Immigration Minister on overseas born NZers moving to Australia
Last week, RNZ reported nearly half of the New Zealanders applying for Australian citizenship weren't born here. Minister of Immigration Erica Stanford spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.
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RNZ News
5 hours ago
- RNZ News
Climate Liberation Aotearoa protesters target Stockton Mine
First published on By Sharon Davis and Ellen Curnow* Protesters used the aerial ropeway cables as a zip line to access a coal bucket high off the ground. Photo: Supplied Climate activists have climbed into a coal bucket on the rope way at Stockton Mine again to protest Bathurst Resources Ltd's fast-track application to extend its mining operations across the Buller plateaux to Denniston. Yesterday afternoon, two Climate Liberation Aotearoa protesters clipped themselves to the ropeway cable and used it like a zipline to access a coal bucket in a remote area high off the ground. This follows a larger protest at Stockton and Denniston in April which ended with at least nine people charged with wilful trespass. Protester Rachel Andrews, from Palmerston North, was among those charged with trespass on 21 April. Speaking to The News from a coal bucket this morning she said they had a good supply of water and food and planned to disrupt the transport of coal from Stockton Mine for as long as possible. Their goal was to have Bathurst withdraw its fast-track application to mine 20 million tonnes of coal on the Denniston Plateau. While there are only two protesters in the coal bucket, she said they were supported by a huge group of people who were against the mine and the fast-track process. "There is huge opposition to this mine, even on the West Coast," she said. Andrews said there were several reasons she was personally motivated to participate. One was the legacy she would leave for future generations. She wanted to be able to tell her four grandchildren that she did everything she could to prevent a climate disaster. "We're in a climate emergency,,, people are dying from climate disasters. We can't afford to burn the coal already out of the ground, let alone mining more." Andrews was also unhappy with the "undemocratic process" under the Fast Track Bill. She said it placed the decision-making process in the hands of a few people who had shown that they didn't care about the environment and were proud to support more mines. Protest was the only way for the public to intervene in the fast-track process, she said. "There is no longer any way for members of the public to voice concerns about proposed projects like this coal mine on kiwi habitat. The New Zealand government has effectively forced communities to take actions like this if we want to be heard." Andrews spent part of the April protest in a "nest in one of pylons" and was trespassed from Stockton. She said a lot of thought had gone into planning an action like this. But any consequences would be worth it, to be able to say she had done everything she could to prevent a disaster for future generations. "I don't take the consequences lightly." Andrews said many organisations were committed to stopping fast-tracked mines and were in it for the long haul. "We will continue doing everything we can to oppose Bathurst Resources' proposed mine ... We will not stand idly by and accept this destruction," she said. The International Court of Justice recently said countries must address the "urgent and existential threat" of climate change by curbing emissions and yet New Zealand was encouraging more mines and more drilling for oil and gas. Andrews said the proposed mine on Denniston would generate at least 53 million tonnes of emissions, close to New Zealand's entire net emissions of 59 million tonnes. "We can't afford to keep destroying the planet," she said. Westport sergeant Georgie Were said police would be negotiating with the protesters to get them to come down. She said they were in a remote location which made communication difficult. The News tried unsuccessfully to contact Bathurst Resources Ltd for comment. During a recent panel discussion on how Buller could transition from coal, Bathurst chief executive Richard Tacon acknowledged the right to protest but said climbing into coal buckets was dangerous. The protesters could have accidentally flicked a lever, flipped the bucket and fallen to their deaths, he said. Locals took to Facebook today in support of the mine and local employment, with some suggesting starting the ropeway or enlisting the fire brigade to point a hose at the protesters to get them to come down. *This story originally appeared in the Westport News.
NZ Herald
6 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Nicola Willis criticised for cost of living ‘sermon' during post-Cabinet press conference
'Spending more, taxing and borrowing more as Labour and other parties advocate for, didn't work in the past and it won't work in the future,' Luxon said. Finance Minister Nicola Willis during the post-Cabinet Press conference at Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell 'The most important thing we can do to make you better off is to double down on our economic plan,' he said. Hipkins called Willis' and Luxon's address a 'sermon' that showed the pair was out of touch with the daily reality of New Zealanders. Although the party said they were going to get 'New Zealand back on track' as per their election campaign slogan, Hipkins claimed 'across the board, New Zealanders can see the country is going backwards.' 'Yet Christopher Luxon and Nicola Willis just say – 'oh, that's all part of the plan, we've got this' – they haven't got it. 'Things are getting worse for the vast majority of New Zealanders and no amount of spin from them is going to change the reality that things are getting worse for New Zealanders under their leadership. 'I think we should start calling them Fisher and Paykel because they've got more spin than a front load washing machine.' Tax relief was a major part of National's 2023 election campaign amid flaring inflation and a cost of living crisis. The party campaigned on a series of policies aimed at helping the 'squeezed middle', including adjusting tax rates, increasing tax credits and FamilyBoost. These policies came into effect in July last year. Willis said today the average household is $1,560 better off after the Government's tax relief package. 'We have also introduced FamilyBoost, which with the latest expansion gives families up to 40 per cent off their childcare costs. 'We have removed the Auckland fuel tax, introduced 12-month prescriptions, increased the rates rebate for 66,000 seniors and increased Working for Families payments.' Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon arriving for the post-Cabinet Press conference. Photo / Mark Mitchell Luxon stressed that a year and half into the term, he and his party were still fixated on improving the economy and the cost of living. Things were still tough for many families but the economy was 'expected to grow on average 2.7% per year creating 240,000 jobs over the next four years. 'In the short term we are pulling every lever we can to help Kiwi families with the cost of living.' The Government also announced the scrapping of surcharges at the till, such as when a customer uses PayWave or their mobile phone to make a payment. 'New Zealanders are paying up to $150 million in surcharges every year. That's money that could be saved or spent elsewhere.' Luxon also said the changes the Government were making to construction would help reduce costs for businesses and New Zealanders. Earlier in the day, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden announced she would review safety rules for scaffolding, saying she had received many complaints from the construction industry that current regulations were too complex and expensive. Van Velden was light on the details of what specifically would be reviewed, but said officials would consult on proposed new rules that would give people a selection of safety options depending on how dangerous the job was. 'If it's not very risky, they will not need to use expensive scaffolding. 'For example, they will be considering whether a ladder could be used instead of scaffolding for a simple roof gutter repair or minor electrical maintenance when working at height.'
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
The Panel with Madison Burgess-Smith and Mike Williams Part 1
Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Madison Burgess-Smith and Mike Williams. Starting off, the Panel hears how homelessness and rough sleeping is on the rise across the country and then they discuss the government's move to ban on-card payments in-store, saving shoppers from being stung with surprise fees when paying with contactless technology. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
