Category Archives: New Zealand

It would be hard to find someone whos visited Copenhagen or Amsterdam and complained about too many bikes. And you dont tend to hear a lot of moaning about too much public transport in Singapore or Hong Kong.

Talk to someone after a trip to Los Angeles, Moscow, Rome or Mumbai, however, and you will almost certainly get an earful about the horrendous traffic.

The vast differences in such experience lie in how local and national governments invest their transportation funds. It always comes down to money, and the perennial question of how to spend limited resources while maximising the benefits and the returns on investment.

As this years budget approaches, and with the governments first Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) just released, these questions are coming into sharper focus. And the biggest, perhaps, is how to reduce New Zealanders dependence on cars.

The ERP contains NZ$350 million for measures to improve low-impact transport modes such as walking, cycling and public transport, including provision for at least 100km of urban cycleways.

At the same time, it offers even more subsidies for electric vehicles. With only 0.7% of New Zealands vehicle fleet being pure electric cars, the plan would likely have a bigger impact if it subsidised e-bikes and public transport.

The figures for cycling are particularly startling. New Zealand has over 96,000km of roads but just 111km of separated cycleways that protect cyclists from vehicles. That amounts to just 0.1% of roads with safe places for cyclists.

Read more: Why calling ordinary Kiwi cyclists elitist just doesnt add up

This lack of cycling infrastructure essentially matches transport spending. Urban cycleways received just 0.5% of the transportation budget last year, despite cycling comprising 1% of all trips nationally.

Compare this to the 70 million (just over NZ$116 million) Denmark has committed to building separated cycling roads.

By 2045, Denmark also plans to have spent 295 million building 45 cycle superhighway routes connecting the entire country. Its expected this will result in one million fewer car trips and 40,000 fewer sick days each year.

For reference, New Zealand spent the equivalent of more than 750 million on the Transmission Gully motorway into Wellington. Its clear we could significantly increase spending and make cycling attractive and feasible for many more people.

Around 30% of urban car trips are under two kilometres in length and could easily be replaced by walking. But the lack of footpaths, or their poor condition, can deter many people.

The transport budget should recognise the importance of enabling healthy and zero-carbon modes of transport by prioritising funding for better footpaths and safer streets.

Such a budget would allocate more funding to widening footpaths, repairing the existing footpath inventory, slowing vehicles, reducing the number of cars in cities and creating more on-street amenities.

Walking and cycling also have many co-benefits, including better physical health, which would have obvious beneficial effects on healthcare budgets.

Read more: Using valuable inner-city land for car parking? In a housing crisis, that just doesnt add up

Much of the overall transport budget each year goes into long-term programmes with various aims. Of these, the National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) is arguably the hardest done by.

Its purpose is to allocate funds to provide a safe, accessible land transport system for Aotearoa now and in the future. Its tasked with delivering public transport services, implementing the wide-ranging Road to Zero programme (aimed at reducing the road death toll), and maintaining roads yet consumes just under 1.6% of the annual transport budget.

Ideally, such an important programme would attract a much larger budget share.

Read more: To get New Zealanders out of their cars we'll need to start charging the true cost of driving

For example, within the NLTPs overall budget, public transportation and transport infrastructure receive roughly the same funding as the Road to Zero programme. And Road to Zero itself commits almost as much money to policing roads as will be spent on providing all public transport services.

But funding programmes that reduce the total number of car trips such as more extensive cycleways and better public transport options would reduce that need to police roads.

Fewer cars equal safer roads, so putting more money into non-car modes is actually a win for drivers and non-drivers alike.

The apparent success of the recent half-price fare scheme for public transport has shown how making it more affordable encourages more trips. The budget should allocate funding to make these cuts permanent and increase the number of fare concessions.

Over time, fare reductions would be more than paid for by a reduction in road maintenance due to fewer cars. Currently, planned road maintenance is projected to cost more than $5 billion over the next four years.

Greater use of public transport would also reduce the pressure to expand roads. This falls under the overall transport budgets capital investment package, of which nearly $3 billion has already been spent this year 40% of all transport dollars.

Read more: Electric cars alone wont save the planet. We'll need to design cities so people can walk and cycle safely

New Zealand can achieve more with its transport funding by just getting people out of their cars more often. In the same way that using trains, buses, bikes and feet is easier on personal finances, the national transport budget will benefit from less emphasis on the automobile.

But even if we dont want to shift spending from one mode to many, there is another option to spend more.

As a percentage of GDP, transportation spending has been declining ever since its peak in the 1950s. We dont have to treat the relationship between road, public transport and active travel (walking and cycling) as mutually exclusive. We can keep road funding at its current level and spend more on other modes.

That way, we could do the things we so admire in other counties and still satisfy those who demand a car. The better our cycling and public transport infrastructure, the less reliant well be on cars, bringing us one step closer to breaking the vicious cycle of automobile dependence.

See the original post:

Will the budget be another missed opportunity to get more New Zealanders out of their cars? - The Conversation Indonesia

Research finds the Parliament protest was unlike anything seen before, NZ prepares to hit another grim Covid milestone and what a change in Government across the ditch could mean for us in the latest New Zealand Herald headlines. Video / NZ Herald

ANALYSIS:

The number of fatalities in New Zealand linked to Covid-19 is about to tip over 1000.

Who has died and where has mirrored the spread of Omicron, with Aucklanders making up a higher proportion initially, but less and less as the virus became more prevalent further south.

Before the Omicron outbreak, there were only 55 deaths, but the death toll hit 500 on April 11, and has roughly doubled in the last five weeks. Today it stands at 986.

While every death is a tragedy, New Zealand's per capita death rate is still very low compared to other countries. According to one measure, New Zealand still has the world's lowest excess mortality rate - the number of deaths above and beyond what was expected before Covid.

Like Delta before it, Omicron hit Auckland first before spreading more widely.

The seven-day rolling average for Auckland cases peaked on March 4, March 15 for hospitalisations, and April 3 for deaths, according to Otago University epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker.

Almost 40 per cent of the first 500 deaths were across Auckland's three DHB areas.

This dropped to 32 per cent for the 937 people who have died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19. This means Aucklanders made up roughly 200 of the first 500 deaths, but only about 100 of the next 500 deaths.

