Category: General

Everything else

Enhancing Public Safety

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New Public Safety and Nuisance By-law in effect

 

From Auckland Council:

New rules to enhance public safety

A region-wide Public Safety and Nuisance bylaw that provides approaches to deal with the safety and enjoyment of Aucklanders in public places takes effect today.

The bylaw refers to nuisances, safety and behaviour such as obstructing use of a public space, the use of mind altering substances, window washing and begging in a way that may intimidate others. It also provides a consistent approach to manage the safety of the public across the region when using places such as streets, parks and beaches and the transport system.

“We want to promote a safe Auckland and the bylaw gives us the practical means to prevent escalation of low level activities which could lead to more serious offending. Our staff will take a graduated approach when applying the bylaw with voluntary compliance and education being the main focus,” says Max Wilde, Manager Bylaws and Compliance.

The bylaw is in place to make sure public spaces feel safe, clean and are convenient for people to use and enjoy without being disturbed or experiencing offensive behaviour.

Essentially, Auckland Council wants to ensure that residents and visitors to the region can freely enjoy shopping, dining and other activities in public areas without feeling intimidated or unsafe in any way.

A bylaw is only one tool in a suite of approaches taken by the council and agencies to address public safety and behaviour issues in our communities

The bylaw was passed by the Auckland Council and Auckland Transport Board in 2013 after consultation with the public and replaces seven legacy council bylaws relating to public safety and nuisance.

—ends—-

 

If that is so with the by-law we might want to start with a bit more bang and have increased random police patrols at all stations and train services from time to time.

 

Wi-Fi Coming to a Public Transport Venue Near You

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If you have an AT-HOP card

 

I saw this gem come up on Twitter a few moments ago.

From Voxy:

AT HOP WiFi to launch at train stations

Friday, 23 May, 2014 – 12:22

Following the introduction of Auckland’s new electric trains, free WiFi internet access will be launched at train stations on 26 May. Full WiFi access will be available for eligible registered AT HOP card users through a new service called “AT HOP WiFi”.

Auckland Transport, in conjunction with Telecom New Zealand, is initially introducing the service for eligible registered AT HOP users at 40 train stations on its public transport network. WiFi is scheduled to be phased onto the network’s 14 ferry wharfs and 11 bus terminals over the coming months.

Auckland Transport’s Chief Operating Officer, Greg Edmonds says, “AT is pleased to be partnering with Telecom to bring this added value service to our registered AT HOP card customers.

“We are always looking at ways to improve and add value to the public transport experience for our customers. WiFi at our train stations offers customers an opportunity to check out emails, Facebook, Buzzfeed and the like or to kick start their working or study day”.

Mr Edmonds says WiFi on trains, buses and ferries is also being reviewed as a possibility in the future, dependent on technology.

Ed Hyde, General Manager of the Telecom Digital Ventures team that has developed the WiFi solution says that free WiFi internet access on train stations is great news for Auckland.

“Greater connectivity on the go has huge benefits for transport users and for Auckland. People can better connect with their friends or keep in touch with their business or office while at the train station. International visitors can share their holiday experiences with family and friends. That’s all helping to make Auckland one of the world’s most liveable cities.

“Partnering with Auckland Transport to provide free WiFi for AT HOP users is a natural extension of the Telecom national WiFi strategy. We already have nearly 1000 WiFi hotspots around New Zealand, and partnering with key infrastructure providers such as Auckland Transport is the next step in delivering a seamless customer and mobility experience.”

Eligible AT HOP users will be able to access free WiFi with no daily time limit, although a data usage cap of 1GB per day will apply. Customers without an AT HOP card will be able to connect to the free WiFi service for 10 minutes a day.

To connect to the service, customers can log-on using the last seven digits on their AT HOP card, no matter who their current mobile provider is.

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Source: http://www.voxy.co.nz/technology/hop-wifi-launch-train-stations/5/191254

 

Yay and will be even better when it is rolled out on the new electric trains.

 

Te Papa Manukau Moves Forward

· 2 Comments ·

From Concept to Business Case Stage for the Manukau Facility

 

The Te Papa North – Manukau facility (to be located next to the MIT Campus on the south-western side of the Manukau City Centre) is advancing from the concept stages to now developing a business case for the facility.

From Voxy:

Proposed National Centre in Manukau moves forward

Friday, 16 May, 2014 – 13:57

An innovative partnership approach between Te Papa and Auckland cultural agencies is redefining the proposal for a Manukau facility. The concept development is progressing to a second stage business case.

