UK NSN report responds to the ongoing concern over the decline in the number of young people studying art and design, prompted by statements from numerous industry figures.
Brexit Effect | National Society for Education in Art and Design said art and design in schools was being eroded while the Creative Industries Federation described the failure to educate a new generation of creatives as “economic suicide”.
Art and design can help drive up standards in schools, says UK government
Amy Frearson | 8 February 2017 ● Dezeen
The UK government is urging schools to promote art and design subjects, after a report found that schools with more creative pupils achieve significantly higher grades. Released today, the New Schools Network (NSN) Arts Report reveals that schools with more arts GSCEs per pupil achieve above-average results. This was proven to be the case for schools in deprived areas, as well as those in affluent neighbourhoods. It shows that offering a broad mix of subjects, in addition to those included in the controversial English Baccalaureate (EBacc) system – which favours more traditional subjects like science and history – leads to better performance. At a launch event for the report earlier today, digital and culture minister Matt Hancock said the government is doing all it can to support creative subjects, but it is up to schools to deliver a varied curriculum. “This should not be an argument about a battle between the arts and other subjects, but instead a battle for stronger, better, well-rounded education,” he said. “Ultimately, the best schools in the country do this. They combine excellent cultural education to complement excellence in other academic subjects,” Hancock continued. “This report backs up that analysis. It looks at the data and says, if you want to drive up standards across the board, push your arts and music offer.” Read more
Note: The English Baccalaureate (EBacc) is a performance measure for schools, awarded when students secure a grade C or above at GCSE level across a core of five academic subjects – english, mathematics, history or geography, the sciences and a language.
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Corned beef at NZ….
Installation view of Povi Christkeke by Michel Tuffery 1999
Education | Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu [christchurchartgallery.org.nz]
### NZ Herald Online 2:16 PM Thursday Jan 26, 2017 Former Prime Minister Helen Clark stepping down from her position at UN
Former Prime Minister Helen Clark has told the UN she will step down as head of the UNDP when her term ends in April. Clark sent a letter to staff this morning to advise them of her decision not to seek another term … Clark was appointed in April 2009 and her role was renewed in 2013 for a second four year term. Clark unsuccessfully ran to be Secretary General of the UN earlier this year – but Portuguese politician Antonio Guterres was selected for the role instead. In her time as head of the UNDP, Clark oversaw a major restructure which ruffled feathers internally but pleased some of the donor countries to the UNDP, such as the United States, which had criticised the UN for ineffective use of money … Her departure coincides with the election of US President Donald Trump who is reportedly considering executive orders to drastically cut US funding to the United Nations. Read more
Helen Clark’s letter reads:
“Dear colleagues,
I am writing to advise all staff that I have informed the Secretary General that I am preparing to leave my position as Administrator at the end of my second term on 19 April.
This will allow the Secretary General to appoint a new Administrator as soon as possible. I stand ready to support the transition to the new leader of the organisation. I have full confidence in our Associate Administrator, Tege Gettu, to act as Administrator if there is a gap between my departure and the arrival of the next Administrator.
This is not my final message to staff – there is much to be done between now and 19 April. There is, for example, a timetable for tabling the draft of the next Strategic Plan to enable it to be discussed at the Executive Board’s Annual Meeting on 31 May. It is my desire to see all aspects of the organization in a strong and sustainable state when the next Administrator assumes office.
These are times of change across the UN system. There are post-QCPR reviews being commissioned which may impact on UNDP. While these processes are unfolding, I urge you all to continue to deliver to the high standards for which UNDP is known. Making progress on the SDGs and on supporting national development achievements must continue unabated.
It has been a privilege and an honour for me to lead UNDP for eight years. Our staff are our greatest strength, and I will miss you all. I will offer my thanks and gratitude more fully nearer to my departure.”
Helen’s political timeline
• 1981:Elected to Parliament in Mt Albert
• 1984 – 90: Minister in Labour Government, including Health and Housing, deputy Prime Minister in 1989.
• December 1993: Rolls Mike Moore as Labour leader after National formed Government after a close-run 1993 election.
• 1996: Low polling prompts Labour MPs including Annette King, Michael Cullen and Phil Goff to ask Clark to stand down. Clark refuses.
• 1999: Labour wins election, Clark becomes Prime Minister.
• 2001: Refuses to send troops to Iraq for US-led war after September 11 bombings. Clark deploys SAS troops to Afghanistan and in 2003 sends the reconstruction team to Bamiyan province, visiting them later that year.
• 2008: National wins election, Clark stands down as Labour leader on election night.
• March 2009: Clark is confirmed as Administrator for the UN Development Programme.
• April 2014: Clark is renewed for a second four-year term at UNDP
• 2016: Clark campaigns to be UN Secretary General but the role goes to Antonio Guterres.
–NZ Herald
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Al Jazeera English Uploaded on Oct 2, 2010 One on One – Helen Clark
New Zealand’s former prime minister and the first woman to lead the UNDP talks about her career.
