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Winter is well and truly here, and we’re helping you keep your cup full and your mind entertained. Simply purchase or gift a subscription via mags4gifts.co.nz before 31 July and you’ll automatically be placed in the draw to win 1 of 3 Delonghi Espresso Coffee Makers worth $229* each!
… View moreWinter is well and truly here, and we’re helping you keep your cup full and your mind entertained. Simply purchase or gift a subscription via mags4gifts.co.nz before 31 July and you’ll automatically be placed in the draw to win 1 of 3 Delonghi Espresso Coffee Makers worth $229* each!
With over 50 titles to choose from, there’s something for everyone. *T&Cs apply
Mattresses usually last 8-10 years before they need to be replaced. Mattresses are one of the most difficult consumer products to get rid of responsibly. Maybe this is one of the main reasons that they end up on the Curb. But have you ever thought what happens to the old mattress when you leave it … View moreMattresses usually last 8-10 years before they need to be replaced. Mattresses are one of the most difficult consumer products to get rid of responsibly. Maybe this is one of the main reasons that they end up on the Curb. But have you ever thought what happens to the old mattress when you leave it on the curb? The size and construction of the mattress create a major problem for the authorities.
"300,000 mattresses are sent to landfill every year in New Zealand – if stacked this pile of unwanted mattresses would reach to the edge of space! This 8100 tonnes of waste cost $14.5 million to landfill every year", says 3R Group Chief Executive Adele Rose.
So what’s the best way to get rid of your old mattress? Here are some of the suggested ways to adios your old Mattress:
Sell it:
If your Mattress is not a home to bed bugs and has no major stains or rips. You can consider to sell it for a nominal fee. Trademe or any other social media platform can help you reach potential buyers. This can be one of the most environmentally friendly options.
Donate the Mattress:
You can check with your local non-profits to see if they accept old mattresses or beds in a donation. Organizations like The Salvation Army & Red Cross have centers where you can drop your good quality old beds & Furniture that can be passed to people in need.
Consider Recycling:
If you're not able to sell or donate your mattress, then you should try to send your mattress to a recycling center. Both consumers and businesses can drop off old mattresses at these centers. Businesses can also arrange direct delivery to a local processing centre. The mattresses are dismantled into raw materials, such as steel, foam, plastic, and fabric which are either recycled or reused. The rebound mattress recycling program is a stewardship program designed to provide a simple and accessible solution enabling consumers to responsibly dispose of unwanted mattresses and bed bases.
Break It Yourself:
If you have the time, space, and tools, you can easily break a mattress or base yourself. Simply cut around the perimeter of the fabric covering and peel the cloth and foam away from the box springs and wooden frame. You can roll these materials into a compact bundle and put them in your regular trash can. Next, take a saw and cut up the frame you can then burn or turn it into wood chips. Take the box springs to a recycling center or sell them for scrap.
Re-Purposing:
An old mattress can be re-purposed which means putting it to another use. It requires creative imagination to come up with ideas on where to use the old mattress. In Australia, an enterprising group is taking the stuffing out of old mattresses, washing it, and then making punching bags using it as filling. Before you throw away your old mattress consider if you can find a new use for it.
With an estimated 300,000 mattresses and bases sent to landfill every year in New Zealand. That’s the equivalent of twenty-five 20-foot shipping containers filled with these units every single day the community needs to dispose of their old beds responsibly.
Hi neighbours, vote now! Let us know your top pick and why it’s your favourite way to spend the weekend!
Follow the link to this article about effectively using shelving for self storage. This also applies to storage in your home or business.
In this article we are going to look at shelving solutions for both home and business storage that will ensure that: Your unit makes efficient use of space, is … View moreFollow the link to this article about effectively using shelving for self storage. This also applies to storage in your home or business.
In this article we are going to look at shelving solutions for both home and business storage that will ensure that: Your unit makes efficient use of space, is cost effective and protects your inventory or belongings.
Kiwi Self Storage - Canstar Blue Winner Best Storage 2024
www.canstarblue.co.nz.....
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General practitioners (GPs) can set their own patient fees in New Zealand — and they must weigh up several factors when it comes to the cost of their services.
While children under 14 are eligible for free health checks, and cheaper GP visits are available to certain groups through a High Use … View moreGeneral practitioners (GPs) can set their own patient fees in New Zealand — and they must weigh up several factors when it comes to the cost of their services.
While children under 14 are eligible for free health checks, and cheaper GP visits are available to certain groups through a High Use Health Card or a Community Services Card, everyone else is generally forking out a co-payment to visit their doctor.
So, how do GPs and medical centres decide on those fees? And why do they differ depending on where you are in New Zealand?
