The SkyCity Deal

Written By: - Date published: 1:11 pm, February 10th, 2015 - 76 comments
Categories: capitalism, john key, national, same old national, Social issues, Steven Joyce, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags: ,

John Key is softening us up for the prospect of more Government money being paid to SkyCity for the Convention Centre on the grounds that a convention centre reliant on the proceeds of gambling may be a bit of an eyesore. From Radio New Zealand:

John Key would not rule out a taxpayer top up to cover the construction cost over-run, as negotiations between the casino and the Government continued.

Under the deal, Sky City would build and design the centre for up to $402 million.

In return, it could operate another 230 gaming machines and 40 tables.

Last year, Sky City revealed the estimated cost could potentially reach up to $530 million.

Mr Key said that was because the design is bigger and ”flasher” than was originally proposed.

“Ultimately Sky City has worked off a concept through to something that now looks more like a project that’s ready to go.

“I’m keen to see the best convention centre I can for Auckland because this is a very long term asset.

“So I’d hate to see some sort of eyesore constructed downtown.”

Mr Key was asked whether the Government was willing to consider a taxpayer funded top up to cover the cost of construction.

“Ah I can’t rule that out today, what I can say is that we are working very closely with Sky City…to try and see if a deal can be completed but as I’ve always said the deal was never a done deal until ultimately everything was ticked off.”

Do you get the feeling that the Government is being done over by SkyCity?  Of course it should do the proper thing and pull out of the contract as it is able to do even at this stage.  But it seems to be captured by SkyCity and they are betting that the Government has invested too much political capital in the deal to allow it to fail.

This article by David Fisher in the Herald 18 months ago gives some insight into the bargaining process that had occurred.  At the time Steven Joyce said that “[a]nything that is not written down is not happening.”  Those words may come back to haunt him.

The article revealed Treasury’s concerns that SkyCity held all the cards during the negotiation process.  The article also contained this passage:

The hard-fought deal saw SkyCity return repeatedly to push for concessions which had been ruled out, forcing officials bargaining for Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce to aggressively assert the Crown’s position.

The bargaining was informed by advice from other government departments, including a warning from the Treasury. Bureaucrats warned the Government away from the deal, telling Mr Joyce it was doubtful extra conventions would be attracted by the new centre.

He was also told: “[The] Treasury has strong concerns that private benefits to SkyCity will exceed public benefits to New Zealanders”.

The Treasury was also concerned that the Government “lacks adequate leverage” in the negotiations and if concessions to SkyCity’s demands could not be time-limited then consideration should be given to opening bidding again to others – or funding the centre directly.

Papers show the deal was effectively complete in May 2012 – when SkyCity baulked and insisted on greater protection for its investment and increased benefits.

Another 14 months of haggling followed, with officials juggling new demands from SkyCity right to the end.

Because of the flawed process adopted SkyCity has always been in a dominant position and able to demand more and more from the Government.  It should do the decent thing and just say no to any further funding.  If this means that the deal falls over then so be it.

76 comments on “The SkyCity Deal ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. CnrJoe 1
    10 February 2015 at 1:27 pm

    From twitter –
    Brent Edwards ‏@rnzgallerybrent 3m3 minutes ago
    PM to make statement to Parliament at 2pm. Live tweet coverage on http://www.radionz.co.nz .
    could be Sky or Sabin or …sayonara..? heh – *wish*

  2. Matthew Hooton 2
    10 February 2015 at 1:39 pm

    IF the government proceeds with this deal (which I don’t think it should but that is another story) it is absolutely essential that the centre is “big and flash”. From Europe, it is as far away as you can possible get. It is 10 hours from Singapore, 12 from LA or Hong Kong and 14 from Vancouver. For it to attract business in competition with closer destinations, it has to be an absolutely first-class facility in every respect – design, fittings, IT, acoustics etc. Or else it really will be a white elephant disaster. Which means the govt has to fund it above $402 million, and take the political flak for mismanaging the whole process.

    • emergency mike 2.1
      10 February 2015 at 1:41 pm

      “and take the political flak for mismanaging the whole process”

      Yeah the Taxpayers Union will be all over them for this…

    • Tracey 2.2
      10 February 2015 at 1:54 pm

      So the so called savvy economic managers with business nous running NZInc never saw any cost over runs coming? that would make them stupid economic managers naive in business or they knew exactly what would happen with our money. Cant have it both ways real world ministers

    • freedom 2.3
      10 February 2015 at 1:59 pm

      ” Which means the govt has to fund it above $402 million, ”

      Sure the country might have to cough up a bit, but not one cent should be spent on the 300 room Hotel that was NOT part of the original $402 million deal and any monies should be seen as a loan so we get full and timely repayment with interest. After all, we will be borrowing any money we give to SkyCity and our bankers demand we pay interest.

