Category: MIL-Submissions

Auto Added by WPeMatico

Posted on

Local News – Enter the dark forests of fantasy literature and pop culture in Faerie Land

Source: Hutt City Council

Faerie Land, opening at The Dowse Art Museum in August, features a mix of new and existing works by UK-based artist Jakob Rowlinson, intertwining the natural world with medieval symbolism, and questioning the bounds of masculinity throughout time.
Using textiles, embroidery and sculpture, Rowlinson weaves alternative histories steeped in queer culture and nature. His work reimagines the art of the Middle Ages, exploring how the fantasy genre has shaped the way we imagine this period through sources like Disney movies, Game of Thrones, Final Fantasy and Lord of the Rings.
In Faerie Land you’ll find lusty Disney characters dwelling in the forests of medieval tapestries, kinky boots transformed into Green Man masks, and swordplay taking on a whole new meaning.
“Rowlinson is an exciting emerging figure in the London art scene, so we’re ecstatic to bring this talented artist’s work down to Aotearoa and share it with our local audience,” says Senior Curator Dr Chelsea Nichols.
“Medieval historians argue that there was a far more fluid and hybrid understanding of sexuality and gender in the art and literature of this era -something rarely reflected in our modern retellings,” says Nichols. “Rowlinson’s work looks at the notion of masculinity within these narratives, teasing out the queer undertones that have always existed in stories of big swords, male companionship, and magical forest liaisons.”
Rowlinson’s newest tapestry, Queerdwood, was in part inspired by the imaginary view of Aotearoa New Zealand marketed to foreigners through blockbuster films. On display as part of Faerie Land it questions how fantasy films frame our ideas about history, place and human nature.
The Dowse is also pleased to be hosting Rowlinson in New Zealand during the exhibition period. Join Rowlinson and guests for a panel discussion and artist talk to celebrate the launch of Faerie Land.
Panel Discussion: The Strangers in the Woods 5 August, 2pm, The Dowse
To celebrate the launch of Faerie Land, The Dowse has invited two artists whose work also speaks to these themes for a panel discussion alongside Jakob Rowlinson. Hear about how the work of Whanganui artist Michael Haggie, writer Samuel Te Kani and Rowlinson re-queers the past, combines tenderness and masculinity, and uses sci-fi and fantasy to expand the boundaries of possibility.
Artist Talk: On Faerie Land 5 August, 4pm The Dowse
Join Jakob Rowlinson and curator Dr Chelsea Nichols for a discussion of the exhibition and hear about the creation of and meanings behind these stunning artworks.
Faerie Land opens at The Dowse on 5 August and runs until 3 December.
Posted on

Greenpeace – Increasing military spending adds fuel to climate crisis fire

Source: Greenpeace

Greenpeace Aotearoa is condemning the Government’s suggestion that further military spending is an appropriate response to the threat of the climate crisis after Minister Andrew Little today released a high-level document naming climate change as one of the key security threats the nation faces.
Greenpeace spokesperson Christine Rose says “While it is clear that the climate crisis poses a significant threat to everyone’s security and wellbeing, and even more so in the Pacific, the best response is to rapidly cut climate pollution, not to increase funding to the military.”
“The military is a significant emitter of greenhouse gas emissions in its own right, and there are far better uses of public funds.
“That funding could better be used to support farmers to transition away from the intensive dairy industry – New Zealand’s biggest polluter – to low-emissions, ecological farming that works with nature.”
“This is yet another example of the Labour Government failing to take the climate crisis seriously. This must be a climate election where all political parties prioritise investment in real climate solutions.
“Unless we cut climate pollution now, the climate crisis will only get worse, and so will the threat it poses to national security. Investment in measures to cut climate pollution will do much more to keep us safe than an increase in military spending.”
Posted on

