Fast-tracking a much bigger prison

Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says he anticipates an increase in people “coming into the Corrections system”. The Corrections Department has applied for fast tracking so it will be able to add more beds at Pāremoremo Prison when needed. Photo: Getty Images

Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, October 8:

1. Mark Mitchell says Corrections will use the Fast-track consenting law to almost double the number of beds at Mt Eden Auckland Prison (Pāremoremo) to circumvent its current Auckland Unitary Plan restrictions. NZ Herald’s Jamie Ensor reports this morning.

2. In scoop of the day, RNZ’s Ruth Hill reports from leaked documents that Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ has cut the National Public Health Service’s funding, forcing it to look at cutting programmes to prevent disease and visits to A&Es.

3. In the deep-dive of the day, Newsroom-$$$’s David Williams reports the three gentailers invested $1.38 billion on eight new renewable energy projects since 2013, while paying out $9 billion in dividends, including half to the Government.

4. In solutions news, we introduce the ‘Bicco Bike Bus’ for kids. YouTube

5. In quote of the day, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment argues against the bill promoting mining.

6. The chart of the day shows how the gentailers skimped on renewable investment for most of the last decade.

(There is more detail, analysis and links to documents below the paywall fold and in the podcast above for paying subscribers. If we get over 100 likes we’ll open it up for public reading, listening and sharing.)

1. Corrections to fast-track near-doubling of Mt Eden prison