From colonial times, Australians and New Zealanders have used railway construction to alter not only their economies and polities but also their environments. Although the consequences of large infrastructure projects are vast, they are often understood poorly. 2021 NLA Fellow, Dr André Brett uses the development of railway networks to interrogate the strong and enduring linkages between economic growth and environmental change. His research seeks to redefine our understanding of how railways affected Australasian landscapes, offering a critical perspective on the outcomes of economic growth and resource use. Australasian literature has interrogated how settlers understood nature, how labourers extracted resources, and which producers used these commodities; it is now time to turn to the crucial transportation stage that links extraction to use. Railways were not simply a means of overcoming what Geoffrey Blainey famously dubbed the tyranny of distance; they were agent
Wellington.Scoop report by Jem Traylen
Police have removed a controversial web-tracking tool called Facebook Pixel from their website after a member of the public went to the media with his concerns.
Last week, the NZ Council for Civil Liberties (NZCCL) released a media statement highlighting concerns from PhD researcher Kent Newman who discovered that some government agencies, including the Police, were using tracking tools such as Facebook Pixel on their websites without disclosing this to the public.
A Police spokesperson said they reviewed the use of Facebook Pixel following NZCCL’s media statement and subsequent media enquiries.
“The Facebook Pixel was set up in 2016 to support the constabulary recruitment campaign. However, New Zealand Police has not used the Facebook Pixel for this campaign for over 18 months and it has now been deleted. Police has no intention currently of re-enabling this tool. We are reviewing our policies to make sure they remain up to date.”
Paleo-quakes illuminate earthquake gates in New Zealand Posted on
Citation: Samuels, F. M. D., 2021, Paleo-quakes illuminate earthquake gates in New Zealand, Temblor, http://doi.org/10.32858/temblor.177
New Zealand’s Alpine Fault cuts 530 miles (850 kilometers) along the western edge of Te Waipounamu the South Island and marks the boundary between the Australian and Pacific plates. A Few Māori oral histories and tree rings document the most recent rupture along this fault likely a magnitude-8.1 in 1717. This fault releases a steady beat of large earthquakes through time, and scientists know that the area is due for another event. “Using a credible scenario for the Alpine Fault is the best way we can imagine what this event might be like it gives us the power of the hypothetical,” says Caroline Orchiston, the science lead for Alpine Fault Magnitude 8 (AF8), a national program that links scientists with the public to prepare for the next Alpine Fault e
Political Roundup: Have billions been incorrectly paid out in the wage subsidy scheme?
12 May, 2021 05:30 AM
7 minutes to read
The Auditor General s report is highly critical about the lack of checks and balances on a scheme that has doled out $14bn to businesses. Photo / 123RF
The Auditor General s report is highly critical about the lack of checks and balances on a scheme that has doled out $14bn to businesses. Photo / 123RF
OPINION:
The Government s wage subsidy scheme may have incorrectly paid out billions of dollars to ineligible businesses, and this is not being audited.
That s the conclusion to be taken from the Auditor General s report, released yesterday. It is highly critical about the lack of checks and balances on a scheme that has doled out $14bn to businesses.