Source: United States Coast Guard
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U.S. Coast Guard 8th District Heartland |
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Source: New Zealand Government
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has asked the Natural Hazards Commission (NHC) to make changes to how it delivers the On-sold support package to prevent a cost blowout while helping eligible homeowners repair their homes in a timely manner.
The On-sold programme was set up by the Government in 2019 as a time-limited offer of support for owners of eligible on-sold over-cap properties in Canterbury. Applicants had 12 months to apply for an ex-gratia payment towards the cost of having their homes repaired for remaining earthquake damage. Applications for the programme closed on 14 October 2020.
“The On-sold programme has supported over 800 Canterbury homeowners to complete repairs and move back into their homes, and hundreds more are in the process of doing so,” says Mr Seymour.
““The programme was never intended to continue indefinitely though, so the Government is making changes to simplify it, encourage timely settlement for these remaining homeowners, and avoid delays that add to programme costs.
“Initial cost estimates for the programme in 2019 had it at $250 million. By June 2024 the estimated cost of the completed programme is at $717.9 million. Instead of allowing a rolling maul of cost increases, we’re putting a full stop on the programme in a way that allows applicants fair settlement.
The following changes come into effect immediately:
“The Government wants to see earthquake damage to residential properties repaired as soon as possible so Cantabrians don’t continue to live in earthquake-damaged homes,” says Mr Seymour.
“Other changes reinforce the need to manage costs in the programme. From 23 December, a further limit will be applied to settlements where the homeowner has chosen to purchase a new home.”
The amount of the repair grant that can be repurposed will be limited to the market value of the building(s) at the on-sold property – assuming the damage eligible for remediation through this programme did not exist – plus the costs of demolishing the damaged on-sold property. The other existing parameters for, and limits to, these alternative settlement payments will continue to apply; and NHC will continue to verify the appropriateness of proposed costs on behalf of the Crown.
“The NHC is communicating the changes to homeowners in the programme today and will be in contact with each homeowner over the next two days with information about what this means for their specific situation,” says Mr Seymour.
“There are around 250 applicants in the programme who have not yet signed a Settlement Deed. I hope these changes will lead to positive outcomes and certainty for these applicants.
“I’m happy that we’re delivering an outcome that benefits everyone – with remaining applications on track without creating more costs for taxpayers.”
Note to editors: Further information is available at https://www.naturalhazards.govt.nz/insurance-and-claims/canterbury-earthquake/on-sold-over-cap-properties/about-the-on-sold-support-package/
Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council
Spearheaded by the Waimate High School Enviro-Group, the project will see a shade house built at the school and approximately 2000 trees planted.
At recent Lower Waitaki South Coastal Canterbury Water Zone Committee meetings, the group was successful in having two funding requests approved.
Group facilitator and Head of Science Aaron Harbour says the Enviro-Group had attracted approximately 20 students, each showing a keen interest to learn about seed propagation.
The group will predominantly grow native trees and grasses, with the shade house helping to accelerate the growth of kowhai trees in the coming months.
“The students wanted a space of their own to put their environmental ideas into reality, and the shade house achieves this,” Aaron said.
“Having the shade house on school grounds is great for the students and it also gives us the opportunity to bring the community in at various times to get involved. We also hope that in the future this space will serve as a living classroom where students can learn about native plants, sustainable gardening practices, and the importance of biodiversity and ecological communities.”
The group hopes the planting initiative will help establish a legacy project as part of the school’s revolutionary Ag Hub initiative – encouraging students to plant a tree when they first arrive in year 7 and again, when they leave.
The project aligns with the committee’s goal of engaging with young people and supporting educational projects that raise awareness of environmental issues in the zone.
The first batch of trees (500) have already been planted, with the next round of planting scheduled later this month. Other plant species to be introduced include tarata (lemonwood), kōhūhū (black matipo), kanuka (kunzea robusta), among others.
Propagation will officially get underway in term one, next year.
Environment Canterbury © 2024
Retrieved: 12:04pm, Mon 04 Nov 2024
ecan.govt.nz/get-involved/news-and-events/zone-news/lower-waitaki/waimate-high-schools-enviro-group-initiative-takes-root/
Source: Tasmania Police
Disappointing driver behaviour over long weekend
Monday, 4 November 2024 – 10:22 am.
Police have expressed disappointment after several people were caught drink and drug driving, speeding, not wearing seat belts, using mobile phones illegally and driving without a licence in the North West over the weekend.
Inspector Adam Spencer from Western Road Policing Services said police were upfront that officers would be out in force over the long weekend.
“We were out and about in rural and popular tourist areas as we said we would be,” he said.
“This included a major police operation in the Smithton and Arthur River areas, and the results were very disappointing.”
“Between Queenstown, Smithton, Devonport and Burnie, our police issued 24 infringement notices.”
“Police will again be out in force as the long weekend continues today, you can expect to see us again on highways, urban and rural roads.”
“Please do the right thing and obey the road rules so everyone can get home safely.”
Results included:
28-year-old man intercepted in Devonport and returned a reading of 0.243, almost five times the legal limit. Disqualified from driving and will appear in court.
40-year-old Burnie woman intercepted following reports she was driving under the influence after leaving a licensed premises. Returned a reading of 0.178. Disqualified from driving and will appear in court.
66-year-old Montagu man caught drink driving and not wearing a seatbelt. Disqualified from driving and will appear in court.
60-year-old Boat Harbour man returned a positive drug test and quantities of a controlled substance were located in his vehicle. He will be summoned to court.
26-year-old Devonport man caught hooning. He was arrested and charged and the vehicle was clamped.
33-year-old Devonport woman caught driving disqualified. Will appear in court.
43-year-old Irish Town man detected speeding 32km/h over the posted limit on Blackwater Road, West Coast. Given five demerit points and a $606 fine.
59-year-old Port Sorell man detected speeding 33km/h over the posted limit on Backline Road, Forest. Given five demerit points and a $606 fine.
Source: Australian Ministers 1
As part of the Albanese and Rockliff governments’ commitment to improving the state’s regional healthcare, the new Tasmanian home of the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) is a step closer, with planning and design works underway.
The $21.3 million redevelopment will support the RFDS to expand its operations, and was made possible by $15 million from the Albanese Government, $6 million from the Rockliff Government, and additional support from the RFDS.
The new base at Launceston Airport will boost capacity for rotary and fixed-wing aircraft, as well as ground vehicle transfers, and will include space needed to cater for surge workers through either infectious disease outbreaks, or for fire-fighting personnel to tackle bushfires.
This will enable the RFDS to increase outreach support such as mobile mental health services, mobile dental services, and mobile general practitioner services – and support them to deliver urgent care to people across regional Tasmania.
Federal Minister for Regional Development and Local Government, Kristy McBain joined Federal Member for Lyons, Brian Mitchell last week to inspect the site of the new base, and to receive an update on the project.
Up to 62 full time jobs will be supported during the construction phase, with up to 41 ongoing jobs in the healthcare sector set to be created once operational in 2027.
When completed, the facility will also house staff and equipment for other emergency service providers, including Ambulance Tasmania, Tasmanian Police and the Fixed Wing Aeromedical Providers.
Quotes attributable to Federal Minister for Regional Development and Local Government, Kristy McBain:
“It was fantastic to visit RFDS Tasmania to see planning work on this important redevelopment progressing – a region-shaping project made possible thanks to $15 million from the Albanese Government.
“Your postcode shouldn’t impact the quality of your healthcare, which is why we’re partnering with the RFDS to improve and expand their services across regional Australia – with this project to ensure Tasmanians can continue to access support when they need it.”
Quotes attributable to Tasmanian Minister for Health, Jacquie Petrusma:
“The Tasmanian Liberal Government’s $6 million investment for the new base will enable the RFDS to continue its vital work.
“Not only will this project improve access to healthcare across regional Tasmania, it will support local jobs during construction, and once the upgraded site is operational.”
Quotes attributable to Federal Member for Lyons, Brian Mitchell:
“While the RFDS’s current home in Tasmania has served the community for 20 years, our government is getting on with updating the site ensure it continues to provide the service Tasmanian needs and deserves.
“By securing the future of the Royal Flying Doctor Service at Launceston Airport, we’re ensuring that the RFDS can continue to deliver lifesaving care throughout our state, from clinic charter services to road transfers.”
Quotes attributable to RFDS Tasmania Board Chair, Malcolm White and CEO Nicole Henty:
“The Royal Flying Doctor Service Tasmania is delighted to be building a new world class facility. We are grateful to both the Federal and State Governments for coming together to support this initiative and help us construct this base at Launceston Airport”
“This is an exciting development for the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Tasmania and we look forward to developing an aeromedical base that all Tasmanians can be proud of.”
Source: New South Wales Ministerial News
The NSW Government has approved a modification to a large-scale wind farm in the state’s Central West which will deliver enough energy to the grid to power 730,000 homes.
The Liverpool Range Wind Farm was approved in 2018 with a modification sought in 2022 to utilise more efficient technology to increase its energy generation with fewer turbines.
The $2 billion renewable energy project, northeast of Mudgee, will create 550 construction jobs and 47 operational jobs for the Central West economy.
The local community will also benefit with $35 million to be delivered to local councils through Voluntary Planning Agreements.
Following consultation with the community the applicant reduced the number of turbines from 267 to 185 to reduce the visual impacts.
The modification will see an increase in the project’s maximum energy generation capacity by 370 megawatts to 1.3 gigawatts, with capacity to power an additional 200,000 homes across the state.
Achieving this additional power was made possible through the use of more efficient turbines and increasing the maximum wind turbine height from 165 to 215 metres.
