What the Aratere Grounding Means

Written By: - Date published: 4:24 pm, June 22nd, 2024 - 67 comments
Categories: assets, national, Politics, privatisation, same old national, simeon brown, transport - Tags:

The grounding of the ferry Aratere is potentially a political gift to National.

In January 2023, the Kaitake lost power inside Cook Strait while it had 880 people on board. It was caused in part by Kiwirail not replacing key parts.

In August 2023 the Kaitaki had to turn back mid-Cook Strait due to steering issues, with many having to stay overnight on board.

Earlier this year, all sailings of the Kaiarahi were cancelled due to maintenance issues.

In 2013 the Aratere had one of its propellers simply fall off. It was poorly fitted, and had to go to Singapore for 6 months.

And yesterday the steering on the Aratere failed about 15 minutes after it had set off from Picton.

It’s not much of a stretch to consider what losing steering of the Aratere when it was full in the school holidays and while in the middle of Cook Strait would have looked like: potentially at least as bad as the sinking of the Wahine in 1968. That’s the calibre of bullet this government just dodged.

Kiwirial had agreed a fixed price contract with Hyundai MIPO from confirmed funding from the Labour government to replace the 3 ageing ferries with 2 ferries that were 50% bigger each. The change in size required major upgrades to the ferry and rail facilities in both Picton and Wellington. It was called Project IREX. By September 2023 it was nearly fully designed, long-lead materials were ordered, and the hundreds of workers on the alliance teams to construct them were all ready to get going on construction.

Labour were doing the responsible thing of preparing, funding, and executing the replacement of a core piece of infrastructure that keeps New Zealand connected as an actual country. As they had up and down the country for 6 years.

When the new Minister of Finance killed the project in December 2023, it became clear that the Ministry of Transport and Treasury were preparing advice that the Cook Strait Ferry business was being prepared for sale:

Given the difficulties KiwiRail have had with Project iReX, and the fact they have a range of core rail issues to address, raises the question of KiwiRail’s suitability to run the Interislander business in the medium to long term.”

“The Interislander business could be separated into another State-Owned Enterprise or sold via a trade sale.

“KiwiRail would be expected to contract with this business to provide freight services across the Cook Strait, but how this is achieved would be left as a commercial decision between parties.

Treasury documents acknowledged the risk KiwiRail would quit the ferry business altogether if it could not go ahead with the project, but the Treasury deemed this “overstated”.

We have not seen any substantive evidence that not progressing KiwiRail’s preferred big ship approach to Project iReX would materially impact KiwiRail’s ability to continue with its current Interislander operating model.”

“Even if KiwiRail did indicate its preference to exit the market, ministers could, at that time, consider options to ensure an ongoing resilient inter-island connection, either involving KiwiRail or other providers.”

The Treasury advice leading up to the Ministers’ December decision is here.

Naturally Treasury and MoT fail to mention that while the big upgrade was going to cost nearly $3 billion for a multi-decade underinvestment in renewals, the Interislander service carries about $15 billion in trade every single year. In both trade and travel, it is as core to the connection of New Zealand as a country as the Transpower Cook Strait cable. So New Zealand might just miss it when National fail to invest to keep it going.

Once the operational crisis is overcome in the next day or two, Ministers Willis and Brown will simply agree that Kiwirail are not competent to run the ferries, and will propose that the private sector could do a more efficient job of it. They will sell it for what they can get which will be nearly scrap.

Until the Interislander business is sold, and then until the private sector can find the billions required to upgrade the terminals and ferries at the same time, and run a profit, and then after several years build them and run them, that is an entirely untested assumption in which a national transport and logistics lifeline is put at risk to the marketplace.

That means more very high risk Interislander failures will fall on this government, and it will be their fault, and they will get roasted for it.

Some may remember the result of the 1993 sale of NZRail to Wisconsin Central Transportation, Berkshire Partners, and Fay Richwhite for $328m. It was run into the ground, and finally bought back by the next Labour government for $1.

It has taken nearly 3 decades since then to revive rail in New Zealand. Ready for sale again.

The Minister of Finance is clearly seeking further savings across the entire public sector. Kiwirail, unlike NZTA, is run as a commercial business. No one took the step to protect Kiwirail from sale by integrating the two networks into a single entity so that they could act in the common good of New Zealand.

But in the merciful absence of mass deaths and a sinking this week, the failure of the Aratere and the death of IREX’s replacement programme is a singular political gift to this government.

And if they can prepare so early to sell Kiwirail in chunks, then Transpower is next.

67 comments on “What the Aratere Grounding Means ”

  1. bwaghorn 1

    When nat supports (I've had 2 today) parrot the line that we couldn't afford irex and the ferries point out that basically its 100 kms of movable highway,railway and bus way, all in 1, , and that national have $16 billion for rd building.

  2. observer 2

    The OP is a reasonable take on what National (plus ACT) may want to do, but would Winston wave it through? It would be his final legacy, a deeply ironic and contradictory ending to his career. So, I doubt it.

  3. SPC 3

    Clues

    The Transport Minister said he had received advice from Kiwi Rail during recent months the asset management was improving significantly.

    “Which is pleasing, but there is clearly more work to be done.”

    Brown said the replacement of the Cook Strait ferries is a priority for the Government.

    ”We have set aside significant capital in the multi-year capital allowance not just for this but for a range of infrastructure projects across New Zealand.

    “A safe and reliable Cook Strait crossing is critical to New Zealand’s transport network which is why the government is committed to making the investment required to support resilience shipping across the strait, including new ships.

    “But we also have to get the right ships for the job and KiwiRail must maintain its existing ships to the safe standard required.”

    When asked if he had confidence in the KiwiRail leadership, Brown said that was a question for the Minister of Finance and the Minister of State Owned Enterprises.