      • Tracey 2.3.1
        11 February 2015 at 8:20 am

        Um, no, not even a bit. Convention centres are, in this part of the world, white elephants. It is a competitive international market and the cost for attendees to travel to our part of the world is very high and often prohibitive. Even Treasury (??) reported tot he government that to break even would require a $10m a year input of taxpayer money.

        And even within NZ we are creating competition for ourselves by having

        Auckland
        Wellington
        Christchurch
        Queenstown

        All building new ones.

        FOUR!!!!

        • freedom 2.3.1.1
          11 February 2015 at 8:51 am

          “Sure the country might have to cough up a bit, but ” should have had a sarc tag I guess. It does read as if I support the gig 🙂 I am of the firm opinion though that if the project goes ahead any monies above the original build cost should be a loan.

          I am against the entire project Tracey, and have said that a number of times.
          I whole heartedly agree with your statement about the pachyderm population.

          If taxpayer funds were to go to a big development right now I would rather see them find funds for the building of a $40m cruise ship berth for Lyttleton. After hearing the report on RNZ this morning, it seems the country could lose a large number of ship visits if the Lyttleton stopovers are removed from cruise schedules. That certainly has a more wide reaching impact on the whole of NZ. An impact that is certainly more real than if we lose a conference centre.

          • Tracey 2.3.1.1.1
            11 February 2015 at 12:06 pm

            I thought it odd freedom, but thanks for the clarification

            • freedom 2.3.1.1.1.1
              11 February 2015 at 1:21 pm

              I think my sarcasm gland is secreting inferior compounds. Have been following a rigorous regime of recommended sincerity and applying liberal doses of Hicks & Carlin but gosh darnit the poor old thing has been hammered by too many CT infections of late. Might need a transplant.

              p.s. here is an interesting little article on the topic of sarcasm http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-science-of-sarcasm-yeah-right-25038/?no-ist

              • Tracey …
                11 February 2015 at 2:03 pm

                Thanks for the link…

                BTW how many state houses could we build for however much money the govt is considering throwing at the freaking white elephant up the road from the previous white elephant (Aotea Centre) and down the road from the current yoke around our necks ( eden park “upgrade” for world cup 2011)

    • Molly 2.4
      10 February 2015 at 2:30 pm

      “… it has to be an absolutely first-class facility in every respect …”

      Even if it was an absolutely first-class facility – the problem is – it has to overcome the natural physical restrictions of the time/space continuum, and get international convention attendees here in the same amount of time as other venues.

      That is never going to happen.

      (Of course, we could appeal to the unique aspects of NZ – hey look! a first world country with 250,000 children in poverty, or the worst waterways in the least amount of time… but I don’t think that will be a drawcard, except for the most cynical of conferences.)

    • Skinny 2.5
      10 February 2015 at 3:01 pm

      While a convention centre linked to the casino would be nice for SkyCity shareholders,
      times have changed. The gambling tourist market, especially highrollers from Australia & Asia is very high. Its a far cry from a few years ago when the convention centre deal was first mooted.

      Scrap any deal with SkyCity and forget about Auckland as the venue, let it be built in Queenstown or the Bay of Islands, after all we are talking international quaility which should include a pristine location. Built by private interests outside of a gambling house. I have no problem a taxpayer funded joint venture up to 1 billion.

      • Chooky 2.5.1
        10 February 2015 at 6:22 pm

        +100 “Scrap any deal with SkyCity” ..casinos reek of losers…they smell tacky ….of sweat and depression…they invite greed, vice and corruption …and exploitation of the most marginalised

        ….a casino deal is no place for a Convention Centre for Auckland or New Zealand

    • Adrian 2.6
      10 February 2015 at 3:54 pm

      So was the $402m deal only for a shoddy, unfit for purpose convention centre?

      • mac1 2.6.1
        10 February 2015 at 5:00 pm

        Absolutely, Adrian, in a deal negotiated by a shoddy, unfit for purpose Minister in an shoddy, unfit for purpose government.

        What a terrible argument that Key is reduced to, in order to justify his spending $140 million for a free convention centre, which made $69 million profit last year.

        The $402 million centre would be an eye sore! Well I’m told that it looks like something out of Stalag 13, but would $140 million change that? Is that a reason for opening the public purse on a private venture which would makes $140 million profit in two years?

        While people go poorly housed?

        John Key, what is worse? An ugly building or the blight of poverty, poor housing and poverty of spirit?

    • irascible 2.7
      10 February 2015 at 4:23 pm

      Convention Centres, regardless of flashness, are invariably white elephants costing more to service than the income generated. Key & Joyce got caught playing negotiating roulette on a wheel geared in favour of the house. This whole deal is a political and economic disaster created by over enthusiastic school boys trying to play with the big boys.

