Posts by Matthew Poole
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Hard News: What Now?, in reply to Sacha,
aren't there also eco reasons for preferring say 3-6 storey buildings?
My employer is moving offices in three weeks and our new home will be the greenest building in the country, currently just finishing construction/fit-out. It's 12 storeys high, nine of commercial and three of prime waterfront residential. So clearly there's no inherent conflict between being green and being tall, but NZ hasn't built too many very tall buildings since the standards for a properly "green" building were last revised upwards so most of our green buildings are mid-rise just because that was the design requirement.
The AirNZ Tower in QE2 Square got refitted and managed to achieve a very high green star rating (IIRC, at the time it was the highest green rating in the world for a retro-fit), which also demonstrates that height and "eco-ness" are compatible.
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Hard News: About Arie, in reply to Kumara Republic,
John Drinnan seems to have ruffled a few feathers so far.
Speaking of ruffled feathers, still no sign of a copy of Collins' email. Anyone?
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Hard News: What Now?, in reply to Stephen Judd,
didn't the bulk of the post-1976 taller buildings come through pretty well?
Everyone in them got out alive, I believe. Which, as I've said before, is a pass-mark in earthquake engineering, especially when the shake exceeds the design tolerances.
So yes, it's definitely an irrational response to want a low rise-only Christchurch. Particularly when there are a number of high-rise buildings that are intact, sound, and will be re-habited once the CBD is fully reopened.
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Projections are first land-fall at East Cape at 0614, Auckland West Coast 0714.
Understatement of the year from the guy TV1 just spoke to from Australian tsunami centre: Don't go down to the beach to watch. That would be a very bad idea.
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Hard News: About Arie, in reply to James Butler,
No. But the All Blacks not winning the world cup might.
Don’t make me think unpatriotic thoughts, now
The nation's future? Or the outcome of a game?
I'll put my patriotism on the nation's future every time. If that means the All Blacks have to remain true-to-form and choke some time during the quarter- or semi-finals, so be it. -
Hard News: About Arie, in reply to Rich of Observationz,
Civilian NZDF or service employees are only subject to the Armed Forces Discipline Act when the unit they are working for is on “active service”. A civvie sent to Afghanistan, such as a member of Willie Apiata’s PR team, probably would be. A librarian in Trentham wouldn’t.
Not quite that simple. There are support personnel in HQ roles who are also covered whether or not they're in NZ. Thinking here of people who work in support of Sigs and Comms.
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Hard News: About Arie, in reply to Che Tibby,
surely in order to be “court martialed” one need to have been in the armed services?
Or at least have been subject to their discipline. A large number of civilian employees of NZDF are subject to the Armed Forces Discipline Act.
And, of course, capital punishment in New Zealand was abolished entirely in 1989. Goff was in Parliament then, and voted for the repeal Bill, so I'm surprised he doesn't remember that wee detail.
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Apparently the reconstruction bill is now heading towards $30b.
I'm really hoping that we're going to see a big injection into trades training, effective in the very near future, because the current forecast is that Christchurch will strip the rest of the country bare for a decade and thus thoroughly fuck the entire economy for good.
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Hard News: About Arie, in reply to Hilary Stace,
There is an angry email from her office circulating, mentioning PA.
Anyone care to forward me a copy? I'm sure I'm one of the many whose impertinent questioning of her choice of words has raised her blood pressure.
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Has anyone considered that Gerry could pull an ECan on CCC entirely of his own volition? No need for that pesky legislate process when you can just write an Order in Council and the GG must sign it into force.