The project will help prevent 2.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere across NSW during its first full year of operation.
This State Significant Development is located within the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), which the NSW Government considers a strategic area with strong renewable energy resource potential.
Projects like this are critical to Labor’s Energy Plan to deliver cleaner, more affordable energy to the grid while creating thousands of jobs and boosting regional economies.
In its assessment, the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) worked closely with the community, councils and government agencies to address visual, biodiversity, traffic and transport impacts.
The department has set a suite of conditions to make sure any potential impacts are effectively minimised, managed and offset.
For more information see: https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/projects/mod-1-turbine-and-infrastructure-changes
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:
“NSW is leading a once-in-a-generation upgrade of the electricity network by building the infrastructure we need to power our state into the future.
“The Liverpool Range Wind Farm will generate jobs during its construction and operational phases, while also providing long-lasting benefits to the local area through community contributions over the life of project.
“This is a good example of the applicant working with the local community and the final result being material changes to the proposal that address visual impacts.”
Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority
Belinda Peterson in her damaged Keysborough home
Belinda Peterson was just one of more than 1000 at-risk people across rural and regional Victoria to receive free smoke alarms and assistance from CFA and RACV since April.
Now having lived first-hand through the wrath of an unnerving house fire, Belinda could not be more grateful for the timely maintenance visit that allowed her smoke alarms to alert her out of danger.
The fortunate getaway has inspired her to spur on any Victorians requiring assistance to seek out their local fire brigade or to ask questions if they are unsure about the condition of their smoke alarms.
“I am incredibly lucky I had my new smoke alarms. The fact that I am above 60, single and unable to reach the heights of those ceilings meant I needed help,” Belinda said.
“It was a case of calling my local fire brigade and having them come round and install them for myself and my neighbour.
“Although the units didn’t need to be changed, they did replace the back up batteries that were well and truly out of date and cleaned them all thoroughly before performing tests to ensure they were working before they left.”
Reality hit just four months later when Belinda routinely retrieved her Lite n’ Easy polystyrene box from the front door and placed it on her bench.
“The box was full of meals and dry ice and as I have limited space in the apartment, I put the box on the stovetop bench where I would usually prep food,” Belinda said.
“When I picked up the box, I had noticed the plants in the front of my courtyard were very dry, so once I took it inside, I went back outside to water them.
“My neighbour came over and were chatting for only about two minutes before the smoke and alarms came billowing.
“The stove wasn’t on when I initially placed down the box, but from that movement it made contact with the ignition button and as a result sparked a flame and ultimately the fire.”
As her fire blanket was under the stove, quick thinking saw Belinda grab doonas off the bed to suppress the fire, however when unsuccessful she made a safe exit outside to call triple zero.
“You need to have a very clear idea of what your escape areas are in your house or unit, because really, I only had the front door and the glass doors at the back. I have no side windows at all,” Belinda said.
“When my kids were younger and we were in a bigger house, we discussed our escape routes, and I encourage everyone to have a fire blanket stored somewhere logical and easily accessible.”
While fire services were able to extinguish the remaining fire and ventilate the house, damage was contained to the microwave, kitchen cabinets, stovetop and plaster throughout the kitchen. Belinda is still unable to return home.
CFA recommends all smoke alarms in the home be powered by a 10-year lithium battery, be interconnected and installed in every bedroom, living area and hallway on your property.
All smoke alarms, even hard-wired ones, have a lifespan of around 10 years and should be replaced after that. Residents should also test smoke alarms monthly and clean or dust them yearly.
For more information on the Smoke Alarm Installation Program and safety tips, visit the CFA website.
| Submitted by | CFA media |
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Source: Amnesty International –
With millions of people already displaced by climate change disasters in Africa, the richer countries most responsible for global warming must agree at the COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan to fully pay for the catastrophic loss of homes and damage to livelihoods taking place across the continent, Amnesty International said. They must also fully fund African governments’ adaptation measures to prevent further forced displacement, stop human rights violations and help them achieve a fast and fair phaseout of fossil fuel production and use.
These same countries must then follow up on their agreement by urgently financing the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage, the main international fund addressing climate change’s unavoidable harms. So far, such countries have pledged less than USD 700 million of the 400 billion dollars that lower-income countries estimate they need for loss and damage by 2030. Meanwhile, adaptation may cost USD 30 to 50 billion per year in sub-Saharan Africa alone. International financial institutions must ensure equitable distribution of the money to African countries based on need.
African people have contributed the least to climate change, yet from Somalia to Senegal, Chad to Madagascar, we are suffering a terrible toll of this global emergency.
Samira Daoud, Amnesty International Regional Director for West and Central Africa
“African people have contributed the least to climate change, yet from Somalia to Senegal, Chad to Madagascar, we are suffering a terrible toll of this global emergency which has driven millions of people from their homes. It’s time for the countries who caused all this devastation to pay up so African people can adapt to the climate change catastrophe,” said Samira Daoud, Amnesty International Regional Director for West and Central Africa.
Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements
The Prime Minister is set to announce an additional £75 million to boost border security, bringing the investment in the Border Security Command over the next two years to £150 million.
The Prime Minister is set to announce an additional £75 million to boost border security, bringing the investment in the Border Security Command over the next two years to £150 million.
Marking the first time the INTERPOL General Assembly has been hosted in the UK in over 50 years, Keir Starmer will today (4 November) open the Assembly in Glasgow by setting out his personal mission to smash the people smuggling gangs by resetting the UK’s whole approach to this challenge and intensifying international collaboration to meet the global scale of the threat.
The General Assembly is INTERPOL’s supreme governing body and comprises senior ministerial and policing leads from the organisation’s 196 member states.
In his speech, the Prime Minister will set out his plans to draw on his experience of bringing together agencies to tackle international terrorist and drug smuggling gangs during his time as Director of Public Prosecutions to dismantle the people smuggling gangs who drive illegal migration, profit from human misery and represent a serious threat to global security.
He will also set out how the £150 million will provide additional specialist investigators and state of the art surveillance equipment to ensure those behind this criminal activity are stopped and brought to justice.
This major funding boost for the government’s new Border Security Command will initially be directed towards a range of enforcement and intelligence activity, including:
Creating a new specialist OIC Intelligence Source Unit which will cohere intelligence flows from key police forces.
The Border Security Command, led by Martin Hewitt CBE QPM, will be provided with enhanced powers – through a new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill – to tackle organised immigration crime whilst providing for strong and effective border security.
New measures will make it easier to detect, disrupt and deter those seeking to engage in and benefit from organised immigration crime. The Command will also coordinate the work of intelligence agencies and law enforcement, who lead joint investigations with European counterparts to ensure we can bring those responsible to justice.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to say:
“The world needs to wake up to the severity of this challenge. I was elected to deliver security for the British people. And strong borders are a part of that. But security doesn’t stop at our borders.
“There’s nothing progressive about turning a blind eye as men, women and children die in the Channel.
“This is a vile trade that must be stamped out – wherever it thrives. So we’re taking our approach to counter-terrorism – which we know works, and applying it to the gangs, with our new Border Security Command.
“We’re ending the fragmentation between policing, Border Force and our intelligence agencies.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:
“Criminal smuggler gangs profit from undermining our border security and putting lives at risk and they have been getting away with it for far too long.
“Our new Border Security Command, with the investment set out today, will mean a huge step change in the way we target these criminal gangs. People smugglers and traffickers operate in networks across borders, that’s why we have launched a major boost to our cooperation with international partners including other European countries, the G7 and Europol, and why we are so pleased to be hosting the INTERPOL conference on tackling international crime in Glasgow today.”
The Prime Minister will also announce that the UK Government has increased its in-year support for INTERPOL’s global operations through a £6 million investment which harnesses the organisation’s unique capabilities to tackle serious organised crime affecting the UK.
Addressing the General Assembly, the Prime Minister will say that closer cooperation with international partners is key as he details how the gangs’ operations span from the money markets in Kabul through to the Kurdish region of Iraq and right across Europe and into the UK.
He will stress the government’s ongoing commitment to strengthening security agreements to facilitate greater sharing of intelligence and more joint operational work, in particular through Europol.
The Home Office will also invest £24m in the new financial year to tackle international serious organised crime affecting the UK including drugs and firearms, fraud, trafficking and exploitation. Funds will in part be used to bolster work done by special prosecutors and operational partners in the Western Balkans.
There were more than 5,000 drug related deaths in 2023, with most of the illegal drugs causing these coming from overseas or facilitated by transnational gangs. ISOC funding will also be used to tackle drug smuggling upstream and at the UK border, building on recent successes, such as the effective collaboration with the US and Ecuador, which has resulted in the seizure of 19 tonnes of cocaine.
National Crime Agency Director General Graeme Biggar said:
“Serious and organised crime causes more harm, to more people, more often than any other national security threat. And almost all of serious and organised crime now has an international nexus. Distance, borders and languages are meaningless to criminals. This is why collaborations with INTERPOL have never been as important as they are today.
“Tackling organised crime, and especially immigration crime, remains a top priority for the NCA. We are currently leading around 70 investigations into the gangs or individuals involved in the highest echelons of this type of criminality, and we are devoting more resources to it than ever before.
“We have built up our intelligence sharing effort with law enforcement partners across Europe and beyond, including having more NCA officers based overseas, sharing intelligence and working side by side on joint investigations. This approach is bringing operational results with arrests and prosecutions, but we are also we are seeking to disrupt the people smugglers’ business model, through targeting their social media offering, their supply routes for equipment, and their financial flows.
“We are determined to do all we can to disrupt and dismantle these networks, wherever they operate.”