Education News – NZSTA Board and President Election Results Announced

Source: NZSTA

The New Zealand School Trustees Association has announced the results of its Board and President Elections.
Incumbent President Lorraine Kerr MNZM has been returned for a seventh term, while three new members have been elected to the organisation’s national board.
“It’s an honour to have been returned as President by our members and thank them for once again placing their trust and confidence in me to lead the Association,” Ms Kerr says.
“I am so pleased to be able to continue this work on behalf of our members, build on what we have already achieved and continue to advocate for and support Aotearoa’s school boards, to continue provide a better educational future for our ākonga.
“I would also like to congratulate our new and returning board members. We are pleased to be welcoming back to the board Joycelyn TM Tauevihi, Meredith Kennett and Chris Haines.
“We have three new members joining the board as well, all with significant experience serving on school boards, as well as decades of professional experience.
“Incoming member Wayne McGillivray has spent most of his professional life in the compulsory education sector, including in specialist and deaf education, and is currently Manahautū for a kaupapa Māori PTE. He is the Presiding Member of William Colenso College in Napier.
“The next new board member joining us is Dr Moses Ma’alo Faleolo, who has decades of involvement in youth justice, youth health and youth social development. He is the Presiding Member at Kelston Boys’ High School and is also on the board at Massey High School and the combined board of Halswell Residential College and Westbridge Residential.
“Last but not least we welcome Max Guptill, a carpenter, social worker and pastor, who has volunteered for the past 26 years in schools, including as a sports coach, mentor and chaplain. He is the Presiding Member at One Tree Hill College and is also on the board of Bailey Road Primary and Intermediate School.
“Together, this represents a diverse board in terms of skillset, background and range of experience to lead NZSTA into the future.
“We look forward to working together to ensure NZSTA is governed in a way that all boards receive the support they need to ensure every child, through the decisions made, receives the quality education they deserve.
“Finally, I would like to acknowledge outgoing board members Rebecca Keating and Jocelyn Merwood and thank them for their service on the board over the past three years,” Ms Kerr says.
Posted on

Arts News – KIWI MUSIC ICONS STRAWPEOPLE REUNITE FOR 2023 ALBUM KNUCKLEBONES

Source: Public Good PR

New Zealand’s electropop icons Strawpeople return in 2023 with a brand new album, Knucklebones, which sees Paul Casserly and Fiona McDonald back together as the core of the project.

Knucklebones is a collection of all-new material produced by Paul and Fiona, and while the guts of the project is the work of the pair, there’s a cast of New Zealand music’s heavy-hitters including: Matthias Jordan of Pluto on keys, Nick Atkinson of Supergroove on sax, drumming legend Chris O’Connor on drums, Mark Hughes on bass and even a cameo appearance from legendary Auckland busker Luke Hurley on guitar.

Guitarist Chris van de Geer and bassist Joost Langeveld are also back; as players, producers and label owners at Bigpop, with the album being recorded in their Auckland studios. “It’s so cool to work with  these guys again” says Casserly,  “they live and breathe music. They’re kinda the godfathers.”

Strawpeople originally formed in the late 1980s when Paul Casserly and Mark Tierney met at student radio station 95bFM. Also there at the time was Fiona McDonald who went on to become part of the Strawpeople history.

Paul and Fiona had the idea to collaborate again during a combined 50th birthday celebration and the result is something she feels proud of: “I called Paul when we got the master back, and said, good job us.” For her, working with Casserly again was “a rare treat. Paul has always been my favourite writing partner. We usually agree on things and for some reason our outsized egos don’t seem to overlap.”  

At the heart of Knucklebones is that familiar Strawpeople combo of sampled beats, bass, guitar, keys and more than anything, the voice of Fiona McDonald.

Knucklebones is now streaming on music platforms,
and there’s a limited vinyl run available from all good record stores.

 Official website: www.strawpeople.co.nz

KNUCKLEBONES TRACK LISTING

1. Second Heart
2. Watch You Sleep
3. Baby It’s You
4. Love Diktat
5. The Sleepwalker
6. Paper Cuts
7. Knucklebones
8. Busker
9. Forgot to Forget

Produced by Paul Casserly and Fiona McDonald with Chris van de Geer, Joost Langeveld, Luke Berryman and Jacob Rush.
Second Heart, from the album Knucklebones, featuring Matthias Jordan on keys, Chris van de Geer on guitar, Chris O’Connor on drums.

ABOUT STRAWPEOPLE:

Strawpeople formed when Paul Casserly and Mark Tierney met at student radio station 95bFM in the late 1980s with the station’s production studio and its 8 Track Tascam recorder becoming the hub of the operation.  

