The problem with stadiums
They epitomise underinvestment in New Zealand's civic infrastructure
Kia ora and welcome to The Weekend. I’ve been thoroughly drawn into local elections coverage this week (“local government pilled”) and have convinced myself that covering local government is exciting, interesting and hilarious. It’s a great world to live in, honestly. We have some local government coverage in this newsletter, but first: what is up with New Zealand’s stadiums? Get yourself some Coffee Supreme (pairs well with bagels, which I’ve eaten a lot of this week), and settle in.
-Shanti Mathias, staff writer
New Zealand’s stadiums just aren’t that good
The recent controversy over Christchurch’s extremely expensive new stadium is part of a bigger problem, says stadium aficionado Brian Finn, in a feature from excellent sports newsletter The Bounce. New Zealand’s stadiums, which host a multitude of different sports as well as concerts and other events, can be old, awkward infrastructure, bad at hosting audiences and sports teams; bad at serving their purpose. Christchurch’s Orangetheory stadium, where the All Blacks lost to the Pumas last week, was intended to be temporary, and only last for five years. Consequently, world class international rugby players enter the field surrounded by portaloos. Why are stadiums like this, and how could they be better? Read Finn’s analysis here.
The next Wellington mayor: a duology
The Spinoff’s local election coverage is heating up. This week, editor-at-large Toby Manhire at-larged himself to Wellington, where he profiled two of the mayoral candidates on the ballot to lead the capital. Toby profiled Tory Whanau, a former Greens chief of staff who says she “knows how to put my political leanings aside, you know, and think about the bigger goal. I’m strategic.” He also talked to incumbent mayor Andy Foster about what he’s done during his time in the hot seat and how difficult it’s been to form consensus across the council table. “I had to work my way through things very carefully to try and get what I could,” says Foster. Read more of The Spinoff’s local election coverage here.
Have you been seeing local election signs everywhere? Toby Morris analyses the best and worst designs from around the country
Should we look to movies to learn history?
In 2007, police and helicopters descended on the small town of Rūātoki in Te Urewera. Homes and school buses were searched by heavily armed police who had heard rumours that there were people training in military-type camps in the area. That wasn’t the case, but the raids of that day have had an impact on Ngāi Tūhoe ever since. A new film by director Tereapa Kahi revisits this period, and the long history that led to this moment. But in order to tell this story, Kahi fictionalises and dramatises these events. Given that so many people don’t know the history, will this new film continue to spread misconceptions? Charlotte Muru-Lanning spoke to Kahi and a film expert about why historical stories are so important – and difficult – to tell, and why ideas about accuracy need to be contested.
Another question: why are headlines so inquisitive?
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Learning to befriend the darkness
I feel very self-centred when I feature my own stories in this newsletter but I’m going to shake off the whakamā, because I’ve been fascinated by light pollution for years, and I loved writing this reported essay about it. Light pollution wastes energy, and can have profound negative effects on human bodies by disrupting our circadian rhythms. I talked to researchers and defenders of the darkness about switching the lights off. Ever-present light is a way to think about how anthropocentric we are — because the brightness that humans spray across the sky also shapes the habitats of the species we share a planet with. I used the plural pronoun “we” to talk about the human love affair with electric lights in this story, because I think that making friends with darkness is a collective invitation. Maybe this piece can be a reminder to go outside tonight, if it’s clear (I’m a writer, not a weather forecaster) and appreciate the stars.
In science news, the scallop season is starting — but populations of this New Zealand species have been decimated
Lucy Lawless loves Tāmaki Makaurau
A murder show might not be the obvious choice for documenting the loveliness of New Zealand’s biggest city. But with her show My Life is Murder, international star Lucy Lawless plays a detective solving unusual murders, and features lush Auckland settings in high definition. Production of the show moved to Aotearoa from Melbourne after season one, and Lawless tells TV writer Tara Ward that she’s “delighted to bring my city to the world”. The show, whose new season started this week (previous seasons are also on TVNZ+), is apparently a delightful watch.
Tara Ward conducts a frame-by-frame analysis of the new Celebrity Treasure Island trailer. It’s bonkers.
Everything else
I’ve been thinking about the climate crisis a lot this week, looking at flooding and heatwave stories around the world. So be prepared for some slightly dire links, but there’s some more hopeful stuff here too!
Pictures to understand the scale of the terrible floods in Pakistan.
Another reminder of the climate crisis: what the extreme heatwave in China means for global food and manufacturing.
Dry earth absorbs less water, which is another reason to be concerned about heatwaves.
Taking public transport is a great way to lower emissions, but there aren’t enough bus drivers in New Zealand.
Despite efforts to regulate the industry, commercial fishing still kills many endangered species as bycatch.
Has the New Zealand government been convinced by false promises about green hydrogen?
If climate news stresses you out and you have a lot of free time, you could try making acorn crackers. Alternatively, read about what to eat to save the planet in The Spinoff’s thoughtful newsletter Future Proof.
I loved this feature about efforts to save endangered trees.
Transplanting the tradition of a kava ceremony to Aotearoa in a way that honours tangata whenua.
There’s a lot of hype around the novel Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, about friendship and gaming. Our reviewer Sam Brooks hated it.
The exhibit helping to connect people in Benin to the artefacts taken by colonisers (related: Stuff the British Stole, a great podcast).
Weekend watching: everything new to streaming services in September (including the very expensive new Lord of the Rings show).
Spring? No, let’s skip straight to summer.
There’s a history to the government’s 22-hour reversal on adding GST to Kiwisaver management fees, says Bernard Hickey.
Paid, meaningful employment can help the inequity that is a barrier to people with disabilities.
A novel way to gauge the suitability of your partner: watch Below Deck together.
Nude beaches still have a role in the smartphone age (last summer, The Spinoff sent a writer to a nude beach in Aotearoa).
And finally, Policy is back! it’s the best best tool to learn about who is standing in your local elections and what issues they represent. I highly recommend entering your address and spending some time this weekend learning about your candidates.
