219.108 Introduction to Journalism - Assessment 2 Portfolio

Wednesday, Sep 22, 2021

Taupo Times

Issue #01

Latest news and bulletin updates

Emma Janlar

Three Waters Reform Issue The latest updates Petitions and growing suspicions are key factors over the Government not being transparent enough with the Council and public over the Three Waters Reform as council members deliberate the proposal until sufficient analysis and evidence will be successful in benefitting the country.

Although the Council received a $2.5 billion reform support package, paid for by communities should they go ahead as mentioned by Westland mayor, Bruce Smith. Taupo mayor David Trewavas amongst other Waikato mayors and councilors have suggested a referendum for proper water entity governance and consultation to take place before formal action. Many Taupo locals also stand by his decision Just after lockdown last year in July, the Department of Internal Affairs website introduced the Three Waters proposal, a reform that suggested it would improve New Zealand’s failing water infrastructure by combining stormwater, drinking water and sewage water, and will be controlled by 4 entities based on the Scottish water model.

However, the New Zealand public have openly discussed they were not made aware of these issues despite the government’s marketing attempt on FCB New Zealand’s Youtube Channel 3 months ago which only received less than 2000 views despite heavy coverage of it on NewsHub, RNZ, Stuff, Newsroom, and the NZ Herald. The Coasters Club has also spread awareness of it on their YouTube channel.

Westland Mayor, Bruce Smith discusses his issues in the video, “Governments Three Waters proposed structure.

Update at 03-07-2021 on The Coasters Club YouTube channel

Smith speaks out against the reform 2 weeks prior to the Three Waters advertisement which has already garnered over 5000 views on The Coasters Club channel, notwithstanding both uploads were released in July and the Three Waters

Three waters: Department of Internal Affairs marketing campaign on the FCB New Zealand YouTube Channel

Reform Programme’s channel was only created a month with even lesser views per upload. Their DIA’s website provides more information and updates legislature and reform but Taupo locals have informed that they have only stumbled upon the news through town noticeboards, pages on Facebook, or were not given enough sufficient evidence on the Government’s websites or advertising campaigns when it was first launched.

One local named Lindy Park commented she only found out about the reform through a political Facebook page and expressed concerns that the government would ignore public concerns by going ahead with the reform and that the water rates will also increase, this is a shared concern as people don’t have to pay for bore water as stated by an anonymous source who attended a council meeting to address the 3 waters proposal and whether it will proceed.

Another issue is that Taupo has been considered as the most up-to-date water system because we get our water supply directly from the lake, which cost $27 million to upgrade along most of our water pipes being up to date.

Smith shared on The Coasters Club channel, “The regulator must ensure all uses of water get the same treatment across New Zealand…whether you’re rainfed or whether you draw your water from the aquifer. Very, very different models in my view”.

Unawareness of the issue has proved unfavorable to the legislation as petitions by MP’s have urged people to stop the proposal from going ahead with Taxpayers’ Union already gaining over 63,000 signatures.

New Zealanders’ also share fears that the Government is attempting more political control by centralizing core functions. Taupo local Neville McFarlane along with many others expressed their opinions that the compensation package was used as

“bribery money”, also mentioned on the The Taxpayers Union Facebook Page and the NZ Herald. When the DIA were confronted about this, they declined to comment.

McFarlane also messaged Tony Urquhart, technical director for infrastructure advisory at Pattle Delamore Partners Limited but received a reply from him implying there was more to the 3 Waters Proposal than the public knew. The anonymous source confirmed that the local government body, an entity representing on behalf of the councils tried to negotiate a “short deal” with Labour and the current party wasn’t pleased with that however McFarlane commented this was probably just a response to gain a reaction, we are still awaiting a response and further updates from the Urquhart.

John Hickman, a Water Catchment Specialist for the Tauranga District Council states it is subjective whether National is being transparent but local government is responsible for implementing and abiding by the law and therefore must remain transparent in their actions and decisions.

Hickman also personally believes since the statistics reports for the reform are presented public that it must be vetted, and peer reviewed for the findings to be accurate.

We will have to anticipate the future of the Three Waters as it is still uncertain and further improvements as well as reliable analysis are still required until the reform can be proven competent enough for results to take place.

For more information on the 3 Waters Reform Programme, visit: https://www.dia.govt.nz/Three-WatersReform-Programme

Emma Janlar

“Damned if I do, Damned if I Don’t” Emergency Housing Emergency housing has always a stigma for quite some time now and although there’s compensation to take these clients in whether they are threat or not, the less than stellar reviews can affect businesses and stigmatize them. In short, there are and always will be some bad apples in the bunch.

One WINZ client under emergency housing named Kahn Ratcliffe who is also a recovering meth and alcohol addict details his experiences of living under emergency housing for over a year and the troubles landlords and tenants face. When confronted about the stereotypes he faces as an emergency housing applicant, he states, “Unfortunately, anybody with a bit of a dubious background is instantly thrown off the list” despite this, he has added he’s fortunate enough to still be in the same emergency housing location. Another factor despite precautions taken in place is that there are still some unfavorable tenants that “There is a lot of drug and alcohol use in emergency housing…There’s also a lot of domestic violence, gangs, thieves and every other type of miscreant and abuse you can think of”.

He also claims that he doesn’t know if there is anything else the Ministry of Social Development can do to improve the situation as it would further worsen the person facing homelessness, “They could introduce mandatory random drug testing and alcohol testing as a requirement…but the majority of people will fail and end up homeless. So that’s not helping matters at all.”

When MSD was asked for an interview surrounding emergency housing safety, they declined to comment when following up with Stuff’s article covering police callouts at Adelphi Motel at the beginning of January where locals revealed it changed the neighborhood environment.

The NZ Herald covered in May that the Government won't reveal data on crime in emergency housing locations

NZFVC’s online library presents research reports finding domestic violence escalates during natrual disasters and emergencies

Emma Janlar

Domestic Violence: The Hidden Cycle New Zealand has always been considered a place where everybody knows everybody because of how small and close-knit our communities have always been, whether you have a friend that knows a friend, you went to school with someone, or whether you worked with someone that knows someone, it’s fair to say that your personal life does not go unnoticed whether you want it to or not, especially with regards to issues surrounding domestic violence.

Just last year, police data located on NZFVC’s website recorded a considerable spike in the daily family violence occurrence trends by 790, the highest recorded so far.

perpetrators like jail for them to realize the extent of their offences/reoffending Additionally, Bower provides a link to a paper for the Centre for Global Development titled,” COVID-19 and Violence against Women and Children: A Second Research Round Up” which adds evidence is unreliable due to the reflection of high-income countries

Bower then goes on to say that she anticipates factors after lockdown due to the current emergency housing crisis being one of the biggest stresses whilst survivors Johanna Bower, Senior Communications are also running and risk of COVID-19 Advisor for the Wellington Women’s Refuge exposure if they leave. As of now, their claims over 70% of family violence goes biggest concerns surrounding the public is unreported but adds it’s far from the full the lack of knowledge about what family picture, considering factors such as uncertain violence looks like and shared financial factors, uncertain living arrangements if women leave. you or anybody else is in a domestic One woman named Tamara Lakin includes If violence situation, call the police on 111 or a reason she didn’t leave an abusive look up resources on: relationship was because of her child and includes there should be more services for domestic violence support along with stricter Women’s Refuge punishments for the https://womensrefuge.org.nz/ Are You Okay? https://www.areyouok.org.nz/