The way Omicron spread south is also shown by the jump in deaths in the Canterbury DHB region, which made up only 6 per cent of first 500 deaths, but today make up 13 per cent of the total number of deaths.

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Almost 90 per cent of the deaths are among those aged 60 and older, with 78 per cent among those 70 or older. This is not unexpected, given how much more susceptible the elderly and the immunocompromised are to severe health consequences if they catch Covid-19.

More than half - 55 per cent - of those who have died are male.

Fifteen per cent of the deaths are among Mori, down from 17 per cent for the first 500 deaths. The trend is the same for Pasifika, who made up 15 per cent of the first 500 deaths, and now make up 12 per cent. Again, this reflects how the virus infected those communities earlier.

Baker adds that care must be taken in interpreting the data.

Mori make up 17 per cent of the population, but it's not correct to say Covid-19 is just as likely to kill Mori as non-Mori because there are several factors at play; for example, the Mori population has a much young age profile than non-Mori, and it's still unclear how many of the deaths were caused by Covid-19.

Research has indicated that Mori are two and a half times more likely to need hospital care than non-Mori, while the risk for Pacific people is three times higher.

The cause is yet to be established for 815 deaths linked to Covid, the Health Ministry says. The number of Covid deaths could well be over-counted, given that a person killed in a car crash would be logged as a Covid-19 death if they'd tested positive within 28 days of the crash.

There are also likely to have been Covid-related deaths where the person had not been tested.

Of the 85 deaths to date where Covid-19 has been identified as the underlying cause, 19 were Mori. The proportion of these deaths is the same - 22 per cent - for Pasifika.

Covid-19 has contributed to 18 deaths, the ministry says, and was not a factor in 23 deaths.

Of the 937 deaths where the ministry has vaccination data, 217 of them were not fully vaccinated, 250 had received two doses, and 470 had received three doses.

The Economist's excess mortality tracker puts New Zealand ahead of the rest of the world.

"New Zealand is at minus 2.6 per cent, or 413 people per million. In terms of lives saved, that's over 2000," Baker says.

"Australia was similar but has gone into the positives now. New Zealand will get into the positives eventually because Omicron is just gnawing away at us. We're still getting 10 to 15 deaths a day.

"That's one of the many differences from influenza, which causes maybe 500 deaths a year but over a few months. Covid-19 doesn't need winter to give it a boost. It'll go all year because it's so infectious."

Baker estimates that the case fatality rate in New Zealand is below 0.1 per cent, or less than one death per 1000 cases.

The number of total infections, however, could be as much as three times the number of reported cases, meaning the infection fatality risk could be 0.03 per cent.

"That's about three in 10,000 people who get it dying from it."

Baker still expected the case fatality rate to increase over winter.

"Auckland cases are 70 per cent higher than four weeks ago, so we are seeing this gentle rise. They're plateauing and starting to rise in most other DHBs. It could accelerate over the next few months.

"Basically, there are more factors favouring the virus than holding it back now. We're not seeing it yet, but we will get more infectious subvariants arriving here. Then there is waning immunity for people, winter conditions, and people relaxing because controls are no longer required, or because of response fatigue."

One factor countering this is the number of people getting infected everyday who will then be more immune, but Baker says people shouldn't try and get infected.

"They're getting immunity, but they're also getting all the risks associated with getting infected. That's the wrong way to get immunity.

"In any one year, over 30,000 people die. If we don't get on top of Omicron, if it's going to kill 10 people a day, that's almost 4000 people a year. It starts to move into causing over 10 per cent of annual deaths if we don't get it under control."

Higher booster uptake and a fourth dose for the elderly and the immunocompromised would help. The Health Ministry is still yet to provide advice on who should be eligible for a fourth dose, and how long it should be after a third dose.

A "winter" dose has already been approved in Australia for those aged 65 or older, those in an aged care or disability care facility, the severely immunocompromised, or Aboriginal people aged 50 and older.

"Flu is about 2 per cent of our deaths. That's already our biggest infectious disease killer. We don't want another thing like the flu, but worse, gnawing away at us," Baker says.

"We shouldn't catastrophise it, but we shouldn't trivialise it either."

See the original post:

NZ edges towards grim milestone of 1000 Covid deaths. Who and where has it hit hardest? - New Zealand Herald

Posted on: May 17, 2022, 05:45h.

Last updated on: May 17, 2022, 09:28h.

Southland District in New Zealand wants to know if its gambling regulations meet the publics approval. It is now accepting feedback on its soft sinking lid plan, which has reduced the number of gambling machines in the territory.

Gambling machines have fallen out of favor with regulators in many countries. But Australia and New Zealand are leading the charge. In New Zealands Southland District, the number of machines has fallen from 133 in 2013 to just 88 as of last September.

This is by design, as the territory has a long-term plan to phase out the machines. Its soft sinking lid scheme allows current electronic gambling devices to remain, but prevents the issuance of new licenses. The Southland District Council now wants to know how its residents feel about the plan, according to the Otago Daily Times.

The council believes the scheme is working. It highlights a decline in the number of gambling properties, as well as in gaming machines, since 2013. However, while the number receded, revenue didnt. The revenue has remained relatively neutral during the period.

At the same time, the drop hasnt impacted problem gambling initiatives one way or another. There havent been increases or decreases in the number of people requesting help for problem gambling, as attrition in the market continues.

Still, the council needs to hear from the local community. That is part of the policies in force, which according to New Zealand laws, require a review and public consultation period every three years. Residents have until the middle of next month to provide their feedback.

The soft sinking lid approach is beneficial because it allows for a gradual shift in the market. This means a slow transition occurs, without an abrupt jolt. As a result, commercial entities and the government are better equipped to facilitate new operations in order to generate income. At the same time, gambling consumers dont feel a sudden impact following a significant change.

While Southland District wont issue any new licenses, it will allow current permits to be transferred between entities. Existing machines operating under a license can be replaced if they malfunction.

It isnt likely that Southland District will receive a lot of negative feedback during its TAB and Gambling Venue policy consultation period. TAB is an official entity that offers betting services in NZ as a statutory monopoly.

