Category: Global Agendas

National Emergency Management Agency on Space Weather (2024 Plan and 2025 Exercise)

Dec 15, 2025 | Article, Climate Change and Weather, Emergency Services, Health and Safety, Internet of Things, Natural Hazards, New Zealand Issues, News, Parliament, Safety and Well-being, Smart Cities (+ 20-minute Cities)

Consultation Closes 08 January 2026: “Land Transport (Revenue) Amendment Bill”

Dec 4, 2025 | Auckland City, Buller District, Christchurch City, Cities, Cities and Regions, Consultation, Core Services, Council Funding, Council Spending, Data-driven, Dunedin City, Far North District, Global Agendas, Greater Wellington Region, Hamilton City, Hutt City, Incoming Legislation, Infrastructure, Internet of Things, Invercargill City, Kaipara District, Kapiti Coast District, Law and Legislation, Local Government Reform, Nelson City, New Plymouth District, New Zealand Issues, News, Palmerston North City, Porirua City, Rangitīkei District, Regions, Regulations, Road Pricing and Congestion Charges, Smart Cities (+ 20-minute Cities), Surveillance, Taking Action, Tauranga City, Toll Roads, Transport and Roading, Upper Hutt City, Voting Record, Waikato Region, Waipa District, Whanganui District

OPINION: LGNZ is Confusing Myth and Truth (Part 2)

Sep 3, 2025 | Auckland City, Climate Change and Weather, Core Services, Council Debt, Council Finances, Council Funding, Council Spending, Global Agendas, Global Warming, Hamilton City, Hostile Architecture, Incoming Legislation, International, International Organisation, Internet of Things, Kaipara District, Law and Legislation, LGNZ, Mode Shift, New Zealand Issues, Opinion, Parliament, Professional Managerial Class, Property Rights, Protest, Rates Increases, Regulations, Road Pricing and Congestion Charges, Smart Cities (+ 20-minute Cities), Surveillance, Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), Traffic Calming, Transport and Roading, UN 2030 Agenda, United Nations, Water Meters, WEF, Wellington City

Newsroom covers the Building Nations conference and “the great privatisation”

Sep 1, 2025 | Article, Asset Sales, Cities, Core Services, Council Debt, Council Finances, Council Funding, Developer Contributions, Global Agendas, International, New Zealand Issues, News, Opinion, Regulations, Road Pricing and Congestion Charges, Three Waters, Toll Roads, Transport and Roading, WEF

OPINION: Transforming New Zealand’s Local Government

Aug 31, 2025 | Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cities, Consultation, Core Services, Council Finances, Council Funding, Council Meetings, Council Spending, Data-driven, Direct Democracy, Fixing Councils Series, Flood Risk, Infrastructure, International, Internet of Things, Law and Legislation, Libraries and Museums, Local Government Reform, New Zealand Issues, Opinion, Parks and Reserves, Public Transport, Recycling, Sports and Events, Transport and Roading

Why are Councils Leaving LGNZ?

Jul 31, 2025 | Article, Cities, Climate Change and Weather, Council Finances, Council Meetings, Council Spending, Global Agendas, Global Warming, Government Organisations, LGNZ, Local Government Reform, New Zealand Issues, News, Opinion, Professional Managerial Class, Regions, Taking Action, Voting Record

Opposition to Automatic Number Plate Recognition Camera Systems Builds in the USA

Jun 29, 2025 | Article, Cities, Crime, Global Agendas, International, Internet of Things, News, Road Pricing and Congestion Charges, Smart Cities (+ 20-minute Cities), Surveillance, Taking Action, Toll Roads, Transport and Roading

KPMG International Publication – “The Great Reset: Emerging trends in infrastructure and transport”

May 31, 2025 | Article, Asset Sales, Cities, Climate Change and Weather, Core Services, Council Debt, Council Finances, Council Funding, Developer Contributions, Global Agendas, Global Warming, International, Internet of Things, News, Opinion, Regulations, Road Pricing and Congestion Charges, Smart Cities (+ 20-minute Cities), Surveillance, Three Waters, Toll Roads, Transport and Roading, WEF

OPINION: Why Make Things Simple When You Can Make Them Complicated?

