Are you an Easter Instant winner?
We've given 30 (!) Neighbourly winners a little Easter treat. If your name's on the list below then your Easter is going to be a little sweeter. You've won a $20 voucher for your local The Warehouse so you can head down to grab yourself your favourite Easter chocolate treats. You might even treat your favourite neighbour to something delicious.
Congratulations to:
Philip Taramai - Lower Hutt
Mere Wetere - Nelson
Ann Mackay - Oamaru
Terry Green - Porirua
Andrew Douglas - Invercargill
Priya Patel - Wellington
Lynne Street - Rotorua
Vijen Reddy - Hamilton
Rob Voss - Whangaparaoa
Dianna Cork - Mount Maunganui
Joanna Fleet - Otaki
Catriona Greig - Porirua
Donald Fowler - Nelson
Liz Claridge - Whangamata
Billy Boston - Christchurch
Elizabeth Mark - Waikanae
Brett Lovegrove - Christchurch
John Dowling - Auckland
Tracy Morton - Raglan
Jacqueline Ross from Blenheim
Ntombi Mupariwa - Paraparaumu
Florentina McInnes - Napier
Morag Hughson - Tauranga
Marjo Plessius - Putaruru
Beverley Broad - Christchurch
Mahendra Patel - Hamilton
Leonie Hona - Whangarei
Mandy Clark - North Auckland
Sean McNulty - Kerikeri
Sue Scott - Gisborne
To claim your prize just get in touch with the Neighbourly team before 12pm Thursday 13 April to claim their prize. If you spot a familiar name from your neighbourhood, be sure to give them the good news!
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
Amberley’s new coastal defence delayed
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Efforts to protect a Canterbury beach community from the sea have been delayed a month, as resource conditions are met.
Hurunui District Council chief executive Hamish Dobbie last month said work to build a $750,000 coastal bund to protect the Amberley Beach village would be completed before Christmas.
But with the festive season fast approaching, the start date has been postponed until January.
Council staff, the Amberley Beach Residents’ and Ratepayers’ Community Association and contractor Ready Mix Concrete are working to meet consent conditions from Environment Canterbury.
Once work begins, it will take about a month to complete, Mr Dobbie said.
‘‘Given the amount of time the work will take, it was felt it was better to delay the project rather than start the work and then stop work for two weeks over Christmas.’’
A bund is a type of embankment which protects against the sea.
While the residents’ association looks forward to the work being completed, committee member John Manson rejected suggestions the rising sea level was the problem.
His biggest fear was the increased risk of severe storms leading to six to seven metre waves, due to climate change.
‘‘There is a sense of urgency because we have had a three to four year calm period.
‘‘The last series of major storms we experienced was during 2020-21.’’
The new bund will be larger than the existing embankment and will be built into the sand to make it more resilient in a storm, Manson said.
It is being built up to a culvert at a lagoon to the north of the village.
But the residents’ association would like it built a further 180m to the north to prevent stormy seas causing the lagoon to overflow, which has been allowed in the consent.
Councillor Vanessa McPherson said she is hopeful the council will look at extending the bund, once initial work is completed.
‘‘This is one of the most proactive communities I have been involved with and you can see it with what the residents are achieving.
‘‘It is such a beautiful place. I love this beach. It has got its own personality. It is wild and it is emotional.’’
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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