    KiwiRail maintaining safe standards and government investment in new ships, but no guarantee of future KiwiRail management or state ownership. This is an indication of a continuance of rail freight capacity. But no more.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/kiwrail-and-interislander-bosses-to-front-media-after-vessel-runs-aground-in-south-island/ZTI5DATV6VBYHD6664YZTKRDDM/

  4. Cricklewood 4

    Doesnt help that the govt can point to Bluebridge who seem to have far fewer issues.

    I do think Kiwirail needs a clean out, seemed even Grant Robertson was getting more than irritated at the endless cost blowouts and requests for more money for Irex. It seems to me Kiwirail were behaving in a fairly underhanded way to get what they wanted, or they set out to start a project that they new would never survive a change of govt…

    • lprent 4.1

      Probably they won't point too closely. Bluebridge started new ships on the route in 2010, 2015, and 2023 and replaced their older ones.

      If the National party had been competent at running our national infrastructure then they would have financed the replacement of port rail facilities that are nearly as old as I am, and started the upgrade on ferry services in during the Key years.

      Instead the Key government wasted infrastructure resources on roads of significance to National (ie economic white elephants). Looks good to the economically incompetent, wear out fast with heavier trucks, requires continuous expensive and major maintenance payments from car owners, and provide virtually no economic value. Pays not to drive in the left lanes of the older sections of the Waikato expressways with their truck ruts.

      Since there is no actual progress towards decent ferries from the incompetence of National, I'm expecting the passenger and truck transport should be dumped within a few years by Kiwirail as the existing ferries go past end of life.

      Kiwirail should just concentrate only on their own business of rail and only look for rail transport ferries. The safety issues diminish on old gear when passenger freight is removed, and I can't actually see a need for them to assist their competitors in trucking.

      Personally I don't think that any of the the ferries are particularly economic, including Bluebridge, long-term. Coastal shipping is probably more efficient for bulk. Flying is faster for people.

      It has always been part of the national infrastructure and should have been treated and funded as such.

      • SPC 4.1.1

        The group set up to advise government wants replacements that are not rail enabled.

        And it looks like they will set up a new SOE to run them (using them not being rail enabled as an excuse) or a private operator. They would charge rail freight extra because of a greater cost of transfer (thus encourage off rail onto road).

        Labour would have to buy them out to use KiwiRails port facility and bring back a rail enabled ferry.

    • Mike the Lefty 4.2

      If my memory is correct Kiwirail were going to scrap the electric locos and replace them with diesels until the government (Clark?) told them to pull their heads out. Kiwirail is not run by the sharpest knives in the block.

  5. Binders full of women 5

    We need the wise heads of Julie Ann Genter and Dharleen Tana to get this sorted asap.

    • newsense 5.1

      SPC said above:

      at $550 million for two new rail-enabled ferries, KiwiRail got “a very good price” in its now-cancelled deal with South Korea’s Hyundai shipyard.

      https://archive.li/PlZcf

      I believe that was while Genter held responsibility in an associate transport portfolio.

  6. Adrian 6

    Bluebridge did not have many if any problems until it was sold to a Hong Kong ( I think) investment company and the inevitable cost cutting has led to a diminished service. A mate who is a senior marine engineer on the Interislander straight ferries said that the cheap option , particularly in engines from Spain and the cheap option for gearboxes are the main causes for most of the trouble all dating back to the late 90s and quess who was running the country down then.

    my bet is that the CCP is lining to buy it as a part of their Belt and Road concept. These incompetent dickheads have to go.

    • SPC 6.1

      In 2016, the Barker family sold their group, Strait Shipping/Bluebridge, Freight Lines and Streamline Freight, to an Australian equity fund and in 2018 StraitNZ was formed to provide an integrated transport service. Today, StraitNZ is owned by global fund Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners, which bought it in 2022

      https://archive.li/PlZcf

      • Descendant Of Smith 6.1.1

        Bluebridge also didn't have to build it's own wharves, etc.

        I'm still of the view good assessments should be done for infrastructure as to a split of private good and public good. Public good to be funded through general taxation and private good through ticket sales, petrol taxes, etc.

        The notion that rail has to make a profit just suggests that rail is only a private good which is just plain silly.

      • Adrian 6.1.2

        Thanks for that SPC.

  7. kejo 7

    "Kiwirail sold for $328 million and bought back for $1" I think it might have been the other way round AD. Richard Prebble sold the railway system for a measly dollar and when Helen Clark was forced to salvage the situation the Government paid $328 Million for an asset stripped and unmaintained wreck of a railway.

    • Ad 7.1

      The National government sale was in 1993.

      Cullen bought back the track system for $1 in July 2004.

  8. Darien Fenton 8

    Very good observation Advantage. As the day wore on, it became obvious to me the Kiwirail Inter Islander is heading for privatisation and this incident will be used as an excuse. Never mind there was a plan for replacement that Nicola Willis scotched and was talking nonsense about Toyota Corollas. Never mind that Bluebridge has not been incident free. (look it up!) , never mind who has to pay for the terminals, never mind that our only rail enabled ferry is now out of use, never mind that we are supposed to be a connected country between North and South on SH1. And of course never mind that we have tried this once before with the sale to Wisconsin, Trans Rail and all the ugliness that came with it.

    • gsays 8.1

      Isn't this unfortunate incident a perfect opportunity to show voters an alternative way forward?

      Highlight what Labour had budgeted for (the two terminals and ferries) a multi generational plan.

      Show the narrow and limited the fiscal vision of Willis and co is, let alone the fiscal irresponsibility of scrapping the ferry builds at a cost of $400M so far. I understand the Kiwi taxpayer is paying for storage of the steel sitting in Hyundai's ship builder yards.

      Another useful aspect of this, as BG says below, is the contrast of Roads of National’s Significance, $16B vs new port, new ferries at $3B.

  9. Bearded Git 9

    I disagree Ad. I think the grounding is a disaster for the government.

