Poll: Should all Auckland shops be allowed to trade on Easter Sunday?
Restrictions on trading over Easter have frustrated Auckland retailers desperate for business in the wake of four Covid-19 lockdowns.
Only shops selling certain goods can legally trade on Easter Sunday, and those breaching conditions can be fined up to $1000.
But Auckland Mayor Phil Goff says critics have left it too late, as the process to change trading rules can take over a year.
Local government has had the power to rule on whether retailers can open on Easter Sunday since the National government passed the responsibility down in 2016.
Prior to this, only shops that sell necessities, such as dairies, service stations, and pharmacies, were given exemptions to trade.
Thirty-nine of the country’s 67 councils have created bylaws to date allowing retailers to open if they want, but Auckland, Wellington, and other major centres remain opposed.
Newmarket Business Association chief executive Mark Thomas said the restrictions are “ridiculous and out of date”.
“There are so many discrepancies in the law it seems a bit ludicrous,” he said.
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58.3% Yes
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38.9% No
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2.8% Unsure- it's too complex
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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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84.6% Yes
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13.9% No
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1.5% 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.