Will our cities revive?
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- Date published:
7:00 am, September 5th, 2020 - 43 comments
Categories: auckland supercity, covid-19, Environment, health, public transport, sustainability, transport, uncategorized, welfare -
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Our cities are the nation’s lungs; they recycle and accelerate external goods and transform them internally into faster circulation. Auckland and Christchurch have had tens of billions invested in them over successive local and central governments, but has this improved our strength or wealth as a country at all? Has it all, through fate, been misdirected?
The Christchurch revitalisation arose out of the multiple earthquakes of the previous decade.
The Auckland CBD rebuild was a collection of projects that were done in time for APEC, America’s Cup 36, and a variety of other now cancelled or now-tiny events. Tens upon tens of billions of dollars went into both in the last decade.
We’re now pretty used to seeing the urban impact of Covid 19 on the United States. But it’s time to turn the camera onto us. New Zealand is more used to natural disasters. We reacted to the floods in Southland earlier this year with big stop-bank projects to protect towns and farms. But our reaction to natural disasters on their own don’t do anything to stem injustice and inequality.
For our cities, we have yet to identify the specific kinds of renewal that we are going to need that will protect us from this happening again within the same degree of devastating social and economic impact. New York, for example, did not react to the snow blizzard of 1888 by stockpiling snow shovels. It created an entire infrastructure of subterranean electricity and transit. The disaster we are in now has occurred fast and is also slow-rolling, and its damage on our cities is just as far reaching as that 1888 blizzard.
The greatest lesson of the outbreak may be that our modern cities are inadequate to keep us safe in this new context. Safe not only from coronaviruses, but also from other lung-and-blood damaging diseases. Cities are where 84% of NZ live.
We have also redesigned our two main cities over two decades to have higher density living. But crowding of any kind is now a key risk factor in disease transmittal.
This points to areas around which the state needs to completely re-organise itself and society within those two cities:
1. Clinical Healthcare
New Zealand has a partial pay healthcare system, in which the richest have private healthcare that gives them much faster access and to higher quality services, with the great majority of us waiting in line for pretty average healthcare that takes waaaay too long to happen. Ask anyone who’s been to an NZ public A and E, or even needed a scan.
Part of the redesign of a safe city is a guarantee of universal and free public healthcare, which is resourced enough to respond with speed to further fast outbreaks. We’ve had to turn over car parks to become clinical testing stations. Even hospital oxygen capacity would have been missing if more had got really sick. No doubt we’ve made big advances over successive Labour governments to make universal and free healthcare more free. But it isn’t yet enough to reverse the inequality-accelerated health damage of a pandemic.
In fact Christchurch shows us doing the reverse. At precisely the point that we need a generous public health system, we are opening a large new building in Christchurch to renew the hospital system of Christchurch. But we can’t afford the medical staff to make them any use to us.
Rather than continue to underfund Christchurch to rein in the deficit, recognise that DHB’s actually need a lot more money to start with, and pay them. The proposed DHB reforms barely touched upon this most massive of health crises.
In an age of pandemics that will continue in the years ahead, universal and free healthcare is not just a safety net, it is a matter of national security
2. City-Living Lungs
We can see that breathing is a public health good. Weird to say right? We’ve known it for smoking, which kills around 5,000 people per year in New Zealand either directly or from second hand smoke.
We’ve known for about two decades that around 400 people per year over 30 die each year from vehicle particulates.
Respiratory risk from living in cities is now the key public health risk of our time, because it focuses together smoking, urbancombusion engine particulates, and pandemic response into one organ: our lungs. We are a long way from integrated social marketing to the national risk to our lungs, but that’s where public health policy needs to go. We’re still stumbling towards individual tracing.
3. City Travel and Broadband
Who wants to travel on Auckland or Christchurch’s public transport now? Public transport has grudgingly improved in Auckland and Christchurch after decades of dedicated public servants wresting projects and programmes away from ideological death. But now, future demand modelling will be impossible to forecast properly for years to come. Maybe we have to redesign our public transport to have seats more like Business Class alcoves. The current design has unsupportable risk for us all.
Private car use upon which both Auckland and Christchurch are so dependent, will be more trusted. People will be quite reasonably retreating to their safe cars rather than public transport. They will prefer time penalties to pandemic risk. And yet parking is now such a high stress and high cost.
The government needs to mandate government departments and entities to work from home, and to subsidise broadband to the home to do so. The muddled advice from the State Services Commission to encourage public servants to go to work, in order to support downtown shops, was so wrong-headed, so dangerous.
What the State Services Comission need to concentrate on is broadband poverty. Because people won’t want to take public transport, and parking is so very hard to get, they will at all costs work from home. So broadband poverty at home becomes even more important in our two large cities than transport poverty. Government needs to greatly subsidise us to stay at home and be locked in place, ready for the next hit – and to sustain as much economic and social activity as possible from there. Winter fuel subsidies are one thing: broadband is now where we spend our modern lives: work and school and play.
4. Welfare
We are now in the pointy bit of what Bernard Hickey calls the K Recovery; where the rich diverge ever faster upwards from the crisis point, and the poor accelerate downwards.
