Herald headline:
Mike Hosking: KiwiBuild ‘suburb’ will look like a dump in a decade.
Bridges on RNZ: It’s just our scheme rebranded.
Conclusion: If National were doing exactly the same thing as is proposed Hosking it would have it forward thing, the way of the future, tackling a need head on and whatever other bullshit he’s capable of coming up with.
Bridges is lying because the National scheme would not have had affordable housing in there as it ‘sabotages house prices’ which is what his mentor John Key said of Hobsonville in 2007.
National’s scheme would have had rows and rows of $1.5M+ houses for the well-to-do only. This would please Mike no end.
Presumably Hobsonville is the primary model for the Unitec site. Hobsonville is very high density with a large number of apartments within 4 and 5 story buildings. Hobsonville is about half finished and there already serious problems with traffic, especially parking. A lot of the owners have two cars and the second car is parked on the street.
Hobsonville is a bit higher end than what the government is proposing for the Unitec site. Hobsonville has about 20% “affordable” homes. The idea for the Unitec site is 40% “affordable” homes, presumably mostly apartments. It will almost certainly have a higher density than Hobsonville.
Personally I think the density of 4000 homes on 29 hectares is way too high a density, especially taking account the provision of roads, parks and recreation, shops, etc. It works out to 62.5 square meters of land per dwelling (taking 25 hectares as the effective subdivided are, excluding roads etc). Obviously just about all multi-storey apartments and terrace houses.
I think that no more than 2,000 would be more realistic. Auckland does not need Hong Kong density levels, certainly not in the suburbs.
When people realise just how much density is involved, I would anticipate quite a lot of objection.
Wayne, Hobsonville is 26.9 kms from the CBD. Mt Albert Unitec land is about 9 kms from the CBD. Apples and Oranges.
29 hectares is big enough to have one or two high rises and many town houses, just as they do in Australia. The footprint would be quite small.
43 -29 hectares leaves another parcel of 14. Plenty of space still there Wayne.
But I note you and your friends in National are out in force. This must be galling.
Bus service is actually better in Hobsonville Point than it was, problem is that the buses go from west gate to the ferry and take longer than driving, or the 120 from Henderson (and train) to Constellation (and NEX) but also take longer than driving, so all the good Aucklanders just drive instead.
The ferry is reasonably well used, but way to limited in services,and AT is stalling on upping the number of services available, mostly because that will require a 2nd boat, but there is not demand for a whole other boat (but more than the 1 boat available). It is probable that better/more ferry services will bring more people to use the ferry – although they would just drive to the station and not take the bus, so will lead to parking issues at the wharf.
Most of the issue at Hobsonville Point is around the collusion of ideas between the people who brought because of the ideal of sustainable living and the people who just needed a house (or wanted to buy for the prestige). These second group don’t drop # of cars, and tend to not use their garages for parking cars, but tend to be like typical Aucklanders and store all their excess stuff there. So the issue with parking at Hobsonville is not really an issue with the design, but an issue with the typical home-owner in Auckland not able to change from their previous habits. It is also a product of the housing crisis, so a lot of people didn’t have a lot of options, so making decisions based on what the philosophy behind the development wasn’t an option. Also I found in my case that it was actually cheaper to buy at Hobsonville Point than try and buy elsewhere, as the prices were based on values when they got consent/started to sell so were relatively cheap compared to other houses on the market with the same function (# of bedrooms, etc)
Objection to property development is par for the course…not an excuse for inaction… the objectors only have one vote each like everyone else… unless some votes count more than others?
All those cars! Clogging up the roads and parked empty all over the place!
What a waste! Under Nats housing programme, so many cars would make great living places for whole families, parked away from “nicer” residential areas.
Fortunately, the UNITEC development will be well served by mass transit systems, so no need for cars.
Yes! Wayne might not know the Mt Albert train station is right there. That buses going all over Auckland drive past regularly. As someone pointed out above, that Wayne is comparing Hobsonville, perched on the very outside of Auckland with a central suburb is revealling.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/353359/mt-albert-kiwibuild-homes-private-sector-needs-help-twyford
Building “hopefully” start in a year but will take at least a decade to complete. That is extremely slow for a development of this size. averaging 300-400 pa when we need 10,000+
There is a risk that this announcement has been over sold, Phil in this interview corrected the 4,000 number to 3 – 4,000.
Good that this is happening and will help in a small way, but we need 30 of these to meet the requirements that the “experts” are telling us.
Umm, why are we compensating 28 farms for the culling of 28,000 animals? Why doesn’t their private insurance cover this? And what link is there between dairy intensification in the area and this disease?
Another massive bail out for South Canterbury at the taxpayers expense…they’ve done well over the last few years, haven’t they?
I’m no defender of industrial dairy farming but it would be absolutely gutting for the staff to see animals you had reared and farmed for years , be sent to be killed en masse.
Compensation is fair for those not at fault. Maybe make it dependent on NAIT compliance, just watch compliance levels improve.
Like to know why these dairy farmers don’t have insurance this day in age IRT banks and weather etc or were they expecting the taxpayer to cough up for their stuff ups as usual?
And they expect the taxpayer to cough up!!! yeah right
In Oz the Farmer is expected to have insurance to cover them over before the State and Federal pollies handout funds or cover them until there is a insurance payout which btw is very quick unlike in NZ.
But with the last government running the Border Protecting into the ground is just plan wrong especially at the Ports and Airports. They should be nailing everyone who comes through the Airports regardless of who they are and doubling their effort on problem countries at the ports. “Its just plain common sense” as old Winnie would say.
The MPI people should’ve put a full movement ban in that Province when it was first detected and not have waited for the new government to pull their finger out of their freckle unlike the last government who seem to have very hands off approach to everything they.
But seems to come down to there having been “no proper basis for the refusal” by the Attorney General
The Conclusion:
[255]
For the foregoing reasons the decision of the Tribunal is that it is satisfied on the balance of probabilities that an action of the Crown (represented by the Attorney General) was an interference with the privacy of Mr Dotcom and
[255.1]
A declaration is made under s 85(1)(a) of the Privacy Act 1993 that there was an interference with the privacy of Mr Dotcom by:
[255.1.1]
The transfer, without legal authority, to the Attorney General of the information privacy requests made by Mr Dotcom in July 2015. The Attorney General had no lawful authority, as purported transferee under the Privacy
Act 1993, s 39(b)(ii), to refuse the requests on the grounds that they were
vexatious and there was no proper basis for that refusal; in the alternative, if the transfers were lawful:
[255.1.2]
Refusing the information privacy requests on the grounds that they were vexatious when there was no proper basis for that decision.
[255.2]
An order is made under s 85(1)(d) and (e) of the Privacy Act 1993 that the agencies (including the Ministers of the Crown) to which the information privacy requests were sent by Mr Dotcom in the period 17 to 31 July 2015 must comply with those requests subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act 1993 and in particular (but not exclusively) Parts 4 and 5 of that Act. For the purposes of this order the date of receipt of the requests is to be taken to be the fifth working day which follows immediately after the day on which this decision is published to the parties.
[255.3]
Damages of $30,000are awarded against the Attorney General under
ss 85(1)(c) and 88(1)(b) of the Privacy Act 1993 for the loss of a benefit Mr
Dotcom might reasonably have been expected to obtain but for the interference.
