Auckland Tank Farm - Have your say

[Lias]

Auckland wouldnt be such a shithole that leeches of the rest of the country if it wasnt also the center for immigration.

The sooner we shut our doors to anyone whos not rich and speaks perfect english the better. Who else has seen the stories of overstaying wifebeaters who dont get deported, of the mangere refugee center, of achmed the terrorist zaoui and his ilk sucking up our resources.

I vote we use the land for an australian style migrant detention center to hold the human trash while we deny their refugee status and ship them back to wherever the fuck they came from.

[Finn]

Auckland wouldnt be such a shithole that leeches of the rest of the country if it wasnt also the center for immigration.

The sooner we shut our doors to anyone whos not rich and speaks perfect english the better. Who else has seen the stories of overstaying wifebeaters who dont get deported, of the mangere refugee center, of achmed the terrorist zaoui and his ilk sucking up our resources.

I vote we use the land for an australian style migrant detention center to hold the human trash while we deny their refugee status and ship them back to wherever the fuck they came from.

Exactly. If that butt ugly, man hating, corrupt fucking bitch of a PM wants a job in the UN, she should piss off and stop forcing her ideology on us.

[MisterD]

I vote we use the land for an australian style migrant detention center to hold the human trash while we deny their refugee status and ship them back to wherever the fuck they came from.

Nah, the key is to put such a centre somewhere unpleasant to discourage people coming in the first place...how about Hamilton?

[Flatcap]

AHA - you fell into my wily trap. This "Auckland is the powerhouse of NZ" nonsence has been around for a while. It is repeated faithfully and non-critically by journalists until it has become an article of faith.

It isn't true. NZ's wealth comes from agriculture, fishing, forestry, and tourism. Of those only tourism involves Auckland. Our ability to import oil, cars, computers, machinery etc etc is only possible because we as a nation earn foreign exchange.

I'm not saying Auckland doesn't contribute but it is small-time compared to the provinces.

Tell me of anything essential which I can't get locally or directly from overseas. At present Auckland is the default because so many companies have moved head offices there. But in truth, those offices could be in Sydney or Christchurch for all the difference they make.

Nothing wrong with Auckland or the Kiwis who live there. It's a shame they are living an illusion.

Auckland is the powerhouse in terms of providing the taxes and levies that enable subsidies to the farmers and the fisheries to be given to Iwis. Auckland also supplies welfare to the forestry workers laid off as the forestry industry capitulates to cheap wood pulp from Asia.

What you can't get locally is enough tax dollars to pay for your highways and power generation

What the provences need to realise is that producing primary commodities is no longer a stable base for an economy.

As for moving head offices to Sydney - you are too correct. My company just moved a large number of roles there today

[Winston001]

Auckland is the powerhouse in terms of providing the taxes and levies that enable subsidies to the farmers and the fisheries to be given to Iwis.

What the provences need to realise is that producing primary commodities is no longer a stable base for an economy.

As for moving head offices to Sydney - you are too correct. My company just moved a large number of roles there today

Bummer - hope you are not affected.

Can I just point out that farmers do not receive subsidies. These were totally removed by the 4th Labour Government in 1985.

Actually I agree with you regarding commodities from the primary sector. But if you look at the Australian economy they are also buoyed up by their mineral wealth which is a primary commodity. The point is that commodities per se aren't bad.

In a perfect world we'd sell millions of pre-packaged lamb dinners to the world at a premium price instead of cuts of chilled meat. Still, we have advanced from the days of purely exporting frozen carcasess.

The one thing NZ does better than anyone is agricultural science. We need to use that knowledge as our point of difference. We don't have a lot of other options.

I'm teasing about Auckland but there is an unfortunate us-and-them feeling in NZ which isn't healthy in such a small country.

[MisterD]

The one thing NZ does better than anyone is agricultural science. We need to use that knowledge as our point of difference. We don't have a lot of other options.

Fantastic, apples that are red on the inside....woo bleedin' hoo.

[Marmoot]

they should make good crayfish, paua and oyster farm there....

I hope the prices would drop a bit from that....

But if that is impossible, they should use the land to make second harbour bridge landing complete with toll booths maybe?

[Winston001]

Fantastic, apples that are red on the inside....woo bleedin' hoo.

Hadn't heard of that one but if your family had an orchard and you could sell such an apple for $1 each - and NZ was the only grower - you'd be very happy.

Don't knock science and technology. The computer you are using only exists because scientists battled away for years with Einsteins equations.

[MisterD]

Don't knock science and technology. The computer you are using only exists because scientists battled away for years with Einsteins equations.

Who's knocking, I'm a physicist by training, and we all know that when you get right down to it everything is a branch of physics. What I have a problem with is frivolous use of science, who needs an apple that's red inside when all our waterways are turning blue-green because of our precious dairy industry filling them, literally, with shit.