Almost by accident, and without debate, the Labour-led Government has delivered the biggest shot of cash and monetary support to the wealthy in the history of New Zealand, while giving nothing to the renters, the jobless, students, migrants, and the working poor who mostly voted it in.”
What he’s pointing to with a little hyperbole is the need to increase welfare payments quickly. Very soon the Winter Heating Supplement will come off, the mortgage “holidays” will at some point be discontinued, the wage subsidies come off, and the reality of a 10% hit to GDP will be felt on all jobs. We need to urgently lift welfare payments. And to do so evenly.
5. Housing Poverty
Houses are the sinew and muscle and skin of the city. Like oxygen and lactic acid, almost all our exchanges of good and of damage occur right there. The need to redouble our speed of social housing construction is a massive need in a Covid-19 world. People with low incomes in South Auckland are more likely to be of Pasifika descent. A lot of them work in night shifts cleaning and in security and in warehouses, in care facilities, cleaning, and at the airport. They are more likely than others to live in multigenerational households, making pathway of transmission more varied. Risk.
Each overcrowded and low income house is a higher risk of accelerating future spreads to be a fast and vast disease spread. We know this already, but not to the point it required entire national or regional lockdowns for months on end. It’s like the pandemic writ all our existing social faults in sky-high letters.
Now, there’s more to cover about our cities, like buildings and air conditioning, the fate of sequestered hotels, and the fate of apartment living. But that’s enough.
None of the above is new. All of it was known. The pandemic has made it far worse, far faster, and far more urgent to address. We are about to start creating a new way to operate within our cities. Gone are the pulsing crowds across grand boulevards that urban designers set down by 20th century designers and are now nearing completion. Gone is our world of food culture, eating out, freewheeling cafes, trying on clothes, the great urbaniste constellation of shopping as pleasure.
Welcome home, however lonely or crowded or difficult it is.
All put together this is a vision of 21st century NZ cities remade with public health in mind. We will be closer to each other in the house, we will go out to work and shop less, we will use airports less, we will be more focused on our home and our immediate shops, we will focus on hygiene, everywhere in the city, we will behave as if we are all more anxious about any impact on our lungs. We have got none of the public policy mechanisms around this yet.
Our cities must change to live with perpetual pandemics.
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In order to catch up to the actual progress of the D&D campaign, I present you with another couple of sessions. These were actually held back to back, on a Monday and Tuesday evening. Session XV Alas, Goatslayer had another lycanthropic transformation… though this time, he ran off into the ...6 days ago - Accelerating the Growth Rate?
There is a constant theme from the economic commentariat that New Zealand needs to lift its economic growth rate, coupled with policies which they are certain will attain that objective. Their prescriptions are usually characterised by two features. First, they tend to be in their advocate’s self-interest. Second, they are ...7 days ago
- Release: Dark day for Kiwi kids as a third of Govt cuts affect them
News that 1000 jobs at the Ministry of Education and Oranga Tamariki could go is devastating for future generations of New Zealanders. ...2 days ago - Release: Alarm as Government signals further blow to school lunchesMore essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...2 days ago
- Release: Quick, submit – stop Govt’s dodgy approvals billThe Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...3 days ago
- Government throws coal on the climate crisis fire
The Government’s policy announced today to ease consenting for coal mining will have a lasting impact across generations. ...3 days ago - Release: Public transport costs to double as National looks at unaffordable roading project insteadCancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...4 days ago
- Release: Cost of living in Auckland still not a priorityA laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...4 days ago
- Greens look to fast-track submissions on harmful lawThe Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...7 days ago
- Release: Govt should stop making people’s lives harder and build more homesThe National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...1 week ago
- Release: Melissa Lee missing in action on mediaThe action Melissa Lee promised to protect democracy and the media sector is missing, Media and Communications spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...1 week ago
- Landlord Government leaves little hope for rentersThe Government’s announcement on tenancy rules prove that it does not care about renters. ...1 week ago
- Opportunity to build a more sustainable economyGreen Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...1 week ago
- Significant step forward in fixing cruel and unjust pastA significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...1 week ago
- Missed opportunity but NZ will surely one day recognise the right to a sustainable environmentNew Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...1 week ago
- Release: Don’t cut our lunches – clear message sent to GovernmentTens of thousands of people are demanding the Government commits to fully funding free and healthy school lunches. ...1 week ago
- Release: Govt makes U-turn on Suicide Prevention OfficeLabour welcomes the Government’s U-turn on the closure of the Suicide Prevention Office, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...1 week ago
- CCC issues warning over further climate delayToday’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...2 weeks ago
- Luxon targets lame and lousy example of leadershipIf talk is cheap, Chris Luxon’s “targets” are bankrupt. ...2 weeks ago
- Luxon targets are lousy example of leadershipIf talk is cheap, Chris Luxon’s “targets” are bankrupt. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Commitment to disability communities missing from Govt prioritiesMinister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...2 weeks ago
- Methane target review is dangerous duplicationThe Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Government must commit to school building project for disabled studentsThe Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National must take mental health seriouslyMental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...2 weeks ago
- Referendums for Māori wards a racist step backwardsThe Government's imposed referendum on Māori wards is a racist step backwards for Māori representation, and disregards Te Tiriti o Waitangi. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Job losses at Health not worth it for tax cutsNew Zealand will feel the harm of the National Government’s reckless cuts to jobs at the health ministry for generations, says Ayesha Verrall. ...2 weeks ago
