Chief Stipe

Do you think Malcolm Habrow has forgiven Chippy and his team yet? https://norightturn.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-most-transparent-government-ever.html?m=1

LOL getting desperate now Pasta. Quoting an Idiot Savant. Here's the link to @holy ravioli 's source of inspiration: http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2024/01/willis-made-no-complaints-about-prefu.html

It's you that doesn't understand. You could have $1 billion in turnover and make no profit. That's why yield needs to be the focus.

1.25 out of 6. Poor UDR.

Where do you think Stephen Gray and Te Akau horses will go when Singapore closes down?

I'm sure there are especially when it is hard to get locals to do it.

You tell us how to fix decades of left wing councils buidling vanity projects instead of core infrastructure. I'd say let the bureaucrat city fall down a sink hole.

Mmmm seems you are...

The prospect of work when you don't have any would be a good incentive would it not? I realise that is a novel concept for you and the socialist left. NZTR could work with the various authorities e.g. Immigration etc and fast track licensing of trainers and jockeys. There are many horses in Singapore with NZ ownership - I'm sure some of the more competitive ones could find the stakes now on offer here as enough incentive to bring them back here. Where are the subsidies in that?

Draft dates calendar "not done deal" www.hrnz.co.nz Draft dates calendar "not done deal" Harness Racing New Zealand would like to remind everyone in the sport that last week's draft dates calendar is just that - a draft. Since it was released there has been an outpouring of comment, and in some case strong criticism, with many believing the new calendar is set in stone. "There has been a lot of feedback from people thinking this is a done deal. It is not," says HRNZ General Manager - Racing, Catherine McDonald. Included in the draft is the potential to have upwards of 86 more meetings in the 2024/25 season, mainly at Alexandra Park, Cambridge and Addington. "It is great to have a partner in Entain that is so ambitious and forward-thinking and we have to be innovative when it comes to increasing turnover," says McDonald. But the suggestion has seen many question how that would be happen given current horse numbers, and how and who would fund the extra races. "All these are good points and that's exactly why the draft calendar is now out for discussion," says McDonald. "It cannot be emphasised enough that Entain is testing the water here and now it's up to everyone in the sport to respond." In coming weeks HRNZ plans to extensively liaise with clubs, kindred bodies, trainers and other stake-holders. "We need to ensure all clubs and regions benefit from any changes and we need to grow the sport right through the country," says McDonald. That consultation period will conclude on Monday, February 19 with HRNZ and the other codes needing to make a formal submission to the TAB Dates Committee by March 1. The three codes will then come together with the TAB/Entain to finalise the calendar. For any more information contact catherine@hrnz.co.nz https://www.hrnz.co.nz/news/draft-dates-calendar-not-done-deal/