TEDx Talks Published on Aug 20, 2013 Yes she can: Helen Clark at TEDxAuckland
Helen Clark is Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) — the first woman to lead the organization — and Chair of the United Nations Development Group. Prior to joining the UNDP Helen served as Prime Minister of New Zealand for three terms, during which time she was widely engaged in policy development and advocacy across international, economic, social and cultural spheres. Now living in New York, Helen is a passionate supporter of the arts as evidenced by her promotion of the arts, culture and heritage portfolio during her time as Prime Minister.
APEC Published on Jun 4, 2014 Interview with Helen Clark, Administrator, UN Development Programme
Helen Clark shares her perspectives on the occasion of APEC’s 25th Anniversary
OPINION received from Neil Johnstone
Sat, 10 Sep 2016 at 12:42 a.m.
Richard Stedman produces (below) a succinct review of the causes of, and failures after, the South Dunedin flood of June 2015. His frustrations appear to match those of Hilary Calvert that were published a few hours earlier. My reviews previously published on What if? Dunedin commencing back around February give more detail.
For your readers’ further consideration, Richard has highlighted the ‘200mm increase’ in flood level as a result of Portobello Road pumping station failures. The figure was derived by me, and appears in my review of the first DCC flood report. To my knowledge the only clear comparable DCC concessions have come from chief executive Sue Bidrose who admitted the figure publicly at the 20 June 2016 (yes, 2016) South Dunedin Action Group-organised public meeting, and subsequently.
The first DCC flood report (30 Nov 2015) is adamant that high groundwater was the cause of the flooding, and enough Councillors bought right into that excuse at the following Infrastructure Services Committee meeting. Just go back and view the video, if you’ve forgotten.
Dunedin City Council Published on Dec 7, 2015 Dunedin City Council – Council Meeting – November 30 2015
Discussion of the report starts at 1:09:52
The second (mudtank) DCC report of 26 April this year states: “Although Portobello Road’s performance did explain some of the length of time flooding was evident, much of the flooded area was below road level…” (para 31). No mention of increased depth of flooding there either, you will note.
[View report at Infrastructure Services Committee: Agenda & Reports 26 April (Part A, Item 5) pp 6-27.]
Neither DCC report mentions the additional depth of flooding caused by inaction at the Musselburgh pumping station.
History and ongoing design may rely on written commentaries. For the wellbeing of South Dunedin people, we must therefore continue to counter the misinformation contained in DCC reports, and in the more recent ORC (DCC-backed) South Dunedin “hazards” report. Even if ODT has switched off.
The ODT editorial department is peopled by closed minds, a number of whom subscribe to the climate change/rising sea level mantra and therefore manipulate their content to support their distorted view of the world. Mr Morris is captured by the former/present regime at city hall, a fate which befalls every reporter assigned to that round once they get their feet under the table.
Two weeks ago I prepared an opinion piece re the election and South Dunedin, outlining some of the issues as I see them in the hope that it might be published. I thought it was honestly held opinion, but it was rejected because it added “nothing new” to the debate, yet they run to Cull at every turn and run column after column of repetitive nonsense.
The following is my submission submitted on 24/8 and rejected the same day in this message: “Thanks for this submission, but we have had a “deluge” of flood letters and op eds from all sides so I don’t feel the need to highlight the issue again at the moment – certainly if there’s not anything new in it, as such”.
I have seen little evidence of the cited “deluge”.
The South Dunedin flood of June 2015 may be a tipping point during next month’s local body election. Many voters will look at the burgeoning candidates list for the Dunedin City Council and ask “who will provide the cornerstone elements of responsibility, accountability and integrity?”
Residents and business owners in South Dunedin have been sorely tested in recent times through the failure of the DCC to maintain its infrastructure. Among those adversely affected were elderly residents at Radius Fulton Home, including a number of dementia patients, the most vulnerable in our community, who were subjected to floodwaters containing sewage and transferred from the safety of their home in a crisis beyond acceptance. Some were accommodated as far away as Balclutha and Oamaru and three months passed before the facility was re-opened.
Following the flood, obfuscation clouded the failures that led to the inundation of homes and businesses and the investigation and report into the affair was 12 months in gestation. Officials and councillors, captured by the twin mantras of climate change and rising sea level, avoided any suggestion of culpability to limit the likelihood of litigation, and offered no solace that might have been construed as admission of liability.
The mayor and others were quick to blame rising sea level causing increased groundwater, combined with an “extreme weather event”, the result of climate change, and went so far as suggesting that a planned retreat from South Dunedin may be necessary in the future. The rainfall was described as a one-in-100-year event then gradually downgraded, but none of these pretexts are realistic. Questions arise over who is responsible for what, and how serious are the threats of rising sea level, more frequent adverse weather caused by climate change, and the “sinking of South Dunedin”, not to mention “retreat”.
Dunedin and environs have been subjected to much larger weather events in the past. Flooding of the entire city is well recorded and in particular photographs of the 1923 flood depict rowing in floodwaters in the city as well as inundation in South Dunedin. During a storm in 1898 large tracts of St Clair Esplanade were destroyed by the sea which damaged many houses, leaving some partly suspended. More recently, the storms of 1968 were greater than last year’s, delivering 10% more rainfall. In 1968 there were 90 properties invaded by floodwater, whereas last year some 1200 properties were flooded and many contaminated with effluent. Clearly last year’s event was exceptional only for the damage created and lives disrupted.
