Hamilton

In a refreshing article on Stuff they have provided balance by doing an article that gives the other side of the story other than the story of an embittered bludger.

Western Community Centre manager Neil Tolan says the Nawton community has plenty of positives after it was branded a “hellhole” by a disgruntled resident.

A Nawton community advocate is sticking up for his suburb after it was described by an disgruntled Aucklander as a hellhole.

…Auckland beneficiary Teri Standen went public on Thursday to say she had been living in Nawton for five months after accepting a $3510.50 Housing New Zealand relocation grant, but would rather live in a caravan in Auckland.

Standen said there are gangs in the area, her 12-year-old son has been bullied at school and she won’t let her 19-year-old daughter walk home from the bus stop.

“Unfortunately, the good things in communities don’t get the spotlight they deserve,” Tolan said in reply.

“Elliot Park is pumping every night with sports teams training and families down here watching. Our local shopping centre, our custodian there does a massive job polishing bins and making sure car parks are there for disability people. Teachers are working late at night. There is a real pride.”

Read more »

There is absolutely no need to be begging on the streets in NZ. We have a gold plated welfare system and plenty of well-meaning aid agencies.

It has always been my firm belief that begging is a lifestyle choice and a survey in Hamilton tends to support that.

A weekend police survey in Hamilton discovered only two beggars were actually homeless and the others were bringing props and even dogs to help them appear poor.

The survey found only two of the 15 beggars were homeless.

The remaining 13 had brought duvet covers, cardboard signs and even sickly looking pets to give the impression they were living on the streets.

The city’s business community has called for change after beggars have been harassing or intimidating residents, according to TVNZ.   Read more »

This is today’s rugby post.  You can join the rest of us “multi-screen” tragics if you like by sharing the excitement/outrage of today’s game by sharing your thoughts and feelings.

Before the game starts, you can post your guess for the final score.  Winner gets bragging rights.

PLEASE no rugby talk in Bakchat.  No scores, no final results – some people may still want to watch the game later.  Thank you.

When I heard National were handing out $1b to councils, my first question was: Where the hell did Bill English find a spare billion?

The Government says councils facing dire housing shortages are “incredibly enthusiastic” about the $1 billion infrastructure development fund that’s just been announced.

It’s the latest move to tackle the Government’s most pressing problem and Prime Minister John Key says it could help create “tens of thousands” of new homes.

He announced the initiative at the National Party’s annual conference in Christchurch on Sunday.

The fund will be open to councils in areas with high population growth – Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown, Tauranga and Hamilton.

“I’ve spoken to all five of those councils, they are incredibly enthusiastic about its potential,” Building and Housing Minister Nick Smith told reporters.

“The Government wants pace around housing.” Read more »

Finally a council has outdone Auckland Council on stupid sculptures.

If you thought $1m for a fake state house on Auckland waterfront was bad look at what has been inflicted on Hamilton.

For a few minutes the rain held off and the grey clouds parted for people to see Hamilton’s newest central city art work.

The three-storey sculpture, Tongue of the Dog, created by artist Michael Parekowhai, was officially opened on Victoria Street on Tuesday evening.

The $700,000 sculpture was gifted to the city by Mesh Sculpture Hamilton, and funded by donations from more than 70 different donors.

Art enthusiasts, sponsors, donors, city councillors, and the public admired the sculpture which is set outside Waikato Museum.   Read more »

I suppose this was always on the cards when someone decided to house the Afghan interpreters in Hamilton and Palmerston North.

I’m only surprised that it was Hamilton and not Palmerston North where the ferals became so bad that the Afghans want to leave.

A group of Afghans who put their lives at risk helping Kiwi soldiers take on the Taliban in Afghanistan  has met its match in Hamilton.

An unspecified number of interpreters, who were relocated to New Zealand with their families, have requested assistance to leave the city after becoming concerned for their safety.

A briefing prepared by the Defence Force for Minister Gerry Brownlee and released under the Official Information Act reveals the group has expressed their “potential dissatisfaction” about their situation.

Having served with the Kiwi SAS and with soldiers of the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Bamiyan province, the group of immigrants requested financial assistance to move to Auckland. Two other immigrants who arrived in New Zealand with the same group were happy to remain in Hamilton.

A total of 44 interpreters resettled in New Zealand, with an additional 96 family members migrating as well. Most initially went to Hamilton or Palmerston North.    Read more »

So a bronze statue of an old maori king is to be unveiled in Hamilton, but the current King can’t be arsed to turn up for it and will send his felon son instead.  

It’s all class in Maori kingdom.

The unveiling of a bronze sculpture of the second Maori King is an historic moment for Hamilton, says the city’s mayor.

Noted Kiwi artist Gary Schofield created the sculpture of Kiingi Tawhiao Matutaera Potatau Te Wherewhero back in the 1980s, but always planned to gift it to the city to mark its 150th anniversary.

And with Schofield visiting the country and Hamilton celebrating its 150th this month, today’s the day when the sculpture will finally be unveiled at Waikato Museum.   Read more »

A syphilis surge in Christchurch has sparked a call for more awareness about safe sex.

In the past 18 months, syphilis cases have doubled in the city, according to the New Zealand Aids Foundation.

The jump in syphilis cases was due to gay and bisexual men having unprotected sex, Aids Foundation executive director Shaun Robinson said.

He said gay and bisexual men were “far more at risk” of contracting syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections than heterosexuals.

“87 per cent of all cases of syphilis in New Zealand are amongst gay and bisexual men,” he said.

“There is an easy way to stop this – use condoms.” Read more »

Key Derangement Syndrome is strong in the scumbag who defaced a charity’s billboard in order to make some sort of spurious political point.

A Heart Foundation billboard in Hamilton has been defaced in political protest.

The billboard aimed at raising awareness of heart disease as ‘New Zealand’s biggest killer’ was erected on Commerce St, Frankton in early February.

Yesterday the foundation was informed by a member of the public the blackened out image of a man representing the disease as a ‘serial killer’ had been replaced with a sketch of the Prime Minister John Key’s face.

Heart Foundation head of marketing Vanessa Winning said foundation employees and volunteers are upset the billboard has been used for political protest.

“It’s really disappointing that a charity is being targeted to score political points. I find it unthinkable that someone would vandalise our billboard, and consequently mock a seriously crippling disease, just to make a political statement.”    Read more »

They are incapable of admitting they are wrong.

In Hamilton West Tim MacIndoe benefited hugely from The Moroney Effect, the special electoral effect that increases a National party candidates majority when Sue Moroney stands against them. He did indeed increase his majority as a result.

Hamilton remained true blue on election night with both incumbents cruising to victory.

In Hamilton East David Bennett won a fourth term, beating out Labour’s Cliff Allen with a massive majority of nearly 9000.

In doing so, he became the first person ever to win the seat four times.

Meanwhile, Tim Macindoe won Hamilton West for the third time, sweeping past Sue Moroney by more than 5400 votes.

It was a tense night for the Moroney camp as Labour’s disastrous share of the party vote saw her only just squeeze back into Parliament in fourth place on the party list.

In her concession speech to party faithful at the Trade Union centre in Hamilton, she was unsure if a return to Parliament was on the cards.

Fortunately for Tim MacIndoe’s electoral prospects she is still in parliament…at the moment.   Read more »