    They will be seen to have cancelled new fit-for-purpose ferries (including rail enabled) and land infrastructure that would be useful for 2-3 generations, at a time when replacement (and better) ferries were desperately needed.

    The new ferries and infrastructure were budgeted at $3 billion which is a bargain when compared with Nationals $16 billion for Roads of National Significance.

    This is a major cock-up by the government.

    • Ad 9.1

      It's refloated already.

      The Minister is doing a full offload onto Kiwirail, continuing what he's been doing this year.

      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/interislander-ferry-refloat-attempt-begins-transport-minister-very-disappointed/4HQ4TPI4TJGLNCKB6ZC4GGJVPM/#google_vignette

      Brown plays the ball with fast hands.

      • Bearded Git 9.1.1

        These are desperate distraction tactics because of the COC's senseless decision to cancel the ferries and infrastructure. The opposition should make hay in the media tomorrow.

        • Richard Bruce 9.1.1.1

          Considering the "Megaferries" were each BIGGER TONNAGE than "TITANIC" cancelling was a sane move! AT 40 M longer than existing boats Manovering in the sounds could be CRAZY! & considering the grounded ferry had JUST HAD NEW STEERING! what muppets do we have …& NO operational backup! …was ANYONE "at the wheel?" ??? The channel is VERY TIGHT!

          • Grey Area 9.1.1.1.1

            New steering? Reports I've read said Atatere had maintenance but because required new parts were eight weeks away they fitted used parts which seem to have failed.

          • joe90 9.1.1.1.2

            was ANYONE "at the wheel?"

            Yeah, and did ANYONE "hit the brakes?"

            //

          • KJT 9.1.1.1.3

            I've seen some really stupid shit about the ferries over the last 24 hours.

            This however, comes close to winning the prize!

      • newsense 9.1.2

        They must have been readying for this.

        But all the coverage I’ve seen has foregrounded locals sheeting it home in spades to the PM and his government.

        Chance to set a marker here and be strong about not selling crucial infrastructure.

        Challenge the government to promise to do the same and properly invest in it. Play up that this is State Highway 1. It’s the Main trunk line (but don’t emphasise). It’s 15 billion dollars worth of freight a year. It’s our reputation and credibility as a tourist destination. If New Zealand is held together by a PPP of privatized foreign sticky-tape what happens when it goes wrong? Look at Transmission Gully. Look at all the leaky homes of Auckland. There’s no use now pay later. There’s only pay, pay, pay with PPP and then when the going gets tough they hit the road. They’re there for a buck, not for NZ.

        That’s why we have government. The members in the National Party think we’ve forgotten their failings. They think they can sell us the same crap in a new box- it still stinks! They want someone else to do government. It’s all a bit hard investing in the country.

        They wanna be like the raiders of the 80s- suck out our money, give it to their mates and then charge us for what we already owned. They want to use NZ like an ATM for their pals once more. Investing in the country is not ill-discipline. Refusing to invest before it’s too late is.

    • tc 9.2

      Yes a gift for the opposition here. Lets hope they unwrap this one.

      • Bearded Git 9.2.1

        Agree tc….people from Labour and the Greens should be banging on about this on Morning Report tomorrow consistent with my post above.

        • bwaghorn 9.2.1.1

          The new ferries were still years away, kiwirails problems are still well within range of the last government,

    • Cricklewood 9.3

      Know a couple of ships masters that bring large vessels into NZ incl Welly they are fairly critical with regards the new / cancelled larger ferries. In short they were too big, the increased windage makes them difficult to berth with roughly 60 days of 100kph + winds per year.

      Seems to me it would have been better to stick with 3 smaller easier to handle ferries tham 2 larger ones.

      • Bearded Git 9.3.1

        Have you seen the size of the cruise ships that come into Welly?

        • Cricklewood 9.3.1.1

          Yep, but they're far less frequent and at a far more favorable time of year weatherwise. If wind makes docking unsafe they'll sit at anchor in the harbor and use a tenders to get passengers to shore.

          Ferries running to a strict timetable in Wellington need to be able to dock in 100kph + winds which are pretty damn regular in spring.

          • Bearded Git 9.3.1.1.1

            I think the new ferries, such as the ones ordered by Labour, would have much better hi-tech maneuverability, similar to cruise ships. My guess is that this would have made them perfectly capable of using the proposed docking infrastructure. This would have been considered as part of the contract.

            Having said this, the guy Pete Beech, who just spoke on Midday Report on RadioNZ on behalf of a Sounds watchdog group has a point that using Tory Channel is more dangerous than using the other entrance to Picton.

            https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/middayreport/audio/2018944007/dodged-a-bullet-guardian-of-the-sounds-on-aratere

          • bwaghorn 9.3.1.1.2

            I worked on a semi submersible oil rig, 30 years ago, it was capable of holding position without anchor in the biggest storms the edge of the artic circle could throw at it, I reckon they can get mid sized boat to dock in a stiff breeze.

  10. SPC 10

    This should be obvious.

    They need to lease a tug boat that can help out the ferries, this until they replace them with new ones.

    • Cricklewood 10.1

      There needs to be an ocean going tug of sufficient size in Wellington at all times, yes it will be underutlized but given we're running a passenger ferry in one of the worlds most dangerous waterways is flat out negligent. At the moment the closest big enough tugs are based in aussie, if we're lucky one might be working in the Tarankai gas fields so maybe a days steam away.

  11. Mike the Lefty 11

    If they had made the decision to relocate the ferry berths to Cloudy Bay, as was once investigated, they wouldn't have to steer through the difficult Tory channel.

    • Adrian 11.1

      Where they planned to put it at Marfells beach is a very exposed coast and would need a huge twin piered breakwater to get the ships birthed.

