Latest news with #CatherineMcGregor
The Spinoff
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Spinoff
Are regional councils on the chopping block?
With new planning laws set to centralise environmental decision-making, ministers are openly debating whether regional councils still serve a purpose, writes Catherine McGregor in today's extract from The Bulletin. Are regional councils' days numbered? The future of New Zealand's 11 regional councils is under intense scrutiny, with senior government figures questioning whether they should exist at all, reports Adam Pearse at the Herald. Leading the charge is regional development minister Shane Jones, who last week asked bluntly: 'What is the point of regional government?' He has accused councils of stifling economic growth and claimed they were being co-opted into co-governance arrangements, describing the Waikato regional council as an 'iwi back office'. Prime minister Christopher Luxon didn't go that far, but said disestablishing regional councils was 'something we can explore' as part of the sweeping Resource Management Act (RMA) reforms, which aim to replace the existing legislation with two new laws intended to standardise planning decisions and reduce reliance on complex, locally issued resource consents. With key powers centralised, regional councils risk being sidelined altogether. Local government minister Simon Watts is keeping his cards close to the chest, only saying the future would 'look differently than what it is'. What regional councils do Regional councils were created in 1989 as part of a sweeping local government overhaul that replaced hundreds of small boards with 86 authorities, including 13 regional councils (now 11). Their purpose was to manage land, water and air resources under the then-new RMA. These days, their responsibilities include environmental monitoring, flood control, biodiversity, biosecurity, public transport and natural hazard planning. They also play a core role in building resilience to climate change, according to Local Government New Zealand. In some parts of the country – including Auckland, Gisborne and Nelson – these duties are handled by unitary authorities, which combine regional and territorial (ie city or district council) responsibilities. The post-RMA reckoning In a column on Scoop, former United Future leader Peter Dunne argues the government's plan to replace the RMA has reignited National's long-held discomfort with regional councils. After National took office in 1990, it 'wound back the powers' the Labour government had assigned to the councils, leaving them 'largely toothless', Dunne says. 'For the last 35 years they have therefore remained an awkward anomaly, with little public understanding of their purpose.' With the RMA now set to be replaced by new laws focused on national standards and streamlined consenting, the government appears to be questioning whether regional governance is still necessary, reports The Post's Anna Whyte (paywalled). Or, as David Seymour put it, 'maybe the next logical question is, do we need that extra layer of government?' If you're thinking about a new career as a regional councillor, maybe think again, advises Dunne. 'With the way things are currently swirling, those considering running for regional councils ought to be watching National's musings about the future of regional government very carefully.' Amalgamation enters the frame While most regional councillors are – unsurprisingly – against the idea of their roles being scrapped outright, many are open to the idea of amalgamation. In a column for The Post (paywalled), Greater Wellington Regional Council chair Daran Ponter suggests regional councils could be 'building blocks' for a streamlined system, but argues that we shouldn't throw the baby out with the bathwater. 'Environmental regulation is a part of any modern western democracy and essential to New Zealand trade,' he writes. 'If it's not your regional council doing this work, then it will be a government agency or your local council.' His call for amalgamation has won support in neighbouring Hutt City Council, which will vote today on whether to include a question on the topic in this year's election ballot papers. Further south, Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger is also open to combining functions into a unitary authority. But Environment Canterbury chair Craig Pauling tells David Hill at The Press (paywalled) that rushing into amalgamation isn't the answer. 'We agree the current structure and funding is unsustainable, but it is not simple and … just about scrapping regional councils and creating unitary authorities.'
