Latest news with #Grayling
1News
21-06-2025
- General
- 1News
Why a 'cute' pet is now included in a pest management plan
Bay of Plenty turtle owners are now required to securely house their pets as the regional council changes its pest plan to prevent escapees. While unlikely to form a sewer-dwelling gang of martial arts fighters, escaped or released pets can harm ecosystems and native species. The Regional Pest Management Plan sets the Bay of Plenty Regional Council's priorities and goals for managing animal and pest plants, and includes rules to comply with the Biosecurity Act. A recent council review has resulted in new species being added as pests, and changes to how others are categorised. As of this week, all wallaby species known to be in the country and all introduced turtles will be included. ADVERTISEMENT Biosecurity team leader Shane Grayling said the pest management landscape was 'ever changing'. 'The pests included in the [plan] and the ways to manage them have recently been reconsidered to reflect emerging pest issues.' It was the first time turtles were included in the plan, covering all introduced freshwater types. Consultation on the topic showed split views on the need to manage turtles. Some submitters asked for introduced turtles to be included in the eradication programme rather than sustained control, some wanted a ban on the sale and breeding of them, while others did not believe turtles caused adverse environmental effects that needed to be managed. Grayling said climate change and the Rotorua area's warm geothermal soils increased the likelihood turtles were able to successfully breed in the wild. This included red-eared slider turtles, which have been found abandoned and breeding in Bay of Plenty waterways. ADVERTISEMENT From 50c coin to the size of a dinner plate Growing turtle numbers are putting a strain on the country's biodiversity. (Source: 1News) Katikati reptile breeders Donna and Graeme Hannah, who have worked to raise awareness of the issue, told SunLive last year they were often called by people who found abandoned turtles. 'They start off cute around the size of a 50c piece,' Graeme Hannah said. But they could live 50 years and grow to the size of a dinner plate, needing more maintenance and a bigger tank or pond and leading owners to abandon them. Sightings reported to the regional council included a female found nesting in Tauranga's Gordon Carmichael Reserve with 16 eggs. The turtles feed on small fish, plants, kōura (freshwater crayfish) and small birds such as ducklings, degrade water quality by disrupting the ecosystem, and displace wetland birds by taking over nesting sites. Under the new regional rules, turtle sales could continue but pet owners were required to house them securely to prevent escape. ADVERTISEMENT 'There have been instances previously where there has been no barrier around a pond to prevent the turtle from relocating elsewhere,' Grayling said. He said anecdotally, there have been increased reports of turtle sightings across the region over the past couple of years. The majority were red-eared sliders. Turtles were 'inherently difficult to catch' and therefore controlling them was challenging. The council would respond to reported sightings in the wild and consider options for control on a case-by-case basis. 'The focus for council particularly in the short term will be on education and advocacy for responsible turtle ownership.' Controlling wallaby spread All wallaby species found in New Zealand are now included in the plan. (Source: Andrew Warner) ADVERTISEMENT The pre-amended plan only listed the dama wallaby as a pest, but Grayling said the need to include all known species found in New Zealand was identified after the parma wallaby was discovered around the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes in 2023. Dama and parma were now listed under the progressive containment and eradication programme. Other species not known to be in the Bay of Plenty were under the exclusion programme. 'The amendment is a technical one and there is no change in how wallaby control is managed or funded,' Grayling said. Efforts to control wallaby spread were funded with $1 million this year under the International Visitor Levy, including for work in the Te Arawa area. Exotic caulerpa, a pest seaweed, was also included in the plan to minimise the risk of it entering the region. It has been described as the country's most serious marine biosecurity invasion in a lifetime. Corbicula – invasive exotic freshwater clams – were also listed as exclusionary pests. Other changes in the plan included treating certain species of conifers as pests, regardless of whether they were deliberately planted or not. The amendments prohibit new plantings of these species, to ensure that the region's biodiversity is protected from the potential impact of pines growing in the wild. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Scoop