[255.4]
Damages of $60,000 are awarded against the Attorney General under
ss 85(1)(c) and 88(1)(c) for loss of dignity and injury to feelings
Just an observation on the Dr Brian Edwards – erstwhile Labour candidate, and political pundit amongst other areas of prominence.
Nearly six months now and still no recognition/acceptance that we have a left of centre coalition government, lead by a young and dynamic woman from his own Labour Party. Meantime, there have been several columns on his http://brianedwardsmedia.co.nz blog discussing the National Party – the most recent of which appears to be his warming to the new HM Opposition leadership.
In a couple of his recent blogs he has called out the usage of Te Reo by Pakeha radio announcers – yet in his profile/intro on his site it reads quote …
Why You Should Choose Us:
Because no one else in New Zealand has the mana, experience … unquote.
He feels it quite natural to throw in the odd word that has more recently become accepted parlance… “mana” … well done Brian and Judy.
Mark Mitchell went to extraordinary lengths to get to be the candidate for Rodney in the first place and now he is up for anything in his attempt to be seen to be relevant.
He has a thirsting MSM at his mercy.
Responding to reports that an alleged Russian air strike using an incendiary weapon burned to death 37 civilians – mainly women and children – hiding in an air-raid shelter in the Syrian town of Arbin on Friday, Amnesty International’s Senior Crisis Advisor Rawya Rageh said:
“We have previously documented how the use of incendiary weapons is burning alive civilians who are literally left with nowhere to hide. This attack would appear to be the latest horrific example in that pattern.
“In areas besieged by the Syrian government such as Daraya and elsewhere, civilians told us what particularly struck fear into their hearts during the final period of the siege before they were forced out was the use of incendiary weapons.
“Many told us they stopped going down to shelters for fear of being burned alive. Those fears seem especially poignant today in light of this latest horrifying loss of life.”
According to Russian state media, Russia’s Ministry of Defence denied responsibility for the attack.
Saydnaya Prison is where the Syrian state quietly slaughters its own people.
Every week, often twice per week, between 20 and 50 people are taken from their cells to be hanged, in the middle of the night. As many as 13,000 people have been killed in Saydnaya since 2011, in utmost secrecy. Many other people at Saydnaya have been killed after being repeatedly tortured and systematically deprived of food, water, medicine and medical care. The bodies of those who are killed at Saydnaya are taken away by the truckload and buried in mass graves. It is inconceivable that these large-scale and systematic practices have not been authorized at the highest levels of the Syrian government.
The AM Show when one has a guest one must treat them with respect well that’s the
Maori cultured way of doing things .
Hopefully the Warriors get there stolen gear back Kia kaha people .
ECO MAORI Backs the ban on new oil drilling especially if it endangers the survival of our dolphins .
I do not play games Duncan if you study more Maori culture you will understand my moves plus there is a big push back on everything I support so I have to be tactful with everything . I play the flute well.
That show last nite has opened my eyes to another phenomenon that is happening in Aotearoa at the minute its another of shonkys take from the poor and give to the wealthy but this has been out of the public view the reality of this phenomenon I will reveal this in time .
I make sure my recycling an rubbish bins are full takes two weeks and then put them out to lower the work load of our workers in this industry if the councils can save half of the cost by having rubbish picked up 2 weekly I say that’s is innovation all services should innovate to save money and our environment think about the amount of fuel that will not be burned because of this wonderful Idea .
P.S Ladies get the big picture decades before men Duncan.
Ka kite ano
The sandflys are swarming today in Tauranga but like sand flys I could just swat them away but today I chose to ignore them like the little bugs they are. They are just a little challenge that’s part of my lifes fate Kia kaha Ka kite ano
The Police (if that is who you mean by sandflies) were doing drug raids throughout the BoP today.
BTW – quick question. I live in Mount Maunganui and often drive past the fruit and Veg stalls lining Maunganui road. I saw a big sign once that said “ECO MAORI” and I thought about you. I might drop by and buy some stuff from you and say hello one day if that is you selling stuff (unless that’d be strange for ya…then I won’t)
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The Green Party is celebrating over $800m in new funding for green projects, which will get people into jobs while solving New Zealand’s long-term challenges. ...
Mark Patterson MP, Spokesperson for Primary Industries New Zealand First is appalled that Meridian seems to have been unnecessarily spilling water from its dams to drive up its profits."While New Zealanders have been coming together in some of our darkest hours, we don’t expect power gentailers to waste water and ...
We wrapped up the first half of 2020 with a busy month, taking additional steps to support New Zealanders as we continue with our economic recovery. We rolled out targeted packages to support key industries like tourism and construction, helped create jobs in the environmental and agriculture sectors, and set ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Infrastructure Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones has welcomed the appointment of Maurice Davis and his deep infrastructure and construction experience to the board of the Infrastructure Commission. Mr Davis (Ngāti Maniapoto), is the seventh and final appointment to the board led by former Reserve Bank Governor ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First New Zealand’s click bait journalism is taking a turn for the worse, with yet another example of sensationalist, wilful-misrepresentation of the facts. “New Zealand First has worked constructively with its Coalition partner on hundreds of pieces of legislation and policy, and ...
The Green Party is today unveiling its Poverty Action Plan, which includes a Guaranteed Minimum Income to ensure people have enough to live with dignity. ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister Fletcher Tabuteau MP, Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Rotorua Museum redevelopment and Whakarewarewa and Tokorangi Forest projects will be accelerated thanks to a $2.09 million Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) boost, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher ...
This week, we rolled out the next steps of our recovery plan, with new infrastructure investment, extra support for tourism operators, and a new programme to get Kiwis into agriculture careers. The global economic consequences of COVID-19 will continue to be a challenge, but we have a detailed plan to ...
Jenny Marcroft MP, Spokesperson for Health New Zealand First welcomes the passage of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Bill through its final reading in Parliament today fulfilling a coalition agreement commitment. “This is an important step in saving the lives of New Zealanders and delivers a key coalition commitment ...
Whakatāne has been given a $2.5 million boost to speed up previously funded projects and create more than 450 jobs in the next decade. Of those, the equivalent of 160 full-time jobs could be delivered in the next six weeks. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters is in town to make ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister Fletcher Tabuteau MP, Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing $2.5 million to accelerate three infrastructure projects in Whakatāne, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. “This package is about ...
Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones is throwing his weight behind a bid by the Auckland Council to fast-track the more than doubling of the city's water allowance from the Waikato River. And he's coming out strongly against anyone who plans on getting in the way of this campaign. "It is my ...
The Green Party is thrilled to see changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that mean consents for large projects can be declined if they will have significant climate change implications that are inconsistent with the Zero Carbon Act and Aotearoa New Zealand’s Paris Agreement obligations. ...
Hon Ron Mark, Minister of Defence The Royal New Zealand Navy’s new ship, Aotearoa, set sail for New Zealand on 10 June from the Republic of Korea, and is due to arrive in Auckland tomorrow, announced Minister of Defence Ron Mark. “Aotearoa is the Royal New Zealand Navy’s new fleet ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Racing Racing Minister Winston Peters has today welcomed the Racing Industry Bill passing its third reading, creating the legislative framework for revitalising the racing industry while limiting the need for future government intervention. “For too long our domestic racing industry has ...
The Green Party has today put forward an amendment to the Electoral (Registration of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Bill to ensure all people in prisons can vote in general elections. ...
