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Chlöe Swarbrick will replace outgoing Green Party co-leader James Shaw
Chlöe Swarbrick will replace outgoing Green Party co-leader James Shaw

09 March 2024, 11:37 PM

Auckland Central MP Chlöe Swarbrick will be the Green Party's new co-leader alongside Marama Davidson, as James Shaw steps down.Last month, Shaw said he would be stepping down from his duties as co-leader in March.Dunedin-based activist and conservationist Alex Foulkes had put his hand up too for the role but announced on Sunday that he had conceded defeat.Swarbrick received 169 votes from party delegates, Foulkes received no votes.Speaking to media on Sunday morning, Swarbrick thanked both Davidson - who could not be at the conference because she had Covid-19 - and Shaw.She said the Greens were a party that would speak for all voices in New Zealand, and believed it could make changes for the better of all in New Zealand, sharing finite resources "justly and equitably" as well as protecting the environment."We know our environment is not an endless resource to keep drawing from - we know there is enough to go around.The Greens have the political courage and ability to invest in public services and address housing problems, and to provide a guaranteed minimum income for all, she said.Swarbrick criticised the government's 100-day plan and said, as Green co-leader, she was equally as comfortable marching in the streets as she was in Parliament."The Greens' see you, we hear you and we will represent you in the halls of power."Change would "require human cooperation on a scale we have never seen before", she said: "Democracy can work better for all of us."Politics belongs to those who show up, and we need everyday people to not leave politics to the politicians or we'll get what we've got".The Greens were concerned about a drift to the right side of politics in New Zealand, she said.Change would not come "from top down vested interest", she said."Legacy politics is not working to serve people and the planet."Swarbrick said both the "red and blue" parties were tying up votes and not serving voters effectively: "I believe we are the leading voice on the left."In a statement earlier on Sunday morning, Swarbrick thanked the party's members and reiterated the Greens' vision for the future."Aotearoa can be a place where everyone has what they need to live a decent life, and our natural world is restored and protected, on a foundation honouring te Tiriti o Waitangi. That is the Greens' vision, and one we work to see realised every single day."Shaw said there was no-one else he would rather take his place as co-leader than Swarbrick."Ever since I first sat down to coffee with her after her mayoral campaign in 2016 she has struck me as a remarkable leader with an extraordinary belief in the power of people to make a difference."Her passion and strength is second to none, and alongside Marama, will lead the Greens to make even more of a difference in the future."Davidson said it was fantastic to be have Swarbrick by her side, leading their biggest caucus."Chlöe is an incredible MP, colleague, and friend. She has proven time and time again her unique ability to mobilise communities to push for the change Aotearoa needs," Davidson said in a statement."It has never been more important for there to be a strong voice for an Aotearoa that works for everyone, where everyone is supported to live good lives, in warm dry homes, and where we take bold action to cut pollution and protect native wildlife," she said."Chlöe and I will be in communities up and down Aotearoa working with people to build an unprecedented grassroots movement fighting for the future Aotearoa deserves."Foulkes, who admitted defeat in the co-leadership race, congratulated Swarbrick and said she would do an incredible job."I am confident Chlöe and Marama will lead the party from strength to strength."I have enjoyed the debate with Chlöe and the party members and would like to commend and thank the party staff for the efficient organisation of the election and the members for their engagement and respectful, intelligent, and thoughtful questions throughout this process."He described her as "one of the most talented politicians in Aotearoa New Zealand", and said he never expected to win against her."Indeed, someone suggested to me that I had more chance of spotting the fabled South-Island kokako than winning this election."However, he said his goal in contesting was to discuss and debate policies. Last month, he put forward a radical manifesto, outlining his vision.Who is Chlöe Swarbrick?Ranked third on the party list, the Auckland Central MP appeared to be the popular choice from when Shaw made his announcement.After losing the mayoral race in 2016, she joined the Green Party.Winning the Auckland Central seat in 2020 and becoming the country's youngest MP in 42 years, she has proven her popularity from early on.She is the first Green MP ever to hold on to a seat for more than one term after winning again in the 2023 elections.Swarbrick denied leadership ambitions in 2022, when more than 25 percent of delegates at the party's annual general meeting voted to reopen Shaw's position.She has regularly registered in preferred prime minister polls ahead of the party's co-leaders.Last year, she had to apologise to Parliament a week after saying in the debating chamber Prime Minister Christopher Luxon had lied - a breach of the rules.This story was originally posted on RNZ News

