Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald

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Every weekday join the new voice of local issues on Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald, 9am-12pm weekdays.It’s all about the conversation with John, as he gets right into the things that get our community talking.If it’s news you’re after, backing John is the combined power of the Newstalk ZB and New Zealand Herald news teams. Meaning when it comes to covering breaking news – you will not beat local radio.With two decades experience in communications based in Christchurch, John also has a deep understanding of and connections to the Christchurch and Canterbury commercial sector.Newstalk ZB Canterbury Mornings 9am-12pm with John MacDonald on 100.1FM and iHeartRadio.

  1. 21h ago

    John MacDonald: Grass verges have had their day

    Grass verges have had their day. These are the areas of grass you see on streets, between the road and the footpath, where people sometimes park their cars. I’ll tell you why I think they should go. But first, let me tell you about some residents in the Christchurch suburb of Somerfield who aren’t happy about the city council putting in a heap of red and white markers to stop people parking on the verge. Rose Street is where 130 white and red markers, like the ones you see on state highways, have been put in. A move being described today as “ridiculous”, “hideous” and “stupid”. Apparently, since the markers have gone in, some people are parking on the road, next to the markers, which is making the space for vehicles more narrow. Which is crazy, isn’t it? I know Rose Street pretty well and it’s not off the beaten track. There’s a lot of traffic there at times because one of the entrances to Cashmere High School is on Rose Street. There’s a couple of rest homes. It’s a pretty busy street. The council’s not having a bar of the complaints, though. The local councillor, Tim Scandrett, is saying that people parking on verges and damaging them has been a problem for about 40 years. And so they have to try something to stamp it out. Now I’ve had an issue with grass verges for quite a while. Ever since people started putting rocks on the verges outside their houses, because they were brassed-off with people using the verge as a parking area, and the grass getting damaged and all that. I’ve had an issue with it because these busy bodies don’t own the verge, yet they carry-on as if they do. Rose Street is one of the areas where people have put these blasted rocks. So the council’s intervened and installed all of these white and red markers. The same council, might I point out, that has been perfectly happy to issue building consents left, right and centre for in-fill housing. Not just in Somerfield but across the whole city. In-fill housing developments that, most of the time, don‘t have enough space for off-street parking. Which means more people needing to park out on the street. So, instead of putting up markers and closing off the verge areas, the council should be getting rid of verges completely to create more on-street parking spaces. Because the situation at the moment, where more and more people are needing to park on the street and all of this parking space is being chewed up by grass verges, makes no sense to me whatsoever. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  2. 21h ago

    Politics Friday with Matt Doocey and Dan Rosewarne on Pegasus Golf Course development denied fast track

    National's Matt Doocey and Labour's Dan Rosewarne joined John MacDonald for Politics Friday this week. They covered some of the biggest issues of the week, from the Wolfbrook's Pegasus Golf Course development being denied fast track approval from the Government, what needs to be done about aged care in New Zealand, and what they reckon about The Green's wanting to increase the school lunch programme. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  3. 1d ago

    John MacDonald: Why can't we finger point over six avoidable deaths?

    If we aren’t all despairing at this revelation that the deadly Mount Maunganui landslide was preventable, then don’t expect anything to change. Because the fact that consultant after consultant warned about the risk of a landslide coming down on that campground for more than 25 years and yet it still happened, shows how much of a buck-passing country we are. Six people died in that tragedy in January this year. Six people who, I think it’s very fair to say, would still be here if these warnings hadn’t been ignored. I think the retired judge who did this report which came out yesterday has done a very good job. But I can‘t accept his view that blame can’t be pinned on any one person and that it was the system that failed. I can’t accept that. Because systems are only as good as the people who run them. And I’m really concerned that this disaster is going to turn out to be another example of how brilliant we are here in New Zealand at letting people get away with what I would describe (in my honest opinion) as nothing short of negligence. Whenever something like this happens, everyone talks about making sure it doesn’t happen again. Which I always take with a pinch of salt. In this case, I would like to think that this kind of thing will never happen again. But we can’t say that, unless we are prepared to see people carrying the can if they c**k up. Let me share a little bit of what Judge Paul Davison says in his report. “For more than two decades, one competent consultant after another identified the landslide hazard to the campground, located it on the very slope that failed, and explained, sometimes in stark terms, what the consequences of a landslide occurring could be.” His report says: “As long ago as 1999, Dr Laurie Richards warned that the siting of fragile holiday accommodation directly beneath these slopes was imprudent and the risk to sleeping occupants was high.” It gets worse. Another warning 20 years ago, in 2006, said a slip there would kill 21 people. And still, nothing was done. If there is anything to be thankful for, it’s the fact that it was six people who died and not the 21 talked about back in 2006. Nevertheless, this was a monumental c**k-up. And, even though I get what the judge is saying about the system being the problem, I can’t accept that we’re just going to let faceless people get away with this. Because all that’s going to do, is enable people to continue to get away with turning a blind eye time and time and time again. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  4. 2d ago

    John MacDonald: How many museums do we need?