    • AmaKiwi 2.8
      10 February 2015 at 7:01 pm

      “For it (the convention center) to attract business in competition with closer destinations, it has to be an absolutely first-class facility in every respect.”

      Wrong! There is nothing you can do to make Auckland a world class tourist attraction short of getting Rangitoto to start shooting lava.

      Auckland ain’t got what it takes. That’s why Treasury said a new building is not going to draw more conventions.

      • tc 2.8.1
        10 February 2015 at 7:34 pm

        Yup, overcrowded, hard to get around, akl is just another poorly planned city with shit infrastructure.

    • vto 2.9
      10 February 2015 at 9:07 pm

      Mr Hooton, perhaps you should take some of the advice Key had for Eleanor Catton and stick to what you know….. which I would surmise is absolutely shit-all about what attracts convention goers to potential convention centres.

      Your opinion there on what is required is worth nothing. You have no idea.

    • Foreign waka 2.10
      10 February 2015 at 9:14 pm

      Firstly, to do a hard sell on gambling is just plain immoral. Secondly, to call for the taxpayer – you know the one being told that inflation or better deflation indicates that they will get no wage increase – to support with his/her tax money a gambling den for the rich is just simply insane.
      Tax money is being collected for certain purposes, they are declared as such. This is a blatant misuse and should not even enter the conversation.
      The amount of money that the additional “one armed bandits” will collects for the poor casino managers is more then enough to offset any costs incurred to get more gambling addicts assured, care of the government.

    • Plan B 2.11
      10 February 2015 at 9:25 pm

      Have you seen the pictures of proposed building. The Guggenheim it is not. You could not drag someone around the block to see it let alone half way round the world.

  3. alwyn 3
    10 February 2015 at 1:48 pm

    Does anyone think that Andrew Little can be persuaded to concentrate his fire at the Government on this issue, rather than waste his time on the date Key heard about Sabin or the possibility of different rights for people with some Maori ancestry?

    I don’t think anyone in the general public gives a damn about the Sabin affair. For Little to continue to prattle on about it might please a few hundred people who seem to think that Key is the “Great Satan” but makes Little look demented to the bulk of the population.

    For Little to even consider opening up the question of different rights for people with some skerrick of Maori ancestry will leave him wide open to charges that he supports apartheid in this country and is going to leave him scaring the bulk of New Zealanders. Leave it alone. Do what Helen Clark did with the shoreline and seabed debate.

    The screw-ups that appear to be happening with the Convention centre in Auckland, on the other hand would seem to be something that he can use to bash the Government with, and even force them to abandon any ideas of supporting the Casino company with tax-payers funds. If Little will concentrate his fire on this he might get some traction. The company has only a very limited number of supporters, their shareholders and staff. The rest of the public are probably not at all happy about tax-payer funding. However the Labour Party must come on with a concentrated attack if they hope to get anywhere with this. Splitting their fire is never going to work. It is also the only real chance Labour will have to dent the view of the National Party as being better economic managers than Labour can possibly be.

    Concentrate on this and leave the side issues to Winston or Turei.
    Perhaps Little can get something useful for New Zealand by doing so.

    Incidentally the Council in Wellington seem to be going down the same road. Come to some agreement with a developer and they then they decide they really have to have a much better site with council owned land on the waterfront. The council here appears willing to go along with it, rather than tell the developer to go and take a running jump into the harbour.

    • Tracey 3.1
      10 February 2015 at 1:51 pm

      I guess you dont read? the article i read quoting key also quoted little

      • alwyn 3.1.1
        10 February 2015 at 2:20 pm

        Sure I read it Tracey. I didn’t say that Little was ignoring it did I? I said he should concentrate on it.
        The Sabin and Waitangi Tribunal affairs are never going to attract any public support are they? Let Little focus solely on something that he can get some traction from, and I think this is it.

        • Sabine 3.1.1.1
          10 February 2015 at 3:00 pm

          ahhh, not comfortable with the Sabin thing?

          I am one member of the public that is very much interested in the dodgy Sabin thing, I am also interested in the Waitangi Tribunal thing, and interested in the only some books for schools thing, the running up debt thing, the sky city tax payer bailout ™ thing, the non housing crisis – sell state houses thing, the housing crisis – change rma thing, the cutting of beneficiaries cause lazy thing, the irrigation/water thing, the dropping milk price thing and all the other things going on.

          The only thing i am really over tho is the Flag thing. that really , arrrrggghhhh

        • One Anonymous Bloke 3.1.1.2
          10 February 2015 at 3:01 pm

          An “affair” is it now?

          Beyond contemptible what you people will look the other way for.

          • alwyn 3.1.1.2.1
            10 February 2015 at 3:25 pm

            Is there some particular meaning to the word “affair” that I am unaware of?
            What on earth upsets you about its use?