Joseph Parker grinds out gutsy win over Zhang
Joseph Parker grinds out gutsy win over Zhang

09 March 2024, 1:39 AM

Joseph Lupesoliai La'auli Parker's stellar run in the ring has continued with a hard-fought majority decision win over Chinese heavyweight Zhilei Zhang.Despite being knocked down twice, Parker's fight IQ, relentless jab and fitness saw him triumph to claim the interim WBO heavyweight title. It was Parker's third fight in 20 weeks and takes his career record to 35-3."Thank you to my team, this is a great win, I just feel like we are on the up now," Parker said.He said his team kept him composed in the corner after being knocked down on two occasions."Andy just told me to follow the plan."The win marks Parker's fifth in a row after suffering a loss at the hands of Joe Joyce in 2022. He's now rebounded with two knockout wins before the biggest victory of his career over Deontay Wilder back in December."It's an incredible feeling coming back from that loss and now look where we are."Parker's trainer Andy Lee said that this is just the beginning, and Parker has already lined up his next bout, a rematch with Big Bang."I'm fighting Zhang again, we are doing it again."Parker looked calm and collected as he strolled to the ring in Riyadh while Zhang "Big Bang" came out to Queen's 'We Will Rock You'. But it was a timid first round by both men, as Parker looked to gauge his southpaw opponent.Parker upped the ante in the third, finding Zhang's body with some powerful shots, but Zhang landed a crisp straight left, sitting Parker on the canvas. He bounced back up but Zhang followed up with a flurry to Parker's head to claim the fight's first 10-8 round.However, Parker recovered brilliantly in the fourth, managing to find some solid overhand rights, then began to work the body and was spoken to by the referee for potential low blows.The action slowed slightly in the fifth, Parker managing to do enough to take it after again peppering Zhang's mid-section. Parker was landing at 50 percent midway through the bout, again the busier boxer in the sixth. He was looking more comfortable and started to dictate the fight with Zhang's output slowing, Parker claiming his fourth round on the trot.A thunderous right hand rocked Zhang in the seventh, however Parker then caught one behind the ear and was forced to take a knee, conceding a second 10-8 round.Round nine saw a close back and forth, Parker edging it through activity. His superior fitness came to the fore in the later rounds, throwing a number of flurries as Zhang struggled to keep pace.Having dragged Zhang into deep waters, Parker floated effortlessly around the ring dominating with forward pressure in the final two rounds.Zhang didn't land a single punch in the final round, as Parker finished strong but couldn't find a finishing blow, Zhang's granite chin held up to the onslaught with the fight to be decided by the judges scorecards.They saw it 113-113, 114-112, 115-111, giving Parker the win by majority decision. The contract between the two has stipulated a rematch for the WBO Interim Heavyweight title, which Parker confirmed in the post fight interviews.This story was originally posted on RNZ News

Auckland Overnight motorway Closures 08 March – 16 March 2024
Auckland Overnight motorway Closures 08 March – 16 March 2024

