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I offer Therapeutic Massage and Earthing/Grounding in Rangiora.
Please contact Rae (Room to Heal)
0273 621 601
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It's that spooky time of year and while there are some streets that welcome Halloween and set themselves up for trick or treating, there are other houses where you're more likely to get an earful than Halloween lollies. Do you think there's a place for Halloween in NZ?
Type … View moreIt's that spooky time of year and while there are some streets that welcome Halloween and set themselves up for trick or treating, there are other houses where you're more likely to get an earful than Halloween lollies. Do you think there's a place for Halloween in NZ?
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Celebrate the Festival of Lights while keeping your power bills light too! CLICK below to enter.
Share your top power-saving tips for a chance to WIN $150 towards your next power bill! Hurry, entry ends on 13/11, 2023. T&Cs Apply.
For more valuable money-saving tips, explore our … View moreCelebrate the Festival of Lights while keeping your power bills light too! CLICK below to enter.
Share your top power-saving tips for a chance to WIN $150 towards your next power bill! Hurry, entry ends on 13/11, 2023. T&Cs Apply.
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By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Hurunui’s council has posted a $2.6 million deficit, amid uncertainty created by Government reform and economic pressure.
Hurunui mayor Marie Black said the Three Waters, Resource Management Act and local government reforms, high interest rates and … View moreBy David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Hurunui’s council has posted a $2.6 million deficit, amid uncertainty created by Government reform and economic pressure.
Hurunui mayor Marie Black said the Three Waters, Resource Management Act and local government reforms, high interest rates and the cost of living all placed a heavy burden on the council over the past year.
The council adopted its 2022-23 annual report at a council meeting on Tuesday.
The annual report produced a $2.6 million operating deficit on the back of higher than expected roading costs and a significant revaluation of roading assets.
Chief financial officer Jason Beck said there was a significant increase in roading costs due to flooding over the last 18 months, which blew out the operating budget by $3.6m.
A revaluation in the council’s roading assets also led to ‘‘a greater level of depreciation’’, which was not budgeted for, Beck said.
The council’s total expenditure was $61m - $9.1m greater than budget.
Revenue for the year was $58.4m, which was $4.7m ahead of budget, thanks in part to $2.1m received for the Mayor’s Taskforce for Jobs programme and funding to assist with Three Waters reform.
The council also revalued its land and buildings, which increased in value by $22.1m, while the roading assets increased in value by $4.2m.
Black said the council tackled some major capital projects during the year, including upgrading its Three Waters network, in anticipation of government reform.
She said this project, which began in 2015, was funded this year by the Government’s Covid-19 stimulus funding and through the use of debt.
More work is planned over the next 12 months, which would be debt-funded and push the council close to its self-imposed debt ceiling.
The council’s debt was $47.5m as at June 30, lower than the budgeted debt of $54m, due to timing of projects.
■ Public interest journalism funded through New Zealand on Air.
As the spooky season unfolds, we want to extend a big THANK YOU to all of you for your fantastic contributions! Here are the top three treats chosen by our amazing community:
1. Zeronet - 6 months 1/2 price deal! EXCLUSIVE www.broadbandcompare.co.nz......
2. EXCLUSIVE Slingshot Power Bundle … View moreAs the spooky season unfolds, we want to extend a big THANK YOU to all of you for your fantastic contributions! Here are the top three treats chosen by our amazing community:
1. Zeronet - 6 months 1/2 price deal! EXCLUSIVE www.broadbandcompare.co.nz......
2. EXCLUSIVE Slingshot Power Bundle Deal with Unlimited Fibre from just $45/month www.broadbandcompare.co.nz......
3. Get a $250 credit at Contact Energy! www.powercompare.co.nz...
Stay connected with NZ Compare to keep up with the latest competitions, deals, and treats. Wishing you all a hauntingly good Halloween filled with fun, treats, and a touch of magic!
Start your journey with Ryman.
Join us at our Open Days to find out more about independent living, assisted living in a serviced apartment, or our industry leading care.
This is your opportunity to view the quality of a Ryman village, tour our showhomes, the wonderful amenities, and see for … View moreStart your journey with Ryman.
Join us at our Open Days to find out more about independent living, assisted living in a serviced apartment, or our industry leading care.
This is your opportunity to view the quality of a Ryman village, tour our showhomes, the wonderful amenities, and see for yourself how living in a Ryman village will enhance your lifestyle.
We’re looking forward to seeing you there.
Subscribe or gift a NZ House & Garden subscription before 27 November and receive a FREE Antipodes Eve Bio-Retinol Line Reduction Serum worth $60.
