Open mike 27/06/2024

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 27th, 2024 - 14 comments
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14 comments on “Open mike 27/06/2024 ”

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  1. PsyclingLeft.Always 1
    27 June 2024 at 8:23 am

    The Nats on Climate "adaption" . (I dont include ACT.. as Climate : What Climate ?)

    More adaptation, less mitigation

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts affirmed the government's commitment to "support New Zealand to reduce emissions and adapt to the future effects of climate change", reflecting an established two-pronged approach through:

    Of course, responding to climate change effectively will require both. But a closer look at the government's priorities, as indicated by this budget, suggests there's more appetite for adaptation to ensure communities, jobs, industries and homes are prepared to withstand the impacts of climate change.

    • mitigation (reducing emissions and increasing sinks for greenhouse gases)
    • and adaptation (measures such as flood defences and managed retreat to protect communities and infrastructure from climate impacts).

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/519817/budget-cuts-to-climate-funding-mean-nz-may-now-struggle-to-meet-its-international-obligations

    And are we all ready for the "adaption"?

    A state of emergency remains in place in the Hawke's Bay town of Wairoa, after heavy rain and strong winds hit the East Coast.

    Four hundred properties, including 100 homes, were flooded on Wednesday, with many of them never having flooded before.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/520642/live-weather-east-coast-due-for-more-rain-after-flooding-evacuations

    As with anything, there is always a cost. The Nats (and their enablers) want to put this cost somewhere else.

    House Insurance goes sky high…if available. Options ? So whats the cost of that ?

    Meanwhile….

    Law removing future ETS agriculture obligations passes first reading

    Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said the new path from the government of "yet another working group" may lead "Eke Waka Nowhere".

    She said agriculture accounted for 5 percent of New Zealand's GDP and was the only part of the economy that does not pay into the ETS, a matter that had been debated for 20 years.

    This meant all other parts of the economy carried the burden for agriculture.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/520624/law-removing-future-ets-agriculture-obligations-passes-first-reading

    • SPC 1.1
      27 June 2024 at 2:37 pm

      Adaption costs money.

      They raided the emergency response fund for the money.

      The money in the emergencv response fund came from ETS revenues

      They plan for less ETS revenues (not on farming etc), adaption – not mitigation.

      If they have no money left in the ERF, and floods still occur …

      Budgeting under the CofC.

      • PsyclingLeft.Always 1.1.1
        27 June 2024 at 8:30 pm

        Yep their budgeting, (ie making it up as they go). Its like they imagine we are all fools ? I suppose some are…esp those sucked in by a $20 tax cut, etc;

        And as we know…NActFirst dont actually care either way. To them, and their enabler/supporters, the Future..happens to be someone else's problem.

  2. Kay 2
    27 June 2024 at 11:57 am

    Denmark introduces a carbon tax on cows, under a Centre-right government, and by way of negotiations between the players. What was our government's excuse again?

    "the deal was reached late Monday between the centre-right government and representatives of farmers, the industry and unions, among others, and presented Tuesday."

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/gassy-cows-and-pigs-face-a-carbon-tax-in-denmark-a-world-first/7WKHCUULJRDRLORGJJY6LNO5OA/

  3. Jimmy 3
    27 June 2024 at 2:46 pm

    Gloriz has received a conviction and a small fine. The fine is virtually irrelevant, but the conviction is more of a punishment.

    Former Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman denied discharge without conviction, fined after $9k shoplifting spree – NZ Herald

  4. SPC 4
    27 June 2024 at 2:54 pm

    World ranked for cost of accommodation.

    As rents have pushed up in recent years on the back of high migration, New Zealand's rental market has achieved a record that tenants would rather not set, and global distinction the country would probably prefer not to achieve.

    Meanwhile, an OECD report released in April said that New Zealand was among the most expensive places to rent in the world, on a number of measures.

    More than 25 percent of disposable income was going on rent for renting households, it calculated, ninth in the world.

    The country was one of only eight in which median housing costs used up more than 40 percent of disposable income for the lowest-income tenants.

    New Zealand also had a big difference by international standards in the housing cost burden for the lowest-income tenants versus higher income earners.

    27.5% of tenants paid more than 40% of income as rent (they once defined hardship at 30% of income).

    "We saw a lot of rental increase because wages were rising, the population was rising very quickly – there were not many rental properties available because landlords were not purchasing as they normally would and supply was tighter. In the last three to six months wage growth has slowed down, migration has slowed pretty sharply and there are some more rental listings coming into the market too so all those things are turning in favour of tenants."

    But he said for rental affordability to improve, there would need to be a strong period of wage growth.

    "We are probably not going to see that.

    The government seems intent on 25 cents an hour type MW increases.

    Rent growth might slow a bit further but rental affordability doesn't look like it's going to improve in the near term… renting is going to remain pretty expensive. It's not easy whether you're paying a mortgage or paying rent. This is definitely not a cheap country to rent. It's not a cheap country to do much actually."

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/money/2024/06/nz-rent-affordability-doesn-t-look-like-it-ll-improve-in-the-near-term-economist.html

    A future government will have to go further than granny flats. Include mobile small homes. "$30,000" sheds for boarders. Allow homeowners to take in boarders and not pay tax on the money.

    And focus on productivity for growth and not population increase. And broaden the tax base to fund government properly – as first world nations do.

  5. Hunter Thompson II 5
    27 June 2024 at 4:27 pm

    As Blackadder would say – "crisis Baldrick, crisis".

    According to today's ODT, supplies of chocolate fish (standard size) have almost run out. The makers, Cadbury, say these fish are not as popular as they once were with Kiwis.

    This is not the NZ we used to know. Will it be Jaffas next?

  6. lprent 6
    27 June 2024 at 6:40 pm

    So quiet today in Auckland (and here). Lots of people headed off early into the cold?

    Might have a look at KRd. Sounds like there is activity up there this evening. And it is local to me.