865 days ago

Fee to resit driver's licence tests to be scrapped beginning 1 October

Brian from Mount Roskill

In a move that's sure to bring relief to countless New Zealanders, the fee for resitting driver's licence tests is set to be abolished from 1 October 2023. The decision, which aims to ease the financial burden on learners and drivers, also brings about changes in the initial booking fees.

As of the 1 October, individuals seeking to obtain or upgrade their driver's licences will only need to pay an application fee. The era of shelling out extra fees for changing, rebooking, or cancelling tests will be a thing of the past, as these services will be offered free of charge.
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Here's a breakdown of the changes in the application fees:
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Car (Class 1):
Learner: $96.10 (previously $93.90)
Restricted: $167.50 (previously $134.80)
Full: $98.90 (previously $109.50)
Heavy Vehicles (Class 2-5):
Class 2, 3, or 5 Learner: $77.50
Class 4 Learner: $27.10
Class 2, 3, 4, or 5 Full: $39.80
Motorcycle (Class 6):
Learner: $90.60
Restricted: $54.20
Full: $47.40
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One significant aspect of this change is the introduction of a one-off application fee. Previously, learners and drivers faced additional test fees if they missed their test time or if their test was failed or terminated. However, starting 1 October, this won't be the case. The application fee will be the only cost incurred.
Moreover, the fees will remain consistent, even for those who complete an approved course. There will be no extra test fees, making the process more straightforward and financially accessible for all.
It's worth noting that this move is expected to provide financial relief to motorists across the country, particularly those who may have struggled with the additional costs associated with resitting tests or undergoing training courses.
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www.drivencarguide.co.nz...
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More messages from your neighbours
22 days ago

Poll: As a customer, what do you think about automation?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

The Press investigates the growing reliance on your unpaid labour.

Automation (or the “unpaid shift”) is often described as efficient ... but it tends to benefit employers more than consumers.

We want to know: What do you think about automation?
Are you for, or against?

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As a customer, what do you think about automation?
  • 9.4% For. Self-service is less frustrating and convenient.
    9.4% Complete
  • 43.6% I want to be able to choose.
    43.6% Complete
  • 47.1% Against. I want to deal with people.
    47.1% Complete
2495 votes
21 days ago

Time to Tickle Your Thinker 🧠

The Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

If a zookeeper had 100 pairs of animals in her zoo, and two pairs of babies are born for each one of the original animals, then (sadly) 23 animals don’t survive, how many animals do you have left in total?

Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm on the day!

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6 days ago

Even Australians get it - so why not Kiwis???

Markus from Green Bay

“Ten years ago, if a heatwave as intense as last week’s record-breaker had hit the east coast, Australia’s power supply may well have buckled. But this time, the system largely operated as we needed, despite some outages.

On Australia’s main grid last quarter, renewables and energy storage contributed more than 50% of supplied electricity for the first time, while wholesale power prices were more than 40% lower than a year earlier.

[…] shifting demand from gas and coal for power and petrol for cars is likely to deliver significantly lower energy bills for households.

Last quarter, wind generation was up almost 30%, grid solar 15% and grid-scale batteries almost tripled their output. Gas generation fell 27% to its lowest level for a quarter century, while coal fell 4.6% to its lowest quarterly level ever.

Gas has long been the most expensive way to produce power. Gas peaking plants tend to fire up only when supply struggles to meet demand and power prices soar. Less demand for gas has flowed through to lower wholesale prices.”

Full article: www.theguardian.com...


If even Australians see the benefit of solar - then why is NZ actively boycotting solar uptake? The increased line rental for electricity was done to make solar less competitive and prevent cost per kWh to rise even more than it did - and electricity costs are expected to rise even more. Especially as National favours gas - which is the most expensive form of generating electricity. Which in turn will accelerate Climate Change, as if New Zealand didn’t have enough problems with droughts, floods, slips, etc. already.