Wellington water shortage: State of emergency planned if restrictions fail www.nzherald.co.nz Authorities in Wellington have planned for a regional state of emergency if water levels get so low that suburbs run dry this summer. The looming crisis has already prompted some residents to queue for hours to get their hands on emergency water tanks. Hutt City Council has reported it sold out of tanks in a matter of hours on Friday. The region has moved to Level 2 restrictions today in a bid to limit water use and avoid the worst-case scenario. This means residential sprinklers and irrigation are banned but people can still water their gardens by hand with a hose. The new rules apply to Wellington City, Porirua City, Hutt City, and Upper Hutt City. AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME. The decision to increase restrictions was made last week after water use peaked at 195 million litres on January 9. Wellington Water, which manages water assets on behalf of these councils, expects demand will increase further as Wellingtonians return home from their summer holidays. Frustratingly for everyone involved, the restrictions come as the region is losing 44 per cent of its treated drinking water to leaks. There are more than 3000 open confirmed leaks and many others going undetected below the surface. AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME. Precious water is bubbling away onto pavements and roads due to ageing infrastructure, historical underinvestment, and an increasing backlog of desperately needed pipe replacements. One man resorted to digging a trench during a three-month wait to get the leak outside his home in Miramar fixed. Level 3 restrictions are likely in late January Wellington Water’s latest risk update said there is a 76 per cent chance of moving to Level 3 restrictions this summer. This is likely to happen in late January. Under these restrictions, all residential outdoor water use is banned and residents should consider reducing indoor water use by taking shorter showers and only doing full loads of laundry. There is a 33 per cent chance the region will then move to Level 4 restrictions, most likely in early February. This means there is a significant water shortage and people need to reduce indoor water use by up to 50 per cent by taking 2-minute showers and limiting laundry use to one load per person per week. There are more than 3000 known open leaks across the region. Photo / Georgina Campbell In this situation, the Wellington Water emergency management team would be stood up and a request made to water services regulator Taumata Arowai to declare a drinking water emergency. A regional state of emergency would be declared if there was no longer a buffer between the available water supply and how much was being used. In this situation, some suburbs may not have water and residents would be told to check on neighbours, friends and whānau. The Wellington Region Emergency Management Office (WREMO) would oversee the signing of a regional state of emergency for local councils. AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME. There would be daily media briefings and public updates as part of the response. Wellington Water chief drinking water advisor Laurence Edwards said a state of emergency would only be declared in an extreme scenario where demand was exceeding supply on an ongoing basis. There is a risk water quality could be affected if treated water storage reservoirs get too low, Edwards said. “That does increase the risk of contamination potentially getting into the network which, in an absolute worst-case scenario, we would need boil water notices to make sure we are protecting public health.” Demand for emergency water tanks surges WREMO has a pre-existing partnership with water tank manufacturer The Tank Guy to make 200-litre water tanks, that have a retail price of $265, available for $115. Wellington City Council spokesman Richard MacLean said 222 tanks have been sold at the Tip Shop in the past six weeks. AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME. This is a considerable surge in demand compared to the 39 tanks sold over the same period a year prior. Upper Hutt City Council chief executive Geoff Swainson said there were about 400 people on the waiting list for tanks. The supplier was expected to deliver about 90 tanks per week to the council, Swainson said. “Hopefully, within the next month or so we will be able to clear that backlog but of course, there is a high level of interest at the moment. “So, I imagine fresh inquiries will be coming through all the time which is a good thing because it means people are aware of the situation and are prepared to take steps to do what they can.” Meanwhile, Hutt City Council sold out of water tanks within a few hours following a fresh delivery on Friday. The council has ordered another 720 tanks which will be delivered in batches over the next two months. AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME. The Tank Guy owner Gary King said yesterday he was “flat tack”. Where to buy water tanks Wellington City: Tip Shop, Southern Landfill Lower Hutt: Petone Library, 7 Brittania Street Porirua: Porirua City Council Service Centre, 16 Cobham Court Kāpiti Coast: 175 Rimu Road, Paraparaumu Upper Hutt: 838-842 Fergusson Drive AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME. Masterton: 161 Queen St Carterton: Holloway Street South Wairarapa: 19 Kitchener Street, Martinborough Thousands of leaks a ‘communications nightmare’ The restrictions come as the region is losing 44 per cent of water through leaks. Wellington Water’s latest leak progress update shows 4200 leaks have been fixed this financial year but it’s still not enough. Wellington Water chief executive Tonia Haskell said fixing leaks was a complex situation due to a backlog from historical underinvestment, asbestos cement pipes failing decades earlier than expected, the affordability problems facing councils, and some leaks being located in difficult places. AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME. Haskell said the biggest leaks were prioritised, given the amount of water seeping out of the network. “Those are the ones we go after first but they’re usually harder and more complex because of the scale of the problem.” Wellington Water Committee chairman Campbell Barry acknowledged it was a “communications nightmare” asking people to conserve water when there were leaks outside their homes going unfixed. Wellington Water chairman Nick Leggett said $7.6 billion needed to be invested in the region’s water network. Photo / Supplied In September last year, Barry organised a regional Water Shortage Summit where Wellington Water recommended more money for fixing leaks and replacing old pipes, introducing water meters for the metropolitan Wellington region and building another storage lake. Barry said councils needed to act sooner rather than later. “Even if we made these decisions now, we’re still looking at a number of summers with potential water shortages- that’s the reality. What’s untenable for me is not demonstrating to our community that we are taking practical steps to solve the problem.” AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME. Wellington Water board chairman Nick Leggett said $7.6 billion of investment in the region’s water network was needed over the next ten years. “The more we invest upfront, the less we need to spend on reactive maintenance. The problem is when you react to things, it reduces efficiency and it costs more.” Leggett gave the example of Wellington Water fixing a burst pipe, only for it to burst in another place a week later. “That lack of efficiency is because there isn’t enough money that’s been invested in renewals- we would much rather come and replace the whole section of the pipe but we don’t have the money to do that.” Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in local government, transport, and seismic issues. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist.

Can you give us an indication of when we can stop watching this space? Although nothing that happens now can justify the waste of space that Operation Inca was or is.

Where was any subsidy mentioned?

So what's your measure of variance? Two weeks means zero. Let me guess you are a Cost Accountant?

I've given up listening and watching the current Trackside Crew.

Well he'd be an idiot to not take advantage if he was in the market for an EV. Obviously with your Prius you couldn't resist either.

Just an intelligent observation.

LOL!!! Struggle time for you.

You reckon?

Yep no favours. I guess your Prius has had one elderly woman owner.

Well beats typing it all out when one knows what it's about. Cut and paste saves time putting you right.

If he uses the word vituperative then he is Molloy.

Yep obviously you have no logistics experience either.

