What's happening in New Zealand? An Easter update

Roads with endless roadworks, potholes and slips on every road, mobile speed-camera trailers, contaminated drinking water, ferry sailings cancelled, cost of living increasing everyday, working-from-home policies. Things are not looking too great in the land-of-the-long-white-cloud. But there is some good news too!

Kiwi Infrastructure

Whilst the Straits of Hormuz are in the news, our lesser-known Cook Strait between North & South Islands faced ongoing scrutiny in our crucial supply chain infrastructure.

Taking a break from work over Eastertime, we were planning a trip to South Island. But sadly, it wasn't to be. For those readers unfamiliar with the geography of our little country, the journey between islands is short in distance (approx 50 miles) but drawn-out in time and expense. Like lots of Kiwi transport services, our ferries are outdated, overused and weighed-down by PPPs and bureaucracy.

Of course, you can always take a regional flight between the islands, but those are becoming increasingly inconvenient and expensive too. For instance, if I wanted to fly from Hamilton to Christchurch for next weekend, it would cost me ~NZ$600. By the time you've hired a car and booked an AirBnB, costs are unrealistic for most.

The reason for our cancelled trip was one of the four ferries that service that route suffering 'technical problems'. The relatively modern, 20-year old Bluebridge Connemara is apparently back in operation now, after more than two weeks in dock. Bluebridge is commercially-run and was owned by Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners until a recent sale to another investment entity, Terral Holdings. The timing couldn't have been worse over the Easter holidays. Understandably, Bluebridge's other ferry, Livia was under extra pressure with hours of delays - some customers were stuck in each port without options.

Our alternative state-owned operator is KiwiRail’s Interislander which also operates two Ro-Ro ferries; the Kaitaki (31 years old) and Kaiarahi (nearly 30 years old). These have predictably also suffered numerous cancellations and delays. The bureaucracy of our Government's failed decision-making and expensive consultancies' attempts to modernise this service has run up enormous debts for taxpayers, with no end in sight. It seems a continuous battle to try to understand what is happening on these ferries, when both these companies have poor customer service. As this 2024 article points out:

These operational problems compound the financial challenges faced by KiwiRail, Interislander’s parent company. The state-owned enterprise has received NZ$11.67 billion in government funding over 16 years – nearly half of all receipts. In the current financial year, only 35 percent of its income comes from actual customers.

In a link to my British past here's a Fun Fact: the Kaitiaki used be owned by UK Stena Line and serviced the English Channel for many years as The Pride of Cherbourg and then the Challenger.

Other infrastructure suffers set-backs too. Drainage systems constantly leak into harbours. Cones are everywhere. Boil-water notices have just been sent to homes in Auckland. Bridges like this one on a main Highway were demolished after a recent flash-flood that I wrote about here. God knows when it maybe replaced by a permanent structure. Police mobile speed traps are unfair and ubiquitous.

Meanwhile, inflation and the fuel crisis puts extra pressure on everyone. Some of my students are on minimum wage (NZ$23.95) and even less if they are still 'in training'. It just isn't sustainable to get to a workplace or study space when public transport doesn't exist and fuel is an astonishing NZ$3.72 per litre for UL95. And things ain't looking any better for the weeks/months ahead.

Why are we are surrounded by thousands of dairy cows but a 2 litre bottle of milk is nearly $6 from the local shop? Costs of everyday items for many families are out of control. No wonder more people are unable to pay those high council rates.

Creeping Technocracy

Everyday bank branches close and shops go 'cashless'. The slowly-boiling frog progresses technocracy via things like our banking apps. Today, I received a notification: try the 'convenience' of having all your payees connected to your online bank account. That way, say ANZ, payments can be more secure, and sent more efficiently. No thanks. Allowing my bank to control who or what I pay for, rather than overseeing those procedures myself, privately, seems nonsensical.

I see more people paying with cash, but also more people paying with their phones. Clearly the 'automatic payee' option is part of the roll-out of Digital ID and CBDCs. And yet, I guess many people will jump at the chance to outsource yet another 'boring job' to the technocratic machinery.

And the Good News...

During the weekend, whilst watching an unexpected game of croquet (!) I discovered a wonderful volunteer group called SmartPhone Free Childhood NZ. (SPFCNZ) This is how they describe themselves on their website:

We’re a group of everyday parents who started asking hard questions. Why are our kids so anxious? Why is connection slipping away? Why are our kids hassling us so much for a device? Why does childhood feel so rushed, so digital, so… different? [...] early smartphone ownership is changing childhood, and not for the better. So we pressed pause. ​We began sharing research, talking with schools, and connecting with other families who felt the same unease.[...] Across New Zealand, parents are rethinking the norm—and choosing to delay smartphones for their children.

Please subscribe and support this genuine grassroots movement. The thing is, it's not only 'across New Zealand'. The problem with anxious, confused, disconnected young people is across the globe. And getting worse. But at least there are a growing group of people working hard to make a difference. I recognise we need to work together on this. Thank you to all those SPFCNZ parents and teachers!

Final thoughts

My brief Easter holiday has confirmed how there are growing divisions in our Kiwi society that aren't just about covid. Even those seeing one small segment of the managed demolition of our economies and communities, are now going their own way, seeking a better future - away from technocracy. Whether it's broken infrastructure, food inflation, smartphone addiction, fuel crisis or something else, it's getting more and more difficult for people to ignore these signs. Compared to the recent past, rust in our Government is rarely expressed. Many of us see the global picture, and maybe that makes the challenges even harder.

We all have expertise and interests in something we can put to good use. If you haven't already, please get busy doing something. Speak out, raise awareness, #ScrapTheApp or just encourage others to leave their phones behind in favour of getting out in nature. We may not be able to travel far nowadays, but whether it's physical or psychological, we can certainly all meet somewhere meaningful!

We are making progress. Everyday. Positive change is happening.

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