Keen for a getaway that won't break the bank?

The AUTSA Lodge at Tongariro National Park is available at rock bottom prices for AUT students. It sleeps up to 12 people!

EDITOR

Sam Clark

DESIGNER

Charlie Ratahi McFarland

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Vivien Whyte

FEATURE WRITER

Liam Hansen

LIFESTYLE & CULTURE WRITER

Thomas Giblin

CHIEF NEWS REPORTER

Nic George

NEWS WRITER

Vanessa Elley

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Frances Revita

CONTRIBUTORS

Haydn Nixon, Lucy Higgins

COVER ART

Haydn Nixon

ADVERTISING

Jesse Jones jesse.jones@autsa.org.nz

PRINTER

Nicholson Print Solutions

DISCLAIMER

Material contained in this publication does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of AUTSA, its advertisers, contributors, Nicholson Print Solutions or its subsidiaries.

This publication is entitled to the full protection given by the Copyright Act 1994 (“the Act”) to the holders of the copyright, being AUT STUDENT ASSOCIATION (“AUTSA”). Reproduction, storage or display of any part of this publication by any process, electronic or otherwise (except for the educational purposes specified in the Act) without express permission is a break of the copyright of the publisher and will be prosecuted accordingly. Inquiries seeking permission to reproduce should be addressed to AUTSA.

Debate is a member of the Aotearoa Student Press Association (ASPA).

I hope you all filled out the census… If Harry Styles can do it, so can you.

It’s three weeks into uni, so many of you will have settled into your new flats. And those of you in halls might be wondering about flatting next year. Well, flatting in Tāmaki is great! You’re in the biggest city in Aotearoa, it’s alive with arts and culture and has a thriving music scene. Plus, there’s two unis here (we all know which one’s best), so it’s got a huge student population.

But it can get tricky as a student. No one wants to rent to young people, even if the place is shit. My friend who shares an office space with a property management firm says he sometimes hears them laughing about rejecting groups of students. How lovely. Viv says we should egg them, and I’m inclined to agree. It’s also no secret that Auckland’s a bitch to get around - public transport is average at best and debilitating at its worst. People will say you need a car here, and they’re probably right. I’ve never owned one myself, sticking to two wheels – my Honda 50cc scooter (now stolen), or road bike.

It's normal to pay $250 per week for a room in Auckland these days. Considering student loan living costs payments are $281.96, you’re not left with much. Part-time work is the only way you can eat and keep a remnant of a social life. You can find a room in uni towns like Christchurch and Dunedin for a whole lot cheaper. So, with these extortionate rent prices, how will Auckland hold on to its students? At least it’s cheaper here than Welly.

Healthy homes standards were introduced in 2019, meaning landlords might finally have to sort their shit out. But how often are the standards really abided by? I’ve visited my fair share of draughty, mouldy flats around Auckland – I’ve lived in a couple too. Even if your landlord finally decides to install a heat pump, how on earth are you meant to pay to run it?

In the spirit of the census, our last one (2018) found that home ownership is the lowest it’s been in seventy years. And as we spend hundreds of dollars on rent every week, it’s easy to feel despondent about the state of housing in Aotearoa. Stuff coined the term ‘mega landlord’, which is someone who owns more than twenty properties. Collectively, this group owns over 20,000 houses across the country. It’s not a very nice statistic and you’re probably even renting from one of them. How did we find ourselves here? The truth is, we need a capital gains tax. And it just so happens to be election year, so vote for someone who wants to improve housing in Aotearoa! Because something tells me quitting avocado toast isn’t going to fix it.

Election debate draws a vocal crowd

By Vanessa Elley (she/her) News Writer

The University of Auckland Debating Society’s 2023 election debate drew a rowdy audience on February 28th, with a full house in the Fisher & Paykel Appliances Auditorium.

The debate featured representatives from the parties that polled over 1 per cent in the 2020 general election, and was hosted by Q&A’s Jack Tame.

There were three key issues to discuss: The economy, the environment and housing.

Most representatives agreed that climate change and economic sustainability were a priority.

Auckland Central MP and Green representative, Chlöe Swarbrick, outlined a “mitigation and adaptation” based approach.

“Climate mitigation is about how we reduce our emissions, climate adaptation is about how we adapt to an already changed environment. We have to do both of those things.”, she said.

Gas leak false-alarm causes building evacuation

By Vanessa Elley (she/her) News Writer

A false alarm was triggered at AUT’s City Campus on Friday March 3rd, leading to the evacuation of the WC building.

Although concerns were initially raised about a gas leak, in fact a refrigerant alarm had been accidentally set off.

Gas leak false-alarm causes building evacuation

The alarm was tripped by vapor from an adhesive being used by a flooring contractor working in an office.

WC building was evacuated as a precaution.

AUT student Sophie Watson was on her way to AUTSA’s Paint & Sip event when she was stopped at the entrance of WC by a security guard.

National representative, Chris Bishop, agreed.

“We do need to reduce our emissions, and we do need to adapt to what’s coming from the rest of the world.”, he said.

Throughout the debate audience members were eager to voice their thoughts, opinions and rebuttals to the politicians on the stage.

Last year’s mayoral debate set a precedent for crowd participation, with two eggs hurled at New Conservative representative, Ted Johnston, before the night was through.

While no eggs flew this time around, the atmosphere was still one of lively and heated debate.

Heckling went both ways, with the audience unafraid to speak up and the politicians matching their energy.

A full recording of the live-streamed debate is available on the University of Auckland Debating Society’s Facebook page.

“He told us we couldn’t enter the building because there had been a gas leak.”

She also saw two fire trucks on their way to the university at around 4pm, fifteen minutes before she was stopped.

The Paint & Sip event was part of the Friday lineup for AUTSA’s 2023 O Week, and was planned to be held from 3-5pm in the WC202 student lounge.