Renting in Aotearoa NZ? Please fill in the survey; if nothing else the results will help me with council decision-making! Own your home? Please share it widely to get max responses.

Kia ora ano, we are having the Policy, Planning & Development Committee of Auckland Council today - everyone is here in person atm except for Crs Fletcher, Burns, Paterson-Hamlin who are all online for illness/injury. (Watson, Newman & Lee were a bit late, only Lee w apols for lateness)...

High unemployment and a cost of living crisis and increased transport costs and an ongoing housing shortage in parts of the sector and climate disasters and increased social division - this cluster requires leadership to navigate a way through.

Guys I enjoy hating on National's shitty economy as much as anyone but I just want to once again say that the racism, climate denial, stripping the country for parts, destroying education, screwing over women plus loads more should still be a massive problem even if the economy was great #nzpol

Did some work with ACC late last year on the impact of the crash that broke my leg and here's one of the stories that has resulted www.acc.co.nz/newsroom/sto... thx to my junior junior associate for wanting to be in the pics with me (this is Early for those who recall that, now 10years old!)

Have you heard of “The Populist Playbook?” A few years ago, I posted what I still consider one of my most important messages. It was about “The Populist Playbook” that I’ve watched play out often over my 33+ years of city planning. Since then, it’s only gotten worse. Do the steps sound familiar?

Colleagues keep repeating the claim rates are households’ largest expense. How??? Rent, mortgage, transport, power, childcare, FOOD - these are all real things.

I remember the one time I watched Cops or whatever it was called, a couple of years ago by accident. The police officer was doing an illegal search in a carpark which in NZ would have been an outrage. Quite proudly, speaking to the camera, threatening with gun, etc.

Still having a very hard time understanding how cameras are going to be the thing that stops what we all saw happen on camera from multiple angles

Wayne Brown wearing his rates cap while talking about 'opposition to the central government re-election policy' aka the rates capping policy

Mōrena and welcome back to Auckland Council for 2026! First committee meeting of the day today and it's Governing Body. We are waiting to start and at the moment have most councillors in the room, just that start of the school year catch-ups delaying us.

If you can go straight past climate change, and long standing calls by tangata whenua to respect our planet, to instead blame Māori for landslides then that’s racist bait right there. It’s bad faith and lies and our media should shun it, not give it bandwidth. It’s hateful nonsense.

This is some Handmaid’s Tale shit.

This cause is close to my heart - please sign: our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/st...

life ending and infrastructure destroying floods are now an annual occurrence in new zealand. there is no political recognition of this new reality, and thus there is no resourcing for its prevention. we are not ready

PLEASE if you can help with funds for Te Araroa whānau to help Manaaki Matakāoa get shit done, helping whānau in need during the floods that have destroyed their whenua and have cut them off from everyone. www.manaakimatakaoa.com

As the rain continues here, just thinking of the North & East Coast. I know iwi are opening marae to all in need, sheltering & feeding them out of aroha. No general recognition or appreciation nationally, no koha back to them. Let's donate to local marae, iwi or hapū if we can💚 Happy to boost.

One year ago PM Luxon chose the unqualified & anti-choice politician Simeon Brown for Health Minister after actual GP Shane Reti wouldn't dismantle the health system fast enough.They WILL go after #abortion rights given another term. Look at their attack on bodily autonomy w/ #pubertyblockers #nzpol

Saw the cutest puppy being gently held back from leaping from a car window while I was on Dominion Rd today and omg best thing. (I’m back at work from Monday)

The similarity with men vs women fears about first dates…

Hello, I’m an artist who mostly focuses on the nature of Aotearoa/NZ these days (but I also love spooky stuff) Welcome to BlueSky if you’re a new artist here! Pepperraccoon.com #Kikorangi

Probably people waiting for buses to Hidden Valley, Matakana music festival.

Anyone know what the deal is w AT app saying Albany bus station is closed due to “large crowds blocking the bus stops”? Tia

On an AT Joyride bus at last! Noel Leeming version on the 25B. No pics yet. #BusLife #LoveAKL

Ok I have left the office for 2025! Auto reply is almost always on but now updated for the summer break. I have a list of jobs for when I’m back in the office, put my plants by the office plants for watering, blocked out my calendar times for Jan & Feb so I don’t get mtgs in slots I can’t do. Phew.

Almost forgot this weird claim from Monday’s council debate about residential parking permit - Cr Lee reckons everyone has a right to park on the road outside their house. Um wot?