08 March 2024, 1:45 AM

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi advises of the following closures for motorway improvements. Work delayed by bad weather will be completed at the next available date, prior to Friday, 15 March 2024. Check daily updated closure information: www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic/aucklandUnless otherwise stated, closures start at 9pm and finish at 5am. NORTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)Orewa southbound off-ramp, 11-13 MarchOrewa southbound on-ramp, 11-13 MarchOrewa northbound on-ramp, 11-13 MarchOrewa northbound off-ramp, 11-13 MarchNorthbound lanes between Oteha Valley Road off-ramp and Silverdale on-ramp, 10-14 MarchOteha Valley Road northbound on-ramp, 10-14 MarchNorthbound lanes between Northcote Road off-ramp and Constellation Drive on-ramp, 12 March (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Tristram Avenue northbound on-ramp, 12 March (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)Northcote Road northbound on-ramp, 12 March (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)Southbound lanes between Northcote Road off-ramp and Onewa Road on-ramp, 14 March (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Northcote Road southbound on-ramp, 14 MarchEsmonde Road southbound on-ramp, 14 MarchNorthbound lanes between Onewa Road off-ramp and Northcote Road on-ramp, 13 March (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Esmonde Road (Diamond) northbound on-ramp, 13 MarchEsmonde Road (loop) northbound on-ramp, 13 MarchOnewa Road northbound on-ramp, 13 MarchShelly Beach Road southbound off-ramp, 10-14 MarchCENTRAL MOTORWAY JUNCTION (CMJ)SH16 eastbound to SH1 northbound link, 10-11 March (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Nelson Street eastbound off-ramp, 10-11 March (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Eastbound lanes between Wellesley Street East (SH1) off ramp and Alten Road, 10-14 March (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Eastbound lanes between Wellesley Street East (SH16) off-ramp and Alten Road, 10-14 March (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Grafton Road eastbound on-ramp, 10-14 MarchWestbound lanes between Stanley Street off-ramp and Wellesley Street East on-ramp, 11-14 March (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SOUTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)Ellerslie-Panmure Highway southbound off-ramp, 10-11 March (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Ellerslie-Panmure Highway northbound on-ramp, 10-11 March (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Ellerslie-Panmure Highway southbound on-ramp, 10-11 March (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Papakura northbound off-ramp, 8-16 March (24/7)Northbound lanes between Drury/SH22 off-ramp and Papakura on-ramp, 10-14 MarchDrury/SH22 northbound on-ramp, 10-14 MarchSouthbound lanes between Ramarama off-ramp and Bombay on-ramp, 11-13 MarchRamarama southbound on-ramp, 11-13 MarchNorthbound lanes between Bombay off-ramp and Ramarama on-ramp, 11-13 MarchBombay northbound on-ramp, 11-13 MarchBeaver Road northbound on-ramp, 14 MarchBeaver Road northbound off-ramp, 14 MarchNikau Road northbound on-ramp, 14 MarchNorthbound lanes between Mercer off-ramp and Mercer on-ramp, 10 March (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Southbound lanes between Mercer off-ramp and Mercer on-ramp, 10 March (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Te Kauwhata southbound off-ramp, 13- 16 March (24/7)Te Kauwhata southbound on-ramp, 13- 16 March (24/7)Te Kauwhata northbound on-ramp, 8 -12 March (24/7)Te Kauwhata northbound off-ramp, 8 -12 March (24/7)Rangiriri southbound off-ramp, 13-16 March (24/7)NORTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH16)Southbound lanes between Waimauku roundabout and Trigg Road, 10-14 MarchNorthbound lanes between Trigg Road and Waimauku roundabout, 10-14 MarchNorthbound lanes between Lincoln Road off-ramp and Brigham Creek Road Roundabout, 11 March (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SH16 northbound to SH18 eastbound link, 11 March (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Lincoln Road northbound on-ramp, 11 MarchTe Atatu Road (Loop) southbound on-ramp, 13 MarchPatiki Road southbound off-ramp, 13 MarchNewton Road westbound on-ramp, 12 March SOUTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH20)Northbound lanes between Maioro Street off-ramp and SH16 links (Waterview northbound tunnel closed), 11 MarchSH20 northbound to SH16 eastbound link (Waterview northbound tunnel closed), 11 MarchSH20 northbound to SH16 westbound link (Waterview northbound tunnel closed), 11 MarchMaioro Street northbound on-ramp (Waterview northbound tunnel closed), 11 March GEORGE BOLT MEMORIAL DRIVE (SH20A)Bader Drive northbound off-ramp, 12-13 MarchNorthbound lanes between Landing Drive and SH20 Link, 11 MarchSH20A northbound to SH20 northbound link,11 MarchKirkbride Road northbound on-ramp, 11 MarchSTATE HIGHWAY 2 (SH2)Mangatawhiri eastbound off-ramp, 10-14 March

International Women’s Day: How can we have equity when we don't have pockets?
International Women’s Day: How can we have equity when we don't have pockets?

