Monday's pick o' the links
Government may take Auckland Council to court over de-intensification; Lotto sucking poorest areas dry; 500 kids live in Christchurch motels; Israel may ban four-engined jets
TLDR: The Government may take legal action to force the Auckland Council to reverse its de-intensification of city development plans. Again, Wellington is trying to force councils to solve a national problem without funding councils.
In Aotearoa’s political economy
Legal threat? - The Government is considering taking legal action to try to force Auckland Council to comply with its new intensification laws, Thomas Coughlan reports for the NZ Herald this morning.
Sucking the poor dry - Lotto makes nearly 70% of its sales via shops from the poorest half of the country, Guyon Espiner reports for RNZ this morning.
Off to New York - PM Jacinda Ardern announced this morning she plans to travel to New York to represent Aotearoa-NZ at the UN General Assembly later this month. RNZ
‘You can do it’ - A review into council finances commissioned by Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta is backing new revenue streams including road congestion charges and bed taxes, Jonathan Milne reports for Newsroom this morning.
Immense health sector stress - Nearly 7500 patients waiting more than a year for surgery are now meant to have spots on operating lists – but some in the sector say it’s unlikely it will speed things up as the workforce remains at breaking point, Rachel Thomas reports this morning for Stuff. Between August 15, 2021, and June 26, 2022, 13,410 surgeries were cancelled nationally.
Immense housing stress - There are 500 children living in motels in Christchurch, where the emergency housing waiting list has quadrupled to 2,040 over the last five years, Steven Walton reports this morning for The Press.
Captured regulator? Emails show the government regulator responsible for overseeing real estate agents coordinated with the industry body representing those agents, in responses to journalist questions, Geraden Cann reports for Stuff this morning.
So what? - This is all about the 30/30 rule. The Government won’t allow councils extra room to borrow, or borrow itself, so is trying to find ways around it. The same is true on housing and health. Underinvestment over 30 years because of the 30/30 rule is crunching our society. And, of course, we’re now a housing market with bits tacked.
In geo-politics, the global economy and markets
Germany plans to spend €65b subsidising consumer energy bills this summer. Reuters
Sweden and Finland had to intervene in their electricity markets over the weekend to prevent Lehman-style collapses. Reuters
Israel plans to ban four-engined jets because of environmental concerns. Reuters
Shenzen is adopting tiered Covid measures and Chengdu is extending its lockdown. Reuters
Chart of the day
Useful longer reads and watches
Profundities, curiousities and feel-goods
The Craic
A fun thing
Ka kite ano
Bernard
Can you please explain the 30/30 rule?
That MapKiwi image of the Pakistan floods is a terrifying eye-opener. Next year's weather broadly projected to mirror this year's. Climate change impacts getting a wee bit harder to ignore.