Valentines Day Spending
The ANZ reports There is likely a range of views out there about whether Valentine’s Day spending is a luxury or a necessity, but either way, ANZ card spending at jewellers and florists saw its usual jump leading up to and on Valentine’s Day, 14 February. The data...
Rangiuru Business Park update
Elected Members of the Regional Council and Quayside met at the Rangiuru Business Park site today. The interchange across the TEL is set to open next Friday so we took the opportunity to get a view from from the bridge. Exciting developments are underway with all...
Prediction -Technology
In my predictions for 2025 I suggested AI would be the Technology story for 2025. This has proved the case even before we are out of January. The Associated Press reports today that “A frenzy over an artificial intelligence chatbot made by Chinese tech startup...
Prediction -Society
Race Relations and the Growing Tensions: Understanding the Complex Landscape As we look towards the future, one aspect of society that seems to be increasingly in the spotlight is race relations. It’s an unfortunate but growing reality that the state of race relations...
Predictions 2025
My predictions for the new year using STEEPLE format. PredictionCommentSocietyRace relations will deteriorate between Maori and others. Religious bias will increase beyond.It is in the interests of Te Pati Maori to create racial disfunction - they only need a...
All proceeds Donated to Blind Low Vision Guide Dogs
https://youtu.be/zdx27FSX6QM A Truly Special Cause:What makes this property even more special is that all proceeds from the sale will be donated to Blind Low Vision NZ Guide Dogs. By purchasing this property, you're not only securing a wonderful home but also...
US Election – Popular Votes
The graph above shows numbers of popular votes in US Presidential elections over the last 50 years. In 2020 Biden got more votes than Reagan or Obama, two of the most popular presidents in the last 50 years. Democratic votes went up almost 15 million votes from just...
A Week in the Life of a Regional Councilor to June 14th, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/embed/-fffb_CAU_U?si=CCEiibGe58oEiang Reading: 206 pages Hours in meetings: 7 hours Two meaty meetings this week. Monitoring and Operations Committee is the...
A Week in the Life of a Regional Councilor to June 7th, 2024
Reading: 623 pages Hours in meetings: 7 hours A short week following Kings Birthday on Monday. Tuesday was busy with a Public Excluded Strategy and Policy Committee meeting In the...
A Week in the Life of a Regional Councilor to May 31, 2024
Reading: 859 pages Hours in meetings: 15 hours The first main reading was mainly about the SmartGrowth Strategy which is designed to provide planning direction for the next 50 years....
A Week in the Life of a Regional Councilor to May 24, 2024
Reading: 1033 pages Hours in meetings: 7 hours The meetings this week were a Strategy and policy workshop and a meeting of the Regional Transport Committee. There were some interesting presentations in the workshop. We noted that the Regional Council has...
A Week in the Life of a Regional Councilor to May 17, 2024
Reading: Several hundred (thousands?) pages Hours in meetings: 26 hours Long Term Plan Hearings Week this week. After the day at Huria Marae on Friday we met in Whakatane on Tuesday,...