Author: spiralcompute

Labour MP Shanan Halbert has taken action following the cancellation of a storytime event at Upper Hutt Library featuring a drag king, citing concerns over threatening behavior that led to the event’s shutdown. This development follows protests by Destiny Church opposing an upcoming reading session by drag performer Willy SmacknTush.Brian Tamaki, leader of Destiny Church, issued a statement urging Upper Hutt mayor Wayne Guppy to cancel the event, warning of potential disruptions by church members and affiliated groups if his demands were not met. Upper Hutt City Council’s director of community services, Mike Ryan, indicated that the decision to cancel…

A recent survey of Wellingtonians reveals a significant decline in residents’ pride in their city and trust in the city council. The Residents Monitoring Survey, conducted by the Wellington City Council, gathered responses from 1100 randomly selected individuals from their Capital Views panel.Key Findings:Satisfaction with council decisions: Only 20% of residents expressed satisfaction with the council’s decision-making, while 50% were dissatisfied. Mayor Tory Whanau acknowledged the need for improvement but highlighted a slight increase from a historic low of 12% in 2022.Pride in the city: Pride in Wellington’s appearance has reached its lowest point in the past decade, with only…

A serious assault occurred at Wellington Girls’ College in Thorndon this friday, resulting in one student being hospitalized with serious injuries. Police and emergency services were dispatched to the scene on Pipitea Street shortly after 10 AM following reports of the incident.The school administration confirmed that two students were involved in the altercation. To ensure the privacy and safety of those involved, students were temporarily asked to remain in their classrooms. However, the school has reassured parents and the public that the situation is under control and classes have resumed as normal. Lunchtime activities are also proceeding as scheduled.Principal Julia…

I had the absolute pleasure of organizing a meeting between a ex Scott’s boy Craig Gribble, who at the time was a big wig at Merri Lynch Sydney offices, and the legendary founders of TRADE ME Sam Morgan and Rowan Swain. There, we were waiting breathlessly for the pitch from the 5 Merrill executives. The Merrill boys were repping the Canadian pension fund. They wanted to know if Sam, in all his newfound success, wanted to buy the Yellow Pages.Did TRADE ME want to buy the biggest competitor they had? Amidst all the excitement, Sam jumps up and draws a…

Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand, is a microcosm of the nation’s road safety challenges. In 2022, Wellington saw a 15% increase in road accidents compared to the previous year, with the following breakdown: Accidents: 780 (2022) vs 680 (2021) Fatalities: 4 Serious Injuries: 58 The city’s winding roads, combined with increasing traffic congestion (an average of 30 minutes of delay per commuter daily) and a growing population (215,000 residents as of 2023), have contributed to a rise in accidents. This mirrors the national trend, where factors like driver distraction (responsible for 30% of fatal crashes), impaired driving…

Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city, was once a far cry from the bustling, cosmopolitan hub it is today. In its early days, the city was characterized by a grey, uninviting atmosphere, with a population of a mere 400 people living in the CBD. The culinary scene could have been better, with a handful of restaurants and a mere 20 bars catering to the limited clientele.However, over the decades, Wellington underwent a remarkable transformation, shedding its drab image and emerging as a vibrant epicenter of hospitality. The city’s evolution can be traced through various factors, including a growing population, changing demographics,…

In a bold move, Suburban Tauranga’s Matua Bar has decided to remove all of its pokie machines, hoping to foster a more welcoming atmosphere for families and the community.Co-owners April Fletcher and Jeff Hazelwood, who took over the establishment two years ago, initially reduced the number of machines from nine to seven. Now, they’re taking the final step of removing them entirely.Fletcher expressed her dislike for pokies, believing they hurt the community. “We’re better off having more table space and fun space rather than having these machines in here,” she stated.The decision comes amid a growing awareness of the harm…

Wellington Airport is a busy hub with around 250 flights coming and going every day. Because planes need to take off and land in the wind, and Wellington’s runway is north-south, the wind plays a big part in flight directions. Most of the time, the wind blows from the north, so planes usually arrive from the south, landing in the wind, and then take off towards the north. But when the wind changes and blows from the south, everything flips, and planes do the opposite!Due to prevailing northerly winds, 70% of arrivals into Wellington Airport come from the south, flying…

Over the past ten years, Wellington has experienced a subtle yet significant shift in its ethnic makeup. While the European population remains the largest group in most suburbs, its dominance has slightly decreased. This change is most noticeable in the city center (CBD), where the Asian population has grown considerably, likely due to an influx of international students and skilled workers.The accompanying graph visually illustrates these trends. Each bar chart represents a suburb, with the vertical axis showing the percentage of each ethnic group in 2013 (blue) and 2023 (orange). The stacked bars make it easy to compare the proportions…

A legal battle is brewing between the Wellington Pride Festival (WPF) and Lesbian Action for Visibility Aotearoa (Lava), a lesbian group that holds views considered anti-trans. The dispute centers on WPF’s 2021 decision to deny Lava a stall at their annual gala, citing concerns raised by the community about the group’s stance on transgender individuals.WPF board co-chair Tasmin Prichard defended the decision, emphasizing the festival’s commitment to inclusivity and equal rights for trans people. Prichard also highlighted the festival’s rigorous selection process for stalls, which prioritizes those that contribute positively to the overall experience of attendees.Lava, however, argues that the…