624 days ago

Neighbourly Q&A: The Councillor LIVE

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

We are continuing our Q&A sessions on Neighbourly with the wonderful, Sam McDonald - a second-term Christchurch city councillor representing the Waimairi Ward. We invite you to share a question for him!

A little bit about Sam:
A chartered accountant by profession, Sam has experience in both the public and private sectors. He currently serves as a director of Civic Building Limited (a Ngai Tahu property Joint Venture) and is an Independent Trustee of Development West Coast. Sam is a Chartered Director of the Institute of Directors and has experience in Audit and Risk, Health and Safety and Infrastructure projects.

Sam shares that within Council he is focused on 'financial oversight, particularly of the capital programme and the day-to-day operational expenditure, and how this provides impact investment into Christchurch communities.'

Leave a comment below and Councillor Sam McDonald will answer your questions on all things council, whether it's the budget, rate rises or even about the new stadium.

↓ Share your question now! ↓

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More messages from your neighbours
16 hours ago

Poll: Are Kiwis allergic to “exuberance”? 🥝

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

In The Post’s opinion piece on the developments set to open across Aotearoa in 2026, John Coop suggests that, as a nation, we’re “allergic to exuberance.”

We want to know: Are we really allergic to showing our excitement?

Is it time to lean into a more optimistic view of the place we call home? As big projects take shape and new opportunities emerge, perhaps it’s worth asking whether a little more confidence (and enthusiasm!) could do us some good.

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Are Kiwis allergic to “exuberance”? 🥝
  • 41.2% Yes
    41.2% Complete
  • 32.8% Maybe?
    32.8% Complete
  • 26% No
    26% Complete
335 votes
8 days ago

2025 has been massive. The Luxon-led Government's attacks on workers, on Te Tiriti, on pay equity, on educators, on health workers, and on the public service, have been relentless.

Leslie from Avonside - Dallington

But despite everything thrown at working people, we've also seen some massive wins. We've fought back together with strike action. We've unified with days of action. We have focused on what matters. Make no mistake, 2026 will be wild, and we are ready for it! Source - New Zealand Council of Trade Unions

6 days ago

Brain Teaser of the Day 🧠✨ Can You Solve It? 🤔💬

The Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

How many balls of string does it take to reach the moon?

(Peter from Carterton kindly provided this head-scratcher ... thanks, Peter!)

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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