John MacDonald: The Eagle has landed in Chch and should stay

The eagle has landed. One of the police Eagle helicopters from Auckland is in Christchurch for the next two months as part of a crackdown on these criminal kids doing-over dairies and committing other crimes.  I think it’s brilliant that it’s here and I think we need one here permanently.   For s…

John MacDonald: Don't dismiss the Christchurch supercity idea

A couple of advisors at the Christchurch City Council have ripped into the Government’s plan for regional councils and have said to councillors that they reckon there’s a better way. Or more correctly, two better potential ways. Instead of having local mayors run regional councils for two years an…

John MacDonald: Rates caps are a placebo policy

You might recall a poll result that came out back in September which proved that 75 percent of us are idiots. It’s these idiots that the Government is pandering to with the council rates cap it announced yesterday. And the 75 percent of people who said in that poll that they support the Government…

John MacDonald: Is Christchurch ready for a red zone re-think?

Is it time to have a re-think about what’s done with the residential red zone on the east side of Christchurch? I think it’s fair to say that mayor Phil Mauger thinks so. And so do I. Phil’s saying today that he wants to see red zone land used for housing as soon as possible. With the first cab o…

John MacDonald: 46 years and we still can't get the Erebus memorial decision right

It’s taken 46 years and we’ve still managed to stuff up the decision as to where to have a memorial for the 257 people who died in the Mt Erebus air disaster.  It was 46 years ago today when the Air NZ DC-10, flight TE901, ploughed into the side of Mt Erebus.   And, yes, nice job making the memor…

John MacDonald: Who can we believe about nitrates in the water?

How interested are you in the quality of your drinking water? For example, would you like to be able to look up your address and get credible, reliable information from an official source about the nitrate levels in the water coming through your taps? I would. Because I just don’t know whether to…

John MacDonald: The alternative to ditching regional councils

You know how at work you can get people leaving and, instead of hiring new people, they just dish out the work to other people? Then it gets to the point where the other people look up and realise they’re overworked, overloaded, and burnt out.  I wonder if that’s how mayors around the country are…

Leeann Watson: Business Canterbury CEO on Christchurch City Council becoming the consenting authority for supermarkets, Environment Canterbury, KiwiSaver

Christchurch City Council's been selected to act as a one-stop consenting authority for large-scale supermarket developments.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis says it's the latest step in the Government plan to make New Zealand attractive for new operators.  She says developers previously had to n…

Chris Hipkins: Labour Leader on regional council reforms, KiwiSaver, relationship with NZ First

Labour Leader Chris Hipkins says he's not clear what the Government's aiming for in its plans to change local government. It's proposing replacing the country's 11 regional councils with boards made up of local mayors. Hipkins agrees there's an obvious need for change. But he told John MacDonald…

John MacDonald: Reasons to be nervous about the Govt's building changes

This move by the Government to change who is ultimately liable for repairs to defective building work on new houses up to three-storeys high and renovation jobs worth more than $100,000 makes me very nervous.   At the moment, all parties involved in a project are jointly liable for any defects and…