Together, Paul and Mark released three albums, starting in 1990, Hemisphere, Worldservice and Broadcast, the latter going on to platinum sales and containing the iconic songs Sweet Disorder and Trick With A Knife. But by the time Sweet Disorder won the APRA Silver Scroll award in 1995 the partnership had run its course with Mark moving overseas.

Greg Johnson and Fiona McDonald who were also part of 95bFM and had featured on Broadcast, becoming part of the next phase of the Strawpeople story, resulting in album Vicarious. Fiona stepped up as main collaborator and singer and Victoria Kelly’s string arrangements elevated the songs (she also wrote the track Porcelain). It was named Album of The Year at the NZ Music Awards in 1996 with the song Taller Than God charting. A remix album followed in 1997 called 100 Street Transistors.

In 2000 Paul returned to working with a range of singers and collaborators with a new album No New Messages. Bic Runga stepped in with a cover of The Cars song Drive. Victoria Kelly lent her considerable skills again and Leza Corban delivered the goods yet again with Scared of Flying, a reworking of a song by Greg Johnson.

2004 brought another album, Count Backwards From Ten. Another impressive group of vocalists joined the party including Pearl Runga, (No One Like You which was co-written by her sister Boh) Jordan Reyne, the late great Mahinarangi Tocker and Fiona McDonald, who returned with two songs.

In 2017 after a long hiatus, Paul and Fiona started working on new songs, resulting in the new album Knucklebones, releasing Friday 4 August, 2023.

strawpeople.co.nz/

STRAWPEOPLE DISCOGRAPHY:

Hemisphere (1991)
Worldservice (1992)
Broadcast (1994)
Vicarious (1996)
100 Street Transistors (1997)
No New Messages (2000)
Count Backwards From Ten (2004)
Knucklebones (2023)

Posted on

Rural News – FONTERRA REVISES FY24 FORECAST FARMGATE MILK PRICE

Source: Fonterra

Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd today reduced its 2023/24 season forecast Farmgate Milk Price range from $7.25 – $8.75 per kgMS, with a midpoint of $8.00 per kgMS, to $6.25 – $7.75 per kgMS, with a midpoint of $7.00 per kgMS.

Fonterra CEO Miles Hurrell says the revised forecast Farmgate Milk Price range reflects ongoing reduced import demand for whole milk powder from Greater China.  

“When we announced our opening 2023/24 season forecast Farmgate Milk Price in May, we noted it reflected an expectation that China’s import demand for whole milk powder would lift over the medium-term.

“Since then, overall Global Dairy Trade (GDT) whole milk powder prices have fallen by 12%, and China’s share of whole milk powder volumes on GDT events has tracked below average levels.

“This reflects a current surplus of fresh milk in China, resulting in elevated levels of local production of whole milk powder, and reducing near-term whole milk powder import requirements.

“The medium to long term outlook for dairy, in particular New Zealand dairy, looks positive with milk production from key exporting regions flat compared to last year,” says Mr Hurrell.

Posted on

Arts News – Five contemporary Moana artists explore culturaland personal connections to hair

Source: Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust

The cultural significance of hair in the Moana transcends our urban narratives in multi-layered ways and connects us to one another.

As Moana peoples, our hair and multiple hairstyles tell stories, assert identities, and empower the avant-garde perspectives in our art making and social visibility.

This gathering of artists draws on the late Dr Teresia Teaiwa’s call to “build our own archives” to store and share these unique stories and perspectives.

In the face of code-switching and assimilation, we see the rise of the ‘curly girl’ routine, the premiering of The Polynesian Panthers TV series, andSolange Knowles’ ‘Don’t Touch My Hair’ as mainstream expressions of pride surrounding the sacredness of our curly crowns. Dialogue here prioritises hair sovereignty and the broader cultural and spiritual issues surrounding it.

Good Hair Day concepts alternate across photography, embroidery, illustration, and sculpture. This exhibition will explore urban narratives of hair in our culture and in our day- to-day experiences as diaspora. These offerings preserve and legitimize these hair revolutions as well as our presence and lineage.

What significance does hair have in your culture? What does your hair mean to you?

Has your relationship with your hair evolved?

