Posts by Eugenie Sage

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  Regional councils launch new water website - by Eugenie Sage

  
  
  
  Check out a new website on water quality information launched this week. It’s a co-operative effort by regional and unitary councils to provide accessible water quality information for each of New Zealand‘s 16 regions in one place. A useful feature of the site is that it focuses on river catchments and that it provides information [...] read more
  May 5, 2012 10:00 am - 2 Comments
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  Government has its head down a mineshaft when it comes to climate change - by Eugenie Sage

  
  
  
  Climate change is our most serious environmental issue, yet the Resource Management Act ignores it when coal mining companies seek permission to dig up millions of tonnes of coal because these companies only do the digging, not the inevitable burning. This week’s Environment Court decision that coal mining’s contribution to climate change cannot be considered [...] read more
  May 3, 2012 3:59 pm - 48 Comments
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  ChristChurch Cathedral and heritage important for city’s future - by Eugenie Sage

  
  
  
  The demolition of the ChristChurch Cathedral’s spire is expected to begin on Monday. On Saturday, I’ll be attending a rally, organised by Restore the Christchurch Cathedral and led by the Wizard, outside the Anglican Church’s Christchurch synod meeting. We are gathering from 8.15 am for a silent vigil and then for a rally from 10.30am [...] read more
  April 20, 2012 4:47 pm - 10 Comments
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  Damming the Makaroro? - by Eugenie Sage

  
  
  
  There are many ways to get close to rivers : sitting on a the bank listening to the sound and music of the water, boulder hopping while tramping,  drifting gently down river in a kayak, or picking the best line through some noisy rapids on a bouncing raft but I had never tried fishing. As [...] read more
  April 19, 2012 4:50 pm - 1 Comment
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  National and Act’s local government agenda is anti–democratic - by Eugenie Sage

  
  
  
  The decisions councils make, how they invest and spend rates and other revenue and how they control land and water use can help or hinder a sustainable future and a fairer society, and affect our  quality of life – whether  it’s easy to bus or bike to work, to recycle, or use a swimming pool [...] read more
  March 30, 2012 10:04 am - 6 Comments
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  Paddling Lake Brunner - by Eugenie Sage

  
  
  
  With cicadas thrumming, a bright blue sky and no wind, it was a perfect West Coast day for paddling on Lake Brunner/Kotuku Whakaoho. Dave Ritchie, programme director of Tai Poutini Polytechnic’s highly regarded outdoor leadership course had organised the sea kayaks. Other paddlers included Geoff Button from Tai Poutini, Dean Kelly from Fish and Game, [...] read more
  March 15, 2012 3:02 pm - 2 Comments
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  BioBlitz on the Denniston Plateau - by Eugenie Sage

  
  
  
  I’m heading down to the Denniston Plateau this weekend for Forest and Bird’s BioBlitz of the area, as part of their wider campaign to Save the Denniston Plateau. The Denniston Plateau is a upland wonderland of wetlands, streams and ancient rock, home to many unique native species including the great spotted kiwi, green geckos, ground [...] read more
  March 2, 2012 8:51 am - 5 Comments
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  River Pollution Patrol - by Eugenie Sage

  
  
  
  Northland’s Wairua River with a 750 sq km catchment is one of the major rivers flowing into the Kaipara Harbour — our largest estuary, a nursery area for snapper and other fish and an essential habitat for migratory waders. The Wairua drains what was once the magnificent Hikurangi Swamp. Sadly, this is now largely drained [...] read more
  February 27, 2012 10:23 am - 6 Comments
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  Mad monorail proposal in Southland tussock grasslands and beech forests - by Eugenie Sage

  
  
  
  Various alternate routes to Milford Sound have been proposed over the years to solve the perceived problem of travel time to, and congestion at Milford Sound. They include the train tunnel, the highway from Haast and the gondola. Two new proposals now seek concessions from the Department of Conservation. Milford Dart Ltd wants to build [...] read more
  February 24, 2012 10:23 am - 34 Comments
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  Remembering the Christchurch Earthquake and 22 February 2011 - by Eugenie Sage

  
  
  
  Children released 185 monarch butterflies at the end of today’s service as a tribute to the 185 individuals who died as a result of Christchurch’s severe earthquake on 22 February. read more
  February 22, 2012 4:50 pm - No Comments
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  Christchurch’s assets could be next on Govt chopping block - by Eugenie Sage

  
  
  
  Two patsy questions by National MPs of Local Government Minister Nick Smith in Parliament this week (on increases in council debt and rates since the Local Government Act 2002) combined with Earthquake Recovery Minister, Gerry Brownlee’s recent overwrought criticism of Mayor Parker and Christchurch City Council suggest that Ministers are softening up the public for [...] read more
  February 10, 2012 3:28 pm - 21 Comments
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  New Fonterra director can’t have it both ways - by Eugenie Sage

  
  
  
  Russel Norman blogged last week about the conflicts of interest arising from regional councillors accepting Rugby World Cup tickets from Fonterra and about Horizons Regional Council’s plans to invest in the dairy sector – a sector they are supposed to be regulating. This week there is news from Taranaki that one of Fonterra’s new directors, [...] read more
  December 19, 2011 5:06 pm - 7 Comments