- Press release: No Māori initiatives in Government’s nothing planMāori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...2 weeks ago
- Thirty six point PR spinThe Government’s ‘36 point’ plan for the next three months is as pointless as it is hollow. ...2 weeks ago
- Thirty six point PR spinThe Government’s ‘36 point’ plan for the next three months is as pointless as it is hollow. ...2 weeks ago
- Thirty six point PR spinThe Government’s ‘36 point’ plan for the next three months is as pointless as it is hollow. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Social housing off Government’s to-do listThe Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Less money in most people’s pockets this AprilChanges to minimum wage and benefit indexation means many New Zealanders will get less this year, as the Government gives a big tax break to landlords instead. ...3 weeks 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 ...10 hours ago - Government commits $20m to Westport flood protectionThe 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 ...16 hours ago
- Taupō takes pole positionThe 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 ...17 hours ago
- Cost of living support for low-income homeownersLocal 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 ...19 hours ago
- Government backing mussel spat projectThe 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 - ...19 hours ago
- Government focused on getting people into workBenefit 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 ...22 hours ago
- Clean energy key driver to reducing emissionsThe 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 ...23 hours ago
- Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forwardThe 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 ...1 day ago
- Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic PartnershipPrime 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 ...2 days ago
- Government consults on extending coastal permits for portsRMA 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 ...2 days ago
- Inflation coming down, but more work to doToday’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 ...2 days ago
- School attendance restored as a priority in health adviceRefreshed 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 ...2 days ago
- Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sectorOceans 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 ...2 days ago
- Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International CongressAssociate 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 ...3 days ago
- Removing red tape to help early learners thriveThe 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, ...3 days ago
- RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tapeChanges 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 ...3 days ago
- McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationshipTrade, 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 ...3 days ago
- Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister LeePrime 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 ...3 days ago
- PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ tiesPrime 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 ...4 days ago
- Antarctica New Zealand Board appointmentsForeign 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 ...4 days ago
- Finance Minister travels to Washington DCFinance 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 ...4 days ago
- Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlordsThe 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 ...4 days ago
- Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being consideredState 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 ...4 days ago
- New Zealand condemns Iranian strikesPrime 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 ...4 days ago
- Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plansHundreds 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 ...7 days ago
- Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand ChairHealth 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 ...7 days ago
- Roads of National Significance planning underwayThe 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 ...7 days ago
- Navigating an unstable global environmentNew 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 ...7 days ago
- NZ welcomes Australian Governor-GeneralPrime 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 ...7 days ago
- Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for WinterAssociate 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 ...7 days ago
- NZ and the US: an ever closer partnershipNew 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 ...1 week ago
- Joint US and NZ declarationApril 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 ...1 week ago
- NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperationForeign 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 ...1 week ago
- Government redress for Te Korowai o WainuiāruaThe 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 ...1 week ago
- Focus on outstanding minerals permit applicationsNew 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 ...1 week ago
- Applications open for NZ-Ireland Research CallThe 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 ...1 week ago
- Tenancy rules changes to improve rental marketThe 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 ...1 week ago
- Boosting NZ’s trade and agricultural relationship with ChinaTrade 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 ...1 week ago
- Freshwater farm plan systems to be improvedThe 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 ...1 week ago
- New Fast Track Projects advisory group namedThe coalition Government has today announced the expert advisory group who will provide independent recommendations to Ministers on projects to be included in the Fast Track Approvals Bill, say RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones. “Our Fast Track Approval process will make it easier and ...1 week ago
- 20,000 more on jobseeker benefits than this time last year
The government’s plan to get 50,000 people off jobseeker support by 2030 has had a rocky start, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Beneficiary numbers are up – and so are ...1 hour ago - All of the Raglan Roast cafes in Wellington, ranked from worst to bestRaglan Roast is a staple of Wellington coffee culture. But with five branches across the capital, which one is the best? I am a die-hard Raglan Roast fan. It’s consistently the most affordable cafe in Wellington, and one of the only places you can get a coffee after 3pm. So, ...3 hours ago