20-06-2025
- General
- Scoop
Why ‘Cute' Pets Are Now Included In Pest Management Plan
Bay of Plenty turtle owners must now securely house their pets, as the regional council changes its pest plan to prevent escapees. While unlikely to form a sewer-dwelling gang of martial arts fighters, escaped or released pets can harm ecosystems and native species. The Regional Pest Management Plan sets the Bay of Plenty Regional Council's priorities and goals for managing animal and pest plants, and includes rules to comply with the Biosecurity Act. A recent council review has seen new species added as pests and changes to how others are categorised. As of this week, all wallaby species known to be in the country and all introduced turtles will be included. Biosecurity team leader Shane Grayling said the pest management landscape was "ever changing". "The pests included in the [plan] and the ways to manage them have recently been reconsidered to reflect emerging pest issues." Turtles were included in the plan for the first time, covering all introduced freshwater types. Consultation on the topic showed split views on the need to manage turtles. Some submitters asked for introduced turtles to be included in the eradication programme, rather than sustained control. Some wanted a ban on the sale and breeding of them, while others did not believe turtles caused adverse environmental effects that needed managing. Grayling said climate change and the Rotorua area's warm geothermal soils increased the likelihood turtles could successfully breed in the wild. This included red-eared slider turtles, which have been found abandoned and breeding in Bay of Plenty waterways. Katikati reptile breeders Donna and Graeme Hannah, who have worked to raise awareness of the issue, told SunLive last year they were often called by people who found abandoned turtles. "They start off cute around the size of a 50c piece," Graeme Hannah said, but they could live 50 years and grow to the size of a dinner plate, needing more maintenance, and a bigger tank or pond, leading owners to abandon them. Sightings reported to the regional council included a female found nesting in Tauranga's Gordon Carmichael Reserve with 16 eggs. The turtles feed on small fish, plants, kōura (freshwater crayfish) and small birds such as ducklings, degrade water quality by disrupting the ecosystem, and displace wetland birds by taking over nesting sites. Under the new regional rules, turtle sales could continue, but pet owners needed to house them securely to prevent escape. "There have been instances previously where there has been no barrier around a pond to prevent the turtle from relocating elsewhere," Grayling said. He said, anecdotally, there had been increased reports of turtle sightings throughout the Bay of Plenty during the past couple of years. Most were red-eared sliders. Turtles were "inherently difficult to catch" and therefore controlling them was challenging. The council would respond to reported sightings in the wild and consider options for control on a case-by-case basis. "The focus for council, particularly in the short term, will be on education and advocacy for responsible turtle ownership." The pre-amended plan only listed the dama wallaby as a pest, but Grayling said the need to include all known species found in New Zealand was identified, after the parma wallaby was discovered around the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes in 2023. Dama and parma were now listed under the progressive containment and eradication programme. Other species not known to be in the Bay of Plenty were under the exclusion programme. "The amendment is a technical one, and there is no change in how wallaby control is managed or funded," Grayling said. Efforts to control wallaby spread were funded with $1 million this year under the International Visitor Levy, including work in the Te Arawa area. Exotic caulerpa - a pest seaweed - was also included in the plan to minimise the risk of it entering the region. It has been described as the country's most serious marine biosecurity invasion in a lifetime. Other changes in the plan included treating certain species of conifers as pests, regardless of whether they were deliberately planted. The amendments prohibited new plantings of these species to ensure that the region's biodiversity was protected from the potential impact of pines growing in the wild.