The Green Party welcomes the decision to not proceed with Public Public Investment (PPI) delivery of Auckland’s light rail project and to instead run the process through the public service. ...
Hon Ron Mark, New Zealand First List MP based in the Wairarapa New Zealand First List MP Hon Ron Mark welcomes the announcement of Provincial Growth Funding investment of $1.4 million to help secure the Wairarapa’s water supply. The funding boost will allow the Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC), and ...
New Zealand First list MP Mark Patterson has been selected to represent the party in the newly formed Taieri electorate at the upcoming election. Mr Patterson, his wife Jude and two daughters farm sheep and beef at Lawrence and Waitahuna. He previously stood in the Clutha-Southland electorate however boundary changes ...
Hon Shane Jones, Associate Minister for State Owned Enterprises A new ‘super depot’ to be built for NZ Post in Wellington will create around 350 jobs during construction, Associate Minister for State Owned Enterprises Shane Jones says. Shane Jones today attended a ground-breaking and blessing ceremony for the parcel-processing depot ...
Our strong economic management prior to COVID-19 - with surpluses, low debt and near-record-low unemployment - put us in a good position to weather the impact of the virus and start to rebuild our economy much earlier than many other countries.Now we're putting our plan to recover and rebuild ...
Darroch Ball MP, New Zealand First Spokesperson for Law and Order Recently released Police fleeing driver statistics have shown yet another increase in incidents with another record-high in the latest quarter. “This new quarterly record-high is the latest in a string of record-high numbers since 2014. The data shows incidents ...
New Zealand First MP Fletcher Tabuteau is pleased to be confirmed today as the party’s candidate for the Rotorua electorate. Speaking at the Rotorua AGM for New Zealand First, Mr Tabuteau said this is an election that is incredibly important for the people of Rotorua. “The founding principles of New ...
The Human Rights Commission’s PRISM report on the issues impacting people based on their sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) provides an excellent programme of work for future governments to follow, say the Greens. ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said the trans-Tasman bubble had not been jeopardised after aborder botch-upresulted in New Zealand having two active cases of COVID-19. On Friday, Mr Peters told RNZ's Morning Report he had heard from Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison that borders for trans-Tasman travel would open by ...
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters said today he was pleased the army was now running the quarantine and isolation process - up until now it has been the Ministry of Health. Peters told Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking that the army knew how to introduce and follow protocols and instil discipline. ...
Hon Ron Mark, New Zealand First List MP based in the Wairarapa New Zealand First MP and Minister for Defence and Veteran’s Affairs Ron Mark has confirmed his bid for the Wairarapa seat.“The Coalition Government has done a lot of good work throughout the Wairarapa, but many constituents have told ...
New Zealand First is pleased to release the names of its next tranche of candidates for the 2020 election. We’re proud to announce these hardworking New Zealanders that have put their hand up to fight for a commonsense and resilient future.Jamie Arbuckle – Kaikoura Mark Arneil – Christchurch Central Jackie ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon Ron Mark, Minister of Defence A massive joint effort between New Zealand Government agencies, employers, and the Vanuatu Government is underway to repatriate over 1000 Vanuatu nationals stranded in New Zealand, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Ron ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister of Regional Economic Development Reprioritised funding of $40 million from the Provincial Growth Fund will support up to 1000 regional apprenticeships, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones said today. The Regional Apprenticeship Initiative is part of the wider Apprenticeship Boost announced by Education Minister Chris Hipkins ...
The Green Party welcomes the ACC’s announcement to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 but emphasises the need to go further, and faster to truly meet the climate change challenge. ...
Farmers are rejoicing after Labour agreed to an amendment pushed by New Zealand First in the firearms bill that will allow the use of restricted guns for pest control. Concessions on gun control mean farmers will be able to apply for a licence to use restricted firearms for pest control. ...
New Zealand has formally launched free trade negotiations with the United Kingdom, with hopes a swift deal could assist with the country's post-Covid recovery. The two countries announced the start of FTA talks on Wednesday afternoon, offering a new avenue for trade progress. In a statement announcing the start of ...
The law to boost the economic recovery from the impact of COVID-19 by speeding up resource consenting on selected projects has passed its second and third readings in the House today. “Accelerating nationwide projects and activities by government, iwi and the private sector will help deliver faster economic recovery and ...
Five port-related projects in Whanganui will receive a $26.75 million Provincial Growth Fund investment to support local economic recovery and create new opportunities for growth, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This is a significant investment that will support the redevelopment of the Whanganui Port, a project governed ...
Whanganui’s Sarjeant Gallery will receive an investment of up to $12 million administered by the Provincial Growth Fund to support its redevelopment, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. The project is included in a $3 billion infrastructure pipeline announced by Finance Minister Grant Robertson and Shane Jones yesterday. ...
The Provincial Growth Fund is investing nearly $2.5 million into three Te Ara Mahi programmes to support Manawatū-Whanganui jobseekers and employees to quickly train and upskill, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. “Up to 154 local people will be supported into employment within the first year by these ...
This morning I have formally tendered my resignation as Minister of Health, which was accepted by the Prime Minister. Serving as Minister of Health has been an absolute privilege – particularly through these extraordinary last few months. It’s no secret that Health is a challenging portfolio. I have given ...
Scholarships for 57 early-career agricultural emissions scientists from 20 developing countries is another example of New Zealand’s international leadership in primary sector sustainability, says Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. Mr O’Connor, announcing the scholarships today, says hundreds of applications were received for this fourth round of the CLIFF-GRADS programme (Climate, Food ...
A project to help rejuvenate the Horowhenua town of Foxton will receive a Provincial Growth Fund investment of $3.86 million, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This funding for the Foxton Regeneration project will be used to make the well-known holiday town even more attractive for visitors and ...
Moa bones and other sub-fossil remains of extinct species are set to have improved protection with proposals to prevent the trade in extinct species announced the Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage today. “We have lost too many of our native species, but these lost species, such as moa, remain an ...
The Government’s free and healthy school lunches programme moves south for the first time creating jobs for around 30 people in Otago and Southland. “Eighteen schools with 3000 students are joining the programme – 11 have already begun serving lunches, and seven are preparing to start during Term 3. This is ...
Thousands of Kiwi jobs and investment in New Zealand productions will be protected through a screen sector support package announced today by Associate Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage Carmel Sepuloni, Minister for Economic Development Phil Twyford and Minister for Broadcasting Kris Faafoi. The package also includes investment in broadcasting ...
The Government has established a new $10 million fund for the domestic events sector to help save jobs and protect incomes as it recovers from the impacts of COVID-19, Minister of Economic Development Phil Twyford announced today. This funding from Budget 2020 follows talks with the event sector designed to ...
The Government has taken another step in its commitment to making sure New Zealanders get a fairer deal at the petrol pump with the introduction of legislation to improve competition in the retail fuel market, says Energy and Resources Minister Megan Woods. “The fuel market study that this Government ordered ...
New Zealand has joined a global initiative that aims to enable all countries to access a safe and effective Covid-19 vaccine, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters announced today. The COVAX Facility was recently launched by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. The Alliance includes the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank ...
From today new legislation takes effect to both restore the right to legal representation at the start of a Care of Children (CoCA) dispute in the Family Court, and allow parties to those proceedings to access legal aid where eligible. During a visit to the Family Court in Auckland today, ...
