With multiple 1-in-100 year events now occurring inside 6 weeks, it's time for Auckland Council to radically alter the budget it is proposing.
Just like central government.
Since the Mayor won't of course since he campaigned on low rates, it is time for all the Green and Labour Councillors to get together to propose their own alternative budget.
They should not be afraid – they need to take a leadership position on the budget, and know that they will be fully in step with Government in doing so.
La Niña is characterized by lower-than-normal air pressure over the western Pacific. These low-pressure zones contribute to increased rainfall. Rainfall associated with the summer monsoon in Southeast Asia tends to be greater than normal, especially in northwest India and Bangladesh.
We're in the third year of a La Nina cycle (the first since 1950 and this time exacerbated by global warming). It's forecast to go go neutral soon and then back to El Nino for next summer.
What we've had is not the new normal, it was an extreme – and will be rare with El Nino (more drought in the north and east of Enzed).
But even La Nina combos (mostly 2 year only) that will happen within each decade when combined with worsening GW is enough to justify planning for resilience. And that and acting on recommendations will require funding – thus budget change. Then the part to be played by council in recovery – also budget impact.
Yes. As long as the El Nino – Neutral – La Nina cycle continues, we will get respites. These respites may be regional – one region gets hit badly in one phase of the cycle and other regions in other phases. Less optimistically, the cycle may give us different types of extremes – floods in La Nina, and heatwaves/fires in El Nino. More gloomily, can we be sure that 3 or more degrees of warming wont mess up this natural cycle in some way?
It is right to assume we are on a generally deteriorating path until some time after net zero emissions are achieved and therefore should plan accordingly. The sooner net zero is achieved, the more likely it is that adaptation can be afforded – though the pessimist in me suspects that it already can't be.
I do believe that long-term weather trends are linked to climate change.
However, in the specific instance of Cyclone Gabrielle, and other recent weather stability in our area, there is an international study looking at whether there is a link between the recent Tongan eruption and Cyclone Gabrielle.
From the article:
NIWA principal atmosphere and climate scientist Olaf Morgenstern said there was no established link between the events, but it is believed the eruption increased the earth’s temperature.
So, no established link between those events at the moment. But, in theory, there might be. Will be interesting to see if that eruption is linked to recent events.
Claiming climate change causes every storm is as bad, storms been storming since for ever, climate change is just the coraline these storms get jacked up on.
AGW intersects with natural events. How would you ever separate them out? Trying to separate them out is rearranging the deck chairs.
The Tongan volcano eruption tells us even more that we should be dropping GHGs as a much as possible. Everything we can do at this point to create more stability matters.
I don't dispute climate linked weather events at all. It makes absolute sense. A boiling kettle puts a lot more water into the atmosphere than a block of ice. And I agree it could be both working together.
But, I think we need to be careful to ensure that we don't ignore other contributing events. Otherwise, we end up in the same camp as climate change deniers who point to every bout of cold weather as evidence that climate change isn't true.
I am in agreement with you pretty much. I think that climate change definitely has a role. But it may have been exacerbated by the volcano. It is difficult to tease the two apart.
Events like volcanic eruptions have been a part of weather forever. But, if that is combined with climate change, then the effects could well be a lot more severe than the would otherwise have been.
But, if the extreme weather we have experienced is due to a combination of both the volcano and climate change, then all the poor sods up north may not have to experience those sorts of extremes every year.
They still likely will get increasingly unstable weather. But, if the mix explaining the recent weather does include the volcano, then it may not be that bad again for quite awhile. So, I think it is worth the research being done to find out.
I guess it strikes to the question of how much local mitigation and adaption will be required going forward.
whereas I think that climate change is here, now, and we're very behind on what we need to do and we just need to get on with it. Equivocating about whether x storm was caused by AGW or a volanco seems like a distraction at a time when we really can't afford it. For instance, if we go, oh maybe it's not going to be so bad after all, do you think that will make people resistant to change more or less likely to change?
For instance, if we go, oh maybe it's not going to be so bad after all, do you think that will make people resistant to change more or less likely to change?
Not so much that. But more to do with whether we need to relocate whole swathes of the population or not.
If the extent of flooding we saw in the NI is only likely to occur in a rare combination of circumstances then we may not need to put as much into mitigation and adaption. But, if this type of flooding is going to be the norm, then we probably need to be much more proactive in relocating communities.
So, getting some understanding on this is quite helpful for planning for the medium term future at least.
No sensible person is "ignoring other contributing events", they're/we're just not being deceived by those who drag red-herrings across the trail every single time there is a harmful weather event.
The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruption is a possible “contributing factor” to the severity of cyclone Gabrielle's impacts on Aotearoa NZ and its people.
One year later, a preliminary calculation has been done that suggests the eruption increased the earth’s surface by 0.1C.
That’s a very small amount in terms of the overall global warming behind the increase in extreme weather events being experienced in the North Island, he said.
“The idea that New Zealand has been hit this summer by a deluge of rain is entirely consistent with what we expect based on global warming.”
No one can prevent large volcanic eruptions, but I can decrease my carbon footprint. It's really quite simple (not rocket science), if you're genuinely concerned about the consequences of anthropogenic global warming.
How to reduce your carbon footprint – 20 top tips In brief, to reduce your carbon footprint, you’ll want to do things like reduce the amount of energy you use, eat fewer animal products, shop locally, travel smart, and reduce your waste.
What have we learned in the last 4 weeks/years? We can be reallydim bulbs.
National Party Energy spokesman Gerry Brownlee says Kiwi bill payers will be stunned to learn that the Electricity Commission is planning to spend up to $3.5 million in the next year promoting energy efficient light bulbs.
“Labour’s priorities are so warped in these tougher times that Helen Clark plans to spend more than $3 million telling New Zealanders what light bulb to install.”
Cyclone Gabrielle was originally a weak low north of Fiji. It moved westwards into the Coral Sea not too distant from Queensland where conditions were ripe for it to become a Cat.3 tropical cyclone.
The Tongan Islands are a long way from Queensland.
As we have been informed there is a reliable MSM and there is other less trustworthy news sources.
So this must be really embarrasing for RNZ and TVNZ and the staff there.
In 2021, Gunn suggested that an earthquake that hit the central North Island was Mother Nature’s response to then Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s announcement about new vaccination targets, passports, and the traffic light system."
When litigation lawyers cite "act of God" as supporting argument …
There is of course a growing career for the investigative journalist looking at the (origins) sourcing of money behind various "freedom fronts/other supportive narratives".
Yesterday the New Zealand Outdoors & Freedom Party posted about the arrest and said Gunn was “now safe at home, surrounded by good friends” and that the arrest, which the post claims involved a “jumped up Karen” and a “bully cop” came as a “shock”.
It should be interesting to hear Nicola Willis explain the cost of the tax cuts and relate this to the number of workers and wages they are paid (and where they are employed).
There is of course a growing career for the investigative journalist looking at the (origins) sourcing of money behind various "freedom fronts/other supportive narratives
Given that this seems to be an interesting and public good project I am not sure why this has not been supported. It was widely posited that these organisations were obtaining finding from 'shadowy' figures supporting similar groups in the US & Canada.
Even if they listed the NZ based supporters of the parliamentary protest in terms of on the ground support as part of the 'memories' series that Stuff is doing. I would be interested in some investigative reporting into who these firms were, do they still support the aims of the protest etc. I appreciate that some of this material is still live as these supporters continue eg Counterspin media and various other white supremacist groups. Some seem to have morphed into anti climate change groups.
'The protestors were a mixed group, but the majority protested the COVID-19 mask and vaccine mandates in New Zealand, while some identified with far-right politics such as Trumpism, white nationalism and Christian fundamentalism. The protest methods ranged from peaceful to increasingly violent'.
