Belmont, Lower Hutt

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1502 days ago

In praise of worms

Nicholas Boyack Reporter from Community News

Cr Brady Dyer is singing the praises of worm farming. Since starting a worm farm a month ago, he has significantly reduced the amount of household waste
He is urging Hutt residents to look at what they can do to reduce waste..
"It’s a no brainer! With the changes coming to our rubbish and … View more
Cr Brady Dyer is singing the praises of worm farming. Since starting a worm farm a month ago, he has significantly reduced the amount of household waste
He is urging Hutt residents to look at what they can do to reduce waste..
"It’s a no brainer! With the changes coming to our rubbish and recycling in July next year, right now is the perfect time to look at what you can do to be more responsible about your organic waste waiting for a kerbside collection could be some time away, and why have it collected and trucked across the city, when you can deal with it right now at home."

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1502 days ago

Kiwi John Whittaker

Nicholas Boyack Reporter from Community News

A mighty Kingfisher has fallen. The New Zealand rugby league community is mourning legendary 1970s Kiwis back John Whittaker, who has died from cancer.

The 70-year-old – voted Wellington’s Player of the Century – earned 26 Kiwis caps between 1970 and 1982, and played in four World Cup … View more
A mighty Kingfisher has fallen. The New Zealand rugby league community is mourning legendary 1970s Kiwis back John Whittaker, who has died from cancer.

The 70-year-old – voted Wellington’s Player of the Century – earned 26 Kiwis caps between 1970 and 1982, and played in four World Cup tournaments. He played a total of 69 games for the Kiwis, including non-internationals, and scored 18 tries.

Whittaker was inducted as a Legend of League in 2012.

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1502 days ago

Catch The Press Leaders Debate Tuesday Night

Reporter The Press

Hi Neighbours,

Get ready for the South Island's only leader’s debate as Labour Leader Jacinda Ardern and National Leader Judith Collins prepare to go head to head in Christchurch.

Watch the debate live on Stuff, Tuesday, October 6 at 7pm.

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1502 days ago

Monday Sport Blast From The Past.

Nicholas Boyack Reporter from Community News

Andy Leslie is perhaps best known as the captain of the All Blacks that controversially toured South Africa in 1976.

A proud member of the Petone Rugby Club, he was a friend and colleague of the legendary fullback Bob Scott. Here a few facts that you might not know about Leslie.
- His father, … View more
Andy Leslie is perhaps best known as the captain of the All Blacks that controversially toured South Africa in 1976.

A proud member of the Petone Rugby Club, he was a friend and colleague of the legendary fullback Bob Scott. Here a few facts that you might not know about Leslie.
- His father, Andy, was a professional footballer in Scotland and later became a life member of the Petone Football Club.
- As well as rugby, he represented New Zealand at softball and was also a good basketballer and excelled at waterpolo.
- He lived for sport at school and liked to joke about his success at School Certificate. "I went to school to eat my lunch and play sport. I got 55 in School Cert, 11 for each subject."
- In 2017, he was inducted into the Hutt Valley Sports Awards Hall of Fame by All Black coach Steve Hansen.
- Leslie played 144 games for Wellington, captaining them to a win in the Ranfurly Shield in 1974.
- His wife is Lesley Leslie. Their children, John and Marty, were both talented rugby players.
- In 2007, he was elected President of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union.
- He has had a long association with the New Zealand Rugby Foundation, which helps players who have suffered a spinal injury.

What are your memories of Andy and his career?

1502 days ago

First Rung is here: A podcast guide to getting on the property ladder

Kylie Klein Nixon Reporter from Homed

Hi! I'm so excited to finally be sharing a project our team has been working on for a while now: First Rung, our first podcast!
First Rung is packed with tips, advice and anecdotes from experts and home owners on every aspect of buying your first home - it also comes with a chance to win a … View more
Hi! I'm so excited to finally be sharing a project our team has been working on for a while now: First Rung, our first podcast!
First Rung is packed with tips, advice and anecdotes from experts and home owners on every aspect of buying your first home - it also comes with a chance to win a $500 Resene prize pack.
Over six, bite sized episodes, we cover everything from saving that deposit, to sunset clauses, to how to get your newly purchased home ready to move into.
We'll also introduce you to ordinary Kiwis, just like you, who have navigated the choppy waters of home buying in NZ and made it onto that first rung - and pick their brains for how they did it.
We all know buying a home is one of the toughest, most daunting things we might ever do as adults, so it doesn't hurt to get some expert advice and support. That's what we wanted to give you with First Rung.
So give it a listen and let us know what you think - and be in to win that mint Resene prize pack. I can't enter and I'm well jealous!