Home-based early childhood education (ECE) subsidised by the government will transition to a fully qualified workforce by 2025 to ensure better and more consistent quality, Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. “Quality early learning helps provide children with a strong foundation for their future,” Chris Hipkins said. From 1 January ...
The new Criminal Cases Review Commission | Te Kāhui Tātari Ture (CCRC) has started work and can now independently investigate claimed miscarriages of justice. “Even though we have appeal rights and safeguards against unsafe convictions, from time to time our justice system does get things wrong. The design of the ...
E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā karangatanga maha, tēnā koutou Ki a koutou Te Āti Awa, Taranaki Whānui, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, ngā mana whenua o te rohe nei, tēnā koutou Ko Te Whare Wānanga o Aotearoa ki ngā take o te Ao (NZIIA), Ko te Rōpū Tohu Tono ...
The Government’s increase to paid parental leave kicks in today with another 4 weeks taking New Zealand up to a full 6 months (26 weeks, up from 22 weeks) leave for new parents, and the maximum weekly payment will increase by $20pw, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. ...
A new package of infrastructure investments will help kick-start the post-COVID rebuild by creating more than 20,000 jobs and unlocking more than $5 billion of projects up and down New Zealand. Finance Minister Grant Robertson and Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones today outlined how the $3 billion infrastructure fund in the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters today expressed the New Zealand Government’s deep disappointment at the passage by China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee of a national security law for Hong Kong. “New Zealand has consistently emphasised its serious concern about the imposition of this legislation on Hong Kong without inclusive ...
More jobs and more family time with newborns are the centrepiece of a suite of Government initiatives coming into effect today. July 1 is a milestone day for the Government as a host of key policies take effect, demonstrating the critical areas where progress has been made. “The Coalition Government ...
Environment Minister David Parker has today “called in” Auckland’s application to the Waikato Regional Council to take an extra 200 million litres of water a day from the lower reaches of the Waikato River for Auckland drinking water and other municipal uses. The call-in means the application has been referred ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker announced today that New Zealand’s hosting of APEC in 2021 will go ahead using virtual digital platforms. Mr Peters said the global disruption caused by COVID-19, including resultant border restrictions, had been the major factor in the ...
The start of construction on a new link road between Matakana Road and State Highway 1 will create jobs and support the significant population growth expected in the Warkworth area, Transport Minister Phil Twyford and Mayor Phil Goff announced today. Transport Minister Phil Twyford said construction of the Matakana Link ...
The Government is prioritising its latest investment in PPE for frontline health workers, including staff at managed isolation and quarantine facilities, Health Minister David Clark says. “With no community transmission of COVID-19 our response now has a firm focus on keeping our border safe and secure. “We must ensure that ...
The Parihaka Papakāinga Trust in Taranaki will receive up to $14 million for a new visitor centre and other improvements at the historic settlement that will boost the local economy and provide much-needed jobs, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Andrew Little have ...
Protections for workers who are employees of one employer but working under the direction of another business or organisation have come into force, closing a gap in legislation that made the personal grievance process inaccessible for some workers, says Workplace Relations Minister Iain Lees-Galloway. “This Government is working hard to ...
A range of improvements are already underway to address issues identified in the rapid review of the Managed Isolation and Quarantine system released today, Housing Minister Megan Woods said. The review was commissioned just over a week ago to identify and understand current and emerging risks to ensure the end-to-end ...
The important brown kiwi habitat around Whakatāne will receive added protection through an Iwi-led predator free project announced by Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage and Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau. “The Government is investing nearly $5 million into Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa’s environmental projects with $2.5 ...
An extra 4,000 tonnes of offcuts and scraps of untreated wood per year will soon be able to be recycled into useful products such as horticultural and garden mulch, playground safety surfacing and animal bedding as a result of a $660,000 investment from the Waste Minimisation Fund, Associate Environment Minister ...
The Governor-General has referred Scott Watson’s convictions for murder back to the Court of Appeal, Justice Minister Andrew Little announced today. Mr Watson was convicted in 1999 of the murders of Ben Smart and Olivia Hope. His appeal to the Court of Appeal in 2000 was unsuccessful, as was his ...
A new five-year funding agreement for the Reserve Bank will mean it can boost its work to protect New Zealanders’ finances, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. “New Zealand has a strong and stable financial system. Financial stability is an area that we are not prepared to cut corners for, particularly ...
A law change has been introduced to make it easier for forgotten funds in institutional accounts to be returned more easily to their rightful owners. Revenue Minister Stuart Nash has introduced an amendment to the Unclaimed Money Act 1971. It will update the rules controlling forgotten sums of money held ...
The Government is delivering on election commitments and a key recommendation of He Ara Oranga: Report of the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction with the establishment of a permanent independent Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission, Health Minister Dr David Clark says. Legislation enabling the establishment of the fully ...
A Bill to replace New Zealand’s Privacy Act passed its third reading in Parliament today, Justice Minister Andrew Little has announced. “The protections in the Privacy Bill are vitally important. The key purpose of the reforms is to promote and protect people’s privacy and give them confidence that their personal ...
Extra support is being provided to tourism businesses operating on public conservation land announced Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage today. The Government is providing $25m worth of support to tourism operators impacted by COVID-19, with a decision to waive most Department of Conservation tourism related concession ...
A central Government partnership with Queenstown will help unlock around $300 million of projects in the township and create about 320 direct jobs, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced today. The Government will contribute $85 million to the Queenstown Town Centre ($35m) project and Stage One of the Queenstown Arterials ...
Health Minister Dr David Clark welcomes the appointment of Auckland coroner Morag McDowell to the role of Health and Disability Commissioner. He is also pleased his appointments to the inaugural Paramedic Council were confirmed by gazette this week. The new Health and Disability Commissioner Ms McDowell will commence the role ...
The Provincial Growth Fund is investing $2.1 million in a blueberry orchard initiative, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. “The Meihana Koata Trust will receive a loan from the PGF’s Whenua Māori allocation to develop an 18.8 hectare blueberry orchard on ...
A well-known Māori tourism in Northland will receive $1.25 million from the Provincial Growth Fund for much-needed redevelopment, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones says. Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rēhia Charitable Trust will use the funding to upgrade Te Pā Kāinga o Rewa, or Rewa’s Village, in Kerikeri. The long-established ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Just under two years ago, Anthony Albanese was expectantly awaiting the “Super Saturday” byelections. Of the five contests, the outcomes in two, Longman in Queensland and Braddon in Tasmania, would be critical for Bill Shorten’s ...
The minister in charge of quarantine and isolation facilities Megan Woods has labelled a National MP's comments about New Zealanders returning from Asia as disgraceful and racist. ...
Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he talks to Rob Teina from Supreme Plumbing.Social media has become an important tool for all ...
Checkpoint - Todd Muller, having just reshuffled his caucus after Paula Bennett's resignation, says he has plenty of policies "in the can" but is not revealing them yet. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Victoria Carruthers, Senior lecturer, Australian Catholic University I have been thinking a lot lately of how many worlds there are contained in very small spaces and how every person is really one world to himself unconnected by anyone or any thing. ...
I write this as a Papua New Guinean and a daughter of this nation. I believe in the rights of women. I believe that the Constitution of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, the Mama Lo, safeguards the place of women in our nation. I understand the strengths ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin, 2 July 2020 Socialism versus Progressive CapitalismKeith Rankin. I was disappointed that the Green Party continues to reject a distributive Universal Basic Income (UBI) in favour of a redistributive and polarising Guaranteed Minimum Income (GMI) model. GMI is the antithesis of UBI. The essence of ...
