NZ roading concerns struggled to build adequate roads with Marsden Pt bitumen.
Outcome will depend on whether NZTA sources on performance or price.
Closing Marsden Point was daft.
There's nothing resilient about a policy that is centred in everyone that can afford it having a car or two. Is NZF's resiliency a climate denying adaptation position? Resiliency washing.
Resiliency would look like this:
The things I have named reduce miles. Less mills travelled = less road maintenance = less bitumen used.
I'm guessing that that is against NZF policy, which would see expansion of the bitumen sector as a good thing.
You can also say that persevering with Marsden Pt was just as daft.
We would have then been locked in to using the capacity of the refinery for the rest of it's life, and with completely wrong market signals once consumption dropped below refinery capacity, and the owners had to dump excess fuel into the market at reduced prices.
Without having to keep the Marsden Pt refinery operating we can source fuel to match a reducing demand.
I suspect your position is predicated on the idea that we will always have access to overseas supplies. What if there is a GCF or war or other event that means we don't?
Your argument is primarily economic right?
We relied on access to imported crude.
that doesn't answer my question though. What could we do in these two scenarios?
Our crudes are unsuitable for transport fuels, so we export them.
And if we could refine them into transport fuels, our proven reserves amount to little more than a years worth of consumption.
that still doesn't answer my question.
We do produce our own crude. I was out there drilling for it.
Not in enough quantity for the grades we need. We do produce enough for lube oils and maybe making composites?
Resilience, and sustainability means transitioning to renewables, so we are not dependant on oil for energy in the amounts we currently use.
Wasting money on keeping oil infrastructure going, means less for renewables.
Yes, and that requires faith in two things:
That we will transition to renewables
That transitioning to renewables without powering down will work.
There is absolutely no doubt we will transition to renewables.
Either with a planned and staged transition, or, one forced by decreasing resources and and steadily more unliveable climate. Accompanied by wars and sociatal breakdown. Given the preponderance of anto-social AGW denialist nutters, like NZ, gaining power worldwide at present, the second is more likely
Unfortunately increases in energy efficiency are negated by rising population. And with vehicles, by increases in vehicle size. The total proportion of renewables has remained stubbornly about 10% since 1990. Mostly due to inertia and lack of investment by successive Governments.
that's definitely a transition, but it's not what most people mean when they say transition to renewables. If there are resource wars, GFC, societal breakdown, where will NZ be getting all its lithium from?
I don't think anyone has answered the question of what NZ would do if we lost our import supply of crude oil and we have no refinery. That's a transition too I guess
If we lose our import supply of oil then having a refinery is irrelevant.
Whether we import oil to refine here, or import refined products, it is still subject to the same supply constraints.
BTW. Renewables are not dependant on lithium. It currently makes batteries more efficient, but you can have renewable, and even rather good batteries/ power supplies without it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_redox_flow_battery
How is it irrelevant?
Of course, but the scenario is where we can't import crude or refined, but have domestic crude and a refinery or not. I don't know why this is so hard to address.
W've addressed it.
We do not have sufficient local reserves of type or quantity for current consumption.
So we depend on imports!
Ergo. Whether it is refined here or offshore it is still imported.
Interposing an expensive and outdated refinery doesn't change the dependance on imported oil and oil companies.
We coul invest in drilling and new oil Wells which may extend our local reserves by a few more years. But still much cheaper to refine offshore rather than rebuilding the refinery. We could also invest in making buggy whips! History lesson for small business owners: Don’t be the last buggy whip maker | Succeeding in Small Business
The refinery was originally an attempt at import substitution. Keeping the expense of refining off our balance of trade. Which made sense 50 years ago. Until it was sold in the “great fire sale” in the 90’s which meant the oil companies who bought it, not NZ, benefited from the subsequent earnings.
Now. What makes sense is still import substitution. But with renewables which don't require billions per year paid to offshore oil producers.
we’re really talking at cross purposes here. Your argument is based on us not tipping into collapse, and in that sense it makes sense.
My question, which in fact still hasn’t been answered, is what happens if there is no more overseas source of crude or refined and all we have is our own crude? If you say ‘but we don’t have enough oil locally to meet demand!’, well of course, just like we won’t have enough import if the global system collapses.
