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Your home is your sanctuary, and that’s why Ryman villages are designed to be safe havens.
We’ve prepared for adverse events, so you don’t have to.
Your safety and your family’s peace of mind are our priority. Every Ryman village has staff available 24/7 and backup generators for … View moreYour home is your sanctuary, and that’s why Ryman villages are designed to be safe havens.
We’ve prepared for adverse events, so you don’t have to.
Your safety and your family’s peace of mind are our priority. Every Ryman village has staff available 24/7 and backup generators for emergencies. If something happens, you’re in safe hands.
We’ll take care of everything and make sure that you have what you need.
If you or a loved one are over 70, Ryman has a range of options from emergency accommodation through to townhouses or apartments available to purchase.
I don't seem to be able to make a comment on the broadband poll.
My husband had a very pertinent question.
For how long does the lower price plan last? The reason I ask is because it has always been a short term contract and then you have to pay full price again usually at 12 months. … View moreI don't seem to be able to make a comment on the broadband poll.
My husband had a very pertinent question.
For how long does the lower price plan last? The reason I ask is because it has always been a short term contract and then you have to pay full price again usually at 12 months. Considering the amount of use it gets ie: news, email, movies, youtube etc. you really need a consistently low price as pensioners are on the minimum wage and our pay increase was just below the cost of inflation.
Internet is something we need these days for work, study, keeping in touch with loved ones or just to watch a movie! It's another bill to manage right?!
With the cost of living rising, we want to know how much your broadband bill is setting you back each month?
Every month, NZ Gardener runs a series of tested reader recipes using a seasonal crop. We are still on the hunt for amazing and inventive jerusalem artichoke recipes! Send your best ones to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz by March 26, 2023. Every published recipe wins a copy of the May issue of NZ … View moreEvery month, NZ Gardener runs a series of tested reader recipes using a seasonal crop. We are still on the hunt for amazing and inventive jerusalem artichoke recipes! Send your best ones to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz by March 26, 2023. Every published recipe wins a copy of the May issue of NZ Gardener.
Can anybody who has lost a loved one in the UK ,where they able to watch the funeral ?Talking to somebody in the UK did not think they streamed funerals.
We're all mostly familiar with Kate Sheppard's role in the women's suffrage movement (and her face on the $10 note) and you've likely heard of the bold, Jean Batten. But who else should not be forgotten? Tell us why!
Let's celebrate Women's History month as well as … View moreWe're all mostly familiar with Kate Sheppard's role in the women's suffrage movement (and her face on the $10 note) and you've likely heard of the bold, Jean Batten. But who else should not be forgotten? Tell us why!
Let's celebrate Women's History month as well as International Women's Day (this Wednesday) by sharing some of the lesser-known, inspiring women who've played a part in New Zealand's history.
Share your thoughts below for the We Say You Say column of the local paper - write NFP if you wish your comments to be excluded.
Refresh your outdoor spaces with Resene Lumbersider and Resene Walk-on with these easy ideas.
From local democracy reporter David Hill:
Spraying is a ‘‘necessary’’ form of weed control, council staff say.
Targeted spraying is necessary to support braided rivers and to protect water ways and roadsides from invasive species, the staff said.
Environment Canterbury (ECan) river … View moreFrom local democracy reporter David Hill:
Spraying is a ‘‘necessary’’ form of weed control, council staff say.
Targeted spraying is necessary to support braided rivers and to protect water ways and roadsides from invasive species, the staff said.
Environment Canterbury (ECan) river engineer Sam Kidner and Waimakariri District Council water environment advisor Angela Burton provided updates on their respective council’s spraying programmes at Monday’s Waimakariri Zone Committee meeting.
Kidner said targeted spraying of weeds helped Canterbury’s braided rivers to perform their natural functions, which improved flood protection.
ECan used glyphosate and herbicides to target weeds such as ivy, hops, lupins, gorse, broom and willows.
‘‘Lupins are less of a problem than gorse and broom or willows.
‘‘It is a matter of scale,’’ Kidner said.
‘‘If it is starting to push water in different directions then we need to respond.’’
A build-up of willows on an island, could prevent the river from braiding and, when in flood, it could divert water to riverbanks, causing erosion.
Responding to a question from the floor, Kidner says ECan has conducted trials using bulldozers as an alternative, but found it was not cost-effective and the bulldozers were not able to access all areas.
Kidner says by clearing the ‘‘fairways’’ in rivers, council staff could then manage weeds through spot spraying to allow native species to thrive.
Birds had returned to nest in areas where ECan had successfully completed spraying programmes, he said.
Sometimes flooding could clean up the rivers, but it was difficult to predict when floods would occur.
ECan also sprayed river berms and stopbanks to stop weeds getting out of control.
But he says the council is facing a constant battle.
‘‘Unfortunately not everyone does biosecurity checks on their vehicles, so we could get the rivers looking pristine, but seeds can be spread by vehicles and by other means, so it is still going to be an ongoing problem.’’
Burton says the Waimakariri District Council conducted spraying for roadside maintenance, planting maintenance and around waterways, drainage and water races.