            • framu 3.1.1.2.1.1
              10 February 2015 at 3:30 pm

              might have something to do with what everyone thinks the investigation is about

              • McFlock …
                10 February 2015 at 4:33 pm

                I’m sure Alwyn thinks it’s probably just a few unpaid parking tickets, and we’re all confusing it with another case entirely…

          • Tracey 3.1.1.2.2
            11 February 2015 at 8:22 am

            I took alwyn to be using it as a synonym for “issue”.

        • framu 3.1.1.3
          10 February 2015 at 3:21 pm

          “The Sabin and Waitangi Tribunal affairs are never going to attract any public support are they? ”

          that depends – if what has been said turns out to be true its going to offend an awful lot of people

          (thats as far as my public speculation on what the investigation is about will go)

          but is little concentrating on sabin – or – is it a topic reporters keep asking him about?

        • Tracey 3.1.1.4
          11 February 2015 at 8:21 am

          How do you know this isn’t the beginning of him concentrating on it… THAT was my point.

    • crashcart 3.2
      10 February 2015 at 1:57 pm

      This is a good oppertunity to make hey. Perhaps just remind people of the Sabin thing until more evidence is firmed up. Ask a couple of questions in the house and get some OIA requests in to see if you can nail down Key in a lie.

      Leave the issues around the Treaty as he has. He has come out strong in his response that he mearly said there should be a discussion, which is compeltely fair.

      Then as you say hammer the government on this. He doesn’t even need to attack Key directly (that doesn’t seem to work). Point out the dog the deal is and leave it to media to go back to the fact that Key was the one who kicked the whole sorry saga off. If they won’t go there on their own some questions in the house to Key about his confidence in the original tendering process should remind people of what got us to this point.

    • irascible 3.3
      10 February 2015 at 4:24 pm

      Convention Centre: It’s deal or no deal Mr Key
      Tuesday, 10 February 2015, 12:26 pm
      Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party

      Convention Centre: It’s deal or no deal Mr Key

      John Key has to confirm whether the deal with Sky City over its convention centre is still on the table, Labour Leader Andrew Little says.

      “John Key and Steven Joyce told Kiwis they were corporate wunderkinds and could negotiate an incredible deal of a ‘free’ convention centre. Instead, by Mr Key’s own admission, five years of negotiation have only delivered plans for an ‘eyesore’.

      “Now the Government is being sucked into another round of negotiations by SkyCity which is haggling over an extra $140 million. How long will this round last?

      “John Key and Steven Joyce have been played by the best in the business. They are no match for SkyCity.

      “This deal was dodgy from the start. It’s a debacle and it has dragged on far too long. The tender started in 2010.

      “If John Key hadn’t locked the Government into five years of haggling with this Australian casino giant, Auckland would already have a world-class convention centre.

      “It’s time for John Key to say to SkyCity: ‘deal or no deal’,” Andrew Little says.

      • One Anonymous Bloke 3.3.1
        10 February 2015 at 5:28 pm

        Are Labour members going to let the National Party’s corruption stand if Sky City decide to ‘deal’?

        How about Labour Party members ensure that instead, Sky City are punished for their corrupt conspiracy with the National Party.

        • Murray Rawshark 3.3.1.1
          10 February 2015 at 10:09 pm

          +1
          That’s the approach I’d much rather see Labour take. The problem there is that so many big businesses are likely to be involved in corrupt practices with the NAct party that we’d see threats of capital flight if Labour ever looked like making them accountable. They’d need cojones to deal with that, and I’ve seen no evidence that there are any big enough in parliamentary Labour.

      • Tracey 3.3.2
        11 February 2015 at 8:24 am

        Any chance Labour is working behind the scenes with MP and Dunne to make it a very tight thing for the Government come vote time? OR does the giving of taxpayer money to shore up a shonky deal not require parliament?

        • rawshark-yeshe 3.3.2.1
          11 February 2015 at 8:33 am

          going to war doesn’t need it, surely they’ll find wiggle room for this in their
          dungeon of corruption ?

          • Tracey 3.3.2.1.1
            11 February 2015 at 8:54 am

            Still would be great to see the media hounding Mr Family Values Dunne on his continued silence and thereby tacit support for gambling and corruption.

            “ACT leader John Banks and independent MP Peter Dunne also voted for the bill,”

            So, the man convicted of deceit in terms of signing something he didn’t read (I note he is getting a new trial) and Mr Family Values helped get this through but it is the Government getting ALL the pillorying …

            Does this mean Banks voted for this deal without reading anything too? he has a history of this, he didn’t read much or see much while taking a fee for being Executive Director of Hujlich Finance either.

            • rawshark-yeshe 3.3.2.1.1.1
              11 February 2015 at 9:07 am

              so hard to choose where to attack, they are such a filthy lot !

