Christchurch council votes 11-6 to implement excess water use charge
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.
Some Choice News!
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!
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.
Share your favourite main crop potato recipe and win a copy of our mag!
Love potatoes? We will give away free copies of the May 2026 issue to readers whose potato recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way to enjoy potatoes: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by March 1, 2026.
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