Politics 🗳️ NZ Politics
- Thread starter wizard of Tauranga
- Start date
Gosh, if only this current government weren't so in the pockets of the road and fossil fuel industry and hadn't torn down the growth in evs (and if only a bunch of hard right fuckwits hadn't started a war)
- Thread starter
- #23,063
Sounds good. Less cars on the roads as I zip round in the EV
More worried about the price of airfares, hope it’s only temporary!
I see AirNZ have canceled a heap of flightsSounds good. Less cars on the roads as I zip round in the EV
More worried about the price of airfares, hope it’s only temporary!
Jesus wept. Can't believe how anyone would want to put up wind turbines in the Taranaki bight and endanger the Maui DolphinView attachment 16172
Simon O'Neill (@sjponeill.bsky.social)
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Where are Greenpeace when we need them.
Correct. Our oil goes to Geelong for refining as it is a high end product. Very light and doesn't need much cracking.
Our refinery was designed and built for Arabian sour crude which was also high sulphur. Diesel was the main output and the majority of benzene product was still imported.
We now import everything other than some NG and LPG products which are processed at Oaonui
Another point worth mentioning is that although we manufacture Nitrogen fertilizer here from Natural Gas, we still import around 350,000 tonnes of fertilizer annually from the middle East.
If that slows down or stops, we are very much in the shit, never mind Benzene and Diesel supply
Agriculture is our lifeblood
Do you both think that we need to start moving away from fossil fuels now? Sure a transition, but do something?
Meant to post this a while back for Rick - https://mountaintui.substack.com/p/nzcpr-author-on-tamatha-paul-cycleways
- Thread starter
- #23,069
Personal responsibility. Go buy a bike or an EV.
Every country that waits for the govt to do everything for them ends up bitterly disappointed.
miket12
🏛️
The councillors are quite right…. by what has been made available of the minutes, Tamatha Paul didn’t have a vote where there was a decision to cut funding from water from the capex (capital expenditure) funding in favour of cycle ways as that is done under opex (operational expenditure) funding. Also, Wellington cities LTP (Long Term Plan) states the council needs to fund and install cycle ways.
The likes of the Tax Payer Union and others are wrong in blaming this on Paul.
At least in the way they did. The Council approves the budget which sets out what ratio of funding is allocated to opex and what is allocated to capex. By reducing capex funding (including water infrastructure) in favour of opex (including providing cycle ways), there is still an argument of funding one over another….. it just didn’t happen in the way described by those wanting to turn Paul into a scapegoat.
Also, to use the LTP to say it requires the Council to fund cycle ways and how much should be provided is a bit of a circular argument. Why? Because the Councillors approve the LTP. They’re telling themselves how much to provide and then using that as their defense on providing them.
While I don’t always agree with Paul, in this case she didn’t do as some on the right have said and they need to apologize to her.
Thanks Mike
miket12
🏛️
It’s interesting that Wayne Brown wants to bring in congestion charging to Auckland…. but thinks that there shouldn’t be tolls on either the existing harbour bridge or new crossing (either tunnel or bridge) because he says that as an additional burden on ratepayers, especially those on the North Shore.
I’m guessing the real reason he favours congestion charges over tolls comes down to the old adage…. “Follow the money”. Congestion charge income stays with Auckland Council (or AT, depending how it’s set up) while harbour tolling for private vehicles would be seen as an extension to the motorway system and income would go to central government.
miket12
🏛️
Second Auckland Harbour Crossing
One of the most interesting proposals I’ve seen was to build a new harbour bridge capable of taking traffic and trains just to the west of the existing harbour bridge. The new bridge would take trains in both directions on a lower level with the upper level for vehicle traffic heading north.
The existing harbour bridge would take vehicle traffic heading south with the most easterly lane turned into a combined cycle and walk way. To extend the life of the bridge, a new pile would be added to the middle of the existing mid-span.
The approaches and exits of the existing motorway system would need to be altered to suit the new bridge and trains.
While not part of this above suggestion, I’d like to see a better public transport system through the western suburbs of the Shore. The current busway by the motorway works well for the central and eastern ones but not those further west.
One of the most interesting proposals I’ve seen was to build a new harbour bridge capable of taking traffic and trains just to the west of the existing harbour bridge. The new bridge would take trains in both directions on a lower level with the upper level for vehicle traffic heading north.
The existing harbour bridge would take vehicle traffic heading south with the most easterly lane turned into a combined cycle and walk way. To extend the life of the bridge, a new pile would be added to the middle of the existing mid-span.
