2647 days ago

And The Rain Came Down....

Fire and Emergency New Zealand - Lower Hutt

We all know how hard it is to get our washing dry with the current (and seemingly never ending) wet weather.  And the Fire Fighters from Fire and Emergency NZ have certainly seen some creative methods of drying clothes, you just need to look at the attached photo that was sent to us to see that.
With the ongoing wet weather, it seems timely to remind our neighbours of some simple fire safety around using heaters and dryers to get our washing dry.  In winter, fire involving heating and clothes drying are the second most common reason Hutt Valley Fire Fighters are called out, second only to fires that start in the kitchen.
Here are simple fire safety rules to remember while you're trying to dry your washing indoors in this weather:
- Keep everything at least one metre away from a heater or fireplace - we call that the "Heater Metre Rule".  This includes wet clothes, bedding, furniture, and people.
- Never put or hang clothes on a heater to dry.  Don't store anything on top of your heating appliance, and never cover your heater with anything.
- Don't overload clothes dryers and clean out the lint filter after each load cycle.
And if an open fire or woodburner is your choice of heating or drying your clothes, remember....
Ashes can take up to five days to cool, always put them into a metal bin when cleaning out your fireplace, and pour water on them before disposal.
And no; we don't recommend using your oven as a clothes dryer, heater, or anything else not connected with cooking your dinner!

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More messages from your neighbours
5 days ago

Poll: Do you think NZ should ban social media for youth?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

The Australian Prime Minister has expressed plans to ban social media use for children.

This would make it illegal for under 16-year-olds to have accounts on platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X.
Social media platforms would be tasked with ensuring children have no access (under-age children and their parents wouldn’t be penalised for breaching the age limit)
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Do you think NZ should follow suit? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts below.

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Do you think NZ should ban social media for youth?
  • 85.5% Yes
    85.5% Complete
  • 13.4% No
    13.4% Complete
  • 1.1% Other - I'll share below
    1.1% Complete
2146 votes
4 days ago

What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?

Mei Leng Wong Reporter from NZ Gardener & Get Growing

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.

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5 days ago

scumbags

Sandra from Waiwhetu

There are some really awful people around at the moment. This is what happened on Sunday.
We live in Hinemoa Street opposite the Waiwhetu Stream. At around 3.40 in the afternoon I was looking out my window and saw a car pull up and start to feed the geese and ducks out the window. Then The passenger an asian man jumped out and threw himself onto a goose. he picked it up and put it the boot of the car.
I immediately ran over and stood in front of his car to stop him moving I also called my husband to help. A lovely man was riding his bike and saw it and stopped to help me. The driver tried to drive into me but I didnt move. He tried telling us it was his pet. These are wild geese.

They had a cage in the boot and some wire all ready to catch the poor bird like they have done it before. My husband took the bird from the car and released it. I then moved out of the way and after lots of abuse from the driver they drove off threatening to come back and get more.
No one should be allowed to take these beautiful birds and certainly not like this. they are all starting to have wee babies at the moment the whole thing was so upsetting to me. Another neighbour further down the road also saw it all happen.
Please keep a look out for this car and if you see them by the stream go over and watch them lets all stop this happening.