Councillors launch last-minute bid to defer Christchurch's planned excess water charges
From reporter Tina Law:
Charges for using excess water are expected to come into force from July 1, but some Christchurch city councillors have launched a last-minute bid to defer the policy.
The council decided last year, following public consultation, to charge from July this year those who use more than an average of 700 litres of water a day over a three-month period.
Thousands of homeowners across Christchurch can expect to receive a bill, but only during the summer months for most.
About 30,000 homes across Christchurch and Banks Peninsula used an average of more than 700 litres a day during the 2020-21 summer.
But the council will not be sending out bills 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.
Suburbs with the most households using more than 700 litres include Hornby (1392), Avonhead (1364), Burwood (1336), Halswell (1119) and Fendalton (1066).
Council three waters boss Helen Beaumont said 20,000 households were using more than 900 litres a day and could expect a bill if they did not reduce their use. Most of those bills would be less than $100.
The charge would be $1.35 for every 1000 extra litres used.
There will be exemptions for households with eight members or more who are using water responsibly.
However, five councillors – Sam MacDonald, James Gough, Phil Mauger, Aaron Keown and Catherine Chu – want the charges deferred.
Councillors will discuss and vote on this issue as part of next week’s annual plan sign off. Continue reading here.
⚠️ 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 ❤️
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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62% Summer
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36.5% Winter
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1.5% Other - I'll share below
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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