Tamihere wants to privatise half of Watercare
John Tamihere has caused jaws throughout the region to drop by proposing that half of Watercare is privatised.
Environment
water
How To Get There 13/1/19
Welcome to TS’s Sunday think piece. It’s a blank sheet, a tabula rasa, waiting for your thoughts on the future and How To Get There.
North Carolina and Hurricane Florence
North Carolina Republicans’ refusal to accept that climate change exists means that Hurricane Florence’s effects are going to be greater than they should be.
No Waimea dam
With the change in Government and ever increasing costs of construction it appears that the Waimea dam project in Tasman District is going to be scuppered.
Who protects us from water companies?
New Zealand seriously needs a water regulator. Something that will show that each catchment can withstand having that much taken out of it, and that it is being sold for a fair price, and ensures everyone has access to beautiful-quality water.
In defence of Eugenie Sage
Eugenie Sage has been criticised for granting OIO consent to the foreign buy out of a water bottling company and a piece of sensitive land. But from the looks of the details that have been released she may have had no choice.
A Great Business Opportunity
410 ppm. And rising.
Activists bring Mataura River poo to the Environment Southland
“Epic #ShowDontTell action”
Fonterra a failure in concept and in practice
New Zealanders 17 years ago accepted the idea of a national dairy monopoly on the condition it would deliver outstanding returns. The cost has been high — filthy and unswimmable rivers. Now it turns out the result has been a financial fiasco – the whole thing is literally bullshit, or more correctly, cowshit.
Drip, drip, drip…
In the middle of the Southland drought, people in Invercargill are no longer allowed to water their gardens.
Cape Town
A 100 day count down.
TPP, Corporate Coup or “Free trade”?
However. TPP ( The trans Pacific partnership) is NOT a “Free trade” agreement. It is an attempt to cement in corporate power, to override inconvenient local Democracy, and collect rents from local communities in perpetuity.
Since when was giving large companies extra rights in law, and rights to extract even more economic rents, “Free trade”?
Aquifer recharge
Lifelong angler John Hodgson explains why the water table in Canterbury and what we are doing to it matters.
(post updated with recommendations)
The mess that the new government inherits
This post is too long to read. Its purpose is to serve as reference material, a “one stop” snapshot of where we are as a country. The mess that the new government inherits. The consequences of the nine long wasted years of National. The magnitude of the challenge ahead of us.
Industrial dairying and blue babies
When you run an economy that sees harm to babies as acceptable risks that can be mitigated, then you are approaching society’s end game.
The environmental open letter to political party leaders
Climate, water, conservation. Whoever forms government now has a citizenry with high expectations for the environment.
National the anti-environmental party
You can stop the silly chat now media – the Greens can’t go into coalition with National because of their members, their social polices… but mainly because of their environmental policies.
Good work if you can get it
During the election campaign elements of the farming community protested the possibility of a water tax and of farming being in the ETS on the basis the sector could not afford it. In awkward news it has since come to light that the Chief Executive of Fonterra and senior executives are being paid huge salaries.
The Green Party Policy Manifesto (fully costed and seriously progressive)
The Greens have a fully costed plan of their goals for New Zealand’s future. Anything but boring, this is bold vision, progressive values, and detailed planning as well as solid economics for the fiscal geeks.
Mike Joy honoured and Ecan occupied
The inaugural Critic and Conscience of Society Award is given to Dr Mike Joy, and protestors take their protest to Environment Canterbury .
Lets talk about tax policy
Tax is emerging as the big issue of this campaign. How valid are National’s claims that Labour will introduce a variety of new taxes and what has National’s record been like? Update: in a smart tactical move Labour has promised no new taxes will be introduced until after the next election.
A meeting in Wanaka
Ad reports on a recent meeting in Wanaka where David Parker addressed farmers face to face on Labour’s water policy.
NRT: National resorts to racism on water
I/S at No Right Turn: ”
This isn’t a “Pandora’s box”. The model for an easy, full and final settlement to resolve this exists, and iwi are keen. What is lacking is goodwill from the government to sign it. And Finlayson knows all this – so he is actively trying to mislead the New Zealand public about it, trying to appeal to the racism of rednecks in order to protect the stolen “rights” of a privileged few”.
Labour’s water policy – Clean rivers for future generations
Labour has announced its water policy. Details include higher swimming water quality standards, a work task force to get young people off the dole replanting riperian margins and charges for commercial consumers with the royalties being paid to regional councils.
Rain doesn’t cause most floods, humans do
What to do with all the water falling from the sky? Some choices are smarter than others.
Waimea a good dam?
The proposed Waimea Dam in Nelson is attracting opposition from the Green Party but support from the Labour Party. Is there such a thing as a good dam project?
Green Party announcement: charging on water bottling and a moratorium on new plants
As part of their water policy the Greens intend to charge bottling companies for water take, and to put a moratorium on new bottling plants until NZ decides what is the best way to protect our water. They also want to improve regulations across the board to make drinking water safe.
The Government is misrepresenting the effect of the Ruataniwha Dam decision
The Government has responded to the Supreme Court decision which puts a halt on the Ruataniwha Dam by claiming wrongly that the protected land was of low quality and by stating that a law change, possibly retrospective, will occur.
Plundering of water
The company behind the attempted water extraction operation in Ashburton is now trying to build the largest production bottling plant in the southern hemisphere in Waikato.
Labour clarifies position on irrigation and bottled water
“We remain committed to setting a resource rental for large water take for irrigation at a fair and affordable price.”
Greens to contest Nick Smith’s seat in Nelson
Nelson city councillor Matt Lawrey is to run a two tick campaign with the full backing of the party.
Oil and Water Mix.
Our economic paradigm (market capitalism) and oil don’t mix. False hope (BECCS) and survival doesn’t mix. Current political settings (Paris pledges produce 3- 4 degrees C warming with the US on board) and intelligent action don’t mix. Incrementalism (time is not on our side) and AGW doesn’t mix. Whatever can’t be mixed into some AGW solution needs to be flushed.
Scary, huh? Well, yes and no…
The Freshwater Rescue Plan
Seven steps to reclaiming our lakes, rivers, streams and aquifers.
Catherine Delahunty: My Mataura River visit
Green Party Spokesperson for Water, Catherine Delahunty, has been down South as part of the Greens’ Swimmable Rivers Tour. She reports on restoration of the Mataura River, farmers doing the right thing, and the community being further ahead than the government on water.
No one owns water, apart from corporations who sell it …
The Herald has reported that ordinary New Zealanders are paying 500 times as much for water as corporations who export it.
Rivers of poo protest
Photo: Fairfax / T Manch