The purpose of this petition is to get airbrush painting , whether it be fine art on canvas or airbrushing on vehicles etc regognised as a genuine art form by the New Zealand Arts Council as they don't recognise it as such yet.

As the Airbrush fraternity did in Australia with their arts council and were successful , we in New Zealand are trying to do the same so as to get equality in the art field in New Zealand.

The growth of oil palm plantations to produce palm oil in South East Asia is destroying rainforest habitat and driving the orangutan, Sumatran tiger, Asian elephant, Asian rhino and other rainforest species to extinction.

Palm oil is now in one in 10 supermarket products, but on most of these products, it's not labelled.

We all have the right to make informed choices about what food products we buy, and to not buy foods that destroy rainforest habitat and drive wildlife to extinction.

Please sign our 'Don't Palm Us Off' petition by clicking here or pick up a postcard at the zoo.

Tell FSANZ don't palm us off.

Regards
Tina

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Connect have leased a residential property on Maire Road and intend to obtain a resource consent to run a short term, acute service for people suffering from mental health issues.

Four to five patients will stay for a maximum of 10 days for short term support and treatment; patients COULD POTENTIALLY be ex offenders, severe and violent personality disorders and possibly unregistered sex offenders.

This is not a lockdown facility and will be staffed 24 hours a day with a registered nurse on between 8am to 8pm.

The site is on the boundary of a primary school and is on the direct walking route to the school; it is directly across the road from a daycare facility and within a 2 min walk to the bottle shop and gambling facility on Grand Drive.

Connect are saying that this poses no significant risk to the residents or the children, however they are unable to provide more in-depth information regarding the service nor provide evidence that our children will be safe.

We feel it is utterly irresponsible to have such a facility next to a primary school and daycare. No matter how small the potential risk, this proposal is extremely short sighted and could potentially put our innocent children at risk.

We are sympathetic to the needs of the people requiring such facilities and agree this service is required; however we do oppose the proposed location.

Although the parole board has put many restrictions on this offender I, like so many of you, are sickened to hear he will be allowed to keep a pet.

Mr Wilson's convictions include rape, attempted rape, indecent assault, stupefying, wilful ill-treatment of a child, and bestiality.

I cannot believe a sexual monster like Mr Wilson will be allowed to keep an innocent animal in his home to do what he will to it.

This truly is mind-blowing and if you feel in anyway this should NEVER happen please please sign.

We need as many signatures as we can in the next 2 weeks so please pass around to all animal loves and people will common sense.

It is widely purported that although 80% of Kapiti Coast ratepayers are opposed, the Mayor and Councillors are determined to proceed with their actions.

Despite a request by residents for a referendum, the Mayor is ignoring the ratepayers and in a Kapiti Observer article dated 22/08/2011 she said the Council did not think a referendum was required.

Phase one of the campaign culminated in a street petition of 7662 signatures being presented to KCDC. This online petition will continue into 2012 to allow Kapiti Coast residents who want to be heard and raise the number of signatures over the 10,000 mark.

NOTE: Campaign updates are posted on the facebook page above. Add your thoughts there as well.

Built in 1875, it has been home to the iconic Dragon Café since 1958. The building can be restored, but its fate depends on the actions of the owners and the Dunedin City Council.

We are a generation of young New Zealanders who have attended university, received degrees and moved overseas – but alas are fated never to return, due to mounting debt through accrued loan interest, a lack of accessible repayment information, heavy international transfer fees, and now the rumoured threat of asset seizure or jail time if we return.

There is no doubt, we are the guinea pig generation - caught between one generation who are now reaping the benefits of their free education, and another who bask in interest free loans.

The majority of us are productive citizens, some of us are doctors, lawyers, teachers – many of us have gone on to further education and all of us have accumulated valuable experience while overseas, whilst back in the homeland all we have accumulated is a horrendously crippling debt. It ridiculous to think of the money that the New Zealand government is spending trying to entice immigrants to ease the skills shortage, when there are so many skilled New Zealanders living in student loan-induced exile overseas. Surely it would be more beneficial if the government developed a compromise regarding the interest charged on non-resident student loans, thus working to turn the tide of the ever-growing ‘brain drain’.

The New Zealand government has done nothing but show the ‘kiwi refugees’ of ‘the guinea pig’ generation disdain, which is causing a great amount of aggravation amongst the ex-pats. It doesn’t take much more than a quick internet search and a browse through the numerous forums to discover that, although we are scattered across the globe, (making any attempt at presenting a united voice almost impossible) we are unified in the fact that the vast majority of us will never return and, just as the government has turned their back on our plight – we will do the same – openly disowning our country of birth.

Both of these options are an unnecessary expense for those who have already invested in FreeView. Prime TV can only truly call itself "Free to Air" when it puts this issue right.

Click here to read Sky's current position on this matter.

After many discussions with different department heads and research, I found the only affordable housing available to rent is with HNZ and rarely do homes become available to rent privately with a weekly rent of $500 to $1000 plus with conditions that only few qualify.

We had an Act that made us priority over all others with HNZ within the Orakei area, but unfortunately that was made redundant by our former chief in the 90s. As a direct result HNZ who are the nominated landlords by our trust board do not recognize or give us rights when applying for housing.

At present they have a waiting list of approximately 2000 applicants and to even qualify for this list you have to fit their criteria. EG: be a ex prisoners, destitute or worse.

I am proud that we and our tamariki are striving to better our lives and the lives of our mokos, but this is making it impossible for them to find accommodation in the area we call home and due to this unreasonable situation, I've noticed that our own homes are becoming over crowded, our children are been forced to move else where or overseas and worst of all due to the stress and pressure that is placed on the families they are breaking up and/or giving up, which sadly are then able to finally qualify, but are no longer financially or emotionally able to cope living on their own so stay or move into what little homes we own or occupy, which I strongly believe is getting worse each year as our whanau grows.

I have spoken to many of my whanau and we all agree that we want to live at home in Orakei which for a lot of us is the only home they have ever known, and not because it is convenient to the city or that it is the million dollar area to reside etc..., but because it is HOME and our GOD GIVEN RIGHT, that our whanau PAST and PRESENT have fought hard and long for and continue to fight for.

I strongly believe our whanau are safer living in and around our own and within our papakainga, as the crime and violence within our country is raising sadly at an alarming rate each year which frightens myself, my elders and my whanau for the well-being of ourselves and our children.

Which is the reason I decided to do something about it on behalf and with the support of the whanau and whoever else that decides to sign this petition to show that this situation needs to be addressed and an the Act or alike be reinforced.