The council has made minor adjustments over the years, and district residents are apparently satisfied with the status quo and have mostly forgotten about the gaming machines.

There are no TAB stores in the territory, limiting exposure to the machines. There are, however, TAB facilities in bars and other public places.

Over the past three years, the council hasnt received a single request from any property looking to operate gambling machines. This seems to be a good indication that they are no longer a lucrative commercial endeavor in the territory.

Southland District, located on South Island, is a sparsely-populated territory, which may contribute to the lack of interest. There are approximately 32,700 inhabitants in the region. Based on its size of almost 11,500 square miles, this means the population density is only about .5 people per square mile.

Once the consultation period closes, a public hearing will follow. That will take place on June 23, after which the council will review all of the input, both written and verbal. A new draft policy could emerge as soon as July 13.

Read this article:

New Zealand's Southland District Council Wants Public Input on Its Gambling Policy - Casino.Org News

New Zealands dairy industry is under pressure. It is one of our biggest earners, accounting for roughly 3% of our GDP; and since cows were first brought here about 200 years ago, dairy farming has taken on cultural significance for Pkeh (NZ Europeans) especially.

But it is also attracting increasing scrutiny. As well as polluting our land and waterways, dairy is to blame for large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. Jacinda Arderns Labour government has developed legislation to mitigate environmental pollution, but critics say it is not adequately addressing the harm dairying causes.

The industry received even more unwanted attention recently with the release of award-winning documentary Milked, which follows Mori activist Chris Huriwai (Ngpuhi, Ngati Porou, Te tiawa) as he reflects on his awa (river), Mangatawa, at Otaua, and exposes the negative impacts of dairy for Aotearoa and the world. And in March, Safe, New Zealands leading animal rights organisation, launched its Done with Dairy campaign, highlighting its harms.

In response to such criticism, the dairy industry is fighting for credibility. One strategy it appears to be using is what we might call kei te pai-washing or pai-washing for short. Like whitewashing, which aims to cover up unpleasant facts, or greenwashing, which paints organisations as more environmentally-friendly than they really are, pai-washing uses Mori words, concepts and imagery to exploit the association between te ao Mori (the Mori world) and environmental responsibility almost like an Indigenous tick of approval. It is a cynical attempt to convey the impression that everything is kei te pai, or all good, with this extremely harmful practice.

In my opinion, Fonterra, New Zealands largest dairy company, has become especially adept at pai-washing. More recently, it contracted a kaiwhakairo (carver) to tell our story through the creation of a pou, a traditional expression of Mori connectedness to land.

But is dairy really kei te pai?

Anyone who has travelled through New Zealand knows that much of the land now consists of paddocks. Most of this was cleared in the mid- to late-19th and 20th centuries desecration which left Aotearoa bereft of its native forests, as well as birds, insects, reptiles and amphibians. Historically, it is mainly sheep which have been farmed here; but over the last 30 years or so, dairy farming has intensified, and so has its degradation of the environment.

Of course, some Mori communities have also chosen to engage in dairying but the reasons for this are complex. Economic marginalisation, resulting from dispossession, land confiscation and racism, has left us with fewer choices than we once had. And the desire to stay connected to our whenua (land) has sometimes made dairying seem more viable.

But the notion that dairy can somehow be made sufficiently sustainable is a myth and it is one that focuses only on the environmental impacts of the industry, ignoring its health impacts for consumers and workers, and the lives and wellbeing of the animals it exploits.

Dairying is not simply unsustainable; it violates Mori values.

As Mori, we understand ourselves as kaitiaki carers for te taiao (the natural world). Although some dairy companies would have us believe that farmers are kaitiaki, such environmentally destructive work is ultimately incompatible with tiakitanga (caregiving).

Another value, whanaungatanga, recognises that we are related, through ancestry, not only to each other, but to the wider natural world as well. Consequently, we have responsibilities to treat it respectfully. But far from treating the more-than-human world with respect, the dairy industry is extractive, engaging in a one-sided transaction: as ecofeminists have argued, it exploits female bodies, by forcefully impregnating cows, stealing their milk and separating mothers from calves. Worse, it slaughters individuals who are more profitable to stakeholders dead than alive.

(Considering how much death Fonterras farmers are complicit in of bobby calves as well as dairy cows it is ironic that the company uses the slogan Dairy for Life to sell itself.)

Dairying also undermines hauora (wellbeing). Research has linked dairy consumption to diabetes, heart disease and cancer all of which impact Mori at disproportionate rates. And it is likely that, on average, Mori are more lactose-intolerant than Pkeh. Just as concerning are the psychological impacts on workers charged with killing animals, including newborns.

It isnt just big corporations that must stop. Ultimately, Mori need to divest from dairy too.

Those who defend Mori involvement in dairying sometimes cite rangatiratanga as a principle that allows us to do what we want. Rangatiratanga is often interpreted narrowly, as sovereignty, or self-determination; but it also involves responsibility to others and to the wider world. It requires us to strive for ways of living that are respectful, nurturing and sustainable.

And if you listen attentively, you will hear that many Mori communities who are exercising rangatiratanga are, in fact, moving away from dairy. Some hap (subtribes) have started transitioning their dairy operations to traditionally inspired ventures, focusing instead on regenerating native bush and growing crops for their people. At the same time, many iwi (tribes) are investing in sustainable alternatives to dairy, such as housing and horticulture.

This connects to broader efforts to restore whenua, reinvigorate traditional Mori gardening practices, promote food and soil sovereignty, and become para kore (waste-free).

These aspirations are reflected in Aotearoas ever-changing culture: in our growing sustainability movement and in the increasing number of New Zealanders Mori and non-Mori who are embracing vegetarian, vegan and kaimanga (Mori plant-based) living.

There is a better way forward. The rest of Aotearoa will appreciate this if instead of misusing Mori culture they listen to Mori and learn about the alternatives we are developing, with aroha (love) for the environment, non-human animals and people.

Link:

New Zealands dairy industry should stop using Mori culture to pretend its sustainable - The Guardian

England look set to call-up two Test debutants in Yorkshire batter Harry Brook and Durham seamer Matty Potts when they announce their squad for next months three-match series against New Zealand on Wednesday.

