This was such a fun story to research. I’m always interested in disasters, and solar storms are unique in that they’re proportional to our tech reliance. So many crazy moments in the last 150 years, like when a storm detonated sea mines or allowed telegraph comms while the machines were unplugged

Govt's data shakeup would answer farmer and conservationist pleas There have been calls for a federated environmental database for years, a change expected to reduce redundant sampling and make data nationally available

Spot of good news. Fed Farms and envt groups both back PCE's longtime suggestion to take all the envt data collected via consent monitoring etc and put it one, public place. Looks like that might finally be happening as part of RMA/science reforms

newsroom.co.nz/2025/06/10/g...

Zombies given new life as fast-track passes into law Contentious mining and marine farming projects, previously killed off by the courts and consenting panels, will now walk again. Fox Meyer reports.

A bit of legislative necromancy pushed through - impressively - in less than a year.

By including these first few projects in the legislation, Bish and Jones said they’d get a bit of extra protection from scrutiny: a feature, not a bug

newsroom.co.nz/2024/12/18/z...

Landmark fast-track ruling bulldozes past a tricky question Speaker bulldozes past argument over the public v private benefits of a law fast-tracking 149 named projects, provoking a Labour 'no confidence' motion. Fox Meyer reports.

As fast-track is set to pass today, let's remember what happened last week in the House. There was a heated debate about private benefits and allegations of cronyism. A controversial overruling - when it came - very delicately avoided this question newsroom.co.nz/2024/12/13/u...

Any idea what was going on with Central Otago? From 10449 to 11989 in 2023.12, then way up to 23233, 17750 and now 21738. 108% increase. Seasonal workers...?

Thanks :)

I'm seeing Wellington City filled jobs (workplace) as 153127 now vs 172557 in Q3 2023, which does make a change of 19430. 19430/172557 = 0.11 so I think this tracks

These are the numbers I'm seeing as well

Yeah I'm also wondering about this, the primary data lists the same numbers. What am I missing?

I think there was one on men’s mental health which is an area those same cherry pickers tend to rally for

Every year, the Crown pays to treat pre-2017 acid mine drainage at Stockton coal mine. Every year, the Crown also collects a royalty on all coal mined in NZ.

It costs the Crown more to treat this one mine than it collects from all coal operations.

newsroom.co.nz/2024/12/02/a...
(Free tomorrow)

A look at 84 official advice documents from govt’s first year shows the majority had time or data constraints. MOJ was a total wash, 6/6 having both constraints. Last govt wasn’t perfect either, but this marks a change - especially wrt timeframes

newsroom.co.nz/2024/11/27/o...