New tram tracks will have to be dug up and re-laid
Part of a multimillion-dollar extension to Christchurch’s tram route is to be ripped up and replaced, just a year after it was built.
The new $3.6 million, 500m loop was only open for six months before it was closed in January when a tram derailed on the Poplar St bend.
Trams have been barred from using the section of track since.
Transport operations manager Stephen Wright said the council had investigated the cause of the derailment and determined it was a result of several factors, including areas where the track levels were “slightly out of tolerance”.
The tracks would be re-laid and upgraded, he said.
The council would not say how much this would cost or how much of the track had to be re-laid, claiming it was commercially sensitive information.
Read the full story from reporter Tina Law here (subscription required - first two articles a month free).
Time to Tickle Your Thinker 🧠
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?
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Poll: As a customer, what do you think about automation?
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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9.5% For. Self-service is less frustrating and convenient.
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43.4% I want to be able to choose.
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47.1% Against. I want to deal with people.
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
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