At a public meeting in South Dunedin on June 20, more than 12 months after the event, those affected had an opportunity to hear an explanation in the hope that someone might take responsibility for the extent of the damage. Despite a good representation of councillors there was no empathy and no likelihood of accountability. What the meeting heard was a long explanation of how the three-waters system works, or doesn’t work, as the case may be, and of failure at the pumping station from chief executive, Dr Sue Bidrose and other staff. The question is “when did the city’s councillors abdicate?”
South Dunedin June 2015 [radionz.co.nz]
It can be argued that the damage and distress was the result of neglect, but the DCC says problems at the pumping station added only 200mm to the flooding which would have occurred anyway. Which 200mm was it? Maybe the first 200mm flowed across the ground, reached blocked drains then deepened throughout the area, or perhaps the last 200mm increased the depth and entered homes and business premises carrying undesirable flotsam. Without the extra 200mm would the water have stopped at the thresholds rather than flowing inside?
What of the rising sea level threat? Is it as urgent and as devastating as the commissioner for the environment, some DCC councillors and the Green Party say? The Greens proffer that the Government should help to pay for the reconfiguration of South Dunedin. Why? There has been no disaster on the scale of the Canterbury earthquakes and there is no immediate danger condemning South Dunedin, for if sea level were to rise according to some projections, north Dunedin and other areas are also in jeopardy meaning protection on the coast is futile because the flat land would be inundated from the harbour.
Could it be that models of sea level rise around New Zealand are exaggerated and distorted by the multiplier effect have been grossly over stated? And do the $7 million apartment complex at the Esplanade to be completed next year and the DCC’s belated discussion on a South Dunedin hub indicate mixed messages on the subject?
There is no doubt that the infrastructure must be maintained to the highest level and upgrading implemented with haste. The seafront calls for a level-headed approach to protect the sandhills which shelter the city from the ocean. In the past a network of groynes captured the sand, maintaining a broad beach to dissipate the energy of the waves. The network succeeded for nearly 100 years, but without maintenance fell victim to the ocean, so is it time to reinstate a similar system and then plan carefully for the next 100 to 200 years?
Council says that infrastructure will require “tens of millions of dollars” we cannot afford, but plans to spend some $37 million on George Street and the Octagon, followed by development of the harbourside. These “tens of millions” surely must be re-allocated to South Dunedin for infrastructure, to build a second pumping station, and provide realistic coastal protection.
Dunedin needs new councillors who will make hard decisions, reduce spending on fripperies and attend to basics; people who are prepared to drill deep into reports and costings and who are not afraid to make unpalatable decisions when needed rather than govern with slogans and platitudes.
Declaration: Conrad Stedman is my nephew.
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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr
Election Year. This post is offered in the public interest.
The sole purpose of National MP Nuk Korako’s bill is to require airports to advertise lost property more widely than in the newspaper.
### NZ Herald Online 9:15 AM Wednesday Aug 17, 2016 Lost-luggage bill has MPs in stitches
By Isaac Davison – political reporter
The National Party backbencher thrust into the spotlight by his bid to help recover lost property at airports has mounted a spirited defence of his widely mocked proposal. […] When it was pulled from the member’s bill ballot last week, Labour said it showed National had “lost the plot”. Today, Labour MPs set about picking it apart in Parliament, tabling a series of questions for the National MP. Korako, in his most high-profile moment since entering Parliament, thanked them for the opportunity to “profile his bill”. Read more
Students’ changing preferences have forced a difficult task on the University of Otago.
ODT Online Wed, 17 Aug 2016 Jobs must be cut now to secure division’s future
By Prof Tony Ballantyne
OPINION The proposed changes in staffing in the Humanities Division at the University of Otago have been subject to sustained media comment and critical commentary. […] The reason for the proposed changes is quite simple: there has unfortunately been a sustained decline in student numbers over the past seven years. Because of this, there is a growing gap between the division’s cost and income and it now depends on subsidies of many millions of dollars each year from other parts of the university. Read more
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The place of humanities in a university raises issues that extend far beyond one department.
ODT Online Wed, 17 Aug 2016 Universities succeed when they produce thoughtful leaders, not technocrats
By Emeritus Prof Gareth Jones
OPINION […] We need lawyers who understand biomedical science or elements of commerce; we need doctors who have an appreciation of the medical humanities, let alone of English literature or Maori worldviews. The examples are endless but each one in its own way points away from any silo mentality and towards the notion that universities should be producing well-rounded, thoughtful and well-educated graduates. Read more
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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr
Election Year. This post is offered in the public interest.
There is little or no RISING GROUNDWATER at South Dunedin – this is an attack on the local community by Anthropogenic Global Warming (manmade climate change) believers like Curran, Clark, and Cull.
So-called ‘authorities’ are running their Politics over the top of the local Community, Failing to canvass the views of the local residents, property owners, service providers and businesses through agreed consultation methods Before pronouncing upon the area. This is disrespectful, dangerous behaviour. Unwarranted.
A lot of us will remember Labour MP David Clark’s importune speech on climate change at the public meeting held at South Dunedin on 20 June. He completely didn’t register the mood and understandings of the local audience.