Eve Bio-Retinol Line Reduction Serum is scientifically shown to stimulate type I collagen production by up to 55%* plus, 97% of users said their… View moreSubscribe or gift a NZ House & Garden subscription before 27 November and receive a FREE Antipodes Eve Bio-Retinol Line Reduction Serum worth $60.
Eve Bio-Retinol Line Reduction Serum is scientifically shown to stimulate type I collagen production by up to 55%* plus, 97% of users said their skin felt smoother after four weeks’ use*.
Every issue of NZ House & Garden is filled with inspirational homes and gardens, as well as sumptuous food, lifestyle features, shopping trends, and much more.
Enjoy,
The team at NZ House & Garden
*T&Cs apply. The offer applies to one and two year subscriptions only.
Rae at Room to Heal in Rangiora now offers clients the ability to Earth/Ground while receiving a Therapeutic Massage or Reiki Energy Healing. Earthing is so simple, take your shoes off and walk on grass, the beach, swim in the sea, lakes etc. Or make an appointment and lay on my earthing bed.
I … View moreRae at Room to Heal in Rangiora now offers clients the ability to Earth/Ground while receiving a Therapeutic Massage or Reiki Energy Healing. Earthing is so simple, take your shoes off and walk on grass, the beach, swim in the sea, lakes etc. Or make an appointment and lay on my earthing bed.
I will attach earthing patches to parts of your body for targeted pain relief or I will apply the patches onto the soles of your feet. The K1 area on the soles are the most conductive points on your body and impacts the lower body for added healing.
If you would like more information on purchasing your own earthing products or would like more information on the benefits of Earthing please visit my website listed below:
www.immersioncosmetics.co.nz...
Please text Rae 0273 621 601
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*A Price Alert will let you know when an item has reached the right price for buying! Perfect for keeping an eye on Black Friday deals.
Maximise that awkward corner or otherwise inaccessible space with sleek fitted shelves painted in Resene paints.
Find out how to create your own with these easy step by step instructions.
Star gazers are peering into Oxford’s dark sky. Local Democracy Reporter DAVID HILL visits the group to speak about their quest for dark sky park status.
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A group of volunteers are looking to the stars in a bid to gain dark sky park status for a conservation area in North Canterbury.
… View moreStar gazers are peering into Oxford’s dark sky. Local Democracy Reporter DAVID HILL visits the group to speak about their quest for dark sky park status.
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A group of volunteers are looking to the stars in a bid to gain dark sky park status for a conservation area in North Canterbury.
The newly formed Oxford Dark Sky Group is close to submitting an application with the International Dark-Sky Association.
To complete the application, volunteers travel to the Oxford Forest Conservation Area to measure the dark sky.
My daughter, Sasha, and I met volunteers Raul Elias-Drago and Susi Schulze at the Oxford Area School Observatory at 11.30pm on a recent Friday, before heading out to the conservation area.
We take our first readings on the dark sky reader after stepping out of the car at the Coopers Creek car park.
As Elias-Drago explained, we need readings of magnitude 21.2 or higher to support the application.
Stellar magnitude is what astronomers use to measure the brightness of star or object in space. The brighter the object, the lower magnitude.
The Sun has an apparent magnitude of -27, while Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, is -1.46. Venus at its brightest is -5 and the International Space Station can reach a magnitude of -6.
Most people can see up to magnitude 6 with the naked eye on a clear night.
A magnitude of 21.2 is optimum for stargazing, as the sky is dark enough to see distant objects and get a clear view of the centre of the Milky Way through a telescope.
Our first set of readings were around 21.16 to 21.18.
Undeterred we drove further into the conservation area to take readings at different locations.
It was a partially cloudy night, but as we ventured further and the sky got darker our readings were consistently well over 21.2 and as high as 21.48.
On clear nights, Elias-Drago said he picked up readings as high as 21.66 and 21.76.
A $500 grant from the Oxford-Ohoka Community Board allowed the group to buy a dark sky reader.
The newly formed Oxford Dark Sky Group has 22 member organisations, including schools, community groups, sports club, the Oxford Promotions Action Committee (representing local businesses), the Department of Conservation and the Waimakariri District Council.
Elias-Drago said the ultimate goal is to become a dark sky reserve.
The first step is to obtain dark sky park status for the 11,350 hectare conservation area.
‘‘We can use that to generate momentum and then continue the conversation with the council and local businesses, generate some funds and come back to addressing the lighting in the township.’’
A dark sky reserve would include the conservation area as the core and the township and surrounding area as the periphery.
Elias-Drago said there were questions around lighting in the town and changes to the Waimakariri District Plan would need to be considered.
