Back
1642 days ago

We need to talk about burn-offs and the air quality in the Waikato/Waipa

Matt from Rukuhia

Hi Guys-
I'm concerned about interested in the air quality in Waikato at present. It's been getting worse over the past 10 years, to the extent that now you don't want to walk outside most nights due to the amount of burn-offs which're happening on farms - often containing non-wood items such as electronics, polystyrene and plastic.

This is ironic, as NZ has terribly low carbon in our soils, which is a problem for farmers. It would be made much better were the wood in question to be left to rot. And of course contaminating our soils and air with burning electronics is a bad thing.

Some suggestions:
* Woodchipping - woodchipping old trees/branches and either using the output elsewhere or spreading over a paddock so it can rot down quickly, is a good way to add carbon back into soils.
* Leaving to rot - spreading wood around the edges of a paddock and leaving it to rot is a slow option, but doesn't require a lot of effort.
* Firewood collectors - for larger logs, firewood sellers will happily tow them away. Of course, this still puts the wood in the air, rather than in the soil, but at least it keeps someone warm in winter.

For polystyrene/electronics/etc the obvious solution should be the dump or metal recyclers, where you'll get a couple of bucks for your effort at least. For batteries, Grimmer Motors in Hamilton take both household and car batteries and recycle them. Putting plastics and electronics etc in fires should be banned outright, if not prosecuted.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

More messages from your neighbours
5 hours ago

Riddle Alert! Who’s Up for Some Brain-Busting Fun?

Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

4-letter word, always done tomorrow,
We’re out of tea, the ultimate sorrow!
Without the eye, you owe me some money,
No sugar no nectar no sweetness no honey,
4-letter word, if by chance you choose,
You can never win, you can only lose!
What is the 4-letter word?

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.

Image
4 days ago

Poll: Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

An Auckland court has ruled a woman doesn’t have to contribute towards the cost of fixing a driveway she shares with 10 neighbours.

When thinking about fences, driveways or tree felling, for example, do you think all neighbours should have to pay if the improvements directly benefit them?

Image
Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?
  • 82.4% Yes
    82.4% Complete
  • 14.9% No
    14.9% Complete
  • 2.7% Other - I'll share below
    2.7% Complete
1608 votes
2 days ago

Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.

John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!

As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!

John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.

Share your question below now ⬇️

Image