07 March 2024, 7:34 PM

By Niki BezzantAs International Women's Day rolls around again, women can sit back, relax and reflect on all the amazing progress that's been made in the past year.Kidding!Last year I wrote a piece on why we still need International Women's Day. Sadly, these reasons all still apply. We're still behind (or going backwards) in the gender pay gap; representation in the nation's boardrooms; the orgasm gap and access to equitable healthcare.To put a positive spin on it, we can also reflect on this year's IWD theme - 'Inspire Inclusion' - and know we have, at least, come a relatively long way.In the past, women were excluded from many spheres and activities we now take for granted. To choose a random few examples: voting, attending university, working outside the home, owning or inheriting property, wearing trousers and leaving the house alone are all things that were once either widely unacceptable or illegal. (Pop quiz: can you name a country for each of those activities where these things are still illegal for women?*)Here are some other ways women have been excluded in history - and a look at how far (or not) we've come.Banking and mortgagesWe may laugh now at the quaint idea of The Ladies' Bank (opened in 1958 by the BNZ and widely mocked at the time). But it's worth remembering: it's only within my lifetime that women have been able to take out mortgages or even open bank accounts in their own right. As recently as the 1980s in Aotearoa, single women wanting to buy property were either refused mortgages or only given mortgages when a male relative guaranteed the loan.A 1958 newspaper advertisement for BNZ's foray into 'Ladies' Banking Services'. Photo: BNZ ArchiveWe might think things are better now - and they mostly are - but that might not be the case for all women on their own.Ange Meyer, co-founder of Hi Money - a business aimed at transforming how women think and feel about money - says she's talked to women recently who have been advised by mortgage brokers that the best way to get a mortgage would be to find a partner."I would be extraordinarily surprised if single men were being told this," she says.Meyer says the brokers may have intended this as a helpful problem-solving hack."There is this constant bloody perception that women are really good at spending and really useless at saving. And that kind of misogyny is so insidious."It also speaks to the fact that we have this utterly ridiculous economic system here that makes it so difficult for women to participate and to grow our wealth and to have financial freedom and wellbeing. We've got a gender pay gap so we earn less. And then if you take time out of the workforce for your caring responsibilities, because of the way money works… you don't have the ability to save as much money and get the benefit of compounding interest."Perhaps that's partly why research from the Financial Services Council found that 80 percent of New Zealand women rated their financial wellbeing as low or very low.Retirement savingsWomen retire with far less money saved than men."We've got a 25 percent gender gap in retirement that's gone up five percent in the last year", says Meyer, "which is outrageous."Ange Meyer, co-founder of Hi Money: "We have this utterly ridiculous economic system here that makes it so difficult for women to participate." Photo: Ange MeyerIt makes for an insecure time in retirement. Around one in four Kiwis now reaches retirement age without owning the home they live in; women still have lower home ownership rates than men, plus they tend to live longer than men (by about four years) and will live longer without their partners, meaning older women are more vulnerable to poverty.Retirement Commissioner Jane Wrightson says the retirement savings gap "speaks volumes about the systemic challenges women face, from wage inequality to career breaks for caregiving."The Retirement Commission notes the solutions are multi-faceted, and include government policies aimed at stamping out the gender pay gap; keeping the age of eligibility to New Zealand Super at 65, and retirement savings plans and Kiwisaver concessions that account for the career breaks and part-time work more often undertaken by women.StatuesStatues and monuments have been the subject of controversy around the world in recent years, with particularly problematic people sometimes being removed from their pedestals.Figurehead of the New Zealand suffrage for women movement, Kate Sheppard. Photo: Archives New ZealandLocally, there have been calls for public statues of colonial military leaders, politicians and royals to be moved or removed due to their less-than-glorious deeds.There haven't been many calls to even up the statue gender gap, though. Of the 123 outdoor statues of named people in public settings featured in a study by Otago University in 2020, just 16 (13 percent) were of women. Only one was of a Māori woman. George Grey, Edmund Hillary and Peter Snell have multiple statues; suffrage trailblazer Kate Sheppard has just one, which isn't even a statue at all - she's featured on a panel with five other women at our nation's only monument dedicated to the fight for women's suffrage, in Christchurch.Singer Dua Lipa poses on the red carpet at the 2023 Met Gala, showing off a dress with pockets. Photo: ANGELA WEISSPocketsYou might think pockets are a trivial thing, but they're a fascinating marker of inequality. In her book Pockets: An Intimate History of How We Keep Things Close, fashion historian Hannah Carlson says this aspect of clothing is "a proxy battle of the sexes that has continued to simmer for over two centuries".Since pockets were first put into clothes, there's been debate over whether women should be allowed or even needed to have them. In the early 1900s, a dearth of pockets was termed one of the "unrecognised disabilities of women".Pockets: An Intimate History of How We Keep Things Close by Hannah Carlson. Photo: HachetteThings have not changed very much. These days, clothing manufacturers have done the deciding for us: women's pockets are routinely smaller, non-functional or absent, where men's are useful and abundant. A survey in 2018 found - after measuring pockets in 80 pairs of jeans - that women's pockets were 48 percent shorter and 6.5 percent narrower than men's, and more than half of women's pockets could not hold a wallet, cellphone or pen.I can't help but think of the way money and pockets are frequently paired in common parlance. Perhaps if we had pocket equity, the money stuff would follow?*Pop quiz answersVoting: Women can vote almost everywhere, except Eritrea where there haven't been elections since its independence in 1993, and Vatican City where there is no voting, except for the Pope.University: Women are not allowed secondary or tertiary education in Afghanistan.Property ownership: In more than 30 countries, women and girls still do not have the same rights to own and inherit land as men and boys.Trousers: Until 2013 it was technically illegal for women in France to wear trousers. Now, trousers for women are reportedly banned in North Korea, though it's said the law is not often enforced. Ten women were arrested in 2023 for wearing shorts, though. Sudan repealed its law against women wearing trousers in 2019.Other: Afghanistan also forbids women to work outside the home in most cases, and to leave the house except when absolutely necessary. Then, it's only with a male chaperone.*Niki Bezzant is a writer, speaker, journalist and author focusing on health, wellbeing and science.This story was originally published by RNZ