Those who would have a motive would oppose international co-operation on tax havens/regulatory oversight of offshore companies/trusts/international money movement – stateless money/power/influence as well as normal right wing agendas under the banner of useful populist causes "freedom" from government – national and and international regime (GW/environment/labour/migrant labour/offshore ownership and investment).
We've all come across cases where there seems to be two rules applying. Say a business or tax fraud case and a welfare fraud case and the disparate consequences.
There is another, people who have a tertiary debt only pay it back when they they realise employment level of income but those with debt to MSD have to pay it out of their benefit income.
A cautionary tale for owners, and especially potential owners, of homes in low lying areas.
.
But as the couple toured the area, situated on the banks of a sluggish river that feeds into the Chesapeake Bay, they noticed something alarming about the homes they were seeing. “We were looking at one house close to the water, and [our real-estate agent] started talking about flood insurance,” Sara recalled to me. “I said, ‘Really? In this area?’” The houses were about half a mile from the river, but monthly flood-insurance premiums on the homes were $800 to $1,000—almost as much as their mortgage payment.
[…]
This displacement is at once profound and not very visible in the coastal housing market, where buyers and lenders are just beginning to digest the immense consequences of future sea-level rise. The value of all of the coastal real estate in the United States exceeds a trillion dollars, and a large portion of that value may vanish as buyers starts to shy away from homes most vulnerable to erosion and frequent flooding. As home values fall to reflect climate risk, wealthy homeowners and investors will dump their distressed assets and flee, while middle-class homeowners like the Langfords will be left to deal with climate catastrophes and costly mortgages. The resulting turmoil could reshape the Eastern Seaboard, threatening the growth of coastal cities such as Norfolk and potentially triggering a slow migration inland
Gender ideology by stealth. The Census is so desperate to know your gender – they will make it up if necessary.
"It's a problem because Sex Matters.
Women need to be counted and this data collection method is prioritising the needs of one group over the needs of another.
The new data standard is advertised as being necessary for the rainbow community to be visible – but how does it create visibility for women? We are a distinct sex class, not a "social or personal identity".
Over the past few months supporters of Speak Up for Women have been busy emailing Stats NZ seeking clarification on the Gender question and the way that various responses will be recorded. We are concerned because we don’t believe in gender, it’s not that we have no gender, it’s not that we would rather not say, it’s that we don’t believe that anyone has a gender and we object to the question. It’s like being asked whether we prefer blue or pink unicorns and being unable to answer that we don’t believe in unicorns.
We are concerned because Sex Matters. We want to be counted as a sex class."
They could have allowed people to answer 'no gender', but presumably that would interfere with their plans to use gender identity as the default.
For those that aren't aware, Stats NZ have said that if you don't answer the gender question (or answer incorrectly), they will choose a gender for you based on data from elsewhere (including the sex question).
Analysis of non-binary sex responses in the 2021 Census
[27 Septmber 2022]
The most recent 'Standard for Sex, Gender, Variations of Sex Characteristics and Sexual Orientation Variables' documents the ABS’ definitions of sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics and sexual orientation. The Standard describes that the best practice to accurately capture these concepts requires four separate questions. The four questions (sex recorded at birth, gender, variations of sex characteristics and sexual orientation) together lead to a comprehensive understanding of a person’s sex, current gender, if they have variations of sex characteristics and their sexual orientation.
Australian Government Guidelines on the Recognition of Sex and Gender
These legal protections are complemented by the Australian Government Guidelines on the Recognition of Sex and Gender, which commenced in July 2013. The guidelines recognise that individuals may identify as a gender other than the sex they were assigned at birth, or may not identify as exclusively male or female, and that this should be reflected in records held by the government. The guidelines also standardise the evidence required for a person to change their sex/gender in personal records held by Australian Government departments and agencies.
Is nowhere safe from the clutches of 'gender ideology' – maybe move to Canada?
A Question of Gender: Gender classification in international research
[29 June 2022]
Moving away from the more traditional binary question may also result in negative reactions from some research participants who could be less accepting of the additional options or potentially be confused by question wording that they don’t fully understand and thereby disengage from the project. Morgenroth et al. (2020) examine the nature of potential resistance to change in gender management that might be relevant to researchers. We assume that such reactions may differ widely from country to country and in different parts of society. We also note that in the UK those moving in the direction of the “politically correct” are described and often derided as being “Woke” and going too far in terms of change.
…
Whilst our focus is principally on marketing research, we should note that in the wider context some countries do recognise that not all people identify as male or female and provide them with another option for legal documents, such as birth certificates, driving licences, national identity cards and passports. Examples include New Zealand, Denmark, The Netherlands, Iceland, Malta, Argentina, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, US, Canada and Australia. In some countries trans men and trans women are able to change the sex on their birth certificates to reflect their lived identity. For example, the UK Gender Recognition Act has allowed this since 2004. However, there is not yet any legal recognition of other genders or the ability to legally have no gender or an unspecified gender in the UK. Some countries are starting to gather official statistics on how the population defines their gender, but in other countries there is little to no investigation nor changes being considered. Checking these types of official documents may give useful clues to a country’s position on gender.
IN-DEPTH REVIEW OF MEASURING GENDER IDENTITY
Prepared by Canada and the United Kingdom [25 January 2019; PDF] One complicating factor for measuring gender identity is that for some people who are transgender, privacy concerning their transgender status is of paramount importance. The issue of privacy has been influential in how the ONS is considering asking questions related to gender identity.
The mantra of the 20th C was "gender equality", as per suffrage and the equal place in society of women.
And here we are in the 21st C and we have some complaining about gender ideology. Some are Promise Keepers who believe in male leadership (or a form of equal but different) and others who want gender to have no distinctions from birth sex.
For this reason the latter oppose terms such as cisgender because it is an affirmation of the concept that there are those who are not so.
Which explains the politicisation of the census, as it enables some to identify a gender apart from birth sex.
Once people would have complained if people could identify as having a sexuality not heterosexual, or complained that people could identify as having a form of faith seen as blasphemous (say unitarian, universal salvation, deist, gnostic, theosophy, witchcraft, etc).
Some people are free to declare their birth sex and not answer the gender question.
They will be determined to be cisgender. They are not the group being identified, these are those who identify other than their birth sex gender, and what the variants are.
Others are free to identify their gender, but not identify their birth sex. The purpose here how many would do this. It speaks to the issue of allowing people to adopt an official identity at variance with their birth sex gender and or to change their birth identity certificate. Otherwise any significant numbers of those not conforming to birth sex cisgender stereotype, as to information to government.
Unfortunately, you are confusing and conflating sex and gender. Sex is to gender what astronomy is to astrology. You are welcome to believe in astrology – millions do. Astronomy and its sister sciences got us to the moon and puts robots on Mars.
You also use the term "cisgender". This is a term used by gender ideologists to falsely claim that there are two sort of humans – one "cis" and one "trans" and that they are some sort of equal variants. Sex in humans is bi-modal and immutable. To attempt to get around this fact, "gender" was used to attempt to establish an equality between physiological reality and psychological ailments or paraphillia.
If the Census has to have a section on gender – it should be treated like any other ideology.
If the Census has to have a section on gender – it should be treated like any other ideology.
We also have the religious question.
Your opinion about the existence or otherwise of God has no more relevance to that than your opinions on gender.
Unfortunately, you are confusing and conflating sex and gender.
No, I am explaining the census to you.
Whereas you are using the census as part of a campaign to reject transgender women being able to identify as women and to label people as psychologically ill or with a paraphilia. The conservatives opposing homosexual law reform want their arguments back.
Trans gender "women" have to "identify" as women because they are not women. There is nothing physical that separates them from the category of "men" and places them in the category of "women".
They are men with a bodily dysmorphia, men with internalised homophobia, or men with various paraphilia.