But ‘‘non-chemical methods’’ were preferred, especially for drains.
Property owners could apply to have their street frontage added to the ‘‘no spray register’’.
‘‘Landowners are actively encouraged to not use spray on the land near gutters, but unfortunately it is not something we can enforce.’’
Burton included a report prepared by the Canterbury Waterway Rehabilitation Experiment (CAREX), a University of Canterbury initiative, in her presentation.
The report considered the ecological consequences of using glyphosate to control aquatic weeds in lowland waterways near Rangiora.
It found the ‘‘species richness of invertebrates and fish are not affected by the use of glyphosate’’ in the water ways, but Burton acknowledges it is not a large enough sample size.
As glyphosate spraying has been used for a number of years, any species found in the sample waterways would have some resistance, meaning the study may need to be compared with waterways without a history of spraying before drawing any conclusions.
North Canterbury’s mayors are backing a call by Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) for more powers to be given to local leaders.
LGNZ says Cyclone Gabrielle has exposed the enormous challenges facing the regions and it wants a radical rethink of how public services are delivered.
Do you … View moreNorth Canterbury’s mayors are backing a call by Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) for more powers to be given to local leaders.
LGNZ says Cyclone Gabrielle has exposed the enormous challenges facing the regions and it wants a radical rethink of how public services are delivered.
Do you think our mayors need more powers? Read the full story from local democracy reporter David Hill below, and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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The Hurunui, Waimakariri and Kaikōura councils have made submissions to the draft future for local government report, which closed on February 28.
LGNZ president Stuart Crosby said councils were calling for a reboot of the relationship between central and local government.
He said New Zealand was one of the most centralised countries in the OECD, with 90% of taxation going to central government.
‘‘Cyclone Gabrielle has exposed many of the pressing issues that have been bubbling away over decades.’’
Hurunui mayor Marie Black said councils needed to be better resourced to allow local leaders to be more influential in a crisis.
‘‘There is nothing more comforting to local people than to see their local leaders and this action can work in tandem with regional/national support.
‘‘A local flavour should be the heart of the recovery plan with financial capital from central government and the ability to build back better through locally led actions.’’
Black said councils were well-placed to take a lead in tackling climate change and social issues, if the resourcing was there.
‘‘I see the need to resource councils to prepare for climate change and resourcing could come in a variety of ways, to fund the knowledge and consider options for adaptive planning.
‘‘Councils are well poised to be a stronger champions in the provision of social services, we understand the housing market but are often hampered by process to be influential to effect positive change.’’
The Hurunui District Council already funded health care services through Together Hurunui, while the Community Wellbeing North Canterbury Trust worked across both the Hurunui and Waimakariri districts, making use of local knowledge.
But these services relied on significant external funding to be effective.
Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon said local authorities had a strong connection to their communities.
‘‘We believe this contributes to better localised place-making outcomes, genuine opportunities for citizen-led participatory democracy, and the provision of services on the ground that reflect the needs and aspirations of communities.’’
He said there was an opportunity for councils to take on more responsibility, in partnership with central government, rather than the move to more centralisation.
‘‘The anticipated impacts of climate change is one example of this, but this could also be extended to consider housing and healthcare.’’
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By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
The Hurunui district’s complex three waters network does not fit into the government’s one size fits all Three Waters solution, mayor Marie Black says.
She said the district’s stormwater network and mixed-use rural water supplies were not … View moreBy David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
The Hurunui district’s complex three waters network does not fit into the government’s one size fits all Three Waters solution, mayor Marie Black says.
She said the district’s stormwater network and mixed-use rural water supplies were not compatible with the proposed model.
Black joined with Hurunui District Council chief executive Hamish Dobbie to present the council’s submission via Zoom to the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee last week.
Their submission questioned the definition of a stormwater network under the Water Services Legislation Bill.
They said Hurunui was a large rural district with about a dozen small townships with a stormwater network running continuously between urban and rural areas.
The council also managed a roading stormwater network, which was a key infrastructure component.
Under the proposed legislation, Black said the council would be left to administer ‘‘the most extensive and difficult parts of the stormwater’’, while the bulk of the stormwater assets, plant, personnel and consents would pass to the new water entity.
‘‘We are promoting a need for a comprehensive management system,’’ she said.
The rural water supplies were more complicated, as a rural property may be one-line or multiple tanks and sometimes serving several houses and stock.
Black said the government’s proposed requirement of an 85% threshold of agricultural use was too high and it could not be calculated accurately.
‘‘There is no real scientific basis for this threshold, and it does not appear to fit real world situations.’’
Other concerns included potential conflict between the water regulator Taumata Arowai and the Commerce Commission, both of which would control aspects of the water regulation.
‘‘This creates an opportunity for regulators to trip over each other,’’ Black said.
The Hurunui District Council was also a member of Communities 4 Local Democracy He hapori mō te Manapori (C4LD), which presented its submission on Monday.
‘‘I firmly believe that by retaining ownership of our three waters service assets and delivery, we can still remain affordable and locally responsive,’’ Black said.
Comment has been sought from the Department of Internal Affairs.
■ Public interest journalism funded through New Zealand on Air.
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