Good Hair Day exhibition will be presented at Tautai Gallery from

Friday 4 August – Saturday 23 September, 2023.

Exhibition details:

Good Hair Day

Bai Buliruarua, Māia Piata Rose Week, Nââwié Tutugoro, Karlin Morrison Raju and Peter Wing Seeto. Curated by Luisa Tora.

Friday 4 August to Saturday 23 September

Tautai Gallery, Level 1, 300 Karangahape Road, Auckland Central Open 10am–4pm, Tuesday–Friday | 11am – 4pm, Saturdays

Public Programmes to be confirmed!

Opening Night Celebrations

Fri 4 August, 6-8pm Free. All are welcome

Light refreshments provided

About the Good Hair Day Curator

Luisa Tora is a multidisciplinary artist, activist, curator and writer. They also have a collaborative practice with their partner, artist Molly Rangiwai-McHale. Their works are represented in private collections, Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira and Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Tora has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Pacific History and Politics from the University of the South Pacific and in 2014completed a Bachelor of Creative Arts (Visual Arts) at Manukau Institute of Technology.

Their art practice is concerned with the queer discourse, gender, and Pacific History. They curated WANTOK exhibition of Melanesian artists from Australia and Aotearoa, working with hair culture in 2018. They were the 2021 McMillan Brown Artist in Residence.

About the Good Hair Day Artists

Māia Piata Rose Week

Māia Piata Rose Week is a multidisciplinary artist based on Waiheke Island and is of Rangitāne and Kahungunu descent. Her practice focuses on themes of identity and self-empowerment. By sharing her own experiences of growing up Māori in Aotearoa, she aims to connect to her audience through shared lived experiences, while also challenging pre-existing ideas of what it means to be Māori.

Karlin Morrsion Raju

Karlin Morrsion Raju is a Fijian-Indian & Irish Artist born and raised in Tamaki Makaurau.

Recalling family memories through conversations, Morrison Raju recreates a Drum Barrel in oxidized red concrete. These barrels are used in villages to hold water for the outdoor washing of hair, among endless other uses.

Embracing the found material construction style he has observed in Fiji, Morrison-Raju uses corrugated formwork to recreate a water barrel.

Exaggerated industrial materials, swollen walls, and a shrunken interior of the barre with restricted access to inner well, are used to convey personally experienced barriers concerning hair identity.

Nââwié Tutugoro

Born to a Kanak father and Anglo-Argentinian/European mother, Tāmaki Makaurau born artist Nââwié Tutugoro presents a practice comprising of site-specific sculptural drawings that illuminate moments from her childhood and works with found materials to emphasise contextual negotiations of place and space.

The return to art-making after a small hiatus has initiated a performance piece whereby Nââwié Tutugoro paints directly onto the gallery walls with her hair. The paint marking is imagined as a ‘tidal line’ that forms a connection between two photographs; of Nââwié’s father and a portrait of her in intermediate. Both images although pixelated, obtain a sacredness and relatedness.

Peter Wing Seeto

Peter Wing Seeto is a queer multidisciplinary maker that hails for the y- shaped archipelago of Vanuatu. Their current practice in time is now based in Papatoetoe, Tāmaki Makarau.

Their making is heavily based on gratification achieved through a sense of agency. They convey this through site-specificity as well as body adorning and their preferred medium of analog/film photography.

Good Hair Day has sparked a more personal form of making for Peter as it has really made them assess the vital role of hair in forming one’s identity. Peter’s new work draws from their past to present self and the growing relationship they have with their hair.

Bai Buliruarua

Bai Buliruarua (he/him) is a Fijian (Ca’audrove, Vanualevu, vasu i Beqa) multi-disciplinary creative based in Tamaki. While his main mediums are film and writing, he dabbles in illustration and other mediums, as he says, “whatever medium is most fitting for that period of time of my life”. His work as a storyteller explores ideas of identity, community, and the Pacific experience. He aims to reflect the world around him, the rapidly changing spaces he occupies, and the shifting tides of culture.