Brook, 23, has been in stellar form in this summers County Championship, scoring three centuries and passing 50 seven times in the eight Division One innings he has played so far.

Another batter who could also be called up is Middlesexs Sam Robson, the Australian-born opener who played the last of his seven Tests for England in 2014.

The 32-year-old has scored two centuries so far this season and although they are Division Two runs, he made a timely unbeaten 101 against a strong Nottinghamshire attack at Lords last week that included Stuart Broad and former Australia fast bowler James Pattinson.

If Robson were to be recalled, it would probably mean a shift down the order to No 3 for Zak Crawley to fill the position that will be vacated by former captain Joe Roots move back to four.

Meanwhile, Potts is on the verge of a first international call-up at the age of 23 after taking 35 Championship wickets at 18.57.

The 23-year-old might have been in contention anyway given that start to the season but now looks almost certain to be called upon given the injury crisis in Englands bowling ranks.

Already missing fast bowlers Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Olly Stone, both Saqib Mahmood and Matthew Fisher were ruled out for the rest of the summer on Monday with stress fractures of the back. Chris Woakes and Sam Curran are also not yet fully recovered from injury, while Ollie Robinsons fitness issues mean he has bowled just 59 overs in competitive cricket since January.

It means James Anderson, 39, and Stuart Broad, 35, are both expected to return after Englands top-two all-time leading wicket-takers were dropped for that recent tour of the Caribbean.

A selection panel of new Test head coach Brendon McCullum, captain Ben Stokes, director of cricket Rob Key and performance director Mo Bobat are likely to name an expanded squad of up to 17 names, meaning Robinson and Dan Lawrence, the Essex batter who has been out with a hamstring injury, would have time to fully prove their fitness before the series begins.

i also understands both Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttlers involvement in the Indian Premier League wont necessarily rule them out of contention, although England may decide resting both players is beneficial given the hectic summer ahead across all formats.

Matthew Mott will be announced as Englands new white-ball coach on Wednesday after the Australian beat off competition from Paul Collingwood, assistant coach under the previous regime, to take the role.

It means no English coaches managed to get either the red or white-ball head coach jobs after director of cricket Rob Key decided to split the roles following the sacking of Chris Silverwood in February. This will be the first time England have had split coaches since 2014, when there was tension between Test boss Andy Flower and white-ball counterpart Ashley Giles.

However, Key will be confident such friction will not be repeated this time, with Mott a close friend of Brendon McCullum, the New Zealander who was appointed Englands Test coach last week.

The pair have worked together previously at the IPL with Kolkata Knight Riders, when McCullum was a player and Mott was a consultant.

More recently, Mott, who started his coaching career with New South Wales and was in charge of Glamorgan for three years from 2011, has been the head coach of the all-conquering Australia womens team since 2015. The 48-year-old led Australia to victory in the Womens World Cup in New Zealand this year and a record run of 26 successive one-day international wins.

After the shock appointment of McCullum, who has no red-ball coaching experience, the recruitment of Mott is another bold call from Key yet it may prove inspired given the new mans proven track record with Australia.

Another Australian in Simon Katich was also competing for the white-ball role but i understands Gary Kirsten declined to be considered for the post after the South African, who led India to 2011 World Cup success, was overlooked for the England Test-match job.

If England are picking purely on form, then Brook becomes the favourite to play at No 5 in the first Test against New Zealand.

His rivals for that position, may beg to differ, but with Lawrence yet to return from a hamstring injury, Bairstow not due back from the IPL until the end of the month and Pope already having failed to convince over his first 23 Tests, England might well go for Brook.

Ottis Gibson, Yorkshires coach, is certainly expecting that to be the case, saying recently: I think hes playing the best in the country at the moment. Brookys scoring his runs at a run-a-ball, and although when he goes upstairs into the Test arena it might be different, hes playing really positively and putting the bowlers under pressure.

I keep saying we wont see much of him this summer because hes playing so well, so therefore if England are picking the best team, then theyll most likely be picking him.

Ali Maiden, Yorkshires batting coach, is of a similar mind having seen Brooks progression over the past year. I think up to 12 months ago he would say he didnt feel as comfortable with his defence, Maiden tells i. He says his biggest development is hes more confident with his defence. That then allows him to express himself with all the great attacking shots hes got.

Hes also been around the world playing in big tournaments where hes been exposed and thats a huge confidence boost for himself.

There was a worry hed become a white-ball specialist. But in his mind, he wants to play every format, he wants to play for England and wants to do everything. That shows the drive and determination of the lad.

Maiden has no doubts Brook is ready and sees similarities between the youngster and another of Yorkshires England batters Joe Root.I think he is ready, said Maiden.

Hes got a good head on his shoulders and hes a bit like Joe in that hes very, very easy he fits in the dressing-room lovely, hes got a lovely manner. So I dont think hell be overawed by the occasion.

He was in the T20 squad and really enjoyed that environment. Theres been a lot of speculation about him playing [for England] the last few weeks. Some people that can affect them. All of a sudden, the media are around and scores deteriorate. Hes gone the other way, so thats a good sign.

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Youngsters Potts and Brook in line for first Test call-ups in England's squad to face NZ - iNews

Scepticism over the big emissions reduction plan, just how bad is bullying in New Zealand schools and grim predictions for the economic future in the latest New Zealand Herald headlines. Video / NZ Herald

Doctors and community workers who have battled against a third world disease in New Zealand for decades have been given a glimmer of hope.

Against the odds, the number of rheumatic fever cases have fallen sharply in New Zealand in the last two years.

But the trend is an uneven one and it is not yet known what caused it. Hospitalisation rates for the potentially deadly disease have decreased significantly among only one group: Pacific households in Auckland. Mori rates have stayed relatively steady.

"Everyone is a bit baffled by it," said Associate Professor Collin Tukuitonga, from the University of Auckland's Medical and Health Sciences Faculty.

Tukuitonga said that if anything, acute cases of the disease were expected to rise during the Covid-19 pandemic because overcrowded housing - a risk factor for the disease - increased during the successive lockdowns.