And don't you dare wave the Law Reform arguements at me. Gender ideology totally rejects the whole concept of same sex attraction. The very words are called a "transphobic dogwhistle". We are supposed to be same gender attracted these days – not same sex attracted. Lesbians are denied even the right to organise gatherings for lesbians without having to admit any man who opens his mouth and utters the magical incantation "I identify as".
"Transing away the Gay" is the ultimate Gay Conversion Therapy.
I would reply but apparently not even one sentence in my post (that was blocked) cannot be made again – not even by typing out the words afresh here in this box.
Cotton boxers is becoming an issue as more heterosexual women disrespectfully identify as gay men.
(I can't think of a worse impact on well-being than targeting as the sole group for your intimate partners people that have a sexual orientation that excludes you.)
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Let that sink in for a moment - Christopher Luxon, who has spent the last year demonising Māori, wants Marama Davidson to apologise to white men.You will likely have seen the video, or read about it. Marama Davidson rushing along Princes St on Saturday evening, the road that runs between ...
Stuart Nash, the great-grandson of former Prime Minister Sir Walter Nash, has lost his political career. File Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Stuart Nash was sacked for telling donors what happened in Cabinet. Wellington’s City and Regional Councils are going cold on light rail plans. Wayne Brown is under ...
NZ First Leader Winston Peters is sympathising with Stuart Nash and defending him but dodging questions on whether he would be welcome in New Zealand First. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins last night sacked Nash from the Cabinet after an email he had sent to two of his campaign donors ...
So, after interfering with the police, and then interfering with immigration decisions, Stuart Nash has finally been sacked: Stuart Nash has been sacked as a minister, after Stuff revealed he had emailed business figures, including donors, detailing private Cabinet discussions. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed the people Nash emailed ...
Nearly 25% of mortgages in Auckland are deemed at risk in a 1-in-100 year flood event. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Once a year, every year, from now on, in our not-so-slow-cooking climate crisis, there will be a moment when the most important number in Aotearoa’s own personal, national ...
Item One: About a confected crisis Please bear with me for a moment, readers outside Auckland, I wish to sound the klaxon. Auckland, we have until 11pm today to have our say. About what? About this, as copied and pasted from Pippa Coom’s Facebook page:The "austerity" budget is built on ...
Buzz from the Beehive Yet again, the statement we were looking for could not be found on the Beehive website. Nor was it on the Scoop or Green Party websites. But – come to think of it – we are probably wasting our time by searching. Our quest is for the ...
The following is from a speech given by Arundhati Roy at the Swedish Academy on March 22, 2023, at a conference called Thought and Truth Under Pressure and reprinted from Literary Hub. I thank the Swedish Academy for inviting me to speak at this conference and for affording me the privilege ...
After almost two decades of racism, Australia is finally getting off its "stop the boats" bullshit. But don't worry, racists - Michael Wood has your back!The Government wants to increase the time it can detain without a warrant people seeking asylum en masse from four days to 28 ...
Last year, the Education and Workforce Committee recommended that the government legislate for pay transparency to prevent employers from secretly discriminating. This ought to be a bread and butter issue for Labour - discrimination sees women (and particularly Māori and Pasifika women) paid significantly less than men. But since then ...
Thomas Cranmer writes – ———— An unruly mob in Albert Park has catapulted New Zealand into the global headlines with ugly images that may become iconic in the debate about the dangers of transgenderism. ———— Bravo Kellie-Jay Keen. She did the job that needed to be done. For all the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global warming is melting the Arctic ice cap, and that’s having unforeseen effects on the world’s weather — even thousands of miles away from the North Pole. Some climate scientists have begun to link increasingly common heat waves in Europe to what is ...
Hot on the heels of the demotion of former police Minister Stuart Nash for breaching the Cabinet Manual, Radio New Zealand has revealed the close links between lobbyists and politicians- an area of New Zealand politics that is completely unregulated. The evidence in Guyon Espiner’s series Mate, Comrade, Brother, the ...
At the Auckland Transport board meeting today a series of papers really highlight the cost of sprawl. For the last few years, the Supporting Growth work has been looking at designing the strategic transport networks for future greenfield areas in the South, Northwest, North (around Dairy flat) and in Warkworth. ...
Hi,Today’s newsletter is something I’ve wanted to report for ages, but I have been waiting on a New Zealand judge to make a ruling. That ruling has been made — so here we go.Enjoy.A scene from Mister Organ.Two Police Officers Knock on My DoorOn November 4 last year, I was ...
Only three days after Nanaia Mahuta had dinner with China’s Foreign Minister, New Zealand’s intelligence chiefs were talking about state actors interfering in New Zealand politics and using ethnic communities here for espionage purposes. Neither GSCB Director (and new SIS director) Andrew Hampton nor acting SIS CEO Phil McKee ...
In what has been one of her most important diplomatic mission, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has opened the door for a visit to Beijing by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins later this year. Such a mission is regarded as vital with a new Prime Minister Li Qiang settling into office. ...
Saturday morning, we went to Albert Park.We were there to show support, to challenge words of demonisation.To repeat those words from Michèle A’Court:Making them sound “other” is a technique used by racists and homophobes to dehumanise whole groups of people who “aren’t like them”. If you dehumanise people, it is ...
Over a million New Zealanders will receive a little extra to help with the cost of living as a result of our 1 April changes. Around the world, inflation is causing costs to rise and we’re feeling it here at home. In tough times, we need to support those who ...
With benefit changes coming into effect tomorrow, the Green Party is calling on the Government to lift benefits to liveable levels to make sure everyone has what they need to thrive. ...
Following decades of work by the Green Party alongside the organics sector, people will finally be able to be confident that products labelled organic have met standards. ...
The Green Party supports immediate Government action to close the pay gap as called for in an open letter released today by the Human Rights Commission and 50 other organisations. ...
The Green Party is today welcoming the release of the Government’s waste strategy, but says it has a big gap without action on the container return scheme for beverage containers. ...
The Government’s decision to introduce ‘mass arrivals’ legislation goes against the values we all share of Aotearoa as a place where all people are treated fairly, the Green Party says. ...
MINISTER DAVIDSON MUST RESIGN AFTER 'VIOLENCE' COMMENTS Marama Davidson should stand down as ‘Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence’ for the clear and outrageous statement she made at the Posie Parker protest that ‘white straight men’ are the cause of violence. Her offensive, racist, and sexist remarks ...
In response to Newshub and Amelia Wade’s obvious and ham-fisted attempt at a typical and predicted political hit job. As any politically aware reporter would know, any Cabinet subcommittee has a duty and obligation as a part of any government to respond to any UN declaration, in this case ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for the invitation to speak with you today and in your busy lives turning up to this meeting. Forty five years ago, in Howick, often described as racist, and where few Maori lived because it had been a ‘Fencible’ settlement at the time of the Anglo-Maori ...
The Green Party has marked the National Party’s new education policy and given it a fail, especially for its failure to address the underlying drivers of school performance. ...
“This is it; 2023 will be the last opportunity New Zealand has to get a government that will confront the climate emergency with the urgency it demands,” says the Green Party’s co-leader and climate change spokesperson, James Shaw. ...
Political parties that want to negotiate with the Green Party must come to the table with much faster, bolder climate action, co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson emphasised in their State of the Planet speech today. ...
Political parties that want to negotiate with the Green Party after the election must come to the table with much faster, bolder climate action, co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson emphasised today. ...
You will never truly understand, from the pictures you’ve seen in the newspapers or on the six o-clock news, the sheer scale of the devastation wrought by Cyclone Gabrielle. ...
We’re boosting incomes and helping ease cost of living pressures on Kiwis through a range of bread and butter support measures that will see pensioners, students, families, and those on main benefits better off from the start of next month. ...
