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Stuff Explained seeks to explain the 'why' behind the news, delivered straight to your inbox.
Curated by Stuff's Explainer Editor Keith Lynch, the fortnightly newsletter explains everything from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, to the inner workings of the economy, to the forces … View moreStuff Explained seeks to explain the 'why' behind the news, delivered straight to your inbox.
Curated by Stuff's Explainer Editor Keith Lynch, the fortnightly newsletter explains everything from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, to the inner workings of the economy, to the forces that are shaping how New Zealanders live. It will feature original explainer reporting keeping you up to date with the biggest issues, along with the very best in Stuff Explained reporting you may have missed.
Sign up here (it's free!).
Enjoy a 9 day dream touring experience for two across the South Island and immerse yourself in incredible landscapes, heritage and culture.
Itinerary includes popular destinations such as Queenstown, Dunedin and Doubtful Sound. Terms and Competitions apply.
Hi neighbours,
We're right in the thick of this year's Wasp Wipeout and thanks to your generous donations, we've raised over $10,000 for the Tasman Environmental Trust.
There's still plenty of work still to be done. We want this year to be the best yet for our donation … View moreHi neighbours,
We're right in the thick of this year's Wasp Wipeout and thanks to your generous donations, we've raised over $10,000 for the Tasman Environmental Trust.
There's still plenty of work still to be done. We want this year to be the best yet for our donation drive - so stand with our forests, stand with our native wildlife, stand with our volunteers and show your support.
Donate now and let's rid Aotearoa New Zealand of this destructive pest.
These versatile holders can be used to display favourite photos or for handmade place cards at a special dinner party. Paint them to co-ordinate with your room's décor or your party theme.
Find out how to create your own.
Hello peeps - I am looking for a house cleaner as I have heart failure and proper housework is too strenuous. Can anyone recommend someone please?
Hi neighbours,
The summer holidays will be over soon, but you can still escape with a magazine.
Our Mags4Gifts End of Summer Sale is on now and you could be in to win 1 of 20 Hydration Heroes Gift Sets from Antipodes!
Simply purchase a subscription to the NZ House & Garden, … View moreHi neighbours,
The summer holidays will be over soon, but you can still escape with a magazine.
Our Mags4Gifts End of Summer Sale is on now and you could be in to win 1 of 20 Hydration Heroes Gift Sets from Antipodes!
Simply purchase a subscription to the NZ House & Garden, New Zealand Gardener, or the TV Guide and you're in the draw.
Your KiwiSaver balance goes up and down depending on the stock market and economic conditions, like the pandemic!
You may have noticed your balance fluctuating a bit, for a lot of us it's been dropping. Not what we like to see!
Don't panic, learn why yours might have dropped thanks… View moreYour KiwiSaver balance goes up and down depending on the stock market and economic conditions, like the pandemic!
You may have noticed your balance fluctuating a bit, for a lot of us it's been dropping. Not what we like to see!
Don't panic, learn why yours might have dropped thanks to Money Compare and get some control back.
Money Compare is a quick and easy tool to help you Compare KiwiSaver plans, Insurance and Loans and Credit Cards. Like our other comparison brands it will help you find the best financial solution or provider in NZ to suit your needs and budget.
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
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The MyWay public transport trial in Timaru is being deemed a success, but Ashburton councillors have been warned that success comes with a big price tag.
Deputy mayor Liz McMillian asked Environment Canterbury (ECan) earlier this … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
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The MyWay public transport trial in Timaru is being deemed a success, but Ashburton councillors have been warned that success comes with a big price tag.
Deputy mayor Liz McMillian asked Environment Canterbury (ECan) earlier this month how a similar trial of the on-demand public transport service would work in Ashburton.
Mid-Canterbury’s ECan councillor, Ian Mackenzie, said the service was popular but expensive.
“It has been popular with the people of Timaru but it is a very expensive service. It’s substantially higher, and the patronage to date isn’t enough to justify any of the government funding models.
“If Ashburton wanted to proceed with a MyWay type service the cost, because of the population here would be substantially higher than it is in Timaru, and it is already substantially higher than their previous service.”