The announcement comes just a month after Britain joined up to a new G7 anti migrant smuggling action plan which included pledges to bolster border security, combat transnational organised crime, and protect vulnerable individuals from exploitation by smugglers.
The plan includes new, intelligence-led joint investigative actions to target criminal smuggling routes, working with social media platforms and internet providers to remove harmful content promoting illegal migration services or advertising fake job opportunities, and strengthening capabilities to monitor and anticipate irregular migration flows at both global and regional levels.
Source: Ministers for Social Services
E&OE TRANSCRIPT
Topics: Qantas flight upgrades; Airline duopoly; Cost of living; Education; Fee-free TAFE.
SARAH ABO, HOST: Welcome back. Well, more now on the Qantas scandal that’s dominated political headlines in the past week, despite the Government’s attempts to handball it. The competitor airline Virgin now claiming more than 90 per cent of flights for politicians are with Qantas, despite the requirement to choose the cheapest fare. Joining us to discuss today’s headlines is Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth from Canberra and Jacqui Felgate from right here in Melbourne. Good to see you, Jacqui. Amanda, I’ll start with you. So, last time you were on the show, you were less than convincing when it came to your flight upgrades. Have you, as Bridget McKenzie did, find any additional flights that weren’t declared?
AMANDA RISHWORTH, MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES: Look, I have absolutely declared everything is on my register. And as I said last week, I have not had the opportunity to fly many places on holiday because I’ve got two young children. So, look, everything I have declared appropriately on my register.
SARAH ABO: Jason Clare yesterday said that he has made a personal call to Qantas to ask for an upgrade. Have you done the same?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: I haven’t made a personal call to Qantas for an upgrade, but, you know, I’ll let other MPs speak for themselves. But I actually think, Sarah, people are probably getting pretty sick of hearing about the itineraries of politicians – which airline they catch, when they catch it. I think people really want to talk about things that matter to them. Cost of living issues matter to them. That’s what they want to hear politicians talk about and not this sort of obsession about who flies what and where.
SARAH ABO: No, of course. Of course you guys would say that. I guess this does come back to cost of living issues because we know that Qantas dominates the airspace here in Australia. And the problem is for punters is they don’t have much of an option. Virgin has now come out and said that you’re not helping in terms of the politicians federally because you fly Qantas above Virgin rather than choosing the cheapest airfare. Isn’t that the way it should work?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, I can tell you, Sarah, I fly on the airline that gets me home to my kids or that allows me an extra hour with my kids and to still do my work. So, last night I flew Virgin to Canberra and I will fly back on Qantas at the end of the week because both of those flights give me an extra hour with my children. So, I actually do think, once again, people are really getting obsessed with which, when and where politicians fly. It’s just not the case that there is not a focus on cost of living. There needs to be a focus on cost of living rather than when and where politicians fly.
SARAH ABO: I guess the focus, Jacqui, has moved because this is what they should be doing and they’re not doing it. But it’s about public transparency, isn’t it?
JACQUI FELGATE, 3AW RADIO HOST: I think it is. And I also think the publicity for this book, have you ever seen anything like it? Joe Aston must be sitting back and going, thank you very much. But one of the issues today I find really interesting is the Virgin issue.
SARAH ABO: Yeah.
JACQUI FELGATE: Do we need to put a rule in where perhaps 50 per cent of all flights we split between our two big carriers? Because it’s an incredible amount of money.
SARAH ABO: Yeah, 90 per cent as well going to Qantas.
JACQUI FELGATE: And then we’ve got the issue with the slots if we go back to Qatar, not being allowed to have extra slots into Australia. What was the relationship then between the politicians making those decisions and Qantas?
SARAH ABO: Yeah, exactly. It’s all about how cosy they are, aren’t they. All right, well, Amanda, let’s move on, seeing as you’re so keen to. And the Government, it seems, is limbering up for an election, or perhaps just inspired by what you’re seeing in the US at the moment with that rally in Adelaide where new changes to student HECS debts were announced. So, Amanda, if re-elected, you’ve promised sweeping changes which would see student loans not repaid until a salary reaches $67,000. It’ll cost $16 billion. Is it unfair to lump this cost onto taxpayers?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Firstly, I would say that what was announced in Adelaide was really significant. Not only were there higher thresholds, but a 20 per cent wiping of people with student debt. We know a lot of people have been lumped with really significant student debts and it is impacting their lives. It may be affecting how they get a mortgage or whether they can get a mortgage or not. So, actually wiping this debt and increasing the threshold provides real cost of living relief, but also supports people into the future. This is really important for so many people that are starting out after their uni degree that have this significant debt, and this is a real practical measure that we can take to support them.
SARAH ABO: Jacqui, obviously not everyone chooses to study. Economists say this is something that actually favours the wealthy. And the architect of this scheme himself says that this does nothing to improve student living for Australians.
JACQUI FELGATE: No, I agree. And you know where I think the money should really be going, it’s actually more money to TAFE. And I know this system does include some extra funding for TAFE debt as well. But when we look at the university system, do we almost need to look at it on a wider scale now and say, should we be pushing everyone into uni when it doesn’t necessarily suit us? And I know here in Victoria, one of the number one issues is our lack of tradies and our lack of buildings. We have a housing crisis around the country, we cannot get enough builders. And I’d like to see a larger section of that money being pushed into traditional trades to get people into a career that is probably much more suited. There is this real reliance, I think in Australia that you must go to university if you’re a young person.
SARAH ABO: Exactly.
JACQUI FELGATE: And then you’re saddled with a debt that you may never be able to pay off.
SARAH ABO: And that’s the issue, I think, Amanda. I mean, a lot of us, a lot of people do want an education, but not everyone does. And so the problem is those who aren’t getting educated through tertiary means are paying for those who aren’t.
AMANDA RISHWORTH: That’s why part of the announcement yesterday was about making fee-free TAFE permanent. When I look at the impact that fee-free TAFE that we’ve introduced has had in my local TAFE campus at Noarlunga, we see construction coming back onto that TAFE campus, we see motor mechanics coming back onto that TAFE campus. That’s all been as a result of our Government’s fee-free TAFE. And yesterday at the rally, not only did the Prime Minister announce a future where we would support people with student debt, but he announced that he would make fee-free TAFE a permanent feature of our vocational education system. So, Jacqui is absolutely right. We do need to be training in both areas if we’re going to actually achieve the type of job growth into the future.
JACQUI FELGATE: I just think you need more places. If you ask anyone, there are not enough TAFE places, particularly in traditional trades. Like we talk about it on 3AW all the time. If you’ve got a kid that needs to go into that, the waiting list is really long in Victoria.
SARAH ABO: It sure is. All right, a lot to address there. Thank you both so much for joining us today.
Source: United Kingdom – Prime Minister’s Office 10 Downing Street
The Prime Minister is set to announce an additional £75 million to boost border security, bringing the investment in the Border Security Command over the next two years to £150 million.
The Prime Minister is set to announce an additional £75 million to boost border security, bringing the investment in the Border Security Command over the next two years to £150 million.
Marking the first time the INTERPOL General Assembly has been hosted in the UK in over 50 years, Keir Starmer will today (4 November) open the Assembly in Glasgow by setting out his personal mission to smash the people smuggling gangs by resetting the UK’s whole approach to this challenge and intensifying international collaboration to meet the global scale of the threat.
The General Assembly is INTERPOL’s supreme governing body and comprises senior ministerial and policing leads from the organisation’s 196 member states.
In his speech, the Prime Minister will set out his plans to draw on his experience of bringing together agencies to tackle international terrorist and drug smuggling gangs during his time as Director of Public Prosecutions to dismantle the people smuggling gangs who drive illegal migration, profit from human misery and represent a serious threat to global security.
He will also set out how the £150 million will provide additional specialist investigators and state of the art surveillance equipment to ensure those behind this criminal activity are stopped and brought to justice.
This major funding boost for the government’s new Border Security Command will initially be directed towards a range of enforcement and intelligence activity, including:
Creating a new specialist OIC Intelligence Source Unit which will cohere intelligence flows from key police forces.
The Border Security Command, led by Martin Hewitt CBE QPM, will be provided with enhanced powers – through a new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill – to tackle organised immigration crime whilst providing for strong and effective border security.
New measures will make it easier to detect, disrupt and deter those seeking to engage in and benefit from organised immigration crime. The Command will also coordinate the work of intelligence agencies and law enforcement, who lead joint investigations with European counterparts to ensure we can bring those responsible to justice.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to say:
“The world needs to wake up to the severity of this challenge. I was elected to deliver security for the British people. And strong borders are a part of that. But security doesn’t stop at our borders.
“There’s nothing progressive about turning a blind eye as men, women and children die in the Channel.
“This is a vile trade that must be stamped out – wherever it thrives. So we’re taking our approach to counter-terrorism – which we know works, and applying it to the gangs, with our new Border Security Command.
“We’re ending the fragmentation between policing, Border Force and our intelligence agencies.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:
“Criminal smuggler gangs profit from undermining our border security and putting lives at risk and they have been getting away with it for far too long.
“Our new Border Security Command, with the investment set out today, will mean a huge step change in the way we target these criminal gangs. People smugglers and traffickers operate in networks across borders, that’s why we have launched a major boost to our cooperation with international partners including other European countries, the G7 and Europol, and why we are so pleased to be hosting the INTERPOL conference on tackling international crime in Glasgow today.”
The Prime Minister will also announce that the UK Government has increased its in-year support for INTERPOL’s global operations through a £6 million investment which harnesses the organisation’s unique capabilities to tackle serious organised crime affecting the UK.