"The theory that it's to do with better housing or less overcrowding doesn't really hold water. Because if we look at the experience with Covid-19, it appears that overcrowding, crowding multi-generational households, certainly in the Pacific communities seems to have gotten worse, not better."

The other confounding factor is the change only occurring within Pacific communities.

Professor Michael Baker, an epidemiologist from the University of Otago, said one of the more likely theories was that the closure of borders in March 2020 prevented extended families in the Pacific Islands from travelling to New Zealand.

"It might have altered somehow the dynamics of how strep was circulating," Professor Baker said.

This theory can't be confirmed without a larger, specific study. And while closing borders isn't a viable long-term solution, further research could at least inform the public health response.

Baker said the fall in acute cases was causing "considerable interest" among researchers who had followed the disease for decades.

"At this stage no one seems to be brave enough to really commit to any particular idea. But it was such a dramatic drop - it is something that we obviously will be interested in studying because it achieves something that several years of very intensive prevention programs didn't."

Public health medicine specialist Dr Nick Eichler, who focuses on rheumatic fever, said all of the Covid-19 restrictions were designed to control infectious diseases so it made sense that other communicable disease rates could also fall. Flu, RSV, measles, meningococcal rates have also dropped over the same period.

"It is a question of figuring out if the change is entirely real or is it a problem in access to care?" Dr Eichler said.

He added: "I don't think we can assume this problem is fixed but it is a really golden opportunity to understand why our rates might have been high in the past and what changed."

Rheumatic fever is caused by an untreated bacterial infection in the skin or throat and can lead to heart disease or even death. Mori and Pacific children and teenagers make up nearly all of the cases and it is often cited as one the clearest examples of health inequity in New Zealand.

The persistence of the disease in this country has been called a national shame because it is closely associated with poor housing and poverty. New Zealand is just one of just two developed countries where it has any foothold at all.

Researchers cautioned against celebrating the reduction in hospitalisations or drawing definite conclusions too quickly.

Acute rheumatic fever was a rare condition and numbers could fluctuate year to year, often without a clear reason. And a minority of people who got the disease were ever diagnosed.

Dr Dianne Sika-Paotanu, an immunologist at the University of Otago, said vulnerable people may have struggled to access healthcare during lockdowns.

She said it was crucial that anyone with the condition was diagnosed quickly. There was no vaccine for rheumatic fever, and anyone who had contracted it needed to start monthly injections of penicillin to prevent further infection and heart complications.

The Ministry of Health is commissioning work to understand the factors that contributed to the decrease of rheumatic fever rates. That work would begin in the middle of the year, a spokeswoman said.

Matt Johnson, a former professional rugby and rugby league player, was diagnosed with rheumatic fever at age 13.

It was only picked up when he was concussed during a game and doctors noticed a heart murmur. It later ended his sporting career at age 26.

Johnson said the disease was a lifelong burden. He has had three surgeries for heart complications, including open-heart surgery which has left a long scar on his chest.

He had monthly penicillin injections for eight years and still takes five medications every day.

"Medications to look after the ticker, blood thinners, antibiotics, and things like that, daily, non-stop, until the end," he told the Herald. "I need to be extra cautious about certain cuts, the way I bleed, and certain bacteria that could possibly go into my bloodstream. I have to be vigilant."

Johnson, now 28, is a PE teacher at his old school, St Peter's College, and while he cannot play rugby he is able to coach it. He advocates for rheumatic fever prevention for the charity Cure Kids, which has put $3 million into researching the disease.

Johnson is heartened that rheumatic fever rates have fallen in New Zealand, even if the reasons are unclear.

"I believe it shouldn't be happening here in New Zealand. It's a third world disease."

Follow this link:

The rheumatic fever question: Is New Zealand finally tackling the disease or did Covid restrictions cause a brief lull? - New Zealand Herald

Wednesday, 18 May 2022, 6:56 amPress Release: JOLT Drivers can save over $1,000 per yearcharging on this new fast chargingnetwork

Australian-based global electricvehicle charging company JOLT will in July this year startrolling out a network of free and fast electric vehicle (EV)chargers around New Zealand.

The first EV fastchargers will be installed at Mitre 10 stores and retaillocations in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch thisyear. JOLTs national partnership with Mitre 10 will seethe first charger sites go live in July with plans forhundreds of chargers to be rolled out over the coming yearsNew Zealand wide.

EV drivers will have access to 7kWof free charging per day at JOLT fast chargers, providingabout 40 to 50 kilometres of range depending on the type ofvehicle. This model of JOLTs charging service helps solvethe major barriers to the uptake of EVs which are known toinclude access to charging, cost and rangeanxiety.

JOLT CEO and founder,Doug McNamee, said hes excited to partner with Mitre 10to contribute to New Zealands commitment to carbonemission reduction goals and meet the growing need for EV inNew Zealand. JOLT is investing in New Zealand as there isstrong momentum within the market to change to an EV.Through our partnerships with the leading retail brands andlocal government in New Zealand, we want to create a largeand leading EV charging network that provides the bestcharging experience for all EV drivers in NewZealand.

JOLT New Zealand Country Manager, ChrisMonaghan, says JOLT is investing and developing an urbanfocused EV fast charging network that will align with localand central government climate emissions targets and helpincrease the uptake of EVs in New Zealand. We areselecting charger locations based on where it is mostconvenient for EV drivers within the urban areas so wedont disrupt their routine. Drivers pull up, plug in andare on their way in 20 minutes, receiving up to 7kWh freeper day, saving over $1,000 a year by charging withJOLT.

The promise for EV drivers is urban,highly visible and convenient EV fast charging that provides7kW of free charging every 24 hours. With fast DC EVcharging, drivers can enjoy the retail facilities of ourpartners and then go about their day. An EV driver cancharge for free every day which takes about 20 to 25 minutesor choose to charge over the free charge at the lowestcharge rates in New Zealand, says Monaghan.

Mitre10 Chief Legal and Property Officer Grant Fraser says, Ifwe are to make a real and sustainable impact, public andprivate sector partners must collaborate more to findsolutions. The Mitre 10 co-operative is proud to becontributing to New Zealands efforts to reduce carbonemissions through this partnership with JOLT. 39 of our 84locally owned stores will have JOLT charging stationsinstalled over time.

