Guest Post by Dave Rhodes Participation in organised sport narrows as young people move through their teenage years, a pattern that is widely recognised but often treated as a problem to be solved within sport itself. As competition increases and … Continue reading
Guest Post by Dave Rhodes The discussion around youth sport often focuses on participation and retention, yet far less attention is given to what follows when young people leave organised structures. As participation narrows through the teenage years, many disengage … Continue reading
Guest Post by Dave Rhodes Participation in organised sport among young people is strong through primary school years, yet the drop-off during adolescence is well established. Recent initiatives, including corporate-backed programmes and community festivals, highlight a growing effort to address … Continue reading
Most backcountry huts managed by Department of Conservation rely on a simple system: rainwater collected from the roof and stored in tanks. It is a practical solution, widely used, low cost, and generally assumed to be safe. For generations of … Continue reading
A post from 2017, written for Fish and Game Magazine in 2017. It was refused publication. The debate around Predator Free New Zealand and the use of 1080 remains one of the most contested areas of environmental policy. Strong views … Continue reading
The construction of a community-funded seawall at Port Waikato is being presented as a local success story. Residents, facing ongoing coastal erosion and limited institutional support, organised, funded, and built a structure to protect their homes and maintain access. The … Continue reading
The Waikato River is increasingly being described through symptoms: toxic algal blooms, invasive clams, declining water quality, and community concern. The latest reporting adds a further layer, pointing to geothermal inputs and biological changes occurring at the same time. Each … Continue reading
A report noting declining vegetable consumption might seem distant from outdoor recreation. On the surface it is about diet, cost, and changing habits. Look more closely and it reflects something broader: a gradual move away from the basic skills that … Continue reading
Christchurch’s wastewater situation presents a clear example of what happens when infrastructure, regulation, and decision-making fall out of alignment. Faced with a failing treatment system and ongoing public complaints, one proposed response was to discharge tens of millions of litres … Continue reading
A proposal to deploy marine carbon storage technology in New Zealand waters raises a familiar question. Not whether innovation should occur, but whether it should proceed ahead of clear evidence and established regulatory frameworks. The distinction matters because the environment … Continue reading
Fuel constraints expose an assumption that often goes largely unexamined. Much of New Zealand’s outdoor recreation depends on private vehicles, whether to reach trailheads, transport equipment, launch boats, or access remote backcountry areas. That system functions efficiently when fuel is … Continue reading
Recreational fishing advocacy LegaSea says Fisheries Minister Shane Jones Fisheries Amendment Bill is more alarming than just legalising the harvest of juvenile snapper. Controversy erupted over the bill which removed minimum size limits for commercial. That proposal appears to be … Continue reading
A critical deadline is now days away. Incorporated societies must re-register under the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 before 11:59 pm on Sunday, 5 April 2026, and many small organisations are not yet ready. For larger entities this is an administrative … Continue reading
or – Water Governance: Who Is Accountable?Guest Post by Dave Rhodes Water reform has not disappeared. It has changed form. Recent developments suggest that new water service entities may be governed through layered structures that sit at some distance from … Continue reading
by Frank Henry The melodramatic title screamed “Secret Weapon in War on Hedgehogs, under the subtitle “Conservation” to an article written by “Stuff” journalist Amber Allot. High technology is being used against the small creatures termed a pest by the … Continue reading
The most controversial part of the Fisheries Bill is gone. The proposal to allow commercial operators to land undersized fish has been withdrawn. But it was only one part of a much larger bill. What Actually Changes? Individually, each can … Continue reading
New Zealand made a deliberate choice in 1996. After decades under First Past the Post (FPP), voters chose Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) to correct what many saw as a fundamental imbalance: governments wielding full power without majority support. MMP delivered … Continue reading
New Zealand First has signalled a clear direction for mining policy. Faster approvals.Longer permits.A reduced role for the Department of Conservation.And a commitment to return a significant share of royalties to the regions where mining occurs. On the surface, this … Continue reading
Special report Pressure is growing on the government to drop a controversial Bill that has riled the public into action over the past week. Fishing and environmental advocacy groups have been rallying against the Fisheries Amendment Bill since its … Continue reading
New Zealand changed its electoral system in 1996 for a reason. Under First Past the Post (FPP), governments regularly secured large parliamentary majorities on the back of minority vote share. In 1978 and 1981, the party that won fewer votes … Continue reading
