Rugby World Cup Minister Murray McCully will this afternoon outline his intention to tomorrow call up reserve powers available to him under the Rugby World Cup Empowerment Bill.
It has been revealed, ahead of the announcement, that McCully has ordered Government officials to write a new plan to manage the waterfront beyond its own Fan Zone at Queen’s Wharf.
The plan, which turns responsibility from the Auckland City Council over to the Government, will expand management measures and create more space for partying.
So this is:
- Hilarious
- Far more embarrassing than some late trains (‘The Rugby World Cup Empowerment Bill’?)
- Staggeringly inept, in political terms. It won’t change anything, but it means McCully owns any more issues.
I suspect this is the fall-out from a pissing competition between McCully and the Council, which ended with McCully screaming, ‘Fuck you! I’m seizing the wharf!’
Yay! McCully’s in control now! Nothing can go wrong!!
Comment by nommopilot — September 13, 2011 @ 6:28 pm
McCully had some sort of brain explosion today.
He held a press conference announcing the takeover as a done deal — without briefing the Mayor of Auckland in advance.
Now, he has just been on Checkpoint, backtracking and attributing the decision to explore “seeking some consents” to “some officials”.
What the fuck is going on here?
Comment by Russell Brown — September 13, 2011 @ 6:30 pm
the council should respond by seizing control of the train system on the grounds that the government failed to make that work.
Comment by Kahikatea — September 13, 2011 @ 6:30 pm
This could possibly be good for Phil Goff.
What a colossally embarrassing thing to do. Lucky Len gets to shrug his shoulders and say ‘meh’.
Comment by andy (the other one) — September 13, 2011 @ 6:33 pm
Missing tag for this post: too fucking crazy to count as politics.
L
Comment by Lew — September 13, 2011 @ 6:36 pm
This is satire, right? Tell me it is. Please. I don’t really live in a country where the government creates a ‘World Cup Empowerment Bill’, do I? How did it get through the house.
Un-fucking-believable.
Comment by Tim — September 13, 2011 @ 6:38 pm
all this time in opposition McCully’s been biding his time thinking “Just wait till we’re back in power, then I’ll show them all what a competent politician I am… Gee, I really deserve my list ranking…”
Comment by nommopilot — September 13, 2011 @ 6:39 pm
Muzxza seems to be cracking under the pressure.
Comment by Sanctuary — September 13, 2011 @ 6:48 pm
Len:
Lock the gates, cut the power and water and forget to collect the rubbish for the next few weeks and ticket the f&^k out of every vehicle trying to access the wharf. Time to play hard ball.
Comment by andy (the other one) — September 13, 2011 @ 6:52 pm
Mad Murray vs Loony Len – what a fucking hoot.
Comment by little_stevie — September 13, 2011 @ 6:52 pm
Okay …
There was an official process going on to expand Auckland Council’s power to seek consents for road closures etc, with officials from both central government and the council working on it.
Out of the blue, McCully usurped that whole process today and announced the government’s takeover of the waterfront and two working wharves (including one where a huge car transport ship is unloading on the night of the All Blacks-France game) as a done deal — without briefing the Mayor of Auckland.
The next time he appears it’s on Checkpoint, and he suddenly doesn’t even know if it’s going to be necessary.
He has utterly, utterly lost the plot in a way I cannot recall a minister in such an important role ever doing before. But feel free to correct me …
Comment by Russell Brown — September 13, 2011 @ 6:52 pm
To be fair though Len & Co / the Transport Agency have fucked things royally.
Comment by little_stevie — September 13, 2011 @ 6:53 pm
Seize power, make trains run on time. Should we now expect a peacekeeping mission to Abyssinia?
Comment by Adrian — September 13, 2011 @ 6:53 pm
Here’s the most bizarre thing of all – and try explaining this one to our international visitors …
While organising rugby piss-ups and ensuring a steady supply of hot chips to the waterfront kiosks, Murray McCully is – still – this country’s Foreign Minister.
Thank goodness nothing’s happening in the world to distract him, like wars and crises and shit.
Comment by sammy — September 13, 2011 @ 6:56 pm
As a friend of mine just put it on facebook:
This Government took control of public transport out of the public’s hands, then refused to put any funding into it, then told everyone to use it to get to party central, and now refuses to take any responsibility for its failure, is blaming Len Brown, now they are using special legislation to over-ride whatever is left of local government.