Greenie Cull and the Labour Party are deliberately or inadvertently using South Dunedin as a Political Football. There are few votes to be earned from bullying and interference, thank god.
Listening —what is that.
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Speaking after the tour, Mr Little said the area was a “prime candidate” for urban renewal under the party’s proposed Affordable Housing Authority.
### ODT Online Tue, 26 Jul 2016 Labour timeline for South renewal
By Timothy Brown
South Dunedin’s renewal will be showing “good progress” within six years of electing a Labour government, party leader Andrew Little says. Mr Little toured South Dunedin with Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull, Dunedin South MP Clare Curran, Dunedin North MP Dr David Clark and list MP David Parker after the area was earmarked by the Opposition as one urgently needing urban renewal. The group walked from Bathgate Park School, in Macandrew Rd, down Loyalty St into Nicholson St and on to Nelson St before returning to the school. They were accompanied by members of various social groups from South Dunedin. Read more
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### Dunedintv.co.nz Mon, 25 July 2016 Labour leader tours South Dunedin
Labour Leader Andrew Little has visited South Dunedin today, alongside a contingent of MPs and social service agency stakeholders. The group wandered around the areas hardest hit by last year’s floods, looking at the handful of houses still empty more than a year on. And Little took the opportunity to offer up his party’s plan to fix some of the issues. Ch39 Link
Channel 39 Published on Jul 24, 2016
Labour leader tours South Dunedin
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DUNEDIN – JUNKET CITY FOR LGNZ
“How do we Efficiently capture NZ Ratepayers’ Money for our Comfy Salaries”
### Dunedintv.co.nz Mon, 25 July 2016 Local government conference kicks off
The country’s annual Local Government conference is back in Dunedin for the first time in almost a decade. More than 560 delegates have piled into the Town Hall to discuss how to make New Zealand a better place to live and work. But it’s also serving as a way to address the tension between local and central governments. Ch39 Video
LAWRENCE YULE GO HOME
█ For more, enter the terms *flood*, *sea level rise*, *stormwater*, *hazard*, *johnstone*, *hendry*, *south dunedin action group*, *debriefing notes*, *listener* or *lgnz* in the search box at right.
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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr
Election Year. This post is offered in the public interest.
*Images: mrhudyma.com – Listening | linkedin.com – Larry King, Listen
Naylor Love stiffed by U of O.
$100M Dental School to be awarded to Leighs Construction.
But…
Naylor Love’s consolation prize is the new $18M Otago Polytechnic Hall of Residence, where they were significantly more expensive than other local rival Amalgamated Builders, but scored much higher on non-price attributes, which gave them top ranking.
Amalgamated Builders, clearly not flavour of the month at either Polytech or University —it’s understood the same thing occurred at the recent Commerce Building Upgrade.
### ODT Online Thu, 7 Jul 2016 Flood review clears DCC staff findings
Dunedin City Council staff have been vindicated by peer reviews which backed their findings over the cause of last June’s devastating floods. The reviews, carried out by infrastructure consultancy firm Opus, backed the council’s findings South Dunedin and other parts of the city would have been flooded even if the city’s stormwater system was running at full capacity. Read more
Opus peer reviews of DCC flood reports received (same day) following a LGOIMA request made on 7 July 2016:
A truly independent inquiry into the council’s performance around last year’s South Dunedin floods remains long overdue, writes Dunedin engineer Neil Johnstone.
### ODT Online Thu, 14 Jul 2016 Opinion: Report skims surface of South Dunedin flood saga
By Neil Johnstone
OPINION Readers of the Dunedin City Council-funded independent peer review of its post-flood reporting (ODT, 7.7.16) should be wary. The council’s delight with the review may prove short-lived. In brief, the Opus review:
● Recognises the 1968 rainfall event was bigger than that of June 2015 (contrary to repeated council claims).
● Fails to explore the reasons why the 2015 flood was a disaster, and the 1968 event was not.
● Makes assumptions about groundwater levels without referencing the actual data.
● Appears to consider the council’s assumption of zero ground infiltration has merit (note: the data disproves this).
● Believes mud-tank blockage impacts of the flood were “localised” (too bad if you were a local), but fails to consider the likely widespread impacts on South Dunedin of blocked mud-tanks in the St Clair catchment.
● States council reviews “suggest” its failures at the Portobello Rd pumping station caused an increase in flood levels of about 200mm.
● In fact, the first council review leaves the reader with no more than an opportunity to infer this, while the second council review only states that the failures may have influenced “the length of time flooding was evident”.
● I do not recall the council actually publicly admitting the 200mm figure before the South Dunedin Action Group meeting of June 21.
● Fails to address the flood impacts of the council’s total failure to operate its Musselburgh pumps for stormwater relief.
● Makes general statements to the effect that “primary” flooding would have occurred under any circumstance. South Dunedin residents know that “overwhelming” of stormwater infrastructure was not the concern; the avoidable flooding of our people’s houses and businesses was.
For all of the above reasons, and more, the Opus finding the council report’s conclusions were “robust” is concerning. A truly independent inquiry into the council’s performance pre, during and post-flood, at staff and political levels, is long overdue. ODT Link
*Bullet points indicate comments entered after the public meeting 20 June.