    Sometimes, outfits like the Lyttelton Historical Society have to be told to get a grip. And today is one of those times. Because, in a place the size of Christchurch, how many museums is too many? What’s happening, is the Lyttelton Historical Society is gearing up to ask ratepayers for $8 million to help pay for a new maritime and colonial history museum. They want $8 million from the council to help build it and $300,000 a year on top of that to run the place. It would be in Lyttelton, which hasn’t had a museum since the earthquakes, and would house thousands of items which are being kept in storage at the Air Force Museum, in Wigram, free of charge. In the years between the quakes and now, there have been a few attempts to get a new museum off the ground in Lyttelton. But it hasn’t happened. And I don’t think it should happen. Unless they can pay for it without running to the council. Because, do we really need to shell out millions of dollars for a new museum in Lyttelton, when we’ve got Canterbury Museum just 20 minutes' drive away in town? No we don't. Do we really need to shell out millions of dollars for a new museum in Lyttelton, when we’ve also got the Okains Bay Museum on the Peninsula? No we don’t. The Okains Bay Museum which, by the way, is also telling us today that it’s planning a multi-million-dollar upgrade. No word yet, though, as to whether they’re also going to be asking the council for money to do it. But we know, for sure, that that’s what the people behind this idea of a new museum in Lyttelton are going to do. And, in my mind, the council has to say no. The argument that the Historical Society people seem to be basing their request on, is the findings of a feasibility study. Which found that only 53 percent of “stakeholders” they’ve spoken to about it think they would have any chance of raising the money themselves. And that 53 percent are dreaming. But 100 percent of these stakeholders they’ve spoken to think it would be a worthy project. Which is what always happens. Everyone thinks it’s a great idea but no one wants to pay for it. Or has any idea how to pay for it, apart from doing the usual thing and putting the hand out to ratepayers and taxpayers. And so they’re about to run off to the council to try and get $8 million. They’ve drafted up a proposal document which claims a museum in Lyttelton would support tourism and education and create jobs. Remembering this is the town where the locals complain about the cruise ships and say they do nothing for Lyttelton because as soon as they arrive, the passengers get off the ship and shoot straight through the tunnel into town. Now, though, when it suits, they’re saying a multi-million-dollar museum would stop these cruise ship passengers in their tracks. Dream on. What’s more, the council is already shelling out millions of dollars for the Canterbury Museum development. And, instead of shelling out more for another museum in Lyttelton, it should be telling the Lyttelton Historical Society that, if their collection is so important, then put it on a truck and send it to Canterbury Museum. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  5. 2d ago

    Chris Hipkins: Labour's won't support new tax policies from potential coalition partners

    Opposition Leader Chris Hipkins has insisted Labour will not support additional tax policies proposed by potential coalition partners. Speaking to Canterbury Mornings, Hipkins said Labour only have one tax policy that they are campaigning on, which is a targeted capital gains tax, and the rejection of any new taxes from any other parties is a bottom line for any potential coalition talks post-election. "If the Opportunity Party comes into Parliament and says look, a bottom line for us is that you must introduce a land tax, they'll be negotiating with National." They also discussed the comments Hipkins had made in Parliament about Christopher Luxon "hating" New Zealand, the new report showing the troubles facing aged-care, and the upcoming valedictory speech of Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  6. 3d ago

    John MacDonald: We have to get real about the future of aged care

    If you’re not convinced yet that our aged care system needs an overhaul, then maybe this will get you across the line. We’re being told today that we are facing “a mountain of unmet need” in the aged care sector. And the result of that is going to be even more pressure on hospitals and hundreds of millions of dollars for taxpayers. So this report from a government advisory group, which was given the job of doing an assessment of care services for older people, is pretty sobering. It says in just over a decade, we are going to have a shortage of more than 9,000 aged care residential beds. That’s the equivalent of half the population of Rangiora not having anywhere to go. You imagine 50 percent of the people in Rangiora being of an age where they can’t live independently anymore and needing to go into care and there not being anywhere for them to go. That’s the scenario we’re being warned about today. And the additional cost of that shortage of residential care beds to the taxpayer is going to be $600 million a year. Because, if people can’t go into care, then they’ll end up using hospitals more. Once it worked that out, the government advisory group had to work out what we can do to try and prevent that happening. And it’s saying today that the best course of action would be to make people pay more of their own money when they need to go into care. At the moment, you can have $300,000 worth of assets, not including your house, if you own one, before means testing kicks in. The advisory group says that threshold should drop to $100,000. Again, not including the house. Associate Health Minister Casey Costello is non-committal. But I don’t think this government, and whoever is in government after this year’s election, can ignore what this advisory group is saying. We can’t let things continue the way they are if it’s going to mean the equivalent of half the population of Rangiora not being able to get into aged care facilities within a decade. That’s why I think we have no choice. I think we are going to have to make people pay more. And the way to do it is through a tougher approach to means testing. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  7. 4d ago

