Three Waters - Will they take the Waitakere Ranges?
I saw that back on June 8th 2022 an article by Sandra Coney said that she could not get a clear reply from Council or DIA about whether Three Waters was going to take control of the Waitakere Ranges. This morning (Dec. 13th) there is another article stating that they are taking control of approximately 50% of Christchurch's Red Zone area. Is this a 'warning bell' about them taking the Waitakere Ranges away from the direct ownership and control of Aucklanders (and associated partners/stakeholders)? And if so, what are we going to do to stop it?
To quote the end of Sandra Coney's article "The Government needs to know that taking away Aucklanders' direct and sole ownership of this birthright and consigning it to co-governance with other distant councils, will be fought to the last ridge, the last ocean beach, the last magnificent tree-clad valley." OR are they going to 'pull' another 'stunt' (like the 60% entrenchment threshold clause) like they did a few weeks ago - but do so right on Xmas or early New Year when we are 'not paying attention'?
Poll: Is the increase in disability parking fines fair?
In October, the fine for parking in a designated mobility car park without a permit has jumped from $150 to $750—a 400% increase!
The goal is to keep these spaces open for those who truly need them. Do you think this big increase in the fine is fair? Share your thoughts below.
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89.4% Yes, it's fair
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10% No, it's unreasonable
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0.7% Other - I'll share below
Smoke in Mt Wellington
Smoke has been seen coming from the crater of the Auckland maunga Mt Wellington.
Images of the smoke began appearing on social media on Friday afternoon.
Around 1.45pm, Fire and Emergency (Fenz) shift manager Josh Pennefather told the NZ Herald a crew was fighting a fire of about 60 square metres in size.
”It’s spreading up hill … [but] there’s no property at risk at this stage,” Pennefather said.
Six fire trucks were in attendance working to contain a grass fire that's spreading up the maunga.
A helicopter was on its way to assist firefighting efforts, he added.
At 2pm, Pennefather shared that the fire was contained and they were working to extinguish it, including “keeping an eye on a whole bunch of hot spots“.
Just dough it
With three basic ingredients and a bit of creativity, you can give old containers new life with Resene testpots.
Find out how to create your own with these easy step by step instructions.