WAG - Flood Protection Rate Hike Victory
on behalf of WAG,
You just saved yourselves hundreds, probably thousands of dollars and helped other Wairarapa people, businesses and farms survive and get by. It's a result and proves it's worth getting up and having a go.
We have now received the news from enough different sources to be able to advise that GWRC have scrapped the proposed 70/30 plus plus rates hike for flood protection from the Long Term Plan until at least the next three year review point. The news has been trickling in since Friday but we just wanted to be as sure as we could before popping any champagne corks ;-)
As far as we can tell without seeing the detail in writing, this is almost exactly what we proposed as a way forward at the submissions hearing on Tuesday.
To you all and especially those who made submissions and those who spoke to their submissions at the hearing, give yourself a big pat on the back. Our district councils (Viv was awesome), Our GWRC Councillor Adrienne Staples was awesome too, Sustainable Wairarapa, Wai Voice and others also stood up and were counted. Together we have proven once again, that when we get organised and make ourselves heard, we can make good things happen.
Three years is a heck of a long time in politics and it gives us a chance to understand the costs of some of the Wairarapa flood protection schemes and be well prepared for the next GWRC LTP round and to understand the full gamut of what gets rated at what in GWR and who benefits ;-)
Now lets get this Waiohine FMP finished.
🧩😏 Riddle me this, Neighbours…
I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?
Do you think you know the answer?
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Poll: Are you still heading to your local for your caffeine fix, or has the $$ changed your habits? ☕
Wellington’s identity is built on its cafe culture, but with costs climbing, that culture is under pressure. We’ve seen the headlines about recent closures, and it’s a tough pill to swallow along with a $6+ coffee.
We all want our favourite spots to stay open, but we also have to balance our own budgets ⚖️
We want to know: How are you handling the "coffee math" in 2026? Are you still heading to your local for a chat and a caffeine fix, or has the cost of living changed your habits?
Keen to read more about "coffee math"? The Post has you covered.
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41.8% I avoid spending money on coffee
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45.5% I still indulge at my local cafe
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12.7% Irrelevant - coffee is not for me
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!
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