█ For more, enter the terms *flood*, *sea level rise*, *stormwater*, *hazard*, *johnstone*, *opus*, *hendry*, *south dunedin action group*, *debriefing notes* or *listener* in the search box at right.
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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr
Election Year. This post is offered in the public interest.
Sam Eagle Uploaded on Jun 27, 2008 Stars & Stripes FOREVER!
I, Sam the Eagle, present a musical salute to America.
(c) 2009 The Muppets Studio, LLC
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From: [Dunedin City Council] Sent: Monday, 4 July 2016 11:55 a.m. To: Elizabeth Kerr Subject: Response to Information Request
Dear Ms Kerr,
Official information request for CEO SPEECH SOUTH DUNEDIN
I refer to your official information request dated 27-June-2016 for “a full copy of DCC Chief Executive Sue Bidrose’s speech and overhead slides presented to the public meeting hosted by the South Dunedin Action Group on 20 June at Nations Church, King Edward St.”
The information you have requested is available on our website at:
Received from Lyndon Weggery
Tue, 21 June 2016 at 7:29 p.m.
Message: In the light of concerns last night [South Dunedin public meeting] about the effects of the Proposed 2GP on South Dunedin, suggest you extract the Hazard Zone portion and post it on What if?
The following report by Anna Johnson shows that very little was done [public consultation] in 2014. In fact only 17 people turned up to the DCC workshop in South Dunedin and their Appendices show that less than 10 people commented on their draft natural hazard policy.
*Bullet points indicate comments entered after the public meeting 20 June.
█ For more, enter the terms *flood*, *sea level rise*, *climate change*, *pce*, *stormwater*, *hazard*, *johnstone*, *hendry*, *south dunedin action group*, *debriefing notes* or *listener* in the search box at right.
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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr
Election Year. This post is offered on the public interest.
On campus, nothing much.
Demolition continues at the old dental school.
Received from Carol Roberts
Tue, 28 Jun 2016 at 11:12 p.m.
Artist’s impression [Image supplied]
Dental School
Project manager Aurecon’s project director resigned 2-3 weeks ago. This will be the 4th or 5th PM for this job. Aurecon won the job because of this person’s credentials…. shades of the prior Opus Dental school debacle.
Research Building
The PM for RCP New Zealand, resigned about 2 months into the project 2 weeks ago…. Construction of the ‘Animal Research Support Facility’ for the south campus was scheduled to start in August and be completed in February 2018.
Science Building
Leighs onsite QS/PM has left, the Leighs project director, who is supposed to be onsite 3-4 days a week, goes weeks without a visit, and Leighs general manager, Graeme Earl, has left…. Leighs are looking for a replacement.
Leighs AWOL…and behind programme at Science.
A further development Local Quantity Surveying firms elbowed out of the way
(not implying the university!) Local Institutions are paying substantial premiums (including 6 figures) to out of town firms.
### radionz.co.nz 8:45 am on 21 June 2016
RNZ News Dunedin council concedes flood worsened by faulty pumping station
By Ian Telfer in South Dunedin
Dunedin City Council has admitted a faulty pumping station made last year’s South Dunedin flood 20cm deeper than it would have otherwise been. The Council made the admission at a rowdy public meeting at the Nations Church last night about the flooding a year ago which damaged 1200 homes and businesses. Chief executive Sue Bidrose […] made a major concession, saying the council now accepted a key pumping station was blocked, adding an extra 20cm of water to the area. […] Shortly after the flooding, Mr Cull linked the event to climate change and warned South Dunedin may have to beat a managed retreat. Local woman Kathinka Nordal Stene said she was shocked Mr Cull undermined the community at the time when it most needed his support. She said the future of South Dunedin had become a major election issue, on which Mr Cull would be judged. Mr Cull was not at the meeting because he was visiting China. […] Leaders of the newly formed South Dunedin Action Group accused the council and its leaders of having a secret plan to abandon the suburb and blame it on climate change. RNZ Link
*Bullet points indicate comments entered after the public meeting 20 June.
█ For more, enter the terms *flood*, *sea level rise*, *stormwater*, *hazard*, *johnstone*, *hendry*, *south dunedin action group*, *debriefing notes* or *listener* in the search box at right.
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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr
Election Year. This post is offered in the public interest.
Monday, 20 June 2016 South Dunedin’s Future : It’s in your hands
Public meeting called by South Dunedin Action Group
au Sud Dunedin
Mock turtles on a Monday, and [a moment of meeting remembrance]
mon Dieu! Voix, la sienne! (my God! Voices, hers!) pronouncing la séparation des “poos” et “wees” —wastewater (grey water) from drinking water and stormwater as la raison d’être pour la stratégie de “Three Waters”……..
méfiez-vous ce qui sort du robinet (beware what comes out of the tap!) ou, était que la bouche (or, was that the mouth)
Flood, The People —inondation, inonderait le peuple
but, DON’T use politics against those “responsable” fr.
