Dr Eric Crampton: Targets the Commerce Act review should have in its sights

Imagine being part of a conservation society devoted to eradicating intrusive exotic animal pests.

This year, the society will work in a large range where rabbits are ruining the hillsides, plentiful possums have been eating everything, and someone thinks they might have seen a wallaby.

Peter Williams: We don't want fries with that

A well performing local council listens to its ratepayers and residents. If the people don’t want something to be built, then it shouldn’t go ahead.

Which means the proposed new McDonalds in Wanaka should be a non-starter, dead in the water.

But will the deep pockets of the fast food giant keep pushing the case all the way to the highest courts in the land?

Peter Williams: Speed limits to reduce

Stand-by to move slowly on empty open roads

Sometimes I wonder if politicians just want to really, really piss us off.

How else could you explain some crazy scheme which we in the south might have to put with about how fast we can drive? Not far from where I live, the Queenstown Lakes Council want to slow Wanaka right down. At the moment the speed limit in town is already just 40kph . Now there are plans to reduce that 30kph or lower.