MyWay was an on-demand public transport service that responded to passengers' pre-booked pick-up locations and destinations and replaced the fixed route services, aside from a link and school services.
The MyWay service in Timaru had a total targeted rate of $1.2 million, after the grant from Waka Kotahi.
ECan deputy chairperson and South Canterbury councillor Peter Scott said in Timaru the patronage was still increasing which was why the trial had been continued.
Scott said there were some big issues if a similar trial was something Ashburton was to pursue.
“We would probably need to strike a [public transport] rate for Ashburton if it was to start,” Scott said.
“The other issue is that Waka Kotahi have put a hold on any further development of a MyWay type model basically because of how successful it has been.
“Selwyn are pretty keen to do it and other areas in New Zealand are pretty keen to do it. They have called for a continuation of the trial, as a trial, until at least 2023.
“We are unsure whether we will be funded past the end of the next financial year, so it’s in doubt at the moment as it stands.”
He said that created a bigger issue for ECan’s regional transport committee and the public transport space across the region.
ECan chairperson Jenny Hughey said the Hamilton District Council had started its own MyWay-type service, mostly funded by the council and the Waikato Regional Council, and the Christchurch City Council was looking at the model.
“If you wanted to fund something yourselves, if that’s a possibility, we can give assistance. That might be something to think about in Ashburton.”
Currently the only public transport in Mid-Canterbury was the Community Connector, a volunteer-driven vehicle linking the likes of Methven and Rakaia to Ashburton, run by the Community Vehicle Trust network.
ECan provided an annual grant of $10,000 towards the service, which serves residents in rural areas travelling to and from Ashburton and did not cover the urban area.
This rural area was rated on a Rating Unit Basis at $1.17 per rating unit, totaling $5000.
Ashburton also had a Total Mobility rate covering both the Ashburton township and Tinwald, rated on at $0.98 per $100,000 of capital value.
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
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Case numbers in Mid-Canterbury are expected to rise in the coming days, but officials are urging there is no need to panic.
Ashburton College, Hampstead and Allenton schools have all reported positive cases while a hair salon in the … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
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Case numbers in Mid-Canterbury are expected to rise in the coming days, but officials are urging there is no need to panic.
Ashburton College, Hampstead and Allenton schools have all reported positive cases while a hair salon in the Ashburton CBD has also confirmed an exposure event, which made for a big line at the Covid testing centre at Ashburton Hospital - with 334 swab test across the district since Thursday.
As the number of cases in the district begins to rise following the first cases being announced last week, mayor Neil Brown said the situation with case numbers is worrying but no cause for panic.
“It is definitely no time to panic. It’s under control. We have been expecting it for some time.
“Just keep up with mask use, scanning in, distancing where you can, and be ready for it if you do become Covid positive.”
Case numbers are only confirmed to a DHB level, with 269 active cases in Canterbury, and 10 in South Canterbury, but several institutions have confirmed they are aware of cases.
Ashburton College principal Ross Preece confirmed a senior student had tested positive. The student was isolating at home and working through the contact tracing process.
As of Monday, no college staff or other students were deemed to be close contacts, he said.
Allenton principal Bruce Tilby confirmed a pupil was a positive Covid case.
“All parents and caregivers at the school were advised [on Sunday] that there was a confirmed case and were kept up-to-date with developments ... a number of children have been identified as close contacts. Those children will have a Covid test and are currently isolating at home.
All parents were advised their children were able to come to school, unless informed otherwise.
Hampstead School also confirmed a positive test result of a pupil who had been absent from school since February 15. As a precaution the pupils from the class were sent home on Monday to await an update.
Tanglez Hair Studio staff were exposed to a Covid positive case last week and all its staff except one are isolating at home.
If Covid sweeps through the community, “we will come out the other side pretty good because we have taken all the precautions", Brown said. Canterbury had the highest rate of vaccination in the country.
The Ministry of Health has stated that if there have been no, or few locations of interest published, it shows that contact tracers may have been able to identify the people that they need to. That means not all exposure events require a location of interest to be published.
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
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There is further unexpected disruption from soft ground at the Walnut Avenue upgrade project in Ashburton.