              Maybe the lovely young David Seeless from Epsom could ask on behalf of his constituents .. we can be sure ACT members are not too happy about this .. can’t we ? lol

              Dunne will choose his usual path of self-aggrandisement.

              sigh ….

    • North 3.4
      10 February 2015 at 6:07 pm

      Still flapping around trying very, very hard to keep a lid on the matter of the former member for Northland aye Alwyn ? That’s because that one has very muscular legs and you know it. Keep on whistling in the dark Alwyn……well no, lying akshilly. Professing care for and coming over like a strategist for TheCrookedKey’s opponents indeed ! You’re making a complete tit of yourself. In the process highlighting those muscles. There’s much, much more to come as to that first matter, as you know. Hager’s probably got a number of explosive emails already.

      • alwyn 3.4.1
        10 February 2015 at 7:38 pm

        I haven’t the faintest idea what Sabin is meant to have done and, now that he is no longer an MP, I don’t care either.
        I do however care about whether this Government gets any deeper into subsidising businesses like the Casino. I didn’t mind the deal that was struck, except for one thing. They don’t appear to be willing to say that if it doesn’t work they will scrap all deals with Sky City. They really ought to say that the TV2 site will be repurchased at cost, and that the gaming licence is available to anyone else, immediately, if they will build a Casino. Then see if Sky City suddenly find they can do it.
        I do not believe Governments should EVER get involved in running businesses. They, being politicians, will never admit that they have made a mistake. Rather than do that they continue to go on and on throwing money at something that is dead and starting to smell and warble about it still being alive. Look at Labour and the Railways.
        You might think I am a dyed-in-the-wool National supporter, but that is only in your imagination. I have voted for both National and Labour roughly the same number of times (6/5 with one no-vote) since 1981.
        I fear that National are getting, rather early, the arrogance Key claimed they had to avoid. Even knowing this I would still have voted for the last year. The thought of the idiots Cunliffe and Norman in charge of the economy was simply too much to bear.
        Please, please let Labour get something resembling an opposition capable of taking over in Government before things really crash. At the moment they don’t really look like it but it could still happen if they got rid of their deadwood.

        Meantime I can only suggest Helen Clarks comment “There, there diddums”

        • freedom 3.4.1.1
          10 February 2015 at 8:08 pm

          Your tender compassion reminded me of a scene in the sometimes terrible Doors film by Oliver Stone where they re-enact a quite famous press conference. The reporter is pestering Jim about his parents. Jim responds

          Morrison: Do you hurt?

          Reporter: What?

          Morrison: What hurts you the most?

        • Draco T Bastard 3.4.1.2
          11 February 2015 at 1:50 am

          I do not believe Governments private people should EVER get involved in running businesses. They, being politicians greedy schmucks, will never admit that they have made a mistake and will demand that the government pay them out the profit that they want.

          FTFY

          Unfortunately, the government seems to be preset to make that payout.

          Look at Labour and the Railways.

          Railways, being a monopoly, should never be run as a business but as a government service paid for through general taxation. Same goes for power, telecommunications, health and many other essential services. One of the big problems of the right-wing is that they constantly misidentify what should be a business.

          The thought of the idiots Cunliffe and Norman in charge of the economy was simply too much to bear.

          The idiots are all in National but Labour’s really not that much better. In fact, IMO, no politician or businessperson knows what an economy is nor it’s purpose. It is this ignorance that ensures that our economy keeps failing.

        • tricledrown 3.4.1.3
          11 February 2015 at 5:12 am

          Alwyn Dominique straus Kahn is no longer a politocian either

          • rawshark-yeshe 3.4.1.3.1
            11 February 2015 at 8:35 am

            Alwyn — all I can say is that you should damn well care. I promise you will when it all floods out, as surely it will, suppressions or not. Or are you completely without heart of any kind ?

            • alwyn 3.4.1.3.1.1
              11 February 2015 at 1:47 pm

              You must presumably know a great deal about the matter if you can say –
              “all I can say is that you should damn well care” and mean it.

              I haven’t any idea what the whole thing is about and am therefore quite unable to express any informed views on the subject of Mr Sabin.
              If it is explained I may be able to form some sensible opinion. Until then I prefer not to get het-up over other people’s wild speculations.

              • rawshark-yeshe …
                11 February 2015 at 3:30 pm

                You will care, I promise. You may even become a little het-up yourself when you can finally form a ‘sensible’ opinion.

                Nothing more now. That’s it.

  4. Tom Gould 4
    10 February 2015 at 2:20 pm

    Why is Key front-ending the SkyCity results out tomorrow? Is he talking up the share price? I recall the howls from the Tories when Clark made an oblique reference to company results a few years back? Not a peep now, though?