Mitre10 customers will be able to plug in their EVs for a freetop up while they are doing their shopping. Providingelectric vehicle (EV) charging stations is another way wecan continue to enhance our customers shopping experiencewith us. We are excited to be partnering with JOLT to offerour customers fantastic EV chargingfacilities.

Monaghan says We are delighted tolaunch with such an iconic brand like Mitre 10. Startingwith Mitre 10 and rolling out the service on such aprominent network of stores in New Zealand, you will quicklysee the JOLT network grow even more with new partners comingonboard as we continue to grow throughout New Zealand.Its a really exciting time to be making a positive impacton New Zealand's carbon emissions goals now and into thefuture.

AboutJOLT

JOLT isbuilding New Zealands first network of free, fastcharging stations. Owning an EV should be easy but with ourinfrastructure playing catch-up, ownership is out of reachfor many Kiwis - until now. JOLT has the exclusivee-mobility charging infrastructure investment by BlackRock,Real Assets Renewable Energy Fund, and is not reliant onGovernment grants and subsidies to make a scaled investmentinto EV fast charging infrastructure into New Zealand. AsAustralia's leading EV charge point operator, our mission isto make electric transport more accessible to driversthrough zero cost, fast charging. Using innovative tech,enabled by our partnerships with Governments and companiessuch as Mitre 10, were creating a functional andsustainable charging network that runs off renewable energy,contributing to a zero-emission future. Move freely withJOLT.

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Wednesday, 18 May 2022, 10:25 amPress Release: Shudder

Offseason AShudder Exclusive

Upon receiving a mysterious letter that hermothers grave site has been vandalised, inOffseason, Marie (Jocelin Donahue,Doctor Sleep) quickly returns to the isolatedoffshore island where her late mother is buried. When shearrives, she discovers that the island is closing for theoffseason with the bridges raised until Spring, leaving herstranded. One strange interaction with the local townspeopleafter another, Marie soon realises that something is notquite right in this small town. She must unveil the mysterybehind her mothers troubled past in order to make it outalive. Starring Jocelin Donahue, Joe Swanberg, RichardBrake, Melora Walters and Jeremy Gardner. Writtenand directed by Mickey Keating (CarnagePark).

Mad God A ShudderExclusive

Mad God marks thefeature directorial debut for visionary and Oscar and EmmyAward-winning stop-motion animator and special effectssupervisor Phil Tippett, the creativepowerhouse involved in such classics as RoboCop, StarshipTroopers, Jurassic Park, and Star Wars: A NewHope and The Empire Strikes Back. MadGod is an experimental animated film set in aworld of monsters, mad scientists and war pigs. A corrodeddiving bell descends amidst a ruined city, settling downupon an ominous fortress guarded by zombie-like sentries.The Assassin emerges to explore a labyrinth of bizarre,desolate landscapes inhabited by freakish denizens. Throughunexpected twists and turns, he experiences an evolutionbeyond his wildest comprehension. A labour of love that hastaken 30 years to complete, Mad Godcombines live-action and stop-motion, miniature sets andother innovative techniques to bring Tippett's wholly uniqueand grotesquely beautiful vision to life. Winner - MostGroundbreaking Film, Fantasia International Film Festival.Winner - Jos Luis Guarner Critic's Award - Best Film &Best Visual Effects, Sitges Film Festival. Winner Nocturno Nuove Visioni Award - Best Film, TriesteScience+Fiction Festival. Written and directedby PhilTippett.

Revealer A ShudderOriginal

Tensions rise when a stripper and religiousprotester are trapped together in a peep show booth and mustcome together to survive the apocalypse in 1980s Chicago.Starring Caito Aase (Black Mold) and Shaina Schrooten(Scare Package II: Rad Chads Revenge).Written by popular comic authors Tim Seeley(Hack/Slash, Revival) and MichaelMoreci (Barbaric, The Plot) anddirected by Luke Boyce.

What Keeps YouAlive

On the eve of their one-yearwedding anniversary, Jules and Jackie become embroiled in amerciless fight for their lives when they find themselvespitted against the most unexpected of adversaries: eachother.

V/H/S

In thisfound-footage anthology, a gang of thieves find a stash ofscary home videos, each different in genre and tone.Highlights include David Bruckner's (The Signal)"Amateur Night" about three bros who bring the wrong girlhome for sex; Ti West's (The Innkeepers) "SecondHoneymoon" about a stalker menacing a couple on a road trip;and Joe Swanberg's utterly chilling "The Sick Thing ThatHappened to Emily When She Was Younger" which may freak youout for days.

From the innovativeminds that brought you V/H/S comes V/H/S/2, anall-new anthology of dread, madness, and gore. Searching fora missing student, two private investigators break into hisabandoned house and find a collection of mysterious VHStapes. In viewing the horrific contents of each cassette,they realize there may be terrifying motives behind thestudents disappearance.

Available for the first time on SVOD,cult favorite creature featuresAlligator (1980)and Alligator II: TheMutation (1991) come to Shudder instunning new prints scanned from the original cameranegatives.

Alligator

Fromdirector Lewis Teague (Cujo) and screenwriter JohnSayles (The Howling) comes an unstoppable thrillerwith bite. A family returning from Florida decides their petbaby alligator is too much to handle and flushes him downthe toilet. Meanwhile, Slade Laboratories is conductingsecret experiments with animals and disposing of them in thesewer. The alligator, fending for itself, begins to feed onthe dead animals, and grows. Now, twelve years later, afterseveral mysterious murders, David Madison (Robert Forster,Jackie Brown) is on the case to find out who ... orwhat ... is killing people.

Alligator II:The Mutation

Deep in the sewers beneaththe city of Regent Park, a baby alligator feeds on theexperimental animals discarded by Future ChemicalsCorporation. Nourished by the toxic growth hormones andother mutating chemicals, the gator grows immense in size... and voracious in appetite. Now, it must kill to survive!It's a classic confrontation between man and beast. Thissequel stars Joseph Bologna (Transylvania 6-5000),Steve Railsback (Lifeforce), Dee Wallace (TheHowling), Richard Lynch (Bad Dreams) and KaneHodder (Jason X).

