Posts by Matthew Poole
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Legal Beagle: D-Day for Dunne (updated), in reply to Tom Semmens,
Given the extraordinary level of security level accorded to what was a rather mundane report
Que? Aside from some appendices which were classified, the report was merely marked as “Sensitive”. That’s not a classification, in the sense of “national security threat”. The investigation report itself spells out where “Sensitive” fits in the pantheon, and it’s not even at the same level as the plebian “Confidential” (access to which one can gain on the strength of signing a couple of lightweight forms and submitting to the same criminal record check as is accorded to, for example, teachers and nurses).
Ignore Winston and his bloviation, because what he’s claiming about Dunne having broken the law isn’t supported by the facts that are in the public arena in the investigation into the report’s leaking.
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Speaker: Generation Zero: Let's Grow Up, in reply to BenWilson,
It seems like a step forward.
Well, it will be if National can butt out and let Auckland find its way. Current rumblings don't give me much hope, though.
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Speaker: Generation Zero: Let's Grow Up, in reply to BenWilson,
You have to take positive steps to encourage intensification, and that means density and building restrictions in areas where intensification is desired have to be loosened.
You mean many of the things that are proposed for the Unitary Plan, then? The Council is not demanding intensification without providing the tools to enable that intensification to happen.
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Legal Beagle: D-Day for Dunne (updated), in reply to Graeme Edgeler,
I thought it was blindingly obvious that the Speaker was referring to advice from the Office of the Clerk.
Possibly to you. To those of us who're semi-dedicated political junkies who lack the deep procedural knowledge, however, it wasn't in the least bit obvious.
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Legal Beagle: D-Day for Dunne (updated), in reply to Sacha,
I guess to a lawyer like Peters “advice” must imply one of your colleagues got paid.
Not unreasonably, either, when it's a matter that intersects with operation of statute law.
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Speaker: Generation Zero: Let's Grow Up, in reply to Rich of Observationz,
Why on earth would anyone borrow against savings? That’s just gifting money to the bank
Say you had a long-term term deposit with hefty break penalties...
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Speaker: Generation Zero: Let's Grow Up, in reply to Sacha,
With so many small business loans secured against houses, NZ really has to grapple with this one.
Getting the banking sector over its collective obsession with security against homes cannot happen soon enough. We're going to struggle to grow any parts of our economy that aren't primary production for as long as it's easier for growing businesses to seek capital offshore than get it from local banks.
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Speaker: Generation Zero: Let's Grow Up, in reply to Bart Janssen,
James is a resident of New Orleans, so I'm not overly surprised he considers Houston to be some kind of nirvana.
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A possible explanation for why Houston is so affordable: at least a quarter of the housing stock on the market is under foreclosure sale.
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Speaker: Generation Zero: Let's Grow Up, in reply to James Bremner,
Surely any responsible plan or framework for Auckland and any city should START with how to ensure affordable housing.
Increased density closer to existing amenities means more housing available where people want to buy. At present all we're getting is 300-plus-square metre mansions that occupy 75% or more of the sections on which they sit and are priced north of $700k. There's nothing affordable about sprawl, and when developers are having to recoup the higher costs associated with opening up greenfield land (the Council sure as hell shouldn't be paying to construct new roads and reticulated services, but is going to be forced to subsidise these things if National gets its way) they want to build for the highest possible price-point. Brownfield land is much cheaper to develop, so it's more feasible to build for lower price points thus offering choice to people who are currently locked out of the housing market.
Contrary to your assertion that intensification will raise costs of purchase, those costs should come down if the development industry actually plays ball instead of running off bleating to their pet National Party poli-puppets to get developer levies capped and thus make it more attractive to sprawl ever further into our productive hinterland.
Houston isn't surrounded by agricultural land that contributes to the national and regional economy, so sprawl there doesn't have an impact on food production. Just to raise one point of significant difference between Auckland and your favourite sprawling wasteland of exurban hell.