The Electoral Commission is destroying millions of copies of brochures on the End of Life Choice referendum after one item was accidentally printed in a bold font. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Judith Ireland, Deputy Editor, Politics + Society, The Conversation, Australia Sydney newspaper the Daily Telegraph has lost its appeal against a defamation decision that awarded actor Geoffrey Rush almost A$3 million. Last year, Rush was awarded a record $2.9 million after he ...
Power Play - Both he and Ardern have come to the conclusion he's become too much of "distraction", and there's nowhere for a minister to go after that, Jane Patterson writes. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan Moloney, Associate Professor, Paediatrics, Griffith University Tensions over border closures are in the news again, now states are gradually lifting travel restrictions to allexcept Victorians. Prime Minister Scott Morrison says singling out Victorians is an overreaction to Melbourne’s coronavirus spike, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christine Hosking, Conservation Planner/Researcher, The University of Queensland On Tuesday, a year-long New South Wales parliamentary inquiry revealed the state’s koalas are on track for extinction in the wild by 2050, without urgent government intervention. Habitat destruction and fragmentation for agriculture, urban ...
Wāhine Māori are calling for the immediate sacking of Oranga Tamariki Chief Executive Ms Grainne Moss and the Minister Tracey Martin following more damning media reports about Oranga Tamariki. Dame Naida Glavich, Chair of the Governance Group for the ...
The New Zealand Bar Association welcomes the re-establishment of access to lawyers at the start of disputes about the care of children. From 1 July 2020, parties will be able to get legal advice at the beginning of the process. The Bar Association ...
Green Party co-leader James Shaw is accusing New Zealand First leader Winston Peters of throwing a tantrum via a comment piece he wrote on light rail. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With three months before JobSeeker is due to end and calls for billions of dollars in extra spending, there is a growing debate about how Australia’s post-coronavirus economy will actually look. While Scott Morrison has ...
They’re here, they’re queer, and they’re at a precipice of a new frontier in both entertainment and performance. We’re Here is the new Neon show that takes drag out of the city and into small town America, writes Dejan Jotanovic. Drag, as an artform, isn’t by any means new. It ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stan Winford, Associate Director, Centre for Innovative Justice, RMIT University As of this morning, ten “hot spot” postcodes in Melbourne’s suburbs have gone back into Stage 3 coronavirus lockdown. In these suburbs, stay-at-home restrictions will be enforced by police patrols, “booze bus”-style ...
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is inviting the New Zealand Maori Council to have an open-book discussion on the financial positions of five councils, to set right the misguided impression that they are potentially insolvent. This is in response ...
The New Zealand Conservation Authority (NZCA) strongly supports the Department of Conservation’s Tahr Control Operational Plan 2020-2021, and gives full support to the implementation National Parks Act’s policy of extermination of tahr, as ...
Covid-19 forced us to reconsider our relationship with the places we occupy, writes architect Mat Brown – and these new priorities will influence the design of our spaces in future.I think it’s safe to say, on behalf of my profession, that architecture is a conservative art. We design places that ...
Māori Party Co-leader and Te Tai Hauāuru candidate Debbie Ngarewa-Packer has today announced her party’s policy on freshwater that will uphold Māori rights and interests and protect and restore waterways from pollution and overallocation. “The Māori ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Copland, PhD Student — Sociology, Australian National University On Monday, online discussion platform Reddit permanently took down its largest community of Donald Trump supporters, r/The_Donald. The community had more than 7,000 active users per day (although this has previously been much ...
A hastily arranged crisis meeting has just been held between Steve and Steve Reputation Enhancement Company and two unnamed wellness influencers. The transcript was leaked to Emily Writes in a brown paper bag full of MMR vaccines.I found the package at my front door. It’s a shocking transcript of a ...
Jacinda Ardern says she agrees with Clark's decision to resign as Health Minister and that she cannot afford any diversions from Covid-19 objectives. ...
There’s no such thing as a free lunch? Tell that to Chris Hipkins, who is braying about Free lunches served up to thousands of school children in the South Island. Mind you, he now will be enthusing about free health after landing the Health portfolio after David Clark’s resignation. While ...
Under Cover is a new series that brings musicians together via video link to bond, chat, and play each other’s songs. The third episode features Sharon Van Etten and Hollie Fullbrook (Tiny Ruins).American singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten and New Zealander Hollie Fullbrook of Tiny Ruins found each other back in ...
Many New Zealanders have reported being paid less for doing the same job as another person, according to new research released today by the Human Rights Commission. The report “Opinions and Experiences of Unequal Pay and Pay Transparency” reveals ...
The service and sacrifice of New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel in the Korean War was remembered at a commemoration in Wellington yesterday to mark the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the war. Ten Korean War veterans were joined by Prime Minister ...
Beleaguered Labour MP David Clark resigned as health minister during a press conference at parliament this morning. Alex Braae reports.With just 78 days to go before the 2020 election, health minister David Clark has resigned from the position of health minister. He will also be resigning from all of his ...
Todd Muller has retained Māori representation in his shadow cabinet through a minor reshuffle involving the National party's former leader A National party caucus reshuffle has seen former leader Simon Bridges brought back into shadow cabinet just over a month after he was deposed as leader. Whangarei MP Shane Reti has ...
Health Minister David Clark has announced his resignation, following months of negative headlines over personal slip-ups and his handling of the Covid-19 crisis Speaking at Parliament on Thursday morning, David Clark said while he had given his all in the challenging Health portfolio, it had become clear that his continued ...
The passing of the first reading of MP Louise Upston’s Rights of Victims of Insane Offenders Bill is welcome news for victims, says Victim Support. The Bill aims to ensure victims of legally insane offenders are treated the same as other victims ...
RNZ understands Health Minister David Clark is set to resign shortly at Parliament after recent controversies in his handling of the Covid-19 response. ...
New Zealand Deerstalkers Association Inc (NZDA) are disappointed to receive a final Himalayan tahr control operational plan from the Department of Conservation (DOC) for the coming 2020/21 operational period that ignores any advice and input from ...
Pacific Media Centre Newsdesk Bhosip Kaiwi, the man accused of murder in the Papua New Guinean torture case, will be held at the Correctional Services Training College at Bomana to undergo 14 days of quarantine under the government’s covid-19 requirement, reports the PNG Post-Courier. He will remain there until he ...
Tomorrow, Auckland writer Lil O’Brien releases one hell of a memoir: Not That I’d Kiss A Girl, the story of her coming out. People tell me that I can make anything gay.Sometimes they’re talking about physical things, like when I put on a plain white T-shirt then roll the sleeves over ...
Tens of thousands of New Zealanders are signing a petition to stop DOC’s plans for a mass killing of tahr in the Southern Alps. The Change.org petition was started on Monday evening, shortly after revelations the Department of Conservation was planning ...
For the first time, a 501 returned offender has successfully challenged a Special Conditions Order in the Waitakere district court. Richard Major, self-represented, opposed the special supervision order request imposed by the Chief Executive of the ...
Local Government New Zealand’s National Council has announced the creation of an LGNZ Covid Recovery Fund, which will be used to deliver free digital training to support mayors, chairs and elected members in their post-Covid decision-making. ...