The Spinoff
3 days ago
- Business
- The Spinoff
The draft plan to finally fix New Zealand's broken infrastructure
The Infrastructure Commission says we're spending more than most developed countries on infrastructure – while getting some of the worst returns, writes Catherine McGregor in today's extract from The Bulletin. A scathing review of infrastructure failures New Zealand's infrastructure is in crisis, and the Infrastructure Commission's draft National Infrastructure Plan doesn't mince words. The 30-year strategy, unveiled at yesterday's infrastructure symposium in Wellington, paints a picture of underinvestment in maintenance, chaotic project selection and dismal returns. New Zealand spends more of its GDP on infrastructure than any other OECD country, yet ranks in the bottom 10% for return on that investment. The report calls out successive governments for favouring headline-grabbing glamour projects over essential maintenance, leading to schools with leaking roofs, hospitals with sewage issues, and NZDF homes rife with mould. The commission found that ministers repeatedly rushed to announce projects before establishing whether they were actually achievable. 'Half of the large projects seeking funding through central government's annual Budget lack business cases to demonstrate that they're ready to fund,' according to the draft plan. Short-term thinking and policy flip-flops have created a wasteful cycle of boom-and-bust in the construction sector, the report argues, making infrastructure builds more complicated and expensive than they need be. Welcome to the era of user pays Among the plan's most contentious recommendations is a greater reliance on user-pays systems to fund infrastructure. 'New Zealanders will soon see that rolling out in, for instance, water metering in pretty much every district, the tolling of new highways, and time-of-use charges starting on Auckland's roads,' writes Newsroom's Jonathan Milne. Infrastructure Commission CEO Geoff Cooper emphasises this isn't about making every project pay for itself, but finding a more sustainable and equitable funding model. While social infrastructure – like schools or hospitals – is likely to remain fully publicly funded, Cooper is calling for user-pays to become the default wherever it makes sense. 'You can have urban roads that are subsidising rural roads, same with electricity transmission and distribution, but the network as a whole should cover its own costs through those user charges,' Cooper told Oliver Lewis at BusinessDesk (paywalled). The 17 priority projects Out of 48 submissions, just 17 projects made it onto the first round of the commission's Infrastructure Priorities Programme, a key feature of the draft plan. Six of them relate to much-needed upgrades of Defence Force housing and facilities, such as new barracks at Linton Army Camp and the regeneration of the Devonport naval base. These projects won praise from Cooper for being well-scoped, achievable and urgent. Also endorsed was the Reserve Bank's vault upgrade and the redevelopment of Hawke's Bay Regional Prison. A major urban project to make the cut was Christchurch's 22km Mass Rapid Transit line, which aims to connect Hornby and Belfast along a 21-station route. The commission stressed that inclusion on the list doesn't guarantee funding but provides a clear signal that the project is of national significance. What missed out High-profile proposals that didn't make the list include KiwiRail's Marsden Point Rail Link and Auckland Strategic Rail Programme, both of which are being reworked or resubmitted. Corrections saw three prison redevelopment projects rejected, despite one – the Christchurch Men's Prison redevelopment – being underway via a public-private partnership. A multi-user ferry terminal for Cook Strait ferries, put forward by the Greater Wellington Regional Council, was also omitted. As Lewis writes, reasons for rejection ranged from lack of readiness to insufficient national relevance. Some proposals – like a maglev rail system for the Waitematā Harbour crossing – were more aspirational than realistic. The commission is currently reviewing 70 additional submissions for the second round of the programme. For many in the infrastructure community, including rail minister Winston Peters, the rejections no doubt stung. 'We expect the Infrastructure Commission will see the light,' he said of the Marsden Point project, 'and if they don't, we will have some serious questions.'
The Spinoff
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Spinoff
NZDF rescue aircraft on standby as Middle East crisis deepens
New Zealand is preparing for a possible evacuation of citizens from Iran and Israel, while government ministers call for restraint, writes Catherine McGregor in today's extract from The Bulletin. Iran promises 'everlasting consequences' for US bomb attacks Iran has lashed out at the United States following yesterday's dramatic attack on three of its nuclear facilities, calling the bombing the first salvo in 'a dangerous war' and a 'barbaric violation' of international law. On Twitter/X, foreign minister Abbas Araghchi warned of 'everlasting consequences' and said Tehran 'reserves all options' in responding to the strikes on Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz. The International Atomic Energy Agency said there has been 'no increase in off-site radiation levels' after the airstrikes. The US attack, carried out with long-range B-2 bombers and massive 'bunker buster' bombs, was announced by Donald Trump on Truth Social, followed by a brief speech from the White House in which he claimed Iran's 'nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated'. The airstrikes came after more than a week of Israeli attacks on Iran's military infrastructure and amid growing pressure on Trump to take a harder line. Iran's response will determine whether the conflict expands further across the region. NZ prepares evacuation mission New Zealand's official response has been cautious. 