Articles from ‘elocal magazine’

A lengthy analysis by journalist and author Ian Wishart challenges the growing use of "Extreme Weather Event Attribution" (EEA) studies and raises questions about how rapidly produced climate research is being interpreted and presented to the public. By elocal Report Desk · The article argues that a new category of climate reporting has emerged in recent years, where extreme weather events are rapidly linked to climate change through modelling…

The interesting thing this week is that despite all the noise globally around the Strait of Hormuz situation, tanker schedules into New Zealand are still holding up fairly well. Looking through the current shipping picture, there is nothing immediately standing out that suggests supply stress is building. The ships are still arriving, distribution is still moving, and for now at least, the system appears to be functioning normally. · Marsden…

The government’s proposed social media ban for under-16s appears increasingly uncertain, with coalition tensions, legislative confusion and broader debates over online regulation now complicating National’s flagship child safety proposal. Education Minister Erica Stanford says the government is still aiming to introduce legislation this year, but a promised update has now been delayed until June as wider policy work moves through Cabinet. · The…

A heated clash inside Parliament between Resources Minister Shane Jones and Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer has escalated into a wider political dispute involving Treaty relationships, seabed mining, ministerial conduct, and the future direction of New Zealand resource policy. The controversy erupted after Jones made remarks targeting Ngāti Ruanui during a parliamentary debate over mining and fast-track legislation. · The comments…

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon delivered one of the most significant speeches of his political career this week. For the first time in plain language, a sitting New Zealand Prime Minister openly acknowledged what many ordinary Kiwis have already sensed for years: · the global rules-based order is fracturing geopolitical instability is accelerating energy security matters supply chains are vulnerable debt is dangerous and social cohesion…

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has used a major pre-Budget address to the New Zealand Business Association to outline what he described as a new era of “national resilience,” warning that the global rules-based order is weakening and New Zealand must urgently adapt to a more volatile world. In a wide-ranging speech titled “Securing New Zealand’s Future,” Luxon argued the world is shifting from one governed by international rules to one…

New Zealanders like to think of themselves as an uncomplicated lot. So straightforward, in fact, that successful completion of a short test can determine one’s fitness to become a Kiwi. · At least, that’s the plan from Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke Van Velden, who has announced that from late 2027 part of the process of becoming a New Zealand citizen will entail scoring at least 75% in a 20-question multiple-choice test. By Richard Shaw,…

We all know that ultra-processed foods are bad for us, but what ingredients should we particularly try to avoid? And what are they doing to our bodies? · Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) might taste good and provide an easy hunger fix, but their long-term health consequences are starting to scare nutrition experts. By Holly McHugh · These foods are often high in added sugars, salt and saturated fats, while being low in protein, fibre and essential…

Looking at the latest interim fuel distribution charts for May 2026, the system still appears to be operating relatively normally on the surface. But the numbers also continue highlighting just how tight New Zealand’s imported fuel network has become since the closure of Marsden Point refinery. Interim Fuel Charts May 2026 · !Fuel Distribution May 2026 · Fuel Distribution May 2026 – Current distribution as of 13/05/2026 · !Fuel Distribution…

!Rams fighting · Source: Kiwibank Economics · Kiwibank economists are warning that New Zealand is being squeezed between two dangerous economic forces at once: · rising fuel and energy costs, and a weakening domestic economy. · The result, they argue, is a growing risk of stagflation — the difficult combination of weak growth, rising prices and deteriorating economic conditions. · According to the report, Brent Crude oil prices have…