As part of a $4 billion savings initiative announced on Monday, the Government will cut $236 million from climate policies on agriculture, transport and forestry. One unusual aspect of the move is that climate funding is supposed to be ring-fenced solely for climate policies, but the savings will instead be returned to the general coffers. Read more
New Zealand
Christ Church Cathedral appoints youngest-ever dean
Thursday, August 31st, 2023Christ Church Cathedral has appointed its youngest-ever dean – 37-year-old Reverend Canon Ben Truman. Truman is set to leave his current role as the Vicar of Opawa-St Martins (St Mark’s, Opawa) to take up the job. Bishop Peter Carrell said Truman’s appointment ushers in a “new era of leadership, fresh perspectives, and a commitment to Read more
Wairarapa Catholic church empty, earthquake-prone, vandalised
Monday, August 28th, 2023
A former Catholic church on the main road through Carterton is dismally neglected. Since the Catholic Parish of the Wairarapa sold the property in 2021, the once cared-for Catholic church is now seen as an eyesore. Rubbish, debris and overgrown leaves surround the now-empty St Mary’s church on the corner of King Street and SH2 Read more
Peace walk organised by former gang members now Christians
Monday, August 28th, 2023
A peace walk in Palmerston North was spearheaded by Hemi Davidson, formerly affiliated with Black Power and Nomads, and Matthew Ngatai Te Moananui, a past member of the Mongrel Mob. The peace walk was organised in response to escalating gang tensions in Palmerston North. Davidson and Ngatai Te Moananui’s paths converged at Legacy Church in Read more
Relationship matters still key focus at St Peters College
Monday, August 28th, 2023A stand-off appears to remain between the board and senior management of St Peter’s College in Gore. The school was placed into the limited statutory management of lawyer Nicola Hornsey earlier this year after the school’s board of trustees sought Ministry of Education support to govern the school. In May, principal Tara Quinney told Stuff Read more
People spending 50 weeks on average in Upper Hutt emergency housing
Monday, August 28th, 2023People are spending nearly a year living in emergency housing facilities in Upper Hutt as sky-high rentals, rising house prices and cost of living issues continue to bite. Figures obtained from a written Parliamentary Question from National’s Chris Bishop paint a worsening picture across much of the lower and central North Island for those seeking Read more
Shaping the assembly – the shape of our churches shapes us
Thursday, August 24th, 2023
“We shape our buildings, then our buildings shape us,” echoes Thomas O’Loughlin in the forward of a new book: Shaping the Assembly – How Our Buildings Form Us in Worship. O’Loughlin suggests that the arrangement of space is often overlooked, but we constantly refer to it. It plays a pivotal role in our lives, he Read more
Chinese diaspora communities in NZ still subject to China
Thursday, August 24th, 2023
Gaining attention are disturbing reports of Beijing seeking to control Chinese diaspora communities in New Zealand and elsewhere. The New Zealand intelligence agency’s annual security threat report says a top concern is ethnic Chinese communities being targeted by people and entities linked to Beijing. Elsewhere around the world, reports about China’s influence and information operations Read more
Immigration staff say bosses knew visa system didn’t work, and ignored it
Thursday, August 24th, 2023Immigration New Zealand staff have been warning their managers for a year that the under-fire Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) system has major flaws and is a recipe for migrant exploitation – but were ignored. Concerned Immigration staff say employers are being allowed to bring in migrants without any paperwork or financial checks, even when Read more
Group protesting church tree removal want council to bring back heritage tree register
Thursday, August 24th, 2023The Lumsden Tree Lovers group has been protesting the removal of 130-year-old cypress trees from the Lumsden Presbyterian Church grounds this week. On Monday, a small group of people gathered at the church and chained themselves to one of the trees in protest of a decision to fell the trees, planted in the 1890s, to Read more