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Dear neighbours,
We're all working from home during this lockdown, not just to bring you your favourite gardening mag, but also our Garden Diary 2022! This is where we need your help: Show us how you've been using your 2021 Diary -- take photos of the pages, tell us what was most … View moreDear neighbours,
We're all working from home during this lockdown, not just to bring you your favourite gardening mag, but also our Garden Diary 2022! This is where we need your help: Show us how you've been using your 2021 Diary -- take photos of the pages, tell us what was most useful, did you have enough space to write your notes, what have you scribbled on the pages? Did you clip your plant labels on them? Perhaps shoot a little video with your phone as you turn the pages. Your feedback will help us put together next year's diary.
Please email your comments and photos to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by this Friday, Aug 27. The five most helpful readers will each receive a free copy of the 2022 diary.
We love seeing our apprentices making waves in the industry.
Wade Peek was recently named Plastics Apprentice of the Year, is definitely one to watch. With two qualifications under his belt, he’s been earmarked as a future plastics industry leader.
He hopes to one day start his own … View moreWe love seeing our apprentices making waves in the industry.
Wade Peek was recently named Plastics Apprentice of the Year, is definitely one to watch. With two qualifications under his belt, he’s been earmarked as a future plastics industry leader.
He hopes to one day start his own manufacturing business and says: "I really want to pass on what I have learnt to support apprentices in their training. I also want to be able to teach people outside of the plastics industry about what we do, as I truly believe we can't solve any of the really important environmental issues that surround plastic unless as many people as possible understand it."
If you are thinking of signing up for an apprenticeship, get in touch with us here
Hi Cantabrians,
Hundreds are queueing for Covid-19 tests in Christchurch, while grocery shoppers are heeding pleas to not panic buy as the country enters the first day of a nationwide lockdown.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the shift to alert level 4 for at least three … View moreHi Cantabrians,
Hundreds are queueing for Covid-19 tests in Christchurch, while grocery shoppers are heeding pleas to not panic buy as the country enters the first day of a nationwide lockdown.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the shift to alert level 4 for at least three days for the entire country after a 58-year-old Auckland man contracted Covid-19 from an unknown source.
On Wednesday, a long line of cars ran down the length of Orchard Rd near Christchurch Airport as people waited to access a Covid-19 testing centre – some as long as three hours. There were similar scenes at a centre on Pages Rd.
As panic buying set in after the 6pm announcement, some supermarkets were running out of toilet paper and flour. A number of photos had been shared on social media showing empty shelves and long queues.
Read the full story by clicking 'Read more' below.
All of New Zealand will move to alert level 4 at 11.59pm after a new community Covid-19 case emerged in Auckland.
New Zealand will initially spend three days at alert level 4, except for Auckland and the Coromandel, which will remain at level 4 for seven days at this stage.
What are the rules… View moreAll of New Zealand will move to alert level 4 at 11.59pm after a new community Covid-19 case emerged in Auckland.
New Zealand will initially spend three days at alert level 4, except for Auckland and the Coromandel, which will remain at level 4 for seven days at this stage.
What are the rules at alert level 4?
Staying at home
People are asked to stay at home, unless they are undertaking essential travel to the supermarket or dairy, seeking necessary medical care or being tested for Covid-19, or to get physical exercise in their neighbourhood.
Unnecessary trips outdoors have spread the variant overseas, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.
She advised people to wear a mask when leaving the house, and stay 2 metres away from others. “Stay local, do not congregate. Don't talk to your neighbours.”
Schools, workplaces and business
Businesses will be closed, except for essential services such as supermarkets, pharmacies, health clinics, petrol stations and lifeline utilities.
Only essential workers are permitted to go to work, others must work from home.
Schools and universities will shut down, and travel is severely limited.
Events and recreation
All gatherings are cancelled at alert level 4.
All public venues, including libraries, pools, leisure centres, gyms, early childcare centres, community venues and playgrounds are closed. Some public toilets will remain open.
Many large events have been canned.
Staying in your bubble
Once you go into a bubble you must stay in it, Ardern said.
If you are completely isolated, or you live alone, you can join a bubble with one other person.
Households are advised to nominate just one person to go shopping, and “always act like you have Covid-19”.
Travelling home
There is a grace period of 48 hours for people who are away from home to return home, if they cannot shelter safely in place. After this time, movement between regions will be restricted.
Covid-19 jabs
Covid-19 vaccinations will be suspended for 48 hours to ensure they can be carried out safely.
Read more here.
Dear neighbours,
Every month, NZ Gardener runs a series of tested reader recipes using a seasonal crop. We are now on the hunt for rocket recipes, so send your best ones to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz before Aug 31, 2021.
Every published recipe wins a copy of our special edition Homegrown Recipes.
