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757 days ago

Water use falls in Christchurch as residents fear new charges

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

From reporter Tina Law:

Christchurch residents are using less water as the threat of being chargedhits home.

The city council says water use has decreased by more than 10% since charges for using too much were introduced, saving millions of litres.

The council introduced an excess water charge in October after making the decision to push ahead with the scheme in 2021.

The first bills are due to be sent out later this month, but people have already been reducing how much they use.


According to figures supplied by the council, the average daily water use per household has consistently dropped each month since April, compared to the same period the previous year.


Last month, residents used on average 645 litres of water, compared to 767 litres in January 2022, a 16% decrease.

May saw the biggest monthly year-to-year drop so far, of 26%.

Under the new rules, people will be charged a fixed rate of $1.35 for every 1000 litres they use over the 700-litre limit, which is the equivalent of 100 toilet flushes.

Bills will not be sent out for $25 or less, so people will have to use more than 900 litres each day over 90 days to receive a bill. Once a bill goes above $25, the person will be charged for all usage above 700 litres.

It is not yet known how many people will get a bill, but the average charge is likely to be $83 and the maximum about $400.


A council spokesperson said it was great to see the reduction in water use across the district.

“Millions of litres of water have been saved since we started a campaign to encourage residents to check and reduce their water use.”

Some of the savings are due to residents finding and fixing leaks on their properties.

“Some of these leaks were resulting in hundreds of thousands of litres of water being wasted each week.”

The council hopes water use will continue to decrease over the coming months.


However, some residents have labelled the charge as unfair, especially since almost a quarter (25,295) of Christchurch households will not be charged because they share a meter with their neighbours.


Mayor Phil Mauger has publicly labelled the charge “unfair”.

During an interview with Newstalk ZB last week, Mauger questioned the need for water charging now that many leaks had been fixed, including his own. He found he was using 3000 litres a day due to a leak.

Mauger, who in 2021 voted against the introduction of charging for excess water use, said he thought the matter should be referred to the annual plan and the public consulted again.

Cr Sam MacDonald has also expressed support for this to happen.

But Cr Sara Templeton said the charges were consulted on twice, with the proposal tweaked in between to make it more fair.

“Re-consulting continuously until you get the result you want seems a waste of council time and ratepayers' money.”


She said 20% of properties use 50% of the city’s water supply, meaning they were effectively subsidised by the 80% who use less water.

“It is simply not fair that a small unit in Linwood using little water subsidises a large, lush lawn in Fendalton.”

Templeton said the charge had proven that people did not reduce their water use or check for leaks without financial incentive.


“Without the reduction in use we will have to spend more money as a city drilling more bores and putting in more pump stations to keep up with use, putting rates up further.”

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4 days ago

Poll: Would you use a pet cemetery?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Dave Stephens has created a pet cemetery on his land.

The 10-acre site in Albany, Auckland, features graves nestled among beautifully manicured gardens and unique art pieces, offering a serene space where visitors can pay their respects in their own way.

Is a local pet cemetery something you think you would use? Share your thoughts below.

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Would you use a pet cemetery?
  • 31.3% Yes
    31.3% Complete
  • 67.1% No
    67.1% Complete
  • 1.5% Other - I'll share below
    1.5% Complete
1296 votes
18 hours ago

Neighbourly Q&A: Consumer rights with CAB's Andrew Hubbard

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

What can you do if you buy something that breaks soon after you buy it? It's time for another helpful Q&A.

This week we have Andrew Hubbard from Citizens Advice Bureau New Zealand (CABNZ) who will be answering your questions about your consumer rights.

A little bit about Andrew:
Dr Andrew Hubbard is deputy chief executive of Citizens Advice Bureau New Zealand (CAB) and loves working for the CAB so much that he’s been there for more than fifteen years.

Andrew believes in the difference people can make working together in the community and loves being able to support the work of the more than 2000 CAB volunteers across the motu. Andrew’s background is in policy and he’s been actively involved in consumer issues for the fifteen years he’s been at the CAB.

Andrew and the CAB team are ready to answer your questions about your consumer rights. This might be questions about when you can get a refunds, your rights when buying via Facebook or overseas, product delivery issues and what to do if a retailer won't sort a problem out for you. Ask away!

Andrew will be here live on Wednesday at 9.30am, but go ahead, and add your question below now ⇩

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1 day ago

Got a minute?💡Try this riddle and let’s see how clever you really are! 🧐

Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

I am silent, yet I speak;
I can open minds but cannot open myself;
I contain worlds but have no life—
What am I?

Do you think you know the answer? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm.

Want to stop seeing these 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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