National and Labour take the local route

The government has put distribution of $25m in cyclone business support funding in the hands of local agencies, while National's alternative to Three Waters returns control to councils

Mōrena and welcome to The Bulletin for Monday, February 27, by Anna Rawhiti-Connell. Presented in partnership with Z Energy.

In today’s edition: temporary housing service to kick in for those displaced by Cyclone Gabrielle; rise in land dedicated to forestry and farmland to forestry conversions; prime minister pressed on Te Matatini funding; but first, both parties focus on local communities and councils with cyclone recovery funding and an alternative plan for water infrastructure  

Christopher Luxon launched the party’s alternative to Three Waters at the Bluegreens forum on Saturday

Funding for business recovery to be distributed locally

Half of the initial $50m cyclone business support package will be given to local agencies to distribute. Minister for cyclone recovery Grant Robertson announced the package during a visit to Tairāwhiti on Sunday. As Stuff’s Luke Malpass writes, the government “has been at pains to make sure its response appears driven by local people, while it provides the cash they need.” Before the funding announcement Robertson met with council, iwi and business leaders from the region on Sunday for what one participant described as a “listening session”.  

New plan for “local water done well” plan from National

Speaking at the Bluegreens forum on Saturday, Christopher Luxon added some detail to the party’s well established position of repealing the government’s Three Waters reforms. The plan, called “Local Water Done Well”, dumps the centralisation feature of Three Waters and returns control of water assets to councils. Malpass writes that “ the plan seeks to retain the advantages of two of the main design features of Three Waters – water services separated from the rest of the councils’ balance sheets and discretion; and the ability to raise long-term debt freed from other council decisions – while also aiming to consolidate water management (albeit voluntarily).”

Plan doesn’t outline how much doing local water well costs

In a pretty blunt assessment, The Herald’s Claire Trevett writes (paywalled) that the proposal appears to be “a political response to try to capitalise on the backlash to Labour’s plan than a considered look at what was actually needed and what would work". The plan does not outline “how much doing local water well might cost compared to Labour’s way - and hence how much ratepayers might expect to bear of that burden.” National's local government spokesperson Simon Watts told Q+A, "our policy position will be cheaper than Labour's” and that under the model “rates are not going to increase." Local government minister Kieran McAnulty disputed that claim immediately. 

The climate change election?

While you could look at water infrastructure through a climate change adaptation lens, the announcement at the Bluegreens forum wasn’t really a seizing of an opportunity to launch climate change policy. Newsroom’s Nikki Mandow described the agenda for the forum as “unambitious”and a massive missed opportunity. “Everyone loves a giant weta breeding programme but we urgently need grunty environmental policy from the party that might lead us from October,” she wrote. Former Green MP Gareth Hughes has suggested all the party’s need to get ready for the “climate change” election. Speaking to climate change psychologists, the Herald’s Jamie Morton (paywalled) has a great read on whether recent events will really change our expectations of lawmakers and polluters on climate change action.

Take a free day trip to the Maritime Museum

Want to get out and do something new this weekend? Take a stroll down the picturesque Auckland harbour to the New Zealand  Maritime Museum – it’s free for Auckland residents! The museum’s galleries dive into a diverse range of topics, from  epic voyages of Polynesian navigation, to the immigration history of Aotearoa, America’s Cup racing and more. Get involved in interactive displays and play equipment, marvel at the artefacts and intricate models, and top it all off with a coffee and a bite to eat at the onsite café. Fit for all ages, make the New Zealand Museum your next day trip destination (sponsored)

Accommodation service launched for those displaced by Cyclone Gabrielle 

As the Herald’s Claire Trevett reports, a government service to find accommodation for the thousands waiting for their homes to be repaired after Cyclone Gabrielle will kick in from Northland to Hawkes Bay this morning. People can register on the Temporary Accommodation Services website or by calling 0508 754 163. The numbers registering for the service will give the government a better picture of just how many people are displaced and how many homes need rebuilding or repairs. It was estimated that 10,000 people had been displaced by the cyclone but many will be staying with friends and family. Early estimates suggest 1200 to 1800 households in the affected regions will need the service while their own homes are repaired or rebuilt and it may require the construction of temporary “villages” of modular housing, or relocated tiny homes and cabins.

Rise in land dedicated to forestry and farmland to forestry conversions 

Figures obtained by Newshub under the Official Information Act show a rise in new forestry area, from 695 hectares in 2013 to more than 18,000 hectares last year. Approved consents for farmland conversion to forestry have also risen, from just one in 2013 to 31 last year. Farmers are hoping the government's inquiry into forestry slash will lead to limits on land conversion and the incentivisation of land conversions to earn carbon credits. Forestry minister Stuart Nash appeared on Q&A yesterday reiterating the point that the forestry industry had a “declining social licence” on the East Coast after the most recent cyclone.  As many have pointed out, including Bulletin readers, this issue goes back to Cyclone Bola. The inquiry recommendations are expected by the end of April.

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Prime minister pressed on Te Matatini funding

Te Kapa Haka o Te Whānau a Apanui have been crowned Toa Whakaihuwaka, the overall winners of Te Matatini 2023. The prime minister visited on Saturday and was pressed on the issue of inequitable funding for Te Matatini. In Budget 2022 the government pledged nearly $20m to the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, while the Royal New Zealand Ballet received $8m. Te Matatini received just under $3m. All are crown entities, funded via the Ministry of Culture and Heritage. Most other arts organisations receive funding via Creative New Zealand. Anyone hoping for a joined up arts and culture strategy to address the somewhat arbitrary nature of how arts and culture is funded in New Zealand will be disappointed to hear there are no plans for one. That’s despite officials acknowledging one would be beneficial and a good lead being set by Australia with its new cultural strategy.

Click and collect

• Mangawhai residents face long clean-up job after Friday night’s deluge

• More heavy rain forecast for Coromandel and Gisborne today while weather authorities also keep on eye on two tropical lows which have the potential to form into cyclones

• The New Zealand citizen held hostage in Papua New Guinea has been safely released

• Ans Westra, one of New Zealand’s best known documentary photographers, has died. Revisit some of her work here

• Good feature from Stuff’s Kelly Dennett on the decisions facing the Coromandel after a summer of severe weather

Got some feedback about The Bulletin, or anything in the news? Get in touch with me at thebulletin@thespinoff.co.nz.

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