- Auckland uni students threaten rent strike over rising accommodation feesResidents of University of Auckland halls are being urged to withhold their accommodation fees from May 1, in a bid to force the university to take student concerns over rent hikes seriously. The University of Auckland is facing a strike from students over the cost of on-campus accommodation. The Students ...3 hours ago
- Warning of death from a million cuts as Oceans Secretariat dissolved
Shane Jones says people voted for change, but opponents say small cuts such as ending a special oceans secretariat are starting to add up The post Warning of death from a million cuts as Oceans Secretariat dissolved appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 hours ago - Defence deal to counter Beijing’s aggression in South China SeaNew Zealand and the Philippines have signed a new maritime security agreement and stated their concerns over activity in the South China Sea, as Chinese vessels continue to flout international law. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos committed to signing a Mutual Logistics Supporting Arrangement by ...3 hours ago
- Wellington’s ebb and flow of public servantsThe thousands of government “back-office” job cuts are causing widespread pain in the capital city. In today’s episode of The Detail, we speak to three journalists and a think tank researcher, looking at the larger picture around the cuts and what effect it will have on Wellington, a city that’s ...3 hours ago
- New Zealand transport planning has gone off the railsOpinion: The famed American architect and urban designer Daniel Burnham once said, “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood!” Burnham wouldn’t have been referring to the transport plans in Aotearoa New Zealand over the past five years; projects so big they hadn’t the credibility to ...3 hours ago
- Daily crossword, Friday 19 AprilThe post Daily crossword, Friday 19 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 hours ago
- Brakes on transport and logistics sector as demand for freight slowsThe transport sector is currently in the slow lane The post Brakes on transport and logistics sector as demand for freight slows appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 hours ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 19 AprilLoading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 19 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 hours ago
- Financial literacy should be on all of usOpinion: With maths understanding at 42 percent for Year 8 students, there’s no doubt something has to be done. But how? The post Financial literacy should be on all of us appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 hours ago
- Missy rustles to stardom in CanadaHineaupounamu ‘Missy’ Nuku has been scaling mountains in Canada for her college basketball team, the Lakeland Rustlers. Alberta is currently home for the 20-year-old point guard, who is in her first year of a scholarship at Lakeland College, where she is studying for a business degree. She has certainly made ...3 hours ago
- Emissions fall again – now NZ needs to up the paceOfficial figures confirm New Zealand produced less climate pollution in 2022 than in any other year in the 21st century The post Emissions fall again – now NZ needs to up the pace appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 hours ago
- Grattan on Friday: Ethnic tensions will complicate the Albanese government’s multicultural policy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra When ASIO boss Mike Burgess delivered his annual threat assessment earlier this year, he stressed the rising danger posed by espionage and foreign interference. “In 2024, threats to our way of life have surpassed ...9 hours ago - Group plans work to improve safety of female MPs
New research shows harassment of elected officials - especially women - is on the rise. ...10 hours ago - Ukraine warns of WW3 ahead of long-stalled Congress aid voteUkraine's Prime Minister says his country desperately needs the US to approve long-stalled security assistance. ...11 hours ago
- Crown lawyers attempt to block Waitangi Tribunal summons to Minister for ChildrenThe Tribunal had called on Minister for Children Karen Chhour to provide evidence at an urgent inquiry into the repeal of Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. ...14 hours ago
- Luxon refuses to guarantee public consultation on AUKUS Pillar 2Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says it's "far too premature" to be confirming whether the public would be consulted on joining AUKUS Pillar 2. ...15 hours ago
- Visualising the 1800s or designing wedding invitations: 6 ways you can use AI beyond generating textSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By T.J. Thomson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication & Digital Media, RMIT University Midjourney image by T.J. Thomson As more than half of Australian office workers report using generative artificial intelligence (AI) for work, we’re starting to see this technology affect every ...15 hours ago
- Falls, fractures and self-harm: 4 charts on how kids’ injury risk changes over time and differs fo...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Nicole Sharwood, Injury epidemiologist | Expert Witness, UNSW Sydney Sergey Novikov/Shutterstock Injuries are the leading cause of disability and death among Australian children and adolescents. At least a quarter of all emergency department presentations during childhood are injury-related. Injuries can ...15 hours ago
- Choice and control: will NDIS reforms mean people with disability don’t get to decide who they liv...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Di Winkler, Adjunct Associate Professor, Living with Disability Research Centre, La Trobe University Shutterstock/Ground Picture Many Australians with disability feel on the edge of a precipice right now. Recommendations from the disability royal commission and the NDIS review were released late ...15 hours ago
- Asbestos in playground mulch: how to avoid a repeat of this circular economy scandalSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Salman Shooshtarian, Senior Lecturer, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University Salman Shooshtarian Asbestos has been found in mulch used for playgrounds, schools, parks and gardens across Sydney and Melbourne. Local communities naturally fear for the health of their ...15 hours ago
- Could Albanese’s bet on homegrown green industries be the boost our regions deserve?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Madeline Taylor, Senior Lecturer, Macquarie University Cloudy Designs/Shutterstock Right now, there’s a global race underway. The goal: bring back manufacturing and energy jobs as the energy transition speeds up. In 2022, America launched its mammoth Inflation Reduction Act and the ...15 hours ago
- Watch: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon won't say if government will consult public on joining ...Asked multiple times if the public will be consulted on joining the defence pact, Luxon repeatedly said that was yet to be worked through. ...16 hours ago