Form meets function in this stylish bin storage and planter combination painted in bold Resene hues. Find out how to create your own.
Lockdowns are tough for many in business, so let us share the load.
Whether it's setting up technology to keep your business running smoothly, or advice on working remotely.
Get in touch with us, we’d love to help.
Is this you?
You know building the skills and capability of your staff is vital, but it’s hard to know where to start or even where to turn for advice, so it keeps sliding down your to-do list.
Use this guidebook to develop your company’s capability and improve your bottom line.
Just posting to reassure you that vets are still available if you need a prescription or emergency care for your 🐕 🐱 🦒 🐎 🦙 🐑 🐄 🐖 🐩 🐇 🐐 🐘 🦬. (Well, the 🐘 may be a challenge.) They haven’t been mentioned in the news items or government announcements. They… View moreJust posting to reassure you that vets are still available if you need a prescription or emergency care for your 🐕 🐱 🦒 🐎 🦙 🐑 🐄 🐖 🐩 🐇 🐐 🐘 🦬. (Well, the 🐘 may be a challenge.) They haven’t been mentioned in the news items or government announcements. They are ‘essential services’.
More than 1000 properties throughout the Ashburton district were being monitored for recycling contamination as of the end of July with Ashburton District Council waste managers suggesting residents have had difficulty 'changing back their habits' following a loosening of recycling … View moreMore than 1000 properties throughout the Ashburton district were being monitored for recycling contamination as of the end of July with Ashburton District Council waste managers suggesting residents have had difficulty 'changing back their habits' following a loosening of recycling criteria during Covid-19.
Hundreds of properties were also on their second warning.
Council waste recovery manager Craig Goodwin said changes last year to the Christchurch's sorting facility's acceptance guidelines had also been a factor.
"We were faced with the challenge of not only changing back the behavior of the yellow bin but also changing back the behavior of what was acceptable recycling."
All recycling throughout the district was sent directly to the landfill for a six month period between April to the end of September 2020.
Goodwin said council staff had been working on educating the community about what was acceptable for the recycling bins.
Reporting by local democracy reporter Adam Burns
All of New Zealand will move to alert level 4 at 11.59pm after a new community Covid-19 case emerged in Auckland.
New Zealand will initially spend three days at alert level 4, except for Auckland and the Coromandel, which will remain at level 4 for seven days at this stage.
What are the rules… View moreAll of New Zealand will move to alert level 4 at 11.59pm after a new community Covid-19 case emerged in Auckland.
New Zealand will initially spend three days at alert level 4, except for Auckland and the Coromandel, which will remain at level 4 for seven days at this stage.
What are the rules at alert level 4?
Staying at home
People are asked to stay at home, unless they are undertaking essential travel to the supermarket or dairy, seeking necessary medical care or being tested for Covid-19, or to get physical exercise in their neighbourhood.
Unnecessary trips outdoors have spread the variant overseas, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.
She advised people to wear a mask when leaving the house, and stay 2 metres away from others. “Stay local, do not congregate. Don't talk to your neighbours.”
Schools, workplaces and business
Businesses will be closed, except for essential services such as supermarkets, pharmacies, health clinics, petrol stations and lifeline utilities.
Only essential workers are permitted to go to work, others must work from home.
Schools and universities will shut down, and travel is severely limited.
Events and recreation
All gatherings are cancelled at alert level 4.
All public venues, including libraries, pools, leisure centres, gyms, early childcare centres, community venues and playgrounds are closed. Some public toilets will remain open.
Many large events have been canned.
Staying in your bubble
Once you go into a bubble you must stay in it, Ardern said.
If you are completely isolated, or you live alone, you can join a bubble with one other person.
Households are advised to nominate just one person to go shopping, and “always act like you have Covid-19”.
Travelling home
There is a grace period of 48 hours for people who are away from home to return home, if they cannot shelter safely in place. After this time, movement between regions will be restricted.
Covid-19 jabs
Covid-19 vaccinations will be suspended for 48 hours to ensure they can be carried out safely.
Read more here.
UPDATE
August 18
1.16pm
The Prime Minister and the Director-General of Health are currently giving an update to the nation at the Beehive.
Here's what you need to know:
- Genome sequencing was undertaken last night and it has been confirmed that this is linked to the NSW outbreak.
- … View moreUPDATE
August 18
1.16pm
The Prime Minister and the Director-General of Health are currently giving an update to the nation at the Beehive.
Here's what you need to know:
- Genome sequencing was undertaken last night and it has been confirmed that this is linked to the NSW outbreak.
- There are no genomic matches to those cases at the border to this case.
- There are a further two cases to report in the community.
- From 11:59pm, it will be compulsory to wear masks when accessing essential services.
- From 8am tomorrow, the Covid-19 vaccination programme will resume.
