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From stunning sunsets to quirky murals - we're loving seeing the beautiful photos that members are sharing across the country. These local Bright Spots add a little colour and brighten the day.
Our Bright Spots campaign closes on Sunday, 15 July so time is running out to share yours. With … View moreFrom stunning sunsets to quirky murals - we're loving seeing the beautiful photos that members are sharing across the country. These local Bright Spots add a little colour and brighten the day.
Our Bright Spots campaign closes on Sunday, 15 July so time is running out to share yours. With 10 prizes of $250 Resene ColorShop vouchers and $250 Prezzy® cards up for grabs, do take a moment and share this happy place with us.
Enter your local Bright Spots pics here today and be in to *WIN*.
This warming Hāngi recipe, created by Joy from Murray Halberg Village, serves six people with plenty of leftovers to enjoy the next day. Serve hot and enjoy with family or friends on a chilly winters night.
Click read more for the full recipe.
It’s NZ House & Garden’s 30th birthday, and to celebrate they’ve put together a great offer that’ll light up your home. Purchase or gift a 1 or 2-year subscription to NZ House & Garden and receive a Living Light luxury soy candle worth $56.90 for FREE*.
Enjoy inspirational home … View moreIt’s NZ House & Garden’s 30th birthday, and to celebrate they’ve put together a great offer that’ll light up your home. Purchase or gift a 1 or 2-year subscription to NZ House & Garden and receive a Living Light luxury soy candle worth $56.90 for FREE*.
Enjoy inspirational home & garden content, convenient monthly home delivery, exclusive subscriber-only discounts, up to 27% off retail, and a Living Light luxury soy candle worth $56.90 when you become part of the NZ House & Garden community. *T&Cs apply.
Times have changed and perhaps so has our societal rules around taking off hats when indoors. What are your thoughts?
Delve back into that garage or wardrobe! It's time to sell your gently-loved goods at The Neighbourly Winter (online!) Garage Sale
On Saturday 6th July, members will be online checking out the goods on offer so it's a great time to get rid of your winter clutter.
Maybe it's … View moreDelve back into that garage or wardrobe! It's time to sell your gently-loved goods at The Neighbourly Winter (online!) Garage Sale
On Saturday 6th July, members will be online checking out the goods on offer so it's a great time to get rid of your winter clutter.
Maybe it's time to realise that you're never going to use that snowboard or ski jacket, and that you really do have one too many heaters. Whatever it is, take a picture and put it on Neighbourly for locals to see.
These items have been recalled this month. If you have one of these items at home, click on the title to see the details to ensure it is not a risk to your household.
Food recalls:
Hubbards brand BeMighty granola blueberry & seeds
Leslies Clover chips bbq flavour
… View moreThese items have been recalled this month. If you have one of these items at home, click on the title to see the details to ensure it is not a risk to your household.
Food recalls:
Hubbards brand BeMighty granola blueberry & seeds
Leslies Clover chips bbq flavour
Sabres fresh & frozen ready meals
Pams plant based creamy tomato pasta bake
Product recalls:
Farmers brand girls jockey singlet
Vitamix container and blade bases
Crocs Jibbitz
Digital Notepads
City Beach novelty light
LED strip light
Hansa Chipper
Kawasaki Spartan mower
We hope this message was helpful in keeping you and your family safe.
Maddie Davidson made history by being the first female trampolinist to represent New Zealand at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, held in 2021. Last week she wowed the residents of Kevin Hickman Village as she talked through some of her preparation ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
It is only six … View moreMaddie Davidson made history by being the first female trampolinist to represent New Zealand at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, held in 2021. Last week she wowed the residents of Kevin Hickman Village as she talked through some of her preparation ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
It is only six weeks until Maddie departs and two months until she jumps onto the trampoline in Paris. She told the Kevin Hickman residents she has her heart set on competing to her best level, while showing off her past international performances.
Click read more for the full story.
By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The West Coast Regional Council today adopted its new 10-year plan and with it a 27% rates rise in the first year.
In 2023 council ratified a 16.4% general increase and under its 2024-34 long-term plan projects a 12% increase in 2025-26, followed … View moreBy local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The West Coast Regional Council today adopted its new 10-year plan and with it a 27% rates rise in the first year.
In 2023 council ratified a 16.4% general increase and under its 2024-34 long-term plan projects a 12% increase in 2025-26, followed by rates increases annually of no more than 7%.
Council chairperson Peter Haddock prefaced proceedings on June 25 by noting "eight long workshops" from April 2023. They were to set the LTP consultation document before the draft was released for public scrutiny in April.
It attracted just 25 submissions.