  5. BLiP 5
    10 February 2015 at 2:55 pm

    ‘

    John Key’s lies about the SkyCity deal . . . so far:

    the Sky City deal will provide 1000 construction jobs and 800 casino jobs

    all five bidders for the convention centre were treated equally

    my office has had no correspondence, no discussions, no involvement with the Sky City deal

    I did not mislead the House (8)

    I can’t remember what was discussed at my meeting with the SkyCity Chief Executive on 14 May 2009

    I have no record of the 12 November 2009 email from Treasury advising that the SkyCity deal was dodgy and needed to be referred to the Auditor General

    there was nothing improper about the Sky City deal

    SkyCity will only get “a few more” pokie machines at the margins

    any changes to gambling regulations will be subject to a full public submission process

    Sky City has approached TVNZ about the purchase/use of government-owned land

    I did not mislead the House (9)

    this government has been very transparent about all its dealings with SkyCity

    I did not mislead the House (10)

    the Auditor General has fully vindicated National over the Sky City deal

    I did not mislead the House (11)

    the Deputy Auditor General supports the view that there was nothing inappropriate about the Sky City deal

    I did not mislead the House (12)

    I did not breach the confidentiality of the Auditor General’s Report into the Sky City deal

    the Labour Government did exactly the same sort of deal back in 2001

    Labour has promised to not revoke the Sky City legislation

    • Sabine 5.1
      10 February 2015 at 3:01 pm

      Hmmmm,,

      are we to be interested in all these things?

      🙂

      really these might be too many things to remember?

    • Chooky 5.2
      10 February 2015 at 6:24 pm

      thanks BLip…you do journalists research for them…pity most of them are not up to it

  6. peter h 6
    10 February 2015 at 4:28 pm

    The govt could fund it easily, just borrow the money, and add it to the 100 billion,
    The voters would not care ,Bill will say we are going into surplus, and all the Nats will say. What a great job John Bill and the boys are doing, and Hoskings and friends will get a pay rise, from Sky city, then the triclkle down will start, and we will all be rock stars again

  7. Neil 7
    10 February 2015 at 4:37 pm

    I actually hope Key commits tax payer money to it, it will be his down fall

    • Chch_Chiquita 7.1
      10 February 2015 at 5:22 pm

      Oh, they will spin it around. Wait until the drums will beat on the thousand of construction jobs this will create and the thousand of jobs the convention centre will bring.

  8. North 8
    10 February 2015 at 5:54 pm

    This ‘warning’ of the likely (already intended) giving of tens of millions of government money to SkyCity is patent extortion. In principle it is no different from the bankers’ pitch of “too big to be allowed to fail – so cough up !”

    And from a further angle Key’s ‘warning’ (as the Herald soft-pedals it) is no different from the always crooked painter/builder/roofer/concreter going to the customer after the contract’s been signed and sealed and darkly saying – “Look…..it’s gonna be a complete cock-up and eyesore unless you start writing (more) cheques……I ‘promise’ you”. Like it was always intended to pull that extortionate ace somewhere along the line.

    I’m with Neil @ 7 above. There MUST be rumblings going on somewhere in the National Party. It screams of scam.

  9. Pete George 9
    10 February 2015 at 7:08 pm

    An eyesore should blend into the Auckland CBD well. It’s not as if there’s anything nice left here.

  10. Rodel 10
    10 February 2015 at 7:40 pm

    Don’t usually take notice of TV polls but Campbell’s tonight was 97% against us paying into sky city’s convention centre while only 3% said yes.

    Has to be a kick in the ass for Mr Key’s attempts at persuading us to fall in with his Sky city mates fraud schemes.

    Is it possible for Key to take notice? or will it be a scam when we just pay $50 million instead of $150million ? Whew! and we can all feel a sense of relief

    • les 10.1
      11 February 2015 at 7:29 am

      this is the sort of deal I expect…estimated over cost 140 mil…real about 100 mil…50/50.Sky City wins as do their shareholders,even those. with shares in trusts.Picking that the design of the centre will make it easily convertable to SC’s core business, when it does not prove viable for international conventions.

  11. rawshark-yeshe 11
    10 February 2015 at 8:19 pm

    Sky City’s original proposal did not include the 300 bedroom hotel. That came into play when Sky City was gifted, with taxpayers’ money, the land owned by TVNZ and ordered sold by Key and Joyce. This land was not valued at current value, nor put for sale on the open market. We, the taxpayers, have already paid.

    I suggest take the hotel out of the package as it was not included in the original. Sell the land back to us, the taxpayers, at exactly what Sky City paid for it — no valuation, no open bidding.

    Then we can do as we wish with it at a full market price ?

    nb Costs to taxpayers do not include the extraordinary costs of moving TVNZ and staff down the road in Victoria Street.

    Sky City must be stopped in its rape and pillage of Auckland, so ably supported by the masters of their own universe, Key and Joyce. ( Thanks Andrew Little, nice derogatory label for that pair of destructive liars.)