Channel 39 Published on Jun 22, 2016
### dunedintv.co.nz Thu, 23 June 2016 Candidates using flooding for political gain
A heated public meeting earlier this week brought last year’s South Dunedin floods back to the fore. The discussion around what to do for those still affected is one that members of the Dunedin City Council’s executive say they’re taking seriously. But there’s concern some involved parties are using the situation for political gain.
Malhereusement! Ceci est du jeu de puissance ineptes, d’elle-même
(Sadly! This is inane power play, of itself)
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POST FLOODS
WHY WOULDN’T CANDIDATES CAMPAIGN FOR A BETTER COUNCIL TO SERVE AND REPRESENT THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH DUNEDIN AND ALL CITY RESIDENTS AND RATEPAYERS
CANDIDATES THAT IF ELECTED CAN KNUCKLE CIVIC CENTRE OPERATIONALS TO RESTORE POSITIVE TEAMWORK AND ENGINEERING EXPERTISE
Huh ?
This is THE time for Dunedin Politics and Examination of Dunedin City Council down to the last foul or stormwater, sewer.
*Bullet points indicate comments entered after the public meeting 20 June.
█ For more, enter the terms *flood*, *sea level rise*, *stormwater*, *hazard*, *johnstone*, *hendry*, *south dunedin action group*, *debriefing notes* or *listener* in the search box at right.
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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr
Election Year. This post is offered in the public interest.
ODT Online Tue, 21 Jun 2016 Anger about South Dunedin’s future
By Vaughan Elder
Unanswered questions about the long-term future of South Dunedin and the city’s response to climate change loomed large at a heated public meeting last night. Residents concerned about the risk of flooding during future rain events were among about 170 people who packed the Nations Church for the meeting organised by the South Dunedin Action Group (SDAG) and attended by councillors and senior staff members. Attendees heard about the short-term measures the council had taken or was about to take to ensure South Dunedin’s infrastructure would run at full capacity should there be a repeat of last June’s devastating flood. Read more
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Oh hurrah. What the council has been doing in planning annual expenditure on pet projects in the interests of some private groups, not Core 3-Waters Infrastructure for South Dunedin:
“She said next year the council would invest $5m in South Dunedin’s community hub, $500,000 in a local hockey turf and more money to buy buildings to expand the area’s Gasworks Museum.” (via RNZ)
### radionz.co.nz 8:45 am Tue, 21 Jun 2016
RNZ News Dunedin council concedes flood worsened by faulty pumping station
By Ian Telfer in South Dunedin
Dunedin City Council has admitted a faulty pumping station made last year’s South Dunedin flood 20cm deeper than it would have otherwise been. The Council made the admission at a rowdy public meeting at the Nations Church last night about the flooding a year ago which damaged 1200 homes and businesses. South Dunedin residents have been waiting for a year for its council to front up for the flooding – and last night it did so en masse. At least eight city councillors, the chief executive and her two deputies were quizzed by 200 locals about what happened last June, and what will stop it happening again. […] But it will take more than [the chief executive’s] words to sort out the ill feeling with residents, who said they felt neglected and betrayed by the council, and especially by Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull. Shortly after the flooding, Mr Cull linked the event to climate change and warned South Dunedin may have to beat a managed retreat. Leaders of the newly formed South Dunedin Action Group accused the council and its leaders of having a secret plan to abandon the suburb and blame it on climate change. Read more
Tue, 21 Jun 2016 ODT: ‘Significant benefits’ for city in pipeline
DCC Asset and Commercial Manager Tom Osborn says old cracked earthenware wastewater pipes, mostly laid in the 1900s, have been allowing groundwater to enter the wastewater system, leading to flooding after heavy rain, resulting in overflows. “This also adds to flooding in areas such as the northwest corner of South Dunedin, when pipe flows coming from Kaikorai Valley meet flows from other parts of the city and flatten out, creating a bottleneck effect.”
*Bullet points show comments entered after the public meeting 20 June.
█ For more, enter the terms *flood*, *sea level rise*, *stormwater*, *hazard*, *johnstone*, *hendry*, *south dunedin action group*, *debriefing notes* or *listener* in the search box at right.
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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr
Election Year. This post is offered in the public interest.
█ For related posts and comments, enter the terms *flood*, *sea level rise*, *stormwater*, *hazard*, *johnstone*, *hendry*, *south dunedin action group*, *debriefing notes* or *listener* in the search box at right.
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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr
Election Year. This post is offered in the public interest.
One glass might be good for your health but more is associated with a host of illnesses and problems.
### NZ Herald Online 2:00 PM Sunday Jan 3, 2016 What alcohol does to your body after 40
By Anna Magee
In case you missed it: This was one of our favourite Life & Style stories from 2015.
Wednesday Dec 16, 2015
[UK] If you’re over 40, the chances are you like a drink. […] as the Chief Medical Officer, Dame Sally Davies, mulls over current NHS drinking guidelines, experts are urging us to spare a thought not only for the short-term effects of alcohol on our brains, but also the damage our drinking habits are doing to our bodies as we approach middle age.
“Alcohol affects just about every system because it’s a small molecule that goes everywhere in the body,” says Paul Wallace, emeritus professor of public health at University College London and medical director of the charity Drinkaware. From the gut to the heart, the blood vessels to the skin, its effects are all-pervasive.”