The error Labour Ministers made by stopping work on a beverage container return scheme will be reversed by the Greens at the earliest opportunity as part of the next Government. ...
“Cabinet needs to do better - and today has shown exactly why we need Green Ministers in cabinet, so we can prioritise action to cut climate pollution and support people to make ends meet,” says Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson. ...
Biggest increase in food prices for over three decades shows the need for an excess profit tax on corporations to help people put food on the table. ...
From today, 1.8 million flu vaccines are available to help protect New Zealanders from winter illness, Minister of Health Ayesha Verrall has announced. “Vaccination against flu is safe and will be a first line of defence against severe illness this winter,” Dr Verrall said. “We can all play a part ...
Associate Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage Willow-Jean Prime has congratulated Professor Rangi Mātāmua (Ngāi Tūhoe) who was last night named the prestigious Te Pou Whakarae o Aotearoa New Zealander of the Year. Professor Mātāmua, who is the government's Chief Adviser Mātauranga Matariki, was the winner of the New Zealander ...
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta has announced further sanctions on political and military figures from Russia and Belarus as part of the ongoing response to the war in Ukraine. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Russia’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Alekseevna Lvova-Belova ...
A new public housing development planned for Whangārei will provide 95 warm and dry, modern homes for people in need, Housing Minister Megan Woods says. The Kauika Road development will replace a motel complex in the Avenues with 89 three-level walk up apartments, alongside six homes. “Whangārei has a rapidly ...
New Zealand welcomes the substantial conclusion of negotiations on the United Kingdom’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Trade and Export Growth Minister Damien O’Connor announced today. “Continuing to grow our export returns is a priority for the Government and part of our plan to ...
Ngā Iwi o Taranaki and the Crown initial Taranaki Maunga collective redress deed Ngā Iwi o Taranaki and the Crown have today initialled the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Deed, named Te Ruruku Pūtakerongo, Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Andrew Little says. “I am pleased to be here for this ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Barbara Edmonds has announced the 2023 Pacific Language week series, highlighting the need to revitalise and sustain languages for future generations. “Pacific languages are a cornerstone of our health, wellbeing and identity as Pacific peoples. When our languages are spoken, heard and celebrated, our communities thrive,” ...
880,000 pensioners to get a boost to Super, including 5000 veterans 52,000 students to see a bump in allowance or loan living costs Approximately 223,000 workers to receive a wage rise as a result of the minimum wage increasing to $22.70 8,000 community nurses to receive pay increase of up ...
Over 8000 community nurses will start receiving well-deserved pay rises of up to 15 percent over the next month as a Government initiative worth $200 million a year kicks in, says Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall. “The Government is committed to ensuring nurses are paid fairly and will receive ...
Tākiri mai ana te ata Ki runga o ngākau mārohirohi Kōrihi ana te manu kaupapa Ka ao, ka ao, ka awatea Tihei mauri ora Let the dawn break On the hearts and minds of those who stand resolute As the bird of action sings, it welcomes the dawn of a ...
The Government is introducing a scheme which will lift incomes for artists, support them beyond the current spike in cost of living and ensure they are properly recognised for their contribution to New Zealand’s economy and culture. “In line with New Zealand’s Free Trade Agreement with the UK, last ...
New Zealand is welcoming a decision by the United Nations General Assembly to ask the International Court of Justice to consider countries’ international legal obligations on climate change. The United Nations has voted unanimously to adopt a resolution led by Vanuatu to ask the ICJ for an advisory opinion on ...
More Police officers are being deployed to the frontline with the graduation of 59 new constables from the Royal New Zealand Police College today. “The graduation for recruit wing 364 was my first since becoming Police Minister last week,” Ginny Andersen said. “It was a real honour. I want to ...
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta met with Vanuatu Foreign Minister Jotham Napat in Port Vila, today, signing a new Statement of Partnership — Aotearoa New Zealand’s first with Vanuatu. “The Mauri Statement of Partnership is a joint expression of the values, priorities and principles that will guide the Aotearoa New Zealand–Vanuatu relationship into ...
The Government has passed new legislation amending the Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) levy regime, ensuring the best balance between a fair and cost effective funding model. The Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Levy) Amendment Bill makes changes to the existing law to: charge the levy on contracts of ...
The Government has passed the Organic Products and Production Bill through its third reading today in Parliament helping New Zealand’s organic sector to grow and lift export revenue. “The Organic Products and Production Bill will introduce robust and practical regulation to give businesses the certainty they need to continue to ...
The Digital Identity Services Trust Framework Bill, which will make it easier for New Zealanders to safely prove who they are digitally has passed its third and final reading today. “We know New Zealanders want control over their identity information and how it’s used by the companies and services they ...
The full Cyclone Gabrielle Recovery Taskforce has met formally for the first time as work continues to help the regions recover and rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle. The Taskforce, which includes representatives from business, local government, iwi and unions, covers all regions affected by the January and February floods and cyclone. ...
Changes have been made to legislation to give subcontractors the confidence they will be paid the retention money they are owed should the head contractor’s business fail, Minister for Building and Construction Megan Woods announced today. “These changes passed in the Construction Contracts (Retention Money) Amendment Act safeguard subcontractors who ...
Transport Minister Michael Wood has unveiled five scenarios for one of the most significant city-shaping projects for Tāmaki Makaurau in coming decades, the additional Waitematā Harbour crossing. “Aucklanders and businesses have made it clear that the biggest barriers to the success of Auckland is persistent congestion and after years of ...
The Government has passed new legislation that ensures New Zealand’s civil aviation rules are fit for purpose in the 21st century, Associate Transport Minister Kiri Allan says. The Civil Aviation Bill repeals and replaces the Civil Aviation Act 1990 and the Airport Authorities Act 1966 with a single modern law ...
A Bill aimed at helping to reduce delays in the coronial jurisdiction passed its third reading today. The Coroners Amendment Bill, amongst other things, will establish new coronial positions, known as Associate Coroners, who will be able to perform most of the functions, powers, and duties of Coroners. The new ...
The Prime Minister has asked the Cabinet Secretary to conduct a review into communications between Stuart Nash and his donors. The review will take place over the next two months. The review will look at whether there have been any other breaches of cabinet collective responsibility or confidentiality, or whether ...
The new Recovery Visa to help bring in additional migrant workers to support cyclone and flooding recovery has attracted over 600 successful applicants within its first month. “The Government is moving quickly to support businesses bring in the workers needed to recover from Cyclone Gabrielle and the Auckland floods,” Michael ...
Bills to ensure non-teaching employees and contractors at schools, and unlicensed childcare services like mall crèches are vetted by police, and provide safeguards for school board appointments have passed their first reading today. The Education and Training Amendment Bill (No. 3) and the Regulatory Systems (Education) Amendment Bill have now ...
Wānanga will gain increased flexibility and autonomy that recognises the unique role they fill in the tertiary education sector, Associate Minister of Education Kelvin Davis has announced. The Education and Training Amendment Bill (No.3), that had its first reading today, proposes a new Wānanga enabling framework for the three current ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta will travel to Vanuatu today, announcing that Aotearoa New Zealand will provide further relief and recovery assistance there, following the recent destruction caused by Cyclones Judy and Kevin. While in Vanuatu, Minister Mahuta will meet with Vanuatu Acting Prime Minister Sato Kilman, Foreign Minister Jotham ...
The Government is backing Police and making communities safer with the roll-out of state-of-the-art tools and training to frontline staff, Police Minister Ginny Andersen said today. “Frontline staff face high-risk situations daily as they increasingly respond to sophisticated organised crime, gang-violence and the availability of illegal firearms,” Ginny Andersen said. ...
The Government has provided Police with more tools to crack down on gang offending with the passing of new legislation today which will further improve public safety, Justice Minister Kiri Allan says. The Criminal Activity Intervention Legislation Bill amends existing law to: create new targeted warrant and additional search powers ...