ABOUT TAUTAI

“Great art feeds a family for generations.” – Tautai Founding Patron, Fatu Feu’u

Located in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa New Zealand, Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust is a charitable trust dedicated to championing Pacific arts and artists. Tautai was formed in the 1980s when leading Samoan artist Fatu Feu’u and his peers came together with a shared aspiration to support and promote Pacific visual artists. In the years since, Tautai has grown to become Aotearoa’s premiere Pacific arts organisation with a multidisciplinary focus. The Trust brings artists and the wider Tautai aiga together through a range of events and activities locally and globally.

Proudly supported by Creative New Zealand and Foundation North, Tautai is able to provide unique opportunities for the Moana arts community. Situated in the heart of Auckland’s CBD on Karangahape Road, Tautai’s newly expanded premises now includes a gallery space dedicated to

Posted on

NZ’s largest full capital gain share retirement village operator supports industry review

Source: Karaka Pines Villages (Group) Ltd

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has just released its discussion paper on retirement village living.
Adam Yates, CEO of Karaka Pines Villages supports the review of the retirement villages industry.
Karaka Pines operates 7 retirement villages throughout NZ which all offer full capital gain to its residents.
The current regulations in the industry are punitive for full capital gain villages like Karaka Pines and a review is needed to ensure that operators which are being fair to residents are not punished for it.
“The current regulations assume that all operators are being unfair and need to be controlled” says Yates, “the current rules put costs onto residents whenever a situation arises which is not the normal model.” 
 The proposals set out in the discussion paper have the potential to continue and worsen this situation. An example is where a unit takes more than 6 months to sell and the weekly fees stop, the rest of the residents in the village have to bear the costs of the departing resident.
“There are lots of statements in the discussion paper which show that HUD assume that all villages are of the standard model. This is wrong as there are dozens of villages which operate differently from the norm.” says Yates.
Karaka Pines will be supporting many of the proposals in the discussion paper so that a fair deal is made available for retired people in NZ. At the same time, it will be proposing that any new regulations provide an encouragement for a move to fairer financial models, and that regulations which seek to control presumed excesses do not work against operators like Karaka Pines.
BACKGROUND – DIFFERENTIATING FACTORS
Karaka Pines is developing and operates 7 retirement villages throughout the country, with a total of 778 units planned and 344 units complete.
We have applied for resource consent for another in Tauranga and anticipate one being announced in New Plymouth.
Our retirement villages are different from nearly all the other villages in the country in that we allow the residents to have 100% of the capital gain that might accrue on their unit.
Our fees are also generally lower than other villages with our Deferred Maintenance Fee (DMF) starting at 12.5% but with outgoings fixed for life this increases to 25%. Our motivation for creating this village model is fairness. We have always considered that once a resident has paid for their unit they have the greatest investment in it. Therefore, they ought to get the greatest share of the capital gain – and in our case we think it should be all of it. In return they should pay to us a fair fee for the service we provide in managing the village for them. We’ve concluded that 12.5% of the sale price is a fair exchange of value. We also give them the option of having a fixed outgoings fee for life and a higher DMF of 25%.
Comment on the Industry review:
Karaka Pines welcomes the review of the industry as it sees that there is need to have fairness included in the industry regulation. However, we don’t agree that there needs to be wholesale changes as consumers have considerable choice available to them. A key concern for us that that the regulations need to recognise the range of differing village styles emerging as consumer pressure begins to be felt.
A very important aspect of the review has to include the provisions of the Retirement Villages Act which work against residents under models such as ours (which are based on full capital gain share). In regard to the 10 practices that the Retirement Villages Residents Association are asking to be reviewed we support the need for fairness to be included in the industry standards and agree that residents should not be charged for services that they do not use. We also consider it unfair that a resident which gains no real value from the resale of a unit should bear any of the costs of the sale where they are not the ones making decisions.
Under the Karaka Pines model, residents have all the say in the sale of the unit – they determine the asking price and even who will do the selling.
Scale of Karaka Pines Villages:
The success of this model is not insignificant as we have 2 completed villages under management, 5 villages under development and are applying for the resource consent to develop an eighth.
So far we have 344 completed units and a total of 892 planned.
The following are the villages:
Karaka Lifestyle Estate Karaka, South Auckland. 281
Karaka Pines Rototuna Rototuna, Hamilton 128
Karaka Pines Waihi Beach Wahi Beach 96
Regency Park Estate Rotorua 87
Roseland Park Hillcrest, Hamilton 54
Kempton Park Bethlehem, Tauranga 54
Woodcroft Estate Rolleston, Canterbury 78
The application for resource consent for a new village in Papamoa East, Tauranga has been lodged and will be 114 units.
Adam Yates, the Chief Executive Officer has 25 years of experience in the Aged Care and Retirement Village sector and has led the development of 11 villages in this time.
Karaka Pines Villages is based in Tauranga.
Posted on