Scotsman
05-06-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Grayling strengthens media service in Scotland
International communications agency, Grayling, has strengthened its media service offering in Scotland with the announcement of a partnership with highly respected former national newspaper deputy editor, Mark Macaskill. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Macaskill, who spent 26 years on The Sunday Times where he rose to become deputy editor of the Scottish edition, joins Grayling Media, the agency's specialist media relations unit, launched to bridge the gap between communications professionals and journalists in an evolving new age of media. Macaskill will work with teams in Scotland and across Grayling's wider UK network, bringing his broad newsroom perspective and sharp editorial judgement to help shape stories, tackle complex narratives and provide high-level strategic counsel. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He will contribute to media training, workshops, panel events and new business activity — offering clients a unique perspective grounded in frontline journalism. His appointment bolsters Grayling's reputation for media excellence and adds further depth to its senior counsel offering. Mark Macaskill joins Grayling's media service Commenting on the partnership, Macaskill said: 'Grayling is a fast-growing and hugely respected agency with international reach and the opportunity to partner with them was not to be missed. The media landscape is rapidly evolving but the appetite for original and agenda-setting content remains undiminished. I'm really looking forward to working with Grayling to drive news content that shapes narratives, delivers real impact and helps convert new business into new clients.' Billy Partridge, UK Board Director and Head of Scotland at Grayling spoke of the opportunities the partnership would bring. He said: 'Mark's journalistic pedigree, editorial instincts and deep understanding of the media landscape make him an invaluable partner for both our team and our clients. 'This collaboration is all about elevating the work we do — from standout storytelling and building client confidence under the spotlight to enhancing our client advisory capabilities and supporting our strategic business development goals. We're excited about the energy and insight he brings." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mark, who continues to write and has been published in The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Observer, The Sunday Post and Rolling Stone, joins a prestigious UK media advisory board, comprising: •Lucie Cave: Chief Content Editor at Bauer Media Group and ITV Lorraine's Entertainment editor •Jane Hamilton: Recruitment Editor at The Times and The Sun; •Jordan Schwarzenberger: co-founder of Arcade Media, and •Charlotte Griffiths: Editor at Large at the Mail on Sunday
NZ Herald
15-05-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
A.C. Grayling on culture wars and the age-old cycle of ‘cancellation'
Discriminations – Making Peace in the Culture Wars is the latest work by British philosopher A.C. Grayling, where he delves into some of the biggest issues of our time. Grayling, who is in New Zealand for the Auckland Writers Festival, told The Front Page 'wokeism' is a term that applies to a state of mind about fighting against discrimination. 'It's about making society a fair place. People use this word, 'woke', as a kind of term of abuse, very disparaging, and very contemptuous. But it has an honourable ancestry. 'It comes from the African American patois, talking about the fact that although there are very obvious forms of discrimination (you can't get any more obvious than slavery), there are also lots of hidden forms of racism. 'So to be alert, to be awake, to be woke to the fact that you are going to be encountering all sorts of resistance to your chance just to be accepted and to have a fair place. 'Anti-woke is about protecting interests, not about protecting rights. Because if you are in a privileged position in society, you have privileged access to all the top-quality social goods of health, education, and opportunities in economics, you don't want other people getting into your club. So you push back against it,' he said. Examples of 'cancellations' are peppered throughout history, Grayling argues. Some are justified, like incarceration after a law is broken, others are not, like some social media pile-ons. War (' war is one group trying to cancel another group'), the downfall of now-convicted sex pest Harvey Weinstein, or the ostracisation of 19th-century playwright Oscar Wilde for his sexual proclivities are all examples of different cancellations over time. Some considered 'right', some 'wrong'. What 'culture wars' come down to is human rights, Grayling said, and he uses the terrorist leader Osama bin Laden to land this point as he is an 'extremely unappealing candidate for being treated in accordance with human rights ideas'. 'Because human rights say everybody has a right to a fair trial. Everybody has a right to a defence to be heard. Everybody has a right when arrested and charged with a crime to be treated with a degree of respect and deference, and not to be subjected to arbitrary punishment. 'Now, Osama bin Laden was shot dead and dropped into the Arabian Gulf – for good, pragmatic reasons. Because if he had been arrested and taken to Guantanamo Bay, he might have continued to be a focus of attention on the part of supporters. 'From a long-term point of view, from the point of view of trying to respect due process and individual human rights, it would've served the world better if the United States – which after all used to set itself up before Trump as a place of law, civil liberties, and human rights – if they had respected those constraints. 'It's harder to do. It's hard work to do that. It's disgusting to have to do it with somebody like Osama bin Laden. But in the end, it would've been better than to engage in an extrajudicial killing,' he said. The debate around 'culture wars' re-ignited in New Zealand recently when the coalition Government disestablished the Māori Health Authority and introduced the Treaty Principles Bill, which sought to make it so there were 'equal rights for all New Zealanders'. 'To treat people equally is not always to treat them fairly,' Grayling writes. Take an Olympic athlete who needed 5000 calories a day and a little old lady who needed 1500 calories a day, he said. '[If] you forced them to eat the same number of calories, say 3000 a day each, you're unfair to both.' A.C. Grayling will be appearing at the Auckland Writers Festival from May 13–18. For more information and tickets, visit or buy tickets at the venue box office.