    • Ad 11.2

      That Cloudy Bay idea went through a lot of drafts over multiple years, back when it was MED, and various Kiwirail Boards, and Treasury, then MBIE.

      What really killed it was the Kaikoura Earthquakes.

      It just kept running into problems that were too hard.

    • mpledger 11.3

      They "investigate" that about every 10 years. And the old salts rip it apart. The only trouble is that the old salts are dying off and there are fewer and fewer people with the maritime knowledge anymore to stave off the bean-counters.

  12. thinker 12

    What an opportunity just fell.

    A justifiable reason to replace the board with loyal Nat buddies, who will throw their hands up in feigned horror, declare that only a private sector owner could possibly make it work, then sell it to other mates for peanuts.

    And all in a package the public will believe.

    IMHO.

    • PsyclingLeft.Always 12.1

      You could well be right ? However the ones that were there, if not Nat friendly, IMO did not seem particularly RAIL (or Ferry either ) friendly !

      Also there is this….

      KiwiRail Board chair David McLean has announced he's stepping down from the role, as Finance Minister Nicola Willis advised of a "refreshed board" at the state-owned entity.

      How many refreshes ?

      "In my two and a half years as chair we have appointed a new CEO in Peter Reidy, refreshed the board, strengthened the management team, and built stronger relationships with stakeholders."

      https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2024/06/kiwirail-chair-david-mclean-steps-down-as-finance-minister-nicola-willis-announces-refreshed-board.html

      In my own experience, and seeing/reading others same World wide (over a long working life), Boards, CEO's, GM's et al are quite often clueless fwits…..who have little if any practical experience..or common sense.

      One thing they do excel at….moving on. Very often after some carnage/restructuring : (

      But at little personal loss…..

  13. mpledger 13

    If you're going to ground a ferry then the captain did a bloody good job. Nose on, stern in the deep. I guess they have all thought about where they would put it, if worse came to worse. But they were also incredibly lucky with the weather – flat calm.

    • aj 13.1

      A steering failure though? – not sure if humans had any input as to where/hot it grounded.

      A few commenters saying the ferries are too big for the sounds. Don't large cruise ships go through the sounds, and also go into Milford Sound, Dunedin (Otago Barbour, quite narrow) and into Lyttleton. Modern ships have very good steering capabilities.

      • KJT 13.1.1

        Log ships go there.

        Much less manoeuvrable, and much less reserve power than ferries.

      • mpledger 13.1.2

        I assume the steering system is some sort of rudder system and that they have multiple screws that they can power independently to do some modest steering.

    • Graeme 13.2

      I would presume the crew would train for all conceivable malfunctions in the same way aircrew do in a simulator. Loose power or steering at any point down Tory channel or in Wellington harbour and there would be a rehearsed procedure to safely deal with the situation.

      The simulators exist, Nelson Polytech has one

      • KJT 13.2.1

        There is.

        But no procedure/training, can solve several tens of thousands of tons losing power or steerage at the wrong moment.

        Anything mechanical can break down. Ships do have duplicate and emergency steering, and emergency power generation for it, but it takes several minutes to set up and get working.

        Any more than you can avoid a crash if your car suddenly loses steering on the motorway. Or a 747 can abort takeoff after V2 if engines fail.

      • aj 13.2.2

        Full astern until vessel stops. Not much more they could do.

  14. Sanctuary 14

    I think we all mean Clifford Bay…

  15. Adrian 15

    After the Kaikōura earthquake they were surprised to find that one of the major fault lines, of 17 or 18 that let go, ran right underneath where the proposed terminal was planned to go…oh bugger. Incidentally during the quake the cape Campbell lighthouse a few kms south of there went up over 9 metres and eventually settled at about 4 or 5 higher than previous. Obviously bugger all geotechnical brainpower went into that little effort. On the plus side sea level rise shouldn’t be a consideration for a few centuries.

  16. SPC 16

    Prebble remembers learning two things when a Minister.

    1.movement of goods is a clue as to the state of the economy.

    2.the importance of rail freight capability

    Last week, government ministers received a report from an independent advisory group on replacement ferries.

    Its details are still under wraps, but reportedly include a recommendation for smaller, non-rail enabled ferries.

    Finance Minister Nicola Willis – who cancelled the previous contract for new ferries after the budget quadrupled to nearly $3 billion – has previously expressed her preference for reliable ferries equivalent to a trusty but "not flashy" Toyota Corolla.

    National Road Carriers Association spokesperson James Smith said the government should leave business to the business sector.

    "Get out of running ferries, stick to regulation and policy settings and let commercial operators take over."

    However, a former minister of railways, Richard Prebble, said ditching rail ferries could mean the end of New Zealand's rail freight altogether, as moving freight on and off trains would not be economic.

    And that would cost exporters, importers, industry, tourism and by extension the entire country, he said.

    "Without the rail, we'd be putting thousands of extra heavy trucks on our roads, which aren't built to take it.

    "The country's roads cannot take the heavy trucks that would be needed to shift freight from the North to South Island. It would cost hundreds of millions of dollars in extra funding for our roading network.

    "From an ordinary motorist's point of view, if you think it's hard being behind a heavy truck today, you're going to be stuck behind a queue of heavy trucks all the way from Auckland to Christchurch."

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/520436/aratere-ferry-failure-final-straw-for-residents-farmers-and-truckies

    • Mike the Lefty 16.1

      He clearly doesn't remember his complete sell out to all the faithful Labour voters in the 80s.

  17. newsense 17

    Jumminy Ricky P

    Don’t forget to tell your party

    they been out here saying Trains baaaaad woke Trucks goooood maan man

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    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • The Long and the Short: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.

    While a nationwide vote to confirm, or not, the public’s understanding of our foundational constitutional document would be ‘divisive’, ‘racist’, a ‘blunt instrument’, and therefore completely out of the question, a referendum to extend the life expectancy of elected politicians, which no one not deeply involved with the governing process ...
    2 days ago
  • Procedures, Processes and Principles: Is It Possible To Defend The Treaty Of Waitangi And Democracy?