The Government today announced far-reaching changes to the way we make, use, recycle and dispose of waste, ushering in a new era for New Zealand’s waste system. The changes will ensure that where waste is recycled, for instance by households at the kerbside, it is less likely to be contaminated ...
New legislation passed by the Government today will make it harder for gangs and their leaders to benefit financially from crime that causes considerable harm in our communities, Minister of Justice Kiri Allan says. Since the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009 came into effect police have been highly successful in ...
This evening I have advised the Governor-General to dismiss Stuart Nash from all his ministerial portfolios. Late this afternoon I was made aware by a news outlet of an email Stuart Nash sent in March 2020 to two contacts regarding a commercial rent relief package that Cabinet had considered. In ...
Legislation to enable more build-to-rent developments has passed its third reading in Parliament, so this type of rental will be able to claim interest deductibility in perpetuity where it meets the requirements. Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods, says the changes will help unlock the potential of the build-to-rent sector and ...
A law passed by Parliament today exempts employers from paying fringe benefit tax on certain low emission commuting options they provide or subsidise for their staff. “Many employers already subsidise the commuting costs of their staff, for instance by providing car parks,” Environment Minister David Parker said. “This move supports ...
Today marks the 40th anniversary of Closer Economic Relations (CER), our gold standard free trade agreement between New Zealand and Australia. “CER was a world-leading agreement in 1983, is still world-renowned today and is emblematic of both our countries’ commitment to free trade. The WTO has called it the world’s ...
The Government is making procedural changes to the Immigration Act to ensure that 2013 amendments operate as Parliament intended. The Government is also introducing a new community management approach for asylum seekers. “While it’s unlikely we’ll experience a mass arrival due to our remote positioning, there is no doubt New ...
The Government welcomes progress on public sector pay adjustment (PSPA) agreements, and the release of the updated public service pay guidance by the Public Service Commission today, Minister for the Public Service Andrew Little says. “More than a dozen collective agreements are now settled in the public service, Crown Agents, ...
The Government has introduced the Severe Weather Emergency Recovery Legislation Bill to further support the recovery and rebuild from the recent severe weather events in the North Island. “We know from our experiences following the Canterbury and Kaikōura earthquakes that it will take some time before we completely understand the ...
Further assistance is now available to businesses impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle, with Customs able to offer payment plans and to remit late-payments, Customs Minister Meka Whaitiri has announced. “This is part of the Government’s ongoing commitment to assist economic recovery in the regions,” Meka Whaitiri said. “Cabinet has approved the ...
More than 41,000 sole parent families will be better off with a median gain of $20 a week Law change estimated to help lift up to 14,000 children out of poverty Child support payments will be passed on directly to people receiving a sole parent rate of main benefit, making ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The rout of the Liberals in Aston is a disaster for Peter Dutton. The party has defied history – in the worst possible way. This is the first time in more than a century ...
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 Morgan Hancock/AAP With 44% of enrolled voters counted in today’s Aston federal byelection, the ABC has Labor expected to win ...
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 Morgan Hancock/AAP With 44% of enrolled voters counted in today’s Aston federal byelection, the ABC has Labor expected to win ...
Analysis - When is a cabinet minister not a cabinet minister? The faulty logic of Stuart Nash has landed him and Labour in a heap of trouble but opened the door to serious reform of the Official Information Act, Tim Watkin writes. ...
Jubi News in Jayapura Indonesia’s Papua police chief Inspector-General Mathius D Fakhiri has called for action to ensure that “security disturbances” in the Puncak Jaya highlands do not widen in the face of escalating attacks by pro-independence militants. “For Puncak, we will take immediate action,” he said. According to General ...
What are you going to be watching this month? We round up everything coming to streaming services this month, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, Neon and TVNZ+. The biggies Party Down (all seasons on TVNZ+ from April 1) Thirteen years is a long time between drinks and ...
Ginny Andersen has landed a hot-potato portfolio and has been in Cabinet less than two months - the opposition will be eager to test her mettle this election year. ...
The executive producer of Modern Family has issued an incendiary claim about New Zealanders cheering and clapping in public. Hayden Donnell gets to the bottom of things.The sitcom Modern Family is remembered as a “warm-hearted story about the unbreakable bonds of family”; a tale of radically different people overcoming ...
As rain kept falling across January, February and into March, all band members cold do was sit at home cancelling festivals and posting sad Facebook messages to fans. The first post landed on January 3. As wild weather began hitting the country, campers around Northland packed up their tents ...
Because pro-social behaviour emerges so often after disaster, community empowerment should be central to disaster mitigation and recoveryOpinion: Cyclone Gabrielle caused major damage across the North Island. This unprecedented climate event created great uncertainty. People are wondering if, or when, they can return to their homes, the extent to ...
"We, women, loving you; you, men, finding new women to love": a Francophile love story in NZ Louis woke up and found out Marine was not lying next to him in bed. He checked his phone – 5:30am. The aurora shone a bright gold on the windows of the detached ...
Every weekday, The Detail makes sense of the big news stories. This week, we looked at how co-governance really works, Labour's record on climate action, what the new AUKUS nuclear submarine deal means for New Zealand, Posie Parker's visit to Auckland and the free speech debate, and the damage processed foods are ...
The radio workers were caught by the unexpected speed of the decline of NZ's consumer economy, since Christmas – and they won't be the last. Jonathan Milne reports. When broadcaster Tova O’Brien uttered the resounding words, "they’ve f***ed us", they resonated beyond the 1 percent audience share of a small talk radio operation ...
A New Zealand Battery Project centred on Lake Onslow in Central Otago is up against a cheaper North Island alternative Studies into whether a massive pumped-hydro scheme at Lake Onslow is New Zealand’s best bet for a secure energy future may have only four more months to run. While the ...
This is The Detail's Long Read - one in-depth story read by us every weekend. This week, it's Jungle Warfare, written by Ellen Rykers and published in New Zealand Geographic's March/April 2023 edition. You can find the full article, with photos by Adrian Malloch, here. Hundreds of pest plant species—many of them garden escapees—run rampant in ...
The Red, White & Brass star talks spectacle, honouring family sacrifices and his debut lead role over a Tongan lunch in Otāhuhu.Name a creative pursuit and 28-year-old Tongan New Zealander John-Paul Foliaki will give it a go. That is, if he hasn’t already. Foliaki plays the lead role, Maka, ...
To mark 100 years since the great short story writer’s death, books editor Claire Mabey marathonned her collected works – these are the top 20.Reader, I did it. I read all of Katherine Mansfield’s short stories. Confession: I haven’t always been a fan. I have tedious memories of ...
In her first season as an ANZ Premiership captain, Ameliaranne Ekenasio was nervous about filling the shoes of the legendary Magic captains before her. But, as Merryn Anderson writes, the quiet leader has the full respect of the side who voted her in. When the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic created history ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Ordway, Associate Professor Sport Management and Sport Integrity Lead, University of Canberra Lawyers for Australian 800-metre star Peter Bol say allegations the runner engaged in doping should be dropped after two independent labs found no evidence he used a banned substance. ...
Vanuatu’s Supreme Court has ruled in favour of Trading Post Ltd, the owner of the VanuatuDaily Post newspaper, BUZZ FM96 and other media outlets, in a case against the government’s refusal to renew the company’s former media director’s work permit. Dan McGarry, who served as a director of the ...
Balclutha-based farmer Stephen Jack has been selected by local party members as National’s candidate in Taieri for the 2023 General Election. “Taieri is my home and I’m incredibly excited to have the opportunity to campaign for a National Government ...