Maritime NZ reply to TAIC preliminary report into i-Catcher capsize

Source: Maritime New Zealand

The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) today released its preliminary report into the capsize of charter fishing vessel, i-Catcher, off Kaikōura on 10 September 2022. Five of the 11 people on board lost their lives.
Maritime NZ Deputy Chief Executive Regulatory Operations, Deb Despard, says this was a tragic incident.
“I want to offer my sincere condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this incident, as well as to everyone else who has been affected,” she says.
In its recommendations TAIC raised issues about how vessels’ fuel systems are inspected by maritime surveyors, particularly the parts of the system that cannot be seen and easily accessed because they are under decks or behind bulkheads.
Maritime NZ is acting on TAIC’s recommendation and is engaging with surveyors who inspect vessels, owners and operators who run them and maritime industry organisations so they are all aware of this important issue when conducting surveys and carrying out maintenance.
“We are working on guidance for the industry to remind them about some of the considerations raised.
“We are treating this as a priority and will communicate it to the industry as quickly as possible,” Ms Despard says.
Maritime NZ’s investigation into the incident is continuing. Any enforcement action must be taken no more than a year after the incident. In fairness to everyone involved, and to protect the integrity of the investigation, Maritime NZ cannot make any further comment about the incident until the investigation is concluded.
Posted on

Weather News – A Reprieve from Rain, but Cold Continues

Source: MetService

Covering period of Thursday 3rd – Monday 7th August – Following the coldest night of 2023 for Auckland which hit a mere 2.5°C, MetService is forecasting more cold temperatures over Te Ika-a-Māui /the North Island this weekend. However, there will be brighter skies over much of the country as we leave the wild weather of the last week behind.

The last remnants of the wild weather hold out in the Chatham Islands, with a Strong Wind Watch in place until 10am Friday morning.

It was not only the atmosphere that was wild either: a heavy southwesterly swell combined with king tides led to waves of almost thirteen metres battering Baring Head in Wellington Harbour in the early hours of Thursday morning. With large waves continuing Thursday and Friday for the eastern North Island, caution is advised for anyone in and around the water until the end of the working week.

Otherwise, southwesterly winds settle and clouds clear as Thursday ends, revealing a healthy coating of snow.

MetService meteorologist Clare O’Connor details, “The term ‘bluebird day’ comes to mind when considering conditions at ski fields on Friday, and likely Saturday also, with a developing ridge of high pressure bringing sunshine and light winds.”

With the clear skies come the cold nights; expect a frosty Friday morning over the central North Island, and the north and east of Te Waipounamu/the South Island. These chilly temperatures persist for the North Island throughout the weekend, but a weak cold front will disrupt the South Island late in the day on Friday – with light snow flurries possible to 600 metres.

Moving into Saturday, the east of the North Island collects the dregs of the dying front early in the day and showery northwesterlies develop in the west of the South Island. Expect a dry day elsewhere in Aotearoa for not only the first round of knockouts in the football World Cup in Auckland and Wellington, but rugby fans in Dunedin also.

O’Connor notes, “Saturday looks to be the best opportunity this weekend to address any outdoor tasks that the wild weather kept you from earlier in the week.”

“Sunday again sees an area of low pressure skimming the bottom of the South Island and a set of cold fronts moving up the country – a wet end to the weekend, and a wet beginning to the second week of August.”

For media enquiries or to arrange an interview with one of our meteorologists please call 04 4700 848 or email metcomms@metservice.com

Understanding MetService Severe Weather Warning System

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings (Localised Red Warning) – take cover now:

This warning is a red warning for a localised area.
When extremely severe weather is occurring or will do within the hour.
Severe thunderstorms have the ability to have significant impacts for an area indicated in the warning.
In the event of a Severe Thunderstorm Red Warning: Act now!

