DoC: Canterbury Spotted Skink In Serious Trouble

One of our rarest, seldom-seen skinks is even more threatened than we had thought, with fewer than 1000 mature individuals. An urgent assessment by an expert panel has seen Canterbury spotted skink reclassified from Nationally Vulnerable to Nationally Critical – the last step before extinction.

Te Pāti Māori: Oranga Tamariki Cuts Commit Tamariki To State Abuse

Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi.

NZCTU: Inflation Data Shows Need For A Plan On Climate And Population

Data today shows headline CPI inflation at 4%, continuing the fall begun in March 2023. Rises are concentrated in particular sectors – especially services. However, petrol prices rose by 12% from last year. This is worrying as petrol pricing tends to lead inflation data. The faster we can transition to an electric vehicle fleet the better.

John Mazenier: Gaffer Tape And Glue Delivering New Zealand’s Mission Critical Services

Every debt, eventually, has to be repaid. Right now, the day of reckoning is fast approaching for one of the most crippling, but least discussed, debts burdening government across New Zealand – technical debt. Technical debt is the cost of generations of incremental investments in legacy technologies to tease additional functionality or life from them.

Earthquake Commission: Ivan Skinner Award Winner Inspired By Real-life Earthquake Experience

Witnessing the human cost of the Canterbury earthquakes inspired Ben Exton to become an earthquake engineer and find solutions to make New Zealand homes more resilient against future seismic events. Exton last week received the Ivan Skinner Award at the New Zealand Society of Earthquake Engineering (NZSEE) annual conference to recognise his innovative work as a practitioner and to support his qu

Reserve Bank: Consultation Opens On A Digital Currency For New Zealand

Te Pūtea Matua is continuing its exploration of a central bank digital currency. “We are calling this ’digital cash’. It would be a new type of money in addition to the banknotes and coins we have today, and the electronic money in your bank account,” Director of Money and Cash – Tari Moni Whai Take Ian Woolford says.

Gordon Campbell: On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism

The meaning of the word “racism” is being deliberately blurred, for political reasons. Lets re-state the obvious: when people are chronically experiencing worse social outcomes and lower life expectancy due to the colour of their skin, that’s racism. But the targeting of measures to redress those wrongs is not racism – it is justice, long overdue.

Peter Dunne: Newshub And TVNZ Tip Of Media Iceberg

There has been a positive but restrained response to the deal announced between Stuff and Warner Brothers Discovery to “save” TV3’s six o’clock nightly news bulletin, currently screened under the Newshub label. According to Stuff, the deal will mean that around 40 of the jobs involved can also be saved.

Harry Finch: Austerity – For And Against

It’s a word that politicians love to hate and as much as the current government is telling us that the measures they are taking don’t amount to austerity, by definition, they do. And as other commentators have noted, New Zealand has elected a government of austerity, so let’s weigh up the pros and cons.

Carbon Market Watch: Going For Green - Is The Paris Olympics Winning The Race Against The Climate Clock?

The 2024 Paris Olympics promises a gold-winning climate performance and to set the pace for future games. Our in-depth assessment reveals that, despite improvement, the carbon footprint of the Olympics remains far too high to be sustainable. This calls for a radical rethinking of the games.

New Zealand Defence Force: NZDF Working With Pacific Neighbours To Support Solomon Islands Election

A New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) contingent of more than 200 personnel has been providing logistical support to Solomon Islands, on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, as the country geared up for today’s general election.

UN News: Ceasefire The Only Way To End Killing And Injuring Of Children In Gaza

Advocating for a ceasefire is the best way to support the people of Gaza, including children in the north who are dying of hunger, a Spokesperson for the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Thursday.

Day One Hapai te Haeata: Call To Action For Young Filmmakers Against The Backdrop Of Funding Cuts

Amid shrinking funding budgets, slashed opportunities and media outlet closures - there is one bright spark holding on, growing stronger and providing vital talent development opportunities for young people with a passion for screen storytelling.

Toyota New Zealand: Three Races For Top Three To Decide TR86 Title

Three drivers are still in with a chance of securing the Toyota 86 Championship title and they have the biggest stage in NZ motorsport for what’s set to be a thrilling finale. Three races at the Supercars debut weekend at the Taupo International Motorsport Park are all that remain in the 2023-2024 season.

Wellington City Council: Wellington Is All Action Stations For The Faultline Ultra Festival

The mega Faultline Ultra Festival is coming to the capital this weekend – with participants experiencing the incredible trails, epic views and lush bush of the city. With about 1100 athletes already registered for the six Trail Running adventures and four Mountain Bike challenges across 20-21 April, there’ll be a lot of activity around the waterfront.