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It is worth pointing out that the recent (2021) study of inequality in New Zealand undertaken by Max Rashbrooke relies, by Rashbrooke’s admission, upon Piketty’s “Capital” or Capital in the Twenty First century (2014) which examines economic global growth (what might be considered as GDP) and the (global) return on capital assets for a millennia or so. The difference, as Piketty argues, effects inequality. What is interesting is that the data…

I’m writing this at 1.30am in the waiting area of Middlemore Hospital’s accident and emergency department. We are here because since contracting Covid on May 1, my 18-year-old has endured a cacophony of painful symptoms that are just not resolving. They are not respiratory but are preventing her from returning to work and life in general. We got there at 4pm, in part because there was a 4 hour wait at the local emergency department and a 1 week…

Saturday afternoons at Papakura Central Old School are a hive of energy, filled with laughter and smiles as Glass Ceiling Arts Collective (GCAC) in association with StageAntics run a weekly performance class where rangatahi (the younger generation) develop their theatrical passion. · Glass Ceiling Arts Collective (GCAC), the brain child of Charlotte Owens-Pring and Mike Eaglesome, is a charity formed in 2021 to support people from marginalised…

Lego® has come a long way since it originated in the Danish workshop of Ole Kirk Christiansen, who began making wooden toys in 1932.The first plastic brick was produced in 1949 before the world-famous signature brick with interlocking studs on the top and tubes on the bottom was patented in 1958. · Since then, kids of all ages (LEGO even has a specific range just for adults!) have indulged their imaginations and creativity to produce things…

The pressures of materials shortages are mounting up on builders. Headlines such as “Builders taking stress leave as ‘toxic mix of pressures’ plagues the industry” and “Owner of new build sleeping in tiny home on site after Gib shortage delays” are becoming far too common. · The shortage of plasterboard has got to the point where builders are having to resort to paying way over the normal asking price via online auctions. One West Auckland…

10 June - The Eruption of Mt Tarawera · Just to the south-east of Rotorua, Mount Tarawera could be described as an unusual looking mountain, with several large domes and a broad, flat top. It was shaped by volcanic activity hundreds of years ago. The Māori inhabitants of the area, and the Europeans who arrived in the 19th century, did not know that Tarawera was an active volcano until 1886, when it came to life in the deadliest known eruption…

In recent weeks, more and more commentators are suggesting that house prices in New Zealand have started to fall, and are expected to fall further. · For many homeowners, especially those who have bought within the last year or two, this news will be terrifying, and for them I have a great deal of sympathy. They were sold the lie that house prices would always and everywhere rise much faster than incomes, and that therefore the best way to…

Mid May was the third attempt (due to Covid restrictions) that the Hot Rods and Horsepower Show at the Indian Hall went ahead and to say it was a success would be an understatement. Hosted by the Pukekohe Hot Rod Club and Napa Auto Parts Dragway, the show boasted an incredible array of diverse vehicles and the public loved it. Saturday also featured a swap meet outside and the numbers through the gate was staggering. People want to make the…

Should New Zealand invest in a proper public transport network that covers not only main centres, but the regions as well? It is a question that needs an answer promptly. Public transport in New Zealand has mainly played second fiddle to private motorists needs since the 1950’s. However, with fuel prices and the costs of constructing new or additional motorway lanes or widening roads soaring at record levels and our country’s attempt to meet…

WELCOME TO: Sonny’s Polynesian Takeaways in O’Shannessey Street Indian Spice Bazaar in East Street Sustainable Papakura who has re-opened in O’Shannessey Street The Bedroom Store in Great South Road · FAIRY LIGHTS: Lovely fairy lights have been brightening up our town recently, especially at night. These are making Papakura look even brighter and more gorgeous than usual. · MATARIKI: Matariki flags will be up as we celebrate…