May 29, 2025 | Council Finances, Council Funding, Hamilton City, Internet of Things, New Zealand Issues, Opinion, Smart Cities (+ 20-minute Cities), Transport and Roading

New York Governor and the “Feds” clash over Manhattan’s new congestion charges

Apr 30, 2025 | Article, C40 Cities, Cities, Climate Change and Weather, Court case, Global Agendas, Global Warming, International, Internet of Things, Mode Shift, News, Public Transport, Regulations, Road Pricing and Congestion Charges, Smart Cities (+ 20-minute Cities), Surveillance, Toll Roads, Transport and Roading

OPINION: Six Major Reasons to Oppose Road Pricing

Apr 22, 2025 | Article, Auckland City, Christchurch City, Consultation, Council Debt, Council Funding, Hamilton City, Incoming Legislation, Internet of Things, Law and Legislation, Mode Shift, New Zealand Issues, Opinion, Parliament, Petitions, Protest, Road Pricing and Congestion Charges, Smart Cities (+ 20-minute Cities), Surveillance, Taking Action, Tauranga City, Toll Roads, Transport and Roading, Wellington City

OPINION: Commentary on the Time of Use Charging Amendment Bill

Mar 31, 2025 | Auckland City, Consultation, Council Funding, Incoming Legislation, Internet of Things, Law and Legislation, New Zealand Issues, Opinion, Parliament, Road Pricing and Congestion Charges, Smart Cities (+ 20-minute Cities), Surveillance, Taking Action, Tauranga City, Transport and Roading

Global Agendas

Democracy Project Article: When unelected officials dominate the local democratic process

Jul 25, 2024 | Article, Asset Sales, Auckland City, Christchurch City, Cities and Regions, Code of Conduct complaints, Council Finances, Council Meetings, Council Spending, Freedom of Expression, Global Agendas, Law and Legislation, Local Government Reform, New Zealand Issues, News, Opinion, Overview, Professional Managerial Class, Tauranga City, Tauranga City Council Election 2024, Wellington City

Summary Bryce Edwards (Political Analyst and Director of the Democracy Project) provides a...

Global Agendas

National Emergency Management Agency on Space Weather (2024 Plan and 2025 Exercise)

Dec 15, 2025 | Article, Climate Change and Weather, Emergency Services, Health and Safety, Internet of Things, Natural Hazards, New Zealand Issues, News, Parliament, Safety and Well-being, Smart Cities (+ 20-minute Cities)

Graphic from the National Space Weather Response Plan.from New Zealand’s National Emergency...

Additional Posts

Consultation Closes 27 April 2025: “Land Transport Management (Time of Use Charging) Amendment Bill”

Apr 1, 2025 | Auckland City, Christchurch City, Cities, Consultation, Council Finances, Council Funding, Council Spending, Dunedin City, Global Agendas, Greater Wellington Region, Hamilton City, Hutt City, Incoming Legislation, Internet of Things, Invercargill City, Law and Legislation, Local Government Reform, Mode Shift, Nelson City, New Zealand Issues, News, Palmerston North City, Porirua City, Road Pricing and Congestion Charges, Smart Cities (+ 20-minute Cities), Surveillance, Taking Action, Tauranga City, Toll Roads, Transport and Roading, Upper Hutt City, Wellington City

The Land Transport Management (Time of Use Charging) Amendment Bill is currently before...

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Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) Technology in NZ Cities

Dec 9, 2024 | Article, Auckland City, Christchurch City, Cities, Contractors, Council Spending, Crime, Dunedin City, Electromagnetic Pollution, Emergency Services, Hamilton City, Hutt City, Internet of Things, Invercargill City, Nelson City, New Zealand Issues, Official Information Act, Overview, Palmerston North City, Porirua City, Road Pricing and Congestion Charges, Safety and Well-being, Smart Cities (+ 20-minute Cities), Surveillance, Tauranga City, Upper Hutt City, Wellington City

What are ANPR cameras? Automatic number plate recognition (or ANPR) technology allows computers to...

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As Paris Transforms into 15-minute City, Mayor Moves to Ban More Automobiles

Dec 9, 2024 | Article, C40 Cities, Cities, Climate Change and Weather, Global Agendas, Global Warming, International, Mode Shift, News, Road Pricing and Congestion Charges, Smart Cities (+ 20-minute Cities), Surveillance, Toll Roads, Transport and Roading

Summary Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo is increasing restrictions on private vehicle travel in the...

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Coverage of Oracle founder Larry Ellison’s comments on AI and mass surveillance

Nov 4, 2024 | Article, Crime, Electromagnetic Pollution, Freedom of Expression, Global Agendas, Government Organisations, International Organisation, Internet of Things, Interview, News, Opinion, Smart Cities (+ 20-minute Cities), Surveillance, Transport and Roading

Summary At the September 2024 Oracle financial meeting, the corporation’s founder Larry Ellison...

