Articles in ‘Editors Note’

At long last, a government has acknowledged what households have been screaming for years: council rates are out of control, and ordinary New Zealanders are paying the price. The National Government’s announcement of a maximum 4% annual rates cap is more than a policy change — it is a badly needed circuit-breaker for a country that has become unaffordable, uncompetitive, and, for many families, simply unlivable. This move, paired with the…

For years, residents living near the Tutaenui Stream have warned the Auckland Council of a growing and entirely preventable problem: a choked, neglected waterway that has become a repeat flooding hazard. The solution is neither complex nor controversial — the stream simply needs proper clearing and ongoing maintenance. Contractors themselves have confirmed it. A similar clearance in 2003 kept the area safe for eight years. Yet today, instead of…

New Zealand today stands in the jaws of a recession deeper and more structural than anything we have seen in decades. Businesses are folding. Workers are fleeing. Families are giving up hope. And yet, somehow, among all the noise, one catastrophic act of economic vandalism continues to escape the national reckoning it deserves: The deliberate destruction of New Zealand’s only oil refinery at Marsden Point. · Not downgraded. Not…

Across Auckland, homeowners are opening their insurance renewal letters only to find shocking premium increases — not because their properties have suddenly sunk, but because a bureaucratic map now says they sit on a “flood plain.” It’s a growing problem created not by nature, but by policy. The latest victim is long-time Pukekohe resident Dave Mills, whose property on Buckland Road has been bone-dry for over 30 years — yet has now been…

The Matariki public holiday, a significant event in the New Zealand calendar, is set to unfold this month on Friday, June 28th, 2024. Established in 2022 to commemorate the Māori new year and recognize the cultural heritage surrounding Matariki, this special day is strategically positioned on the Friday closest to the new moon following the rising of the Matariki star cluster. The decision to institute the Matariki public holiday stemmed from…

Ah, the age-old question: are you “Just like your Mother?” Brace yourselves, dear readers, for a whimsical journey through the marvelous world of motherhood, where one size certainly does not fit all, and the role of Mom evolves faster than a toddler’s mood swings. · As Mother’s Day graces us with its presence this month, let’s take a moment to marvel at the wonders of ‘Mums’ worldwide and delve into some eye-opening global motherhood…

Dear Editor, I submit my letter for your consideration to publish in the Elocal magazine, I wholeheartedly support the Coalition Government’s focus on getting New Zealand’s economy back into a healthy state, and this will take time. Unfortunately, not all Government members seem to recognise that their efforts on the economic front are being continually undermined by the disincentivising of race-based preferences and the tribal elite’s…

The first 100 days of the National led ‘3 headed taniwha’ coalition Government have come and gone this month and media and MP’s alike are scrambling to shout from the rooftops about what has been done and blurring the lines of non-achievement on any that appear to have fallen short on the deadline. My own take on the first 100 days comes down to the bewildering shenanigans that was the accommodation supplement that the Prime Minister, was…

2024 is a leap year, a leap year is a year with 366 days, instead of the usual 365. Leap years are necessary because the actual length of a year is nearly 365.25 days, not 365 days as commonly stated. Leap years occur every four years, and years that are evenly divisible by four (2020, for example) have 366 days. This extra day is added to the calendar on February 29. · However, there is one exception to the leap year rule involving century…

Ever wondered why January starts the new year? It’s safe to say that if you are reading this, the celebrations are all done and dusted for another year, fireworks have been let off, parties enjoyed, and those who indulged just a bit too much are recovering. This time around, New Year’s Eve is Sunday, December 31, 2023, and New Year’s Day is Monday, January 1, 2024. Both the 1st and 2nd are public holidays in New Zealand, but why do we and other…