Westport air testing not sinister
From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Air monitoring in Westport by the West Coast Regional Council is simply to gather data and there is nothing sinister behind it, staff say.
A planning and science report to the Resource Management Committee this week said a survey of airborne particulates was now under way in Westport, with about 15 devices deployed around the township.
"Strong winds and vandalism have created minor disruptions, which has been overcome thus far," the report said.
"There are no compliance considerations with this spatial survey for individual households or councils under the National Environmental Standard for Air Quality."
The survey results would help the council to determine whether further monitoring was required, and where.
Monitoring of nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide was also under way in both Westport and Reefton.
"These substances can be generated by a range of combustion processes," staff said.
Cr Laura Coll-McLaughlin, of Westport, said there had been comment on social media about the air quality project in Westport.
There was some "mixed community sentiment" about it and also suspicion there were "some ulterior motives".
However, she said it was positive the council was gaining baseline data.
Acting planning and science manager Rachel Vaughan said the council was required to monitor air quality.
Air quality monitoring would require a bigger body of work in future, while allowing for a transition in what local people could use keep their homes warm and dry, she said.
Reefton, which sits in an inland basin with typically still weather, has had ongoing air quality monitoring by the regional council for a number of years.
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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61.7% Summer
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36.7% Winter
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1.6% Other - I'll share below
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Worst Xmas ever?
There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.
Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...
Share your Christmas mishaps below!
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