Analysis - The Stuart Nash scandal has the potential to damage Labour's election chances, Marama Davidson creates controversy and Auckland's second harbour crossing to be built earlier than expected. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare JM Burns, Assistant Professor and Non-executive Director, Bond University Shutterstock The story of the Aboriginal Community Benefit Fund, whose name and marketing misled thousands of customers into believing it was Indigenous owned and run, is a stark example of ...
It’s the biannual reminder to tamper with that pesky analogue clock you still have in your kitchen for some reason (or at the least your microwave/car stereo). This Sunday at 3am, we will all gain an hour of sleep as the clocks roll back ahead of winter. Get ready for ...
The chief ombudsman has elected to reopen his investigation into an email from former minister Stuart Nash to a pair of donors back in 2020. The email, which only came to light this week, quickly triggered Nash’s dismissal from cabinet. But in bad news for the prime minister Chris Hipkins, ...
Last week we celebrated The Bulletin’s fifth birthday with Spinoff members and staff at The Spinoff’s offices in Auckland. The Bulletin launched in March 2018 seeking to curate news and great journalism and email that to people for free each weekday morning. That hasn’t changed and it’s still going strong. ...
The biggest increase in the history of the minimum wage will have a huge impact for workers on low wages, says the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions. From tomorrow, the minimum wage will rise to $22.70, up from $21.20. This increase will benefit ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By George Siemens, Co-Director, Professor, Centre for Change and Complexity in Learning, University of South Australia agsandrew/Shutterstock Recent public interest in tools like ChatGPT has raised an old question in the artificial intelligence community: is artificial general intelligence (in this case, ...
Auckland’s wet summer is delivering one final blow just in time for the weekend. The Synthony festival, due to be held on Saturday at Auckland Domain and featuring performances by Shapeshifter, Dave Dobbyn and Kimbra, has been postponed following predictions of heavy rainfall across the day. More than 20,000 people ...
We would like to see a temporary by-pass of the major slip on State Highway 25A built to alleviate the concerns of the residents of the Eastern Side of Coromandel. Cyclone Gabrielle inflicted substantial damage to roading on the Coromandel Peninsula. ...
Alex Casey watches Wellmania, the new Netflix comedy starring Instagram sensation Celeste Barber. The lowdownBased on the book by journalist Brigid Delaney, Netflix comedy Wellmania follows successful yet shambolic Australian food writer Liv Bealey (Celeste Barber) as she embarks on a quest to get well as quickly as possible. ...
The Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier says he has reopened his investigation into an Official Information Act complaint about a decision by former Minister Stuart Nash. "The original enquiry was discontinued in May last year in discussion with the ...
The New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) has welcomed this morning’s Government announcement to address pay disparities in the nursing and kaiāwhina workforces from 1 April. NZNO Chief Executive Paul ...
Don’t let broccoli’s virtuous goody two-shoes reputation put you off – these verdant and versatile florets make the perfect addition to tray bakes, salads, soups and more.I reckon broccoli’s “superfood” status has given it a bit of a bad reputation. Because it’s so healthy (and reasonably inoffensive), its nutrients ...
A poem from Michele Leggott’s forthcoming book Face to the Sky. escher x nendo I hear you Eddie Woo coming clear across the galleries of intercochlear space you have the measure of these galaxies earthmeasure you have the measure of their difference earthmisia you translate one world artemisia and here ...
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.AUCKLAND1Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (Doubleday, $26) The new, smaller format of Bonnie Garmus’ ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Blunden, Professor and Head of Paediatric Sleep Research, CQUniversity Australia ShutterstockWhat would happen to a person if they didn’t get the sleep they needed? Hedya, age 11, Australia This is a really good question Heyda, because it ...
Within hours of Duncan Garner telling listeners ‘It looks like the end of us’, the station’s website, social media and archives had been scrubbed from the internet.Right now across Auckland you can still see ads for Leo Molloy’s doomed mayoral campaign and electorate offices adorned with a smiling Jacinda ...
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has spoken more about the Stuart Nash email scandal at a media conference at the Manurewa RSA today, saying Nash has been "ultimately held accountable". ...
By Barbara Dreaver in Port Vila Vanuatu is in celebration mode after winning a significant battle on the world stage over climate change. In a United Nations resolution spearheaded by Vanuatu, the world’s top court will now advise on countries’ legal obligations to fight climate change. It also means the ...
By Jan Kohout, RNZ Pacific journalist New Caledonia’s Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) say they will tell the French Prime Minister of the Kanak people’s “sense of humiliation” over the last independence referendum. The pro-independence alliance is set to talk to the French state from April 7-15. The ...
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins is visiting the Manurewa RSA meeting veterans who are among hundreds of thousands to receive higher payments from tomorrow. ...
This is an excerpt from The Spinoff’s pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up to have it delivered to your inbox every Friday here. If you want a middle-aged white man to play a disappointed-with-the-state-of-their-life middle-aged-white-man, you have two options: Jason Segel or Chris O’Dowd. Clearly, Segel was already busy ...
Over four million people have returned their Individual Forms for the 2023 Census, Stats NZ said today. “This is a great milestone. We didn’t hit this milestone until 30 April in the 2018 Census. I would like to thank everybody who has been counted ...
The government's recent announcement of five high carbon options for the next harbour crossing has disappointed those concerned about climate change. TRAC, a rail advocacy collective, opposes the short-sighted decision, citing the urgent need to reduce ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Guzyal Hill, Senior Lecturer, Charles Darwin University Shutterstock Sunday will mark the end of the Daylight Saving Time (DST) in eastern Australia, but there are many who would like to see it last longer or permanently. Twice a year, New ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has launched a call for evidence to support its work on Aotearoa New Zealand’s emissions reduction targets and emissions budgets. This call for evidence is an opportunity for anyone to share information, data and ...
As the move to digital commerce continues, fraudsters are counting on consumers to let their guard down and to supply personal information. And according to new research released today by global payments technology company Visa (NYSE: V), which ...
On the other side to Sir Ed is the scene of one of our greatest conservation triumphs. Allison Hess explains.Stuffed into your wallet or passed across the till, the New Zealand $5 note circulates largely unobserved. But if you were to take a closer look at the ubiquitous burnt ...
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is asking for views on which overseas regulators it will draw on for some hazardous substance assessments and reassessments. The recognised international regulators must regulate hazardous substances in a similar ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Shortis, Lecturer, RMIT University Alex Brandon/AP Events often seem inevitable in hindsight. The indictment of former US President Donald Trump on criminal charges has been a possibility since the start of his presidency – arguably, since close to the ...
Te Hautū Kahurangi | Tertiary Education Union is ready to fight for every job at Te Pūkenga, as members digest a series of shocking statements from their Chief Executive on RNZ’s Nine To Noon programme today. Peter Winder stated, amongst other things, ...
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Tommy de Silva explains an interesting new legal shift:Māori can now switch between the Māori and general electoral rolls more easily thanks to a law change. These new rules allow anyone of Māori descent to switch between the rolls whenever they please until three months before an election. That ...
The rules for overseas voting are changing from today for this year’s General Election to recognise the effect the pandemic has had on international travel. ‘This is a temporary change made by Parliament for New Zealanders living overseas who have ...
It’s a headline I never quite expected to write but in recent days have been wondering if I would have to. Former US president Donald Trump will be arrested after a New York grand jury voted to indict him over alleged hush money paid to former adult film star Stormy ...
Everything you need to know about the ticketing agency’s ongoing debacles.So Ticketmaster’s back in the news. Why is the company that should be spitting out concert tickets calmly and quietly sparking so many headlines? Where do you want to start? The lawsuits, the NFTs or the super-mad Swifties? It’s ...
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The National Party has pledged to “cut red tape” in the electricity sector through a new policy that it claims will double New Zealand’s supply of renewable energy. Dubbed “Electrify NZ”, the policy was unveiled this morning by party leader Christopher Luxon. “National wants a future where buses and trains ...