The council voted on Tuesday, six to one, to adopt the LTP including the rates increase.
However, the formal rates setting has been delayed for the latest rating valuation for Westland district, the outcome of the annual Greymouth Floodwall meeting, and confirmation of regional flood assets values.
Disaffected former chairperson Allan Birchfield was the sole dissenter.
He said the council, with its return to inhouse capacity - away from a reliance on external contractors - was "getting too big".
Staff numbers are up to about 80 full-time equivalent this year from about 60 in previous years.
"I think we've increased too much in size.
"I think council needs to restructure downwards," Birchfield said.
In response, Haddock asked Birchfield how many workshops he had contributed his time to develop the LTP.
"None," Birchfield replied.
Birchfield also defended his absence from the LTP submissions hearing last month due to surgery.
Rebuilding in-house capability by lessoning the council's reliance on consultants as it embarks on major flood work across the region was an underlying focus in the new plan.
But councillor Brett Cummings also sounded a warning:
The council had to consider when "the tap of Government money is turned off", he said.
It risked being left bearing full-time employees costing "$300,000 a year" - the equivalent of the consultants council sought to avoid.
Cummings said the true cost of returning inhouse needed to be transparent for all to see.
"That's what people are going to be asking me. (Otherwise) it's like Shane Jones - it's all puff and wind," Cummings said.
Chief executive Darryl Lew said the 10-year plan formal start on July 1 marked a revitalised staff with a full leadership team for the first time in years.
The organisation had been "realigned" in anticipation of that.
"This plan positions itself to tackle those (challenges) for our community," Lew said.
"I'm particularly pleased that we have developed a financial strategy over the next 10 years that sees us return to surplus in year four."
New internal investment was gratifying to see including a full inhouse engineering team, Lew said.
Risk and Assurance chairperson Frank Dooley said the past 12 months signified a major turn for council with the LTP an example of what "has been achieved".
He said he felt like "clapping" for Lew.
"I think we owe a debt of gratitude to our CEO. He walked in here just on 12 months ago to a broken organisation," Dooley said.
"I'm excited as a councillor where we've come from 18 months ago to where we are today."
Haddock said council had "rebuilt a broken entity".
It could now achieve significant community outcomes, including the $22.9m flood resilience scheme for Westport.
While Birchfield questioned the 27% increase, Dooley was "impressed with the level of information" council had in order to ratify the LTP.
"Councillors who have participated in the eight or nine workshops are fully conversant today," he said.
Acting corporate services manager Aaron Prendergast confirmed a 27% increase in both the Uniform Annual General Charge and the general "rates requirement".
Councillor Peter Ewen said council had faced other significant pressures aside from lack of staff including external cost impositions due to new central government policies.
"The reset we've done is facing that reality," he said.
"As far as having too many staff, being top heavy, going back in-house is one way of doing it. You can't have it both ways."
It might not be making quite so many headlines these days, but unfortunately, Covid is still here. If you’re 65 or over, taking care of yourself is just as important as ever.
The good news is, keeping up to date with the Covid vaccine can help protect you from serious illness. It’s free. And… View moreIt might not be making quite so many headlines these days, but unfortunately, Covid is still here. If you’re 65 or over, taking care of yourself is just as important as ever.
The good news is, keeping up to date with the Covid vaccine can help protect you from serious illness. It’s free. And recommended for you and many others as long as you haven’t had the vaccine, or Covid, in the last 6 months.
To book your vaccination, or talk to your healthcare provider.
By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The West Coast Regional Council will on Tuesday (June 25) move to adopt what is projected to be a 27% general rates rise under its 2024-34 long-term plan (LTP) - one of the biggest rises compared to other councils around the country.
The increase … View moreBy local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The West Coast Regional Council will on Tuesday (June 25) move to adopt what is projected to be a 27% general rates rise under its 2024-34 long-term plan (LTP) - one of the biggest rises compared to other councils around the country.
The increase is based on a 10.5% increase in the council's operating expenditure from $22.8m in the current financial year to $25.2m in 2024-25.
Under council's 2024-34 LTP consultation document the "main drivers" of the proposed rates take increase were:
* Rebuilding council's corporate service functions and to implement new IT systems,
* Reviewing council's overarching regional plans,
* Progressing the 'one district' Te Tai o Poutini Plan,
* Construction of the Westport Flood Protection Project.
The LTP is council's key planning document for the next 10 years.
Specifically, it outlines a work programme and the financial implications in detail for the next three years.
The remaining seven years broadly outline the council's priorities.
The council in April presented to ratepayers its "preferred option" of a 27% general rates increase in year one.