The highs and lows for local businesses
The highs and lows for local businesses

06 March 2024, 11:12 PM

Wellsford's ASB branch recently closed due to low foot traffic, which has many locals upset as they now need to drive to Warkworth to visit a branch. The most affected are elderly people who cannot drive further afield or who are unable to use internet banking.Coast to Coast Health in Wellsford has closed their after-hours medical support. Their nighttime on call GP service was the only one serving between North Shore and Whangarei. It used to run from 8pm to 9am each night. The service ended on 1st March.The closure is believed to be due to several factors: ageing workforce; lack of funding; safety concerns for the staff and residence after a break in back in 2022 and recently an assault on a staff member. Patients can still call the Wellsford clinic for a triage assessment by a nurse via phone.In Warkworth the long-standing popular cafe Chocolate Brown is set to close for good before Easter. They officially close on the 28th of March. They are having a final sale on 23rd and 24th March, with everything heavily discounted, including Easter stock.In Kaiwaka the local food bank (Te Pātaka o Kaiwaka), and OpShop has been burgled two times in 2 weeks and has had to close their doors. They provided food and other items to the local community when in need. They are unsure if or when they will open again, and potentially must upgrade their security.Many of the stolen items were one-off donations from the producers or importers of the goods and from own very own community donors. Pictures of some of the stolen items shown.Please email them if you know of anything related to this crime, [email protected] business owners have seen increased traffic and business due to Brynderwyns closing. Some businesses are trying to capitalise on this by increasing their operating hours. There has unfortunately been an increase in theft reported also.After a long hiatus the Mangawhai Toy Library in the Domain is set to open shortly. A great resource for families that can’t or don’t want to buy ongoing toys for kids, not to mention reducing the number of plastic toys floating around unnecessarily! We would love to report on some good news that is happening in our community so it's not all doom and gloom! If you have anything you would like to share with our community, please email us at [email protected]

NZ samples added to shelves of remote global seed vault
NZ samples added to shelves of remote global seed vault

06 March 2024, 12:20 AM

Susan MurrayPasture seeds from New Zealand have just arrived in a doomsday mountain vault in Norway - safeguarding their survival into the future.The Svalbard Global Seed vault is on the remote Arctic Svalbard archipelago, 120 metres underground in the permafrost.It stores duplicates of every important crop in the world as an insurance policy to secure future food supplies in case seeds are lost due to mismanagement, accidents, funding cuts, war, sabotage, disease or natural disaster.Wild seed varieties are also stored for future breeding to increase the range of plants which can adapt to climate change.The director of New Zealand's Palmerston North based Margot Forde genebank, Dr Kioumars Ghamkhar, said from its store of over 2400 plant seeds, they've just sent some ryegrass, a standard clover and a subterranean clover.He said being a forage based country, New Zealand has the most diverse forage collection in the world."They're not necessarily used pasture species of today, but they can be potential pastures of the future as well, meaning that they probably are families or sisters of the current pastures, like perennial ryegrass or clover."So for just what we sent this time around it was perennial ryegrass, subterranean clover and some other clover. Basically, subterranean clover is a species that is grown in Australia a lot. We think it's got a very good future here."Of course, some farmers grow it already, Lincoln University is working on it, on a large scale, but it's not used as broadly as a white clover. So it's got a lot of potential for future adaptation to climate change .... it's got more what we call sub-species, like different groups within one species," he said.Dr Kioumars Ghamkhar is optimistic about the potential of subterranean clover in this country. Photo: Supplied / Dr Kioumars GhamkharGhamkhar said while the seeds New Zealand sends to the Norwegian seed bank "belong to humanity", the gene bank works like "a Swiss bank"."It's the kind of blackbox system for us, only New Zealand can have access to the seeds it sends there."Ghamkhar said it was important New Zealand seed was stored in case of a natural catastrophe like fire or an earthquake, or war."A good example of that is Syria, they had one of the biggest collections of wheat in Syria, and a lot of other crops. And then the Syrian war happened, civil war, or ISIS basically having taking over the city that the gene bank was based in, and a lot of material was lost. But luckily, they had already sent a lot of backup to Svalbard."That seed has now been accessed and relocated to storage in Lebanon and Morocco.Sending the New Zealand seed to Norway involved double packaging it in aluminium bags and airmailing it.The packages are carefully handled with the boxes opened in front of several people, it is then deposited beside New Zealand's other seeds.Ghamkhar said the black packages were always sent with a New Zealand flag and kiwi bird sign.More details about the vault can be found here.Photo: Supplied / Dr Kioumars GhamkharThis story was originally published by RNZ