Addressing the General Assembly, the Prime Minister will say that closer cooperation with international partners is key as he details how the gangs’ operations span from the money markets in Kabul through to the Kurdish region of Iraq and right across Europe and into the UK.
He will stress the government’s ongoing commitment to strengthening security agreements to facilitate greater sharing of intelligence and more joint operational work, in particular through Europol.
The Home Office will also invest £24m in the new financial year to tackle international serious organised crime affecting the UK including drugs and firearms, fraud, trafficking and exploitation. Funds will in part be used to bolster work done by special prosecutors and operational partners in the Western Balkans.
There were more than 5,000 drug related deaths in 2023, with most of the illegal drugs causing these coming from overseas or facilitated by transnational gangs. ISOC funding will also be used to tackle drug smuggling upstream and at the UK border, building on recent successes, such as the effective collaboration with the US and Ecuador, which has resulted in the seizure of 19 tonnes of cocaine.
National Crime Agency Director General Graeme Biggar said:
“Serious and organised crime causes more harm, to more people, more often than any other national security threat. And almost all of serious and organised crime now has an international nexus. Distance, borders and languages are meaningless to criminals. This is why collaborations with INTERPOL have never been as important as they are today.
“Tackling organised crime, and especially immigration crime, remains a top priority for the NCA. We are currently leading around 70 investigations into the gangs or individuals involved in the highest echelons of this type of criminality, and we are devoting more resources to it than ever before.
“We have built up our intelligence sharing effort with law enforcement partners across Europe and beyond, including having more NCA officers based overseas, sharing intelligence and working side by side on joint investigations. This approach is bringing operational results with arrests and prosecutions, but we are also we are seeking to disrupt the people smugglers’ business model, through targeting their social media offering, their supply routes for equipment, and their financial flows.
“We are determined to do all we can to disrupt and dismantle these networks, wherever they operate.”
The announcement comes just a month after Britain joined up to a new G7 anti migrant smuggling action plan which included pledges to bolster border security, combat transnational organised crime, and protect vulnerable individuals from exploitation by smugglers.
The plan includes new, intelligence-led joint investigative actions to target criminal smuggling routes, working with social media platforms and internet providers to remove harmful content promoting illegal migration services or advertising fake job opportunities, and strengthening capabilities to monitor and anticipate irregular migration flows at both global and regional levels.
Source: Australian Ministers 1
The Albanese Government is lifting the nation’s digital capacity with more than nine million homes and businesses able to access the fastest broadband speeds on the National Broadband Network (NBN).
This is an important milestone on the way to enabling ten million premises – or up to 90 per cent of the NBN fixed line network – to access the NBN’s fastest speeds of up to one gigabit per second by the end of 2025.
World-class fibre broadband enables gigabit speeds, allowing for faster upload and downloads, more connected devices, and better reliability for consumers – whether they are videoconferencing for work, enjoying high-definition movies or next-level gaming.
Fibre upgrades are being delivered across the country thanks to the Albanese Government’s significant $2.4 billion investment to roll out fibre to 1.5 million more premises across Australia.
Full fibre connections are delivering productivity benefits, with NBN users saving more than 100 hours and $2,580 per year working from home and undertaking tasks online.
Research shows the NBN has delivered $122 billion in economic uplift since 2022, and has supported the creation of approx 169,000 jobs – the equivalent of a 1.3 per cent increase in Australia’s labour force.
Fibre upgrades are available on-demand to eligible households and businesses who take out an eligible higher speed tier plan.
For more information on NBN Co’s Fibre Upgrade program, visit: https://www.nbnco.com.au/learn/network-technology/fibre-to-the-premises-explained-fttp.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP:
“The Albanese Government is delivering on its vision for Australia to become the most connected continent.
“We are delivering a better NBN for Australia, with nine million homes and businesses now able to access gigabit speeds thanks to Labor’s significant investment in the network.
“Average data usage in Australia has increased ten times over the past ten years, with the average home now hosting 22 internet-connected or smart devices.
“Faster speeds provide a world-class experience for consumers whether they are connecting for work, study or entertainment.
“As Australia’s connectivity needs continue to grow, the Albanese Labor Government will deliver the nation-building infrastructure for the future. And we will ensure the NBN remains in public hands.”
Source: Auckland Council
The city centre’s first regular ReUse Market in 40 years is attracting people from all over Auckland as buyers and sellers.
On the second Sunday of each month, the ground floor of the Victoria Street Carpark becomes a different hive of activity when a diverse group of Aucklanders of all ages and backgrounds come together to sell and swap preloved items.
“The ReUse Market brings together people who are at a stage when they are downsizing or wanting to pass on items they no longer use, young people who love thrifting and everyone in-between,” says ReUse Market organiser Suzanne Kendrick.
Organiser Suzanne Kendrick and fairy helper Phoebe.
“Shoppers range from city centre residents to tourists. We also get a lot of curious people who park their cars in the building on their way to a city event and are pleasantly surprised to discover the market,” she says.
“People love a bargain, but they also love coming across retro things that remind them of their childhood, iconic toys like the Buzzy Bee.”
Vivien, a resident in the city, says she was passing when she saw the bright orange signs for the Reuse Market. She remembers frequent visits to flea markets with her aunts many years ago.
Now with her own extended family, including plenty of grandchildren, Vivien keeps an eye out for toys and bric-a-brac to use as prizes for the games they play at family get-togethers.
“With a large family there are birthdays every month and we like to play games for entertainment. Markets are perfect places to pick up toys and prizes,” Vivien says.
First-time stall holders Jo and Nodoka sell clothes and a wide range of items from their homes. “We saw spaces to sell from the Reuse Market advertised on social media and decided to give it a try. It’s fun!” says Nodoka.
Like Jo and Nodoka, most stall holders come in from the suburbs to sell or give away second-hand items.
Jo and Nodoka say selling at the market is fun.
Some, like Lyn, a long-time car-booter, sell items that have been passed onto them. Lyn specialises in preloved, quality linen, clothing, jewellery and homewares.
“I love the affordability and how reuse is catching on, especially amongst young people,” says Lyn.
When ReUse Market organiser Suzanne Kendrick was looking for a space for a central city flea market, her wish list included a space big enough to accommodate anyone who wanted to sell or buy preloved goods, protection from the weather, and ample parking. It seemed like a tall order, but Auckland Council’s City Centre Place Activation principal Barbara Holloway knew the perfect spot – the ground level of the Victoria Street Carpark.
“We’re continuing to support initiatives like the ReUse Market that bring people into the city centre; it gives people a new reason to come and enjoy this exciting part of town, wander the lanes and rediscover midtown,” says Barbara.
With support from the city centre targeted rate, Auckland Council and Auckland Transport, the ReUse Market, which launched in March 2024, is now thriving.
And with Christmas around the corner Suzanne wants to see Aucklanders try the latest social trend of ‘buy nothing new’ – at least for some of their gifts.
“If you’ve got something to sell or give away, or you’re after Christmas gifts, you can make some money, save some money and help the environment,” says Suzanne.
City centre resident Vivien searching for gift prizes.
Auckland Council General Manager Waste Solutions Justine Haves says the ReUse Market is an important initiative for the council to support to help achieve our environmental goals for Auckland.
“The ReUse Market keeps valuable resources out of landfill and aligns with our Zero Waste strategy as we enable Aucklanders to reconsider what they see as waste towards more reuse, repair and repurposing.
“It’s a great to have a ReUse Market in the city centre, joining the many new and established markets around the region,” she says.
For more information on the ReUse Market events at the Victoria Street Carpark visit ReUse Market.
Source: China State Council Information Office
Moldova’s incumbent President Maia Sandu led the country’s presidential election runoff with 54.19 percent of the votes, as most ballots have been counted by Monday morning, according to local media reports.
Former Prosecutor General Alexandr Stoianoglo, the president’s main contender for the next four-year presidential term, trailed with 45.81 percent, as reported by the country’s Central Electoral Commission after counting 97.8 percent of the votes.
“I voted with Moldova, I have confidence that our citizens will choose well for our country. Today, more than ever, we must stand together, keep our peace, keep our vote, keep our independence,” said Sandu. As the former leader of the Party of Action and Solidarity, she got the most votes in the first round of the election.
Stoianoglo, who is supported by Moldova’s Socialist Party, expressed his commitment to “a free, stable, prosperous Moldova” and emphasized his support for the country’s path to European integration.
After the presidential election on Oct. 20, Moldova moved to a runoff election between the top two candidates, as none of the 11 candidates in the presidential race received an absolute majority of the votes — defined as 50 percent plus one vote — in the first round.
Source: China State Council Information Office
This photo shows the damage caused by Israeli airstrikes in Baalbek, Lebanon, on Nov. 1, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
Ten people were killed and nine others injured on Sunday in Israeli airstrikes on different areas in southern and eastern Lebanon, Lebanese official sources said.
An anonymous source from the Lebanese Civil Defense said that the Israeli raid on the Saida neighborhood in southern Lebanon resulted in the deaths of three people and left nine others injured. Additionally, three civilians were killed in a raid on the town of Machghara in eastern Lebanon, and two more were killed in the village of Jabal al-Batam in southern Lebanon.
The source added that two paramedics from the Islamic Health Authority were killed in the municipality of Bazourieh in southern Lebanon.
Also on Sunday, a team from the Lebanese Red Cross retrieved five bodies of Lebanese civilians from the rubble of two houses destroyed by Israel’s Wednesday airstrikes on the eastern edge of the southeast town of Khiam.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah said in a series of statements that its military wing attacked various Israeli settlements and military bases with drones and missiles.