Tourism industry operators are pleading for the government to halt DoC’s plan for a mass killing of Himalayan Tahr, saying the animals provide hundreds of jobs and a multi-million dollar benefit to the country. ...
By Mackenzie Smith of RNZ News Hong Kong protesters in New Zealand are worried they could be arrested if they return home because they have attended political demonstrations here. Beijing’s new national security law, passed on Tuesday, criminalises secession, subversion and collusion with foreign forces, but will also effectively shut ...
With the Covid-19 lockdown casting a light on the value of essential workers, the movement to pay them the living wage is gathering momentum.Every night at corporate and government buildings across the country, long after most of the day workers have gone home, a largely unseen labour force of cleaners ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Benjamin, Associate Professor in Maritime Archaeology, Flinders University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Flinders University For most of the human history of Australia, sea levels were much lower than they are today, and there was extra ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew S. Flies, Senior Research Fellow in Immunology, University of Tasmania Emerging infectious diseases, including COVID-19, usually come from non-human animals. However our understanding of most animals’ immune systems is sadly lacking as there’s a shortfall in research tools for species other ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Esterman, Professor of Biostatistics, University of South Australia I recently wrote about Victoria’s surge in COVID-19 cases. On that day, Victoria recorded 11 new infections, after a few days of new cases in the high teens and low twenties. I wondered ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dr Christine Hosking, Conservation Planner/Researcher, The University of Queensland On Tuesday, a year-long New South Wales parliamentary inquiry revealed the state’s koalas are on track for extinction in the wild by 2050, without urgent government intervention. Habitat destruction and fragmentation for agriculture, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Barsky, Associate professor of Management, University of Melbourne HESTA, the industry super fund for health and community workers, plans to dump its shares in thermal coal mining companies. Beyond that, its Net Zero by 2050 program announced on Friday commits it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Higham, Professor of Tourism, University of Otago Unprecedented border closures and the domestic lockdown have paralysed New Zealand’s $40.9 billion a year tourism industry. In the process, the vulnerability of the sector to external shocks and the tenuous nature of tourism ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland There are now less than three months to go before the expanded JobSeeker payment is due to end. As a result, there is a growing political debate about what should happen to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lilly Brown, PhD Candidate, University of Melbourne Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains references to deceased people. In 2019, Dujuan Hoosan travelled from Garrwa country in the Northern Territory, to Geneva where he addressed the United ...
For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level one – read about what that means here. For official government advice, see here.The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is made possible thanks to donations from Spinoff Members. To support this ...
Auckland Airport warns of more job cuts and extraordinary losses after passenger numbers drop 95 percent and as Air NZ suspends flights to partially-locked down Melbourne ...
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Agreement reached in principle for Auckland to take Waikato water, beneficiary debt to MSD balloons, and Opportunities Party lose candidate in key seat.An agreement has been reached in principle for Auckland to take water from the Waikato River. As Radio NZ’s Jordan Bond ...
A quarantine leak has put 300,000 people in Victoria back into lockdown. A former NZ epidemiologist at the University of Melbourne tells Farah Hancock how this country can avoid the same fate. Residents of 10 postcodes in Victoria will wake to a month of ‘stay home’ localised lockdown rules today as ...
The Māori Party is calling on the Prime Minister to sack Minister of Children, Tracey Martin, and instruct a new minister to replace CEO of Oranga Tamariki, Grainne Moss, in light of the most recent reports about their incompetence in leading the ...
Following Newsroom’s investigation into concerning practices within the country’s child protection agency, Māorileaders are again calling for the dismissal of its chief executive, Grainne Moss, and the children’s minister Tracey Martin. Will they be listened to this time? A group of prominent wāhine Māori last night called for the ...
People's views of their wealth have been impacted by the Covid-19 crisis, but more households are saving and stress levels reduced during lockdown. Tim Murphy reports A third of Kiwis feel less wealthy now than just three months ago, according to a special Kiwi Wealth State of the Investor Nation survey. ...
The education minister has warned early childhood education centres to toe the line, following allegations businesses are siphoning off funding intended for teacher pay rises. But that's only the start of the troubles plaguing the ECE sector, Laura Walters reports The Education Minister has issued a stern warning to early childhood ...
Per capita, New Zealand has one of the greatest diasporas in the world. Nick Teulon asks what we can do to protect expat Kiwis under the crush of Covid uncertainty. The tale of the Great Kiwi Diaspora has been told many times. It first gained mainstream awareness during the 2001 Knowledge Wave ...
Open Mike 26/03/2018 
After a sham select committee process which waste submitters' time, the government is planning to use urgency today to steamroll its Muldoonist RMA fast track bill through Parliament. I've talked before about what's wrong with the Bill. As mentioned above, its pure Muldoonism, bypassing the participatory RMA process with ...14 hours ago
Not Ready: Todd Muller’s lack-lustre and self-contradictory performances offer conclusive proof that a political leader cannot be managed into competence. National’s new boss has Janet Wilson handling his media and Matthew Hooton writing his speeches. Both are highly professional political and public relations specialists, and Muller is lucky to have ...17 hours ago
Unfortunately, due to a medical emergency, I have landed in hospital so am not able to do a current update on the NZ blog statistics. Let’s hope I can get back to this in good time. ...18 hours ago
It started as a family story, about a step-father who went out one night to break into an embassy in Wadestown, Wellington. John Daniell wanted to understand what his family had been part of when his mother and then step-father work for New Zealand’s Security Intelligence. He wanted to know ...1 day ago
75 Articles Physical science of global warming & effects The response of stratospheric water vapor to climate change driven by different forcing agents (open access) Observations & observational methods of global warming & effects Record warming at the South Pole during the past three decades Variability of soil freeze depth ...1 day ago
The Greens have shaken up the election campaign with the announcement of their radical poverty and action plan to reform welfare provision and introduce a new wealth tax for millionaires. It’s a big-thinking, controversial policy and has generated a lot of disagreement over how radical it is, whether it could ...2 days ago
Last night, One News ran a follow-up story to its Colmar Brunton poll results on the cannabis referendum, headed here as Government accuses big American anti-cannabis group of interfering in NZ politics.In truth it wasn't just the government: Justice minister Andrew Little, National's Shane Reti and the Greens' Chloe Swarbrick ...2 days ago
Prof John Potter* Elimination has been an effective strategy for New Zealand in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic virus (SARS-CoV-2). Most other countries have not pursued this goal and are ignoring the opportunity even now. SARS-CoV-2 is not manageable by the influenza playbook; its longer incubation period makes tracing ...2 days ago
When the Christchurch murderer pleaded guilty to 51 counts of murder and a number of other violent assault charges a few months ago, he effectively closed the door on what the public will know about the lead up to and commission of the event. His plea means that no evidence ...3 days ago
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There really is not much about Paula Bennett concerning her career trajectory, the policies she promoted, and most importantly, the socio-economic effect this had upon New Zealand (and particularly the most vulnerable in this, our oft-cited “egalitarian” society of this country) that can be said now that hasn’t already been ...3 days ago
Helloy… My name is Todd Muller and I am the leader of the National Party of New Zealand. Many people come up to me on the street and ask me who I am. I’m often walking through Tauranga, or in a mall in suburban Auckland, or maybe even a farmers’ ...4 days ago
