Happy birthday Auckland Harbour Bridge! Here are your finest moments

The Auckland Harbour Bridge turns 60 today. Don Rowe revisits some of its finest moments to celebrate. Sixty years ago today, then-governor general Lord Cobham was chauffeured into the Northcote Toll Plaza, walked past a Navy guard of honour in his big bowler hat, and officially opened the Auckland Harbour Bridge. Aucklanders lined the streets … Read more

The new Auckland Harbour Bridge crossing: what you need to know

Is this the Harbour Bridge crossing breakthrough Auckland has been waiting for? And what does it mean for SkyPath? This post was first published on Bike Auckland. Today the NZ Transport Agency unveiled its preferred design for a walking and biking pathway across the Auckland Harbour Bridge, breaking the silence around the project since the government … Read more

The Bulletin: Complexities of converting farms back to forests

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Farming groups concerned about growth of forestry, dramatic new documents revealed in Hit and Run inquiry, and govt agency loses town records. Land conversions towards farming have pretty much always brought with them economic growth at the expense of environmental health. But increasingly, farmers and those who … Read more

The Bulletin: Anger rises with petrol prices

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Anger rises along with petrol prices, abortion rights group claims law discriminates against women, and fury at govt’s encouragement of water bottling company.  There’s a significant amount of anger out there at high petrol prices, as shown by the planned buying boycott for October 26. A facebook event around … Read more

Consultation is overrated: why we should stop letting idiots guide us

Councillors and council officers are forever going to public meetings to receive bad advice from angry people who mostly don’t know what they’re talking about. Hayden Donnell asks why. In Takapuna last week, Mayor Phil Goff, councillors and council officers stood in front of a packed meeting and got yelled at. They’d committed the crime … Read more

10 ways to make the most of hosting the America’s Cup

It’s not just the sailing, or the tourism, or the technology. Major sports events give cities the best chance they ever get to transform themselves – so, asks Simon Wilson, will Auckland seize the day? And will the oil companies and other corporates currently sitting on the Tank Farm turn out to be good corporate … Read more

All the reasons Auckland’s councillors are morons if they don’t vote for SkyPath

SkyPath makes a huge amount of sense, but that hasn’t stopped a lot of angry old people complaining about it. Leroy Beckett of Generation Zero explains all the reasons our councillors should ignore the whinging and agree to back the project today. Last January over 11,000 people supported resource consent for SkyPath, a long-awaited walking and … Read more