    • Rodel 11.1
      10 February 2015 at 10:40 pm

      WEHe
      Thanks for that information. I didn’t know all that.
      Bastards all of them. My money!

      • rawshark-yeshe 11.1.1
        10 February 2015 at 11:01 pm

        This is how bad it really is .. and even the Herald says so !!

        First of all, Sky City said they had to have to TVNZ land else they couldn’t build the convention centre !! Read the whole filthy, crooked mess here …. and be prepared to be outraged at the willing and complicit duplicity of Key and Joyce, and even tbheir lies to Parliament re TVNZ land … Herald, October 2014 :

        http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11335925

        Metiria Turei:

        “The truth is that SkyCity now gets a prime piece of Auckland CBD real estate with harbour views for a hotel that they wouldn’t have been able to purchase without the Government’s assistance.

        “SkyCity’s decision to change their story after the deal was signed shows just how dodgy the deal always was.

        “SkyCity will benefit financially from piecing together a new deal over the use of land originally sought for the Convention Centre. Once again the public and the taxpayer have lost out.”

        The broadcaster had lost land and money in the deal, she said.

        “TVNZ never wanted anything to do with the SkyCity deal. It was forced to sell its land by a National Government hell-bent on cutting a deal that will lead to an increase in gambling and social harm,” Mrs Turei said.

        “SkyCity’s extra profits from this deal will come at a high cost for the rest of the community.”

        A spokeswoman for the Prime Minister said Mr Key was comfortable with the process and the changes proposed.

        The change in plan also appears to conflict with a statement Mr Joyce made to Parliament last November.

        In response to a written question from the Green Party, Mr Joyce said the contract with SkyCity “prevents the land being used for any other purpose than as a convention centre”. He said this week he stood by his answer. “As far as I’m concerned that actually still meets the definition of it being used for the convention centre.”

        • rawshark-yeshe 11.1.1.1
          10 February 2015 at 11:10 pm

          and this from lprent himself when the TVNZ sale details were announced .. well worth the re-read .. from sept 5, 2013:

          http://thestandard.org.nz/tvnz-skycity-deal-asset-dump/

          “It seems to me that the government, and most likely Steven Joyce, has just directly overridden a SOE in the pursuit of a deal with SkyCity that already looked quite corrupt. They have taken an undervalued and depreciated building and sold it to SkyCity for demolition. On the way through they have probably killed much of the remaining operational value of TVNZ.

          All for this for a conference centre of dubious economic value, and a increased social cost. If Key and Joyce aren’t simply corrupt, then they are some of the most stupid business people I’ve ever seen. But most likely they’re just politicians trying to cover their arses for making a stupid mistake.”

          Corrupt bastards they truly are.

          • Tracey 11.1.1.1.1
            11 February 2015 at 8:28 am

            rawshark-yeshe

            Thanks for these reminders. Together with BLiP’s post it is quite soul destroying. alwyn and I are in complete agreement about 1 thing, THIS is something Little can latch on to and ride for all it’s worth because wasting people’s money speaks to the degrading soul of so many who allow ethical issues involving honesty, deceit, integrity, deviant behaviour to wash over them as acceptable.

  12. sirpat 12
    11 February 2015 at 6:17 pm

    i don’t suppose the govt will just say go away….pay them the 10 mill and oh I guess Sky City will keep the gambling concessions already changed in law?…..or am about to see legions of flying neo-con pigs?

Links to post

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • The ‘Humpty Dumpty’ end result of dismantling our environmental protections
    Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 hour ago

  • Nicola's Salad Days.
    I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 hours ago

  • Study sees climate change baking in 19% lower global income by 2050
    TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 hours ago

  • Weekly Roundup 19-April-2024
    It’s Friday again. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week on Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered at the government looking into a long tunnel for Wellington. On Wednesday we ran a post from Oscar Simms on some lessons from Texas. AT’s ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 hours ago

  • Jack Vowles: Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  The data is from February this ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 hours ago

  • Clearing up confusion (or trying to)
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 hours ago

  • How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log iPhone Without Computer
    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A Step–by–Step Guide Losing your iPhone call history can be frustrating, especially when you need to find a specific number or recall an important conversation. But before you panic, know that there are ways to retrieve deleted call logs on your iPhone, even without a computer. This guide will explore various methods, ranging from simple checks to utilizing iCloud backups and third–party applications. So, let‘s dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. That‘s why they introduced the “Recently Deleted“ folder for various apps, including the Phone app. This folder acts as a safety net, storing deleted call logs for up to 30 days before permanently erasing them. Here‘s how to check it: Open the Phone app on your iPhone. Tap on the “Recents“ tab at the bottom. Scroll to the top and tap on “Edit“. Select “Show Recently Deleted“. Browse the list to find the call logs you want to recover. Tap on the desired call log and choose “Recover“ to restore it to your call history. 2. Restore from iCloud Backup: If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, you might be able to retrieve your deleted call log from a previous backup. However, keep in mind that this process will restore your entire phone to the state it was in at the time of the backup, potentially erasing any data added since then. Here‘s how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose “Erase All Content and Settings“. Follow the on–screen instructions. Your iPhone will restart and show the initial setup screen. Choose “Restore from iCloud Backup“ during the setup process. Select the relevant backup that contains your deleted call log. Wait for the restoration process to complete. 3. Explore Third–Party Apps (with Caution): ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    8 hours ago