Paul GoldsmithYou can often tell just how effective a progressive policy proposal will be by how much the right wing criticise it. The more socially beneficial, the more vitriolic and unhinged they seem to become.That was the case when the Green Party announced their Poverty Action Plan yesterday. The response ...4 days ago
. . Plague town? There are two things right now in Aotearoa New Zealand that are guaranteed to piss people off. Firstly, it’s National playing silly-bugger politics with the covid-19 pandemic. This cost Simon Bridges his job as National’s Leader. Lately, Michael Woodhouse has been playing fast and loose with ...4 days ago
Tertiary fees in New Zealand versus Australia: Fees Are Important, but not as Important as Financing In Australia, the Education Minister Dan Tehan has proposed an overhaul of the existing higher education funding system to offer 39,000 additional study places by 2023 and 100,000 by 2030. The proposal has been ...4 days ago
The images and reports delivered to us by the world’s media leave us in no doubt that the rest of the world is still in the grip of a coronavirus pandemic that shows no signs of slackening, but is actually uncontrolled and picking up pace in many countries; and even ...6 days ago
We have been assailed by Fox News-style headlines, lurid stories of “a breach!”. An almost nuclear level disaster on the horizon scream, “Fiasco!” here, “Hero to Zero!” there… Oh quick, panic everyone! This has fueled an unbelievably stupid environment of panic among some, and spurred useless, counterproductive political ...6 days ago
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Todd Muller has retained Māori representation in his shadow cabinet through a minor reshuffle involving the National party's former leader A National party caucus reshuffle has seen former leader Simon Bridges brought back into shadow cabinet just over a month after he was deposed as leader. Whangarei MP Shane Reti has ...17 hours ago
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Following Newsroom’s investigation into concerning practices within the country’s child protection agency, Māori leaders are again calling for the dismissal of its chief executive, Grainne Moss, and the children’s minister Tracey Martin. Will they be listened to this time? A group of prominent wāhine Māori last night called for the ...22 hours ago
People's views of their wealth have been impacted by the Covid-19 crisis, but more households are saving and stress levels reduced during lockdown. Tim Murphy reports A third of Kiwis feel less wealthy now than just three months ago, according to a special Kiwi Wealth State of the Investor Nation survey. ...22 hours ago
The education minister has warned early childhood education centres to toe the line, following allegations businesses are siphoning off funding intended for teacher pay rises. But that's only the start of the troubles plaguing the ECE sector, Laura Walters reports The Education Minister has issued a stern warning to early childhood ...23 hours ago
Per capita, New Zealand has one of the greatest diasporas in the world. Nick Teulon asks what we can do to protect expat Kiwis under the crush of Covid uncertainty. The tale of the Great Kiwi Diaspora has been told many times. It first gained mainstream awareness during the 2001 Knowledge Wave ...23 hours ago
Herald headline:
Mike Hosking: KiwiBuild ‘suburb’ will look like a dump in a decade.
Bridges on RNZ: It’s just our scheme rebranded.
Conclusion: If National were doing exactly the same thing as is proposed Hosking it would have it forward thing, the way of the future, tackling a need head on and whatever other bullshit he’s capable of coming up with.
The government needs to grow a pair and deal with media bias or continue to suffer death by a thousand spun lies.
how? declare war on the media, abuse them, whinge about bias, or do a muldoon?
Do you have a better option?
It’s never a good look to have the government of the day complaining about the media.
It’s Better to push back with facts rather than complaints. Look at Trump for example going on and on about CNN et al for an extreme example
And the push back can’t be snarky, grumpy, or whatever because then the story becomes the tone rather than the content
Exactly.
Starting a shit fight with the media is always problematic
A charter on balance for all news media and break up the oligopolies.
Who’s talking about snarking?
Bridges is lying because the National scheme would not have had affordable housing in there as it ‘sabotages house prices’ which is what his mentor John Key said of Hobsonville in 2007.
National’s scheme would have had rows and rows of $1.5M+ houses for the well-to-do only. This would please Mike no end.
Presumably Hobsonville is the primary model for the Unitec site. Hobsonville is very high density with a large number of apartments within 4 and 5 story buildings. Hobsonville is about half finished and there already serious problems with traffic, especially parking. A lot of the owners have two cars and the second car is parked on the street.
Hobsonville is a bit higher end than what the government is proposing for the Unitec site. Hobsonville has about 20% “affordable” homes. The idea for the Unitec site is 40% “affordable” homes, presumably mostly apartments. It will almost certainly have a higher density than Hobsonville.
Personally I think the density of 4000 homes on 29 hectares is way too high a density, especially taking account the provision of roads, parks and recreation, shops, etc. It works out to 62.5 square meters of land per dwelling (taking 25 hectares as the effective subdivided are, excluding roads etc). Obviously just about all multi-storey apartments and terrace houses.
I think that no more than 2,000 would be more realistic. Auckland does not need Hong Kong density levels, certainly not in the suburbs.
When people realise just how much density is involved, I would anticipate quite a lot of objection.
Wayne, Hobsonville is 26.9 kms from the CBD. Mt Albert Unitec land is about 9 kms from the CBD. Apples and Oranges.
29 hectares is big enough to have one or two high rises and many town houses, just as they do in Australia. The footprint would be quite small.
43 -29 hectares leaves another parcel of 14. Plenty of space still there Wayne.
But I note you and your friends in National are out in force. This must be galling.
And no public transport, except for a very sparse bus service.
Bus service is actually better in Hobsonville Point than it was, problem is that the buses go from west gate to the ferry and take longer than driving, or the 120 from Henderson (and train) to Constellation (and NEX) but also take longer than driving, so all the good Aucklanders just drive instead.
The ferry is reasonably well used, but way to limited in services,and AT is stalling on upping the number of services available, mostly because that will require a 2nd boat, but there is not demand for a whole other boat (but more than the 1 boat available). It is probable that better/more ferry services will bring more people to use the ferry – although they would just drive to the station and not take the bus, so will lead to parking issues at the wharf.
Most of the issue at Hobsonville Point is around the collusion of ideas between the people who brought because of the ideal of sustainable living and the people who just needed a house (or wanted to buy for the prestige). These second group don’t drop # of cars, and tend to not use their garages for parking cars, but tend to be like typical Aucklanders and store all their excess stuff there. So the issue with parking at Hobsonville is not really an issue with the design, but an issue with the typical home-owner in Auckland not able to change from their previous habits. It is also a product of the housing crisis, so a lot of people didn’t have a lot of options, so making decisions based on what the philosophy behind the development wasn’t an option. Also I found in my case that it was actually cheaper to buy at Hobsonville Point than try and buy elsewhere, as the prices were based on values when they got consent/started to sell so were relatively cheap compared to other houses on the market with the same function (# of bedrooms, etc)
Magically we’re back to Hosking: We don’t need public transport, everyone should drive their own car everywhere. Preferably a flash car.
Objection to property development is par for the course…not an excuse for inaction… the objectors only have one vote each like everyone else… unless some votes count more than others?
All those cars! Clogging up the roads and parked empty all over the place!
What a waste! Under Nats housing programme, so many cars would make great living places for whole families, parked away from “nicer” residential areas.
Fortunately, the UNITEC development will be well served by mass transit systems, so no need for cars.
Yes! Wayne might not know the Mt Albert train station is right there. That buses going all over Auckland drive past regularly. As someone pointed out above, that Wayne is comparing Hobsonville, perched on the very outside of Auckland with a central suburb is revealling.
And there’s the cycle and walkway nearby – goes right into the city – free to all.