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OPINION: The Slippery Slope is a Strategy, not a Fallacy

Sep 3, 2024 | Article, Auckland City, Council Funding, Council Spending, Hamilton City, Incoming Legislation, Internet of Things, Mode Shift, New Zealand Issues, Opinion, Professional Managerial Class, Road Pricing and Congestion Charges, Smart Cities (+ 20-minute Cities), Surveillance, Taking Action, Tauranga City, Transport and Roading, Wellington City

By John McDonald (CityWatch NZ Editor and 2024 Hamilton East Ward By-election Candidate) With the...

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New Zealand Initiative Report: Driving Change – How road pricing can improve our roads

Aug 3, 2024 | Article, Auckland City, Cities, Council Funding, Electromagnetic Pollution, Hamilton City, Internet of Things, Law and Legislation, Mode Shift, New Zealand Issues, News, Opinion, Protest, Road Pricing and Congestion Charges, Smart Cities (+ 20-minute Cities), Surveillance, Tauranga City, Transport and Roading, Wellington City

Summary The New Zealand Initiative self-identifies as a “Wellington-based think tank supported...

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Kāpiti Coastal Advisory Panel and managed retreat: June 2024 updates

Jun 30, 2024 | Article, Cities and Regions, Climate Change and Weather, Consultation, Council Meetings, Flood Risk, Global Agendas, Global Warming, Greater Wellington Region, International Organisation, Kapiti Coast District, Managed Retreat, Natural Hazards, New Zealand Issues, News, Opinion, Protest, Resource Management Act (RMA), Taking Action, United Nations

June 2024 has been a busy month for the issues of climate change adaptation and managed retreat....

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What is RCP8.5?

Jun 30, 2024 | Article, Auckland City, Cities and Regions, Climate Change and Weather, Flood Risk, Global Agendas, Global Warming, Greater Wellington Region, Hamilton City, International Organisation, Kapiti Coast District, Law and Legislation, Managed Retreat, Natural Hazards, Overview, Resource Management Act (RMA), United Nations, Wellington City

Summary RCP8.5 (Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5) is a climate change model scenario used...

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What Has Been Happening with Number Plate Recognition Cameras in Manchester, UK?

Jun 1, 2024 | Article, Cities and Regions, Climate Change and Weather, Council Debt, Council Spending, Crime, Global Agendas, International, Mode Shift, News, Overview, Petitions, Protest, Public Transport, Road Pricing and Congestion Charges, Surveillance, Taking Action, Transport and Roading

Summary and Key Points In 2008 the Greater Manchester local authorities proposed a congestion...

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OPINION: Why You Should Fear Facial Recognition

May 27, 2024 | Cities and Regions, Crime, Emergency Services, Internet of Things, New Zealand Issues, Opinion, Surveillance

By Guest (a concerned New Zealand resident) Introduction Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) is an...

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OPINION: Comparing the coalition’s draft transport General Policy Statement (GPS) with Labour’s version

Mar 23, 2024 | Cities and Regions, Climate Change and Weather, Consultation, Elections, Global Agendas, Incoming Legislation, International Organisation, Local Government Reform, New Zealand Issues, Opinion, Overview, Public Transport, Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), Taking Action, Traffic Calming, Transport and Roading, UN 2030 Agenda, United Nations, Vision Zero

By John McDonald, 2024 Hamilton East Ward By-election Candidate and CityWatch NZ editor The...

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CityWatch NZ responds to accusations from a Hamilton City Councillor

Feb 10, 2024 | Article, C40 Cities, Hamilton City, Hostile Architecture, Mode Shift, News, Opinion, Smart Cities (+ 20-minute Cities), Surveillance, Traffic Calming, UN 2030 Agenda, United Nations, Vision Zero

Background Developed and launched in 2023, the www.CityWatchNZ.org website focuses on issues with...

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Information Sheet: 20-Minute Cities and Smart Cities in New Zealand

Dec 12, 2023 | Global Agendas, Information Sheets, Internet of Things, Mode Shift, Resources, Smart Cities (+ 20-minute Cities), Surveillance, Taking Action, Transport and Roading

An Information Sheet created in June 2023 to inform people about 20-minute cities and smart...

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RCR Interview: Bloomberg Philanthropies gives Wellington City $1 million US dollars. City installing traffic sensor network

Nov 16, 2023 | Climate Change and Weather, Council Finances, Internet of Things, Interview, News, Smart Cities (+ 20-minute Cities), Transport and Roading, Wellington City

Reality Check Radio’s Paul Brennan interviews Jaspreet Bopari Paul commences the interview by...

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