The Advertiser
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
The social media-hating philosopher relishing his X ban
Philosopher AC Grayling revels in being banned from social media platform X because his latest book is all about cancel culture. "How about that? I mean, that is so ironic it's almost unbelievable," he said. "Elon Musk, the great would-be champion of free speech, has cancelled me on Twitter!" Grayling was blocked in February - he suspects over a repost - as his book Discriminations: Making Peace in the Culture Wars was about to hit bookshelves worldwide. An author of more than 30 books, Grayling holds positions at both Northeastern University London and St Anne's College in Oxford University. He's in Australia in May, having appeared at the Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival with Melbourne, Sydney and Newcastle writers' festivals to come. But unlike most authors, Grayling won't be promoting these events on social media. As well as being blocked on the Musk-owned X, he admits to having forgotten his Facebook password. What's more, he argues social media is toxic and has been harmful to democracies around the world. It's all part of his analysis of the culture wars, which he explains go back to ancient times - the word ostracism can be traced to ancient Greek - because tribalism is simply the flip side of community. "The whole of history is about one group trying to cancel another group - that's what a war is," he said. From political correctness to wokeness, Grayling views contemporary culture wars as fundamentally about human rights and fairness, and fighting against sexism, racism and homophobia. "People who are in positions of privilege don't want other people to have a fair share because they think they will lose their hold on the levers of privilege," he said. Australia's book festival scene has had to contend with these culture wars in recent years, with donations withdrawn from events and staff and board members quitting over issues such as the Gaza conflict. With the patience of a philosopher, Grayling sees writers' festivals as an opportunity for rational debate, but he adds it's understandable that people occasionally get riled up. He interprets Australia's federal election, which resulted in a Labor triumph, as a move away from the culture wars the nation's politicians have indulged in over the past decade. "It's maybe a step in the right direction, towards bringing the culture wars to a more peaceful conclusion." Grayling appears at the Melbourne Writers Festival, which began on Saturday, followed by the Sydney Writers' Festival, held from May 19-27, and a special Newcastle Writers Festival event on May 20. Philosopher AC Grayling revels in being banned from social media platform X because his latest book is all about cancel culture. "How about that? I mean, that is so ironic it's almost unbelievable," he said. "Elon Musk, the great would-be champion of free speech, has cancelled me on Twitter!" Grayling was blocked in February - he suspects over a repost - as his book Discriminations: Making Peace in the Culture Wars was about to hit bookshelves worldwide. An author of more than 30 books, Grayling holds positions at both Northeastern University London and St Anne's College in Oxford University. He's in Australia in May, having appeared at the Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival with Melbourne, Sydney and Newcastle writers' festivals to come. But unlike most authors, Grayling won't be promoting these events on social media. As well as being blocked on the Musk-owned X, he admits to having forgotten his Facebook password. What's more, he argues social media is toxic and has been harmful to democracies around the world. It's all part of his analysis of the culture wars, which he explains go back to ancient times - the word ostracism can be traced to ancient Greek - because tribalism is simply the flip side of community. "The whole of history is about one group trying to cancel another group - that's what a war is," he said. From political correctness to wokeness, Grayling views contemporary culture wars as fundamentally about human rights and fairness, and fighting against sexism, racism and homophobia. "People who are in positions of privilege don't want other people to have a fair share because they think they will lose their hold on the levers of privilege," he said. Australia's book festival scene has had to contend with these culture wars in recent years, with donations withdrawn from events and staff and board members quitting over issues such as the Gaza conflict. With the patience of a philosopher, Grayling sees writers' festivals as an opportunity for rational debate, but he adds it's understandable that people occasionally get riled up. He interprets Australia's federal election, which resulted in a Labor triumph, as a move away from the culture wars the nation's politicians have indulged in over the past decade. "It's maybe a step in the right direction, towards bringing the culture wars to a more peaceful conclusion." Grayling appears at the Melbourne Writers Festival, which began on Saturday, followed by the Sydney Writers' Festival, held from May 