The Israeli army has launched intensive attacks on Lebanon since late September in an escalation with Hezbollah.
According to a report by the Lebanese Health Ministry on Sunday, the death toll from Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon since the beginning of the war on Oct. 8, 2023, reached 2,986, while injuries went up to 13,402.
Source: The White House
Pfister Hotel
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Hi. Good morning, everyone.
Q Good morning.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Okay. Well, it’s good to be back in Milwaukee. We had a wonderful evening last night. People are enthusiastic, and the road to the White House definitely runs through Milwaukee, and I’m honored to have the support of people here.
I’m going to continue to remind people: Go to IWillVote.com to know where you vote and — and how you can vote, in terms of in-person and all of those other details that are very important to exercising the power of your vote in this very critical and important election.
I also want to speak to the comments that have been recently made by the speaker of the House. It is just further evidence of everything that I’ve actually been talking about for months now, about Trump’s intention to implement Project 2025.
We have talked repeatedly — and the American people know what’s in it. We’ve talked repeatedly about their intention to get rid of the Affordable Care Act; now to get rid of the CHIPS Act.
And let’s talk about manufacturing, which is a critical issue for many of the states that will make the difference in this election. Donald Trump, when he was president, lost 200,000 manufacturing jobs. We have created over 700[,000] new manufacturing jobs.
It is my plan and intention to continue to invest in American manufacturing, the work being done by American workers, upholding and lifting up good union jobs, which are good-paying jobs, and doing the work of investing in American industries, including our industries of the future.
That is the way we are going to win the competition with China for the 21st century, and that is the kind of leadership that America deserves in their president.
Q Madam President, one on — Madam President —
AIDE: Mary. Mary.
Q Oh, sorry.
Q What’s your message to Milwaukee voters who are saying, you know, Trump might be better for the economy, and we’re hearing that from — including Black men voters who are skeptical that things are just too expensive for them?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, first of all, let me make it very clear that I intend to earn the vote of everyone, and I don’t take anyone’s vote for granted, and my highest priority as president will be to bring down the cost because, to that point, look, I know the cost of groceries is too high still, everyone knows it. And so, my plan includes what we’re going to do in terms of taking on corporate price gouging and having the first-ever national ban on corporate price gouging on groceries.
My plan includes addressing the issue of affordable housing, including for first-time homebuyers, giving them a $25,000 down payment assistance so they can just get their foot in the door.
My plan includes addressing the needs of parents — in particular, young parents — which is why I will expand the Child Tax Credit to $6,000 for the first year of their child’s life, which helps pay for everything from child care to a crib and a car seat.
My plan includes what we’re going to do to invest in our small businesses, including increasing tax breaks for small businesses.
And overall, my plan, which is about building an opportunity economy, has been reviewed by leading economists in our country, from Goldman Sachs to 32 Nobel laureates, all whom have said that my economic plan actually will strengthen America’s economy. They’ve reviewed Donald Trump’s plan and have determined he will weaken America’s economy, he will ignite inflation, and he will bring on a recession by the middle of next year.
AIDE: Akayla.
Q Hi, Madam Vice President. On the comments from the speaker, he walked back initially saying that they would repeal the CHIPS Act, but he still wants to impose changes to the bill. Are you concerned about Republicans seeking any changes to the CHIPS Act?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, let’s be clear why he walked it back: Because it’s not popular, and their agenda is not popular.
And that’s why people are showing up by the thousands — tens of thousands to talk about an agenda that actually is focused on lifting them up. That’s why I have the support of, yes, Democrats and independents and Republicans, because they want a president of the United States who stops playing politics with their lives.
They want a president of the United States who invest in affordable health care regardless of who they vote for.
They want a president of the United States who invests in American manufacturing and American workers.
And that’s the work I will do, and that is the work I’m committed to do, and I’m very proud to have the support of many leaders from every party who understand that that’s the kind of leadership that we need moving forward.
AIDE: Asma.
Q Thank you. Madam Vice President, I wanted to ask you about your day-one agenda. I know you said the other day — you talked about having an executive order that would eliminate college degrees for certain federal jobs.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes.
Q Can you tell us about some other day-one priorities?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Absolutely. Well, it — obviously —
Q (Inaudible.)
THE VICE PRESIDENT: — there’s more than one.
Q Yes.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: And one of them is going to be to submit, basically, a package of proposals that are about bringing down costs.
So, for example, housing. What we need to do in terms of creating a tax benefit for folks who want homeownership, what we’re going to do to create a $25,000 down payment assistance plan, what we’re going to do for small businesses. All of that will require a lot of work.
And day one is also me getting on the phone with members of the Republican Party, with leaders, with the private sector. A lot of my plan includes working with the private sector.
My plan includes cutting through red tape on the issue of housing. Again, that includes working with local and state leaders to cut through the red tape, as well as creating incentives for the private-sector builders and developers to actually build new housing so we can increase supply and bring down the cost.
AIDE: Charles.
Q Madam President, thank you —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Vice President.
Q — for making this —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Three days.
Q Vice President.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: But I appreciate that.
Q That will go viral, I’m sure.
Tomorrow, faith leaders in Milwaukee and across the state will be praying about this election —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes.
Q — and encouraging people to get out and vote.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes.
Q I think, last week, I heard you say, “God’s power works through us.”
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes.
Q What does your faith tell you about who God wants to win this election and lead our divided country?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: My faith and my belief in God tells me that we all must think about our lives through our ability to do good works, and through those works, to lift people up, to help the needy, to help the poor, to help the elderly. And my plan for my presidency is informed with that spirit and that approach. And I do believe that people understand that that really is the sign of a real leader, which is not defining one’s strength based on who you beat down, but defining the strength of a leader based on who you lift up.
AIDE: Thank you.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you.
END
Source: China State Council Information Office 3
An aerial drone photo taken on Nov. 4, 2023 shows a view of the Hengqin International Financial Center in Zhuhai, south China’s Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)
An international photography exhibition opened on Saturday in Zhuhai, south China’s Guangdong Province, showcasing outstanding works from home and abroad.
The 19th China International Photographic Art Exhibition features 276 selected works from over 20,000 photographers representing 123 countries and regions, according to the organizers.
Alongside the main exhibit, special displays commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of China-France diplomatic relations and offer insights into life in Iran. Another side event highlights the achievements of development made by Guangdong and Zhuhai in the new era.
The event, a collaboration between the China Photographers Association, the federation of literary and art circles of Guangdong and the Zhuhai municipal government, will run until Feb. 16, 2025.
The exhibition was first held in 1981.
By Eleisha Foon, RNZ Pacific senior journalist
As the US election unfolds, American territories such as the Northern Marianas, American Samoa, and Guam, along with the broader Pacific region, will be watching the developments.
As the question hangs in the balance of whether the White House remains blue with Kamala Harris or turns red under Donald Trump, academics, New Zealand’s US ambassador, and Guam’s Congressman have weighed in on what the election means for the Pacific.
Massey University’s Centre for Defence and Security Studies senior lecturer Dr Anna Powles said it would no doubt have an impact on small island nations facing climate change and intensified geopolitics, including the rapid expansion of military presence on its territory Guam, following the launch of an interballistic missile by China.
Pacific leaders lament the very real security threat of climate-induced natural disasters has been overshadowed by the tug-of-war between China and the US in what academics say is “control and influence” for the contested region.
Dr Powles said it came as “no surprise” that countries such as New Zealand and Australia had increasingly aligned with the US, as the Biden administration had been leveraging strategic partnerships with Australia, New Zealand, and Japan since 2018.
Despite China being New Zealand’s largest trading partner, New Zealand is in the US camp and must pay attention, she said.
“We are not seeing enough in the public domain or discussion by government with the New Zealand public about what this means for New Zealand going forward.”
Pacific leaders welcome US engagement but are concerned about geopolitical rivalry.
Earlier this month, Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Baron Waqa attended the South Pacific Defence Ministers meeting in Auckland.
He said it was important that “peace and stability in the region” was “prioritised”.
Referencing the arms race between China and the US, he said, “The geopolitics occurring in our region is not welcomed by any of us in the Pacific Islands Forum.”
While a Pacific Zone of Peace has been a talking point by Fiji and the PIF leadership to reinforce the region’s “nuclear-free stance”, the US is working with Australia on obtaining nuclear-submarines through the AUKUS security pact.
Dr Powles said the potential for increased tensions “could happen under either president in areas such as Taiwan, East China Sea — irrespective of who is in Washington”.
South Pacific defence ministers told RNZ Pacific the best way to respond to threats of conflict and the potential threat of a nuclear attack in the region is to focus on defence and building stronger ties with its allies.
New Zealand’s Defence Minister said NZ was “very good friends with the United States”, with that friendship looking more friendly under the Biden Administration. But will this strengthening of ties and partnerships continue if Trump becomes President?
US President Joe Biden, center, stands for a group photo with Pacific Islands Forum leaders following the Pacific Islands Forum Summit, at the South Portico of the White House in Washington on September 25, 2023. Photo: Jim Watson
US wants a slice of Pacific
Regardless of who is elected, US Ambassador to New Zealand Tom Udall said history showed the past three presidents “have pushed to re-engage with the Pacific”.
While both Trump and Harris may differ on critical issues for the Pacific such as the climate crisis and multilateralism, both see China as the primary external threat to US interests.
The US has made a concerted effort to step up its engagement with the Pacific in light of Chinese interest, including by reopening its embassies in the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Tonga.
On 12 July 2022, the Biden administration showed just how keen it was to have a seat at the table by US Vice-President Kamala Harris dialing in to the Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Fiji at the invitation of the then chair former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama. The US was the only PIF “dialogue partner” allowed to speak at this Forum.
