2654 days ago

Draft Heritage Strategy -SRA Submission

Julie Tobbell from Somerfield Residents Association

Somerfield Residents Association felt it important to submit to this consultation process & advocate especially for our local Sydenham Cemetery (& other local cemeteries) as it requires more respect & funding to improve many of the headstones & location board which is currently looking poorly.
I will be speaking tomorrow (Wednesday 21st November @ 2pm) at the CCC, Civic Offices - if anyone is interested in attending or would like to follow our progress.
There have been concerns addressed to the SRA re: headstones which were laid down post CHCH EQs by Council staff (due to safety concerns) & due to various reasons they have not been reinstated / restored. These head stones are privately owned & would cost too much money for the CCC to restore - therefore SRA is requesting that there may be a public grant offered for any families who may feel more encouraged to restore their loved ones headstones if given an opportunity /easier process to achieve this.
SRA would also like to continue to advocate for a New Location board & also create any New relevant 'story boards' with some heritage interest about Sydenham Cemetery or history of loved ones buried here.
Sydenham Cemetery has many Common Wealth Burial sites following World War I & II & better respect for this area would be well received by all of our community & family members who often visit.
If you would like to add any comments for this oral submission - please let me know & I will try to incorporate your concerns / ideas.

Warm regards
Julie Tobbell.
SRA Chairperson.
somerfieldra@gmail.com
Cell 027 272 1063

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Some Choice News!

Kia pai from Sharing the Good Stuff

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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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7 hours ago

Cleaner required.

Paul from Opawa - Saint Martins

Cleaner required for Central City restaurant. 5 days a week , Wednesday to Sunday . Usually takes around 3 hours. I’m flexible on time . 9-12, 10-1. Whatever suits!
28 dollars per hour… experience would be great but not essential. Ideally the candidate needs to be physically fit, as it’s a fairly big venue. Anyone interested please email me
paul@twentysevensteps.co.nz

20 days ago

Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!

Mei Leng Wong Reporter from NZ Gardener & Get Growing

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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