New Zealand Is The "Gunna Country"

"Kiwis must make room for improvement at World Cup"

We came across another article raising concerns about New Zealand's ability to successfully host the Rugby World Cup, this time in the Sydney Morning Herald, where Greg Gowden spoke in less than glowing terms about the way spectators and fellow colleagues were treated as little more than just sheep at the recent Christchurch test - widely viewed as a dry-run for next year's tournament.

In his article Gowden talked about how the Christchurch test was good opportunity to see how the facilities would cope with a major international event. The Wallabies flew into Auckland to check out how efficient the customs facilities were for visiting teams.

Here are a few of his observations, firstly the Auckland arrivals hall that :

"...can be a debacle. Sure, New Zealanders are proud they are a wool nation, but it doesn't mean tourists have to be herded into a sheep pen. If you can get through the baggage area in less than half an hour, think yourself lucky. And then you have to confront the nightmare of travelling into Auckland where a highway suddenly dissolves into a one-lane suburban street, prompting delays and further frustration."

Both are major inconveniences - international travellers are well advised to allow for 60 minutes to clear baggage reclaim, get sniffed-out by a beagle and undergo customs and immigration formalities during busy periods at Auckland airport.

Once out of the terminal the Southwestern motorway abruptly discharges into the suburban streets of Epsom and nearby Mount Eden, before travellers jet-lagged and weary  eventually find their way onto the Southern Motorway and into the haven of the CBD.

Talking of Mount Eden, Gowden dryly comments that the locals tell him that getting to and from Eden Park (venue for the final) is like escaping Alcatraz. Take a quick look at the google map for the area and you'll see why:


View Larger Map
Surely in a country with a little over 4 million inhabitants it's not unreasonable to find a little bit of space in which to move?

After writing about the not inconsiderable problems getting to the AMI stadium in Christchurch and being herded into cramped conditions in a press box with limited visibility (again there is that sheep anaology) Gowden delivered the now customary  "great scenery, friendly locals" salve before the "Gunna Country" coup de gras:

"But a constant irritant is that New Zealand is the ''gunna'' country. They're gunna do this. They're gunna do that. They were doing it straight after being granted the World Cup. Politicians and officials were promising they would dramatically improve facilities, particularly accommodation, so visitors wouldn't have to sleep on park benches. What has happened? Not much.
Now they're saying fans will be berthed on ships, anchored offshore. Are they kidding? No wonder, when confronted by the exorbitant prices asked by the few hotels that have any rooms left, so many Australians believe it will be wiser to just travel over on game day, and take a flight home that night. New Zealand is better than this. We can only hope those who can make something change over the next 13 months get off their butts and sort it out."

13 months out from the tournament things should be a lot better organised by now, isn't it long past the time to pull out the proverbial finger - before Gunna turns into Shudda.

If you have time it's well worth reading the whole article at the SMH, you can find it here "Kiwis must make room for improvement at world cup"


You may also be interested in
Don't Shoot the Messenger - another journalist's reply to the public outcry his NZ:100% Pure Rip-off article caused.

NZ: 100% Pure Rip-Off - high prices are turning-off off fans and visitors to New Zealand.

2011 World Cup Fans may be Based in Sydney - Kiwi Cup Rip-Off - many sporting tour groups from Britain and Australia are thinking about basing themselves in Sydney for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The decision to stay in Sydney has been brought about by reports of NZ accommodation providers’ extortionate price gouging.

Price Gouging and the Rugby World Cup - NZ accommodation providers charging over the odds.

Hamilton too Boring for Springbok Tour. World Cup Bed Shortage - team stays in Australia and flies in for match.

Today's posts - click here

New Forum For NZ Migrants

We came across a new NZ migrant support website and forum today, here's the press release issued by the site's designer and author.

The site offers opportunities to post job vacancies, look for work and build up social networks whilst allowing people to talk freely about their experiences of moving to and working in New Zealand.
It appears to be a refreshing departure from the usual  'censored-and-agenda-driven-commercial-immigration-forum'  format.

Forum for New Zealand Migrant
July 23, 2010
By Derek Seymour

Derek Seymour, a migrant who moved to New Zealand from the UK in 2001 has created an internet support group for other migrants.

“I want to create an online forum where people thinking about migrating to New Zealand can swap information and advice”, Seymour said.

“People can post job adverts, vent, and build their social networks – which is really important, especially if you arrived in a New Zealand by yourself.”