    Out Of The Loop: The great insight of sympathetic Pakeha jurists, like Sir Geoffrey Palmer, was that, suitably empowered, the judiciary and the executive branch of the state could take on the role formerly played by the non-elected governors of mid-nineteenth century New Zealand. Māori resources could be protected, and ...
    2 days ago
  • Has Government Become A Public-Private Partnership?

    Dirty Deals Done In The Dark: There will be times when it is to the considerable advantage of both National and Labour to be able to shrug philosophically and pardon themselves for cooperating in the introduction of controversial and divisive policies by explaining to an outraged public that this is simply ...
    2 days ago
  • Is National A White Supremacist Party?

    By Their Deeds Shall Ye Know Them: When the defeated Reform and United parties were persuaded to unite under the rubric of “National” in 1936, the values advanced were unashamedly imperialist and white supremacist. Eighty-eight years later, National is at pains to distance itself (coalition agreements permitting) from the most obvious ...
    2 days ago
  • On the way to another “Mother of All Budgets”?

    Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday dismissed a grim warning from the Treasury that the country was headed for a fiscal crisis. Treasury Deputy Secretary Dominick Stephens said that fulfilling the Government’s promise to get the country’s books back to surplus by 2027-28 would require cuts to Government services “unprecedented in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • The Three-Headed Taniwha Has Begun Biting Itself

    When ACT, National, and New Zealand First joined together in a three-way coalition at the end of the last year, it was met with predictions of backstabbing, stonewalling, and inter-party politics. Many seemed convinced this government would get little done with such a diverse agenda. If only that had been ...
    2 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #39 2024

    Open access notables Refined Estimates of Global Ocean Deep and Abyssal Decadal Warming Trends, Johnson & Purkey, Geophysical Research Letters: Deep and abyssal layer decadal temperature trends from the mid-1980s to the mid-2010s are mapped globally using Deep Argo and historical ship-based Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) instrument data. Abyssal warming trends are widespread, ...
    2 days ago
  • Embrace the heresy, touch the third rail

    Let’s examine some numbers.This is a public transport number.3% And this is an invitation to make an educated guess: In the morning rush hour in Wellington on Thorndon Quay, what proportion of the vehicles are buses?Yes indeed …the answer is:3% However, what do we find if we look inside those buses? Care ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Another abuse of democracy

    This week National introduced its long-threatened bill to repeal the offshore drilling ban and promote the fossil fuel industry, and rammed it through to select committee. Today the select committee opened for submissions. If you have an opinion on this corrupt, ecocidal legislation, you will need to speak up quick ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • Bye, Bye Health !

    Bye, Bye hospital plans.Today Rachel Thomas reported - $3.2 billion is sleighted to come out of “hospital and mental health infrastructure projects”, and it seems the first formal casualty is Dunedin hospital, South Island.ODT reports former Labour Cabinet minister Pete Hodgson saying:“At the end of the day, the question is ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s trade deal with the UAE could unlock Middle East

    New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are moving closer together – at record pace. Just a year after agreeing to enter initial talks, Wellington and Abu Dhabi have concluded negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (or CEPA for short). The deal will go down as one of ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    3 days ago
  • Things That Make You Go… Dang

    Pull up like a shipwreck in reverseYeah, I do, yeah, I doMaybe it's foreverMaybe it's just shampooDangSong by Caroline PolachekToday, a few things that, depending on your age, might make you go - that’s outrageous, or hmm, maybe WTAF, or just plain old dang.Specifically, I’ll be covering:When Press Secretaries resign, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Minister ignored widespread concern about GPS, official documents confirm

    Two weeks ago, the Ministry of Transport proactively released two tranches of documents that show the advice officials provided to Minister of Transport Simeon Brown as he directed the shaping of his draft and final Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport. You can find the documents via the MoT ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    3 days ago
  • An attack ‘unbecoming of a leader’

    Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 26:Days after realising hundreds of thousands of tax-free gains on the sale of one of his rental properties, PM Christopher Luxon responded yesterday to ANZ CEO ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • On The Government’s Bizarre Hostility To A Capital Gains Tax

    Oyez oyez, CEO Antonia Watson, CEO of the biggest bank in New Zealand has come out in favour of a capital gains tax! Actually, this is not a daring new idea. Over the past three decades the IMF, the World Bank, the expert Tax Working Group and most mainstream economists ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • Hamish is out. Has had enough of Luxon role

    Following on from my earlier post … ‘Hamish Rutherford always looks grim these days‘, well, it seems that enough is enough for Hamish Rutherford (and fair enough too). Stuff reports: [Rutherford’s] message said: “It has been an absolute honour to work for Christopher Luxon both in Opposition and for the ...
    The PaepaeBy Peter Aranyi
    3 days ago
  • Climate Adam: Turning the Tide on Climate Change

    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). As the world heats, we face the consequences from rising seas, extreme weather, and the spread of disease. But what can ...
    3 days ago
  • Reasons to feel positive

    Reason to feel positive # 1The next of Life's Little Victories could be just around the cornerSince I got back I have been hearing a wheezing choking rasping sound coming from the Number One Boss element of our gas stove. Wheezy gas is never something you want to hear coming ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • David Seymour Got His Wish – Charter Schools Are Back. Who Is Getting the $$$ ?