Unbelievable. We need less of Wellington’s meddling in Auckland not more!!!
Comment by Sanctuary — September 13, 2011 @ 7:08 pm
Central Government enacting emergency legislation to seize control of a waterfront area is the beginning of the second act of almost every modern zombie film. I await the Skyhawks trying to blow the bridge*
*except of course they’d fail and even that would be about half as embarrassing to the nation…
Comment by garethw — September 13, 2011 @ 7:08 pm
“Just wait till we’re back in power, then I’ll show them all what a competent politician I am… Gee, I really deserve my list ranking…”… Nek minnit
Comment by Pascal's bookie — September 13, 2011 @ 7:15 pm
I loved watching Len eat shit on TV ONE news.
Comment by little_stevie — September 13, 2011 @ 7:18 pm
And I’m with Adrian – a National central government seizing power to make the trains run on time is hilarious
Comment by garethw — September 13, 2011 @ 7:19 pm
Disagree. Most of the people who sat in trains for hours or found themselves trapped in in vast crowds will simply stay home for the next big game and watch the box. With 50,000 instead of 200,000 out there, things will go smoothly and McCully will say “See what I did?”
Comment by Neil — September 13, 2011 @ 7:21 pm
Auckland City Council doesn’t even exist anymore… more media lazyness.
Comment by DMTD — September 13, 2011 @ 7:26 pm
Neil: Counter-narrative: McCully succeeded in making everyone stay home. That’s what you get when Daddy State puts on a party.
L
Comment by Lew — September 13, 2011 @ 7:28 pm
things will go smoothly and McCully will say “See what I did?”
I dunno, I think the Key PR machine has made a rare error here.
Perception beats details, of course, and the inconvenient fact that McCully *isn’t* now in charge of the trains – or the whole World Cup – will be lost. In their rush to look like men of action, they’ve made it look like everything is now landing on McCully’s desk.
Fortune, here’s your hostage.
Comment by sammy — September 13, 2011 @ 7:32 pm
Sanctuary said: “Unbelievable. We need less of Wellington’s meddling in Auckland not more!!!”
Sanctuary, it’s nothing to do with Wellington – it’s a war between Aucklanders. Murray McCully is an Aucklander, and so are John Key and Steven Joyce.
Comment by Kahikatea — September 13, 2011 @ 7:37 pm
Brown should have been informed prior to the annoucement but it does make sense that to get the necessary changes made prior to Fri then the RWC Empowering Bill has to used to deal with legal issues.
And the govt gets to be completely repsonsible for this weekend.
Comment by NeilM — September 13, 2011 @ 7:41 pm
Kahikatea – “Wellington” as a metaphor for central government…
Comment by Sanctuary — September 13, 2011 @ 7:43 pm
“…I dunno, I think the Key PR machine has made a rare error here…”
Or Murray McCully is a gen-u-ine, 100%, out of control power mad maniac. None out of ten MFAT employees agree with the latter.
Comment by Sanctuary — September 13, 2011 @ 7:52 pm
*nine out of ten
Comment by Sanctuary — September 13, 2011 @ 7:52 pm
When I first read this I thought Stuff had published one of your satires on their website.
Comment by Karl — September 13, 2011 @ 7:54 pm
And the govt gets to be completely repsonsible for this weekend.
Or not. The thing officials have been working on is a way for the council to get short-notice consents under the RWC act, to close roads etc — that way being that they ask the minister to do it for them.
What McCully has announced is a complete surprise to everyone — including, apparently himself.
This is the Checkpoint interview:
http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/ckpt/ckpt-20110913-1722-govt_to_take_control_of_waterfront_for_rest_of_rwc-048.mp3
Mary Wilson’s first question is : “When did you decide.”
McCully’s first words are: “Well we certainly haven’t made any such decision whatsoever.”
No. You just thought you’d hold a press conference for the hell of it.