Yet you didnt speak out about this when Hobsonville and then Unitec were being planned Wayne.
How woukd you solve the problem Wayne given National have only been prepared to deal with this by altering the supply side not the demand side.
Oh, the horror!
It is called the “guest house” in some suburbs
Yes, a sobering thought.
Has Wayne never seen a Wellington suburb?
Wayne Kerr.
But simple Simon no bridges said it was their project.
Wayne you can’t have it both ways.
We all just need to learn Mandarin and adjust.
Snort laughed!
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/353359/mt-albert-kiwibuild-homes-private-sector-needs-help-twyford
Building “hopefully” start in a year but will take at least a decade to complete. That is extremely slow for a development of this size. averaging 300-400 pa when we need 10,000+
There is a risk that this announcement has been over sold, Phil in this interview corrected the 4,000 number to 3 – 4,000.
Good that this is happening and will help in a small way, but we need 30 of these to meet the requirements that the “experts” are telling us.
Brian Easton asking the right questions again…..all we need is the right answers.
https://www.pundit.co.nz/content/are-we-boiling-frogs
Interesting comment after the article too
yes…but a mixed bag….and broad.
Agree but both are food for thought.
Agreed Pete. I made a comment on Jude’s remarks at Underarm.
The fact they are down playing this widely tells us our current Government got it right.
A whole bunch of people need to stfu.
That ExReal Estate sales guy who brought the bowling green, Elon Musk’s Dad, Aussie cricketers in general, and anyone called Mike Hosking.
Lol so true. Have a coffee tho, life gets better 🙂
Lol
*sips warm drink*
Thar she blows!
Another 500 Billion was added to US Debt in the last six weeks alone.
Today a new oil futures contract denominated in Chinese yuan and convertible into gold will be open to the market.
I think together these signal the final death throws of the USD.
Well done the workers in Spain!! 2 day strike shuts down the gig economy thug, Amazon.
https://libcom.org/news/two-day-strike-biggest-amazon-warehouse-spain-24032018
Macron’s France, this is what it looks like.
https://libcom.org/news/brutal-fascist-attack-student-occupation-university-montpellier-24032018
Remember they passed this law.
http://www.france24.com/en/20171018-french-parliament-tough-anti-terror-bill-controversial-macron
Umm, why are we compensating 28 farms for the culling of 28,000 animals? Why doesn’t their private insurance cover this? And what link is there between dairy intensification in the area and this disease?
Another massive bail out for South Canterbury at the taxpayers expense…they’ve done well over the last few years, haven’t they?
You got anymore links for this Muttonbird? This piece from the granny is light weight, as always.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12015937
Why are they talking of re-building a disease-free herd, if this happens why not take the opportunity to diversify at the very least.
Here’s a radical suggestion – try a new, a completely new approach to farming altogether.
I’m no defender of industrial dairy farming but it would be absolutely gutting for the staff to see animals you had reared and farmed for years , be sent to be killed en masse.
Compensation is fair for those not at fault. Maybe make it dependent on NAIT compliance, just watch compliance levels improve.
Like to know why these dairy farmers don’t have insurance this day in age IRT banks and weather etc or were they expecting the taxpayer to cough up for their stuff ups as usual?
Don’t think most cockies insure their stock it’s expensive.
And they expect the taxpayer to cough up!!! yeah right
In Oz the Farmer is expected to have insurance to cover them over before the State and Federal pollies handout funds or cover them until there is a insurance payout which btw is very quick unlike in NZ.
Compensate them but sheet the bill home to the person responsible for bringing in the bug.
But with the last government running the Border Protecting into the ground is just plan wrong especially at the Ports and Airports. They should be nailing everyone who comes through the Airports regardless of who they are and doubling their effort on problem countries at the ports. “Its just plain common sense” as old Winnie would say.
The MPI people should’ve put a full movement ban in that Province when it was first detected and not have waited for the new government to pull their finger out of their freckle unlike the last government who seem to have very hands off approach to everything they.
Absolutely agree
Kim Dotcom seems to be celebrating.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/353417/crown-to-pay-90-000-for-kim-dotcom-privacy-breach
The judgement itself.
I have not yet read it, so cannot comment. KDC is very active on Twitter at the moment, including claiming his extradition case should be dropped.
https://twitter.com/KimDotcom?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Thanks.
The judgement document is very long.
But seems to come down to there having been “no proper basis for the refusal” by the Attorney General
The Conclusion:
Just an observation on the Dr Brian Edwards – erstwhile Labour candidate, and political pundit amongst other areas of prominence.
Nearly six months now and still no recognition/acceptance that we have a left of centre coalition government, lead by a young and dynamic woman from his own Labour Party. Meantime, there have been several columns on his http://brianedwardsmedia.co.nz blog discussing the National Party – the most recent of which appears to be his warming to the new HM Opposition leadership.
He is friends with Michelle Boag now… And sees the new leaders as prospects for his TV image grooming business.
Brian Edwards is all about Brian Edwards. He’s a great fit for the Nats
In a couple of his recent blogs he has called out the usage of Te Reo by Pakeha radio announcers – yet in his profile/intro on his site it reads quote …
Why You Should Choose Us:
Because no one else in New Zealand has the mana, experience … unquote.
He feels it quite natural to throw in the odd word that has more recently become accepted parlance… “mana” … well done Brian and Judy.
Mark Mitchell went to extraordinary lengths to get to be the candidate for Rodney in the first place and now he is up for anything in his attempt to be seen to be relevant.
He has a thirsting MSM at his mercy.
Nightmares that keep me awake at night.
Amnesty International Report
Amnesty International Report
These atrocities are happening to real people right now in real time as we here are sleeping.
Sednaya
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sednaya_Prison
The AM Show when one has a guest one must treat them with respect well that’s the
Maori cultured way of doing things .
Hopefully the Warriors get there stolen gear back Kia kaha people .
ECO MAORI Backs the ban on new oil drilling especially if it endangers the survival of our dolphins .
I do not play games Duncan if you study more Maori culture you will understand my moves plus there is a big push back on everything I support so I have to be tactful with everything . I play the flute well.
That show last nite has opened my eyes to another phenomenon that is happening in Aotearoa at the minute its another of shonkys take from the poor and give to the wealthy but this has been out of the public view the reality of this phenomenon I will reveal this in time .
I make sure my recycling an rubbish bins are full takes two weeks and then put them out to lower the work load of our workers in this industry if the councils can save half of the cost by having rubbish picked up 2 weekly I say that’s is innovation all services should innovate to save money and our environment think about the amount of fuel that will not be burned because of this wonderful Idea .
P.S Ladies get the big picture decades before men Duncan.
Ka kite ano
The AM Show some of your work m8 will know who that great Ngati porou leader that I have mentioned is.Ka kite ano
The sandflys are swarming today in Tauranga but like sand flys I could just swat them away but today I chose to ignore them like the little bugs they are. They are just a little challenge that’s part of my lifes fate Kia kaha Ka kite ano
The Police (if that is who you mean by sandflies) were doing drug raids throughout the BoP today.
BTW – quick question. I live in Mount Maunganui and often drive past the fruit and Veg stalls lining Maunganui road. I saw a big sign once that said “ECO MAORI” and I thought about you. I might drop by and buy some stuff from you and say hello one day if that is you selling stuff (unless that’d be strange for ya…then I won’t)