The point of keeping a refinery on shore isn’t to avoid or delay transition to renewables, it’s to hold one thread of resilience. Might not be a good thread to hold, but that argument hasn’t been made yet because you, Graeme and Ad are all arguing within the context of current economics, not early collapse scenarios. Which is why I keep the repeated the question.
NZ might get really lucky and we get a L/G/TPM government in 2026, and we get serious about transition. But it will have to include degrowth and powerdown soon because there is no way to transition fully to renewables any more. That window has passed.
We will always have access to crude oil so far as I can tell.
(I have a lot of big-state leftie sympathy for your view of Marsden Point).
Even if our access to the refineries of Singapore, South Korea and Japan were shut down (say in the case of China invading Taiwan), we would still get it from Australia's refineries. It is Gull, BP and CALTEX that provide those sources already.
International access doesn't seem to be forcing fuel substitution locally. For example despite massive growth in electricity production here over the last decade, Huntly's owner Genesis was quite happy to switch to brown Indonesian coal while our super-high-grade coking coal went to the Chinese and Thai steel mills.
That's the BAU argument. Meanwhile, climate scientists and communicators, journalists, and transitioners are all pointing to collapse of civilisation if we don't drop GHGs fast. There's some chance that we will change voluntarily, but it's looking more likely that we will be forced into hard change. So yes, losing access to global supplies of crude oil is a scenario we should be considering, at least in our thinking.
Monbiot: https://www.monbiot.com/2023/11/03/the-flickering/
With that crude we were able to make diesel, jet fuel, petrol and fuel oil for ships.
Also much needed bitumen for repairs.
No matter which way you look at it we are now less resilient, and more reliant on the whims of the market and beholden to shareholders of shipping companies.
The oil shocks showed that it was immeterial whether we imported oil in refined or crude form. The local production is exported to where ever the oil companies can make the most money for it.
If there are shortages in markets that can pay more, what do you think is going to happen?
the NZ economy collapses and we do a hard and fast transition to an agrarian economy large based on internal production?
What you and Graeme and Ad are arguing is economics. At some point in a collapse we have a choice between protecting the economy or protecting our ability to function as a nation state. What you are all saying is true, but what gsays and I are saying is true too. We're just talking about different stages of an unknown process.
"…a choice between protecting the economy or protecting our ability to function as a nation state…"
I don't see how there could be a choice between those two things? Aren't they both reliant on the other?
let me rephrase.
"…a choice between protecting the current BAU neoliberal economy or protecting our ability to function as a nation state…"
The economic system we use now isn't the only one, and it's certainly not prepared or useful for what is coming down the line with the polycrisis of climate/ecological collapse, resources depletion and war, social unrest.
But further, if the global economic system collapses, what do you think will happen to the NZ one? We won't have a choice about keeping teh current economic system, but we have choices now about transition, and future proofing (to the extent we can).
The collapse of the global sytem will inivitably collapse NZ.
We have already seen how that works, in several worldwide depressions. We don't have the capacity to transition to an internal economy. Successive Governments of all stripes have demolished local capacity in favour of exporting milk powder. Muldoon was, in fact, the last Government to try and build future resiliance.
Even if we can feed ourselves, do you think neighbours with their huge populations and military, are going to let us be? How do you deal with millions of refugees from countries that no longer support life?
De coupling from the global system is not going to happen. Hell, we can't even de-couple from the economically disastrous reduction on taxes for the hugely wealthy. Global 'War on Fair Taxation' Has Slashed Taxes for Richest 1% by a Third (commondreams.org)
The best thing for resiliance, as far as energy goes, is to separate ourselves from the global system of oil supply and rely on sustainable local sources.
It still needs a large degree of hope, that in the inevitable catastrophic failure of global climate, New Zealanders will be allowed to use our own resources. Resources that NACT will have already sold.
"If there are shortages in markets that can pay more, what do you think is going to happen?"
This is the problem with Aotearoa being a global market participant. Our viability as a society is at the whims of 'the market' and companies that have balance sheets that are way bigger than this nation's.
That is why we must pivot away from this Chicago School way of doing things.
We do not have the oil reserves to support our consumption – as Joe90 says we rely on imported crude. Reopening Marsden Point is not going to change that.
https://www.worldometers.info/oil/new-zealand-oil/
the world cannot afford our consumption, we are one of the countries well into overshoot. That's the not the issue, because we have to drop consumption anyway. The issue is what would happen if we lose access to imported crude. Can we mine our own crude but no longer have a way of refining it?