Todd Niall’s report also contains some useful information:
http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/ckpt/ckpt-20110913-1742-len_brown_responds_to_the_government_stepping_in-048.mp3
Comment by Russell Brown — September 13, 2011 @ 7:55 pm
i think is quite clever. all other games are on we
ekend and no massive fire work show. so not so many people Will come to cbd, trains will cope and govt can pretend it solved problem and avoid having to discuss why , for example, they didn’t let Auckland council key a regional fuel tax and get electric trains in place in time for the cup as mike lee originally hoped to do
Comment by Amy — September 13, 2011 @ 8:11 pm
levy a regional fuel tax. sorry predictive text fail
Comment by Amy — September 13, 2011 @ 8:13 pm
from that Todd Niall piece it appears that the special powers will have to have been used and Brown was irked not by them beign used but that it was annouced unilaterallyby the govt. So a joint annoucement might have been better but the special powers were going to have to be used and Brown was aware of that and in agreement.
McCully should have been more generous towards Brown.
Comment by NeilM — September 13, 2011 @ 8:20 pm
Ive been reading about the rugby world cup all week. So when does this rugby actually start?
Comment by gn — September 13, 2011 @ 8:31 pm
“Most of the people who sat in trains for hours or found themselves trapped in in vast crowds will simply stay home for the next big game and watch the box. With 50,000 instead of 200,000 out there, things will go smoothly and McCully will say “See what I did?”
You are right, if I was going to the France AB game I’d drive to Eden Park, as usual, this new fangled public transport malarky is just too risky..
Comment by gn — September 13, 2011 @ 8:40 pm
from that Todd Niall piece it appears that the special powers will have to have been used and Brown was irked not by them beign used but that it was annouced unilaterallyby the govt. So a joint annoucement might have been better but the special powers were going to have to be used and Brown was aware of that and in agreement.
Oh, for goodness sake, Neil. This is from the Herald’s report of McCully’s press conference:
Or, rather, McCully said it — 90 minutes before saying on Checkpoint that he “certainly” hadn’t made any decision whatsoever and blaming the decision on “officials”.
How many times would you have to be told that this isn’t actually (a) what officials were discussing, or (b) what will actually happen, before you’d grasp it?
The council will still be running things. It will take advantage of the minister’s power to invoke the act to get fast consents on street closures and the like.
There will not be an expansion of the fan zone to Bledisloe Wharf, except in a real emergency. Because it’s a working container wharf a kilometre and a half away from everything else. There are no bars, stages, entertainments or safe public spaces on that wharf.
Comment by Russell Brown — September 13, 2011 @ 8:55 pm
It’s all part of the plan…
Too many people on the trains = calls for more trains.
so… GET THEM OFF THE TRAINS!
The resulting massive congestion on the roads for the next game will result in a call for MOAR ROADS!
This is good for Mr Joyce.
Comment by TBWood — September 13, 2011 @ 9:14 pm
How many times would you have to be told that this isn’t actually (a) what officials were discussing, or (b) what will actually happen, before you’d grasp it?
I was just going on the info in the two links you provided. From which I gather that a small number of consents for nearby areas will put through via the minister’s powers – because that’s the only way to get it done in time – and that, from the Niall piece, this is what was discused and agreeed to with Brown. But the announcement was made unilaterally with a couple of extra barbs about the council “dropping the ball”, which was uncalled fo,r which was Browns cause for irritation.
The council will still be running things. It will take advantage of the minister’s power to invoke the act to get fast consents on street closures and the like.
sounds fine with me.
Comment by NeilM — September 13, 2011 @ 9:23 pm
If you read the RWC Enabling Act, all the government has urgency powers to do is grant a resource consent.
Unless I’m mistaken, that doesn’t let them confiscate land, even temporarily, from an independent body (which the port and the council are). If (as might be happening) the port agrees to send ships elsewhere (at substantial compensation cost), then the government could use its powers to grant consent to put some tents up – but that’s all.
Comment by Rich — September 13, 2011 @ 9:38 pm
It *looks* like McCully had no idea what using the Act actually meant, and held a press conference anyway.
The story didn’t get corrected till the checkpoint interview and Len Brown’s presser, which was too late for the facts to get absorbed for the 6pm news casts.
So now the narrative is all fucked up, and tomorrow the papers will either pretend McCully’s initial brainfart never happened, rip the shit out him, or just go with the flow and say that he really is in charge, even though he pretty much isn’t.
Comment by Pascal's bookie — September 13, 2011 @ 9:45 pm
“then the government could use its powers to grant consent to put some tents up – but that’s all.”
this is something i’ve been wondering. those additional wharves are fcking ugly. all you’ll be doing if you’re putting up overflow is giving some international visitors and some locals a view of the cloud from a nearby hot chip caravan and portaloo platform.
of course, most of it is #1s, so you could just forgo a number of portaloos and encourage the crowds to piss off the wharf into the water. then you could add more hot chip caravans.
