Category Archives: New Zealand

FlipFarm, a semi-automated oyster-growing system created in New Zealand, has won the Global Seafood Alliances 2021 Global Aquaculture Innovation Award.

FlipFarm Managing Director Aaron Pannell helped launch the company while looking to improve his equipment at Blenheim, New Zealand-based Marlborough Oysters, where he grows 15 million oysters per year. The companys existing oyster-farming system involved clipping plastic bags to lines that floated on the surface, which would regularly be lost to severe storms in the region.

It was a lot of handling individually handling one unit at a time, Pannell said. We had 40,000 bags and they all had to be sorted about every eight weeks. Its a lot of work.

This led to the invention of the FlipFarm system, a semi-automated oyster growing setup in which Hexcyl Pro baskets are connected to a backbone that rolls up on the side of a harvesting vessel. It saves equipment costs in the long-run and employees from daily backbreaking labor.

FlipFarm Systems is honored to be awarded the Global Seafood Alliance Innovation award for 2021! Pannell said. Considering the extremely high caliber of the finalists, we feel very privileged to win this award on behalf of our hard-working team.

On top of being a labor-reduction tool, the FlipFarm system also helps provide an ideal environment for oyster growth and conditioning, as well as the ability to efficiently control fouling levels, pests, and predators. Its also cultivating innovation among Marlborough Oysters employees.

Because theyre not physically exhausted, theyve got time to actually stop and think, Pannell said. Our guys are thinking about innovation. How can we make the work easier? How can we make the quality of the oysters better? And because the operation is so much quicker, weve gone down to a four-day working week.

The system is adaptable to diverse growing environments and is now used by more than 70 farmers in 12 countries worldwide.

The winner of the Global Aquaculture Innovation Award was determined by an attendee vote. FlipFarm beat out two other finalists: Ace Aquatec, which developed a marine mammal-friendly seal-deterrent technology, and Nucleic Sensing Systems, with a tracker that can detect pathogens and other biological issues in aquaculture environments.

Photo courtesy of FlipFarm

Read more:

New Zealand-based oyster-farming system FlipFarm takes home GSA innovation award - SeafoodSource

The news last week that University of Auckland public health researcher Simon Thornley was retracting a co-authored paper about supposed vaccination risks during pregnancy raised deeper questions about the limits of academic freedom.

Thornleys own head of department had called for the paper to be retracted due to the anxiety it is creating for expectant parents and those planning to have a child. Other experts in the field had strongly criticised the papers methodology and conclusions.

The university itself responded publicly by asserting, As an academic staff member [] Dr Thornley has the right to exercise his academic freedom. The vice-chancellor later said, While the University supports academic freedom, we do require research to be conducted with a high degree of integrity.

The controversy follows an earlier one in July, when a group of academics published an open letter questioning the scientific status of mtauranga Mori (Mori knowledge). The Royal Society Te Aprangi issued a statement rejecting their views and affirming the value of mtauranga Mori as a knowledge system.

The society is now reported to be investigating two of its fellows who were co-authors of the letter. In response, a group calling itself the Free Speech Union has called the Royal Societys response an attack on free speech, saying it sends a chilling message to other academics.

These are just two of several conflicts currently playing out in Aotearoa New Zealand over the limits of academic freedom.

Tricky trade-offs surround particular cases like these, and they are not easily resolved. But debates over difficult cases are too often hampered by shallow conceptions of the role of universities within society and flimsy understandings of academic freedom.

Public universities have a public mission: they serve society through generating new knowledge and teaching students. They also, in the language of the Education and Training Act 2020, serve as a repository of knowledge and expertise and play a role as critic and conscience of society.

Read more: Let's choose our words more carefully when discussing mtauranga Mori and science

University staff and students are granted certain freedoms under the act to fulfil these socially valuable functions.

Two fundamental ideas provide the rationale for academic freedom. The first is that freedom of inquiry is essential for the advancement of knowledge. Without the freedom to explore new ideas and to test received wisdom, the quest for knowledge cannot progress.

The second is the idea that universities should be free from interference that would corrupt the integrity of research and the dissemination of research findings. It is in the publics interests that neither the state nor private individuals and corporations are allowed to muzzle researchers from publicising what they know when the public would benefit from knowing.

Institutional autonomy and the right to critically question are essential if universities are to be reliable sources of knowledge and expertise for society at large. But neither implies academics should be free to do what they like or to say what they like with impunity.

The Education and Training Act couples the freedoms granted to universities with expectations of public accountability. It says tertiary institutions should have

as much independence and freedom to make academic, operational, and management decisions as is consistent with the nature of the services they provide, the efficient use of national resources, the national interest, and the demands of accountability.

Read more: How a fake 'free speech crisis' could imperil academic freedom

In turn, the legislation places on tertiary institutions the responsibility to ensure the highest ethical standards are maintained.

Thats as it should be. Just as we expect medical associations to hold doctors accountable to high standards of competent practice and ethical conduct, so should we expect tertiary institutions to hold academics to the same high standards.