All these debates (including I would guess NZF), revolve around the idea that civilisation is going to continue BAU. It's not.
NZF has morphed into a party of idiots. Pandering to anti-vaccers, AGW deniers and other assorted fruit loops.
That is pretty much our entire economy: we mine bulk stuff here and it gets processed elsewhere into a higher value commodity.
Oil. Wood. Milk. Apples. Coal. People. Meat and fish. Wheat. Wool.
Apples aren't mined, they're harvested. In a woodland-style orchard-garden, apple trees need no inputs other than what settles upon them from the sky, across their whole lifecycle. Apple fruits are given generously and nothing is asked in return. The crop grows greater and greater every year. Sunlight, air, water, and a live medium to grow in, all free, is all that's required for this resource.
Pears and plums also, feijoa, fig, peach, apricot, quince, loquat, grape, mulberry, sweet chestnut, hazel, walnut; this is just the first few of a very long list 🙂
They are barely value-added whether you call it mined or harvested, despite decades of breeding and exporting.
To all but the Lorax Loners, Localist Lifestylers and Deep Retreaters, an apple is a thing on a stack in a supermarket.
Yeah, thanks, Ad – ups to you!
Education about food stories is important in changing attitudes.
Many of us still have memories of or access to sweet smelling fresh fruit. Food kms matter.
People once had your attitude to the car and walked in front of it at 5 miles an hour with a flag calling "car coming" so it did not scare the work horses.
Now we have to face that the age of the car needs a rethink, as it is a resource greedy thing which pollutes.
Local foods and 15 minute cities are on the planning board, pity our cities have such dinosaurs as mayors.
Imho, many LLs are more in touch with reality than the everyman.
At Eden Park today, the Black Caps needed 42 runs off the last over, but it's only a game – you win some, you lose some.
As a species, we've had a good run – you win some, you lose some.
the apple as a thing on a supermarket shelf won't be a thing for very much longer in human terms if we don't transition.
eg frosts taking out the flowers/buds, extreme heat causing apple drop or making it impossible for workers to be in the orchard, high winds or floods damaging trees and apples, changes in insect populations.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-climate-change-hurt-this-years-apple-harvest/
Meanwhile, the regen farmers are ahead of the game in terms of adapting to variation in weather and climate.
Don't need value added to apple varieties that are grown for nutrition and health. The value is in what we eat, and how the land is tended where it grows.
https://www.heritagefoodcrops.org.nz/montys-surprise-apple/
No, not economic, but around having the flexibility to reduce petroleum use seamlessly to as low as possible.
Maintaining Marsden Pt would mean we are locked into usage at the refinery's minimum capacity, then a sudden step to imports or zero. I see it better to make that adjustment as quickly as we can. Also the same situation is playing out in Australia and around the world where refinery capacity is being rationalised to fewer, larger refineries.
The import risks would be similar for refined product or crude. But with both options we have a very sudden adjustment to make if there's any disruption.
The government should nationalize these fossil fuel resources as soon as possible. When the time comes they will then be able to shut them down, where as leaving them in private sector hands is provoking a legal battle getting in the way of dis-establishing these industries.
In 2012 we used 149,000 barrels of oil per day.
By 2019 it peaked at 179,000 per day.
It's now back to 2012 levels.
Our local coal production is the lowest in 33 years. Our coal use continues to decrease – in part from large public subsidy and policy programmes.
Your scale of state intervention isn't warranted.
Keeping a too small, inefficient, long past it's use by date, refinery, running, is Daft!
Nothing to do with resiliance as the oil, whether refined or not, is imported anyway.
We should be transitioning to sustainable energy produced locally, not continuing to spend on oil imports with all the negatives of the fortune we spend propping up the oil industry, on our balance of trade.
Net spending on oil is greater than our net dairy earnings. Replacing that with wind, hydro and solar will be a huge boost to our current account.
Not to mention avoiding all the military spend on supporting US wars, over oil.
Lastly, spending billions to keep oil infrastructure assets going which should be redundant in future, instead of spending on renewables goes against the AGW adaptation we need, which has had the can kicked down the road for too long already.
