Dearth of decent graphics and data for NZ local elections

The papers have made little effort and are mainly sticking to articles. The worst use of a map that I have seen for a long while can be found at http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/local-elections-2010-map

The only site that makes any effort is the official elections2010.co.nz site. Unfortunately it has some serious flaws. No effort is made to explain how many candidates in a ward or board will be elected, which makes the results fairly meaningless. The elections for a particular region are presented in one enormous page full of photo thumbnails that takes an eternity to load for populous regions - this is particularly bad for Auckland.

Hobbit and Actors Equity

I'd say that NZ Actors Equity has a strong case for a better deal on American productions. The producers are looking for the best balance of value and psychic distance, and NZ is the cheapest place in the world for a good supply of white native-English-speakers with developed-world mannerisms in a not excessively exotic natural environment.

If you wanted to find cheaper mobile scenery than this, where would you go?

Africa, China and South America are out unless you're doing a movie with a specific cultural theme.

Eastern Europe has whities who could do a good elf (and they have pointier ears), but these days you'd have to go really far east to escape the worker-enfranchising attentions of the EU - think Serbia or Ukraine. Good luck getting any of them to step up to fill out the gaps - you'd have to fly in anyone with a speaking part.