However, most of the promises made to the Pacific have been “forward-looking” and leaders have told RNZ Pacific they want to see less talk and more real action.
Defence diplomacy has been booming since the 2022 Solomon Islands-China security deal. It tripled the amount of money requested from Congress for economic development and ocean resilience — up to US$60 million a year for 10 years — as well as a return of Peace Corps volunteers to Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu.
Health security was another critical area highlighted in 2024 the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Declaration.
The Democratic Party’s commitment to the World Health Organisation (WHO) bodes well, in contrast to the previous Trump administration’s withdrawal from the WHO during the covid-19 pandemic.
It continued a long-running programme called ‘The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs’ which gives enterprising women from more than 100 countries with the knowledge, networks and access they need to launch and scale successful businesses.
Guam’s take
Known as the tip of the spear for the United States, Guam is the first strike community under constant threat of a nuclear missile attack.
In September, China launched an intercontinental ballistic test missile in the Pacific for first time in 44 years, landing near French Polynesian waters.
It was seen as a signal of China’s missile capabilities which had the US and South Pacific Defence Ministers on edge and deeply “concerned”.
China’s Defence Ministry said in a statement the launch was part of routine training by the People’s Liberation Army’s Rocket Force, which oversees conventional and nuclear missile operations and was not aimed at any country or target.
The US has invested billions to build a 360-degree missile defence system on Guam with plans for missile tests twice a year over the next decade, as it looks to bolster its weaponry in competition with China.
Despite the arms race and increased military presence and weaponry on Guam, China is known to have fewer missiles than the US.
However, Guamanians are among the four million disenfranchised Americans living in US territories whose vote does not count due to an anomaly in US law.
“While territorial delegates can introduce bills and advocate for their territory in the US Congress, they have no voice on the floor. While Guam is exempted from paying the US federal income tax, many argue that such a waiver does not make up for what the tiny island brings to the table,” according to a BenarNews report.
US Congressman for Guam James Moylan has spent his time making friends and “educating and informing” other states about Guam’s existence in hopes to get increased funding and support for legislative bills.
Moylan said he would prefer a Trump presidency but noted he has “proved he can also work with Democrats”.
Under Trump, Moylan said Guam would have “stronger security”, raising his concerns over the need to stop Chinese fishing boats from coming onto the island.
Moylan also defended the military expansion: “We are not the aggressor. If we put our guard down, we need to be able to show we can maintain our land.”
Moylan defended the US military expansion, which his predecessor, former US Congressman Robert Underwood, was concerned about, saying the rate of expansion had not been seen since World War II.
“We are the closest there is to the Indo-Pacific threat,” Moylan said.
“We need to make sure our pathways, waterways and economy is growing, and we have a strong defence against our aggressors.”
“All likeminded democracies are concerned about the current leadership of China. We are working together…to work on security issues and prosperity issues,” US Ambassador to New Zealand Tom Udall said.
When asked about the military capabilities of the US and Guam, Moylan said: “We are not going to war; we are prepared to protect the homeland.”
Moylan said that discussions for compensation involving nuclear radiation survivors in Guam would happen regardless of who was elected.
The 23-year battle has been spearheaded by atomic veteran Robert Celestial, who is advocating for recognition for Chamorro and Guamanians under the RECA Act.
Celestial said that the Biden administration had thrown their support behind them, but progress was being stalled in Congress, which is predominantly controlled by the Republican party.
But Moylan insisted that the fight for compensation was not over. He said that discussions would continue after the election irrespective of who was in power.
“It’s been tabled. It’s happening. I had a discussion with Speaker Mike Johnson. We are working to pass this through,” he said.
If Trump wins
Dr Powles said a return to Trump’s leadership could derail ongoing efforts to build security architecture in the Pacific.
There are also views Trump would pull back from the Pacific and focus on internal matters, directly impacting his nation.
For Trump, there is no mention of the climate crisis in his platform or Agenda47.
This is in line with the former president’s past actions, such as withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement in 2019, citing “unfair economic burdens” placed on American workers and businesses.
Trump has maintained his position that the climate crisis is “one of the great scams of all time”.
The America First agenda is clear, with “countering China” at the top of the list. Further, “strengthening alliances,” Trump’s version of multilateralism, reads as what allies can do for the US rather than the other way around.
“There are concerns for Donald Trump’s admiration for more dictatorial leaders in North Korea, Russia, China and what that could mean in a time of crisis,” Dr Powles said.
A Trump administration could mean uncertainty for the Pacific, she added.
While Trump was president in 2017, he warned North Korea “not to mess” with the United States.
“North Korea [is] best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met by fire and fury like the world has never seen.”
North Korea responded deriding his warning as a “load of nonsense”.
Although there is growing concern among academics and some Pacific leaders that Trump would bring “fire and fury” to the Indo-Pacific if re-elected, the former president seemed to turn cold at the thought of conflict.
In 2023, Trump remarked that “Guam isn’t America” in response to warning that the US territory could be vulnerable to a North Korean nuclear strike — a move which seemed to distance the US from conflict.
If Harris wins
Dr Powles said that if Harris wins, it was important to move past “announcements” and follow-through on all pledges.
A potential win for Harris could be the fulfilment of the many “promises” made to the Pacific for climate financing, uplifting economies of the Pacific and bolstering defence security, she said.
Pacific leaders want Harris to deliver on the Pacific Partnership Strategy, the outcomes of the two Pacific Islands-US summits in 2022 and 2023, and the many diplomatic visits undertaken during President Biden’s presidency.
The Biden administration recognised Cook Islands and Niue as sovereign and independent states and established diplomatic relationships with them.
Harris has pledged to boost funding to the Green Climate Fund by US$3 billion. She also promised to “tackle the climate crisis with bold action, build a clean energy economy, advance environmental justice, and increase resilience to climate disasters”.
Dr Powles said that delivery needed to be the focus.
“What we need to be focused on is delivery [and that] Pacific Island partners are engaged from the very beginning — from the outset to any programme right through to the final phase of it.”
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ray Kelly, PhD candidate, School of Medicine, The University of Melbourne
It’s estimated almost 1.9 million Australians have diabetes, and numbers are growing. Between 2013 and 2023, the total number of people known to be living with diabetes across the country rose by 32%.
As is the case for a range of health conditions, diabetes disproportionately affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Indigenous Australians are three times more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than non-Indigenous Australians. They are 4.4 times more likely to die from it.
Among other factors, physical activity plays an important role in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes. But our new study, published in the Medical Journal of Australia, shows we don’t know enough about the role of physical activity in preventing and managing type 2 diabetes in First Nations people.
Diabetes is a condition where there’s too much glucose (sugar) in the blood. There are different types, but the most common is type 2 diabetes. In people with type 2 diabetes, the body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin, a hormone which regulates blood sugar levels.
Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include having a family history of diabetes, being overweight, and having high blood pressure.
The high rates of diabetes in Indigenous communities are to a large extent influenced by the social determinants of health. For example, we know food insecurity disproportionately affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, especially in rural and remote communities. This can make it difficult to follow a healthy diet, which in turn affects overall health.
People in remote Indigenous communities also often have poorer access to educational and employment opportunities, suitable housing, and high-quality health care. All these factors can contribute to poorer health.
First Nations communities have particularly high rates of younger onset type 2 diabetes (usually defined as a diagnosis before age 40).
If diabetes is not effectively managed, it can lead to a range of complications, including long-term damage to the heart, kidneys, eyes and feet. Diabetes can affect all aspects of a person’s life, including their mental health.
Lifestyle interventions (diet and physical activity) are generally recommended as part of a treatment plan for type 2 diabetes.
We wanted to understand how physical activity interventions in particular can help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with diabetes.
As well as playing a role in diabetes prevention, there’s good evidence exercise is beneficial for people already diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Physical activity has been associated with lower levels of glycated haemoglobin in the blood (an index of glucose control), reduced blood lipids such as cholesterol, and weight loss. Evidence suggests a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise may be superior to either mode alone.
We reviewed studies that looked at the effects of physical activity interventions and programs in type 2 diabetes prevention and management for First Nations Australians.
We found only nine studies that investigated physical activity interventions for preventing or managing type 2 diabetes in Indigenous adults.
There was some evidence linking physical activity to better outcomes in Indigenous Australians with type 2 diabetes. However, the value of the findings was affected by shortcomings in study design and a lack of involvement of Indigenous people in designing and carrying out the research.
There are many aspects of diabetes prevention and management that tend to be more difficult for people in First Nations communities, particularly those that are rural or remote.
Also, new technologies that can help with diabetes management, such as continuous glucose monitors, are often very expensive.
It’s crucial Indigenous Australians with diabetes have access to appropriate diabetes support, education and services.
Notably, health, cultural and socioeconomic disparities can impact participation in physical activity. What constitutes realistic opportunities to exercise can differ for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people compared to other Australians.
Previous data has shown Indigenous Australians are less likely to meet physical activity recommendations than non-Indigenous Australians.
Factors that might influence the uptake of physical activity among First Nations people include access to safe, accessible, family-friendly and inexpensive locations to do exercise. These can be limited in regional and remote communities.
Read more:
How a culturally informed model of care helped First Nations patients with heart disease
Overall, we found a lack of reliable data on whether exercise, and what type of exercise, might benefit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with type 2 diabetes.
Given physical activity is a cornerstone in the management of type 2 diabetes, we need more rigorous research in this area. These studies must be well designed and culturally appropriate. They must involve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at all levels of the research process.
Targeted research will help us determine the best approaches to increase physical activity, and understand its benefits, for Indigenous people with type 2 diabetes.