- Watch live: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon speaks in PhilippinesPrime Minister Christopher Luxon is speaking to reporters on the third leg of his Southeast Asia trip, from Manila in the Philippines. ...16 hours ago
- Māori lawyers call Shane Jones' Waitangi Tribunal comments 'inappropriate'The Māori Law Society says his comments breach the principle of the separation of powers and the Cabinet Manual. ...17 hours ago
- Abortions Increase 25% Since Law Change
Family First says that the latest abortion statistics make grim and upsetting reading, with a 25% increase in abortions since the decriminalisation of abortion in March 2020. According to an Official Information Act request received by Right to Life ...18 hours ago - Over Half Of New Zealanders Feel That The Country Is In Decline And That Our Society Is BrokenIpsos New Zealand's inaugural participation in a global study on populism reveals a pervasive sense of societal and economic decline among New Zealanders. MORE DETAILS AND FULL REPORT HERE Ipsos New Zealand's inaugural participation in a global study ...18 hours ago
- Australia’s new defence strategy is big on ideas, but lacks one key ingredient: well-trained soldi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Layton, Visiting Fellow, Strategic Studies, Griffith University There have been a lot of defence announcements recently about buying new equipment, building up Australia’s manufacturing capabilities, creating local jobs, new legislation to support AUKUS and even a new defence chief. In ...18 hours ago
- What does Steve Smith’s Stateside signing mean for cricket in the US – and Australia?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Harcourt, Industry Professor and Chief Economist, University of Technology Sydney Steve Smith, one of this generation’s finest batters, has conquered much of the cricketing world during his career, and he now has set his sights on a new frontier: the United ...18 hours ago
- A love letter to Wellington: when i open the shop by romesh dissanayake, reviewedMadeleine Ballard reviews the debut novel from romesh dissanayake. when I open the shop, the debut novel by Naarm-based Aotearoa writer romesh dissanayake (Sri Lankan, Koryo Saram), is a narrative of grief. Devendra loses his mother, opens a noodle shop on The Terrace, grieves, and emerges changed. But just as ...18 hours ago
- Minister Concedes Contractors Will Be Hired To Do Work Of Axed Ministry Of Education StaffThe PSA can’t believe that the Minister of Education is happy for her ministry to hire contractors at the same time it is dismissing 565 workers. ...18 hours ago
- Attempt to bar diplomat from Myanmar military junta failsMyanmar community members applied to the courts to bar the diplomat from attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. ...19 hours ago
- LGNZ Welcomes Govt Earthquake-prone Buildings DecisionLGNZ has advocated for this decision as part of a remit led by Manawatū District Council. ...19 hours ago
- AUKUS Pillar 2 a 'fragrant, methane-wrapped bull***' – Bob CarrThe former Australian Foreign Minister has continued to warn New Zealand against joining the defence pact. ...19 hours ago
- Enforceable undertaking issued to abc accounting services limited after continued non-compliance.The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) has accepted an enforceable undertaking agreement from ABC Accounting Services Limited (ABC) under section 81 of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009 (AML/CFT Act). ...20 hours ago
- REVEALED: RNZ’s Hypocrisy Over Fair Digital News Bargaining BillThe Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that Radio New Zealand (RNZ) spent $71,842.53 on Facebook advertising over the past 12 months, despite earlier this year coming out in support of the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill , which would force the likes ...20 hours ago
- Police rejected 'very good offer' – Mark MitchellPolice Minister Mark Mitchell says the pay offer rejected by police was the best the government could put forward under difficult financial circumstances. ...20 hours ago
- How can we have truth-telling without the Voice? Our research shows a way forwardSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Heidi Norman, Professor, Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, Convenor: Indigenous Land & Justice Research Group, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock The Uluru Statement from the Heart set out the aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for “Voice, Treaty, Truth”, in ...20 hours ago
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It seems insane that government leaves dhbs in debt ,write a fucking cheque you stupid fuckers.
Fuck all this shovel ready shit just put money into those that need its pockets ,they'll spend it .
As for traffic and housing ,sell up and move to the provinces, shit I think I'm hard done by if I have to stop at the intersection for 30 seconds .
I agree.
Shovel-ready projects were often projects that had already been considered — and turned down because the cost outweighed the benefits. Citing numbers of jobs, without saying if those jobs were permanent or not is not good enough.
The debacle with the Taranaki green school is an example of how stimulating the economy by suggesting people/businesses apply, instead of identifying need and putting the resources in place to deliver, is flawed.
There are so many identified areas of need, that picking up government services that were underfunded seems like a better place to start. But I suspect they were looking to appease the vocal of the business community who were baying for blood.
There's nothing in the provinces to make it worth moving to. No jobs, no socialising, no education, no art, nothing.
If the government, and all of NZ, want to develop the regions then they actually have to get those things there first. The Regional Development Fund was always going to fail because it simply wasn't doing what was needed and actually develop the regions.
In Asia, when the regional government want development, high on their list are markets – a bit like our farmer's markets, but a bit less flash. The point being to stimulate all those low level productive activities that need an outlet, and also develop those artisanal regional differences, like Jura's Morbrier, or the hairy crabs from Yangcheng Lake, or Iberian ham.
The other thing they do is to seed their local agriculture institutes with specialists in horticulture, or aquaculture, or fisheries technology, so that locals can start new ventures informed by the experience of the best operators. Sadly in NZ the small operators, who contrary to neoliberal myth are the real drivers of innovation, are inevitably neglected in favour of large producer-board descended monopsonies.
This is where some of that cash should have been shoveled, rather than the uniformly large and already amply capitalized outfits that always have their hands out.
Markets can help boost the service economy that help make a place liveable.
I've though for awhile that, if the government wanted to get Northland going, they'd put a university in at Kaitaia.
