Waikato Regional Council recently closed down its “Shovel Ready Programme” of work, following a successful completion of a number of relatively significant projects that delivered considerable benefit to our region. As background, as part of…
Waikato Regional Council recently closed down its “Shovel Ready Programme” of work, following a successful completion of a number of relatively significant projects that delivered considerable benefit to our region. As background, as part of…
As a scientist who studies the world we live in and how it impacts us, I deeply value the social sciences. It is human involvement that turns a hazard into a disaster. When we have…
Recent wrestling over the Treaty Principles Bill has stirred up some unfortunate engagements around reinterpreting Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Beyond debate is the historical record of painful breaches by government that have dishonoured the Treaty’s…
Conscious that this is my last opinion offering for 2024 I have elected to be a little reflective with a wee touch of future thinking. This has been – and continues to be – a…
With the holiday season soon to be in full swing, the message is again one of protecting yourself from opportunistic crime, socialising sensibly and driving safely. This week we have had a few reported burglaries,…
Parking plans I have now read several articles on parking recently that all put up an argument from different perspectives. Previously, I served at Heart of Gisborne for six years, including three as City Manager,…
Early in the morning of 10 June 1886, surveyor John Rochfort in Kihikihi experienced a bizarre show on the horizon beyond Maungatautari. “I was awakened by what sounded like an irregular discharge of artillery… I…
Among several coins that I have dating from the antiquities is a genuine ‘widow’s mite’. Also known as a lepton, meaning ‘small,’ these coins were made of bronze. Their tiny size matches their value –…
As I have previously said, it has been an interesting experience getting involved in local government as a councillor. We are currently working through our Long Term Plan and trying to minimise future rates rises…
On November 27 the Reserve Bank reduced their Official Cash Rate by 50 basis points to 4.25 per cent. This was what most market participants had been expecting, though a few were hoping for a…