Controversial or unpopular opinions are sometimes just what society needs to hear. Thats why the law recognises a critic and conscience of society role for academics the role of speaking truth to power, as we like to say.

But the usefulness of dissenting views to society cannot be defended if these opinions rest on faulty evidence or demonstrable falsehoods. Misinformation is incompatible with performing a role as critic and conscience of society.

Read more: Four fundamental principles for upholding freedom of speech on campus

From the publics point of view, a university is malfunctioning if it harbours and protects misinformation. It ceases to be a reliable source of knowledge and expertise.

Likewise, academic freedom does not provide an exemption from ethical standards. Like all public institutions, we should expect universities to be places that foster healthy and respectful relationships, and serve wider societal goals of improving well-being, overcoming injustices and combating environmental destruction.

Universities that tolerate bullying and harassment of staff and students, or marginalise already disadvantaged social groups, fail to live up to their public mission.

New Zealand universities need to look hard at these issues. In todays political and media environment, the challenge of mis- and disinformation is only going to intensify. Institutional culture, practices and policies need to account for this.

And universities have barely begun to address the reality that campuses are often experienced as hostile spaces by minority groups, not least Mori and Pacific staff and students.

A genuine democratisation of university life including tackling institutional racism is also vital to ensure all communities in Aotearoa New Zealand can see themselves as participants in and beneficiaries of what universities do. Principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi should not only be acknowledged but given meaningful expression.

Read more: If not in a university, then where? Academia must define harm to allow open debate on difficult issues

Hard work will be required for our universities to become highly trusted institutions by all communities. This is especially true of tangata whenua and Pacific people. In fact, our tertiary institutions have a lot to learn from tangata whenua about handling disagreements and responding to unethical behaviour in a way that upholds the mana of all involved.

We would do well to take a lead from legal scholar Moana Jackson who has envisioned universities as a marae tea where robust debate and criticism should flourish, but also as a whare where relationships should be nurtured and enhanced, and where all students and staff should feel safe and free.

To realise such a vision will require clear-headed and courageous leadership at all levels within our universities.

See the article here:

Are New Zealands universities doing enough to define the limits of academic freedom? - The Conversation AU

Like other countries, New Zealand has both international and domestic targets to reduce emissions, but they run on different timelines and are based on different assumptions.

This week, public submissions close on New Zealands first emissions reduction plan which proposes policies for staying within the emissions budget for 2022-25 and keeping on track for future budgets.

New Zealand also pledged to cut emissions by half by 2030 when it announced its upgraded nationally determined contribution (NDC) during the recent COP26 climate summit. This is part of the global effort, under the Paris Agreement, to limit warming to 1.5 above pre-industrial levels.

The co-existence of international commitments, domestic laws and carbon budgets shows how complex climate change regulation is. This complexity can be confusing. It highlights the messiness of New Zealands current regulatory regime and the need for a legislative tidy-up.

Under domestic legislation, the Climate Change Response Act 2002 (CCRA) requires the government to set emissions budgets for five-year periods up to 2050 and to publish an emissions reduction plan for each period. Following the current consultation period, the government will release its first emissions reduction plan in May.

New Zealands new international pledge has a timeline to 2030 and equates to an emissions budget of 571 Megatons of CO-equivalent (MtCOe) to spend between now and then. Under the domestic climate change law, the proposed combined budgets for 2022-30 add up to 28MtCOe more than this (599MtCOe).

Its not yet clear whether the budgets in the law will be revised down in light of the new NDC, or whether the gap will be filled by financing emissions reductions overseas.

Read more: COP26: New Zealand's new climate pledge is a step up, but not a 'fair share'

Different timelines add to the confusion. Our international commitment works towards 2030, while domestically, provisional budgets are already available until 2035. And the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act 2019 requires that greenhouse gas emissions (other than biogenic methane) reach net zero by 2050.

Once released, the consequences of the emissions reduction plan will be wide ranging. Stakeholders in all sectors will look to incorporate its emissions reduction policies.

Unless everyone clearly understands its goals and purpose, the plan risks an unnecessarily negative reception. There is widespread public support for more action on climate change mitigation in New Zealand. But the roles everyone can play must be made clear.

Read more: Lawyers challenge New Zealand's proposed emissions budgets as inconsistent with the 1.5 goal

The emissions reduction plan provides an opportunity to rethink how the law could better align national and international targets, timelines and milestones to improve the clarity of messaging on what must be achieved, when and by who.

Aotearoas emissions reduction plan must be clear, innovative and inclusive, directing public concern for the climate emergency and showing us where real change is possible.

Theres no need for fresh legislation if the emissions reduction plan begins with a vision statement, weaving together all relevant obligations, to create a clear and measurable set of goals. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals provide a good example of how complex goals can be articulated simply, and how targets and indicators can be used to add detail and help track progress.

The emissions reduction plan should be launched as a living document which not only sets out a plan of action but also acts as a place to track progress, and to get involved. It should make full use of interactive tools and apps so it becomes something people can easily navigate and interact with.

