Is there a word for fear of maps....

Check this link through to a map of Otautahi, sit there and watch...


It's from The Map Room, great blog for those of us who LOVE. MAPS. But I gotta admit, sitting there watching the day of February the 22nd unfold, I was trying to figure out when the big one hit, and I recalled it was after lunch, I was at Waikato-Tainui office, by the river...


In awe of the colours of Papatuanuku squeezing up and around her son, Ruaumoko...


Better than the dreary NASA imagery...


A lot of information from the Christchurch Earthquake Clearinghouse...


But so many unknowns for too many people. Sad winter.

Innovation in New Zealand

Monday, Tuesday this week I was at the International Conference on Invention, Innovation and Commercialisation at the Sudima Hotel, Chirstchurch. Presented my research on the second day, the details of which are in our report, The socio-technical networks of technology users' innovation: a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis.

Highlights for me were the TUI peeps themselves whose stories are inspiring, scary and enlightening. Also enjoyed Enrico Tronchin's presentation on Disruptive innovation for sustained economic growth: Why New Zealand’s innovation system should be open, distributed and inclusive of innovative users, and Manthyan Janodia's paper on Generating innovation in developing countries: policy formulation and its implications'. Manthan gave some fascinating insight into Indian innovation, check out the website. Products include an amphibious bicycle...

Ngati Whatua in the gun for charging - shock horror - market rents for their land

Although headlines speak of a mythical generic Maori commercial entity, it is Ngati Whatua sparking plenty of squealing with the introduction of market rents on their own land despite many businesses benefiting from 15 years of ZERO rent. Poor ol' Micky-D's and KFC are facing annual rent charges of $21,000 a month and $14,000 a month. The tribe reckon the 15-year ground-rent holiday on their Quay Park land has been worth at least $460 million to iwi coffers.

Of course threats to walk away are a typical response but plenty of Canterbury businesses on the run from ongoing aftershocks would love any lease with some foot traffic and geo-stability (although aren't those volcano cones are dormant as opposed to extinct?!).

Taranaki also face hurdles in trying to extract valid rents from the powerful farming lobby which secured (through the Maori Reserved Land Act 1955) rents at 5 per cent of the unimproved value of the land. Rents were reviewed every 21 years.

Nobody said capitalism was easy. Ironically it is left to an Indigenous People to level the playing field.


Pakeha response to a rent review by Titokowaru, circa. 1868.

Maori Economy, latest findings

BERL have release the latest (2010) version of the Maori economy. Weighing in at a hefty $36,897 million, let's round it up to a lazy $37 billion.



Given the Maori economy is supposed to both grow the pie and give Maori a bigger slice, here's a pie chart!



This includes Maori who are self-employed or employers, perhaps a little loose as it delineates Maori as economic players from those Pakeha whom they play with with! Factoring out these two groups we have the following, made up of Maori baords, trusts, incorporations etc.



There's a lot going on in all this. From the last big report (TPK, 2008) the share of the primary sector has, for boards and trusts, gone up from 52% to 55%, although there is undoubtedly more diversity across the entire Maori society. Still, as I've said before, this economy is disconnected from much Maori society as portrayed in the worsening employment figures (over 16% unemployment, 30% for youth and hitting 65% in areas such as Tai Tokerau).

Look for ongoing regurgitation of the figure 37 billion for a Maori economy. But don't look for any improvement in Maori employment...


Nice pic from Laurence Aberhart, Kiwi photographer: Ravensbourne, Dunedin.

Back in Leeston

Enjoyed the NAISA conference but really enjoyed getting home. Somethng about major earthquakes when I've been absent in the past I guess. Took very few photos, just always having to be somewhere and do something (attend, listen, comment, present, listen, respond, drink).

Art from the street through shiny glass...

me over Sacramento

on my way outta Sacramento, with Brenda MacDougall, Robert Innes, and Signa Durma Shanks making sure I go, outside the Hyatt Regency. Brenda holding the little worm i picked up in Tucson a couple years back.


Napa flea market, best shopping by far (well spotted Jennifer Campeau!), just before I bought my latest cowboy hat.

Wall, Sacramento Museum.