This was based on borrowing to "smooth rates increases" to subsidise the budget demand.
The second option was for a 44% rates increase where ratepayers would bear the full cost.
The LTP anticipates a 12% rates increase in 2025-26, then rates increases by "no more" than 7.5% per year for the life of the plan.
However, aside from general rates, ratepayers in each of the 23 special rating districts - which look after individual flood protection assets across the 650km-long region - will also be seeing variable annual increases in the special rates they pay individually.
The council began LTP deliberations in April 2023 in meetings with staff and consultants in nearly a dozen closed door workshops.
After the council called for submissions in April, it received just 25 voices of interest on the plan's priorities.
Of those, six were directly heard during a public hearing on May 21.
The two key issues identified in the LTP draft were "balancing the budget" and funding the Predatorfree Te Kinga programme at Lake Brunner.
The council also sought specific feedback on other areas.
They included its financial and infrastructure strategies and the transfer of major flood protection assets from district council ownership.
The two assets for transfer are the Greymouth Floodwall and the controversial Havill Wall at Franz Josef.
Following the May 21 submissions hearing, council agreed to go with the preferred 27% rates increase option with borrowing.
It also decided in principle to fund Predator Free Te Kinga beyond 2025-26 - when the Government funding runs out.
This will average about $1 per ratepayer but council will also now investigate other funding models including a trust.
Prior to the May hearing, the council received a qualified opinion from the Office of the Auditor General on the LTP consultation document around the risk of not incorporating climate change.
The council took the decision on May 21 to acknowledge that.
A report for the council on Tuesday notes uncertain economic times as it moves to invest in "several large capital works" in the next few years.
These include the $22.9m Westport flood scheme, improvements to the existing Greymouth Floodwall, further flood protection for Hokitika, and the ongoing Waiho River flood scheme at Franz Josef.
The council's special meeting agenda notes its ongoing exposure to a range of "unavoidable cost pressures" which mostly are funded by rates.
These included "shifting of costs and responsibilities" from central government to local government including proposed environmental law changes.
With 500 trees now newly-planted on a slope in a Whitford farm paddock, Ryman Healthcare is well on the way to fulfilling its promise of a more sustainable invoicing process.
For every resident who switches from paper to email invoicing, Ryman has pledged to plant a tree, and has partnered with … View moreWith 500 trees now newly-planted on a slope in a Whitford farm paddock, Ryman Healthcare is well on the way to fulfilling its promise of a more sustainable invoicing process.
For every resident who switches from paper to email invoicing, Ryman has pledged to plant a tree, and has partnered with Trees for Survival Charitable Trust to achieve this goal.
Click read more for the full story.
It's NZ Volunteer Week (16-22 June) and we know there are real good sorts in your community.
Often these kind acts and regular volunteering efforts go unnoticed but let's put a stop to that.
Let us know below who is making a difference in your neighbourhood so we can all … View moreIt's NZ Volunteer Week (16-22 June) and we know there are real good sorts in your community.
Often these kind acts and regular volunteering efforts go unnoticed but let's put a stop to that.
Let us know below who is making a difference in your neighbourhood so we can all appreciate them for the great work that they do!
For only $15 a ticket, you could be in to win this brand-new, fully furnished Jennian home located in the charming coastal town of Mangawhai, worth almost $1.4 million dollars.
Featuring three bedrooms, two bathrooms and an open-plan kitchen, living and dining area, this home is waiting to be … View moreFor only $15 a ticket, you could be in to win this brand-new, fully furnished Jennian home located in the charming coastal town of Mangawhai, worth almost $1.4 million dollars.
Featuring three bedrooms, two bathrooms and an open-plan kitchen, living and dining area, this home is waiting to be loved by its new owner.
Make this property your permanent residence, a holiday home, a rental, or you can simply sell it!
Get your tickets today at heartlottery.org.nz.
When it’s cold outside, there's nothing quite like being inside the cosy warmth of a kitchen infused with the aroma of spices. But did you know that beyond their aromatic allure, these spices harbour a treasure trove of health benefits?
From the fiery kick of chilli to the sweet warmth of… View moreWhen it’s cold outside, there's nothing quite like being inside the cosy warmth of a kitchen infused with the aroma of spices. But did you know that beyond their aromatic allure, these spices harbour a treasure trove of health benefits?
From the fiery kick of chilli to the sweet warmth of cinnamon, each spice brings not only flavour but also a host of nutrients and healing properties to our winter dishes. So, whether you're sipping on mulled wine, indulging in gingerbread, or savouring a hearty stew, every bite promises to not just please your palate but also contribute to your overall wellbeing.
Click read more for the full story.
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