Whole families in Manurewa are sleeping rough in laundromats. People are waiting for years for social housing. Successive governments have failed to address the growing housing crisis. Human Rights Commissioner Paul Hunt admits in the past the Commission has failed to hold successive governments accountable for their housing failures. Not anymore though. The Commission is Read more
St Gerard’s, the former Redemptorist church and monastery and Wellington’s most imposing landscape building is likely to be sold, reports Wellington’s DomPost. A Wellington developer Richard Burrell, who has a reputation for restoring heritage buildings, is the likely purchaser. Should he be successful, Burrell intends to turn the building into a hotel. Pending due diligence Read more
Arise Church has closed its doors in Auckland, and the Campus Pastors have resigned, following months of controversy, including allegations of racism, sexual assault and conversion therapy. In a letter to the congregation, the Arise Board said Campus Pastors Ben and Anna Carroll have confirmed they have resigned from their roles “and will look to Read more
A psychogeriatric unit for dementia patients at a Dunedin rest home is being forced to close due to staffing shortages. Alzheimers New Zealand said the closure was more evidence of a “scandalous” gap in healthcare for the elderly, and they estimate about 30,000 people with dementia who need vital care are missing out, due to Read more
Antipodean New Zealand is not in the Holy See’s neighbourhood, but it is no real excuse for having two dioceses without bishops for so long, says Luke Coppen, in The Pillar. It is three years since Charles Drennan resigned as Bishop of Palmerston North. Coppen points out it appointing bishops in New Zealand has not Read more
Poverty is not pretty, says KidsCan ambassador Verity Brogden. She should know. She grew up that way. “Going through poverty as a kid you feel invisible – like no one sees you and no one cares about you.” Brogden says often people don’t want to acknowledge disadvantaged children exist. They’re trying to pretend there’s no Read more
The new pastoral guidelines concerning gender and sexuality are “groundbreaking”, says New Ways Ministry’s Robert Shine. Primarily targeting Catholic educators, “Aroha and Diversity in Catholic Schools” is the opposite of so many policies which have harmed students and upset school communities in recent years, Shine comments. The document clearly shows the bishops’ core concern is Read more
Soaring food costs in every supermarket aisle continue to batter families and put more pressure on the Government as new figures show food inflation is at a 13-year-high. Stats NZ figures released on Thursday show food prices jumped by 8.3% in September compared to the year before, while fruit and vegetables increased by 16%. The Read more
A critical eye clinic in Papua New Guinea can now undertake operations without the worry of power cuts after assistance from the Fred Hollows Foundation in New Zealand. Fred Hollows has set up a solar energy system at the Madang Eye Clinic involving 160 photovoltaic panels and six batteries all running from a 20-foot shipping Read more
Fiji’s archbishop is warning that “new colonial forces” are moving into the Pacific Island nation. “Today, there are new colonial forces moving into Fiji,” says Archbishop Peter Loy Chong of Suva. “There is the fear of China and Chinese extractive industries and companies. There are powerful multinational corporations taking their places. Big nations like Australia, Read more