Under the Skin

Analien of unknown origin arrives on Earth in search of humanprey. Taking the form of the perfect female specimen (playedby Scarlett Johansson), she prowls the streets looking formen to lure into her otherworldly lair. Her victims areseduced, stripped of their skin, and never heard from again.But as time passes, she grows too comfortable in herborrowed skin, placing her very survival atrisk.

P2

It's ChristmasEve. The last employee to leave her office, ambitiouscorporate climber Angela (Rachel Nichols) arrives in thedeserted parking garage only to discover her car won'tstart. She's relieved when Thomas (Wes Bentley), a seeminglyfriendly security guard, comes along and offers to help.Unable to get the engine to start, he invites Angela toshare a small Christmas meal with him. She laughs off theinvitation, but it quickly becomes clear her situation is nolaughing matter. Angered by her refusal, the psychopathicThomas knocks her out and ties her up in his office. Comingto, Angela realizes that the only way she will live to seeChristmas morning is to find a way to escape fromP2.

Wake Wood

A grievingcouple are given the chance to resurrect their daughter inthis Irish horror film starring Aidan Gillen of Game ofThrones fame. After Alices accidental death, herparents move to a quaint village to make a fresh start. Butwhen a local offers to perform a ceremony that willtemporarily bring their daughter back, they cant resist.But when Alice returns, she isnt quite herself, ofcourse.

The Woman inBlack

Based on the classic ghost story,The Woman in Black tells the tale of ArthurKipps(Daniel Radcliffe), a lawyer who is forced to leave hisyoung son and travel to a remote village to attend to theaffairs of the recently deceased owner of Eel Marsh House.Working alone in the old mansion, Kipps begins to uncoverthe towns tragic and tortured secrets and his fearsescalate when he discovers that local children have beendisappearing under mysterious circumstances. When thoseclosest to him become threatened by the vengeful woman inblack, Kipps must find a way to break the cycle ofterror.

The Void

Ablood-soaked man limping down a deserted road is rushed byofficer Carter to a nearby hospital with a skeleton crew.Trapped inside by hooded figures, Carter discovers that thepatients and staff are transforming into somethinginhuman.

TheFreakmakerProfessor Nolter, a collegescience professor who believes it is man's destiny tosurvive an uncertain future by evolving into a hybridplant/human mutation. To test his theories, Noltersupervises the abduction of young co-eds and fuses them withmutant plants he has developed in his laboratory, placinghis rejects in a neighboring freak show (which stars suchreal-life oddities as the Alligator Lady, the Frog Boy, theHuman Pretzel, the Monkey Woman, the Human Pincushion andthe unforgettable"Popeye".

Oculus

Itsbeen ten years since the lives of siblings Tim and KaylieRussell were shattered and Tim was convicted of murderingtheir parents. Now released from a mental institution, Timwants to move on, but his sister has other plans. Kaylieblames their childhood nightmare on the Lasser Glassanantique mirror with a grisly history which she intends todestroy by any means possible, even as the mysterious entitycontinues to cast sinister spells on anyone who gazes intoit.

Wolf Creek 2

Inthis follow up to outback horror, Wolf Creek 2,deranged serial killer, Mick Taylor (John Jarratt),continues his search for fresh victims in the Australianwilderness. When unsuspecting British tourist, Paul,inadvertently rescues Taylors next victim, the two becomeembroiled in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse. Will Mick beable to survive another day? Wolf Creek 2 focusesmore heavily on the exploits of Mick Taylor than in itspredecessor, creating a darkly funny tale that explores theinnate prejudices found in the Australian outback. Containsstrong language, violence and gore.

TheBye Bye Man

When three college studentsmove into an old house off campus, they unwittingly unleashea supernatural entity known as the Bye By Man, who comes toprey upon htem once they discover his name. The friends msuttry to saveeach other allthe while keeping the Bye ByeMans existence a secret to save others from the deadlyfate.

House ofWax (2005)

A group of friends falls preyto a pair of murderous brothers in an abandoned small town.The friends discover that the psychotic siblings haveexpanded the area's main attraction--the House of Wax--andcreated an entire town filled with the wax-coated corpses ofunlucky visitors. Now the group must find a way out beforeits members also become permanent exhibits in the House ofWax.

Ghost Ship

In aremote region of the Bering Sea, a boat salvage crewdiscovers the eerie remains of a grand passenger linerthought lost for more than 40 years. But once onboard theeerie, cavernous ship, the crew of the Arctic Warriordiscovers that the decaying vessel is anything but deserted.It's home to something more deadly and horrific thananything they've encountered in all their years atsea.

Queen of theDamned

After a decades-long slumber, thevampire Lestat becomes a rock star whose music awakens thequeen of all vampires, Akasha, who embarks on a mission tomake Lestat her king. But a young London woman with a giftfor the occult falls in love with Lestat and wields a fargreater power than the vampiresexpect.

Cooties

Clint(Elijah Wood) has just started a new substitute teacher joband hopes to inspire his kids with the beauty of the writtenword. But he doesnt get far before tainted chickennuggets turn his students into savages who gleefully pullthe principals guts out. Now Clint must lead his oldcrush and her colleagues to safety and find a way to reversethe effects of those nasty nuggets before its too late.Jack McBrayer (30 Rock), Jorge Garcia (Lost),Rainn Wilson (The Office) and Alison Pill (TheNewsroom) round out the cast of this gruesome horrorcomedy.

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What's Streaming This June On Shudder In New Zealand | Scoop News - Scoop

Founder of Cure Our Ovarian Cancer Jane Ludemann said they recently surveyed 54 biomedical researchers in New Zealand and 42 percent didn't know of a single person researching ovarian cancer in the country.

"The positive take from this is that 44 percent of the respondents said they'd consider

researching ovarian cancer if there was dedicated funding," Ludemann said.

When asked why they didn't choose any of the ovarian cancer research to fund, the HRC said that with the budget available they are often only able to fund the highest-ranking proposals.

"It does not mean the other applications are not of high quality, but that the available budget can only extend to the top-ranked proposals," the council said.

Most women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer in stage three or four, which means the cancer has already spread - and it is sometimes too late.