A fact not mentioned clearly in the concern of government about welfare of late, the 2022 drum beat about the need for opening the border to migrant workers in 2022 – because they were not available locally. The reluctance of employers to hire older workers.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/131044912/are-you-past-landing-a-job-at-55-the-reality-of-ageism-despite-labour-shortages
Oh dear! The Cooking Teachers Union is a scam!
"The only problem for the three fledgling unions, all with strong ties to the anti-vax movement, is that there’s no Rachel Mangan, Ken Lawson or Howard Granger on the publicly-accessible registers of teachers, nurses and doctors in New Zealand.
In fact, not one of the names listed on the “testimonials” page of the three unions’ websites shows up on those registers."
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350186655/testimonials-new-unions-arent-quite-what-they-seem
"The bravehearts drove on through the fields in the Corolla.
They came across a bottom feeder sitting in the mud.
“Please, M’Lud, a crust of bread is all I ask,” pleads the peon.
“No, my good man. I am the King of Tough Love!”
Replieth proud and pious Luxon the Aspirational.
But the King is also a Just King and a Merciful one,
And tosses the peon a pack of Marlboro Lights
To stave off his hunger pangs."
https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/02/25/an-ode-for-king-luxon/
Not in a Corolla mate – a Rolls, Mercedes or even a PeopleCrusher 5000
But they'll call it a Corolla, coz, Austerity for ALL.
This is not a woman. This is a violent and sadistic man. Not our crimes.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/feb/23/cat-killing-woman-guilty-murdering-man-oxford-scarlet-blake-jorge-martin-carreno
and people wonder why women are so angry.
At least the Guardian explained further down that they are a trans woman. That's an improvement I guess.
Yes, that is how it goes. If the victim is trans – it is a national emergency – declared a "hate crime", vigils are held, new laws are demanded.
If the perpetrator is trans – don't mention it. Well, on para 22 if you must. But you have to make sure that the first words (and the headline) are "woman" and "her".
He is like an old soap ad..
Lux-on…lux-off…
https://www.police.govt.nz/news/release/gang’s-distinctive-motorcycles-destroyed-following-court-order#:~:text=Six%20distinctive%20motorcycles%20that%20were,the%20remains%20as%20scrap%20metal.
Collins never really went away, did she.
Why though, didn't they crush the 4x4s?
P-addiction solution:
I have been out on the road/amongst the (true) precariat for about six years now..
And one observation I would make is how fucked up so many gen xers seem to be…
And it is largely down to alcohol..and 'p'..
And it is p I am addressing here..
And definitions: p is meth/speed..the most garbage/damaging of drugs..
( And while we are at it..'crack' here is not 'crack'..crack is cocaine put thru another chemical process…I have had habits on both of them…largely in other parts of the planet…)
And I would like to present what I think is a viable option to help p-heads kick that crap..and to move them onto something much easier to kick..
I think the treatment authorities should use prescribed cocaine much the same way they used methadone to help heroin addicts quit…
For those people really wanting to quit..allow them to use cocaine to help them get thru the speed-withdrawals..(which can be really fucked ugly..if the literature on the matter is to be believed..)
And I recommend using cocaine for this purpose largely from my own experiences .
In that having been addicted to alcohol/heroin/ciggies/coke/crack..I have come up with my own withdrawal ranking list..
I have heroin at 8.5.out of ten in difficulty…alcohol and ciggies at 4/10..
And cocaine.?..cocaine struggles to reach 1/10 ..
After using reasonably heroic amounts of the stuff…for a rather long time…(I used to mix it with my heroin..and ..after kicking that..still used coke)
Anyway..I decided to kick it..and that was that..I just stopped..
A couple of mildly restless nites sleep..and that was it..
Compared to anything else cocaine is so easy to kick/stop using..
This is why I would recommend cocaine be available to be prescribed to p-addicts..to get them thru the hell of meth-withdrawals..as a stepping-stone..
(Happy to answer any questions..
Anyone got any better solutions..?)
Good on you for having the strength of will. That may be an answer for some.
Sounds like that approach could be worth a try. The authorities could test its effectiveness, maybe?
I just hope NZ doesn't follow the USA and Canada and get a wave of fentanyl, which is impossible to get off once you start on it. Apparently the dealers mix it in with heroin but don't tell their customers.
I think there has to be a change in mindset by the medical professionals…to treating cocaine just like any other medication..and using it for those purposes..
It would be effective to help p-addicts..and would also be very effective for the aged/infirmed…
and with/for the latter it would be delivering a better quality of life..when that is most needed..