“I’m hopeless at making friends, so I really struggled when I first arrived. ”

“Membership is completely free, and I won’t make a cent from creating this board. I got sick of the hidden agendas behind other expat message boards where the goal seems to be to turn a dollar – and any dissent is quickly dealt with”, the 39 year old said.

“On my board, I won’t ban or delete posts by members because they upset my sponsors – because I don’t have any!” he added.

“The board philosophy is simple : honest, robust and transparent debate. I want to avoid political correctness, but we’ll see how it evolves.”

Seymour is planning to create other message boards. “I am going to create a couple of others for groups I am involved with in the wellington region.”

You can access seymour’s website at http://www.seymouronrails.com/nzexpats

End.

His blog is well worth a read too.

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Calls To Ban Abortions In NZ's Dairy Industry

The New Zealand Green party has added its voice to others calling for a ban on the controversial use of an abortion drug by New Zealand dairy farmers, fearing that it has the potential to damage the country's green reputation as other countries turn to more responsible and sustainable  farming methods.


Dairy farmers in New Zealand have for generations routinely administered the drug to their pregnant cows, terminating fetuses at all stages of gestation, so that milking may start earlier in the season.

The practice, which has been described as "callous and unethical" by NZ animal welfare advocacy group SAFE, was the subject of a TVNZ report shown on NZ television yesterday. See link

Safe's media release, which may be found on its website HERE, stated:

"Dairy farmers deliberately birth thousands of calves prematurely each year in a practice known as "inducing". The vet gives the cows two injections, so their calves will be born 8-12 weeks premature. It's done to get all cows in a herd to calve at the same time, and produce milk earlier. It means many calves are born dead, but some are born still alive and have to be euthanised.
But many vets, including Bernice Mangnall from Canterbury, are against the practice.
"Times have changed, public perception has changed and the requirements on the overseas market have changed," she said. "So this is just moving it on .... and phasing it out."
Hans Kriek from SAFE is among the critics calling for the practice to be banned.
"No one actually realises what we do in this industry and how cruel it actually is," he told ONE News. "New Zealand could seriously pay a price over this, so it's really in the dairy industry's own interests to stop this practice."
The issue has become an ethical dilemma for New Zealand's $6 billion dairy industry, with approximately 200,000 cows induced in New Zealand each year. Farmers say it's a valuable management tool, but are divided on its use..."

According to SAFE's statement although a decision was made to end inductions last October there is no strict auditing of the practice being carried out.

The average size of a herd in Canterbury is approximately 700, so some farmers will induce up to 100 cows.
Inductions were introduced 40 years ago. They are legal but the government's code of welfare for dairy cattle says it's best practice not to do them.
The industry originally agreed to end inductions in October but it has since decided to gradually phase them out.
Fonterra does not support the practice, but still collects milk from farmers who induce. There is no strict auditing of the induction practice.

The Green's media release tells us that it's only the Minister of Agriculture who can ban the induction of dairy cows and make the NZ dairy industry live up to the 'clean, green image' the rest of the world has of it:

Although the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) acknowledged in its 2010 Animal Welfare (Dairy Cattle) Code of Welfare report that induction 'has the potential to affect the welfare of both cow and calf adversely' and states that it does not support induction, the Report is only a recommendation to the Minister of Agriculture who can ban the practice.
"The Minister has the ability to raise animal welfare standards to match those in the organic standards and production rules of BioGro New Zealand, and AsureQuality," said Mr Browning.
"The Minister has the power to 'clean and green' animal welfare and New Zealand primary production very quickly if he can grasp the vision that most consumers and discerning export markets have."
"Leaving it to industry to phase out inductions voluntarily is a cop out. The Minister needs to use his leadership ability on animal welfare just as he has on the ETS and water quality, because he knows what the best markets actually want and he knows what is right." read the whole release here

fortunately, organically reared cows are not subjected to this barbaric practice in New Zealand.

Links to other blog posts you may also be interested in:
NZ Farmers plan to 'factory farm' dairy cows
Vivisection and animal welfare standards in New Zealand

Other
New Zealand's Pig farm horrors exposed:



Dairy factory farming proposed in the UK:

"Campaigners think cows should be like in the Anchor butter advert, with 50 to 100 cows dancing in a field,' he said. 'It is a lovely idea, but not the reality." read the whole article in The Daily Mail.co.uk

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