The approaches and exits of the existing motorway system would need to be altered to suit the new bridge and trains.
While not part of this above suggestion, I’d like to see a better public transport system through the western suburbs of the Shore. The current busway by the motorway works well for the central and eastern ones but not those further west.
- Thread starter
- #23,074
Use the existing reef to the west is the easiest route by far.
Meola reef is adjacent to Point Chevalier and opens a direct access to the western suburbs
PS Wiz I guess you will be going to Winston's speech in Tauranga on Sunday
See you there.
miket12
🏛️
While it might be the easiest route it makes little sense to put it there. 65% of people living on the Shore live to the east of the current motorway and 75% live within 2kms to the west or to the east of it.
A bridge to the west would only benefit less than 20% of the population on the Shore. IMO, any additional crossing should be about to provide benefit to a figure far closer to 50%.
Far better to provide a motorway extension or busway from the foot of the bridge (roughly following Onewa, Mokoia and Birkenhead Roads) to Shepherds Park and on to Greenhithe/Upper Harbour Drive.
- Thread starter
- #23,077
If this was a big overseas city they would have a Moala reef bridge (cheap as chips) AND a tunnel mega project under harbour coming out further north.
A basic Moala reef bridge if just a 2 lane local road instead of trying to solve all Auckland traffic issues in one go, could be under a billion and done in 5 years.
Instead we change options every 5 years, talk about it and nothing gets done.
snake77
🛡️
On the petrol prices. The window behind my desk at work looks straight out to a petrol station.
I know it is only one Service Station, but it is meant to be a reasonably priced one and it is still interesting viewing.
Just looking at their special price. Not all of the prices listed for the various fuel types.
Last week $2.43 (may have gone up to $2.49)
Earlier this week: $2.73, $2.79
Today $2.84
Not the $3 the media had for Epsom with queues of cars. But still interesting to see the changes. Like in previous years, when there have been fuel hikes, the questions should be asked about them going up so quickly, and will they come down as quick? They typically say it comes down slower as they brought at the time oil was at a higher price per barrel.
I know it is only one Service Station, but it is meant to be a reasonably priced one and it is still interesting viewing.
Just looking at their special price. Not all of the prices listed for the various fuel types.
Last week $2.43 (may have gone up to $2.49)
Earlier this week: $2.73, $2.79
Today $2.84
Not the $3 the media had for Epsom with queues of cars. But still interesting to see the changes. Like in previous years, when there have been fuel hikes, the questions should be asked about them going up so quickly, and will they come down as quick? They typically say it comes down slower as they brought at the time oil was at a higher price per barrel.
snake77
🛡️
Unrelated to the war, something else that will affect the economy and is no fault of either side of the political isle.
Companies will struggle to purchase IT hardware with specific requirements as some of the big service providers have cleaned out all of the stock. This happens every so often due to one of the Cloud Providers. I think this one is more A.I relate as they need to get the processing power.
A lot of companies are asking for pricing. Holding off, then shocked the price has moved so much.
Some companies have seen pricing. Their procurement department gets involved to get competitive pricing and find 3-4 vendors that provide pricing at times millions over the original pricing.
This will slow down projects, lead to companies needing to extend current equipment or run the risk of running things out of warranty.
Companies will also have been in shock the last few years due to the acquisition of a key company. The new owner is changing the licensing model and the pricing. A lot of IT Managers shocked by the increased pricing or that price shock is passed upwards to the company directors.
The hardware holdup is another headache for businesses to work around. In some instances the hardware is needed to get off the issues listed above and save costs from that subscription.
Companies will struggle to purchase IT hardware with specific requirements as some of the big service providers have cleaned out all of the stock. This happens every so often due to one of the Cloud Providers. I think this one is more A.I relate as they need to get the processing power.
A lot of companies are asking for pricing. Holding off, then shocked the price has moved so much.
Some companies have seen pricing. Their procurement department gets involved to get competitive pricing and find 3-4 vendors that provide pricing at times millions over the original pricing.
This will slow down projects, lead to companies needing to extend current equipment or run the risk of running things out of warranty.
Companies will also have been in shock the last few years due to the acquisition of a key company. The new owner is changing the licensing model and the pricing. A lot of IT Managers shocked by the increased pricing or that price shock is passed upwards to the company directors.
The hardware holdup is another headache for businesses to work around. In some instances the hardware is needed to get off the issues listed above and save costs from that subscription.
Drop in the ocean - try and understand what positional notation means in numerics.
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