    OPINIONThis morning I wrote that the Charter Schools Bill had passed its final reading. Jan Tinetti called it a “sad, sad day for New Zealand education”. And Green Party MP Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan said the move is “not about education, it’s about privatisation”.$153mn for charter schools in what teachers and ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • David Seymour: “The Government is Broke” & Other Politics Headlines

    Note: Video of the fricken’ targets and a nanny state mentality at end. Read more ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Climate Change: We can’t afford the gas industry

    Yesterday, National finally introduced its long-threatened bill to repeal the offshore drilling ban and promote the fossil fuel industry to the House. They'll be ramming it through its first reading under urgency this afternoon, and while it will go to select committee, they will almost certainly try their usual stunt ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft

    In your mind you have capacities, you knowTo telepath messages through the vast unknownPlease close your eyes and concentrateWith every thought you thinkUpon the recitation we're about to singCalling occupants of interplanetary craftCalling occupants of interplanetary, most extraordinary craftSongwriters: John Woloschuk / Terry DraperThink of the capabilities of the human ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Nine public transit lessons from Perth

    This guest post by Darren Davis originally appeared on his excellent blog, Adventures in Transitland, and is republished here by kind permission. A while ago, I wrote about Perth’s public transport journey, outlining how Perth got to where it is now. I recommend reading that piece if you haven’t already, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    4 days ago
  • ANZ CEO says ‘it’s time’ for a Capital Gains Tax

    Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, September 25:Ad agency climate activist group Comms Declare today launched the New Zealand version of the globally compiled ‘F list,’ which names 14 local agencies “which have ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Parliament to get its own police force

    Parliament yesterday moved to give its security staff powers of search, seizure and arrest. In effect it is establishing a quasi Parliamentary police force which will have the power to handcuff and detain offenders.  But it will be a force with some heavy restrictions on what it can do. Most ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • How to complain about a delayed OIA release

    A few years back, Te Kawa Mataaho / Public Service Commission started releasing OIA statitistics, on the theory that this would allow failure to be identified and managed, and so improve performance. It may have done so initially, but then the iron laws of bureaucracy (and specifically, Goodhart's and Campbell's) ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Just have a think: Arctic Sea Ice minimum 2024. Three degrees Celsius warming now baked in?

    This video includes conclusions of the "Just have a Think" channel's creator Dave Borlace. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). From the video‘s description: Arctic Sea ice reaches it's minimum extent each year around the middle of September. This ...
    4 days ago
  • Let them eat glue

    What is real, what is fake?  Do we really know any more?Let's say you want to make tonight’s dinner a bit more appealing by trying something new.Why don't I google it? You say.You type: Idea for fresh and exciting meal.Google tells you: Pizza!  Here's a topping combo that will wow ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • The Narcissist in Life

    OPINIONYesterday, after the Polkinghorne case verdict, Philip Polkinghorne told reporters:"Now we can grieve and let Pauline rest in peace. That is the best gift we can possibly give her."And today his defence lawyer Elizabeth Hall said the case showed the justice system was working as intended.Jurors could not land the ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Do you know what the Coalition Government has done for you in its first 100 days? Here’s a lis...

    I decided to finally write my “About Mountain Tui” page and found some of my old posts that I wanted to transfer here. This won’t be distributed by email, but will serve as a record of my writing.Here is one of them:Repealed under urgency No more Fair Pay Agreements, a ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Back in the Office

    These things that I've been told can rearrangeMy world, my doubt in time but inside outThis is the working hourWe are paid by those who learn by our mistakesSongwriters: Ian Stanley / Roland Orzabal / Immanuel Franklin EliasSince Covid, life has been tough for many central city businesses. As you ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The Mayor’s Plan for Bridging the Harbour

    Discussion of another harbour crossing has been in the news a lot recently as a result of Mayor Wayne Brown pushing for a bridge from Point Chev to Birkenhead. While I believe his proposal is bad, at least some of his reasoning behind his push for a bridge is correct. ...
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On Nicola Willis’ Perverse Hostility To Working From Home

    Vaccine work mandates, no. Work-in-the-office mandates? Hell yes, Finance Minister Nicola Willis is all for them. Given half the chance, she believes, “some people but not all” will just skive off, otherwise. Sigh. But here’s the thing. Normally, when the media wants to query Cabinet Ministers about events in their ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • ACCC accuses Woolworths of misleading pricing

    Up then down: Australia’s competition watchdog alleges both Woolworths Australia and main competitor Coles Myer put the price of hundreds of products up before dropping them again and advertising ‘everyday low prices’. Photo: Getty ImagesKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • A World Full of Potential Cult Leaders

    Hi,In this Webworm podcast episode, I bring you a conversation with someone I found endlessly fascinating to talk to — one of my favourite authors, Jason Pargin. He’s perhaps most well known for writing John Dies At The End, or a host of other books that all have amazing titles ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Nicola Willis’s Catch-22

    Would you like to get paid more and have your work get worse, or have your pay decrease in real terms but when you’re saving lives or raising the next generation of workers, you get to keep your head juuuust above the water level during this flood of fiscally unnecessary ...
    5 days ago
  • Luxon Is THAT Asshole Boss

    After firing half the capital’s public servants, Luxon and Willis are now trying to blame the remaining few for sending Wellington’s cafes bankrupt. It couldn’t possibly be the economic downturn that resulted from him pulling all the money out of the system and giving it to the wealthy to bank. ...
    5 days ago
  • Nicola’s destruction

    Today, Stuff led with a headline claiming that forcing public servants to return to the office was “the number one” fix for Wellington’s ‘icy’ economy.No mention until much later of the 6500+ positions the Government culled or its slashing of government programs and spend.That’s been the key differentiator in Wellington, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Media Link: ” A View from Afar” on multidimensional hybrid warfare and the ineffectiveness of mu...

    This week’s “A View from Afar” podcast addresses the issue of multidimensional hybrid warfare using the Israeli pager attacks in Lebanon as a starting point before moving on to discuss the failures of multilateral institutions, the UN in particular, when … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Priorities

    Back in 2018 the then-Labour government legislated formal targets to reduce child poverty with the Child Poverty Reduction Act - and took actual steps to achieve them, with a $5.5 billion families package to boost incomes and a school lunches scheme to ensure kids didn't go hungry. While a lot ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • The Dead-End Options Of Political Decay.