Some last minute info and advice about doing a submission for Plan Change 120 from moi, thanks to @cityvision.bsky.social for hosting on their website cityvision.org.nz/news/your-al...

I was riding my bike along Upper Queen St from probably 4.50pm to 4.55pm, all peaceful and no police 🤷🏻‍♀️ www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland/... Man arrested with samurai sword after armed police swarm central Auckland

My giftee has thoughtfully posted last night that they can’t open until after 7pm so I don’t have to stress and refresh all day, phew. Huge thanks to the very magical elves @secretsanta.nz who make this joy happen.

Oh Santa what glorious gifts! Thank you so much! I need a new pot plant for my office and the felt pout is perfect for it, the Matariki lamp is gorgeous (and we are about to do up our bedroom so this is just what I needed) and the tea towel is bright & fun. Love it all ❤️💚 #SecretSantaAoNZ

Anyone can become disabled. Anyone can become chronically ill. It’s not a choice. It’s not a moral failing. It’s not something you can “try harder” your way out of. You can be the healthiest person in the world & completely disabled in an instant. It’s a minority group you can join anytime.

Fun thing about the Herald’s coverage of PC120. Since Thursday 4th Dec they have had an op Ed from me, deputy chair of the relevant council committee, explaining some of the stuff previous op Ed’s got wrong, and encouraging folks to submit. It remains unpublished & no reply to me when I ask why. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Show me a billionaire CEO that works harder than a line cook.

Trans rights are human rights. Trans rights are human rights. Trans rights are human rights. Trans rights are human rights. Trans rights are human rights. Trans rights are human rights. Trans rights are human rights.

I have a medium junior associate who is about to have a fair amount of time off school and is looking for interesting places to visit in AKL - they will do Ikea tomorrow. Interested in day trips to spots on the fringes to explore (have HOP card will travel). Done Hamilton already. Ideas pls!

I really don’t get the city centre hate. It’s become a beautiful place to be. Yet Facebook commenters insist on telling me it’s a wasteland with “roving bands of thugs”. I’m literally here multiple days a week and that’s just nonsense.

I really need a sleep in. It’s been weeks since I’ve been able to have one and lots of extra early starts. Today’s attempt to sleep until 8.30am foiled by stressing about a thing, noisy trucks and being angry at the Herald, sigh. Next opportunity: Sunday. Wish me luck.

DECK THE HALLS WITH PROPER STAFFING #nzpol #healthcare #northshorehospital

Can anyone point me to the clip of Tze Ming schooling Bishop on whst neoliberalism is when he tried to be all “what are words anyway”? Tia fellow nerd(s)

Saw a v cute dog run ahead of their person, to hide in the long grass, unaware they had on a neon pink top, bless.

Anyone else got local Nat MPs getting all up in local govt issues while assidously avoiding local concerns about central govt ones like health, education, stalled Kāinga Ora builds, policing? Got an MP having a public meeting about speed bumps on a street that’s had them for about 20 years 🤦🏻‍♀️

Proof of Present! Thank you Secret Santa, it has arrived!

A rates cap ensures two things: 1. Future councils may not have the resources to do necessary things. 2. Due to 1 above, the rates will always increase to the maximum value.

The government does not believe in local democracy. #nzpol

I'll be very interested to see the analysis Mnr Watts has that shows a rates cap range of 2-4% is viable. And any evidence that rates are currently in the unaffordable range. I ask council staff every time if the rates proposed are within the affordable range (as % of income); so far always yes.

AKL's situation on withdrawing MDRS has been v different from Chch's, despite reports today suggesting otherwise. Mythbuster coming soon from Council, I understand Minister had already told Herald it was different before they published. Sigh. PC120 process doesn't need more misinfo tyvm.

It's been A Week. Between PC120 and Eden Park I've had hardly a moment to think or reply to emails and it's eating away at me. Two councillor clinics to do tomorrow, and one on Sunday morning, and then an arvo with the most junior associate and some rocks.

We look so good compared to [checks list] Hong Kong which [checks notes] launched a citywide uprising in the face of the world's largest authoritarian government riding a nothing-left-to-lose mentality captured by the line "7k for a house like a cell/you really think we out here scared of jail?"

Kids maybe don’t read Marilyn Waring’s book chronicling her time in the National caucus before bed; I dreamt that my mum was an MP and she and another MP were having this ongoing argument w Muldoon who was deputy PM and Holyoake was there too as PM and I was trying to facilitate…