  • How to Factory Reset iPhone without Computer: A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring your Device
    Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    15 hours ago

  • How to Call Someone on a Computer: A Guide to Voice and Video Communication in the Digital Age
    Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    15 hours ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
    Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications: Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
    Skeptical Science
    16 hours ago

  • Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
    The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    16 hours ago

  • How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
    Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    16 hours ago

  • How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
    Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    16 hours ago

  • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
    A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    16 hours ago

  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    16 hours ago

  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    17 hours ago

  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    18 hours ago

  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    18 hours ago

  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    19 hours ago

  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    19 hours ago

  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    19 hours ago

  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    20 hours ago

  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    22 hours ago

  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    23 hours ago

  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    23 hours ago

  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    24 hours ago

  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    1 day ago

  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    1 day ago

  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 day ago

  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 day ago

  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 days ago

  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts

    Cats, with their independent spirit and beguiling purrs, have captured the hearts of humans for millennia. In New Zealand, felines are no exception, boasting the highest national cat ownership rate globally [definition cat nz cat foundation]. An estimated 1.134 million pet cats grace Kiwi households, compared to 683,000 dogs ...

    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    5 days ago

  • Or is that just they want us to think?
    Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Did global warming stop in ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Arguing over a moot point.
    I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago

  • No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    Turning Point: “What has turned me away from the mainstream news media is the very strong message that its been sending out for the last few years.” “And what message might that be?” “That the people who own it, the people who run it, and the people who provide its content, really don’t ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
    No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago

  • Sad tales from the left
    Michael Bassett writes –  Have you noticed the odd way in which the media are handling the government’s crackdown on surplus employees in the Public Service? Very few reporters mention the crazy way in which State Service numbers rocketed ahead by more than 16,000 during Labour’s six years, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • In Whose Best Interests?
    On The Spot: The question Q+A host, Jack Tame, put to the Workplace & Safety Minister, Act’s Brooke van Velden, was disarmingly simple: “Are income tax cuts right now in the best interests of lowering inflation?”JACK TAME has tested another MP on his Sunday morning current affairs show, Q+A. Minister for Workplace ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Don’t Question, Don’t Complain.
    It has to start somewhereIt has to start sometimeWhat better place than here?What better time than now?So it turns out that I owe you all an apology.It seems that all of the terrible things this government is doing, impacting the lives of many, aren’t necessarily ‘bad’ per se. Those things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 hour ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.    “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
    New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Joint US and NZ declaration
    April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research.   “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government redress for Te Korowai o Wainuiārua
    The Government is continuing the bipartisan effort to restore its relationship with iwi as the Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Claims Settlement Bill passed its first reading in Parliament today, says Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith. “Historical grievances of Te Korowai o Wainuiārua relate to 19th century warfare, land purchased or taken ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Focus on outstanding minerals permit applications
    New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals is working to resolve almost 150 outstanding minerals permit applications by the end of the financial year, enabling valuable mining activity and signalling to the sector that New Zealand is open for business, Resources Minister Shane Jones says.  “While there are no set timeframes for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Applications open for NZ-Ireland Research Call
    The New Zealand and Irish governments have today announced that applications for the 2024 New Zealand-Ireland Joint Research Call on Agriculture and Climate Change are now open. This is the third research call in the three-year Joint Research Initiative pilot launched in 2022 by the Ministry for Primary Industries and Ireland’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Tenancy rules changes to improve rental market
    The coalition Government has today announced changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to encourage landlords back to the rental property market, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “The previous Government waged a war on landlords. Many landlords told us this caused them to exit the rental market altogether. It caused worse ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Boosting NZ’s trade and agricultural relationship with China
    Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay will visit China next week, to strengthen relationships, support Kiwi exporters and promote New Zealand businesses on the world stage. “China is one of New Zealand’s most significant trade and economic relationships and remains an important destination for New Zealand’s products, accounting for nearly 22 per cent of our good and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Freshwater farm plan systems to be improved
    The coalition Government intends to improve freshwater farm plans so that they are more cost-effective and practical for farmers, Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay have announced. “A fit-for-purpose freshwater farm plan system will enable farmers and growers to find the right solutions for their farm ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-04-18T23:08:43+00:00