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.
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Worst Xmas ever?
There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.
Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...
Share your Christmas mishaps below!