    Dark Times: Denied the state’s leadership and resources, New Zealand’s economy has been hollowed out and taken over. More importantly, so has its democracy.WHAT’S WRONG WITH NATIONAL? New Zealand’s “natural party of government” (since its formation in 1936 the National Party has won 17 out of 28 general elections) has ...
    5 days ago
  • Fixing child poverty would cost <1% of GDP

    The previous Government set a goal of reducing the number of children experiencing “material hardship” from 13.3% down to 6% by mid-2028. But Upston says sticking to that, or even the suggested ‘lower ambition targets’, wasn’t realistic. Photo: Lynn GrievesonKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • If I Only Had a Brain

    I would not be just a nuffin'My head all full of stuffin'My heart all full of painI would dance and be merryLife would be a ding-a-derryIf I only had a brainSongwriters: Harold Arlen / Yip HarburgNot much happens in the world of politics on a Monday. I mentioned that recently ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • A vision for Swimmable Cities

    This is a guest post by Nikki Goodson, a self-proclaimed urbanist and Independent Marketer for businesses building a better world. Looking for projects to connect on, she found the global movement Swimmable Cities and thought advocacy for urban swimming sounded like a pretty good idea. (The header image of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    6 days ago
  • Yawning gaps in RMA proposals

    The Government’s overriding principles for resource management reform, released on Friday, are likely to be widely welcomed by some and resisted by others. Minister Chris Bishop and Simon Court promise the two replacement bills will be less complex than Labour’s legislation, which was passed by Parliament last year but would ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #38

    A listing of 33 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Mon, September 16, 2024 thru Sun, September 22, 2024. Story of the week Might be added later. Stories we promoted this week, by publication date: Before September 16 Departures ...
    6 days ago
  • No Fricken’ Chicken on Q&A

    These train conversations are passing me byAnd I don't have nothing to sayYou get what you pay forBut I just had no intention of living this wayI need a phone call, I need a plane rideI need a sunburn, I need a raincoatAnd I get no answers, and I don't ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago
  • Eulogy, delayed

    There is more to tell about my drive to Masterton earlier this year.The first stop was Turangi, to let my cousin Garth know about Mum, or rather to talk to him on the phone because I soon learned he was in the back country, which is where you will often ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago
  • The Luxon Government: turning Aotearoa not just “around”, but completely upside down…

    Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday…. cultural, political, economic, environmental, social costs aplenty to our society, every day. It’s been one of those weeks, again. Barely a day, even a minute it seems, can go by before the public get assaulted with some new attack, figuratively, or literally, on the public good. ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    1 week ago
  • Brer Sauron’s Briar Patch: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power, Episode 6 (Season 2)

    We are now into the back-half of The Rings of Power, season two. Thus far, I have gushed with praise for how much improved the show has become – at least relative to season one. Never mind my innate sense of charity, I have worried whether my reviews have become ...
    1 week ago
  • Who’s to Blame for the Government?

    I saw no evil when I looked into your eyesI heard no evil while you told me all those liesI spoke no evil when I called out your nameLook at us now, babyWho’s to blame?Lyrics: Hemberger, Hemberger, Mayo, RaseroToday’s newsletter is a bit of a rant; some of you might ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Political revolutions don’t exist. But economic ones do.

    The further you get into radicalism, the more appealing the concept of a revolution seems. Both the far right and the far left dream of taking up arms and overthrowing what they see as an unsatisfactory system, to an unhealthy and unhelpful extent. Instead of revolution, what happens in the ...
    1 week ago
  • Hangups

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • Unfortunately, Being a Hero is Mostly Illegal

    Hi,Today is a pretty heavy, weighty Webworm — so maybe get yourself a cup of tea or coffee before you settle in. It’s about, you know, the end of the world and stuff.Before we get to that, I’d like to say I thoroughly enjoyed the notes you left under my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago
  • My Substack erm… Summer

    Hi all,Apparently it’s the end of Summer, hope you enjoyed it. 🙂The rather Northern Hemisphere centric folks over at Substack have sent this out, I’m not sure what time period it covers, I guess the last three months. In any case you might like to give it a go yourself ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Pricing Road Usage

    Congestion pricing is easier said than done.The first seminar I attended in Britain – around sixty years ago – explained a scheme for road usage pricing which would eliminate traffic congestion and direct roading investment. It was impressive and elegant (as many such seminar propositions are) but proved impractical and ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • Tory Whanau may have to sell Wellington mayoralty to make ends meet

    Tory Whanau has revealed that she’s struggling so much financially that she may have to part with her beloved mayoralty, that of New Zealand’s capital city, if she’s to fund her ever-diminishing lifestyle. Whanau was elected to lead Wellington in 2022, winning an overwhelming victory against the incumbent mayor: the ...
    The CivilianBy Ben Uffindell
    1 week ago
  • And round we go again…

    One of Labour's few achievements last term was to finally move on RMA reform. Following an independent review and a select committee review of an exposure draft, both aimed at ironing out bugs and producing a compromise most people could live with, Labour passed the Natural and Built Environments Act ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • The Supreme Court stands up for fairness

    National is planning to breach te Tiriti o Waitangi by amending the Marine and Coastal Area Act to effectively make it impossible for the courts to recognise Māori rights over the foreshore and seabed. But its also been playing dirty in other ways. Earlier in the year it announced changes ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • My Substack Summer

    What I read in Summer 2024Highlights☕ I read the most in the morning💌 I subscribed to 16 new Substacks🎧 I listened to 76 minutes of podcasts📽️ I watched 46 minutes of video❤️ I liked 22 posts💬 I left 8 comments on posts📜 I scrolled 26 meters in Notes🕵️ I discovered ...
    1 week ago

