November 13, 2008
In the hierarchy of human needs, a place to live is right up there. A country as focused on the well-being of its residents as New Zealand should put a high priority on housing for everyone. So how’s it going in Hawke’s Bay in the current global economic downturn? First, if you don’t have a [...]
November 13, 2008
Henare O’Keefe’s response to the unprovoked attack on his daughter and son-in-law by Mongrel Mob members was to call for the community to speak out against violence. We did in our thousands by marching through the streets of Hastings. ‘Enough is enough’ was a clear community message to the Mongrel Mob, and other gangs, that [...]
November 13, 2008
Sydney has its opera house, Paris has a Tower, New York has Lady Liberty. And Napier has the wooden Sound Shell. This relic expresses all the sleepy backwater stands for. Iconoclastic as the structure is, it appropriately states that Napier is totally committed to looking backward. Napier is boldly defiant of the 21st century … [...]
November 13, 2008
Pleasingly, I am not going to talk about the election. But I am going to talk about the local state and especially the Councils on the Heretaunga Plains. Local Government under its Act has only one purpose: “to enable communities plan for their future.” Yet we find so much of local government reactive, responding squeaky [...]
November 12, 2008
By now, everyone knows that Andy Lowe’s Hill Country has withdrawn its proposal to build 1000 homes at Ocean Beach. But while this is cause for celebration, vigilence is still required. For the question remains: What next? There are two aspects to the answer, because both Hill Country and the Hastings Council have options to [...]
November 11, 2008
John Key ran a campaign predicated on a call for change and a forward look, and won a commanding 46% of the vote. Helen Clark responded with a campaign predicated on fear and the past, and fell off seven points from 2005 to 34%. Her message: “you just can’t trust those guys … look what [...]
November 9, 2008
In this Guest Buzzmaker column, Mayor Lawrence Yule offers his “take” on how a National-led Government will address policy issues and processes that affect us here in the Bay. As he sees it, National’s emphasis on improving infrastructure — appointing a new Minster of Infrastructure, committing additional funds, and expediting decision-making on such projects — [...]
- Andrew Reyngoud on DAM(N)! A half-billion dollar water storage scheme
- Margaret Donnelly on WATER. What's all the fuss about?
- Elizabeth Sisson on 'Dump Council' campaign
- Paul Bailey on Cows in Karamu Stream
- Rob Pharazyn on Cows in Karamu Stream
- John J Harrison on 5 mayors in HB ... 'Yeah right' says Tui
- Anne Parker on Let's get Council meetings online
- Stuart Nash on 5 mayors in HB ... 'Yeah right' says Tui
- Kylie Fowler on Let's get Council meetings online
- Paul Bailey on Let's get Council meetings online
- ‘Dump Council’ campaign
- Cows in Karamu Stream
- Questions for HB ‘regional study’ director
- Let’s get Council meetings online
- 5 mayors in HB … ‘Yeah right’ says Tui
- Crucial Environment Court hearing underway
- Regional Council warns on pollution standards
- Democracy in action?
- 1+1+1 = 3 hours
- Councils’ reorganization survey results