First, the government funding
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GPs get lower than expected funding boost from Health NZ
There are warnings it could mean some practices shut down, Cushla Norman reports.
GPs receive government funding through a system known as capitation.
Under capitation, GPs get a set amount of money for each enrolled patient they have, each year. They are not paid per visit.
The Government pays this money to Primary Health Organisations (PHOs) who then pay the money down to general practices within that PHO.
Not all patients are funded for the same amount under this system. The funding varies depending on things like a patient's age and gender, said Dr Angus Chambers, a GP and chairman of the General Practice Owners Association of Aotearoa New Zealand (GenPro).
"A very young person will go to the doctor a lot more for a whole lot of reasons and a very old person will too — but a 25-year-old is much less likely to, so there's a lesser [capitation] fee for [them]," he said.
However, this funding system is based around data from more than 20 years ago, Chambers said.
"It's very dated data ... and it's not nearly sophisticated enough," he said. "I get the same payment for a 65-year-old [patient] as I do for a 95-year-old, and a 95-year-old's health needs are exponentially higher than a 65-year-old's," he said.
"[The system] doesn't take into account the age and complexity of people and inequities, so it's generally accepted to be not really that fit for purpose; it's accepted it needs to be changed."
It also doesn't consider that health needs and health care have changed a lot over the past 20 years, Chambers said.
"There's new treatments, new tests, different ways of managing things, a surge in mental health demand — the list goes on."
Deciding on fee increases
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This year's average allowable fee increase is 7.76%.
General practices need to work out how much they need to charge each year to cover costs and keep their business viable.
Underpinning those decisions is a fees review process known as the annual statement of reasonable GP fee increases (ASRFI).
This is a guideline issued by the Ministry of Health. It recommends a maximum percentage GPs can increase their fees by each year, based on predicted cost pressures, such as inflation, labour and other operational expenses.
This year's average allowable fee increase is 7.76%.
GPs can choose to increase their fees by more than the ASRFI, Chambers said, but they are in for a lengthy, expensive process if they do.
"If a practice breaches that ASRFI number, Te Whatu Ora can refer them to the Fees Review Committee," he said.
"[GPs] have to submit data to [the committee]. If they've exceeded [the ASRFI] and the committee thinks it's reasonable, they can go ahead. But if the committee doesn't think it's reasonable, then they can make a recommendation that you reduce your fees.
"There's quite a bit of risk and expense if you exceed the cap [on fee increases]."
Fee variations around the country
===========================
There can be significant variation in how much people pay to see a GP in New Zealand.
The amount people pay to see a GP can vary quite a bit, depending on what part of the country they live in.
Some of this comes down to the actual cost of doing business — leases can be quite a lot higher in Auckland than in small towns, for example — but some of the difference is historic, Chambers said.
He said regions with more socioeconomic deprivation have traditionally charged less because GPs would likely otherwise end up with bad debt and disgruntled patients.
Then, the fees review process and its cap on fee increases locks practices into low fees.
For example, if a GP charged $100 for a patient and was allowed a 5% fees increase, their fee would increase by $5 to $105. A GP in another area charging a $50 co-payment, on the other hand, would only be able to increase their fee by $2.50.
"The gap grows wider and wider because of this policy setting, so practices that have started off [with low fees] get entrenched in this historical discrepancy," Chambers said.
It's leading to what Chambers calls market failure.
"There's not enough GPs, so you're competing more and more [to hire people], and doctors are probably going to higher-paying jobs."
This means some regions, especially rural areas, are at further risk of losing access to general health services.
"We have this workforce shortage, which is partly related to poor policy in terms of training people, but also underfunding, which is making it far more attractive to go into other specialties than general practice."
The knock-on effect
================
Increasing GP fees can mean people put off medical care.
Higher co-payments can mean people put off going to a GP, Chambers said.
"That means they might present later and sicker ... or they can't afford it, so they end up going to the emergency departments and clog [them]."
Chambers said GPs know access to primary care is worse than it's ever been and don't like having to increase fees to cover costs.
But GenPro said last month Te Whatu Ora was failing to cover the increased costs of providing community health care, which ultimately means the cost burden shifts to patients.
PHOs represented by General Practice New Zealand, Te Kāhui Hauora Māori PHOs, and the Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network have all similarly slammed the Government's funding offer for GP services this year.
"[GPs] don't want to increase fees like this because they're part of the community too and their patients are often well known to them — and they feel this is a result of very poor policy for quite a long time from both sides of the political divide," Chambers said.
"We're wearing the stick for failure of the government as a whole.
"[Governments] have had a lot of advice from people telling them that this situation will come around and they've, frankly, ignored it."
Te Whatu Ora told 1News it acknowledges the cost pressures GPs are facing and the growing demand on their services.