    John MacDonald: No Karakia? Then no sneaky ciggie breaks, either

    David Seymour is out there fighting for the angry white guy, with this move to stop what he calls “race-based hiring requirements” in the public sector. I know about the angry white guy. Because I almost became one myself. Which I’ll tell you about. But what the ACT leader is saying today, is that the decision whether-or-not to give someone a job in the public service should only be based on their skills, their experience and their suitability for the role. He says: “Public service jobs should go to the best person for the job, regardless of race.” Which is going to be music to the ears of people who think they’ve lost out on a job because they had the wrong colour skin. ACT is also making music for people already working in the public sector who get brassed-off when they turn up to a meeting and nothing happens until there’s been a Māori Karakia blessing. David Seymour says government workers shouldn’t be expected to take part in spiritual practices just because they work for the government. He says: “Taxpayers should not be required to fund staff time or other resources for employer-initiated spiritual activity, either.” What are we talking about here, though? 15 or 30 seconds for a Karakia? That’s about it. Max. If David Seymour’s so worried about this all happening on taxpayer time, what about all those government workers who hang around outside sucking on cigarettes and vapes when they should be working? In David Seymour’s world, it’s OK for workers to do that while they’re clocked on. But they can’t possibly ‘waste’ 15-to-30 seconds doing a Karakia before a meeting. Because, generally, that’s how long these take. I know, because I’ve been in public sector meetings it happens. Which brings me to the story of how I almost became one of the angry white guys that David Seymour is fighting for today. I was working at Oranga Tamariki a few years back when the late Wira Gardiner took over as chief executive. And, as he settled into the job, I could tell that there was change happening. That there were a lot more Māori joining the organisation. Even in non-frontline areas, where I was working. Initially, I started to feel like I was on the outer. Because of the colour of my skin. And, for a while there, I started to resent it a bit. But the more I thought about it and learnt about the organisation needing to get away from being the outfit that had done a very good job of separating families - particularly Māori families - it made sense. It made sense to have people working across the organisation who live and breathe Māori culture. And, once I realised that, I pulled back from the brink of becoming another angry white guy. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  8. Aug 14

    John MacDonald: Ngāi Tahu's lesson for our local councils

    Instead of mucking around and asking local councils to come up with ideas on how to re-arrange themselves, the government should have just gone straight to Ngāi Tahu. Because, even though the iwi wasn’t asked to put forward a proposal, it has. And I think it’s brilliant. It’s one of those ideas that the councils themselves were always going to be incapable of coming up with. Because, what Ngāi Tahu has done, is it’s looked at the South Island and thought about what is best for the South Island. Which none of the South Island councils have done. Because they only care about what’s in it for them. In a nutshell, Ngāi Tahu is saying that, instead of having 24 councils in the South Island, we should just have five bigger ones. One area that isn’t covered in the plan is the very top of the South Island. That’s because it’s not part of Ngai Tahu’s tribal area. But the vast majority of the South Island would, generally, be divided by river boundaries. So Christchurch, Selwyn, Waimakariri, Hurunui and Kaikōura being merged into one council. With the boundaries pretty much being the Clarence River to the north, the Rakaia River to the south and the Southern Alps. Each council area would have a number of local boards, which people would be elected to and they would make decisions about really local things like pools and libraries. And there’d be a South Island-wide shared services entity which would be responsible for things like consents and planning. Which, to me, sounds something like a South Island-wide version of ECan. What is there not to like? My only criticism is that I think Ngāi Tahu might have left its run a bit late. It should have been coming out with this way before now. Because it might just have encouraged our councils to think beyond their own doorstep. Because, when you look at what the councils around here have come up with, their own doorstep is pretty much where their thinking has started and finished. Christchurch has decided it wants to stay as it is, the only change being adding ECan’s responsibilities to its workload. Selwyn is exactly the same. And Waimakariri says it’s prepared to merge with Hurunui. But we know it’s doing that reluctantly, because it had to come up with something to keep the government happy. What’s more, the government isn’t obliged to take any notice of what Ngāi Tahu is saying here, because it’s not a council and wasn’t asked to put any ideas forward. But I think this would be a way better way of arranging local government in the South Island than the hotchpotch of ideas from local councils that have landed on the government’s desk. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Every weekday join the new voice of local issues on Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald, 9am-12pm weekdays.It’s all about the conversation with John, as he gets right into the things that get our community talking.If it’s news you’re after, backing John is the combined power of the Newstalk ZB and New Zealand Herald news teams. Meaning when it comes to covering breaking news – you will not beat local radio.With two decades experience in communications based in Christchurch, John also has a deep understanding of and connections to the Christchurch and Canterbury commercial sector.Newstalk ZB Canterbury Mornings 9am-12pm with John MacDonald on 100.1FM and iHeartRadio.

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