A development group with deep community roots has been tasked to define the project concept for the proposed National Centre for Collections, Education and Exhibitions.

The business case will incorporate Maori and Pacific dimensions, culture, science and heritage education and the potential to deliver a new vision in Manukau – the heart of New Zealand’s most culturally diverse and fastest growing region.

Evan Williams, Te Papa’s Chair says, “The National Centre presents an opportunity to present the very best of our Nation’s treasures and share our diverse arts, sciences, heritage and cultural collections through this collaborative partnership project. We are excited to work with our project partners and communities to further explore how we can create a national hub for a thriving programme of lifelong learning, exhibitions, events, community outreach, research and scholarship to reach local, regional and national communities.”

The Development Group includes community leaders, museum specialists, art practitioners, educators, cultural advocates, representatives from creative industries, alongside local iwi and cultural groups. This group will work with project partners Te Papa, Auckland War Memorial Museum, Auckland Council and the Ministry for Culture and Heritage to complete the project concept and case study.

“Auckland Museum looks forward to participating in continued discussions with colleague institutions to explore the possibilities for shared programmes and facilities. It makes sense to work together as there is common interest in delivering engaging experiences for audiences and communities across the Auckland region, and as an extension of the Museum’s existing collection-based outreach programmes,” says Roy Clare, Director of Auckland Museum.

The business case will be developed in the coming months. It will define fresh ways to work across museums and places of learning, in Manukau, Auckland Tamaki Makaurau and on a national scale.

—ends—

Source http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/proposed-national-centre-manukau-moves-forward/5/190556

 

Excellent that the facility is progressing to the business case stage. All willing and everything lined up we should see the facility up and ready by 2017-2018.

 

My last piece of Te Papa Manukau/North commentary was last year here: Why Te Papa North Should be In Manukau – NOT Wynyard Quarter

 

Thorium Power 101

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A straight forward look at the next generation clean mass power generation

 

I saw this video link from TVNZ last night (of all places) on Thorium nuclear power generation.

The Wikipedia article around Molten Salt Reactors which use the Thorium fuel cycle can be seen here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molten_salt_reactor

 

The diagram of a Thorium Molten Salt Reactor for medium and large-scale nuclear power generation operations can be seen in the graphic below:

Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/Molten_Salt_Reactor.svg/2000px-Molten_Salt_Reactor.svg.png

 

I do recommend watching the video which is around 33 minutes long.

 

While New Zealand is too small for Thorium nuclear power (although you can make the reactor small enough to fit in a sea container thus portable) and Australia would be the smallest industrial country able to handle a full-scale operation (two reactors each producing 1 Gigawatt (Huntly Coal/Gas fire station produces 1.385 GW when all four boilers and the E3 plant are going full power)) countries like: Germany, USA, UK, Russia, China, and India are best suited for Thorium power. 

I do believe Thorium nuclear is part of the solution for a suite of options for both the next stage of power generation away from fossil fuels and conventional uranium nuclear reactor, and trying not to dump all this crap into the atmosphere.

One of the main advantages of Thorium is that the waste can not be used to produce nuclear and thermonuclear (the H-Bomb) weapons. So that sorts the proliferation issue. Also it is believed Thorium reactors can not meltdown like their uranium/plutonium counterparts owing to the physics around the reaction of Thorium. MSR’s are liquid fuel reactors (rather than solid fuel in conventional reactors) that has the fuel intermixed with the coolant. In the case of a “situation” you cut off the fuel/coolant supply to the reactor while dumping the rest of the material already inside the reactor into dump tanks and that is it. No reaction, very little if any latent heat (that even shut down conventional reactors still need to deal with produced from what becomes inert Thorium). As it says in the video to keep a Thorium reactor going you need to constantly add fuel to keep it going (like a fire) while with Uranium you constantly need to keep on top of to stop it racing away even when it is in shut down state inside a nuclear reactor.

 

So does Thorium have a future in power generation?

From the Americans the answer is at the moment no (check the video) owing to the defence-industrial complex around conventional reactors (see bit about the how the US Navy wanting a reactor design for their subs back in the 50’s) and being able to produce fuel for their nuclear weapon program.

From other countries like China, India and the UK the answer is yes. China is working on MSR thorium type reactors (both solid and the more preferred liquid types) with 2017 a target date for getting an experimental MSR reactor ready for tests before they expand into commercial operation. India which also has some of the largest Thorium deposits in the world is looking at Thorium nuclear generation  as the country continues to industrialise and suffers from extensive power blackouts currently.

 

Lets see where we go with this. Hopefully a bright clean future.