Researching the disease is urgent to find a solution for two main problems. Unlike being able to get screened for breast cancer using mammography, there is no screening

exam to diagnose ovarian cancer at an early stage.

Treatment is also scarce. A combination of two chemotherapy is the only treatment available for all types of ovarian cancer, but it doesn't usually have the same results on the various mutations of the disease.

Hayley Smith has suffered for years. The 55-year-old caregiver used to lay on the floor on her back to find some sort of relief for her pain.

The scene was repeated for years. One week before her period, the acute abdominal pain would start, usually followed by diarrhoea, vomiting and sometimes fainting.

The mother of two teenagers went to several doctors and the diagnosis was always PMS, premenstrual syndrome or menopause.

Even though the symptoms of PMS matched with what Smith felt, she was intrigued because the doctors had already found two cysts on her ovaries over the years.

The first was removed, but the referral for an oncologist to analyse the second was declined and the cyst was left there.

"For several years I've been calling out and trying to get attention,'' Smith said.

In November 2021, Smith called her GP. Her abdomen was strangely bloated and hard to touch.

She went straight to the hospital and after a few exams she received the diagnosis of ovarian cancer - and it had already spread to her stomach, appendix and lungs.

Ovarian cancer is diagnosed via a pelvic exam, ultrasound and a CA-125 blood test, which was never required from Hayley.

"If they say no, you go and find another doctor,'' Smith said.

The caregiver had surgery to remove the tumours and finished the first phase of chemotherapy.

"They will give me a rest for four months. Put me back in the machine and see if it has come back," Smith said.

"I'll just continue with the chemotherapy until my body gets into a point that is too much."

More here:

Ovarian cancer: The least researched and one of the deadliest in New Zealand - Newshub

Nine months after the tragic suspected suicide of New Zealand cycling talent Olivia Podmore, a damning report has uncovered a litany of problems with the sporting organisation where the 24-year-old Olympian spent her entire adult life.

The long-awaited independent inquiry into Cycling NZ (CNZ) found its high-performance system prioritises medals over wellbeing, the inquirys co-chair Mike Heron QC said on Monday.

Heron said the report found CNZ was an organisation of people who were passionate about cycling and had made changes before and after the review, but there was significant room for improvement, according to the New Zealand Herald.

The independent inquiry was commissioned by CNZ on August 19, 2021 and was co-chaired by Mr Heron and Massey University Professor Sarah Leberman with other panel members including former Silver Fern Dr Lesley Nicol and Olympic rower Genevieve Macky.

The full report was released at a press conference in Auckland fronted by the report panel, High Performance Sport NZ (HPSNZ) chief executive Raelene Castle and CNZ chairman Phil Holden.

Among the most alarming findings in the report, was athletes fear of reprisals for raising issues with coaches and management, a centralised high performance base in Cambridge that carries a risk for athlete wellbeing, a lack of transparency with selection at CNZ, and a funding model at odds with wellbeing.

The inquiry also found a lack of appropriate womens health support and a reliance on traditional male networks particularly within the coaching environment where there is a lack of women and diversity and a lack of support for athletes entering and leaving the CNZ high performance system.

The recruitment of CNZ coaches on the basis of their technical knowledge of competition and too little emphasis on personality, EQ, soft skills and integrity received scrutiny and censure in the report.

It also found a concerning use of non-disclosure agreements to deal with athlete and staff disputes, in a seemingly closed culture within CNZ and HPSNZ.

With the reports release, CNZ put out a statement to acknowledge they accepted the inquirys findings and, for the first time, chairman Mr Holden offered a direct apology to the Podmore family on behalf of the organisation.

The most important finding is that a number of people have unresolved trauma from events that Cyclings High-Performance Programme in 2016 and subsequently, he said.

Olivia Podmore was clearly part of that group. We apologise to the Podmore family for their loss and the hurt and grief they continue to experience.

Mr Holden also apologised to others in the 2016 programme for the trauma it caused, and said the organisation needed and would like to be part of a process to address the trauma, if the athletes allow.

We are starting to turn a corner...but we have a long way to go, he said.

We are going to review everything. Its all on the table. We are not going to rest. We want this to be the last cycling inquiry.

It is the second inquiry after a similar one in 2018, also conducted by Mr Heron, which revealed a lack of accountability and leadership throughout CNZ and a reluctance to raise issues, including bullying.

That 2018 review stemmed from an incident which Podmore actually first reported to Cycling NZ management during a training camp in Bordeaux in the lead up to the 2016 Rio Olympics.

After an intimate relationship between then-coach Anthony Peden and an athlete was exposed at Bordeaux, Cycling NZ management pressured Podmore to lie about it. Podmore was not the athlete in the relationship.

This pressure on Podmore extended up until the 2018 Heron Report which outlined its own raft of recommendations to improve the culture at Cycling NZ.

Despite naming Podmore seven times, the report explicitly distanced itself from reporting on her experiences of CNZ or HPSNZ due to the ongoing coronial inquest into her death.

Eric Murray on inquiry findings: Sh** like that has to change

Olympic rower Eric Murray said it was important that the report wasnt a witch hunt over his friend Podmores suspected suicide.

I dont think a lot of this situation caused Olivias death. Theres never just one thing [with suicide]. There was a lot going on in her life and this was a big part of it because cycling was a big part of her life, Murray said.

But it wasnt the straw that broke the camels back. There were a lot of straws.

Murray endorsed the ongoing work and proposals around having a body that represented athletes, which the report said needed to be independent in funding and organisation from the sporting bodies.

When I was a young athlete you didnt want to rock the boat. You didnt want to be looked upon as the troublemaker even though youre not being the troublemaker.

He said athletes were worried about raising issues because of concern it was going against your name or affecting your career.

Sh** like that has to change. Thats not acceptable in this day and age.

Murray said there wasnt a single headline issue to emerge from the report but so many different bits and pieces that pointed to a massive disconnect between those running the organisations and the athletes.

It just points to the chief executive and High Performance (Sport NZ) having a big disconnect.

He said it was a very complex organisation keyed to getting medals.

- Additional reporting by Georgina Noack

Original post:

Report sparked by Olympians tragic death highlights culture of medals over wellbeing - Fox Sports