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With multiple 1-in-100 year events now occurring inside 6 weeks, it's time for Auckland Council to radically alter the budget it is proposing.
Just like central government.
Since the Mayor won't of course since he campaigned on low rates, it is time for all the Green and Labour Councillors to get together to propose their own alternative budget.
They should not be afraid – they need to take a leadership position on the budget, and know that they will be fully in step with Government in doing so.
Come on Labour and Green Councillors!
We're in the third year of a La Nina cycle (the first since 1950 and this time exacerbated by global warming). It's forecast to go go neutral soon and then back to El Nino for next summer.
What we've had is not the new normal, it was an extreme – and will be rare with El Nino (more drought in the north and east of Enzed).
But even La Nina combos (mostly 2 year only) that will happen within each decade when combined with worsening GW is enough to justify planning for resilience. And that and acting on recommendations will require funding – thus budget change. Then the part to be played by council in recovery – also budget impact.
Yes. As long as the El Nino – Neutral – La Nina cycle continues, we will get respites. These respites may be regional – one region gets hit badly in one phase of the cycle and other regions in other phases. Less optimistically, the cycle may give us different types of extremes – floods in La Nina, and heatwaves/fires in El Nino. More gloomily, can we be sure that 3 or more degrees of warming wont mess up this natural cycle in some way?
It is right to assume we are on a generally deteriorating path until some time after net zero emissions are achieved and therefore should plan accordingly. The sooner net zero is achieved, the more likely it is that adaptation can be afforded – though the pessimist in me suspects that it already can't be.
I do believe that long-term weather trends are linked to climate change.
However, in the specific instance of Cyclone Gabrielle, and other recent weather stability in our area, there is an international study looking at whether there is a link between the recent Tongan eruption and Cyclone Gabrielle.
From the article:
So, no established link between those events at the moment. But, in theory, there might be. Will be interesting to see if that eruption is linked to recent events.
Looking for the "out clause" for every damaging weather event will be seen, eventually, for what it is.
Claiming climate change causes every storm is as bad, storms been storming since for ever, climate change is just the coraline these storms get jacked up on.
Agreed. There's no simple answer to "what caused this storm".
\However, citing sun-spots, HARP or some volcano somewhere to counter the over-all AGW phenomenon is just feeble, imo.
AGW intersects with natural events. How would you ever separate them out? Trying to separate them out is rearranging the deck chairs.
The Tongan volcano eruption tells us even more that we should be dropping GHGs as a much as possible. Everything we can do at this point to create more stability matters.
I don't dispute climate linked weather events at all. It makes absolute sense. A boiling kettle puts a lot more water into the atmosphere than a block of ice. And I agree it could be both working together.
But, I think we need to be careful to ensure that we don't ignore other contributing events. Otherwise, we end up in the same camp as climate change deniers who point to every bout of cold weather as evidence that climate change isn't true.
I don't understand your point. Are you suggesting that climate change might not be a factor in Cyclone Gabrielle?
I am in agreement with you pretty much. I think that climate change definitely has a role. But it may have been exacerbated by the volcano. It is difficult to tease the two apart.
Events like volcanic eruptions have been a part of weather forever. But, if that is combined with climate change, then the effects could well be a lot more severe than the would otherwise have been.
But, if the extreme weather we have experienced is due to a combination of both the volcano and climate change, then all the poor sods up north may not have to experience those sorts of extremes every year.
They still likely will get increasingly unstable weather. But, if the mix explaining the recent weather does include the volcano, then it may not be that bad again for quite awhile. So, I think it is worth the research being done to find out.
I guess it strikes to the question of how much local mitigation and adaption will be required going forward.
whereas I think that climate change is here, now, and we're very behind on what we need to do and we just need to get on with it. Equivocating about whether x storm was caused by AGW or a volanco seems like a distraction at a time when we really can't afford it. For instance, if we go, oh maybe it's not going to be so bad after all, do you think that will make people resistant to change more or less likely to change?
Not so much that. But more to do with whether we need to relocate whole swathes of the population or not.
If the extent of flooding we saw in the NI is only likely to occur in a rare combination of circumstances then we may not need to put as much into mitigation and adaption. But, if this type of flooding is going to be the norm, then we probably need to be much more proactive in relocating communities.
So, getting some understanding on this is quite helpful for planning for the medium term future at least.
No sensible person is "ignoring other contributing events", they're/we're just not being deceived by those who drag red-herrings across the trail every single time there is a harmful weather event.
Chill out. Not everyone who points to some contributing factor outside climate change is a rabid climate change denier.
The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruption is a possible “contributing factor” to the severity of cyclone Gabrielle's impacts on Aotearoa NZ and its people.
No one can prevent large volcanic eruptions, but I can decrease my carbon footprint. It's really quite simple (not rocket science), if you're genuinely concerned about the consequences of anthropogenic global warming.
What have we learned in the last 4 weeks/years? We can be really dim bulbs.
If there is a link it is a very indirect one.
Cyclone Gabrielle was originally a weak low north of Fiji. It moved westwards into the Coral Sea not too distant from Queensland where conditions were ripe for it to become a Cat.3 tropical cyclone.
The Tongan Islands are a long way from Queensland.
As we have been informed there is a reliable MSM and there is other less trustworthy news sources.
So this must be really embarrasing for RNZ and TVNZ and the staff there.
When litigation lawyers cite "act of God" as supporting argument …
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/hilary-barry-speaks-out-following-liz-gunns-arrest-at-auckland-airport/ZM5L4BT7OVFV5C3JGMEQZXQXAM/
There is of course a growing career for the investigative journalist looking at the (origins) sourcing of money behind various "freedom fronts/other supportive narratives".
That list will grow.
https://businessdesk.co.nz/article/election-2023/national-party-reiterates-head-office-downsizing-will-help-pay-for-tax-cuts?utm_source=nzh&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=nzh-home
It should be interesting to hear Nicola Willis explain the cost of the tax cuts and relate this to the number of workers and wages they are paid (and where they are employed).
Given that this seems to be an interesting and public good project I am not sure why this has not been supported. It was widely posited that these organisations were obtaining finding from 'shadowy' figures supporting similar groups in the US & Canada.
Even if they listed the NZ based supporters of the parliamentary protest in terms of on the ground support as part of the 'memories' series that Stuff is doing. I would be interested in some investigative reporting into who these firms were, do they still support the aims of the protest etc. I appreciate that some of this material is still live as these supporters continue eg Counterspin media and various other white supremacist groups. Some seem to have morphed into anti climate change groups.
Wiki says this about who they were
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Wellington_protest
'The protestors were a mixed group, but the majority protested the COVID-19 mask and vaccine mandates in New Zealand, while some identified with far-right politics such as Trumpism, white nationalism and Christian fundamentalism. The protest methods ranged from peaceful to increasingly violent'.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/463253/parliament-protest-questions-remain-on-source-of-donations-and-where-they-went
https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/14-03-2022/murkiness-surrounds-sources-of-protest-donations-and-how-money-was-spent
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/465969/parliament-protest-ipca-gets-3-point-5m-funding-for-inquiry-into-policing
Our own Nicky Hagar is a member of this group of investigative journalists.
https://www.icij.org/
Those who would have a motive would oppose international co-operation on tax havens/regulatory oversight of offshore companies/trusts/international money movement – stateless money/power/influence as well as normal right wing agendas under the banner of useful populist causes "freedom" from government – national and and international regime (GW/environment/labour/migrant labour/offshore ownership and investment).