For example, in the transport sector, one of the draft targets is to reduce vehicle kilometres travelled by cars and light vehicles by 20% by 2035 through providing better travel options. Such a target could link directly to individually tailored options for car sharing and public transport timetables and could include opportunities for users to set their own goals and challenges, too.

Reducing emissions significantly, and transitioning towards a net-zero carbon economy, offers a host of opportunities. But the scale of change required also carries risk. Consultation begins next year on a national adaptation plan, with the goal of limiting the risks to people.

The government has already committed to delivering a fair, equitable and inclusive transition. For this to happen, all sectors must be involved and it will require a mix of emissions pricing, well-targeted regulation, tailored sectoral policies, direct investment and incentives for businesses.

Getting the balance right, in particular between incentives and regulation, will be crucial. Private sector leadership should be encouraged and supported so that low-emissions business models become normalised. But well also need regulation to prohibit certain behaviour.

The recently announced ban on most single-use plastics, including plastic bags and straws, is a good example of regulatory intervention to change harmful consumer behaviour. The emissions reduction plan should not shy away from similar policies to address the ecologically destructive behaviour of industry and consumers.

Go here to read the rest:

New Zealand's climate change regulation is messy and complex -- heres how to improve it - The Conversation AU

A venue for the 37th America's Cup needs to be locked in by the end of March and as Team New Zealand continues to evaluate overseas locations, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS) is being asked to take another look at Auckland as an option.

Photo: Photosport

Former Team New Zealand director Jim Farmer QC has lodged a petition, with the support of some RNZYS members, "that the America's Cup be defended in the waters adjacent to the City of Auckland".

In a letter to members, commodore Aaron Young said RNZYS understood the desire of some of their 3500-strong membership to keep the America's Cup defence in Auckland but told members "the answer is not that simple".

Funding was the biggest roadblock Young identified.

RNZYS will address the petition at a special meeting for their members next month, even though Young was "disappointed" to have to do so.

The petition was currently not in format that members could vote on but Young said this was being worked on so voting could take place at the meeting.

"It would be an unprecedented achievement to win the America's Cup three times in a row, and taking the defence overseas - while not our preferred choice - may well offer the best chance for us to do so," Young wrote.

"There needs to be a reality check on the current situation in respect to a New Zealand based AC37 Match.

"TNZ needs to secure the necessary funding with local and Government support to hold this event in Auckland. Unless this happens we need to consider offshore venues.

"The consequences of not doing so are potentially dire - no cup defence at all, and giving the America's Cup back, having been unable to stage a defence and meet obligations under the Deed of Gift. This means a loss of the America's Cup, a loss of our Team New Zealand, and the potential loss of any future America's Cup challenges from the RNZYS, and most likely New Zealand."

RNZYS is the trustee of the America's Cup and hands off the responsibility for organisation, management, and fundraising to TNZ. The club makes no financial contribution to America's Cup activities.

"Legal threats and misinformation do not help the leadership at the RNZYS (or TNZ for that matter) work towards what we are all here for - the encouragement of Corinthian yachting generally and such other purposes connected with aquatics.

"To encourage Corinthian yachting, the club should be striving to (again) win the oldest trophy in international sport."

Businessman Mark Dunphy who had called on Team New Zealand to keep the defence in Auckland - and was subsequently shutdown by TNZ chief executive officer Grant Dalton - agreed with the petition.

"The only apparent venue activity is the team shopping 'around the clock' for international locations. It is clear from the team's own actions and omissions that it is not having any of these discussions in New Zealand and that it currently has no intention to defend the Cup in New Zealand," Dunphy said.

"Our research tells us that the firm funding of $40 million we have offered to support an Auckland defence, along with the generous support proffered by the Auckland Council and the Government, plus the team's own funding including sponsorship, entry fee, television and other income, will be more than sufficient to hold a successful defence here."

The rest is here:

Club behind Team New Zealand gets venue petition - RNZ

The New Zealand Breakers have cancelled their final pre-season game after four members of their touring party tested positive for Covid-19.

Photo: PHOTOSPORT

All players and staff associated with the Breakers in Australia are double vaccinated but the 39-strong touring party have been self-isolating in their inner-city Melbourne Apartments since Sunday night after one member of the group felt unwell on Saturday.

As a precaution, the person took a rapid antigen test that came back negative, but still felt unwell the following day and had a PCR test which subsequently showed a positive result for Covid-19.

The entire touring group, including children, underwent PCR tests on Monday, which uncovered a further three positive results.

No member of the group has needed hospitalisation.

"Our team has followed best practices, but unfortunately, a number of individuals have experienced symptoms," Breakers owner Matt Walsh who is with the team in Australia said.

"We will continue to follow the advice of medical professionals and the NBL and look forward to being back on the court soon."

Thursday's pre-season game against the Illawarra Hawks in Wollongong will no longer go ahead.

