What Eel Deaths Tell Us About Catchment Change Recent reports of hundreds of dead tuna (longfin eels) in Hawke’s Bay streams have been attributed by authorities to a “natural blackwater event.” On the surface, this explanation is scientifically sound. Blackwater … Continue reading
Almost everyone notices it eventually. Years that once felt long and full begin to blur. Summers pass quickly. Birthdays arrive sooner than expected. Time, it seems, accelerates as we age. Recent research and commentary explored by RNZ here suggests this … Continue reading
by Tony Orman What lies behind the green curtain of ever-expanding pine forests energised by New Zealand’s illogical, irrational carbon trading scheme where once highly productive sheep and beef farms are planted in unmanaged, neglected forests. New Zealand was once … Continue reading
By Andi Cockroft, Chair, CORANZ (Prompted by this article from the UK here, I looked at the available evidence to suggest measured IQ of Gen-Z in many OECD Countries had stalled or even declined). For much of the last century, … Continue reading
Lessons from a UK Debate A recent debate in the UK has reignited an old and uncomfortable question: who feels welcome in the countryside. A report there suggested that parts of the British countryside are perceived as “white and middle-class”, … Continue reading
Why the Outdoors Matters Guest post by Steve Hodgson From time to time, medical research lands uncomfortably close to everyday life. Not with dramatic breakthroughs or miracle cures, but with quieter observations about how the way we live shapes how … Continue reading
Opinion by Andi Cockroft, Chair, CORANZ As New Zealand moves into another election year, CORANZ has been reflecting on what happened previously. In 2020, we published an Outdoor Recreation Charter and invited political parties to respond. The questions were simple. … Continue reading
A very personal opinion by Andi Cockroft, Chair, CORANZ From time to time, health headlines remind us that staying mentally sharp into later life isn’t just about luck or genetics. Lifestyle matters. Movement matters. Social connection matters. Learning matters. What’s … Continue reading
Sometimes the most effective ways of getting people outdoors don’t look like policy at all. What Worked - and Who Could Do More The recent Waikirikiri Selwyn Treasure Hunt has now finished for the season, but it’s worth pausing to … Continue reading
Closing article in a CORANZ series on risk, competence, and accessBy Andi Cockroft, Chair, CORANZ After seven articles tracing how competence was lost, risk was managed away, judgement stopped being formed early, responsibility shifted upward, access was physically altered, and … Continue reading
Part Seven of a CORANZ series on risk, competence, and accessBy Andi Cockroft, Chair, CORANZ If competence has been eroded - by risk aversion, liability culture, no-fault systems, and the quiet removal of formative experiences - the obvious question follows: … Continue reading
Part Six of a CORANZ series on risk, competence, and accessBy Andi Cockroft, Chair, CORANZ New Zealand’s no-fault accident compensation scheme was created with humane intent. It removed the need to prove blame, replaced litigation with care, and ensured people … Continue reading
Part Five of a CORANZ series on risk, competence, and accessBy Andi Cockroft, Chair, CORANZ Risk doesn’t just live in policy or paperwork. Eventually, it takes physical form. A fence appears where none existed before. A track is closed “temporarily”. … Continue reading
Part Four of a CORANZ series on risk, competence, and accessBy Andi Cockroft, Chair, CORANZ At some point, responsibility stopped being personal and became institutional. Not announced, not debated, but gradually absorbed into process, policy, and paperwork. Where judgement once … Continue reading
special report A recently released paper commissioned by Gisborne environmental group Mana Taiao Tairāwhiti, says the economic contribution of the commercial forestry industry has been considerably exaggerated by the industry’s supporters. However reaction from the commercial forestry sector via the … Continue reading
Part Three of a CORANZ series on risk, competence, and accessBy Andi Cockroft, Chair, CORANZ When I was a child, risk arrived early and often, without ceremony. We rode in the back of a ute or on a car trailer. … Continue reading
Part Two of a CORANZ series on risk, competence, and accessBy Andi Cockroft, Chair, CORANZ If swimming was once taught because water was part of everyday life, something else has quietly taken its place. Where skills were learned, risk is … Continue reading
Part One of a CORANZ series on risk, competence, and accessBy Andi Cockroft, Chair, CORANZ Prompted by this Stuff article, I began thinking what has happened to New Zealand since my childhood. I learned to swim at school. From the … Continue reading
Do Supplements Really Help Outdoors? By Andi Cockroft, Chair, CORANZ When I first headed into the outdoors in the 1960s, the performance-enhancing options were modest. We had food. We had water. And if things dragged on longer than expected, perhaps … Continue reading
Guest Post by John Davey Councils across New Zealand are telling a familiar story. There is not enough money. Rates must rise. Tracks cannot be maintained. Toilets are closed. River access points are removed. Environmental enforcement is scaled back. Recreation … Continue reading