$1000/year to drive your EV: Road user charges for electric vehicles from April 1, Transport Minister Simeon Brown confirms www.nzherald.co.nz It will soon cost close to $1000 per year to drive your Tesla or Nissan Leaf. Electric vehicles will lose their long-time exemption from road user charges (RUCs) on April 1, Transport Minister Simeon Brown confirmed this afternoon. EV owners will be charged $76 per 1000km (the same rate applied to other non-petrol light vehicles; essentially diesel-powered cars), plus admin fees of $12.44 (online) or $13.71 (over the counter) when you pre-pay for a block of 1000km or more..(See bullet points below for the mechanics of the new system.. The AA says the average motorist drives 12,000km per year, which equates to $912 in RUCs, not including admin fees. AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME. “This transition to RUC is about fairness and equity. It will ensure that all road users are contributing to the upkeep and maintenance of our roads, irrespective of the type of vehicle they choose to drive,” Brown said. The previous National government exempted EVs from paying the charge to encourage their uptake. “This exemption was always intended to end when EVs hit around 2 per cent of the light vehicle fleet and we’re now at that point.” Both the AA and the MIA (Motor Industry Association) had raised fears of “double dipping” by the Crown in the case of plug-in hybrids (or PHEVs) - which could potentially be charged both RUCs and petrol tax. Brown said that concern had been addressed by a lower RUC rate for PHEVs, whose owners will pay $53 per 1000km. The partial rate assumes that on average, a plug-in hybrid will consume petrol at a rate of just under three litres per 100km. AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME. Filling a $2b hole The outgoing Labour Government set March 31, 2024, as the final day of the exemption. Brown said today that he would stick to that date. Both of the major parties are aware that around $4 billion in revenue is generated each year by RUCs and petrol tax - with around half of that from the latter. If EVs maintained their RUC exemption as NZ’s fleet electrifies, the Crown would be left with a $2b hole in its books. Only light EVs (those weighing 3500kg or less) are losing their RUC exemption. Heavy electric vehicles will be hit by RUCs from December 31, 2025. The imposition of RUCs represents the other boot dropping for EV sellers. The first was the elimination of the Clean Car Discount - and the associated “ute tax” on December 31. December saw record EV sales as the discount entered its final days. “I hope that with the removal of the CCD [Clean Car Discount] that we don’t go too far backwards in our low-emission vehicle sales,” MIA chief executive Aimee Wiley told the Herald last week. Wiley said boom-and-bust cycles with various regulatory changes made it difficult for dealers as they ordered cars months in advance. Overall, she supported the elimination of electric vehicles RUC exemption, however. AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME. “They’ve had a free ride. It’s time for EV owners to pay their fair share,” Wiley said. Although the Clean Car Discount has been wiped, and RUCs imposed, Brown said the Government would subsidise the rollout of 10,000 public chargers by 2030 to encourage EV uptake. The EV charges announcement came on the same day the news cycle was consumed by the resignation of Green MP Golriz Ghahraman following shoplifting allegations. Brown told the Herald the date of the announcement was long-planned. The RUCs will mainly be paid by wealthier Kiwis. EV registration figures show the heaviest concentrations of electric vehicles in Remuera and other top-earning suburbs (see table here). MTA: Spend it on roads Motor Trade Association chief executive Lee Marshall welcomed the move, which he said was necessary as NZ’s fleet electrified. “Now the challenge is to ensure that the proceeds of the RUC goes where it’s needed – on-road,” Marshall said. AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME. Weather events of the last 12 months have accelerated the deterioration of our roads, he said. “The reality is that cyclones and storms are only going to occur more frequently in the future.” The National Land Transport Fund - to which RUCs contribute - previously went solely to roads. “In 2020, the law was changed to allow these funds to pay for rail. While rail has an important role to play in our transport network, the principle that road users only pay for roading projects is the correct one, and we trust the Government to follow through on that,” Marshall said. How to RUCs work? RUCs are pre-purchased in blocks of 1000km online or from the likes of VTNZ Pure EVs will pay $76 per $1000, plug-in hybrids $53 per 1000km. Hybrids that don’t require a charge at the wall, like the Toyota Prius, are exempt. E-scooters, e-bikes and electric mopeds and motorbikes are also exempt. An odometer reading must be given the first time you buy a block of RUCs. An odometer reading is then taken each time your car gets a warrant of fitness allowing NZTA Waka Kotahi to monitor your figures. If the odometer exceeds the RUCs purchased by the vehicle’s owner, they will be invoiced for any difference. There will be a two-month grace period as the new system is phased in. Every EV owner will receive a letter from NZTA before April 1 explaining the system. An individual can be fined up to $15,000 for providing false RUC records. Late payment can incur a 10 per cent penalty on the amount owed. Under the RUC Act 2012, owners of vehicles over 3500kg have to install an approved electronic device for recording mileage. Chris Keall is an Auckland-based member of the Herald’s business team. He joined the Herald in 2018 and is the technology editor and a senior business writer.