Bins binned in Auckland Council drive to cut costs
Bins binned in Auckland Council drive to cut costs

05 March 2024, 7:18 PM

Aucklanders out and about looking for somewhere to dispose of their garbage are finding there are fewer bins than there used to be.Since November, the council has been binning bins it says contractors often find empty, in an effort to cut costs. The number across the Auckland region will drop from 10,000 to 7000 by the end of March, saving ratepayers $1.4 million a year."We're taking a careful approach and making sure we only remove the bins that have historically low use, are in neighbourhood parks generally visited by local residents close to home or which are near to other bins," Auckland Council general manager for parks and community facilities Taryn Crewe said in February.Bins in the CBD and "popular coastal areas" have been left alone, but Aucklanders "out on their daily walk might notice a rubbish bin along their usual route has been removed and may have to walk a little bit further to find the next bin".Auckland Council has been looking for ways to cut costs in order to keep rates rises in check since Wayne Brown was elected mayor.But some locals think the idea is a load of rubbish. The New Zealand Herald on Tuesday reported dog owners were being "left clutching putrid sacks of faeces" wondering if they should just throw them in the ocean, while a school principal said his students were just throwing their pie wrappers on the ground.Aucklanders had complained "en masse" on social media about the lack of bins, the Herald reported.Local boards reportedly were taken by surprise, some opting to fund temporary wheelie bins to discourage littering.Crewe said if there was not a bin nearby, Aucklanders should take their rubbish home with them."I have no doubt that walking those extra steps to the next rubbish bin, or taking your rubbish home with you, is a small step the vast majority of Aucklanders won't mind taking for the millions of dollars in savings to ratepayers."She said Auckland's regional parks were already bin-free, and people "by and large" respected this and took their rubbish with them when they left."There are also no public rubbish bins on Aotea / Great Barrier Island. Locals have embraced this and there are no major litter problems there."The discarded bins will be recycled as scrap metal or used as replacements when those left in place sustain damage.The council recently reduced the range of items that can be recycled in its fortnightly collections, and has proposed halving the frequency of its rubbish collection serviceThis story was originally published by RNZ

NZ History: Have you visited the 'Rewa' shipwreck on Kawau Island?
NZ History: Have you visited the 'Rewa' shipwreck on Kawau Island?

04 March 2024, 9:13 PM

Have you visited the wreck of the ‘Rewa’ near Kawau?This massive steel hull began life as the ‘Alice A. Leigh’, a product of S. B. Whitehaven Company in the United Kingdom. The name was taken from the Mayoress of Stockport, who christened the ship in September 1889.From the time it launched, the barque was the largest sail ship on the British register at 94 metres long, 4 masts, and 31 sails, with a 2,999-ton displacement.For the first decade of its existence, ‘Alice’ plied the trade lanes on behalf of John Joyce & Company of Liverpool, hauling cargo between Asia, North America, and Europe.In 1895, it made its first trip to Australia, where it delivered kerosene to Melbourne. During the First World War, the ship was nearly destroyed by a German U-boat, but it was saved by the sudden appearance of a French destroyer.In 1917, ‘Alice’ was sold to the New York & Pacific Sailing Company. Shortly after a trip to Australia in 1920, she was sold again, this time to George H. Scales Pacific Ltd of Wellington.The company renamed the vessel ‘Rewa’, but it proved incompatible with new unloading equipment at the port. In late 1921, the ship made its final voyage to London with a cargo of wool, returning to Auckland in August 1922. By this point, ‘Rewa’ was no longer competitive with steamships and was laid up.Charles Percy Hanson, a hermit who owned Moturekareka off the Mahurangi Peninsula, bought ‘Rewa’ in 1930 to use as a breakwater for the cove outside his island home. Shortly after it was towed to the island, though, a storm beached the ship just offshore, where it was gradually stripped down to its gunwale.When it was scuttled, it was the last full-rigged ship on the British register. Its figurehead is now at the Torpedo Bay Naval Museum, while the hull can be visited at its final resting place off Moturekareka.Reposted from Auckland Research Centres