'Diplomacy will deliver a more enduring resolution than further military action,' said foreign minister Winston Peters, adding that this was the 'most serious' crisis he had dealt with, reports Glenn McConnell in The Post (paywalled). Prime minister Christopher Luxon, speaking just hours before the airstrikes, stressed that 'negotiation and diplomacy' were essential, rather than 'more military action that's going to make the region more destabilised and cause more catastrophe and more human suffering'. Peters and defence minister Judith Collins announced on Sunday that an NZDF C-130 Hercules and consular personnel were being sent to the Middle East to assist in the evacuation of New Zealand citizens once airspace across the region reopens. Approximately 180 New Zealanders remain in Iran and Israel, with vanishingly few options to safely leave. New Zealand diplomats in Tehran have already left via a road convoy of diplomats from across the world into Azerbaijan, north of Iran, reports Thomas Manch in The Post (paywalled). Nato summit plans disrupted by Middle East crisis This week's Nato summit in the Netherlands is now overshadowed by the spectre of war in Iran. According to a report in Politico, world leaders had planned to present a new pledge to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP, giving Trump a major victory. Now the strike on Iran, just days before the summit, is likely to dominate discussions and potentially splinter consensus. Luxon is currently in Belgium and will attend the summit to represent New Zealand, which is a Nato partner, not member. He said New Zealand would continue to 'advocate our values' and said the right response to the crisis in the Middle East 'cannot be more military action'. Luxon's somewhat 'unlucky' China trip The escalation in the Middle East caps off a fraught fortnight for the PM, whose first official trip to China was beset by geopolitical tension and some unfortunate timing, notes RNZ's Craig McCulloch. 'Luck was not on Christopher Luxon's side', he writes, pointing to news of the Cook Islands funding row – in which China plays a key role – becoming public 'right on the eve of Luxon's big sit-down with President Xi Jinping'. The long weekend back home was more bad timing, with 'all travelling media [noting] the paltry audience interest in the stories filed as they landed on the afternoon of the public holiday Matariki'. While Luxon will no doubt hail the China trip as a success, differences between the two nations remain. One example is the status of the new China Eastern route via Auckland, which Chinese officials have described as the Southern Link, an important step in China's controversial Belt and Road Initiative that finally connects China with South America, reports Thomas Coughlan in the Herald (paywalled). Luxon rejected that characterisation, calling it a 'commercial deal' between the airline and Auckland Airport. Agreeing to disagree likely works for both sides, writes Coughlan. 'China gets to proclaim New Zealand's support for a BRI project, while New Zealand can tell BRI-sceptics like the US that it's just a flight.'
The Spinoff
17-06-2025
- Health
- The Spinoff
Can a new suicide prevention plan save more NZ lives?
The mental health minister says clear milestones and better accountability are among the reasons he's hopeful the plan will work, writes Catherine McGregor in today's extract from The Bulletin. A new strategy with sharper teeth Mental health minister Matt Doocey has unveiled the government's latest Suicide Prevention Action Plan, a five-year strategy aimed at reducing New Zealand's persistently high suicide rate. Doocey said the plan would be markedly different from its predecessor, with a focus on accountability, clear milestones and agency responsibilities, RNZ reports. Among the plan's key actions are opening six regional 'crisis cafes' – 'safe space[s] for someone in distress that [are] staffed by people with lived experience', according to Doocey – improving access to suicide prevention supports, and growing a skilled workforce trained in suicide prevention. The plan also includes new regional services and funding initiatives targeting high-risk communities, including rural areas, mothers and youth. Doocey emphasised that those with experience of suicide played a key role in shaping the plan, which received input from more than 400 individuals and organisations. A high toll of lives lost The plan is aimed at addressing New Zealand's concerningly high suicide rate. In the year to June 2024, 617 people died by suspected suicide in New Zealand, up from 566 the previous year. It should be mentioned here that the chief coroner last year noted that the overall statistical rate of suicide was not considered to have changed since 'fluctuations in rates from year to year are common in suicide data'. Be that as it may, the 2024 figure was almost twice the road toll in the same period, report Kim Griggs and Brittany Keogh in The Post (paywalled). The national rate is now at 11.2 per 100,000 people, with male rates (15.9) far outpacing female rates (6.4). Young people continue to be at greatest risk, with the 20–24 age group recording the highest rate at 19.9. Māori remain disproportionately affected, with a suspected suicide rate of 16.4 – twice that of Pasifika, and more than three times the rate for those of Asian ethnicity. The figures also show regional disparities, with the former Lakes DHB area reporting the highest rate (26.8). Debating the data Last month, a Unicef report made national headlines after it placed New Zealand last among 36 high-income countries for youth mental wellbeing, citing a youth suicide rate more than triple the international average. It also found that New Zealand's children experienced the second highest rate of bullying out of the countries included. However, experts including University of Auckland academics Sarah Hetrick and Sarah Fortune have cast doubt on the report's conclusions. The Unicef analysis was based on confirmed suicide data from 2018–2020, ignoring more recent downward trends in suspected suicides among 15 to 19-year-olds, they said. Unicef Aotearoa's Tania Sawicki Mead explained that 'the report uses like-for-like data' in order to ensure consistency when comparing countries. The role of financial hardship While many factors contribute to suicide rates, they cannot be separated from the broader socio-economic climate. Last year an international academic review of global suicide research, published in the Lancet, found a consistent link between economic downturns – especially rising unemployment – and higher suicide rates. Feelings such as 'defeat and humiliation, entrapment, lack of belongingness, and perceived burdensomeness' can be key precursors to suicidal thinking, the authors wrote. 'Some or all of these psychological processes might be at play for those who are economically disadvantaged.' In the post-Covid era New Zealand has faced a dramatic economic slowdown, with mounting living costs and rising job insecurity. These pressures disproportionately affect those already vulnerable – especially young people, Māori, and rural communities. As Georgie Craw wrote recently in The Spinoff, policies that focus solely on GDP growth miss the point: 'GDP doesn't tell us if children are fed, if they feel safe, if they can access mental health support when they're struggling.' Any serious suicide prevention strategy, experts like the Mental Health Foundation's Shaun Robinson argue, must look beyond clinical services to address the deeper social conditions that foster despair.
