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1530 days ago

Poll: Do you agree Matariki or Māori New Year should be a public holiday?

Ripu Bhatia Reporter from Community News

Hi neighbours,

Labour leader Jacinda Ardern has announced Labour will make Matariki New Zealand’s twelth public holiday from 2022 if re-elected.

The new winter public holiday would fall at some point during the Matariki period, with an expectation that it would always happen on either a Monday or a Friday.

The policy announcement follows a series of public campaigns for the Matariki, which acts as the Māori New Year, to be recognised.

The exact timing of Matariki shifts every year as it relates to a star cluster reappearing and has traditionally varied between Iwi.

It would be the first new public holiday since the Third Labour Government made Waitangi Day a public holiday in 1973, although then Prime Minister Norman Kirk called it “New Zealand Day”.

“Matariki will be a distinctly New Zealand holiday and a time for reflection, celebration and to look to the future as we take increasing pride in our unique national identity,” Ardern said.

She said the struggling tourism sector could use the help of another holiday and noted the “long run” with no public holidays that currently happens between Queen’s Birthday in early June and Labour Day in late October.

“We don’t have many statutory holidays compared to other OECD countries and it would be good to break up the long run through winter,” Ardern said.

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Do you agree Matariki or Māori New Year should be a public holiday?
  • 63.8% Yes
    63.8% Complete
  • 36.2% No
    36.2% Complete
1358 votes
More messages from your neighbours
3 days ago

Poll: Do you think NZ should ban social media for youth?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

The Australian Prime Minister has expressed plans to ban social media use for children.

This would make it illegal for under 16-year-olds to have accounts on platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X.
Social media platforms would be tasked with ensuring children have no access (under-age children and their parents wouldn’t be penalised for breaching the age limit)
.
Do you think NZ should follow suit? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts below.

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Do you think NZ should ban social media for youth?
  • 84.5% Yes
    84.5% Complete
  • 14.1% No
    14.1% Complete
  • 1.5% Other - I'll share below
    1.5% Complete
1514 votes
P
40 minutes ago

I recommend Chunli's Table Tennis Club & Coaching - Panmure

Peter from Mellons Bay

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This year, Coach Li Chunli made history by winning her 10th New Zealand Women’s Singles Championship, over 20 years after her last title! This unprecedented achievement showcases her extraordinary talent and incredible endurance. As a World Cup bronze medalist, Commonwealth Games Women’s Singles Champion, and five-time Oceania Champion, she is a legend in New Zealand table tennis. Now, she is focused on training New Zealand’s young players and developing an Olympic-level training program. Don’t miss the chance to train under a champion coach and quickly elevate your table tennis skills!


Coach Li Chunli not only has a stellar career but also extensive coaching experience and a unique teaching style. Whether you’re a beginner or a player preparing for competitions, she can create a personalized training plan tailored to your needs and provide forward-thinking technical guidance to help you achieve rapid improvement. Training face-to-face with a champion coach is an opportunity you can’t afford to miss!

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• Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 4:00 pm - 6:30 pm
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14 hours ago

It’s Riddle Time – You Might Need an Extra Cup of Coffee!

Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

Nobody has ever walked this way. Which way is it?

Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.

Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.

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