But why are the effects so much worse after 40? Read more
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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr
*Image: pinterest.com – Timber Smashed by nickwolf (tweaked by whatifdunedin)
Excerpts from today’s Otago Daily Times, message for 2016.
‘Poverty mission poses big questions’ (page 29). Perhaps the best Civis has written in a long while.
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tonybennettVEVO Published on May 9, 2014 Tony Bennett, Natalie Cole – Watch What Happens
Music video by Tony Bennett & Natalie Cole performing Watch What Happens. (C) 2012 Columbia Records, a divison of Sony Music Entertainment
Music: “Watch What Happens” by Tony Bennett & Natalie Cole (iTunes)
Natalie Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015)
Jonathan Howard, Heritage New Zealand’s Otago Southland Area Manager, will talk on the exhibition now showing Dunedin 1865: A City Rises. This is a 2015 Dunedin Heritage Festival event.
█ The exhibition closes on Sunday, 27 September 2015.
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EXHIBITION NOTICE Archives New Zealand Dunedin Regional Office currently has an exhibition on display, until 16 October 2015, featuring the Testimonial presented by the citizens of Dunedin to the Dunedin Volunteer Fire Brigade to thank them for all their work in the fires of early 1865. Also on display, there are archives showing the work of the Dunedin Sanitary Commission, about the conversion of the Exhibition Building for the Dunedin Hospital and a proposal for new Provincial Government Buildings.
Archives New Zealand Dunedin Regional Office at 556 George Street
█ Open weekdays from 9.30am to 5.00pm. For more information, contact dunedin.archives @dia.govt.nz —or telephone 477 0404
2015 marks 150 years of the city of Dunedin
With the benefit of William Meluish’s magnificent panorama of 1865 this exhibition centres on the year Dunedin becomes a city. Drawing on other contemporary and pre- and post-dated images we see where Dunedin had come from and was going to. Fuelled by the Otago goldrushes and driven by the acumen, tenacity and aspiration of its citizens Dunedin rapidly rises. This exhibition is brought to you by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga with support from the Southern Heritage Trust.
Service Gibson & Co Building (1866) – former Dunedin Savings Bank
Architect: Robert A Lawson
La Maison House of Pleasure at 5 Queens Gardens is co-owned by city councillor and former Act MP Hilary Calvert. In 2011, her eyes featured on a sign at the top of the building (the image is still evident).
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La Maison’s ground-floor ceiling was ornate and perfectly preserved, its below-ground vault still intact – original door included – although now it houses a “dungeon” stocked with items considerably different to those the vault was designed for. Upstairs, the building’s origin was harder to spot, although staff promised today’s tour would be comprehensive, including an all-access walk-through and details of the building’s changes through its 149 years. ODT 29.8.15
### Stuff.co.nz Last updated 15:12, August 29 2015 Open day at Dunedin’s House of Pleasure
By Hamish McNeilly
It was a happy ending for the dozens of visitors who attended an open day at La Maison House of Pleasure in Dunedin. Business owner turned tour guide, Teena Ingersoll, doesn’t like the word “brothel” to described her Queens Garden based business, which opened its doors on Saturday morning as part of a Heritage Festival open day. “I hate the word brothel, this is a house of pleasure.” Read more + Images
### ODT Online Sat, 29 Aug 2015 Surprises in old buildings
By Craig Borley
The doors to some of Dunedin’s historic buildings will be opened to the public today as the city’s heritage festival continues. The Dunedin Heritage Festival began yesterday with the “Dunedin 1865: A City Rises” photographic exhibition in the Dunedin Public Art Gallery. The festival finishes tomorrow. A major draw is the tours today and tomorrow of 64 historic buildings, which will be raising their customary barriers to the public […] the festival would also include a children’s heritage trail at Toitu Otago Settlers Museum, a walking trail following Dunedin’s original shoreline and a special service in First Church. Read more
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### ODT Online Tue, 2 Jun 2015 ‘Absolutely incredible’ revamp of heritage building
By John Gibb
An “absolutely incredible” conservation and adaptive reuse project is nearing completion in Dunedin. This work on the Standard Building in Princes St, including extensive earthquake strengthening [and restoration of the Italian-style facade] has been undertaken as momentum grows to further revitalise the Exchange area, and a wave of adaptive reuse work continues to transform the nearby warehouse precinct. […] The project also includes the Stanton Building, situated behind the Standard Building, and backing on to the council’s Dowling St car park. A crucial – and previously largely hidden – feature of the redevelopment is an innovative, light-filled multilevel internal atrium, making extensive use of glass, which will link the two buildings and provide access to the various floors. Read more
█ The Open City
The Open City will be held on Saturday 29 August with as many as 60 Dunedin buildings opening their doors to the public, encouraging festival-goers to explore and discover more about their city; choose from the massive list of open buildings and businesses including the Anatomy Museum, the Garrison Hall, Dunedin Athenaeum and Mechanics’ Institute or travel to Quarantine Island.
● Venues indicated with the bookings essential symbol, can be booked by contacting the venue.
