Tag Archives: government policies

Meridian, DoC and the Mokihinui River

Posted on 5 August, 2010 by Mike McGavinPrint This Post Print This Post

Just to add to some of happenings around the Mokihinui River (historic references: a trip report about walking it, a decision to allow damming it, and the Department of Conservation’s appeal to that decision), it looks as if there’s been … Continue reading →

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Environmental externalities from Mining in New Zealand (unverified notes)

Posted on 3 August, 2010 by Mike McGavinPrint This Post Print This Post

With everything happening lately regarding opening up (or not) land listed in Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act to mining, and with me being someone who likes getting outdoors, I’ve been keen to find some vaguely objective information about … Continue reading →

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Rising hut fees, the price of being honest

Posted on 5 July, 2010 by Mike McGavinPrint This Post Print This Post

I woke on Saturday morning to the Radio NZ news that back-country hut pass fees are to rise, or more to the point that they’ve already risen as of last Friday when the announcement was made. The base cost of … Continue reading →

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Mokihinui decision appealed

Posted on 30 April, 2010 by Mike McGavinPrint This Post Print This Post

Following from this decision, it’s interesting to read on Stuff that the Department of Conservation is now appealing the decision to allow damming of the Mokihinui River. (That’s the river we went for a walk along back during new year.) … Continue reading →

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Mining on Schedule 4 Land submissions

Posted on 27 April, 2010 by Mike McGavinPrint This Post Print This Post

If you’re not in New Zealand, or if you’ve been living with your head buried in a sandbox for the last few months, you might not be aware that the NZ government’s been considering opening up sections of Schedule 4 … Continue reading →

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Mokihinui to be dammed

Posted on 7 April, 2010 by Mike McGavinPrint This Post Print This Post

Well, probably. Several months ago I wrote about our trip along the Mokihinui River, which has been under threat of being dammed by Meridian Energy for some time. A few months later than planned, the Official Commission has finally released … Continue reading →

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Topo50 map boundaries and Wellington

Posted on 31 January, 2010 by Mike McGavinPrint This Post Print This Post

This post is my attempt to make sense of where the significant boundaries lie in the replacement 1:50000 Topo50 map series pushed out by Land Information New Zealand last September to replace the old 260 series. I can’t guarantee how … Continue reading →

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Fairness in paying for search and rescue

Posted on 17 January, 2010 by Mike McGavinPrint This Post Print This Post

Lately I’ve been following a story in the news about two stranded kayakers who were rescued, sent a bill, and are refusing to pay. I guess I’ve been finding the whole concept of being sent a bill for a search … Continue reading →

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Te Araroa to avoid Oriwa Ridge in the Tararuas

Posted on 23 December, 2009 by Mike McGavinPrint This Post Print This Post

New Zealand’s Department of Conservation has decided not to establish a track along Oriwa Ridge in the Tararuas as part of Te Araroa — The Long Pathway. Instead, DOC is recommending that Te Araroa go via the exposed tops in … Continue reading →

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Perspectives from Laos, and mining the Conservation Estate

Posted on 20 November, 2009 by Mike McGavinPrint This Post Print This Post

I’ve just returned from a few weeks in South East Asia, much of which was spent in Laos, albeit mostly on the tourist trail, and it’s a wonderful country. Much of what’s recently been in the media, as well as … Continue reading →

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