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The Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) is currently New Zealand’s principal law that governs how people interact with natural resources such as our air, soil, fresh water and the coastal marine environment. The RMA also regulates land use and the provision of infrastructure. It is generally accepted across most of the parties in Parliament that the RMA has passed its use-by date and hasn’t really achieved its purpose, which was to protect the…

Located in the Bay of Plenty region, Rotorua is a city on the Southern shores of Lake Rotorua which it takes its name. As a city that was built in the 1880’s, Rotorua is unusual in that is was neither a port, nor a farming community and has always been a town built for tourists who visited the lakes. · As such, tourism still remains a huge part of Rotorua’s economy both internationally and domestically and is the largest industry in the…

Every builder has their own strengths and reasons for why you should build with them. So how do you know which builder will give you the end result in the way you want it? Initially when trying to decide, most people think to ask for more information around these 8 commonly asked questions: · 1. Timing of build 2. Communication throughout 3. Testimonials 4. Design features 5. Quality 6. Budget 7. Processes 8. Contracts · Regardless of…

Whilst the official cash rate remains unchanged at least for now there are predications that the expected increase forecasted for the end of 2022 may have to be bought forward. This is a tricky balancing act for the RBNZ, in trying to pre-empt a rise in inflation without pushing up the exchange rate too much (and hence dampening exports). · This directly affects the housing market, with borrowers already seeing mortgage rates increase – and…

WELCOME TO OUR NEW BUSINESSES IN PAPAKURA ·Tasi Market__ on the Great South Road Rapid Facility__ on Porchester Road · 24 new businesses have opened in Papakura this year! · CHECK OUT OUR AMAZING MURALS AND CHORUS BOXES IN PAPAKURA · Go to www.papakura.co.nz and on the home page – hit the tab saying Murals and Art. · We have 24 murals now around Papakura from talented local artists and are so proud of them in our town. · Check out their…

New Zealanders are being left out of important decisions by the Labour Government, and National is launching a series of campaigns for Kiwis to ‘Demand the Debate’. The first campaign relates to the Government’s 2019He Puapua report. Kiwis were never told about it at the time and it was never campaigned on by Labour. It has recently been considered by Cabinet and is being consulted on with a select few New Zealanders. · Background · In 2019,…

Members of three volunteer fire brigades – Tuakau, Pokeno, and Onewhero attended a benefit social night last Saturday (3 July 2021), in time for Matariki when we honour and remember loved ones who are no longer with us. The event was organised for the crews and whānau to acknowledge the impacts associated with the loss of loved ones and colleagues and to raise mental health awareness. · The organising committee wished to demonstrate…

Judith Collins is the MP for Papakura, leader of the National Party, and leader of the opposition in the 53rd Parliament of New Zealand. She sat down with elocal to discuss the current direction of the Government, and why New Zealand desparately needs a change. MJ:__ The country – from what I can see it’s going down the gurgler. ·JC:__ I must say, everything seems to be going wrong, doesn’t it? · MJ:__ I’ve never seen a more inept…

When 3 year old Cruz told his Mum in 2016 that he wanted to grow his hair until it touched the ground and then shave it all off and give it to the $2 shop, so they could make wigs for people with cancer, she could have been forgiven for thinking it was all just a pipe dream. Fast forward to June 2021 and the now 7 year old Cruz has done just that and fundraised over $2,000 in the process! Cruz started growing his hair, originally to be a…

Safety: the condition of being protected from or unlikely to cause danger, risk, or injury. Everyday, we engage in behaviours to ensure we are kept safe from dangers, risk or injury in our everyday endeavors. We follow rules and adhere to policies like driving on one side of the road, stopping at red lights, refraining from drinking bottles of chlorine bleach. We educate our children from a young age to bounce in the middle of the trampolines,…