Red Warnings are about taking immediate action:

When extremely severe weather is imminent or is occurring
Issued when an event is expected to be among the worst that we get – it will have significant impact and it is possible that a lot of people will be affected
In the event of a Red Warning: Act now!

Orange Warnings are about taking action:

When severe weather is imminent or is occurring
Typically issued 1 – 3 days in advance of potential severe weather
In the event of an Orange Warning: Take action.

Thunderstorm Watch means thunderstorms are possible, be alert and consider action

Show the area that thunderstorms are most likely to occur during the validity period.
Although thunderstorms are often localised, the whole area is on watch as it is difficult to know exactly where the severe thunderstorm will occur within the mapped area.
During a thunderstorm Watch: Stay alert and take action if necessary.

Watches are about being alert:

When severe weather is possible, but not sufficiently imminent or certain for a warning to be issued
Typically issued 1 – 3 days in advance of potential severe weather.
During a Watch: Stay alert

Outlooks are about looking ahead:

To provide advanced information on possible future Watches and/or Warnings
Issued routinely once or twice a day
Recommendation: Plan

Posted on

Recreation News – Elusive birthplace of Lake Wānaka salmon revealed

Source: Fish and Game NZ

A long search for the birthplace of Lake Wānaka salmon has raised hopes to help protect their struggling population.
Otago Fish & Game has been surveying Southern Lakes tributaries for spawning land-locked Chinook salmon for the past five years.
Surveys had found salmon spawning sites in the Hāwea and Wakatipu catchments, but the location of Wānaka sites remained a mystery until now.
“We’re relieved to finally locate one of the spawning locations for Lake Wānaka salmon,” Cromwell-based Otago Fish & Game officer Mason Court said.
“While lake Hāwea and Wakatipu have productive salmon fisheries, the Wānaka salmon population has been struggling.”
The spawning salmon were spotted this winter in an unnamed tributary of the Makarora River during an on-foot survey of possible historic spawning locations.
“We can now work with landowners and other agencies to assess how we can improve this stream’s conditions to support salmon spawning in the Wānaka catchment.”
Fish & Game officers would continue the search for other Wānaka salmon spawning streams, Mr Court said.
Previously, Fish & Game had taken eDNA water samples from Makarora River to work out the upper limit of the salmon population. Although the samples had tested positive for the past two years, spawning salmon had not been visually sighted.
“Land-locked salmon are smaller than sea-run salmon, and therefore are harder to spot using a helicopter,” Mr Court said.
“So, we’ve relied on old-fashioned foot surveys combined with high-tech eDNA testing to find them”.
“Another challenge is that, like all Pacific salmon, Chinook salmon die after spawning, and their remains are quickly consumed by birds, mammals, trout and eels”.
“They vanish from sight with barely a trace.”
Chinook salmon were introduced to some South Island rivers from California in 1901 and began spawning, creating a valued sports fishery.
The salmon in the Southern Lakes have been landlocked since Roxburgh Dam was built in 1953 and are among of the purest strains of the species in the world.
The bright-silver fish range in size from only 500 grams to 1kg and are highly regarded for their eating qualities.
“The Wānaka salmon population declined in the early 2010s due to unknown reasons,” Mr Court said.
Under a 10-year management sportsfish plan, Otago Fish & Game committed significant resources to the Upper Clutha salmon fishery.
In the 2020-21 season, Fish & Game surveys recorded only 17 salmon caught by anglers in Lake Wānaka, Mr Court said.
“The numbers are still low.
“The decline in the Wānaka population is suspected to have affected sea-run populations of the lower Clutha River/Mata-au.”
A previous study found more than 60 per cent of sea-run salmon caught by anglers in the lower Clutha River/Mata-au were the progeny of land-locked lake-rearing populations above the Clyde and Roxburgh dams.
Anyone who sights salmon in the Wānaka catchment river system is asked to contact Otago Fish & Game.
WHAT IS FISH & GAME?
Fish & Game manage trout, salmon and game birds to provide healthy recreation for Kiwis.
We work to protect the environment that anglers and hunters have enjoyed as a tradition for over 150 years.