Comment by che tibby — September 13, 2011 @ 9:52 pm
McCully is pissed that he’s been called to account for Friday’s debacle. Now he’s talking tough:
“Some of my critics have been suggesting I should take responsibility, well I am. I am stepping in to a space that the Government has not previously occupied,” McCully said.
“We’re getting on the front foot here and showing a determination to provide a larger footprint and a wider range of measures to assist with the management of crowds and the delivery of amenities.”
Comment by Ross — September 13, 2011 @ 9:56 pm
Competence?
Comment by Dizzy — September 13, 2011 @ 10:02 pm
Grand Guignol is alive and well in NZ.
France will win the RWC.
Viva le (la?) McCully. (Depends whether or not he is wearing a moustache or not).
Comment by peterlepaysan — September 13, 2011 @ 10:14 pm
What interests me is why, when right-wing governments believe that they shouldn’t be running essential services like electricity supply, they consider it to be within their range of competence to run a bar?
Comment by Rich — September 13, 2011 @ 10:14 pm
Murry McCully: “Right, we’ve seized control of the stable door, now where the f**k is that horse?!?!”
Neil at #20 is right though, Murray’s plan must be to pin the 200,000+ clusterf%&k on Brown and then not give him the opportunity to redeem himself with the next couple of weeks of easy 60,000+ crowds.
Comment by J Mex — September 13, 2011 @ 10:30 pm
Che Tibby wrote: “of course, most of it is #1s, so you could just forgo a number of portaloos and encourage the crowds to piss off the wharf into the water.”
very easy to lose balance and topple over into the water while trying to do that. Well, maybe not so much if you’re a guy.
Comment by Kahikatea — September 13, 2011 @ 10:39 pm
Len Brown broke Auckland on Friday night. No ifs. No buts. Len Brown is at fault.
Comment by Fred — September 14, 2011 @ 12:13 am
Murray’s RWC To Do list.
* push emergency buttons on trains
* heckle waka crew
* stuff that bottle them!
* tell Aussie jokes to Wayne, Jonathan and Maurice
* get the booze in for them too
* annex Party Central
Comment by Mr February — September 14, 2011 @ 12:13 am
“He has utterly, utterly lost the plot in a way I cannot recall a minister in such an important role ever doing before. But feel free to correct me …”
The current deputy leader of labour had something to say about full moons and crime.
Comment by Dean — September 14, 2011 @ 12:32 am
I was going to agree with Danyl – that McCully’s modus operandi seems to involve pissing competitions that end in a tirade, but….
….ever notice how every serious dispute with this National govt seems to end with the other party being replaced by the Nats or their chosen mates? Chch regional council, heck – Chch itself, downtown Auckland. By crikey, I bet downtown Kaikohe’s worried about now.
To be fair to Muzza tho, there were bugger all pie carts on Queens wharf tonight (and most of the rest was closed). A few chippies on Cooks and Bledisloe wharves, hey presto…. cold chips…. at Eden Park prices. Luverly.
Maybe the election should be held on RWC finals night – easy way to get high voter turnout
Comment by bob — September 14, 2011 @ 4:12 am
Talking about this with my fellow Aucklanders, white middle class ones from the shore and the east are (depressingly) largely abysmally ignorant of how this city is run, who does what, and why it has all come to pass. they just cringe that Len Brown says “the world cup is dah house” and they love John Key. With the authoritarian surety of middle class folk everywhere, they are glad “the government” is taking over to “sort things out”. When pressed they are not at all clear what those things are and what the government should do, but none the less they approve of action being taken in a decisive, white way.
Talking to Indians, westies, PI’s, and a couple of hard core christian dudes from Papakura though and they seem to have a much better idea of how the supercity is organised, the difference between a CCO and the train company and the Mayor, and all that boring stuff. They offer a much more informed view of what is going on artound the place.
It is as if the most educated best paid and advantaged Aucklanders have rejected actually finding out anything in favour of Stephen Colbert’s truthiness.
So armed with that knowledge, I can safely say that the view of the governments actions in Auckland is petty much a straight split along partisan lines. Those that liked Len Brown before Friday are outraged. the truthiness of the view of Len Brown held on the Shore and in the East has been confirmed.
