One Billion Trees - show me the green
The Labour-NZ First coalition government has committed to planting 1 billion trees over 10 years. That sounds like a massive number, but it is achievable.
There are a few logistical stumbling blocks to get around first, like finding the land and the manpower to plant the trees. But these problems can be overcome if you have enough money to throw at them.
Changes to LVR restrictions
ATTENTION FIRST HOME BUYERS AND INVESTORS. The dream of owning a home or investment property is about to become a little bit more of a reality, as LVR (loan-to-value ratio) lending limits are set to be relaxed.
Purchasing land in a development
So you have decided to build your dream home and are looking for land to build on. If you decide to purchase land in a development, the following are some practical points to take into account when making your decision.
Zero Hour Contracts
Availability provisions were in the headlines last year following the reaction of workers to what were termed “zero hour contracts”. These were contracts that did not guarantee any weekly hours for workers, but workers were prevented from working elsewhere.
The law was amended to prevent this and now we see its first application in the Courts. Unfortunately the Employment Court decision has not provided all the answers that we would have liked, but there are some useful points to take away from it.
The safety of scrums, front-on defence, and your child
British academics Professor Allyson Pollock and Graham Kirkwood have come out and requested that tackling and other forms of “harmful contact” be banned from school rugby. World renowned neuropathologist Dr Bennet Omalu also recently called for parents to stop their children from playing contact sports until they are at least 18, or risk them suffering permanent brain damage.
When Dr Omalu came on New Zealand TV and started talking about the damage head knocks can have on children’s brains, my wife immediately paid attention. Master A is 6 months old and is our first born. “He’s not playing rugby”, said my wife. “What if he wants to play rugby”, I replied? “He’s still not”, she shot back.