We've all come across cases where there seems to be two rules applying. Say a business or tax fraud case and a welfare fraud case and the disparate consequences.
https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/news/2017/08/why-is-tax-evasion-treated-more-gently-than-benefit-fraud2
There is another, people who have a tertiary debt only pay it back when they they realise employment level of income but those with debt to MSD have to pay it out of their benefit income.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/02/27/anti-poverty-groups-calling-on-govt-to-wipe-all-msd-debt/
.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/former-mp-chester-borrows-dies-after-cancer-battle/O657NWKO3JDE7CFX457CQRQFTU/
Sorry to hear that. I was fond of Chester.
Yes he was a good guy all right.
My SO who had lots to do with Chester through his constituency work said he really was one of the good guys.
Very sad to hear this news.
If the essential life question is not "how long" but "how much" then Chester Borrows did so much, a life in service to others.
Sincere condolences to his family.
A cautionary tale for owners, and especially potential owners, of homes in low lying areas.
.
But as the couple toured the area, situated on the banks of a sluggish river that feeds into the Chesapeake Bay, they noticed something alarming about the homes they were seeing. “We were looking at one house close to the water, and [our real-estate agent] started talking about flood insurance,” Sara recalled to me. “I said, ‘Really? In this area?’” The houses were about half a mile from the river, but monthly flood-insurance premiums on the homes were $800 to $1,000—almost as much as their mortgage payment.
[…]
This displacement is at once profound and not very visible in the coastal housing market, where buyers and lenders are just beginning to digest the immense consequences of future sea-level rise. The value of all of the coastal real estate in the United States exceeds a trillion dollars, and a large portion of that value may vanish as buyers starts to shy away from homes most vulnerable to erosion and frequent flooding. As home values fall to reflect climate risk, wealthy homeowners and investors will dump their distressed assets and flee, while middle-class homeowners like the Langfords will be left to deal with climate catastrophes and costly mortgages. The resulting turmoil could reshape the Eastern Seaboard, threatening the growth of coastal cities such as Norfolk and potentially triggering a slow migration inland
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2023/02/coastal-cities-housing-sea-level-flooding-climate-change/673106/
https://archive.li/WoD0d
The Queensland and Brisbane floods last year are even more pertinent.
Many years of Brisbane region plains citizens resisting the stop-bank works that might have protected them, or indeed any other scheme.
Yet another 1-in-100 year event.
That is why our flood recovery minister has got our officials engaging with them over lessons learned.
Gender ideology by stealth. The Census is so desperate to know your gender – they will make it up if necessary.
"It's a problem because Sex Matters.
Women need to be counted and this data collection method is prioritising the needs of one group over the needs of another.
The new data standard is advertised as being necessary for the rainbow community to be visible – but how does it create visibility for women? We are a distinct sex class, not a "social or personal identity".
Over the past few months supporters of Speak Up for Women have been busy emailing Stats NZ seeking clarification on the Gender question and the way that various responses will be recorded. We are concerned because we don’t believe in gender, it’s not that we have no gender, it’s not that we would rather not say, it’s that we don’t believe that anyone has a gender and we object to the question. It’s like being asked whether we prefer blue or pink unicorns and being unable to answer that we don’t believe in unicorns.
We are concerned because Sex Matters. We want to be counted as a sex class."
https://www.speakupforwomen.nz/post/do-we-really-count?utm_campaign=16a55eb1-1f22-43bc-b390-4a506933c4cf&utm_source=so&utm_medium=mail&cid=3014a3da-0436-4a67-b9a9-9a3fe8fefc74
They could have allowed people to answer 'no gender', but presumably that would interfere with their plans to use gender identity as the default.
For those that aren't aware, Stats NZ have said that if you don't answer the gender question (or answer incorrectly), they will choose a gender for you based on data from elsewhere (including the sex question).
Gender (as in identity) appears before the sex question, significantly increasing the likelihood it will be answered as if it relates to sex.
Data most likely will be compromised but the number of answers stating a gender identity will be artfully inflated.
What happens if you are a heretic, and do not believe?
Stats seems to be working really hard to avoid the option of "I don't believe in any of this nonsense".
And they propose one of the synonyms for "female" to be "transwoman".
Obviously up to their necks in Gender Ideology.
Imho, questions about the “insidious” concept of gender won't go away anytime soon.
Is nowhere safe from the clutches of 'gender ideology' – maybe move to Canada?
The mantra of the 20th C was "gender equality", as per suffrage and the equal place in society of women.
And here we are in the 21st C and we have some complaining about gender ideology. Some are Promise Keepers who believe in male leadership (or a form of equal but different) and others who want gender to have no distinctions from birth sex.
For this reason the latter oppose terms such as cisgender because it is an affirmation of the concept that there are those who are not so.
Which explains the politicisation of the census, as it enables some to identify a gender apart from birth sex.
Once people would have complained if people could identify as having a sexuality not heterosexual, or complained that people could identify as having a form of faith seen as blasphemous (say unitarian, universal salvation, deist, gnostic, theosophy, witchcraft, etc).
Some people are free to declare their birth sex and not answer the gender question.
They will be determined to be cisgender. They are not the group being identified, these are those who identify other than their birth sex gender, and what the variants are.
Others are free to identify their gender, but not identify their birth sex. The purpose here how many would do this. It speaks to the issue of allowing people to adopt an official identity at variance with their birth sex gender and or to change their birth identity certificate. Otherwise any significant numbers of those not conforming to birth sex cisgender stereotype, as to information to government.
Unfortunately, you are confusing and conflating sex and gender. Sex is to gender what astronomy is to astrology. You are welcome to believe in astrology – millions do. Astronomy and its sister sciences got us to the moon and puts robots on Mars.
You also use the term "cisgender". This is a term used by gender ideologists to falsely claim that there are two sort of humans – one "cis" and one "trans" and that they are some sort of equal variants. Sex in humans is bi-modal and immutable. To attempt to get around this fact, "gender" was used to attempt to establish an equality between physiological reality and psychological ailments or paraphillia.
If the Census has to have a section on gender – it should be treated like any other ideology.
We also have the religious question.
Your opinion about the existence or otherwise of God has no more relevance to that than your opinions on gender.
No, I am explaining the census to you.
Whereas you are using the census as part of a campaign to reject transgender women being able to identify as women and to label people as psychologically ill or with a paraphilia. The conservatives opposing homosexual law reform want their arguments back.
Trans gender "women" have to "identify" as women because they are not women. There is nothing physical that separates them from the category of "men" and places them in the category of "women".
They are men with a bodily dysmorphia, men with internalised homophobia, or men with various paraphilia.
And don't you dare wave the Law Reform arguements at me. Gender ideology totally rejects the whole concept of same sex attraction. The very words are called a "transphobic dogwhistle". We are supposed to be same gender attracted these days – not same sex attracted. Lesbians are denied even the right to organise gatherings for lesbians without having to admit any man who opens his mouth and utters the magical incantation "I identify as".
"Transing away the Gay" is the ultimate Gay Conversion Therapy.
I would reply but apparently not even one sentence in my post (that was blocked) cannot be made again – not even by typing out the words afresh here in this box.
I have no idea why your comment might have been ‘blocked’!?
It's a weird one alright, I referred it to LPrent at the time.
And it's
Debating the issue on another occasion might require some improvement in grammar and vocabulary, never too late to start I suppose …
Clearly, it is above my pay-grade and ability. I can see the ‘test’ comment you made on Tuesday morning, which you then trashed. Weird indeed …
I made a post on Open Mike 6 March (last one) – it appears Word Press has banned me form using the word sexuality when discussing gender issues.
Gone over the head of the site.
This reminds me of the old carnivore and echelon word search methods to identify subversives … now to censor/cancel culture?
Cotton boxers is becoming an issue as more heterosexual women disrespectfully identify as gay men.
(I can't think of a worse impact on well-being than targeting as the sole group for your intimate partners people that have a sexual orientation that excludes you.)
‘The gay rights movement was about liberation, this is about control’