___________________________________________________________
UPDATE
August 18
9.10am
- Four new cases have been identified, all genomically linked to the original case
- The original case has been confirmed as having the Delta variant
___________________________________________________________
New Zealand will move to a Level 4 lockdown after a community case was detected in Auckland.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was joined by Ashley Bloomfield at a press conference, where she confirmed that Auckland and Coromandel would move to Alert Level 4 from 11.59pm for seven days, while the rest of the country will be under Level 4 conditions for three days.
It is unknown whether this case is that of the Delta variant. Bloomfield stated that genome sequencing will be completed by tomorrow morning.
There is currently 23 locations of interest, 10 in Auckland and 13 in Coromandel. Current locations of interest can be found here.
The case has no links to the border and interviews are currently being undertaken with the case to find any possible locations of interest and how they came to be in contact with Covid-19.
Here's what you need to know:
- A refresh on Level restrictions and what it means for you.
- Here are the locations of interest.
- If you have any flu-like symptoms, call the NZ Covid-19 Healthline on 0800 358 5453 or ring your GP.
- Find your closest Covid-19 testing location on the Healthpoint website
- Essential services such as supermarkets and pharmacies will remain open.
For more information, visit covid19.govt.nz.
Hi Canterbury,
How were you impacted by the snowfall?
It was a short, snowy blast for residents in Canterbury this week as temperatures plummeted, bringing with it magnificent photo-ops and significant disruptions.
Fine but cold weather is set to last for the next few days in Canterbury … View moreHi Canterbury,
How were you impacted by the snowfall?
It was a short, snowy blast for residents in Canterbury this week as temperatures plummeted, bringing with it magnificent photo-ops and significant disruptions.
Fine but cold weather is set to last for the next few days in Canterbury before a southerly change brings with it gale force winds and rain.
Wild and chilly weather closed roads, left several residents without power, and overwhelmed ski fields as a cold front made its way up the South Island.
"The weather is going to be fairly changeable – you'll get northwesterlies and southwesterlies and brief rain and then some fine spells, so it's fairly busy but nothing too dramatic at this stage," MetService meteorologist Rob Kerr said.
Hundreds of motorists were trapped as heavy snowfall closed alpine passes. Arthur's Pass and Porter's Pass and the Lewis Pass reopened on Sunday and through Monday morning.
Snow fell down to 100m and those in Christchurch central were greeted with snow flurries.
How have these weather disruptions affected you? Let us know in a reply below and don't forget to type NFP if you don't want your comment used in the Northern Outlook.
Ashburton District Council staff have admitted it's struggling to keep up with the increasing needs of the district's damaged roading network.
A multitude of potholes and crumbled roads on top of regular maintenance obligations are keeping council roading contractors up to their ears … View moreAshburton District Council staff have admitted it's struggling to keep up with the increasing needs of the district's damaged roading network.
A multitude of potholes and crumbled roads on top of regular maintenance obligations are keeping council roading contractors up to their ears with site visits and essential repair work.
Council roading manager Brian Fauth told councillors at last week's activity briefings meeting that the damage bill to the district's network was about $5 million.
Mayor Neil Brown asked how roading staff were going to get its regular maintenance programme back on track after fielding numerous complaints around the state of the roads.
Fauth told the mayor it would not be a quick fix.
"We're trying to get the roads back to the standard they were prior to the flood. At this stage we're well behind."
The majority of council's gravel stockpile, which was originally set aside for planned winter gravelling, has also been used to fill in holes to make roads usable following the May 30-31 flood event.
"A lot of them still require metal to bring them up to the state they were prior to the flooding."
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has not provided council an indication of budget to help repair flood-damaged roads, Fauth said.
He hoped the cleanup could be debt-funded rather than omitting something from council's budget.
Reporting by local democracy reporter Adam Burns
Long awaited multimillion-dollar upgrades at Ashburton’s Walnut Ave roundabouts are set to get under way.
A blessing and sod turning ceremony to mark the commencement of the $15 million work was held on Monday on West St, near the Ashburton Domain.
Planning for traffic lights at the two … View moreLong awaited multimillion-dollar upgrades at Ashburton’s Walnut Ave roundabouts are set to get under way.
A blessing and sod turning ceremony to mark the commencement of the $15 million work was held on Monday on West St, near the Ashburton Domain.
Planning for traffic lights at the two intersections have been in the works for several years.
The upgrades comprise of improvements to Walnut Aves junctions with State Highway 1 and East St and is part of a $45m injection into rural intersections throughout the region by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (NZTA).
Traffic signals will be installed at both intersections alongside a new rail level crossing and improved pedestrian and cycling facilities.
NZTA have said coordinating traffic signals with railway barriers would make the intersections safer for road and rail users.
The project is expected to be completed in early 2023.
Reporting by local democracy reporter Adam Burns
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