"Health NZ-provided services are facing similar pressures in a fiscally constrained environment," Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora's living well director Martin Hefford said.
"Through our annual capitation uplift offer, we have worked hard to target available funding where it is most needed to support primary health care and general practice."
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www.1news.co.nz...
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It’s easy to create your very own colourful planter box, with the kids or for the kids to enjoy, from an old wooden drawer and Resene testpots.
Find out how to create your own with these easy step by step instructions.
We're looking for delicious orange recipes to feature in NZ Gardener's October issue. Send your family's favourite ways to enjoy this fruit to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz by August 20, 2024. Every published recipe wins a copy of the October issue of NZ Gardener.
Are you the Special Someone our animals have been looking for?
Until Sun 21 July only, we are waiving adoption fees for our long-stay residents for the right home.*
They might be older, shy, have only three legs or just need that extra bit of attention and care – but they all deserve a … View moreAre you the Special Someone our animals have been looking for?
Until Sun 21 July only, we are waiving adoption fees for our long-stay residents for the right home.*
They might be older, shy, have only three legs or just need that extra bit of attention and care – but they all deserve a loving home. And they have been waiting for a long time for that Special Love!
Look for the ‘Special Love Needed’ tag on our adoption profiles, check you can provide what they need to flourish & apply online at www.spca.nz...
*The offer applies to animals looking for homes for more than 40 days; our usual adoption criteria and processes apply.
Winter isn’t usually associated with pottering about in the garden. However, it’s possible to grow, harvest, and share a bustling winter crop.
As we have celebrated Matariki and the beginning of the Māori New Year, for winter gardeners it’s the right time to cultivate crops that thrive in… View moreWinter isn’t usually associated with pottering about in the garden. However, it’s possible to grow, harvest, and share a bustling winter crop.
As we have celebrated Matariki and the beginning of the Māori New Year, for winter gardeners it’s the right time to cultivate crops that thrive in cooler temperatures and to prepare the soil for future planting.
Click read more for the full story.
91-year-old Dora is a rest home resident at Ryman.
Between family gatherings, bus trips and village activities, she certainly enjoys a full life. With the many friendships she’s made, the caregivers and village staff have become an extension of her family.
Hear about Dora’s experience … View more91-year-old Dora is a rest home resident at Ryman.
Between family gatherings, bus trips and village activities, she certainly enjoys a full life. With the many friendships she’s made, the caregivers and village staff have become an extension of her family.
Hear about Dora’s experience living in a Ryman community.
Check out South Auckland Motors Manukau UTE Sale. Some even below cost so grab yourself a bargain!
Every UTE sold comes with at least 3,000km RUC, One Year Rego, Fresh WOF and a Full Tank of Diesel.
What old products do you miss? Some products do become part of your life, whether it's just a treat you have at the cinema or your favourite breakfast spread.
Do you have a childhood memory to share? Let us know below what products you still think of fondly!
NZTA Waka Kotahi has shared an important message about the Harbour Bridge.
What you need to know:
- MetService has issued a strong wind warning for the Auckland region.
- Wind warning on Auckland Harbour Bridge today with strong wind gusts from now until early afternoon (approximately 1pm).
… View moreNZTA Waka Kotahi has shared an important message about the Harbour Bridge.
What you need to know:
- MetService has issued a strong wind warning for the Auckland region.
- Wind warning on Auckland Harbour Bridge today with strong wind gusts from now until early afternoon (approximately 1pm).
- In preparation the lanes on the Harbour Bridge will be in 4 x 4 formation mid morning, and remain in place until the warning has been lifted.
- There will be speed and lane restrictions in place. Motorists are urged to drive to the conditions and look out for the electronic message boards which will indicate lane closures or full closures (depending on wind thresholds) and reduced speeds, and stay within their lane while travelling across the bridge.
- Drivers of high sided vehicles and motorcyclists are advised to avoid the Auckland Harbour Bridge today and use the western ring route on State Highways 16 and 18. NZTA recommends motorists use the western ring route where possible.
NZTA thanks road users for their patience and understanding. You can keep up to date with traffic updates here.
Don’t miss your chance to WIN 1 of 50 supermarket gift cards worth $100 each!
Simply grab a copy of your local Stuff newspaper, solve the puzzle, find the prize word, and enter it online.
The more puzzles you complete the higher your chance to WIN! The competition ends on 28 July. To find … View moreDon’t miss your chance to WIN 1 of 50 supermarket gift cards worth $100 each!
Simply grab a copy of your local Stuff newspaper, solve the puzzle, find the prize word, and enter it online.
The more puzzles you complete the higher your chance to WIN! The competition ends on 28 July. To find out more about participating newspapers, click here.
The Team at Stuff and Sunday Star-Times
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