Read more here:

New Zealand Breakers camp hit by Covid-19 - RNZ

OPINION: Its time to imagine New Zealand without production animals. Anti-farming lobbyists probably dont mean this to be the outcome of their activities, but outcomes are difficult to predict, even when the predictor is an expert in the appropriate discipline.

Lobbyists are experts at getting noticed in the media. The negative coverage of agriculture this month has been extraordinary. Anybody who has read the press, listened to the radio, watched the television or gone to a cinema would be forgiven for thinking that New Zealand is an environmental cot case.

The reality is that pre-Covid, tourists rated the environment at the top of New Zealands attractions. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has the data. The reality is also that without dairy, beef and sheep, New Zealanders would not have a first-world and flourishing economy.

In her speech to the Labour Party Conference this month, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern emphasised the fact that the New Zealand economy has done more than survive through Covid-times; in fact it has grown, keeping people in jobs.

READ MORE:* Beef exports top 100,000 tonnes in third quarter for first time* Covid-19: What has the NZ farming industry learned from coronavirus?* The surprise entries in NZ's list of top climate polluters

Much of the growth has been due to primary production.

This month the ASB economists have shown that dairy, beef and lamb are setting new record prices, offsetting increased farm costs. This means more export dollars coming into the country and more money circulating within New Zealand.

Despite all the good things that the primary sector is enabling, the activist lobbying continues.

Stuff

Dr Jacqueline Rowarth, Adjunct Professor Lincoln University, is a farmer-elected director of DairyNZ and Ravensdown.

On November 8 we were hit by what was described as new research linking nitrate in drinking water with colorectal cancer and 800,000 people at risk. Dairy cows and nitrogen fertiliser were blamed.

The research isnt new. It was leaked by a couple of the authors in February and debunked then. Professor Frank Frizelle (Professor of Colorectal Cancer, University of Otago) and co-workers have tried to reassure people.

The International Agency of Research on Cancer and the World Health Organisation has published reports on the issue stating that dietary nitrate intake is not associated with the risk for colorectal cancer in cohort studies and overall, there is no clear association between nitrate or nitrite in drinking-water and risk of cancer of the gastrointestinal tract, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, tumours of the central nervous system, urinary tract tumours, thyroid cancer, breast cancer or pancreatic cancer.

These statements are being ignored by those with an agenda. The agenda is moving New Zealand to organic regenerative agriculture and reducing the number of production animals, particularly dairy cows.

For anybody thinking that organic regenerative agriculture really is the answer think again. Production will decrease (which means more land needed for food somewhere in the world with impacts on biodiversity and greenhouse gases) and a premium for the product is required to maintain farm income.

People are already concerned about rising food prices and what they say theyll pay for a type of food (organic, free-range, whatever) frequently doesnt come to pass. Most farmers have mortgages, just like house owners, and the banks mind about solvency.

Alden Williams/Stuff

People are already concerned about rising food prices and what they say theyll pay for a type of food (organic, free-range, whatever) frequently doesnt come to pass.

Farmers cant just reduce animal numbers and maintain the economies of scale needed to support employees, infrastructure maintenance, implementation of new technologies and bank repayments. If income is reduced, who will own the farm? Who would want to buy and run it?

The implications for New Zealand are considerable.

Without production animals, the export economy would be almost halved. Forestry might take over the land, but 30 years is a long time to wait for payday. The tax take would then be reduced because of a restricted economy. The Department of Conservation (DoC) is already inadequately funded for the native forest; how would it cope with ex-farmland as well?

The animal protein that humans need to provide essential amino acids would have to come from other countries, not necessarily with the same high standards of production in animal welfare and low environmental impact.

Agricultural scientists will keep investigating, putting research from overseas into the New Zealand context, and identifying an appropriate better future.

New Zealand production systems have undergone constant improvement over the decades as scientific understanding has refined systems for New Zealand soils, topography, climate and markets. The team of scientists, researchers, rural professionals and farmers have enabled New Zealand to produce food with lower environmental impact than other countries can achieve.

We have the data.

Per unit of food, greenhouse gases are lower than in other countries. From 1.7 million hectares (less than 7 per cent) of New Zealand, dairy farmers produce 35 per cent of the export economy. In beef and sheep production, land that isnt suitable for anything except pastoral agriculture (or forestry) maintains productive capacity and employment, whilst generating income for families and environmental protection including control of introduced weeds and animals.

Farmers, like anybody else, need to be able to pay the mortgage. Farmers, like anybody else, want to feel valued and know that their work is worthwhile. People choosing careers want it too. Thank a farmer as you eat your next meal. The alternative isnt pretty.

- Dr Jacqueline Rowarth, Adjunct Professor Lincoln University, is a farmer-elected director of DairyNZ and Ravensdown. The analysis and conclusions above are her own. jsrowarth@gmail.com

See more here:

It's time to imagine New Zealand without production animals - Stuff.co.nz

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OPINION: When Joanna MacKenzie goes to hot yoga classes inside a blow up tent near her home in Cambridge, England, there's no mask in sight and not a lot of social distancing.

