Holiday Sales Shopping Tips!
Merry Christmas! The holiday rush is on, and we know it can be overwhelming. With gifts to buy, meals to plan, and stockings to stuff, preparation is key to making the most out of your budget.
Don't let the rising costs of living dampen your holiday spirit. While sales can be enticing, not all that glitters is gold. Stay informed with our tips for a savvy and stress-free shopping experience!
Head to PriceMe to browse and find the best deals this holiday season and on Boxing Day.
And the 2024 Prospa Local Business Hero is...
A huge congratulations to mother and son duo, Mary and Sam Danielson from The Puketapu Hotel.
The votes for all finalists have been tallied and they have been chosen by Neighbourly members across the country as the Prospa Local Business Hero of 2024.
The Puketapu Hotel was nominated by a local called Margaret and the nomination reads:
'On Feb 14, 2023, Cyclone Gabrielle flooded many of the rural areas. Puketapu Hotel went under perhaps half a meter of water. However, immediately Mary Danielson and her son, Sam Danielson, along with their loyal staff pulled it together to cook copious amounts of food that without electricity would have been wasted. Throughout the years many of us have been treated with a pub gathering where we can reconnect and a free meal. At Christmas there was Santa, games, gifts for kids, donated patchwork for adults, an ice cream truck and lots of camaraderie.
This February on the cyclone anniversary, they again pulled out the stops to give hundreds of us a special night. We are all tired of the cyclone cleanup and they understood that it was needed.'
Such a deserving business and team, well done Mary and Sam. And thank you to all those who voted!
Poll: What is the smallest size hearing device Triton Hearing offer?
Some kiwis think hearing devices are big and ugly.
What if we told you technology has advanced substantially and they’re available in all shapes, colours, and sizes?
Go in the draw to win* a $40 MTA voucher when you share your answer to the
question below. Give it a go!
*T&C’s apply – must be over 18.
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88.3% a) The size of a pea
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4.6% b) The size of a AAA battery
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7.2% c) The size of a $2 coin
Ashburton square upgrade avoids double digging
By local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
A “do it once” mentality meant extra work went into the recent $2.45 million Baring Square East upgrade in Ashburton, Canterbury.
During the redevelopment of the square in front of Te Whare Whakatere, the new library and civic centre, the Ashburton District Council also completed additional work.
This included rubbish bin upgrades and new bike racks, which infrastructure and open spaces general manager Neil McCann said were “absorbed by existing budgets”.
The extras required some upfront expenditure from existing renewal or maintenance budgets but it had the benefit of “not having to come back and dig things up twice”, he said.
The extra projects included a $187,985 additional footpath, kerb and channel along East and Cameron streets, which was not part of the original upgrade plans.
As the footpaths were on the list to be upgraded in the future they were not included in the square upgrade, McCann said.
"Once work started on the project, it was evident that in removing the old concrete nib wall there would have been significant damage along the edge of the footpath that would have required repair by patching new asphalt alongside the old footpath.
“The decision was made to bring forward the footpath work from future years to blend in with the new project and avoid having to dig up repair work recently undertaken."
The work was funded from the subsidised roading and drainage budget, he said.
The only additional cost to the original scope of the $2.45m Baring Square upgrade was the $75,000 needed for the removal of coal tar from the new road in front of Te Whare Whakatere.
The coal tar removal was included in the 2023-24 unsubsidised roading project budget approved by the council in September 2023.
The reloctaion of the Boer War Memorial, which had stood in Baring Square East since 1903, across to Baring Square West was also part of the project but was funded by a $150,000 grant received by the council as part of the Three Waters Better Off funding package.
The final cost for the construction of Te Whare Whakatere remains unconfirmed.
It was initially budgeted at $56.7m when construction began in 2021 but before its completion the council signalled a forecast budget overrun in the region of 10%.
Council chief executive Hamish Riach has previously stated the final cost would be known after the “resolution of all matter between the council and construction and design contractors”.
The project also received $20m from the government’s shovel-ready infrastructure fund.
An official opening date is yet to be announced.
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