And what's wrong with that..?
A troubling* article, NYT freebie, about how girls are being promoted on social media by their parents.
yuk*
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/22/us/instagram-child-influencers.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Xk0.kP-g.QEqSLFLcdo4a&smid=wa-share
Too little, too late.
/
The United States on Friday restored its longstanding policy that settlements are inconsistent with international law, reversing a stance implemented by the former administration, hours after Israel announced a plan to advance the construction of thousands of new settlement homes in response to a terror shooting in the West Bank.
“We’ve seen the reports and I have to say we’re disappointed in the announcement,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in response to a question on the matter during a press conference in Argentina.
“It’s been long-standing US policy under Republican and Democratic administrations alike that new settlements are counterproductive to reaching an enduring peace.”
https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-pans-israeli-w-bank-construction-plans-revives-policy-deeming-settlements-illegal/
"We’ve seen the reports and I have to say we’re disappointed in the announcement,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in response to a question on the matter during a press conference in Argentina.
“It’s been long-standing US policy under Republican and Democratic administrations alike that new settlements are counterproductive to reaching an enduring peace.”
The genocide-enabling USA make me want to puke. "Disappointed". Really?
How about what you are doing is wrong on so many levels so fucking stop it or we will not supply you with any more weapons and you're on your own."
Nah. It's just "counter-productive."
The USA government should be despised as genocide enablers.
Because becoming more conservative as you age is about about getting richer. And millennials/gen z have never got richer because boomers grabbed the lot for themselves. It's not fucking rocket science.
/
The Link between Age and Conservatism Is Breaking
Millennials and Gen Z are not becoming more conservative as they age, as generations before them did. Why?
[…]
Most polls show that Millennials and Gen Z are not becoming more conservative as they age, the way that Boomers and Gen X did before them.
https://archive.li/jWQBQ (NRO)
Dunno if you can blame the boomers…
They only lived under the dictates of successive governments…and they are the ones who skewed the playing field so…
Remove the boomers…and you still have the same political masters…doing the same shit..
..and the same poverty etc…
Blame the politicians (of all stripes..)
Don't scapegoat all over the boomers…
It only takes a few bastards in each generation to ensure things never really change for the better. Don't blame the entire generation.
How is things in Moscow ?
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
[One month off for flaming – Incognito]
[I have reduced your ban to two weeks because you apologised. Let this be a lesson for the future – Incognito]
Hows your small penis?
[Three weeks off for counter-flaming – Incognito]
Mod note
Mod note
Second Mod note
Of course the coalition of chaos plans to allow the Seamounts of the Southwest Pacific to be vandalised.
In the Southeast Pacific, off the coast of Chile, underwater mountains create a breathtaking deep-sea landscape where cold-water corals, intricate glass sponges, anemones, and a host of creatures that captivate the imagination are thriving. Nearly half of the animals living here exist nowhere else on Earth. Seamounts are oases for biodiversity; for the last month, an international team of scientists explored this understudied region in our global ocean. Data and imagery collected on the #SEPacificSeamounts expedition will help advance Chile’s effort to establish a high-seas marine protected area along the Nazca and Salas y Gómez Ridges.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh8RtuuFhsY
VALPARAISO, Chile – An international group of scientists, led by Dr. Javier Sellanes of the Universidad Católica del Norte, may have discovered more than 100 new species living on seamounts off the coast of Chile. The recent Schmidt Ocean Institute expedition resulted in identifying deep-sea corals, glass sponges, sea urchins, amphipods, squat lobsters, and other species likely new to science.
https://schmidtocean.org/underwater-mountains-harbor-abundant-life/
https://schmidtocean.photoshelter.com/galleries/C0000QszlkoaNkKU/G0000ISlDmCQILdA/Seamounts-of-SE-Pacific-FKt240108-Press-Release
[image resized – Incognito]
"police given extra powers to stop gang members congregating "
So, freedom of association is gone, but freedom of speech is in; that's straightforward!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350191502/new-law-give-police-courts-greater-powers-gang-crackdown
Those new laws are basically unenforceable. Mere window-dressing to keep the useful idiots happy.
There is a wry chuckle to be had considering the millions spent on the rebranding, so that we will use the name Woolworths.
The rats in the Dunedin supermarket are at a Countdown.