The Spinoff
16-06-2025
- Health
- The Spinoff
Disposable vape ban begins as regulations tighten again
Starting today, single-use vapes are outlawed, advertising and displays severely restricted, and promotions banned. The new rules have young vapers in their sights, writes Catherine McGregor in today's extract from The Bulletin. Strict new vaping rules kick in today From today, it is illegal to sell or supply disposable vapes in Aotearoa, as sweeping new restrictions on how vaping products are marketed and displayed also come into force. General retailers like dairies can no longer display vapes at the counter, vape stores must keep all products out of public view, and online retailers are barred from showing images of vaping gear. Promotions, loyalty schemes and giveaways are banned. RNZ's Nik Dirga has all the details here. These changes build on a first wave of reforms introduced in December, including stiffer penalties for selling to minors and location restrictions near schools. Associate health minister Casey Costello said the changes are designed to target the cheap, brightly packaged disposables favoured by teenagers. 'We are getting rid of vapes that are most popular among young people, and that can only be positive,' she said. Experts cautiously optimistic but stress enforcement Public health researchers have welcomed the new measures, comparing them to past initiatives to reduce youth smoking. 'Logically, parallel measures that greatly reduce young people's exposure to vaping products will have a similar effect, helping put vapes 'out of sight, and out of mind',' according to a briefing paper published by the Public Health Communication Centre. One of the ban's targets is the psychological hold of disposables on young people. Talking to The Spinoff's Alex Casey in 2022, fashion student Jessica Kitchen observed that her peers prefer them because they 'can kid themselves they're not addicted' when they're not buying refillable vapes. However, experts agree that enforcement will make or break the policy. 'Youth vaping rates in New Zealand are among the highest in the world,' Dr Jude Ball, one of the briefing paper's authors, told The Post's Stewart Sowman-Lund (paywalled). 'If these measures are going to work, the Government needs to implement robust enforcement and monitoring to ensure the law delivers on its promise.' Vape waste: a growing environmental crisis The ban on disposables is not just about public health. Around 844 million vapes are discarded globally each year, according to a UN report based on 2020 data. Five years later, the real number is likely even larger. In New Zealand, has vape litter become disturbingly common, with beach clean-ups reporting a sharp rise in vape and e-cigarette components. These products are an e-waste nightmare: each device combines toxic nicotine residue, plastic, and lithium-ion batteries that can spark fires in rubbish trucks or leach chemicals into the environment, Alex Casey wrote. While industry-led recycling initiatives like Vapo's VapeCycle exist, they remain niche. For most users, there's no easy way to safely dispose of vapes. Comparing the NZ and Australian approach While the rules on buying and selling vapes in New Zealand are now a lot tighter, they're still weak compared to Australia. There, vape sales are restricted to pharmacies, with customers required to speak to a pharmacist about their vape use before purchase. Vapes are sold in plain packaging, and the only available flavours are mint, menthol and tobacco. While most Australian health experts support the strict anti-vaping regulations, some warn they could backfire. A recent University of Queensland study found New Zealand's more permissive regulations may have driven faster declines in smoking rates than the Australian model. Between 2016 and 2023 adult daily smoking rates in New Zealand dropped by 10% per year, while Australia's decline was only half that. 'The larger decline in smoking in New Zealand closely mirrors vaping rates: in 2023, 9.7% of New Zealand adults vaped daily, compared to only 3.5% of Australian adults,' said emeritus professor Wayne Hall from UQ's National Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research.