Yet, outside the tent, around 200 people are dying and 38,000 more are getting Covid-19 every day. And many European countries are bringing back restrictions as they battle another wave of the virus.

MacKenzie, a journalist, moved from Auckland to Cambridge with her husband and two young daughters just before the pandemic hit.

Life has been pretty weird, she says, but people are now embracing their covid rules-free world.

READ MORE:* Covid-19: Angela Merkel says Germany's virus spike 'worse than anything we've seen'* Dutch leader condemns violence by 'idiots' after rioting * Health minister tells Germans: Get vaccinated or get Covid

"It looked like a scene from the movie, Love Actually, when I got off the train the other day. There were people everywhere, coming and going.

"It was so exciting and Christmassy. Its getting cold and dark and there's lights everywhere.

Martin Pope/Getty Images

New Zealand's double dose vaccination rates are creeping up to nearly 70 percent of the total population, slightly more than the UK and the highest vaxed parts of the US, such as New York.

"It feels like its going to be a very different Christmas because of course we were in lockdown for the whole of November last year and then there was a kerfuffle about Christmas. It was totally confusing."

Today, The Detail's Sharon Brettkelly calls on friends and family in England and the US to get a taste of what living with covid might look like down the track.

New Zealand's double dose vaccination rates are creeping up to nearly 70 percent of the total population, slightly more than the UK and the highest vaxed parts of the US, such as New York.

While Aotearoa is counting down to a summer of greater freedoms under the new traffic light system, most other parts of the world are closer to pre-Covid normality.

But . "what do you mean by normality?" asks Kevin Coldiron.

He describes the shock of landing in Los Angeles recently, after 10 months living in New Zealand with his youngest son Cy and his wife, Jody Brettkelly.

"When we went to New Zealand it was like we were escaping this kind of war-torn country, the insurrection where people took over the Capitol.

"When we flew out of LAX it was like a ghost town, and then we arrived in New Zealand and once we cleared the MIQ, you were back into the real world.

"It was the reverse going back," Coldiron says.

Shortly after, he was among 20,000 others - mask free - at a basketball game in New York. Vaccination cards are checked at any public event in the city, as well as restaurants, but attitudes to mask-wearing are relaxed.

Back home in the Bay Area of California, he says many of his friends still work from home doing meetings on zoom, and students and teachers have to wear masks in class.

He believes New Zealand should take heart from its high vaccination numbers and relax its conservative approach.

The Detail also talks to Heather Mandow at her small town in England. She is double-vaxed and has had a booster shot but still does not feel comfortable about getting on a train to attend live events in big cities.

"I think the mood of people I meet is becoming much more relaxed," she says.

"We're told though that we're not out of the woods yet, we're continually told this from the medical point of view. And the figures that we watch on the television every night for people catching Covid and being admitted to hospital and even dying from Covid, they're still alarming and rising.

"So the danger or the anxiety is still there."

Excerpt from:

The Detail: What will living with Covid look like in the future? - Stuff.co.nz

Indian New Zealanders are amongst the most highly-vaccinated in the country. Photo: RNZ / Claire Eastham-Farrelly

Dharmesh Parikh rolled up his sleeve and as the needle headed for his arm, a wide grin stretched across his face. He wasn't nervous, and he didn't need reassurance. Within a few minutes he was all done, and walking out of the vaccination centre's doors in less time than it had taken him to get there. He couldn't help but feel victorious.

"I felt fantastic, fabulous. I'd done my part."

Dharmesh is just one of the 200,000 plus Indian New Zealanders heeding the call to get vaccinated. The ethnic group makes up the largest eligible Asian population, and has one of the highest uptakes of the Covid-19 vaccine per capita among ethnic groups, according to Ministry of Health data. In fact, the Indian population is so highly vaccinated it has made a mockery of the figures expected based on the 2020 population of health services users: 103 percent of those eligible have had a shot, and 97 percent are fully vaccinated. The figures outperform health service user expectations across all age demographics and DHBs.

But while media coverage has often focussed on where Covid-19 vaccination rates need to be lifted, and more recently, on protests by those who refuse to be vaccinated, the quiet efforts of New Zealand's largest Asian community have been largely ignored. So why have more than 200,000 Indian New Zealanders been so eager to get the jab?

Dharmesh Parikh was fully vaccinated by the end of March. And when it became available for over twelves, he didn't hesitate to sign his children up either. Photo: RNZ / Claire Eastham-Farrelly

Dharmesh Parikh was first up in the vaccine roll-out, courtesy of his wife's group one status. He booked his first appointment as soon as an announcement was made, and was fully vaccinated by the end of March. When the vaccine became available for over 12s, he didn't hesitate to sign his children up either.

"I have twins, two girls, Sia and Dia. The first day they made the announcement that this is open for kids over the age of 12, we booked it immediately, within the same hour. They've been fully vaccinated for about a month now. My youngest daughter Shyla is nine. If it becomes available for her, I'll probably book it the same hour as well."

