Joel MacManus telling the hard truths about Wellington, wake up sheeple! thespinoff.co.nz/politics/18-...

‘A ghost town’: Car lanes in the city are stuffing up Wellington

Wellington City Council needs to cut pet projects and non-essentials, like its $1.1 billion car lane budget.

Re the "Heated Tobacco" issues -- I am not a public health scientist, but it strikes me as noteworthy that several of the supposed "articles" that Costello used to support her position on heated tobacco products appeared in a journal run by a famously "predatory" publisher MDPI 1/N

So true, if they insist on building a tunnel then a second Mt Vic tunnel would make more sense, still a poor use of money but at least it would be less money!

And still...no comment from our Science minister

DLlcsnz.bsky.socialSep 24, 2024 10:17pm

GNS have confirmed they are cutting over forty science roles including in areas like risk modelling and geohazards, in service of “improved” profits. This is what a commercial model for public good science does. The damage to our capability and reputation will be long-lasting.

‘Huge blow’: GNS Science confirms move to cut 10% of its workforce

Hazard-focused roles among dozens of jobs to be cut in confirmed GNS Science restructure.

It does feel like the Wellington MPs are not being nearly as loud as they should be. I've barely seen any comment from Tamatha Paul, which is in contrast to when she was on council. Perhaps it's easier to have local impact when on the council rather than an electorate MP

If you're feeling stressed or frustrated, I find that looking at a cat snoozing in the sun is a good antidote

It's hardly just an 'operational' matter as the minister claims, when the cost cutting is driven by govt cuts to research funding, and a push for science to be commercial instead of recognising that core science like this is critical and valuable in and of itself. www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/gns-cuts-...

Cost cutting could ‘devastate’ research on NZ’s biggest tsunami threat - 85 experts

Dozens of the world's top geoscientists have urged GNS to rethink axing 46 research jobs.

We are going to seriously damage our international scientific reputation if these cuts are added to the sustained cuts across the Universities and Crown Research Institutes. How can Minister Collins continue to offer no comment? What does she think her job is? www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/gns-cuts-...

Cost cutting could ‘devastate’ research on NZ’s biggest tsunami threat - 85 experts

Dozens of the world's top geoscientists have urged GNS to rethink axing 46 research jobs.

There's very little self-reflection in these stories. I've been to plenty of places recently in Welly that have been doing great, e.g. LBQ has been pumping recently because they offer something interesting, innovative and excellent and the staff are lovely

We invest in universities because it pays off for all of us when we do. Education is not a finite resource: we should be supporting everyone into training & tertiary education to the maximum extent we can get people to do the work.