Small businesses are, generally speaking, less innovative than a rock:
We've really got to get away from the delusional idea that small businesses are what drives an economy.
We've really got to get away from the delusional idea that small businesses are what drives an economy.
They can be, and I think that counterexamples to your study would not be hard to find. Perhaps it needs to be decided what our end is, which might be something along the lines of creating something of a rising tide within our economy – the moreso because the Covid issues seem likely to send some of us down the plughole.
Our object is not to find the next disruptive techentrepreneur, but folk who can, by adapting to changing circumstances, make a go of things and thereby support themselves and their communities. There was a time when NZ farmers were such a group, though they are increasingly corporate these days.
It is well established that stimulus funding of the kind being shoveled out at present with gay abandon, is most effective the further down in the economy it reaches. But the 'shovel ready' projects might have been specifically designed to achieve the very opposite. You or your neighbour will not be glomming a tranche of this unusual government largesse – those monies are destined for well capitalised corporate customers that might, in the fullness of time, produce political donations.
A loyal opposition or a critical media would be all over such naked corruption with big boots on – but sadly these roles are presently vacant.
From my link:
This is what we're getting from small business in the main. Even my own small businesses through the years have been this – just doing what others are already doing in a crowded market place. The competition was fierce.
This is getting it completely wrong. It has always been, and always will be, the community that has supported business and not the other way around.
No its not – as my link shows.
The shovel ready projects are also wrong as they're failing to build up the community first to support those projects. This is in-line with standard neo-liberal teachings put so well by Thatcher when she said that there is no society. I find it amusing that, if you follow her logic, then there is also no such thing as family.
What's needed is a clear plan. That plan shouldn't come from government nor should it have solely the sign off of the government. That plan needs to be made, and signed off, by the community itself so that they are helping themselves even if the money is coming from government (which, when you really think about it, is where the money should always come from because as the resources come from the nation as a whole).
@Advantage….Wow that was pretty awesome ! And you definitely raise some great points. Have you seen/heard about this?
https://bfforgnz.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/bff-manifesto.pdf
Just an FYI for anyone….I try to live as Sustainably as possible. (After a little bit of Thinking…you just Do It. Easy). I dont fly anywhere. I Bike wherever possible. (Its not that hard. I'm continually amazed how many people jump in the car to drive a km..or less : (
I engage with People. I find…there are many who…just get it. Who really wants to hand over a festering shithole to the next generation?
There are many who, while not Greenies (funny how they woudnt want to be thought of as…) actually ARE : )
why does one have to be a card carrying member to be 'green'? What if one is just sensible, not a dick, needs no group affiliation? And there are greens that consider electric cars with all the assorted waste and recycling problem 'green'. go figure.
Well…just from what you post…you seem to have Issues.: ) Anyway….
We all have issues PLA.
Avoid getting personal or you will piss the moderators off.
Jesus…I'll keep that in mind…: )
Yeah, haven't figured that one out myself yet. Yes, an electric car is more environmentally friendly than a gas guzzling one but, overall, is still bad for the environment due to still needing excessive roads, pollution from tyres and the lack of recycling. The latter can be fixed but the other two are ongoing problems that will always be connected to cars.
Hmmm well I can agree on some of this. The Battery seems to be a major….I try to keep up with the Tech…and its kinda like the laptop now having equivalence to an old room size "computer." Science I think, will have an answer….
Still there probably is (the Human Condition an all : ) an element of "look at me,look at me, in my E car" : )
Anyway…On My Bike : )
we have yet to figure out how to recycle our computer and mobile phone waste but surely any day know we gonna do that and then lithuim batteries are just a day or several hundereds away.
Never mind the devastation caused by lithium mining, but again it ain't happening here just somewhere far away south america or so, so it don't bother us. right?
We really have to get to the point where greenwashing is seen as fucked up as not giving a shit in the first place.
No. We know how – we just don't because it costs more than using new sourced resources.
Which really is a failure of the pricing system in our market driven economy resulting in uneconomic practices.
A few years ago on here I linked an article that pointed out that 500 tonnes of lithium got washed down the Waikato River every year. That lithium came from the steam used to generate power in a geothermal power station. 500 tonnes of lithium can produce a lot of batteries and, yet, no one seems to want to catch it.
Another example of our economic system failing to produce an economic outcome.
Figure out – has got nothing to do with knowing, it just simply means we have yet to figure out what to do with our waste now that we can' t send it to China anymore for our 'out of sight out of mind ' state of mind. We have yet to figure it out. Maybe in a years time we have enough wretched poor people here in NZ to have them work the electronic waste like they do in china / india. By hand, with no protection etc. That would be cheap enough, rigth?
And yes, how devastating would be the contraption that would be needed to capture these 500 tonnes of lithium so that people can drive 'green' cars and thus don't have to change their way of life.
Cause at the end of the day, its that what we need to change , our way of life. And that we don't want.
We used to know. We knew that recycling and reuse was better hence glass milk bottles.
And then, sometime in the 1970s, we started hearing from business people that recycling cost more and from there we became a non-recycling nation that now has to re-develop a recycling nature and infrastructure to support it.
Do either of those nations actually recycle?