Dharmesh had been following any news of a vaccine since the pandemic arrived, and was staying up-to-date with Medsafe's process. He says a strong trust in medical authority meant there was never any question around whether or not he'd be getting himself and his family vaccinated.

"There was plenty of rich information on what the process was. It was research-based, they did clinical trials, they worked to a set of government regulations. There was no reason for me not to trust the medical system. Health and education are two pillars of society - it's something you cannot do without - and I'm confident that the industry is robust, it's resilient, and they're looking for innovative ways to make our lives wonderful.

"My brother is a live kidney donor to my mum, so my mum's a transplant patient coming up to her fourteenth year of receiving it. These people saved my mum's life. They actually cut open my brother, took the kidney out and put it in my mum, and she's alive. She had to consult with the doctor, but she also got the vaccine without any hesitancy. And actually, if you look at some of these medications that you have on shelves, it's by Pfizer, the company who made this vaccine. This is a trusted company for me."

Dharmesh's mother Manjula with her grandchildren. Photo: Supplied.

Indian-born GP Dr Sapna Samant has a practice in Auckland's Grey Lynn, where a majority of her patients are of Indian descent. She says a general trust in medical bodies and vaccinations isn't just down to chance for Indian New Zealanders, but is a cultural attitude formed over many years.

"All of us come from countries where we have seen even the two generations above us being affected by these infectious diseases, and we know what that means. We have seen people die, we have seen people become very sick, we have seen people who have not been able to access healthcare. We've seen all of this, and we don't want that for ourselves."

She says past lessons have created a sense of proactivity and pragmatism within Indians both in India and abroad.

"In a massive country like India, if you fall sick, that means you can't go to work, there is no social security. If you don't work, you're not earning money. If you don't earn money, you're not feeding your family, and it's just sort of like a domino effect. Might as well take the injection and get on with life, because that means I'm earning money and I'm feeding my family.

"We carry those attitudes with us when we move overseas. Those stereotypes of the hard-working Indian or the hard-working Asian, that comes from generations of malnutrition, poverty. Those stories are alive in our heads. We don't want to go back there, so we just do whatever it takes."

Dr Sapna Samant says past lessons have created a sense of proactivity and pragmatism within Indians both in India and abroad. Photo: RNZ / Claire Eastham-Farrelly

It's an attitude Dharmesh has carried with him since he arrived in New Zealand more than 35 years ago. He hopes getting immunised will mean getting back on track to fulfilling long-held dreams for himself and his children.

"We didn't come here to be unsuccessful. My kids are striving for academic excellence, in as many fields and as many facets and subjects as they can. I'm working towards several goals in my life, financial goals that I want to achieve and goals in my career. If we get the vaccination, we get back to contributing positively again."

Monisha Kumar says growing up in Fiji, getting vaccinated was a normal part of life. Photo: RNZ / Claire Eastham-Farrelly

Monisha Kumar remembers a measles epidemic growing up in Fiji, where vaccinations were rolled out for students during school. She also remembers, more than 10 years ago, wearing a face-mask in Hong Kong airport, having travelled to India during the Swine Flu pandemic. She remembers others went to get vaccinated against the virus, and she did too.

"I was there for three months and I came back safe and sound. That was one of my life experiences, going to get vaccinated and being able to connect the dots Now that another virus has come, I know that vaccinations do help."

She says growing up in Fiji, getting vaccinated was a normal part of life.

"When we were six years old, we got a BCG [Bacillus Calmette-Gurin] injection. When we were 13 years old we got it for tetanus, rubella and BCG again. And in high school, we had measles break out at the time, and all the teenagers got vaccinated in school. They started [the roll out] in the school holidays, before school started in January. We had signed up to get it done, it was a procedure we'd gone through since primary. We were happy to get it, it was normal for us to get the shot and protect ourselves."

For Monisha, signing up to get vaccinated at school was a procedure shed gone through since primary - and she was happy to get it. Photo: RNZ / Claire Eastham-Farrelly

Monisha is a secondary school teacher at One Tree Hill College, and heads her own dance company in Auckland. Like Dharmesh, she took the opportunity to get vaccinated at an earlier stage in the roll-out plan than intended.

"It was a waiting game for me with the different groups. I was told that maybe December I would be getting vaccinated. It's quite a long time to wait, so when my mum - she's in the 50-64 range - got her letter, she signed up and got me, my brother and my sister-in-law in for the first dose as well. That was in August, we went and got our second vaccination in October."

Her story is similar to many Indian New Zealanders living in multi-generational homes, and Dr Sapna says these particular living arrangements may have contributed to the community's higher rates of vaccine uptake - with individuals making the trip to the clinic a family affair.

"My mother lives with me. She's 80, and I have a 10-year-old son. And knowing from my patients, a lot of them live in similar households with at least three generations living in the same house. We all want to take care of each other, so we want to make sure that nobody falls sick.