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1505 days ago

Dunnocks - didn't know they existed two years ago.

Louise from Woburn

It's a commonish bird, but I'm stoked to finally get what I consider to be a good shot of a dunnock (Prunella modularis). Normally they are hopping around on the ground, which I don't think makes for as nice a shot as a perching bird. It's amazing how fussy I've become … View moreIt's a commonish bird, but I'm stoked to finally get what I consider to be a good shot of a dunnock (Prunella modularis). Normally they are hopping around on the ground, which I don't think makes for as nice a shot as a perching bird. It's amazing how fussy I've become considering I didn't even know they existed two years ago - everything small and brown was a house sparrow. Now I've got my eye in I can see they are quite different.

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1507 days ago

Korimako, aka bellbird, purple pollen snorter

Louise from Woburn

The bellbirds, aka korimako, have been into the tree fuchsias. I saw two today with their faces covered in purple snort. It is lovely having lots of bellbirds in the Hutt. I put out a bowl of sugar water and they like to stop by for a sip (as do the little wax-eyes, aka tauhou).

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1503 days ago

Gardening and section work

Ian Hamilton from Natures choice gardening services - Lower Hutt

Did another weekend roll around and the Garden get missed yet again! Don’t let it happen again! Call us today for your free garden quote
Natures choice Gardening services -
0272430951

1503 days ago

HAPPY GRANDPARENTS DAY!!

Corinne Morris from

Hello everyone,

It is National Grandparents Day today. Share your stories about your grandparents and we might publish it in our next newsletter.

Have you been celebrating the day in a special way?

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1505 days ago

Do we need an Airport Flyer?

Nicholas Boyack Reporter from Community News

Wellington Airport is currently calling for tenders for the Airport Flyer bus service.
Hutt South MP Chris Bishop is taking an interest in the process and is advocating for a service running from Lower Hutt.
He lists his priorities as.
1. Making sure there is a direct Hutt-Airport bus service.
2. … View more
Wellington Airport is currently calling for tenders for the Airport Flyer bus service.
Hutt South MP Chris Bishop is taking an interest in the process and is advocating for a service running from Lower Hutt.
He lists his priorities as.
1. Making sure there is a direct Hutt-Airport bus service.
2. Ensuring it accepts Snapper and appears on the real-time boards. In time, it should be part of the integrated ticketing network too.
3. He does not care if it is a commercial or a subsidised service run by the regional council.

What would you like to see and who should pay for it?

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1506 days ago

Celebrating International Day of Older Persons

Office for Seniors

Today is the International Day of Older Persons! It's an important day for everyone to recognize and say thank you to older people for their amazing contributions to the world, from mentoring and volunteering, to sharing experience, being in paid work and much more.

To acknowledge the … View more
Today is the International Day of Older Persons! It's an important day for everyone to recognize and say thank you to older people for their amazing contributions to the world, from mentoring and volunteering, to sharing experience, being in paid work and much more.

To acknowledge the occasion, we have just released our October SuperSeniors Newsletter, you can read it here: bit.ly...

The day is also special as it marks the start of the WHO’s Decade of Healthy Ageing 2020 to 2030, you can find out more about it here: bit.ly...

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1504 days ago

Coco Coir Fibre

Robert Anderson from

The thickest and most resistant of all commercial natural fibres, coir is a coarse, short fibre extracted from the outer shell of coconuts.


Coconut coir or, “Coco coir”, is a very versatile resource that is harvested from a fibrous layer underneath the exterior shell of the coconut. Since… View more
The thickest and most resistant of all commercial natural fibres, coir is a coarse, short fibre extracted from the outer shell of coconuts.


Coconut coir or, “Coco coir”, is a very versatile resource that is harvested from a fibrous layer underneath the exterior shell of the coconut. Since coconut growers consider it a waste product, its utilization is highly sustainable. You may have heard of coco coir being used in gardening, but there are many applications for it across multiple industries, beyond horticulture. Here are 10 interesting facts about coco coir that you probably didn’t know!

• Coco coir has many uses including in textiles, upholstery, making rope/fishing nets, environmental cleanup and horticulture, floor mats, doormats, brushes and mattresses.
• There is brown coco coir & white coco coir, each with different properties. When coconuts are ripe, they produce brown coir which is used in gardening and horticulture. White coir is harvested from unripe coconuts, and is much finer and lighter, it even floats on water. This makes it ideal for fishing nets, brushes, and finer textiles.
• Coco coir works well as a snail deterrent when used in the garden.
• Coco coir is highly absorbent and can hold up to 10x the water as peat moss. Some use it as a sustainable alternative to peat moss
• People often use coco coir as bedding in terrariums for snakes, lizards, turtles, and spiders.
• When used for gardening, coco coir is usually packed in a compressed brick. You need to soak the brick with water which allows it to expand substantially. You can then use it as a growing medium or potting mix additive.
• Coco coir contains very low levels of nutrients, so you can’t normally use it as the sole growing medium for plants, EXCEPT, you can use it for microgreens due to their extremely short grow cycle. This is because they don’t require soil nutrients. You also use coco coir in hydroponics since you add the nutrients directly into the water.
• You can re-use coco coir several times in gardening as it retains its properties over time.
• Because of its highly absorptive properties, people sometimes use coco coir to help clean up oil spills and other caustic fluids.

