Local Opinion

The mountains around us

While volcanoes can produce stressful and scary events, they are a critical part of our planet’s natural processes and they enhance life on Earth in very important ways. Locally, old volcanic deposits have weathered down…

Help when it’s needed

This column comes to you from the Emerald Isle. That’s right, I’m in Ireland- land of my forbears on my mother’s side. My grandfather’s family business interests were wiped out with the collapse of the…

Time for another shake-up

The major state-sector reforms of the late 1980s gave the New Zealand public sector a huge shake-up. Its size was significantly reduced and its performance significantly improved. The impact of these reforms has gradually faded…

Getting the planning right

Masterplans are an important part of ensuring our town develops in a cohesive and holistic way, writes Cambridge Community Board deputy chair Elise Badger. Masterplans avoid ad hoc development, future proof amenities and hopefully, prevent…

Teamwork gets results

I hope everyone relaxed over Labour weekend and had safe travels. Last week we had another good catch with help from members of the public. A young person escaped from the custody of his caregiver…

Time to start planning

Plan Change One (PC1), Waikato Regional Council’s proposed regulatory framework to better manage freshwater in the Waikato and Waipa river catchments has finally reached the Environment Court hearing stage. This is the final part of…

Eruptions and agriculture

Part of being prepared for volcanic eruptions is understanding what aspects of our lives might be impacted. Many may remember how the Eyjafjallajökull (or “that Icelandic volcano”) eruption shut down airways over Europe in 2010,…

Musings from days at sea

A quiet night. A calm sea. The only sounds disturbing eternal peace are the lapping of the water as the bow pushes aside the warm Pacific Ocean and the ticking of the course change gyro…

‘Leave out the wax please…’

That headline is very relevant headline in the aftermath of an election. Allow me to qualify that statement. There was apparently a time back in the ancient world when the Romans were commissioning marble sculptures…

If you see it, report it

Starting with a good resolution – police became aware of a serious assault that happened recently in town. The good news is that people have been identified and are being held to account. It highlighted…

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