1712 days ago

Christchurch council votes 11-6 to implement excess water use charge

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

Christchurch residents will be charged for excess water use from July, though no fines will be issued for the first year as people get used to the scheme.

The charge was one of many points discussed by the Christchurch City Council on Monday as it ratified and voted on final amendments to the city's 10-year budget, known formally as the long-term plan.

The council also decided not to decommission Wharenui Pool (though funding past 2022 remains unclear), and voted to give the Arts Centre a $5.5 million grant, keep the Riccarton bus lounge open, and retain the mobile library for now.

Although the council intended to start the excess water use charge next month, Cr Sara Templeton said no fines would be dished out the first year, to allow people to get used to the change.

Read more, including who will be affected by the new charge, here.

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More messages from your neighbours
2 days ago

🧩😏 Riddle me this, Neighbours…

The Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?

Do you think you know the answer?

Want to stop seeing these in your newsfeed? No worries! Simply head here and click once on the Following button.

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2 hours ago

Scam Alert: Bank cold calls

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

ASB is warning customers about reports of cold calls from scammers claiming to be from ASB. These scammers are trying to obtain personal information, including usernames, dates of birth, and verification codes sent to your mobile phone.

🛡️ The "Caller Check" Test
If you get a call from someone claiming to be from ASB and you’re unsure, just ask them for a Caller Check. You will then be able to verify the call through the app.

Remember, banks will:​​
❌ Never ask for your banking passwords, PINs, or verification codes​​
❌ Never need to know your full credit card number – especially the CVC
❌ Never ask you to download software or remotely access your device​​
❌ Never ask you to purchase gift cards or transfer funds.

If you have received a phone call and think your account has been compromised, call ASB on 0800 ASB FRAUD (0800 272 372), or visit your local branch.

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3 days ago

Some Choice News!

Kia pai from Sharing the Good Stuff

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!

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