100% renewable – but at a price
The Government appears to accept the inevitability of the Tiwai Point smelter closing even though talks between New Zealand Aluminium Smelters and the Government...
Parker moves to quell farmer protests
Environment Minister David Parker's freshwater reforms have struck another hurdle, and a backdown on part of them is imminent. Opposition from Southland farmers to strict...
The new RMA: fewer plans and consents, more Government direction and Maori involvement
The Randerson report on the Resource Management Act yesterday splits the Act in two and subtly moves power in the planning system towards the...
A little bit the Muldoon way
National's new leader Judith Collins plans to bypass the Resource Management Act for all of the upper North Island infrastructure projects announced last Friday.
The...
Where the water reforms will end up
The Government has now committed to what will end up being the most radical upheaval of local Government since the Auckland city merger. This time...
Shane Jones blames the Greens
The Government’s promise to spend $3 billion creating shovel ready jobs for those unemployed because of Covid-19 has run into a Parliamentary logjam. The legislation...
Swimming together; the coalition agrees on freshwater reforms
As expected Environment Minister David Parker unveiled the Government’s almost-final freshwater reforms yesterday with a backdown on the controversial dissolved inorganic nitrogen limits.
Now the...
NZ First forces Parker backdown
Intense lobbying by agriculture groups and the opposition of NZ First has forced Environment Minister David Parker to back off some of his tough...
Holding up the recovery
Environment Minister David Parker has yet to seal the deal to get the numbers to pass his fast track RMA changes through Parliament. Any delays...
Parker’s new fast track RMA law may only be the start
The Government yesterday moved to allow infrastructure projects to circumvent the Resource Management Act. There are plans to rush the proposals through Parliament. And then there...
We’ve got a long way to go yet
One of Auckland biggest construction projects – presumably the Convention Centre --- will only be able to operate at 30 per under its usual...
Behind the scenes at Parker’s freshwater battle
The battle of the waterways took another turn yesterday with the release of a major report on their state.
The report produced by the Ministry...
After the lockdown, here comes the biggest construction boom – ever.
The construction industry should be back to work in May on a vast infrastructure build that is likely to be the biggest in New...
Jones answers the “rednecks”
Forestry Minister Shane Jones is working on major changes to the one billion trees programme.
This comes after a vocal farmer protest movement set up...
Climate change’s odd couple almost agree
Climate Change Minister James Shaw has thrown down the gauntlet to politicians by yesterday announcing the members of the Climate Change Commission.
All six of...