  • Cost-benefit analysis for potential third medical school completed

    The Government has announced that an initial cost-benefit analysis of establishing a third medical school based at the University of Waikato has been completed and has been found to provide confidence for the project to progress to the next stage. Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti says the proposal will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • Government delivers sensible approach to speed limits

    The Government’s new speed limit rule has today been signed to reverse Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions and enable Kiwis to get to where they want to go quickly and safely, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  Reverse Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions on local streets, arterial roads, and state highways ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • Minister to meet with Pacific Island climate leaders

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts is travelling to Fiji on Monday to attend a Ministerial Meeting (Talanoa) with Pacific Island Countries, Australia, and New Zealand. “Attending the Talanoa will reinforce New Zealand’s commitment to supporting climate resilience in the Pacific and advancing action in the areas of climate change,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago
  • Human rights recommendations accepted

    The Government is accepting the majority of human rights recommendations received at the fourth Universal Period Review in Geneva, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “We have considered all 259 recommendations from the United Nations. We are supporting 168 and partially supporting 12 of these recommendations. “Recommendations related to women’s rights, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Geotech work begins on Warkworth to Te Hana Road of National Significance

    The Government is continuing to move at pace on the Northland Expressway, with significant geotechnical investigations now underway for phase one from Warkworth to Te Hana, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “With thousands of motorists and freight travelling through Northland, we’re focused on delivering for this region to grow our economy. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Free mental health resources for business owners

    The Government and Auckland Business Chamber have entered a memorandum of understanding which will enable mental health and wellbeing resources for business owners to be freely available, Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Andrew Bayly says. “As a former business owner, I know first-hand the toll running a business can take ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission board appointment announced

    Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson have announced the Government has appointed Wayne Langford to the Board of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission for a five-year term of office. Mr Langford is the National President of Federated Farmers and is also their spokesperson for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New Game Animal Council appointments

    Hunting and Fishing Minister Todd McClay today announced one new, and one returning, appointment to the Game Animal Council (GAC).  Mr McClay is thrilled to announce first time appointment Glenn MacPherson and welcomes the reappointment of keen pig and deer hunter Eugene Rewi.  MacPherson is currently president of the Te ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • STAR attendance system template released

    Associate Education spokesperson David Seymour says the Government has released a new resource to inform the introduction of Stepped Attendance Response (STAR) systems in every school. “The response to the announcement of the STAR system has been hugely supportive. Educators have been in touch to express their support, which gives ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New Zealand National Statement to the UN General Assembly – ‘The Spirit of San Francisco’

    Mr. President Nearly four score years ago, nations exhausted from a cataclysmic World War came together in San Francisco to create the United Nations Charter. Forged in the immediate aftermath of that war, then New Zealand Prime Minister Peter Fraser held “the greatest hopes” for the Charter’s success, which he ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Charter Schools Authorisation Board appointments announced

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced his appointments to the new statutory Charter Schools Authorisation Board.  Leading Kiwi educator Justine Mahon has been appointed as Chair of the Board. She is joined by Board members Catherine Isaac, Neil Paviour-Smith, Professor Elizabeth Rata, Rōpata Taylor, Dee-Ann Wolferstan and Doran ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Clubs and Ranges Bill passes first reading

    Improvements to the way shooting clubs and ranges are regulated are on the way with the Arms (Shooting Clubs, Shooting Ranges and Other Matters) Amendment Bill passing its first reading says Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee.   “The package of reforms in this Bill will enable simple and effective regulation ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Want to make a difference? Go to school

    Students should be in school and learning instead of protesting during school hours, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says in response to the school climate strike planned for Friday 27th September. “If students feel strongly about sending a message, they could have waited until Monday, when the end of term ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Peer Mental Health Service Launched, Further Support Planned

    Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says the new peer support service launched in Middlemore’s Emergency Department today is a positive step towards improving mental health outcomes. “Having someone with lived experience available to support someone in mental distress can make a crucial difference. With the right training and clinical supervision, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New reporting for amateur charter fishing vessels

    A proposed new electronic reporting system will make it simpler for amateur charter vessels to record and report fish catch information, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. “The new digital reporting, via an app, will replace the paper-based system which is out of date and slow,” Mr Jones says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Building a stronger weather forecasting system

    The Government is looking at integrating the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and the MetService to improve the weather forecasting system for New Zealand, Science, Innovation & Technology Minister Judith Collins says. “We have agreed in-principle to NIWA acquiring the MetService, with the MetService retaining its role ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Next steps on the New Dunedin Hospital

    The Government is seeking advice on two options for delivering the New Dunedin Hospital project within its existing funding appropriation to ensure the people of Dunedin get the modern, fit-for-purpose medical facilities they need. At the same time, Ministers have warned that much-needed upgrades to other regional hospitals could be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • No child left behind with STAR system

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says that the Government is delivering real solutions to get kids back in the classroom, introducing the Stepped Attendance Response (STAR) system. “Any student who reaches a clearly defined threshold of days absent will trigger an appropriate and proportionate response from their school and the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • New Zealand concludes trade agreement with the UAE

    New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates have concluded negotiations on a trade agreement, which will unlock economic opportunities for Kiwi exporters and create stronger supply chains with one of our most important trading partners in the Gulf region. This agreement was concluded in just over 4 months following the launch ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Data shows school attendance is on the rise

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says data released today shows increased school attendance in Term 2 of 2024 with 53.2 per cent of students regularly attending, an increase of 6.1 percentage points compared to the same term last year. Regular attendance across primary students increased by 7 percentage points, to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Supercharging schools to teach maths

    The coalition Government is supercharging schools to lift maths achievement by delivering new resources and more support for teachers and students for Term 1 next year.  “$30 million will fund resources including workbooks, teacher guidance and lesson plans for the 2025 school year. Resources will be available in English and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Tougher sentences on the horizon for criminals

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