Poll: Would you prefer costs for services and public facilities (like libraries and pools) to go up, or rates bills to go up?
Pursuing a 0 per cent rates increase will have an "enormous impact" on the Christchurch community, city councillors warn.
A planned $34 million swimming pool and library development in Hornby could be delayed, the cost of a swim could go up and so could library charges, community grants could get the chop, and the New Brighton hot salt water pools could remain closed — everything is being considered to save money, but nothing is likely to be decided without another round of community consultation.
So what do you think? Would you want to pay more for services and public facilities, or would you prefer to have a higher rates bill? Or do you think there's any other way the council should save money? Read more here and tell us what you think in the comments below.
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69.7% Services and public facility costs should go up
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15.3% Rates have to go up
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15% There's another way to save (tell us your thoughts in the comments)
⚠️ 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!