Health advocates seek meeting with David Seymour to argue for free school lunches
Health advocates seek meeting with David Seymour to argue for free school lunches

04 March 2024, 8:38 PM

Confirmation that the government-funded school lunch programme is under review has sparked serious concern from health charities and principals.The programme, Ka Ora, Ka Ako, was introduced by the Labour government in 2019. It now provides free healthy lunches to more than 220,000 students - about a quarter of all students.But Associate Education Minister David Seymour said 10,000 lunches were wasted each day and there was no hard evidence the programme, which cost about $325 million annually, improved school attendance or achievement.On Monday, he told Checkpoint he was looking to cut funding for the programme by up to half.Health Coalition Aotearoa has asked Seymour for a meeting about the programme to try to ensure its future.In an interview with Nine to Noon, co-chairperson Professor Boyd Swinburn acknowledged that a report by Treasury, put out last year in the lead-up to the Budget, did not find evidence of improved achievement or attendance at schools receiving the lunches.▶ LISTEN "You can imagine trying to learn maths when your stomach is grumbling" - Boyd SwinburnHowever, studies had shown the programme had other benefits for students, such as improved mental health and wellbeing, he said.It also found the programme improved nutrition for 7.3 percent of students, who did not have sufficient access to food at home.Swinburn said Seymour should not "flip it off and say, 'because it's not meeting one of these [measures], then we need to ditch the programme".There was a "suite" of evidence he and other public health advocates wanted to put in front of the minister, he said.Professor Boyd Swinburn. Photo: Supplied"We need to remember that a lot of these kids have poor nutrition, we have very high obesity, we have 35 percent of Māori kids living in households that have food insecurity, and this is definitely a benefit for whānau resources when it comes to trying to pay for the expenses of food."According to results from the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) - a worldwide study looking at 15-year-olds' achievement - students living with food insecurity were, on average, two to four years behind their schoolmates, Swinburn said."You can imagine trying to learn maths when your stomach is grumbling because you haven't had breakfast and you haven't had lunch."Dr Pippa McKelvie-Sebileau has been researching the effectiveness of the programme, particularly in Hawke's Bay.She said the difference in achievement when students missed meals was "pretty stark", even accounting for other factors associated with hunger, like socioeconomic deprivation.▶ LISTEN "Students who are missing meals up to every day are four years behind in their learning" - Dr Pippa McKelvie Sebileau durationAs well as the Pisa study, data from the Trends in International Maths and Science study showed "the same enormous differences" in achievement between students with enough food and those who went hungry, McKelvie-Sebileau said.While the Treasury study did not show an improvement in attendance in students receiving free school lunches, it was carried out in 2021 "during a really bizarre time" - the aftermath of the Covid-19 lockdowns, when "it was really hard to get students into schools", she said.Cutting the programme would make it incredibly difficult for some whānau to make ends meet, McKelvie-Sebileau said."The cost of food has increased, the cost of living has increased and to add that to their family bill would really be a tragedy."'Not necessarily' fewer children, schools getting lunches - LuxonPrime Minister Christopher Luxon said the review of the programme did "not necessarily" mean fewer children or schools would receive the free lunches.National promised during the election campaign to continue the programme, but with some changes to make it more efficient."Our coalition agreement's really clear, we are supporters of the school lunch programme - but like every programme across this country, and government, we are very determined to make sure that we can make it more efficient, more effective and make sure there's less waste," Luxon said at the weekly post-Cabinet media briefing."What it means is, look, the school lunch programme has been in place, we had a Labour government that was going to stop funding it on January 2025 - end of story, there's no money going into school lunches beyond January 2025."We believe in the programme. We are now funding the programme, but we want to make sure that it's been effective. That's quite a good question to ask a few years down the road as the programme's got bigger and as we have made a big commitment to fund it - to make sure we're getting a return on it."The previous Labour government discontinued funding for the programme from the end of this year, but confirmed during the election campaign it would continue to fund it at the current settings.Principal warns school will have to buy lunches for kids if programme axedWestport South School principal Craig Adams told Midday Report the lunch programme "enables success for our students".He was alarmed at news it was under review. Before it began, "some students were just not having a school lunch", he said.▶ LISTEN "Families are really struggling at the moment" - Craig Adams "We would constantly have to be buying and supplying school lunches out of our operating grant, which takes away from other initiatives that we need to pay for in school."For some people, who can't afford [groceries], school lunches are a real lifeline."About 230 children, or 80 percent of the students at Westport South School, received lunches through the programme.Adams said he could not speak to the wider issue of wasted lunches, but said company that supplied his school also supplied another in the area, which had a later lunch break.Any lunches not eaten at Westport South were then taken to the other school, so wastage was minimal, he said."Our process is pretty streamlined."Associate Education Minister David Seymour. Photo: RNZ / Samuel RillstoneSeymour told Nine to Noon he took the issue of free school lunches "extremely seriously".He said the government was in a "difficult position", as the previous government had committed to the spending programme "without commissioning any robust empirical study to evaluate its effectiveness"."What's worse, the evidence that is in place indicates that the free school lunch programme has not improved attendance or achievement in any measurable way," he said."I will be looking at what evidence we do have, and what feedback we get from the community, in order to make a decision that balances the country's books and the expectations people have around the free school lunch programme."Seymour told Checkpoint there was agreement among all three parties in the coalition government that a programme offering taxpayer-funded school lunches would continue in "some form".What exactly that would look like was still up for discussion, he said.He was looking to cut its funding by between 30 and 50 percent - a government saving of between $100m and $160m - but did not want to name an exact figure while he was still receiving advice on the programme, he said.To make those savings, either the number of schools or students receiving the lunches could be cut, or the programme itself could be changed.'It's making a real difference'But a Porirua Principal said free lunch in schools was the most successful education initiative she had ever seen rolled out.Porirua College feeds more than 1000 students a day across the city under the scheme.Principal Ragne Maxwell said she was deeply disappointed the government wanted to reduce funding."It's making a real difference for young people and their ability to learn, attend school and succeed with their work. Removing any support from it is going to cut back on the effectiveness of the programme or the number of people it's trying to reach."Maxwell said if the government wanted to eliminate wasteful spending it should equip more schools to deliver free lunches themselves.She said the coalition could free up funds by cutting the profit margin for businesses providing lunches."We cook the lunches ourselves in our school, obviously we're not making any profit from the situation. Now not all schools have those facilities but where you can set up schools to be able to deliver without there being any question of profit being put in anyone's pocket, that's where I think you'll get the really targeted, effective use of money."Maxwell said feeding kids at school was having a direct effect on learning outcomes.This story was originally published by RNZ

