Six tips for improving security around your home
1) Improve outdoor lighting
Ensure that streets, driveways, and front yards are well-lit. Motion-sensor lights around homes deter trespassers by reducing hiding spots and illuminating their movements.
2) Trim your trees
Overgrown shrubs and trees provide cover for intruders. Keeping them well-trimmed around windows and doors improves visibility and reduces potential hiding spots.
3) Secure Entry Points
Ensure doors, windows, and gates are always closed when you are away from the house. Upgrade to more secure locks, deadbolts, or even smart locks for added protection.
4) Add a security camera
Place security cameras in the main entry points to your home. Doorbell cameras are also relatively cheap and a great way to keep track of who is visiting your home when you aren't there.
5) Start a Neighborhood Watch Program
You could reach out to members on Neighbourly to form a group of neighbors who can regularly keep an eye out for suspicious activity and report it. You could also check with Neighbourhood Support to see what is existing in your area.
6) Introduce yourself to your neighbours
The closer you are to your neighbors, the more likely they’ll notice when something unusual or suspicious is happening around your property
Feel free to share anything that you do around your area to deter crime.
What's your favourite tomato recipe?
Kia ora neighbours. We know your tomato plants are still growing, but we're looking ahead to the harvest already! If you've got a family recipe for tomatoes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine to share with our readers. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our February 2025 issue.
Poll: Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?
An Auckland court has ruled a woman doesn’t have to contribute towards the cost of fixing a driveway she shares with 10 neighbours.
When thinking about fences, driveways or tree felling, for example, do you think all neighbours should have to pay if the improvements directly benefit them?
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0% Yes
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0% No
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0% Other - I'll share below
Canterbury towns feel forgotten in bus review
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
A North Canterbury community fears it will lose its bus service under a review of the regional public transport plan.
Woodend-Sefton Community Board chairperson Shona Powell says her board warned Environment Canterbury (ECan) in 2019 the revised 97 Pegasus to Rangiora route was ‘‘set up to fail’’.
Now she fears the route could be axed altogether in the new Canterbury Regional Public Transport Plan.
‘‘It is a bitter disappointment."
An ECan spokesperson says the route is not under review at present, but it will likely be looked at in the future.
Powell said the board felt when they did the last review, they set up 97 to fail with the shortening of the route.
‘‘It misses out large areas, so people have to walk 20 minutes to catch the bus and it only runs every hour.
‘‘For a short trip to Rangiora, you’re going to take the car if you’re able to, but we want to encourage people to use public transport.’’
Powell said Woodend, Pegasus and Ravenswood are experiencing rapid growth and need to be better served with public transport.
The 95 bus route links Pegasus, Woodend and Ravenswood residents with Kaiapoi and Christchurch.
But Powell said instead of persevering with the 97 route, the board has consistently advocated for a circular route, similar to the Orbiter bus service in Christchurch.
It could link Woodend, Pegasus and Ravenswood with Rangiora and Kaiapoi and their suburbs and travel in both directions, she said.
‘‘From a practical point of view the idea of a circular route using two buses is much more useful to a much higher number of residents and lets them travel easily to where they want to go,’’ Powell said.
‘‘For now, Silverstream and Sovereign Palm residents in Kaiapoi have to travel to central Kaiapoi first if they want to use public transport to get to Rangiora.’’
The service could be extended to include Waikuku, Cust, Tuahiwi, Amberley and the beach settlements, and it could be similar to the on-call MyWay bus service in Timaru.
The board would also like to see the park and ride direct commuter service available to Rangiora and Kaiapoi residents extended to Woodend.
ECan public transport strategy and planning manager Sonia Pollard said the Pegasus to Rangiora service is not under review at present.
‘‘But NZTA (NZ Transport Agency) has requested we investigate low performing routes, so it is likely this route will be reviewed in the future.’’
A Waimakariri circular route is not under consideration as the partner councils have agreed to focus on developing a Greater Christchurch public transport futures strategy, she said.
Additional funding would be required from NZTA and local ratepayers and there is also limited funding for public transport in the 2024-27 National Land Transport Fund.
But staff will be assessing new routes as part of the 2025-26 annual plan, she said.
The next on-demand service trial is likely to be within the Greater Christchurch urban zone, but no decisions have been made.
ECan received nearly 800 submissions in its draft Canterbury Regional Public Transport Plan consultation.
Hearings begin next week, with deliberations scheduled for next month.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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