Posts by The Press
839 days ago

Poll: Should Christchurch have a permanent police helicopter?

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

Could a permanent police helicopter be in the pipeline for Christchurch?

As authorities in the city grapple with a wave of car thefts and reckless driving by youths, top brass haven’t ruled it out.

In the last 10 months, police in Christchurch have chartered commercial helicopters to help catch rampant young offenders on four occasions, most recently on Wednesday when a trio of youngsters in a stolen car left a trail of havoc from Heathcote to Belfast – ripping up a sports field, forcing a school into lockdown, and closing part of a highway.

They allow fleeing drivers to be tracked from the air, meaning officers don’t have to engage in risky pursuits, particularly when roads are busy during the daytime. It also spares their patrol cars from being damaged by youth offenders, who’ve shown a willingness to ram their way out of tricky situations.

Read the full story from reporter Blair Ensor here and share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Should Christchurch have a permanent police helicopter?
  • 91.8% Yes
    91.8% Complete
  • 7.4% No
    7.4% Complete
  • 0.9% Maybe/something else (tell us in the comments)
    0.9% Complete
570 votes
More messages from your neighbours
2 days ago

Scam Alert: Fake information regarding December Bonuses from MSD

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

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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4 hours ago

Book Cellar Christmas Opening hours

Gail from Cashmere

Merry Christmas from The Book Cellar!
The summer break is the perfect time to relax with a book or two (or three or four…). And, of course, books make excellent gifts. There is still time to come in and find the perfect read for you or someone else.
We are open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of this week as usual, then our Christmas hours are:
Monday 22nd December, 10am – 3pm
Wednesday 24th December, 10am – 12noon
Friday 26th December (Boxing Day), 10am – 1pm (last day for the year).

We will reopen with our usual hours on Thursday 8th January 2026

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24 days ago

Some Choice News!

Kia pai from Sharing the Good Stuff

Many New Zealand gardens aren’t seeing as many monarch butterflies fluttering around their swan plants and flower beds these days — the hungry Asian paper wasp has been taking its toll.

Thanks to people like Alan Baldick, who’s made it his mission to protect the monarch, his neighbours still get to enjoy these beautiful butterflies in their own backyards.

Thinking about planting something to invite more butterflies, bees, and birds into your garden?

Thanks for your mahi, Alan! We hope this brings a smile!

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