Ray Kelly is a Director at Ray Kelly Fitness Pty Ltd, which provides lifestyle programs in partnership with Aboriginal medical services. He has received funding from Primary Health Networks, the NSW Ministry of Health, and directly from Aboriginal medical services. Ray has also received MRFF funding for his research.
Margaret Morris receives research funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia and the Australian Research Council.
– ref. An Indigenous person is 4 times more likely to die from diabetes. We need to better understand how exercise can help – https://theconversation.com/an-indigenous-person-is-4-times-more-likely-to-die-from-diabetes-we-need-to-better-understand-how-exercise-can-help-234154
Source: Amnesty International –
The 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) opens next week in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. The summit takes place between 11 and 22 November, and decisions made there will impact all of us. To date, the international community has failed to rein in the deadly activities of the fossil fuel industry, which continues to pollute, burn, and ransack the planet in the face of mounting human suffering.
COP29 is a critical opportunity for world leaders to break with these past failures. Here’s what you need to know about the most important climate event on the global calendar:
1. Who’s going?
Between 40,000 and 50,000 delegates are expected to attend COP29. This will include government representatives from all UN member states, as well as the State of Palestine, the Holy See, Niue, the Cook Islands, and the European Union. All of these are parties to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and most have also joined the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. COP29 will also host diplomats, UN officials, journalists, climate scientists, trade union leaders, and policy experts. NGOs, activists, and Indigenous leaders are also planning to participate – although the involvement of independent media workers and human rights defenders from Azerbaijan itself has been curbed by an ongoing government crackdown.
2. What is the aim of COP29?
The overall aim of COP29 is for states to agree, develop and share plans for addressing climate change. This means preventing further global warming, and also helping those who have been most affected so far to adapt or to rebuild their lives.
In 2015, the Paris Agreement made it a legal requirement for all states to set targets for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions, in order to limit the global temperature increase to 2°C above pre-industrial levels. Since then, however, the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) has stressed that the most catastrophic effects of climate change can only be avoided if we limit global warming to 1.5°C by the end of this century.
At COP29, countries’ progress on addressing climate change will be measured against this 1.5°C goal. It is important to note that even 1.5°C of warming will entail mass displacement, harm to livelihoods, and loss of life, with lower-income countries the worst affected. At present, the world is on track for an increase of 2.6 to 3.1°C this century.
3. What’s on the agenda this year?
COP29 has been called “the finance COP”, due to its focus on scaling up climate finance. Climate finance refers to the funding that is needed to help lower-income countries transition to zero-carbon economies, and to help the most affected communities adapt to the effects of climate change. A major objective of COP29 is to increase this funding and to produce a new goal for future climate finance.
4. Where will that money come from?
Under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, the funding must come from the high-income countries that are historically most responsible for climate change. In addition, under international human rights law, all states in a position to do so must also contribute.
In addition to setting a financial target, COP29 negotiators must also agree clear timeframes for the provision of funds to lower-income countries. Money should be given in the form of grants, not loans, to avoid worsening existing debt crises.
5. What should the funds be used for?
This target should also contain sub-goals to make clear where the money should go. For example, Amnesty International is also calling for the target to include loss and damage finance. This is essentially compensation, paid by high-income countries to lower income ones, to help them recover from the existing impacts of climate change, and from others that they will unavoidably face in the future.
One of the Azerbaijan presidency’s more positive moves has been to make adaptation, long sidelined in climate negotiations, a priority of the talks. While preventing further climate change through a full, fast fair and funded phase -out of fossil fuels is critical, the reality is that climate change is already here. Helping people adjust to existing and future impacts of global warming is a crucial part of climate justice.
6. How much money is needed?
Trillions of dollars are needed to help lower-income states carry out the climate action needed, including transitioning away from fossil fuels in a way that protects peoples’ rights. Amnesty International and others in the climate justice movement are calling for a target of at least 1 trillion USD annually.
Azerbaijan has an alarming human rights record, with longstanding restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly.
7. What are Amnesty’s human rights concerns regarding Azerbaijan?
Azerbaijan has an alarming human rights record, with longstanding restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly. Peaceful protests, including those held by environmental groups, are routinely met with violent suppression, and according to the local NGOs more than 300 people are currently imprisoned on politically motivated charges. The work of independent media outlets in Azerbaijan is severely hampered by draconian laws, and the constant threat of retaliation for any real or perceived criticism of the authorities. Most independent media outlets have been crushed out of existence, as have vast swathes of Azerbaijan’s civil society. Torture and other ill-treatment in detention are widespread in Azerbaijan, and impunity is entrenched.
8. Have there been any improvements since Azerbaijan was given the COP29 Presidency?
No. In fact, the grave human rights situation in Azerbaijan has worsened since the country was announced as the host of COP29 in December 2023. The authorities claim they are “ensuring everyone’s voices are heard” at the summit – but they have prosecuted more than a dozen activists and journalists this year, and silenced key voices on the climate crisis.
In April, for example, Azerbaijani authorities arrested human rights and climate justice activist Anar Mammadli on bogus “smuggling” charges, and placed him in pre-trial detention, where he remains. Anar Mammadli was among the first activists in Azerbaijan to speak about the connection between human rights and climate justice, and he has been involved in international advocacy at the EU and UN level. In prison he has been denied adequate medical treatment for several worsening health conditions, and he is facing a lengthy sentence.
9. How does the human rights situation in Azerbaijan affect COP29?
It is essential that civil society can participate in climate negotiations. Activists, union leaders, and human rights defenders help to advocate for ambitious targets and play a vital role in ensuring that the plans developed at COP29 align with governments’ human rights obligations and that they are actually implemented. But the involvement of Azerbaijan’s own civil society is likely to be extremely limited. Threats and harassment have forced many local activists to leave the country, while others are arbitrarily detained on politically motivated charges. The few remaining independent voices risk prosecution and retaliation if they dare to voice any criticism during COP29.
The void left by local civil society groups has been filled in part by organizations known as GONGOs (government-organized non-governmental organizations). These state-supported groups do not provide the independent perspectives needed, but their presence allows Azerbaijani authorities to project a false picture of respect for freedom of expression and association.
Amnesty International is monitoring the crackdown in Azerbaijan, and will continue to document violations, both during and after the summit.
10 .What about Azerbaijan’s record on climate change?
Fossil fuel makes up about half of Azerbaijan’s economy and the vast majority of its export revenues. The state-owned oil and gas company, SOCAR, is a major source of income for President Ilham Aliyev’s government. Nonetheless, Azerbaijan must also do its fair share to achieve a fast and fair fossil fuel phase out; this means no new fossil fuel projects anywhere. But earlier this year, President Aliyev announced plans for expanding gas production which are grossly incompatible with Azerbaijan’s commitments under the Paris Agreement.
Like previous climate summits, COP29 will host many participants whose agendas are seriously at odds with climate justice. Thousands of fossil fuel lobbyists, along with the heads of oil giants like Shell and BP, are expected to be in attendance. These participants have used previous summits to advance their own interests, opposing essential efforts to phase out fossil fuels and pushing for false solutions like carbon offsetting. Amnesty International is calling for a robust conflict of interest policy to prevent fossil fuel lobbyists undermining the aims of global climate treaties.
11. How has climate change impacted people in 2024?
Climate change is causing a dramatic increase in the frequency of extreme temperatures, and 2024 is expected to be the hottest year ever recorded. Around the world, people have been displaced by floods, hurricanes, droughts and other unnatural disasters, all made worse by global warming. Worldwide, Indigenous Peoples and land-dependent communities continue to bear the heaviest burden of biodiversity loss.
Lives have been lost; livelihoods, languages, and entire cultures are in peril; and disease, hunger and displacement is causing extreme suffering. The cost of these losses amounts to trillions of dollars in damages, which dwarf the cost of current investments in renewable energy, and threaten governments’ capacity to fund policies to protect human rights.
12. What is Amnesty calling for at COP29?
Read more of Amnesty International’s recommendations on climate justice here
Source: Government of Canada regional news
Minister of Health and Social Services Tracy-Anne McPhee has issued the following statement:
“November is Radon Action Month in Canada. This month, the Government of Yukon is encouraging homeowners to test their homes for radon and take action to protect themselves if their home tests above the Health Canada guideline.
“Radon is a colourless, odourless gas that comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in rocks and soil. It’s radioactive and is found in every region in Canada. While radon is harmless outdoors, it can build up to dangerous levels indoors.
Source: Department of Conservation
Perhaps you know your Daffy from your Donald, your Huey from your Louie and Dewey, but do you really know your ducks?
Communications and Media Advisor Krysia Nowak takes a duck-dive into the shallows for a quick wade around the ducks of Aotearoa. Missed the first episode? Catch up here – Ducktales episode 1: Quacking the case on mallards and grey ducks.
Before we get started, let me address the truly confusing fact that teal is both a colour and a bird. It seems the bird came first, and the colour is based on that Eurasian bird. My question is: if we continue our groundbreaking naming of teals in New Zealand (brown teal, grey teal), what happens if we find a teal-coloured teal? Moving on…
Pāteke/Brown teal
Honestly, ornithologists (bird-nerds) are pretty uncreative with their names. Brown teal indeed. Pāteke are ADORABLE. I think it’s the wee white ring around their eye. Oh, and may I introduce the ducklings?
Like the mallards in Episode 1, these are dabblers (it’s a popular pastime); pāteke have seriously low numbers but are listed as at risk-recovering, thanks to some excellent conservation efforts. In places where they don’t have specific conservation efforts, they’re still vulnerable to habitat loss and predation.
