New Zealand A Great Place To Raise Kids?

This cartoon in today’s NZ Herald says it all

A brighter future for all in New Zealand?

The Herald has run a series of articles about the effects of poverty. If you’re thinking about emigrating from a first world country please try to read a few.

Here’s the links to some of them.

Dr says he sees effects of poverty on kids every day

Divided Auckland: Overcrowding a hotbed for infections

Divided Auckland: Schools reaching out to most vulnerable

Divided Auckland: More become tenants in own city

Editorial: Opportunity – key to a more equal society

Bridging Auckland’s wealth gap

Minimum wage rises by 50 cents

Julie Helson: We need help in our own backyard

For more of our  blogs about poverty click here

Auckland Braces For Next Match

Queens Wharf webcam, Auckland

The city of Auckland is bracing itself for this evening’s All Blacks rugby world cup “sell out” match against the French.

Those in charge will be hoping there’ll be no repeat of the chaos that plagued the opening night celebrations, during which public transport failed, there was mass overcrowding and city hospitals reached saturation point.

One of the areas where fans will be congregating will be Queens Wharf (aka Party Central) you can see a time lapse webcam of the dock by clicking on the image above and moving your mouse from left to right across the screen.

Auckland Stairwell Collapse Injures Three, Still No Rest For Philomen Gulland

First it was the Auckland transport chaos on the opening night of the rugby world cup, now it’s a collapse of a stairwell in a central Auckland shopping mall undergoing renovation work.

In New Zealand for the rugby and thinking of responding to the spam? the following may be of interest to you.

LATEST: Three people have been injured after a stairwell collapsed in the Mid City Arcade in Queen St.

Emergency services were called to the arcade at 10.40am today and three people were taken to Auckland City Hospital with moderate injuries.

The fire service said no-one was trapped.

Police said the stairwell was part of an old movie theatre in the arcade and renovations were taking place in the complex.

Inspector Matt Sillars said a staircase was being demolished and “somehow came down prematurely”.

It is not known if the three people who were hurt were working on the demolition.. more here

A later report on Channel 3 news added the following information

Part of the building has been closed to the public for major renovations, and those injured are believed to have been involved in the reconstruction.

The staircase collapsed with a “huge bang” shortly after 10:30am, Mr Phillips said.

Tunnel Explosion

Philomen Gulland

There’s still no word on the outcome of the fatal accident investigation into a tunnel explosion that killed a female Canadian engineer Philomen Gulland , 48,  and injured six others, one seriously.

The family of Ms Gulland, a Watercare maintenance planner, say they have been left in the dark about why she died:

The family of a Watercare maintenance planner killed in an Auckland gas explosion have broken their silence to call for answers about how and why the mother-of-two died.

It is two months since Canadian-born Philomen Gulland died in the unexplained blast while she was inspecting a tunnel in Onehunga.

But Ms Gulland’s family are no closer to knowing how she died – and say they have been left in the dark by authorities investigating the tragedy.

Ms Gulland’s brother, Bernie Penner, said: “The only thing that I know is what I read in the papers or read online. We haven’t been told anything.” more here

Philomen and her husband were big supporters of Oxfam in New Zealand and they were the driving force behind Watercare’s partnership with Oxfam Trailwalker ever since the event came to New Zealand in 2006. She undertook the 100 kilometre challenge an amazing five times.

She was said to be a “stickler for work safety” and said she felt that engineering ran in her family – her father had spent 34 years building roads for the Department of Highways in British Columbia through challenging terrain such as the Rocky Mountains.

In June the Herald said of the explosion site

The mammoth pipeline project that yesterday cost a female worker her life was dogged by delays and being forced through uncharted terrain.

The terrain where the explosion occurred is notoriously difficult. The land is predominantly hardened lava field with huge pockets of largely uncharted tunnels and caves.

Officials had sought information from Watercare about the terrain, particularly on the likelihood of lava caves in the area.

A report prepared by Watercare in March last year for the former Auckland Regional Council conceded radar probes had failed to reveal exactly what was underground…more here

Watercare Services is headed by Mark Ford, who isknown a s the “czar of water and transport” and the “invisible autocrat” in Auckland  where he oversaw the establishment of the supercity.

The department of Labour is investigating both incidents.

You may be interested in the ongoing inquiry into the Pike River Mine Disaster.

Aucklanders Have Their Say About World Cup Opening Night

The NZ Herald has invited its readers to have their say on the opening night of the 2011 rugby world cup in Auckland, this is a sample of the responses to

“Did you celebrate the Rugby World Cup opening? Tell us your experience”

Most of them were overwhelmingly negative:

“disappointed”

“Very disappointed at the organization. The public transport *system* totally failures and people’s behavior on the streets were appalling. Look at all the shattered beer glasses in the CBD!”

“public transport a shambles”

“Opening Ceremony amazing, Eden Park atmosphere fantastic, crowd control for queens wharf and downtown Zero. Public transport a complete shambles, walked home with family from game as a last resort.  Will drive or taxi for rest of tournament.”

“whose stuff up was this?”

“It’s strange that there were well over 100,000 people downtown but only 15,000 were allowed on to Princess Wharf, the main venue. Lots and lots of disappointed people including many who had flown here from overseas. Whose stuff-up was this? The best part of ther event was the Tongan supporters – what a crazy, colourful, happy bunch of people! They made the day for thousdands of us and didn’t  cost a cent, much better than the expensive acts we never got to see.”

