Author Archives: Guest

Apathy – At the People’s Peril!

Opinion by John McNab Apathy is a major worry. In New Zealand too many don’t vote. In Fish and Game elections the same trend and in some cases in recent elections, not enough nominations were received to fill the council … Continue reading

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The Futility of Anti-Exotic Invasive Phobia

by Tony Orman In 1958, a Californian Professor of Zoology Dr William Graf, came to New Zealand on behalf of the Hawaiian board of Agriculture to study New Zealand’s wild deer situation. Hawaii was contemplating introducing deer but having heard … Continue reading

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NZDA Disappointed in DOC Over Broken Tahr Promises

The New Zealand Deerstalkers Association has expressed disappointment over the Department of Conservation breaching assurances. In the NZDA’s latest newsletter a recent “Timaru Herald” article 23rd October 2020 noted DOC undertook about 200 hours of tahr control across the seven tahr management units on public conservation land within the feral … Continue reading

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Invest in Getting Youngsters Outdoors

An opinion by Tony Orman In February last year NewstalkZB reported New Zealand had the highest death rate for teenagers and young people among 19 of the world’s developed, wealthy countries. “It also ranks poorly in terms of adolescent suicide, … Continue reading

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Alaska to New Zealand Non-stop

by courtesy of “Fishing Breaks” (UK) Did you read about 4BBRW? The name does not give you much clue as to what or who 4BBRW is, but it is in fact a godwit, a bird that splits its life between the … Continue reading

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More Reflections on the Election

Opinion by political commentator Rupert Pye Politics in the outdoors and environment is nothing more than “cause and effect”. It cannot be avoided. Anti-firearm laws arise from intense lobbying by anti-firearm advocates (e.g. Philip Alpers). Anti-wild animal policies (e.g. tahr … Continue reading

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Is The Environment in Chemical Cuckoo Land?

Opinion by Tony Orman Back in 2018, I wrote a column  lamenting  that I hadn’t heard a shining cuckoo that spring.In 2019, I noticed the same silence by the cuckoo. This spring – now 2020 – almost the end of October, … Continue reading

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More Thoughts on an Extraordinary Election

Opinion by Rupert Pye Political Commentator Yesterday, I just covered the election result from an outdoor perspective but there were many more factors in the extraordinary result that took most by surprise. To reiterate in view of strategic voting by … Continue reading

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Election Result a Victory for MMP

by Political Commentator Rupert Pye Somehow the magnitude of the Labour Party victory in Saturday’s election fuelled some ardent critics of MMP into a fury. The MMP critics have short memories. First past the post had its inconsistencies, such as … Continue reading

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DoC Drivel Down-plays Kea Tragedies

by Dr Jo Pollard (BSc (Hons), PhD) According to the Department of Conservation (DoC) it has solved the problem of previous years’ monitored kiwi chicks dying at Shy Lake, Fiordland, by aerially poisoning the surrounding 40,000 ha of rainforest and … Continue reading

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Page From the Past – Ruahine Ranges Erosion is Natural

by Tony Orman In 1989 Dr. Patrick J Grant a hydrologist and botanist from Hawkes Bay, published a paper entitled “A Hydrologist’s Contribution to the Debate on Wildlife Management”. In it he recalled back in 1955 with advice from Peter … Continue reading

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A Political Joke that can be Enjoyed by all Parties

by “Democrat” While walking down the street one day, a Member of Parliament is run over by a truck and dies. His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St Peter at the entrance. “Welcome to heaven,” says St … Continue reading

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Why Do Politicians Promise the Earth, But Deliver Little?

(or why don’t politicians listen between elections?) Guest Post by Dave Rhodes: This post is being written after the polls have closed on election day, so as not to be seen in any way as electioneering for any party or … Continue reading

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I’ve Voted. Have You?

Guest Post by Dave Rhodes Given that the past 3 years have been probably the most traumatic in NewZealand’s political history that I can remember, it’s not surprising so manypeople feel completely disillusioned with politics and especially politicians. It all … Continue reading

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NZ’s Vegetation’s Ecosystem Needs Browsing Whether Moa or Deer

by Tony Orman Sometimes browsing through piles of paper work and inevitable newspaper clippings, you come across some interesting views that have been gathering dust and in danger of being forgotten. The other day, I found a copy of an … Continue reading

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Election Eve Thought – The 1080/Democracy’ Relationship

Opinion  by Tony Orman Public debate about 1080 – and the throttling of it –  has the demise of democracy written all over it. Let me explain. In 2016 National’s Environment Minister Nick Smith announced “government plans to take pest control out … Continue reading

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Outdoor Kiwis Urged to Vote

by Rupert Pye A New Zealand-wide outdoor recreation organisation says the outdoors voting public has the potential to have a big impact on election day if they apply judicious examination of polices and integrity of parties. Chairman of the Council … Continue reading

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Waikato Regional Council Pest Grants Spark Community Opposition

A Coromandel conservation group says Waikato Regional Council is fueling community discord by major funding of controversial pest control plans of private groups and introducing a new council policy of secrecy regarding increased poison operations on the peninsula. The Upper … Continue reading

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Freshwater Clean-up Languishing with Election Rhetoric

The urgent need to action freshwater reform is being forgotten in the hullabaloo of election rhetoric says the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater Anglers. Federation president Dr Peter Trolove said at the 2017 election freshwater reform was to the fore … Continue reading

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Labour and National Snub Outdoor Recreation and Environment Issues

  Press Release by Council of Outdoor Recreation Assns of NZ (CORANZ) The two major political parties Labour and National have shown disinterest in the outdoors and the environment judging by both parties failure to respond to an election questionnaire … Continue reading

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