by Cimino | 10 Jan 2010 | Regatta 2010
Volunteers called for busman’s holiday Bureaucracy-wise, the bar was set high for the 2004 regatta ball. As the head ranger said at the time: We wouldn’t even be having this conversation, if it wasn’t for the historic importance of Warkworth’s 150th celebrations....
by Cimino | 20 Dec 2009 | Agricultural emissions
Appearances can be deceptive. Copenhagen 18 December 2009, might not have looked and sounded like a turning point in history. But time determines what constitutes a moment in history, not the preconceived expectations of conference critics. Not to diminish the...
by Cimino | 17 Dec 2009 | Action plan planning
Climate action is set to become the only game in town. Which could leave the Mahurangi starved of funds for reducing its elevated sediment accumulation rate. But rather than compete with climate action projects, the Mahurangi is perfectly positioned to be a climate...
by Cimino | 5 Nov 2009 | Dredging, Marine farming, Sedimentation
There are two ways to stop teredo. Build oyster farms from unpalatable material, or from palatable material impregnated with poisons. Biomarine, for its vast new Kaipara harbour farm, has chosen to eschew poisons such as chromium arsenates. Instead of pressure treated...
by Cimino | 3 Nov 2009 | Cartoons, MMP
It is a continual improvement advocate’s worst nightmare. It would be like lining up the 15-year-old family hack at Bathurst, without even checking the dipstick. Mixed member proportional is about to be compared with a yet-to-be-determined range of other systems, with...
by Cimino | 28 Oct 2009 | Warkworth
They’re billed as Warkworth Walks Worth Doing, though only one is actually in or around Warkworth. There are seven, ranging from the relatively rigorous, to the summit of Tamahunga, to the trattoria-style Italian dinner at Herons Flight, whereby all the walking...
by Mike Neil | 14 Oct 2009 | History of the Mahurangi Magazine, Reviews
Changing Times highlights revival Review Changing Times The Story of a New Zealand Country Newspaper There’s a rumour that it’s really a red wine appreciation society. To allay this misconception, of the Mahurangi Harbour Book Club, I have been asked to do something...
by Cimino | 29 Sep 2009 | Regional governance
If the vote is split, the first regional mayor may all too easily be the abrasive John Banks. The risk of vote splitting could have been avoided, had local government embraced preferential voting—ludicrously, its implementation under the Local Electoral Act 2001 was...
by Cimino | 25 Sep 2009 | Cartoons, MMP
Only half know what they are doing. That’s in general elections, where the turnout puts local government elections to shame—in spite of voters needing to travel no further than the mailbox. And not only do a mere 52%post the 2003 election understand ‘which of the two...
by Cimino | 22 Sep 2009 | Dredging, Sedimentation
Navigator, navigator rise up and be strong The morning is here and there’s work to be done. Take your pick and your shovel and the bold dynamite For to shift a few tons of this earthly delight Yes to shift a few tons of this earthly delight. Chorus of Philip Gaston’s...