“transportation balls up“

Lots of emotions around the opening. Tellingly the only emotion absent about the complete and utter balls up of transportation, was surprise.
Any bets on the chance someone will actually be held accountable for such gross incompetence?

“public transport system a joke“

I have to say “I told you so” in regards to the public transport(or rather lack of it)in Auckland yesterday.I may as well have yelled to the wind to stop blowing.The powers that be would never
listen to what Aucklanders truly felt about the public transport system.As was expected the preparation was probably on a “She’ll be right” approach.The AC and various other organisations would have anticipated what volume of people to decend upon the Waterfront and Eden Park.For example if 15,000 people were expected at the Party Central then double or triple that number overall.Don’t merely think exactly 15,000 people will attend.As per usual the public transport *system* of Auckland will again be viewed as a joke.The AC and others have had enough years to prepare for the RWC.They knew how many people would be coming into NZ but as per usual did nothing.
Anyway we enjoyed a panoramic view of the fireworks.Very well done

“Only trying to do the right thing”

Myself and my 9 yr old son travelled 4hours down from the Bay of Islands? As there had been so much press recommending the use of public transport we headed to the Albany Park and Ride.
We arrived at the Albany site at 2pm to find it already full. The NZTA staff rep stopping cars coming into the entrance to the car park told us to park in an NZTA owned paddock next to the site,
which we did, alongside what must have been over a hundred other cars. There were no warning signs on this site that said there was no parking allowed. We came back to the site after the game to find the car missing. It had been towed to another compound less than 2 km away and I was charged $230 to have it released. The NZTA should be ashamed of themselves. We were simply following directions given to us by their staff, trying to do the right thing and use public transport and feel that the spirit with which they have acted is appalling. How about a public comment
on that Mr Len Brown?

“Drunken youths, kids injured”

Mum, Dad, two young teens & an 11 year – destination waterfront.
Train from Sylvia Park at 4:20, arrived in town at 6:30
One person fainted on the train, kids walk past person prostrate on platform, chest bare, surrounded by medical staff.
Toilets – too few, crowds – lots, well behaved so far. Finn brothers as good as I remember them. Fireworks seemed great, but large buildings behind & containers & hoardings against the iron fence of the water front meant view was obscured.
8:10 – fireworks over, out of here. People unable to move, youths, becoming increasingly drunk as the night progresses, pushing past all & sundry causing havoc in their wake. Daughter gets burnt by someone’s cigarette, son gets squashed and arm twisted by barging idiot – he’s trying not to cry. The haka is still on the big screen.
I feel worried – can’t control the environment around the kids, if someone falls, the crowd will feel the release in pressure and surge. Try not to think about it.
1 hr – no trains. Man spews next to son. 2 more hrs – no buses. Bus to anywhere, catch taxi to train station, get car. Home – 1:20 am.
We planned for this Len, it wasn’t an earthquake – fail. Sorry kids.

“Disappointed by the reality”

Why invite 10′s of thousands to a party when the venue only holds 12,000 ? Result was thousands upon thousands of people wandering around town with nothing to see or do. Food & drink very hard to come by, toilets likewise. Having impressed on my kids the once in a lifetime nature of last night they were very disappointed by the reality.
Plus points ? The fireworks (from Parnell Rose Gardens) were excellent, the weather perfect.

 

Lots more here

“Rugby World Cup fans’ first day spoiled by Auckland train problems”

International media has picked up on last night’s shambles at the rugby world cup opening night in Auckland.

This from Metro.co.uk

Hundreds of fans travelling to the opening match of the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand were left stranded by severe delays on Auckland’s train system.

Frustrated passengers who had paid hundreds of dollars to watch New Zealand take on Tonga at the Eden Park stadium were reported to be pushing the emergency stop buttons on trains between Britomart and Kingsland before jumping out of carriages and climbing up banks in a desperate attempt to make it to the stadium.

Many were forced to walk along the tracks to get to Friday’s festivities at Eden Park, located 3km south-west of Auckland’s CBD.

Harbour ferries and buses also suffered severe delays after being swamped by fans rushing towards the waterfront to witness the opening ceremony to mark the start of the biggest sporting event ever staged in the country.

Ferry services into the Auckland CBD were temporarily halted after terminals became too crowded for passengers to get on or off.

An estimated 50,000 descended on Queens Wharf – which was designed to hold no more than 12,000 people – to join in an opening party for the six-week tournament and witness a fireworks display which was set off just before kick-off.

Waiting times of over two hours were reported for buses going from the North Shore to the city… more here

The Australian newspaper covered Auckland city’s overcrowding problems, saying

Fans fall into Auckland Harbour
POLICE boats were required to pluck fans out of the Auckland Harbour after overcrowding problems in the city marred the opening night of the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

“The tournament kicked off with an opening ceremony at Eden Park but a mass of fans who descended on a ‘Party Central’ zone on the Auckland waterfront to watch created chaos.

An estimated 100,000 people crammed into the Queens Wharf area and such was the crush, local television stations reported people needed to be fished out of the water after being either pushed or jumping in.

Police and ambulance crews were run off their feet dealing with injured and hyperventilating people, according to reports.

Earlier police had closed down the waterfront, denying entry for any more fans and advised others to stay away the city.

Transport was also thrown in chaos, with ferries from Auckland’s north shore cancelled due to the overcrowding.

Trains out to Eden Park were also severly delayed, with many people missing the game due to trains being stopped on the line. Out at the ground, even IRB chief executive Mike Miller even ran into trouble getting into the ground when a security guard denied him entry for not having accreditation…” more here