He said good lighting policies could reduce light pollution, improve melatonin levels in humans and improve animal welfare.
A study commissioned by Enterprise North Canterbury, the council’s economic development arm, earlier this year suggested a dark sky reserve could generate $5.4 million in additional spending in the town, and create up to 24 jobs.
After taking measurements in the conservation area, we took a set of readings at the observatory to compare.
Even with a street light outside the observatory and a partially cloudy sky, those readings were only just below 21.2.
The Oxford Dark Sky Group has received an award in the inaugural Waimakariri Zone Committee's environmental awards. (The Waimakariri Zone Committee is a joint committee of Environment Canterbury and the Waimakariri District Council.)
■Public interest journalism funded through New Zealand on Air.
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Rural healthcare needs urgent attention from the incoming Government, says Hurunui mayor Marie Black.
A shortage of GPs and health workers in the Hurunui district is a growing concern, she said.
The National Party campaigned on a promise to establish… View moreBy David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Rural healthcare needs urgent attention from the incoming Government, says Hurunui mayor Marie Black.
A shortage of GPs and health workers in the Hurunui district is a growing concern, she said.
The National Party campaigned on a promise to establish a third medical school with a rural focus at Waikato University.
Recruiting GPs, nurses and support workers to work in rural communities has been a major challenge in recent years.
Black, who previously worked as a Plunket health worker in the region, said the demographics of the Hurunui district provided both challenges and opportunities.
There was no public transport in the district, while an ageing population meant more than 25% of the population was expected to be over 65 by 2051.
Young people had to sit driving tests in Rangiora, which meant travelling to medical appointments could be a challenge for young and old.
More retirement villages were being proposed for Amberley to support the ageing population, which meant retaining and attracting GPs, nurses and support workers was vital, she said.
Black suggested medical students could be bonded to work in rural communities after they graduate, with part or all of their student loan wiped.
‘‘They used to do that with teachers, so perhaps we could look at that with medical students.
‘‘We will keep a watching brief as the new government is formed. It will be interesting to see where it lands.’’
She said living and working in the Hurunui also provided opportunities with the rural lifestyle.
There was a desire to give back and look for community-led solutions, she said.
An example of this was the Hawarden-Waikari Community Vehicle Trust, which provided transport to medical appointments.
Of the district's five health centres, four were community owned and ratepayer funded.
Black hosted a group of third year Otago Medical School students in August to give them a rural perspective on healthcare.
‘‘It was surprising how little they knew about living in a rural area.’’
The initiative has been running for 10 years, with the students visiting medical centres, St John, the North Canterbury Rural Support Trust and a local preschool.
The Kaikōura district faced similar challenges, with its over 65 population also expected to increase to 25% over the next 30 years.
Takahanga Marae hosted 13 tertiary health students from around Aotearoa in June on a three-day Noho Marae visit.
The initiative was a partnership between Te Tai o Marokura, a Maori health and social service provider in Kaikōura, and Hauora Taiwhenua / Rural Health Network’s careers programme.
Lisa Kahu, of Te Tai o Marokura, said the initiative had been running for several years to encourage young doctors, nurses and dentists to work in rural communities.
■ Public interest journalism funded through New Zealand on Air.
National MP Shane Reti shared pre-election that he's wanting to review the Health Star Rating used on NZ grocery products. This rating is voluntary and uses a scale of 0.5 to five stars to rank packaged food on its nutrient profile. Have these ratings had an affect on what you've been … View moreNational MP Shane Reti shared pre-election that he's wanting to review the Health Star Rating used on NZ grocery products. This rating is voluntary and uses a scale of 0.5 to five stars to rank packaged food on its nutrient profile. Have these ratings had an affect on what you've been buying?
Type NFP if you wish your comments to be excluded from the Conversations column of your local paper.
Ryman Healthcare has again been recognised as a top provider at the 2023 Aged Advisor ‘People Choice Awards’.
This year Ryman was selected as a finalist for Best Provider Nationwide, and Diana Isaac took home Best Large Retirement Village / Lifestyle Village.
The awards, run by … View moreRyman Healthcare has again been recognised as a top provider at the 2023 Aged Advisor ‘People Choice Awards’.
This year Ryman was selected as a finalist for Best Provider Nationwide, and Diana Isaac took home Best Large Retirement Village / Lifestyle Village.
The awards, run by agedadvisor.co.nz are based on almost 11,300 reviews and ratings for more than 890 facilities. Over 1600 of those in-depth reviews went towards this year’s awards.
Ryman took home the top prize in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. As a finalist this year Aged Advisor voters recognise Ryman’s continued growth and efforts within the aged care sector.
Click to read more.
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