PS Red Len seems surprisingly popular with the conservative PTL crew. Something for the Labour party to ponder.
Comment by Sanctuary — September 14, 2011 @ 8:28 am
I’ve previously been angered by Idiot/Savant’s revelations about McCully’s habit of lavishly spending public money on booze.
Now I’m just grateful that he might be out on the piss instead of bringing this level of grace, diplomacy and tact to NZ’s foreign affairs.
Comment by Rinso — September 14, 2011 @ 8:59 am
I note the weather forecast for the weekend, particularly Saturday, is pretty bleak for Auckland :
‘Showers, becoming more frequent. Fresh westerlies.’ With a high of 15degrees.
Perhaps this will have more of a dampening influence on what happens than Minutiae Murray’s machinations.
Of course if Auckland had a covered stadium…
Comment by Peter Martin — September 14, 2011 @ 9:09 am
Time for a reprise of the situation so far:
Rodney Hide sets up the super city in a way that took transport out of the hands of Aucklanders and created a democratically unaccountable Council Controlled Organisation run by his hand-picked right wing man Mark Ford. Nice and ripe for privatisation joyfully chant the ACToids! Unfortunately for the governments and the ACToids plans, their man John Banks doesn’t become mayor and the people elect a toxic lefty from the Barrios of the South. Since then the government has been in permanent petulant hissy fit mode and number three in importance minister Stephen Joyce has refused to fund any of the Super Cities new mayor’s transport policies, even thouh the new mayor has a mandate for them and most Aucklanders are keen on them. Just to be sure Aucklanders know who is really in charge of transport, Joyce even goes out of his way to strip local funding options (the local fuel tax option) from the law books and orders rewrites of any contrary reports that come his way to bertter reflect his own anti-Len Brown agenda.
Then number one in importance PM Key has a three second brain fart less than two years out from the RWC and decides (without actually asking anyone in Auckland) to issue an imperial edict that the old Sheds down the wharf will be “party central”, thus laying the seeds of Friday nights over-crowding disaster. Auckland is told it had better just get on with doing as the God John Key orders and get that organised!
Then comes the toxic Murray McCully, minister in charge of everything to do with the RWC and he who has micro-managed this event down to the colour of the volunteers uniforms, and he starts telling everyone to come to party central and take the train. Hell, he even got it printed on the tickets.
And when it completely fucked up on the night? Why, the government had nothing to do with it! It was all Len Browns fault!!!
And this meddling governments response to the consequences of it’s own short term thinking, opportunism and meddling? to use legislation to impose even more control from Wellington… Because that has worked so very, very well so far.
Comment by Sanctuary — September 14, 2011 @ 9:11 am
Gerry ‘KingCoal’ Brownlee got to play with Christchurch. Murry ‘Napoleon’ McCully threw a tanty and got Auckland to play with.
Comment by Chris — September 14, 2011 @ 9:13 am
I think Penny Hulse had it about right, they all got caught out by the size of the crowd buit now’s the time to put partisan politics aside and just do what had to be done to correct things.
For the vast majority of people the opening was great, some things went wrong we can do something about that.
Comment by NeilM — September 14, 2011 @ 9:43 am
The Minister of Coups triumphs again.
Comment by Thawed out — September 14, 2011 @ 10:28 am
Interesting to see John Banks having his say now too;
“It’s an evitable consequence of planning and a gun-ho approach,” Mr Banks said.
“The Govt can’t afford to have another botch-up down there.”
He said a single fanzone on the waterfront was never going to work.
“I think we were very lucky it didn’t turn into a massive riot.
“There was enough drunken louts down there to trigger the biggest riot this country has ever seen.
“We have got away with this very lightly.”
Each of those lines could be easily mis-construed – I’m not sure if he’s bagging the Government/Key or AC/Brown…
Comment by TBWood — September 14, 2011 @ 10:28 am
So who said this RWC would be a bore then?
Government choking before the All Blacks. Hadn’t picked that.
Comment by Leg Break — September 14, 2011 @ 10:33 am
Jesus H Christ. Can John Armstrong squirt any more jism over John Key’s picture than he has in his orgasm masquerading as a column in today’s Herald?
Comment by Sanctuary — September 14, 2011 @ 10:46 am
Bank’s prediction of failure would be a little more convincing if it has been made prior to the event.