Up close they are unmistakeable, but from a distance pāteke may appear similar to other ducks. Look out for a duck smaller than a mallard flying low and fast over water, most commonly around the northern half of the North Island.
The case of pāteke v mallard on Aotea Great Barrier Island
In a troubling turn of events, the pāteke population on Aotea is under threat from the insurgent mallard population. Prosecutors claim introduced mallards are outbreeding the endemic pāteke, with the injury centred on humans artificially increasing mallard success by feeding them. The judge has not ordered any recompense, but humans are reminded to avoid feeding any wild bird and continue to be ‘decent to ducks’ (more below).
Tētē/grey teal
Aussie cousins of our teals, grey teal are now considered native and aren’t threatened. Grey teal are nomadic dabblers with one stand-out feature – brilliant red eyes. Despite their alarming gaze, experts assure me they are not vampires, but feed on insects, molluscs and seeds. I’m still not inviting one in at nighttime.
Easily confused with the occasional visitor the chestnut teal.
WAY down South
Two endemic teals live on our subantarctic islands, and both are flightless so don’t expect to be seeing them in your backyard anytime soon (or anywhere else in the world). Auckland Island and Campbell Island teals are each similar in appearance to their mainland cousin the pāteke. Your best bet for identification is location – see a brown-looking teal? Check what island you are on, and you probably have your answer! Campbell Island teal are among the world’s rarest ducks, fortunately now increasing thanks to rat eradication on their home ground.
See you soon for the final episode of Ducktales!
Be decent to ducks
Be a responsible cat owner, by:
Be a responsible dog owner
Please don’t feed ducks, feeding wild birds can:
Trap introduced predators at home or in your community
Source: Auckland Council
Every year, we send more than 1.6 million tonnes of waste to landfill in Auckland, that’s more than a tonne per person. Of this 30% to 40% is construction and demolition waste, making this our largest waste-stream and therefore our biggest target if we want to reduce waste. By comparison, household waste is only 13% of total waste to landfill.
Auckland has a goal to be zero-waste by 2040. There is much we can do to help us achieve that goal.
This is one of the reasons Eke Panuku is taking a more sustainable approach to building and development in neighbourhoods where we undertake urban regeneration. This more sustainable approach means we are choosing to deconstruct buildings with the intention of diverting or reducing the waste that goes to landfills. Rather than simply demolishing buildings which are at the end of their lives or no longer needed, we take them apart and reuse and recycle the construction material where possible.
As we do our best work through smart strategic partnerships, our approach requires that our contractors and development partners use specific deconstruction methods for any structures being removed from our development sites. While this requires a bit more planning, it allows us to repurpose a greater amount of material, significantly reducing the waste sent to landfill.
It is sometimes assumed this approach would take more time and would be more expensive. It turns out it’s not.
Auckland Council’s Research and Evaluation Unit (RIMU) undertook a financial cost benefit analysis to test the potential benefits of waste diversion in development projects. After considering a whole raft of factors, such as recouping costs from selling materials from deconstruction sites; avoiding landfill expenses and transportation (of waste materials) costs; avoiding having to purchase new materials for a site (if recycling and reusing), the analysis found that deconstruction essentially breaks even from a cost perspective compared to traditional demolition.
And this doesn’t yet take into account the significantly greater economic, societal and environmental benefits that come from diverting more waste from landfills. The waste diversion options that RIMU analysed showed a likely benefit-cost ratio (BCR) between 2.2 and 2.8, which means for every $1 invested, we get between $2.2 and $2.8 in wider benefits.
A major reason for choosing deconstruction is its reduced environmental impact. The production of new materials and the extraction of raw resources for construction significantly contribute to climate change. By reusing or repurposing materials from deconstructed sites, we embrace a circular economy approach that helps minimise resource use, waste, and emissions.
Over the next six months, Eke Panuku is deconstructing a number of buildings across Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland to make way for much-needed new development of homes, offices and shops.
Below is a snapshot of some of these projects. Have a listen to this podcast also for more information.
We have started the staged redevelopment of Northcote town centre. To prepare for this, we are working with TROW Group to take apart old buildings that need to make way for the new development. Along with TROW Group, we have teamed up with Wairau Zero Waste Hub and Awataha Marae to re-use deconstruction materials.
Before deconstruction started, reusable items were identified from the old buildings. Some of these materials were then provided to the Zero Waste Hub to sell to the community at reasonable prices. Some other items are finding a new life in community projects – both locally and in the Pacific Islands.
Besides the reusing of material, there is also some great community learning going on too. TROW has a job experience programme, and educational initiatives centred around material reuse, and together with Localised, they invited Awataha Marae to collaborate on the deconstruction trial too. The recycled materials will be used by Awataha Marae’s educational programme to build prefab sleepouts, demonstrating the practical application of sustainability principles in construction and design.
For more information on the award-winning Northcote master plan and how it will shape the future of the town centre, click here.
Northcote deconstruction.
We have deconstructed the former Kāinga Ora homes at 10 Racecourse Parade to enable more housing options in Avondale. The Auckland Council group has established a panel of deconstruction companies with a focus on collaboration, bringing larger contractors together with smaller ones.
Green Way Ltd has teamed up with Onehunga Community Recycling Centre (a social enterprise and the first Pasifika / Māori-led community recycling centre in the region) as subcontractors, providing valuable hands-on experience in sustainable practices as they work together to increase waste diversion.
Items such as vehicle shelters, washing lines, fencing and framing timber are being repurposed locally through the recycling centre. Other items such as doors, windows and guttering are also being repurposed. This not only reduces waste but also supports the local economy and fosters a culture of sustainability within the community.
Our commitment to sustainability extends to supporting charities such as PAWS Restart Animal Rescue, based in west Auckland. Garden sheds, pavers, and metal gates from the Avondale deconstruction are being repurposed to create additional dog runs, providing much-needed space for the increasing number of abandoned dogs seeking new homes (over the past year they have rehomed 190 dogs). Additionally, six bathtubs have been donated for use as water troughs and playful splash areas, enhancing the quality of life for the animals in PAWS’ care.
In another example of helping to create a circular economy, we are reusing granite cladding removed from the exterior of the 135 Albert Street Auckland Council office building and turning them into terrazzo pavers. Some of these pavers, which have been stored in the Rosedale waste yards for more than five years, will be used in the upgraded town square outside Te Hono, Avondale’s new library and community hub.
These efforts are part of the wider Eke Panuku regeneration plans to revitalise Avondale through investment to deliver improvements that will serve the community in the future. Click here for more information on our work in Avondale.
Eke Panuku is recycling and reusing materials wherever possible during the upgrade of the Westhaven Marina seawall. The seawall project is being undertaken to protect people, infrastructure and assets from coastal flooding – as experienced during recent weather events in 2023 – but it also offered a great opportunity to repurpose construction material, diverting it from landfill.
For example, basalt pavers have been repurposed as tree pit edges and integrated into concrete channels. The old timber boardwalk was also removed and sent to the Onehunga Community Recycling Centre. These old timber boards have now been repurposed into a deck!
For more information on our work around Westhaven, click here.
Westhaven Marina seawall deconstruction.
Source: New Zealand Labour Party
Nicola Willis continues to over promise and under deliver, with most families receiving only $30 a week from National’s flagship FamilyBoost flop.
“Only 1,094 households have received the full amount of the FamilyBoost payment,” Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said.
“This is after Christopher Luxon promised 100,000 families would be eligible for the payment and said $250 was up for grabs in tax cuts. Only 33,000 families have received anything at all, that’s a third of what was promised. Half of those families got roughly $30 a week.
“We have long known National wants to make it difficult for anyone to get this money – and their efforts are paying off.
“Receiving this financial help shouldn’t be a bureaucratic nightmare, but under National busy parents have to find invoices or proof of payment from childcare centres and claim back the money themselves from Inland Revenue.
“Child poverty is projected to increase and unemployment is up under National. Rents and rates are high, and more Kiwis are leaving New Zealand than ever before. This Government is failing families.
“Nicola Willis can swear she understands the needs of New Zealand families until she’s blue in the face, but when her boss is calling Kiwis ‘customers’, her colleague is calling workers ‘losers’, and she is failing to make life easier for Kiwis who are struggling, the proof is really in her severely lacking pudding,” Barbara Edmonds said.
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Source: New Zealand Labour Party
The Government is backtracking on existing commitments to do the right thing by homeowners let down by EQC (now the Natural Hazards Commission).
“We know that EQC botched repairs in Christchurch and many people are still paying the price for broken houses. Labour accepted that this was wrong and set up the on-sold programme to allow homeowners to reopen claims for botched repairs in a house that they bought,” Labour Christchurch issues spokesperson Duncan Webb said.
“David Seymour has set new unfair and arbitrary rules which will mean that people do not get the repairs that they were promised and are entitled to.
“This is a project that is only complete when the last quake-damaged house is repaired in Christchurch.
“Time limits to sign settlement agreements are unfair – especially where the costs or method of repair are not agreed; and it is not always practical to start a repair project within six months – especially if it means finding a builder, completing design, and finding a new home.
“The cap on repair costs and project management fees mean that homes will not be properly repaired, denying the entitlement people have paid for in EQC levies.
“Taking the levies to cover other shortfalls robs the people of Christchurch who were promised repairs to their homes.
“The Government should do the right thing and ensure that people with botched repairs get their houses fixed, not backtrack on Government promises to cut costs. This is yet more evidence this Government doesn’t care about the South Island.
“For a Minister who claims to be a protector of entitlements and property rights, this changing of the rules after the event is outrageous and a kick in the guts for Christchurch,” Duncan Webb said.
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