• People use coco coir in litter boxes and animal bedding because of its highly absorptive capabilities. It is much more sustainable than traditional clay cat litter pellets, which don’t break down. Coco coir also absorbs much more liquid than hay, straw, or newspaper which people often use as animal bedding.

These are just a few of the many interesting characteristics and applications of coco coir. In the spirit of sustainability, the utilization of coco coir is a sound environmental practice. Spread the word and take a step in a more sustainable direction.

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1504 days ago

Are you after native plants for your garden?

Joshua from Kelburn Price Smart Landscaping and Gardeners

Price Smart provides a good range of evergreen native plants at a competitive price. If you are looking for low maintenance and visually stunning local plants to complete your garden, we have them for you. Mini Toe Toe, NZ Iris, or Carex, and many more.
For inquiries about products and services … View more
Price Smart provides a good range of evergreen native plants at a competitive price. If you are looking for low maintenance and visually stunning local plants to complete your garden, we have them for you. Mini Toe Toe, NZ Iris, or Carex, and many more.
For inquiries about products and services Give us a call at 027 548 9818 or email us at info@rpicesmart.co.nz.

1505 days ago

Have you recently decorated a home with Resene paints? If so, you could be a winner.

Resene

Resene and Your Home & Garden are on the lookout for the most stunning interior or exterior colour scheme created with Resene paints to be featured in Your Home & Garden magazine.

Monthly winners win $250 of Resene paint vouchers and the grand winner $5000 cash!

What we are looking … View more
Resene and Your Home & Garden are on the lookout for the most stunning interior or exterior colour scheme created with Resene paints to be featured in Your Home & Garden magazine.

Monthly winners win $250 of Resene paint vouchers and the grand winner $5000 cash!

What we are looking for:
Clever interior colours
Inventive paint projects
Exciting exterior paint
Entries are now open!

How to enter:
Email photos and a 200-word or more description of your space to yhg@bauermedia.co.nz with your last name and ‘Resene Colour Home’ in the subject line. Please include your name, home address, email address, daytime phone number, the names of the Resene colours used, and details of when your space was painted. Please credit anyone who assisted you in choosing your colours. The five finalists will each appear in Your Home and Garden, starting from the December issue. Every finalist will receive a $250 Resene voucher and a feature in the magazine, with the winner taking out the Resene Colour Home Awards and $5000 cash. An extended story on the winning home will feature in the June 2021 issue.

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1505 days ago

Boxes of LEGO sets donated to Hutt Hospital’s Children’s Ward

Gemma Elizabeth from Hutt Valley District Health Board

The Fairy Bricks charity donated boxes full of LEGO to Hutt Hospital's Children's Ward.
Fairy Bricks, a long-standing partner of the LEGO Group, donates more than 40,000 LEGO sets to hospitals and hospices each year.
"We are very appreciative of this generous donation," said … View more
The Fairy Bricks charity donated boxes full of LEGO to Hutt Hospital's Children's Ward.
Fairy Bricks, a long-standing partner of the LEGO Group, donates more than 40,000 LEGO sets to hospitals and hospices each year.
"We are very appreciative of this generous donation," said Tania Pitama, the ward's play specialist.

“LEGO is a wonderful distraction, and provides a normal everyday activity for children in hospital. It is also really easy to maintain and clean, and is great for those who are unable to get out of bed. We can also use the LEGO as gifts for children having birthdays or if a child is having a particularly hard time during their hospital stay.”

The Wellington Lego User Group (Well-LUG) delivered the LEGO to the ward last week. Their group has fund-raised over $85,000 for different charities over the past five years.

"We hold many events that help fundraiser for charities," said Jay Horne, president of the Well-LUG group. "However, our fundraising events this year have been postponed due to COVID-19. We saw this donation as another avenue where we could help. We are all very grateful to Fairy Bricks for helping to make a difference to sick children's lives.”

“Fairy Bricks recognises the essential role of play in a child’s recovery process. LEGO provides a degree of comfort and distraction for children and their whānau in hospital.”

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