Auckland Council’s decision to replace safe hot water-based weed control with the potentially toxic herbicide glyphosate in playgrounds, parks, and streets raises questions about whether communities are having their desire to remain spray-free ignored, the Green Party said. On Friday, an attempt by two Auckland Councillors to return to using hot water-based weed management across the whole city was ruled out of order. “It looks like communities and local boards who want to be spray free are being ignored by...

The Government’s new emergency housing fund money does nothing to address the underlying causes of Auckland’s affordable housing crisis, the Green Party said today. Paula Bennett today announced a $41.1 million-dollar emergency housing fund boost to be spent over the next four years. “The Government finding some money to help the outstanding organisations who feed, clothe and help house our homeless is a good step, but it doesn’t address the underlying causes of the Auckland affordable housing crisis or prevent...

SkyCity’s 30 percent profit increase comes at the cost of problem gambling affecting Auckland families and is no cause for celebration, the Green Party said. SkyCity today posted a first half profit of $71 million, up 30 percent on the previous six months, reportedly boasting that it was already profiting from the pokies for convention centre deal. “SkyCity’s boosted profit results reveal just who the Government’s dodgy convention centre deal was designed to benefit – and it’s not Aucklanders,” Green Party Auckland...

The Government’s failure to build affordable housing, and to ensure rentals are long-term and healthy to live in, has created a ticking time bomb of homelessness as hundreds of thousands of baby boomers arrive at retirement, the Green Party said today. The Salvation Army today released its report Homeless Baby Boomers showing that upwards of 200,000 baby boomers are set to arrive at retirement age, without the traditional safety net of their own home, creating huge uncertainty in their old...

The roll-out of 470 new gambling machines and tables at SkyCity’s Auckland casino from today, as reported on RNZ this morning, will hit families in the pocket and put already-vulnerable Kiwis at further risk, the Green Party said. The multi-national gambling corporation is allowed to increase the number of tables and machines as part of its highly controversial back-room deal with the National Government, in exchange for building a new convention centre. “SkyCity may be laughing all the way to...