19-27, and a special Newcastle Writers Festival event on May 20. Philosopher AC Grayling revels in being banned from social media platform X because his latest book is all about cancel culture. "How about that? I mean, that is so ironic it's almost unbelievable," he said. "Elon Musk, the great would-be champion of free speech, has cancelled me on Twitter!" Grayling was blocked in February - he suspects over a repost - as his book Discriminations: Making Peace in the Culture Wars was about to hit bookshelves worldwide. An author of more than 30 books, Grayling holds positions at both Northeastern University London and St Anne's College in Oxford University. He's in Australia in May, having appeared at the Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival with Melbourne, Sydney and Newcastle writers' festivals to come. But unlike most authors, Grayling won't be promoting these events on social media. As well as being blocked on the Musk-owned X, he admits to having forgotten his Facebook password. What's more, he argues social media is toxic and has been harmful to democracies around the world. It's all part of his analysis of the culture wars, which he explains go back to ancient times - the word ostracism can be traced to ancient Greek - because tribalism is simply the flip side of community. "The whole of history is about one group trying to cancel another group - that's what a war is," he said. From political correctness to wokeness, Grayling views contemporary culture wars as fundamentally about human rights and fairness, and fighting against sexism, racism and homophobia. "People who are in positions of privilege don't want other people to have a fair share because they think they will lose their hold on the levers of privilege," he said. Australia's book festival scene has had to contend with these culture wars in recent years, with donations withdrawn from events and staff and board members quitting over issues such as the Gaza conflict. With the patience of a philosopher, Grayling sees writers' festivals as an opportunity for rational debate, but he adds it's understandable that people occasionally get riled up. He interprets Australia's federal election, which resulted in a Labor triumph, as a move away from the culture wars the nation's politicians have indulged in over the past decade. "It's maybe a step in the right direction, towards bringing the culture wars to a more peaceful conclusion." Grayling appears at the Melbourne Writers Festival, which began on Saturday, followed by the Sydney Writers' Festival, held from May 19-27, and a special Newcastle Writers Festival event on May 20. Philosopher AC Grayling revels in being banned from social media platform X because his latest book is all about cancel culture. "How about that? I mean, that is so ironic it's almost unbelievable," he said. "Elon Musk, the great would-be champion of free speech, has cancelled me on Twitter!" Grayling was blocked in February - he suspects over a repost - as his book Discriminations: Making Peace in the Culture Wars was about to hit bookshelves worldwide. An author of more than 30 books, Grayling holds positions at both Northeastern University London and St Anne's College in Oxford University. He's in Australia in May, having appeared at the Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival with Melbourne, Sydney and Newcastle writers' festivals to come. But unlike most authors, Grayling won't be promoting these events on social media. As well as being blocked on the Musk-owned X, he admits to having forgotten his Facebook password. What's more, he argues social media is toxic and has been harmful to democracies around the world. It's all part of his analysis of the culture wars, which he explains go back to ancient times - the word ostracism can be traced to ancient Greek - because tribalism is simply the flip side of community. "The whole of history is about one group trying to cancel another group - that's what a war is," he said. From political correctness to wokeness, Grayling views contemporary culture wars as fundamentally about human rights and fairness, and fighting against sexism, racism and homophobia. "People who are in positions of privilege don't want other people to have a fair share because they think they will lose their hold on the levers of privilege," he said. Australia's book festival scene has had to contend with these culture wars in recent years, with donations withdrawn from events and staff and board members quitting over issues such as the Gaza conflict. With the patience of a philosopher, Grayling sees writers' festivals as an opportunity for rational debate, but he adds it's understandable that people occasionally get riled up. He interprets Australia's federal election, which resulted in a Labor triumph, as a move away from the culture wars the nation's politicians have indulged in over the past decade. "It's maybe a step in the right direction, towards bringing the culture wars to a more peaceful conclusion." Grayling appears at the Melbourne Writers Festival, which began on Saturday, followed by the Sydney Writers' Festival, held from May 19-27, and a special Newcastle Writers Festival event on May 20.
