Mission Bay water fountain to be switched back on
Mission Bay’s Memorial Fountain will be switched back on this weekend after 19 months as water restrictions in Auckland are lifted.
But Auckland Council is reminding people not to splash about in the fountain, which is a memorial for the nephew of late Auckland mayor Sir Ernest Davis.
“We are very fortunate to have this stunning memorial located on our waterfront,” Ōrākei Local Board chair Scott Milne said.
“That we are now able to turn it on again is great news, and something we are sure many will be pleased to learn because the fountain really is an attraction that visitors from all over the city come to see.”
The fountain was built in 1947 as a memorial to Trevor Moss Davis, the nephew of late Auckland mayor Sir Ernest Davis.
Ōrākei Local Board chair Scott Milne said visitors need to be considerate when heading to Selwyn Reserve.
“It I s also a good opportunity to remind people that we need to be mindful and respectful of the fact that it is a memorial, and not a splash pad or paddling pool,” he said.
The fountain was turned off in February 2020 as Auckland entered a drought.
It was turned on briefly in March for the America’s Cup finals, but has mostly been empty for the past 19 months.
Christmas Eve busiest shopping day of the year with more than 500,000 sales
Busiest shopping day of the year
Peak time 12 noon-1 pm - 563,303 transactions
Per second peak - 167 transactions
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Number of sales beats Black Friday, but lowest Christmas Eve in six years
Christmas Eve has been the busiest shopping day of the year with 9,745 sales a minute at its peak.
Payments company Worldline says noon to 1pm saw 563,303 sales recorded on its network, down by about 7 percent on a year ago.
The company's network covers about three-quarters of the electronic terminals in operation.
Worldline did not have a dollar value for spending, but the peak number of transactions was the lowest for the past six years and well shy of the record 679,436 in 2019, before the pandemic.
Earlier this month it noted rising sales in the first three weeks of the month, but they remained 1.3 percent lower than 2024, with most parts of the country trailing the previous year's spending.
Official data from Stats NZ to the end of November showed a small rise in spending on the previous month, to 1.6 percent higher for the year.
Retail spending has been subdued as households have remained cautious because of high prices and a slow benefit from lower interest rates, and as well as concerns about the soft labour market.
However, recent surveys have shown improving consumer sentiment with ANZ bank's monthly report showing confidence at its highest level in four years.
Boxing Day is traditionally the country's favourite shopping day, but with Black Friday spending also softer this year the amount going through retailers' terminals may also be down on a year ago.
Adding a dampener to consumer spending may be the recent rises in longer term fixed mortgage rates because of higher wholesale rates.
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Poll: Is it ok to regift something that you have been given?
🎁 Holiday Gift Chat!
Do you ever regift?
What’s your take on asking for a receipt if a gift doesn’t fit?
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79.1% Yes! It's better to regift what I don't need
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20.9% No. It's the thought and effort that matters
Scam Alert: Fake information regarding December Bonuses from MSD
The Ministry of Social Development is reporting that fake information is circulating about new ‘December bonuses’ or ‘benefit increases’
If you get suspicious communication, please contact Netsafe.
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