"You're gonna take your mum to get a vaccine, then think I'm gonna get it as well. This is a cultural quirk too, isn't it? We jump the queue. It's a very Desi thing, to put in colloquial terms. We don't want to line up for anything, we don't want to stand in a queue. I know heaps of people who got it done by July. We're due for a booster perhaps, if they allow us."

Dr Sapna says Indian New Zealanders multi-generational living arrangements may have contributed to the community's high vaccination rates. Photo: RNZ / Claire Eastham-Farrelly

But things weren't quite as simple as that in Monisha's household. Her dad was actually the first in their family eligible to get vaccinated - he just wasn't too keen on getting it.

"He didn't want to go and get the vaccine, he was against it, so we just let him be. He didn't state his reasons but I could see one of them was fear, maybe he was scared."

Eventually, however, Monisha realised she would have to talk her dad around if her business was to operate safely again.

"I run a dance company and I would want my dancers to come and rehearse at home if we ever need to work on a show, and I would want everyone in my household to be vaccinated so everything's safe. I spoke to my dad regarding this, we had a good father-daughter krero. I said, 'Look, I've been doing a lot of research, talking to a lot of people regarding the vaccine'. Everyone in my family knows I'm very strongly opinionated and that there are loads of reasons why I do things, I don't just do things for the sake of doing it, there's a lot of thought that's gone behind it. And so he agreed.

"I think it was just me talking to him about it. You know, that role-modelling thing comes into effect. If you see someone in the family who's gone and done it and see they're okay, you know you'll be okay. So that was our success story, that everyone in the house was able to get vaccinated."

Monisha loved to dance as a child in Fiji. Now she heads her own dance company in Auckland. Photo: RNZ / Claire Eastham-Farrelly

Monisha's household isn't the only place she's experienced vaccine-hesitant attitudes. With vaccine mandates kicking in for teachers and school staff, there's been a small uprising from some educators refusing to get the jab.

"Some teachers believe there's a harmful chemical in the vaccine. Just two weeks ago, we got a clarification at my school. There was a forum our principal chose to have which was run by former students at One Tree Hill College. The doctors and nurses who were part of that forum explained what was actually in that vaccine. It was a really good forum to have, it really cleared some doubts.

"I'm teaching years 11, 12, and 13 face-to-face, we're wearing masks, and I feel a sense of responsibility as a teacher. You have to be double-vaccinated, not just to protect yourself, but also to protect the children at school who are coming, and their parents who are trusting us as teachers to send their children to school, to make sure their child is safe."

Monisha Kumar remembers a measles epidemic growing up in Fiji, where vaccinations were rolled out for students during school. Photo: RNZ / Claire Eastham-Farrelly

For Dharmesh, it's not all about science. His faith is a driving force in his life and one of the many reasons he chose to get vaccinated. The way he explains it, his faith and the Hindu philosophy of being a compassionate people ties in to the need to be vaccinated for the greater good.

"We believe in medicine, we believe in remedies. Even in our scriptures and stories, in the great epics, there's mention of various medications right throughout. My root as a Hindu and my philosophy is that we are a compassionate people, we need to look after one another. We won't just believe in 'look after yourself and your family and that's done and dusted and everyone will look after themselves'. We believe in sacrifice as well. In Ramayan, Lord Rama went out and did his deeds without seeing any caste or creed, he helped people along his way. And that's what we need to do, we need to help people along the way."

Dharmesh says this means looking out for the more vulnerable members of his community too, particularly the elderly and the immuno-compromised.

"Last year when this broke out, you could see people who are really old or have had other medical conditions dying from it. It was really, really horrifying. If by me getting this vaccination I could be even one slight bit a contributing factor to them not getting it, then that's the least I could do for the community. I consider myself healthy, I don't have any pre-existing medical conditions, I'd be less likely to catch that virus and fall severely ill from it. My rationale to get the vaccine was to do my bit for the community, for the elderly especially.

"Also, if I'm not gonna fall sick and be a burden to the hospital system, then that's one less bed they have to source from elsewhere. I'm freeing up that system, I'm out of the way. And why would I not want to be protected as well? If I was unfortunate and required hospitalisation and didn't make it through, my family would suffer. It would be a burden on the community to support my family, or maybe they would make do, but without my support."

Dharmesh and Swapna with their children Sia, Dia and Shyla. Photo: RNZ / Claire Eastham-Farrelly

Dr Sapna says while holistic healing practices rooted in Hinduism are common among Indian communities around the world, their teachings haven't generally deterred people from seeking out science-based medical care.

"The Ayurvedic way of life, understanding your body and your digestive system, eating seasonally and eating the right kinds of foods, we still practice that. If you're eating, you don't eat the rice before the chapati, you always eat the chapati before the rice, and if you have a round thali, the food is served in a specific way. But I would say these beliefs crossover more into matters of wellbeing. There's nothing in religions from South Asia that says, 'if you believe in a certain God, then you should not be taking these kinds of medicines'. That is not there."

