Waimakariri Stopbank upgrade completion- a success story
Today we celebrated success.
ECan and the Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri councils celebrated the completion of the stopbank upgrades that have been in planning and construction for about 15 years, it came in under time and under the $40m budget. They protect over $8Billion of infrastructure and assets and are engineered to handle a 6500 cumec (flood) event- that is big! There were initial stopbanks built from the 1930s but the 1956 flood taught a hard lesson for our city. In the 2000s river engineers took another look and it was decided that we needed further protection.
As a community board member for Harewood, I've been part of the river rating committee that spans the regional council and territorial authorities. It has been a fantastic experience with great management of the project by probably the best river engineers and a number of construction firms.
To give you an idea of how big of a deal this was, present were our three Mayors- Dalziel, Broughton and Ayers, ECan council and three Crown Ministers- Nania Mahuta - Min of Local Govt, James Shaw- Min of Climate Change and Peeni Henare- Min. of Civil Defence jointly dubbed the Ministers of Resilience by Mayor Dalziel.
Spring gardening tips
Dreaming of a garden bursting with colour and fresh produce? Shane Fairbairn, Ryman Healthcare’s Landscape Manager, shares his top tips to make it happen. You’ll be set to create a gorgeous, relaxing space in no time - grab your trowel, and let’s dig in.
Click read more for more information.
Poll: Do you think NZ should ban social media for youth?
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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84% Yes
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14.7% No
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1.3% Other - I'll share below
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.