Reduced speed limits on roads- exercise in futility
The recent proposal to reduce speed limits on roads to increase safety will predictably be an exercise in futility, unless it is backed up by enforcement. Anyone who wants proof only has to drive the Northwestern causeway to town at 5.45am. The illuminated signs say 80, but almost everything is tearing along at 100. Yesterday I witnessed one driver travelling at 80, being overtaken and given the finger by another driver. And on one occasion a cop car buzzing along seemingly the pacesetter for the rest of the traffic- I was doing about 85 and he was going faster than that. Drivers are used to doing 100 in the past, and any reduction is simply seen as an imposition. Unless there is enforcement, and unless the enforcers also obey the rules, changing the signs and limits is a waste of time.
Far more effective is the installation of raised pedestrian crossings such as the one on Edmonton Road- when I went through yesterday everyone was slowing down to about 20 to go over it, as anything much over that speed would be practically damaging. Maybe there is the answer- road humps every 100m. Yes I am being sarcastic, but at least that would work.
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
Poll: 🤖 What skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
The Reserve Bank has shared some pretty blunt advice: there’s no such thing as a “safe” job anymore 🛟😑
Robots are stepping into repetitive roles in factories, plants and warehouses. AI is taking care of the admin tasks that once filled many mid-level office jobs.
We want to know: As the world evolves, what skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
Want to read more? The Press has you covered!
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52.7% Human-centred experience and communication
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14.7% Critical thinking
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29.8% Resilience and adaptability
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2.7% Other - I will share below!
Share your favourite main crop potato recipe and win a copy of our mag!
Love potatoes? We will give away free copies of the May 2026 issue to readers whose potato recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way to enjoy potatoes: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by March 1, 2026.
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