I've seen pictures of huge dumps of e-waste that has been exported there but not actually used. It is, of course, poisoning the ground that its breaking down upon.
Apparently, not very:
But its not about having lithium for cars. Lithium is used for far more than cars. Its about having lithium for use and then properly reusing it.
QFT
We do need to change and most people don't want to do that.
The Recycling nightmare….successive Govts have just turned blind eyes to this …whilst playing at dealing with it. 2 Major Chinese companies bought up (cheaply) our EXISTING Recycle companies and well, you probably know the rest? Millions to be made…and they have been. I could link..(Ive got so much Information. As Informed is best)
I've been involved with/followed NZ Recycling for years…a sad state of affairs.
Tyre mountains that scumbags start up and then fly away from leaving Ratepayer/Taxpayer to attempt to deal with.
Old landfills built by Rivers wtf ?!! Idiots.
Etc; etc;
Anyway…I try to be proactive. I raise these and all else with the appropriate people. I write Submissions.
Recently the Great Kiwi Bottle Drive was attempting to get a Bottle deposit scheme RUNNING. Got the required signatures and maybe…
https://kiwibottledrive.nz/
The Product Stewardship scheme :
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2007/S00395/govts-product-stewardship-announcement-a-turning-point-in-waste-policy.htm
And…
http://www.recycle.co.nz/page.php?ref=recycled-waste&id=edit506b68693fdef
As bwaghorn says, move to the provinces, and honestly i would assume a hole lot would, but then, ….
first thing that any government should do is to get businesses to settle in another town then AKL, like literally put a stop to office building and such ot AKL. Tokoroa, Morrinsville, Hastings, Gisborne, Whakatane, Te Puke etc all could do with a call centre or something like it.
but just moving to the provinces is easier said then down, and besides the provinces are currently shit outta luck if those pesky Aucklanders don't come over the weekend to spend some dollars, cause that is how fucked up it is.
So… that's a no to moving 84% of us to small towns then.
Well economic "growth" in New Zealand for the last 70 years has been moving activity and people from provincial centres to Auckland. Going to take a concerted effort from Government, business and Gaia to turn that around.
Ah, yes….that was sped up by the 80's/90's neolib "Restructure" . So NZ "Centralised" to…Auckland? wtf?
More people to sit in traffic jams…which needed more …and more roading network.
The creaking Infrastructure which seemingly no one wants to be responsible for. The (aptly named) Super Shitty.
Re Provinces…NZ "first" Jones and "his" largesse, what BS…Cmon Willow Jean…kick him to touch !
Need to get infrastructure into those small towns first.
And then, as LPrent has pointed out before, there are a number of industries around that actually require the high density of Auckland simply because they provide the high levels of creativity that such high density can provide and small towns simply don't have.
Of course we dont want all 84% of you we only want the ones intelligent enough to know that sitting for hours in traffic or on buses is dumb. And want affordable housing. Every 6 people created another job in a community I recall reading. So tw retired folk and a clever young couple with two kids gets the ball rolling .
Covids taught you lot that you can operate away from the coffee machine gossip ,come on out here and bring your liberal progressive thoughts to us hicks.
Covid thought us nothing so far, like literally nothing, and looking at our selected beige suits in government they are not learning either.. And not all of us work in offices. Good grief, you are usually better then that.
So, what you're saying is that small towns have six times more people than jobs?
Yeah, there's a reason why most people left small towns.
not sure where i said that, but again, i am talking about people who as of 'today' don't live in small towns.
I moved 4 years ago to Rotorua, and the only reason i have a job today is because i created one. Never mind covid and all that bull, but the shit that was levelled here against people like me since the outbreak of covid makes you wonder tho.
So if you started out living in a small town, or moved there with a job offer in hand or because you have family there you be in a better position then someone who has not job offer, no family there and maybe say is unemployed, but i guess that went over your head feeling all sad and upset.
Good summary of immediate needs for action.
None of the pandemic movies came close. It is actually the failure of social norms we need to fear most. Social effects of the virus, affecting our togetherness, causing changes in how we live and act.
Looking round the world, people who have not learned to put off gratification are becoming angry and impatient with restrictions, and then going to google etc for answers and finding conspiracy theories. Their reckless disregard of health edicts is scary.
Individualism has not prepared us well for working together as a village. "Six months", they cry, "When will it end?" The answer is painful from any direction.
We do feel far less trusting and more vulnerable after this second wave. We want someone to blame. We want what we had before, safer cleaner with no transmission.
Grief has stages, and we appear to be struggling with these as we examine past obviously flawed thinking. A digital future, with simulated travel and virtual offices?
The future shock of this is huge, and the disparities caused by our neo liberal capitalism, the speed of social change and the future health and economic needs will be a rolling maul of problems to be faced, with climate change and sea level rise a cause of change as well.
The failure of 'austerity', the courage to "oil the wheels" of the economy through providing social work food and shelter while building good state education and health services lies ahead.
Let us hope the Government is big enough to form a whole of government plan, using all the many skilled people out there to pull together an action plan as they have done with the virus. Putting basics in place.