Comment by NeilM — September 14, 2011 @ 10:49 am
So much for ‘no politics’ during the six weeks.
Comment by Tony — September 14, 2011 @ 11:05 am
Murray McCully with “special powers” – conjures up an image of him in a cape waving a wand.
Comment by Michael Stevens — September 14, 2011 @ 11:18 am
I was wondering what Murray McCully ever meddled with that turned out well – which begs the question, why does National keep him around?
Comment by MeToo — September 14, 2011 @ 11:23 am
@Sanctuary: remember Maggie Thatcher’s dissolution of the Greater London Council after ‘Red Ken’ kept embarrassing her? Well, closer to home, it seems the powers-that-be have the same intent, only repackaged in spin.
Comment by DeepRed — September 14, 2011 @ 11:41 am
The undemocratic abolition of the GLC was a straight out gun fight between vehement opposed ideological enemies Red Ken and Thatcher, and in the end Thatcher had the howitzer. Len Brown’s only sin is he isn’t John Banks. He has done everything to get along with a central government that has from day one treated him with childish spite, petulance and lack of respect.
Comment by Sanctuary — September 14, 2011 @ 12:02 pm
“it seems the powers-that-be have the same intent, only repackaged in spin.”
I doubt it. Setting up the Auckland Supercity and dissolving it within three years? They’d look like total idiots.
Comment by Hugh — September 14, 2011 @ 12:32 pm
The only way McCully would have lost a pissing competition with the council is if Andrew Williams was on the council team
Comment by Fielding Norris — September 14, 2011 @ 1:00 pm
They’d look like total idiots.
That hasn’t seemed to have stopped them so far…
Comment by Progger — September 14, 2011 @ 1:05 pm
Bank’s prediction of failure would be a little more convincing if it has been made prior to the event.
It was, sort of.
As mayor, Banks was extremely hostile to the Party Central plan — albeit mostly on grounds of cost to the council — and at one point virtually ordered Aucklanders to stay away from Queen’s Wharf.
Comment by Russell Brown — September 14, 2011 @ 1:33 pm
going back to what McCully is proposing:
Without getting into detail, the application involves closure at various times of part of Quay St. Officials have also negotiated an agreement with the Ports of Auckland for access to some of their wharf area around Bledisloe and Captain Cook. We are grateful to the Port Company for their quick and ready cooperation.
it looks fairly reasonable, closure of Quay St is an obvious thing to do and having extra space if needed along the wharf area makes sense as well. A joint announcement with Brwon would have been far better but what he’s actually doing is I think the most straight forward move to make before this Fri.
Comment by NeilM — September 14, 2011 @ 1:36 pm
and at one point virtually ordered Aucklanders to stay away from Queen’s Wharf.
it’s remarkable how for so long that was the attitude towards people accessing any of the wharf area.
Comment by NeilM — September 14, 2011 @ 1:39 pm
This is bad news for Che Fu
Comment by Leg Break — September 14, 2011 @ 2:01 pm
So the details include temporary screens and kiosks on Captain Cook. I think it was Ports of Auckland who had a private function there on opening night – nice for some.
one of the things that struck me was the lack of food and beverage kiosks, maybe I just didn’t see them.
Comment by NeilM — September 14, 2011 @ 2:06 pm
“and at one point virtually ordered Aucklanders to stay away from Queen’s Wharf.”
“it’s remarkable how for so long that was the attitude towards people accessing any of the wharf area.”
I believe it’s the opposite at Port Chalmers. You used to be able to walk around the container terminal (they didn’t encourage it but it was ok). Now they have huge security to stop you, because they’re not allowed to export to the US if they don’t have massive security around the containers.
Comment by Kahikatea — September 14, 2011 @ 3:37 pm
Closing parts of Quay St is the main proposal here – but if I recall correctly, Quay St was already closed on Friday night? So its actually only about accessing the other, smaller, finger wharves. Why didnt they just ask the shareholder, instead of ‘seizing control’?
Lets be clear – the main problem on Friday night was the trains. If it wasnt for the massive train debacle there would not have been a story. People in town on Friday night had the opportunity to have a good time. There were plenty of bars and restaurants throughout the central city showing the game and allowing for a good time. There were a few niggles, but these would not have made a ‘call for answers’ type story in themselves.