█ Dunedin Shoreline Trail
The Dunedin 1865 Shoreline Trail will be launched by Dr Matt Schmidt (Heritage New Zealand) and Paul Pope (Dunedin Amenities Society) next Sunday, August 30, at 11.30am. The free hour-long walk will depart from the early settlers’ plaque at the top of Water St and proceed along the early shoreline to St Andrew St, with descriptions of interesting archaeological and built heritage features along the way.
[click to enlarge]
The Dunedin Shoreline Trail brings together years of research into the city’s history, above and below ground.
### ODT Online Sun, 23 Aug 2015 Dunedin’s early shorelines explored
By Brenda Harwood
The extraordinary feat of pick-and-shovel engineering that altered Dunedin’s shoreline by up to 700 metres in the 1860s is highlighted in a new walking trail. The Dunedin Shoreline Trail, which marks the city’s harbour boundary in 1865, will be launched next week during the Dunedin Heritage Festival, which celebrates 150 years since Dunedin became a city. Read more
Otago Daily Times Published on Aug 6, 2015 Praise for garden’s ‘striking’ new facility
The biggest investment in the Dunedin Botanic Garden’s history can simulate arid deserts, tropical forests and sub-antarctic islands on the slopes of Signal Hill.
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Dunedin City Council – Media Release
Botanic Garden’s New Propagation House Opened
This item was published on 06 Aug 2015
The Dunedin Botanic Garden’s new propagation house is a wonderful addition to the Garden’s celebrated features, Mayor of Dunedin Dave Cull says.
“In many ways the propagation and nursery facilities are the engine room of the Garden. This modern facility provides excellent conditions for plants as they are nurtured before going on public display around the Garden. This impressive new building helps us reinforce our reputation as a Garden of International Significance,” Mr Cull says.
The new propagation house was officially opened this afternoon at a civic opening with invited guests. An open day, at a date to be advised, will be held in spring so members of the public can tour the new facility. The new facility, on Lovelock Avenue, replaces the old and dilapidated glasshouses and plant nursery near the aviary. Work on the $6.2 million project began in October 2013 and the completed building was handed over in May this year.
Botanic Garden (Curator) Team Leader Alan Matchett says the new propagation facility provides the space and technology for the Garden to produce a more extensive range of plants from succulents and cacti, to alpines, tropical, subtropical, and ferns and orchids. The need for an updated facility had been apparent for some years as the former glasshouses, built in the early 1900s, began to deteriorate and the environmental management systems became less energy efficient and inadequate to produce the variety of plants needed by the Garden. The new facility provides about 600sq m of indoor space and has been designed to make the most of natural elements, such as the sun. Environmental conditions in the seven glasshouses can be controlled centrally to suit the different varieties of plants growing in each area. Watering and humidity levels are now computer controlled. The glasshouses can hold more than 12,000 plants, excluding seedlings.
As well as providing plant nursery facilities, the new building provides a base for education activities for school groups, public workshops and demonstrations. It also provides room for the Garden’s long-time supporters, the Friends of the Garden, to work. The new propagation house is the first part of a larger vision for that area of the Garden, which includes establishing a café, and visitors’ centre. Moving the nursery and glasshouses means the site they currently occupy in the upper garden can be developed to achieve its potential as a prime landscape feature.
Contact Dunedin Botanic Garden (Curator) Team Leader on 03 477 4000. DCC Link
● Culmination of 19-year journey, nursery replaces 90-year facility
### ODT Online Sat, 8 Aug 2015 Praise for garden’s ‘striking’ new facility
By Craig Borley
The biggest investment in the Dunedin Botanic Garden’s history can simulate arid deserts, tropical forests and sub-antarctic islands on the slopes of Signal Hill. The garden’s new propagation and nursery facility was completed in May but officially opened on Thursday, showcasing its seven separate growing environments – alpine, arid succulent, temperate, arid cacti, subtropical, tropical, and propagation. Read more
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● New nursery designed with school groups in mind
### ODT Online Sat, 8 Aug 2015 Maintaining a living museum
By Craig Borley
There are public parks and public gardens with great collections of plants, but they are not botanic gardens, Dunedin Botanic Garden propagation services officer Alice Lloyd-Fitt said yesterday. Explaining why the garden needed a nursery and propagation facility, she said a botanic garden’s point of difference was its role as a living museum. Education, conservation and plant collection roles all mattered, and those roles could not be filled without a functional nursery. Read more
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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr
*Image: (top) 39 Dunedin Television – Propagation House [screenshot]
### ODT Online Thu, 12 Mar 2015 Polytech Efts continue to rise
By Timothy Brown
Otago Polytechnic believes student numbers will continue to climb for the fourth year. The polytechnic has budgeted for 4561 equivalent full-time students (Efts) this year, almost 7% up from last year’s final tally of 4269 Efts. […] The ongoing period of student number growth at the polytechnic comes as numbers are dropping at the University of Otago. Read more
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Positive messaging! Community Learning! Industry responsive!
Otago Polytechnic Published on May 12, 2014 Study in Dunedin, New Zealand | Otago Polytechnic
█ For more information about studying at Otago Polytechnic’s Dunedin Campus visit http://www.op.ac.nz/dunedin
Installation view of Povi Christkeke by Michel Tuffery 1999
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What if? Dunedin... 