Government Sets Billions for Transport Funding
National Land Transport Programme 2012-2015 Set The Government has set the National Land Transport Program for the 2012-2015 period. From The New Zealand Herald: $12.3b transport funding plan announced By Adam Bennett Spending on roads and public transport by central and local government over the next three years will increase by almost 13 per cent … Read more
OVER SPEND
Local Authorities Over-Spend Well; like the Christchurch residents being told by an $80,000 report into something they already knew – their Council is as useless as tits on a bull, we get told by a NZ Herald article (backed up by Statistics New Zealand) that Councils have overspent our ratepayers cash – something … Read more
Christchurch Council Does Not Listen
Residents Already know what an $80,000 report told them… That Christchurch City Council simply does not listen to their constituents. From The NBR: Christchurch council audit confirms complaints Chris Hutching | Wednesday July 25, 2012 | 8 comments An $80,000 audit into Christchurch City Council’s communications says what many residents already know. It concludes the council is culturally … Read more
Winter Holiday
Pictures of The Winter Holiday Right I have uploaded all the photos and categorised them into Legs of the Trip. In short it was a very enjoyable 12 days away in the South Island via the Northern Explorer, Wellington and Inter-Islander Ferry; but I am glad to be home again in Auckland. Starting the … Read more
Leave
Away on Holiday Rebekka and I are going away on holiday to the South Island for a few days on our annual winter holiday. We will be up before the birds to catch a subbie train into town to relay up with The Northern Explorer for the first leg of our journey. Thursday … Read more
Muldoon Would Be Proud (or Would He?)
CERA to take control of Christchurch CBD rebuild – Brownlee | The National Business Review. I was reading this during my lunch break as well as THIS, THIS, AND THIS from various over sources over Central Government “taking over” the rebuild of Christchurch. Quoting from the NBR (honestly they had the best description of … Read more
Fringe Benefit Tax for Carparks?
A (rare) bouquet for NZTA « Auckland Transport Blog. Now this came across the Auckland Transport Blog feed last night while I was having tea at work. Basically it is this: A report prepared for the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) is recommending the government investigate changing the fringe benefit tax to include employer-subsidised … Read more
HOUSING AFFORDABILITY: ST. LOUIS’ COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
Another great piece from Wendell Cox about housing affordability – this time in St Louis.
Auckland has a Housing Affordability Multiple of over 6.0 (extremely unaffordable) while St Louis is around the 2.6 mark (affordable as 3.0 is the threshold (a house should not cost more than three times the combined income of those living in the house)).
Maybe Professor Cox should do a comprehensive study on Auckland and Christchurch on their housing affordability with solutions put forward to the respective Councils. Whether Council follows through is another matter entirely.
But we can try 
Trials, Tribulations and Middle Class Protest in Christchurch, New Zealand | Newgeography.com
Trials, Tribulations and Middle Class Protest in Christchurch, New Zealand | Newgeography.com. An article from leading urban and transportation public policy analyst Wendell Cox on the true trials and tribulations down in Christchurch. A very fitting and very refreshing article on the plight of the residents and businesses of Christchurch especially after I had … Read more