NEW TO THE APP - Professional Services
NEW TO THE APP - Professional Services

03 March 2024, 5:28 PM

More local businesses’ under Professional Services for you to check out⚖ Vicki Morrison-Shaw is a Barrister & Commissioner, working in the areas of: Resource Management; Local Government; Environmental; Marine and Coastal; Māori Land. Vicki is also an accredited Resource Management Act Hearings Commissioner. 📷 Hotshots Creative Photography are based in Warkworth and offer fun and sensitive photoshoots for families, love stories, weddings, commercial, real estate, fine art, albums, and finally, aerial drone photography. 📏 Resource Planning Inc provide quality environmental planning and resource consent advice. They assist in:Subdivision Applications; Minor Household Units; Esplanade Reduction Waivers; Development Control Infringements; Visitor Accommodation; Commercial and Retail Developments; Planning Appraisals and Project Assessments; Retrospective Planning Consents; Wetland Planning; Boundary Adjustments; Transferable Titles; Renovations. 🟩 LDE – Engineering Consultants have offices around New Zealand with one in Whangarei and another in Warkworth. They offer:Consents; Civil and Coastal Engineering;Drilling Services; Geology and Environmental Engineering; Geotechnical; Geophysics Structural Engineering.  ⚖ John Allen Law in Warkworth, specialise in:Property (Residential, Commercial, Farm); Wills, Trusts and Estates; Business Sale/Purchase/Lease; Elder Law. 📱 If you want your business to be on the App get in [email protected] or Contact

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