While the high rate of vaccination among the Indian population is impressive, Dr Sapna is reticent about comparing statistics with those of other ethnic groups, saying the experience of the Indian diaspora in New Zealand is incomparable to that of its indigineous peoples, as are the sets of obstacles they face.

"Vulnerable communities here and their histories, their colonial history, that's really, really complex. A lack of trust in authority is one of the reasons why people tend not to get vaccinated. It's too complex to compare. But without getting into any of that, I would say that actually, not getting the vaccine is going to harm the community more, because more people are going to fall sick, more people are going to die. Just that fear of death and the fear of all the morbidity that's going to affect these communities should be enough for them to get vaccinated, rather than any religion or distrust in authority. The desire to get on with life is something that can be learned from us. If there is a solution, get it and move forward, you know? But that's just putting it really simplistically."

Monisha is keen to move forward and says it would be nice to regain some form of normalcy.

"We know that living with Covid is gonna be a new norm - and I know that there are people whose thinking is still rigid and they don't want to change - but look at other countries and how they're living with Covid now. You look at India, everything's open now. They're wearing masks, they're social distancing, they're going for tests if they're sick, they're getting vaccinated - we can see it's working."

And if you're looking for a real life example of the vaccine at work, Dharmesh says he's your man.

"I've been vaccinated since March. I survived, I'm laughing, I'm well. My kids have been vaccinated, they're well. If this vaccine was having adverse effects, I wouldn't be speaking to you now. I'm one of the millions who've got it. These people who have made this vaccine, they're humans like you and I. They're from our communities. Why on earth would they come up with something that was going to put your life in danger? Why would they go through this whole huge, expensive, rigmarole process if it's not going to make a positive difference? Please, take the opportunity, trust the humans, and if you're hesitant, do give it another thought."

See more here:

Indian New Zealanders amongst the most highly-vaccinated in the country - RNZ

"Based on what I've read on their website, it's a mixture of racism, anti-vaxx, etcetera, etcetera," Nash said in Parliament.

Ardern won't ask Nash to say sorry.

"I wouldn't use that language. I wouldn't describe, generally, an entire group of people in that way," she said. "But I am not going to ask him to apologise for his comments."

But Groundswell wants Nash to apologise.

"What he said was totally incorrect so we want him to actually apologise to us actually, for saying that," said Bryce McKenzie, organiser of Groundwell.

National leader Judith Collins described it as "a nasty attack" and "really insulting".

And perhaps the Government should listen, because it's not just Groundswell opposed to Three Waters.

The latest Newshub-Reid Research poll shows about 48 percent - almost half the country - doesn't support the reforms. Just 27 percent support it, and another 25 percent are undecided.

Some people just don't get it. Here's a hint - Three Waters is not still, sparkling or tap. It's drinking, waste and stormwater - and the Government wants to take away council control of them.

Three Waters doesn't even float the boat of the majority of Labour voters. The poll found that 40 percent of them agree with it, while a third - 30 percent - don't, and 31 percent are unsure.

The Prime Minister has no intention of backing down.

"No, we didn't take these decisions lightly," she said. "They've taken years of consideration."

The Government spent $3.5 million of taxpayer money advertising Three Waters. The fact so few Kiwis understand it and so many are opposed to it is ample ammo for the Opposition to accuse the Government of flushing $3.5 million down the drain.

The Newshub-Reid Research poll was conducted between 10-17 November with a margin of error of 3.1 percent.

Read more here:

Newshub-Reid Research poll: Half of New Zealand doesn't support Three Waters reforms - Newshub

Think it feels like summer already? That's because summer weather conditions have arrived early in most parts of New Zealand this year.

WeatherWatch.co.nz says New Zealand's location in the South Pacific, halfway between the equator and Antarctica, means each year our seasons can be timed differently weatherwise.

The early summer pattern in NZ this year can be measured in a couple of main ways. 1) It's much warmer than usual in most places, both day and night. 2) It's much drier than usual in many regions over the coming week or two.

"We also see a lot of extra high pressure rolling in for the rest of November and the start of December," says a spokesperson for the weather organisation.

"This also helps confirm the drier, warmer, set up is in no hurry to leave just yet. Some rain events are coming up long term, most likely in the very upper North Island and the lower West Coast.

"Of course, not everyone is experiencing this early summer weather every day of the week. The lower South Island is still getting colder changes and nationwide last week we had a couple of colder nights. This weekend the lower South Island has a wetter, briefly colder, change.

"But the trend now is to see more warmer than average and drier than average days for most places for the end of November and the start of December."

Rainfall: Over the next two weeks highest totals to be in the very north of NZ and the lower West Coast. Southland and even Hawke's Bay also have some additional wet weather (although some may be inland downpours over the ranges only). Many other areas are leaning quite dry, especially the upper and eastern South Island which has very little rain over the next two weeks.

Temperatures: Many places will be in the 20s with some inland in the mid to late 20s at times this week. A brief cool down arrives in the lower South Island this Saturday but may only last one or two days, along with bringing in some rain.

More:

Summer arrives early this year in New Zealand - The Bay's News First - SunLive