Our ability to work together for the greater good, has never been more needed and education about how to help each other never more important. Giving time to food banks community gardens and neighbourhood watch being some small useful actions, gossiping with mates less constructive and actively hurtful.
'We are all in this together" belies the fact that some can buy space a reliable digital fortress, education and health care. Gated communities with reliance on others to come and do chores has been a vector for the virus, yet we are quick to label extended families a spreader.
Empowering the poor and disadvantaged with sufficient income to live contributing lives, where they have time to dream and plan, rather than just exist, is the first need the Government could provide. Shelter which costs no more than 25% of any income, free health care and education are the foundations of a decent prosperous society.
Social policy has always been the antidote for economic pain.
Our celebrations farewells and ways of travel and work will all change. Our use of carparks as pop-up testing is like the subways as bomb shelters during world war 11
I am an optimist and feel sure we will overcome this, just as we did smallpocks and tuberculosis. Those diseases ravaged communities world wide as well.
Very thoughtful very good Patricia Bremner. Good summary of how we are I feel.
thanks greywarshark. I used TB as an example of a controlled disease, but apparently over use of antibiotics has created a resistant strain. Polio would have been a better choice.
"Respiratory risk from living in cities is now the key public health risk of our time, because it focuses together smoking, urbancombusion engine particulates, and pandemic response into one organ: our lungs."
And the risk of adverse health effects from indoor fire smoke.
The current Auckland bylaw allows wood burners, but even when the regulations are followed there is always smoke production, especially when the fire is first lit and new fuel added.
When gas and electric heaters and heat pumps are easily available alternatives, the emotional attachment to burning wood is a weak argument when there is good evidence how harmful the smoke is to public health.
The photo at the head of the link shows smoke from a compliant wood burner. Educate city dwellers about the adverse health effects and then pass a new bylaw to totally ban it.
https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/articles/news/2017/05/new-bylaw-for-indoor-domestic-fires/
Fire wood is still a lot cheaper than electricity and mark my words, this will be more so in the next couple of years.
Many poor families do not use any heater powered by electricity at all because of affordability. Elderly are lying in bed during winter to avoid costs. Unheated houses become cold and damp and once the mould is established its difficult to get rid off. Asthma is prevalent in NZ.
To take any means of affordable heating away can only come from those who have plenty and try to impress in an dictatorial manner their beliefs. This only will only provoke aggression from those who are "forcefully" converted for the "good of all of us".
Citation needed.
But, tell me, does electric heating add to the increased dying as fires do?
How much is a life worth?
Yes, our houses are cold and amp – always have been. That's why the standards need to be raised even more up to full Passive House standards.
This is a response from the failed market system which fails to take into account that things can be changed.
A better solution is to re-nationalise power and make power free for all households up to a certain amount. That certain amount will be enough to warm a house but anything over that will be charged at astronomical amounts so as to discourage excessive use.
Hey, look at that, still a market solution but it will actually work.
A much better solution would be to have abundant and cheap electricity in the first place. For everyone, everywhere.
The problem with that idea is that it will still produce those who don't have enough.
The re-nationalisation and free block is necessary to address the poverty brought about by a capitalist market system.
"Private car use upon which both Auckland and Christchurch are so dependent, will be more trusted. People will be quite reasonably retreating to their safe cars rather than public transport. They will prefer time penalties to pandemic risk. And yet parking is now such a high stress and high cost."
We are probably about as good as animals can get at walking upright. But walking, the transport mode we are ideally suited to takes second place to transport machines like cars, bikes, buses, trains.
Urban design so that dwellings and workplaces were walking distance apart would be more efficient, environmentally friendly and human.
Will our cities revive?
No….we but need to look at what has happened (or rather hasnt) in Christchurch the post quake period to see we are incapable of changing paradigm…..but we have refined rhetoric to a fine art.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTrj2f9t3So
I agree with Pat. Their time has passed. It will take a while before the devotees grasp what's happened.
Nationalize the infrastructure that was built for the people by the people in the first place. The railways employed many throughout the whole land, they carried the freight to the towns and cities where it was then delivered by local people. Power companies stole from us for their greedy investors instead of redistibuting back to the owners, us. As soon as Kirk was killed and Muldoon sold off the infrastructure that was when the rich did get richer and the poor did get poorer and the gap still grows. Capitalism sucks, ban the stock market. Ha ga dream on if you think anything is going to change.(note to self, lol)
Auckland Harbour Bridge….
The network is one that doesn't handle events like this well, Walker said.
"You can't build your way of of it forever and we're going to have to think smarter about how we try and manage demand on the roads, so that's greater use of the likes of public transport and that sort of thing, particularly around the peak times."
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/426494/auckland-harbour-bridge-damage-you-can-t-build-your-way-out-of-it-forever
Cars jammed….
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/426479/no-guarantee-engineers-target-temporary-fix-for-harbour-bridge
How many of those cars have 1 person ? What will it actually take to get Public Transport acceptable?
Well I see that Auckland Commuters thought about this…
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/426522/bridge-woes-plea-for-commuters-to-switch-to-buses-ferries
NOT !
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/426531/snail-s-pace-aucklanders-face-frustrating-commute-over-harbour-bridge
Creatures of Habit? Morons? Other?