A section of Walnut Ave, from State Highway 1 to 135 Walnut Ave, will be closed this week so a temporary seal can be dug up and … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
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There is further unexpected disruption from soft ground at the Walnut Avenue upgrade project in Ashburton.
A section of Walnut Ave, from State Highway 1 to 135 Walnut Ave, will be closed this week so a temporary seal can be dug up and reconstructed as part of the $10.6 million intersection upgrade project.
A Waka Kotahi spokesperson said that when contractors dug up the old pavement last Wednesday night to expose the existing ground underneath, the ground conditions were very soft.
“This meant we had to change our pavement construction methods and dig a lot deeper to prepare the ground for new pavement.
“While we do this, it is not safe to keep the road open, so we asked for an urgent closure of Walnut Ave to minimise the disruption and get the additional work done as quickly as possible.
“We dug multiple test pits during planning, but we are finding the existing ground conditions are very inconsistent in this area.”
The surface that was applied on Walnut Ave was temporary only they said, and was put in place to enable the road to take short-term traffic on Thursday while a plan and traffic management to close this stretch of road was confirmed.
The section of the project was closed to traffic on Friday morning.
“We think the seven-day closure is the worst-case scenario, and we are hoping it won’t take that long."
The roundabouts at the intersections of West St (SH1) and East St with Walnut Ave are being replaced with traffic signals and an improved rail crossing.
The funding allocation for the specific project is $15m, including contingencies, but is projected to cost about $10.5m and be completed by the end of the year.
Want to grow your knowledge and skills to boost your career options?
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Enrolments are now open with classes … View moreWant to grow your knowledge and skills to boost your career options?
We can help develop your skill set with one of our courses in Team Leadership, Administration & Technology, Money Management, Smart Steps to Buisness or Business Project Management.
Enrolments are now open with classes starting in March. Don’t miss out! Enrol today.
Looking for a forever home! We are brothers from different mothers, are the best of friends and have lovely natures. We both hatched from a clutch of eggs on the 1st of Spring last year. Our current owner has loved and spoilt us, we free range and have lots of food and fresh water. We need about 14… View moreLooking for a forever home! We are brothers from different mothers, are the best of friends and have lovely natures. We both hatched from a clutch of eggs on the 1st of Spring last year. Our current owner has loved and spoilt us, we free range and have lots of food and fresh water. We need about 14 hens or more between us or perhaps if you would like us as pets, we will give you many years of love. Part ways? ... we could if we really have to :( Please give our owner Gail a call on 027 5030 209 to discuss a viewing. $15 each.
Brighten up any garden corner, balcony or deck; paint pots using Resene paints and plantwith perennial herbs or cascading flowers. Find out how to create your own.
This year's award-winning Wasp Wipeout campaign is now underway and once again we're appealing to anyone who wishes to get involved with the campaign by volunteering their time to help lay bait in wasp-ravaged areas.
If spare time is a rarity - not to worry! This year’s … View moreThis year's award-winning Wasp Wipeout campaign is now underway and once again we're appealing to anyone who wishes to get involved with the campaign by volunteering their time to help lay bait in wasp-ravaged areas.
If spare time is a rarity - not to worry! This year’s Givealittle page is now live and we’re aiming to fundraise $25,000 for the Tasman Environment Trust. All money raised will go towards the purchase of bait and bait stations to continue and expand wasp control operations.
Find out more about this destructive pest by reading through our new interactive feature on Stuff which explores the tools we have in the fight to rid wasps from New Zealand for good.
In this summer edition, find inspiration from conscious living leaders like artist David Trubridge who takes inspiration from nature and the founders of Naturebox, Blair and Ollie who want to help Kiwis sustainably grow food. We meet Ryman residents Ross and Eleanor who love to explore Aotearoa … View moreIn this summer edition, find inspiration from conscious living leaders like artist David Trubridge who takes inspiration from nature and the founders of Naturebox, Blair and Ollie who want to help Kiwis sustainably grow food. We meet Ryman residents Ross and Eleanor who love to explore Aotearoa whenever they can.
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