So improving party central is great, but it is not the issue at hand. Its difficult to see why the media and McCully are suddenly focussing on it alone instead of the real issue, the trains.
And the main problem with party central is that central government decided to have it at a venue that was waaay to small for a decent sized crowd (12,000 people – the population of Te Awamutu).
Comment by swan — September 14, 2011 @ 3:45 pm
Why didnt they just ask the shareholder, instead of ‘seizing control’?
apparently to hold an “event” in this area one has to obtain a permit under the specific part of the RMA, in this case the Coastal Managemnent part of the Auckland plan. to have food and bervages sold requires this, the permit process under the RMA would take time so they’ll do it under the RWC empowering bill. jus asking ports of auckland is not enough. The coucil can close a road but again to hold an “event” even they still need a permit.
at a venue that was waaay to small for a decent sized crowd
having the main stage for music on Queens Wharf does seem daft. I’m not sure where exactly a better place would be – but surely not in a restricte darea. Hopefully at least the screens will work this weeken.
Comment by NeilM — September 14, 2011 @ 4:02 pm
Lets be clear – the main problem on Friday night was the trains. If it wasnt for the massive train debacle there would not have been a story.
@ swan
I think that’s the point (kind of).
Any sensible discussion regarding the years of underinvestment in multi-modal transport, the legacy of Hide, the RW pissy-fit about Banks not being mayor, the public-private rail partnership issues, Joyce’s transport strategy et. al. must be quickly quashed and/or have a rapid ‘bait-and-switch’ performed to make it all Red Len’s problem.
Filthy bloody pinko.
NB – maybe Rodney could rebrand himself as ‘Il Duce’ to get the trains sorted. He looks the part.
Comment by Gregor W — September 14, 2011 @ 4:17 pm
so…uhhh…glad we haven’t got any of this nanny state stuff happening then ehh?
Comment by martinb — September 14, 2011 @ 6:11 pm
Also I don’t think that a train system that’s built for 16,000 per hour maxx journeys processing 60, 000 counts as a failure….and certainly not a massive one…
Comment by martinb — September 14, 2011 @ 6:13 pm
If we get to see Len cry in the Telly it will all be worth it.
Comment by little_stevie — September 14, 2011 @ 7:10 pm
@ NeilM – Auckland Council had all legal powers they needed to issue permit (to themselves/RWC 2011 Ltd) to use extra wharves and streets for an ‘event’, and food/drinks licensing. Councils can work very fast when required. McCully just spat the dummy.
@ martinb – yes, the trains did pretty well. The real problem was bad planning (just announced – no effort made at forecasting crowd sizes prior) and bad train emergency protocols.
Roughly, if someone yanks an emergency lever on a train, that applies the brakes automatically, so train stops. For the driver to restart, they need permission from Kiwirail HQ in Wgtn. Because Kiwirail HQ does not know why the train stopped (heart attack in passenger, drunk lout, someone walking on track, wheel fell off, or another train on track in front) they don’t let the stopped train restart until they have checked all possible dangers are not present. Safe, but lengthy.
This all takes enough minutes that the timetable gets stuffed up, meaning Kiwirail HQ is trying to check and make sure they don’t restart the halted train, just to have it run into another train up the line that it would have avoided if the halted train had been on time.
Kiwirail need to improve their stoppage protocols to get faster (but still safe) restarts of halted trains. Somehow I doubt McCully and Joyce are going to do that.
Comment by bob — September 14, 2011 @ 7:32 pm
Meanwhile, Labour announces a sensible policy and no one notices… Key must be happy.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/5623905/Labour-would-ditch-national-standards
Comment by MeToo — September 14, 2011 @ 7:56 pm
I predict that it will be very unlikely that anything like 50,000 people will appear at
“party central” within any two hour period.
The usual Friday night and weekend haunts of so called party goers will revert to their usual numbers.
Party central will be largely ignored by locals.
Minister McCully will then say “no probs after I took control.”
Sigh.
Wasn’t he supposed to be in charge in the first place?
there is only one opening show/game/party.
Everything else is about playing rugby. Who needs party central?
I am picking Murray will (temporarily) regrow his moustache to disguise himself.
This will fool his highly intelligent and perspicacious electorate to vote him back into parliament.
Sigh. Murray wins again.
Comment by peterlepaysan — September 14, 2011 @ 11:21 pm