Northland is often seen as a province with more than its share of negative social statistics. So the North received some very welcome news yesterday; Stuff reports:
Refining New Zealand shareholders have given the final green light to a $365 million upgrade of the country's only oil refinery.Until the annual general meeting in Whangarei this afternoon, the fate of the project was hanging in the balance.The board had already approved the decision in February, but the sheer size of the investment meant shareholders had the final say.There were concerns that some of the petrol giants who are the cornerstone shareholders would not support the proposal.But after auditor PwC completed the official vote count, the result was positive - 64.5 per cent in favour.The success of the resolution means construction of the Continuous Catalyst Regeneration (CCR) platformer, to be installed at Marsden Point, will kick off in 2014.Once up and running, the CCR investment is expected to boost operating earnings by $60m, and increase shareholder dividends by 30 per cent.The new platformer allows a wider range of crudes to be processed in a more efficient way, with energy-efficiency savings accounting for 70 per cent of the value.The project is also expected to boost the Northland economy through the creation of 300 new jobs, with twice as many other roles created in supporting industries nationwide.
This will be a terrific stimulus to Northland. It's an area of high unemployment, so any significant industrial development that provides job opportunities in both the construction phase and ongoing will be welcomed.
We have friends who do business in Whangarei. And one thing they are grateful for is the government's efforts to upgrade the highway between Auckland and their city. State Highway One north of Puhoi is not a great road, and desperately needs upgrading. Our friends tell us that there is much anger over the politicisation of their road and lifeline, and that Labour will never win an electorate in the north whilst it continues with patronising references to the Puhoi to Wellsford upgrade as the "Holiday Highway". For most Northland businesses, it is their key connector for getting goods in and out, and they hold the Labour and Green politicians who sneer in the utmost contempt.
17 comments:
What a beautiful scene shown in that photograph, Keeping Stock - New Zealand, the way National sees it - oil tanks as far as the eye can see - bugger the environment, we're making money $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
There's nothing remotely National Party about this Anon; Refining New Zealand is a PRIVATE company, paying for this extension themselves. No doubt there will be resource consent hoops for them to jump through, but if you bothered to read the article, you would note that the new technology being used in this upgrade will provide for increased energy efficiency, together with jobs aplenty.
Your hatred of anything positive is damning.
Nothing remotely National party about that scene, Keeping Stock?
Wall to wall industry is Key's wet-dream. Factories pumping out useless but saleable crap, chimney stacks pushing clouds of CO2 into the air (it's a myth you know, climate change, what!), cheap New Zealand labour force bent over their work at the conveyor belt; it's National through and through. Key would look at that photograph and smile his assassin-smile, pat his swollen wallet and throw back another glass of something from his drinks-cabinet, toasting his mate Banksie and the Casino Boys at the same time, and feel complete.
Nothing remotely National - yeah right!
So what's your alternative Anon? Some GreenTheme holiday park for rich Americans and Europeans, with minimum-wage service industry jobs making them coffee?
No, we can't have all those fossil fuels burnt bringing them here...
Not more dairy, cos there's too much poo-ing and farting.
Not more fishing, 'cos we're running out of fish.
We're not allowed to mine, or drill for oil.
What's your plan, smartarse?
Quite so James; the idealists diss everything that the government does, but don't put up any suggestions as to how we can move forward.
But again, this story is further evidence that governments don't create jobs; they provide an environment where privately owned companies such as NZ Refining invest in new technologies and jobs. An economy that requires the state to be the major provider of work is on a fast road to a Greek holiday.
Ah.....yes Anon, we share your vision of the past..
A sweeping landscape of stunted scrub and dry grasses. A small crudely built cottage stands
forlornly, surrounded by the remains of a failed potato crop.
A small careworn woman sits on the porch, spinning wool plucked from a dead sheep, to make
a new jumper for little Bobby who is trying desperately to get the old horse to its feet so he can free
his father from under it, where he fell in the night, while bringing firewood for the fire that went out
days ago. Little Nell can be seen sobbing under the strips of bark that the family proudly calls a
cowshed. The cow has died and in falling has kicked over the milk bucket, spilling it all.
Ah.......yes the Good old Days.
But.. Bobby dreams of waking up in the 21st Century...... perhaps his jumper will be finished?
How typical that your response(s) should be so cartoonish, so ad hom, so shallow. You all sound as though you are desperate to defend what is patently obvious; that this Government is selling us down the river in order to fulfill the demands of their ideology. And the moment someone points at the naked Emperor ("He's got no clothes!") you lash out - "A small careworn woman sits on the porch" - how droll, how vacuous your response. No thoughtful counter there, just the hackneyed, "They want us to return to the Stone Age!!". Boring. Repetitive. Conservative. Right-wing. As for 'not putting up any suggestions as to how to move forward', what shite, Keeping Stock. That you are oblivious to the policies and proposals from the 'other' end of the political spectrum, that address those issues, stuns many of your readers - it's as though you have just the one eye. If you truely don't know of a single answer proposed by Labour or the Greens, Mana and NZ1st as well, for how to 'move forward', then you should hang up your blogger's apron and get out of the kitchen. It's obviously so hot in here that you've lost your mind.
James asks, in the same gormless way as KS, "What's your alternative, Anon? But immediately goes on to show that he too, has no awareness of the alternatives that have been floated over and over, by the Left wing parties. The collective ignorance here is breath-taking!
So...
"chimney stacks pushing clouds of CO2 into the air"
Is not cartoonish, ad hom, shallow?
And these clouds of invisible CO2 are doing what exactly?
Of course it's cartoonish, Lipstick, but it's the level I have to communicate with you on. CO2 emissions under National are set to sky-rocket, so there's nothing ad hom or 'shallow' about it (You do know what ad hominem means, Lipstick?)
Clearly, you're a denier-of-the-obvious, unable to wrap your thinking-gear, such as it is, around climate change. Hardly worth engaging with you over it - you're so far behind the 8-ball.
Just a thought Anon, assuming that all the anonymous comments on this post are from you. How about either getting a Blogger profile (it takes less than two minutes, and you retain your anonymity), or at least attch whatever name you choose at the foot of your posts.
Your comments, provocative though they are, are welcome, but it would be nice to know that we're exchanging banter with the same person. That can only add to the quality of the exchanges.
Your very loquacious Anon seems to bring a familiar tone to the scene KS.
A bitter "player of the man", but unable to advance his argument at all.
Remind you of anyone?
This will bring 300 new migrants and their families to Whangarei.
Don't for a moment think this project will absorb any of Northland's unemployable junkie, burglar, bludging unemployed.
If they can't work in forestry or the dairy industry they sure as hell won't be let anywhere near a heavy construction site.
Has that hot South Australian sun been getting to you Adolf?
The various 'anonymii' here are not 'the same person', which I find frustrating too, KS. I wish 'Anonymous' would adopt a persona, so that you could ban him or her when he or she starts to be mean to John Key.
Anonymous
Banksy, Banksy, Banksy!
Oh dear, oh dear, ohhhhh dear!!!
Wrong post Mum; try again on the post where we criticise John Banks
Thanks, luv.
I'm so ashamed of my boy!!
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