3158 days ago

A day with the dead: Life in the mortuary

Reporter Sunday Star Times

A beautiful insight into how the morticians at Waikato Hospital look after our loved ones:

In the visiting room, Garth Wright will lay a colourful blanket over the sterile hospital sheet that covers a corpse. It sounds silly, he says, but it makes the person look warm and comfortable.

Before family arrive at the Waikato Hospital mortuary, he smooths any pain out of the face.

He leaves the curtains drawn and the door to the visiting room open to reduce the shock for the visitors. He welcomes them into the square little room and beckons them to sit next to the body. He says, "You can touch them, they're clean," and watches as they hold hands for the last time.

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More messages from your neighbours
5 days ago

Starting gun sounds for housing on Te Rapa Racecourse land with re-zoning

Libby Totton Reporter from Waikato Times

Hamilton City councillors have signed off on a plan change that could see Te Rapa Racecourse swap stables for townhouses.

The deputy mayor says this paves the way for “basically creating a new suburb within the city”.

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1 hour ago

Wild weather in the Waikato

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

The Waikato really copped it over the weekend, with wild weather leaving a hefty clean-up bill that may run into the millions.

While things are looking calmer in the days ahead, there are still plenty of slips and flooded roads across the district — so if you’re heading out, take it easy and stay alert.

We want to know: How did you and your whānau get on over the weekend?

Want to see what recovery will look like from here? The Waikato Times has the latest.

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5 days ago

Poll: Should the government levy industries that contribute to financial hardship?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

As reported in the Post, there’s a $30 million funding gap in financial mentoring. This has led to services closing and mentors stepping in unpaid just to keep helping people in need 🪙💰🪙

One proposed solution? Small levies on industries that profit from financial hardship — like banks, casinos, and similar companies.

So we want to hear what you think:
Should the government ask these industries to contribute?

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Should the government levy industries that contribute to financial hardship?
  • 59.5% Yes, supporting people is important!
    59.5% Complete
  • 26% No, individuals should take responsibility
    26% Complete
  • 14.5% ... It is complicated
    14.5% Complete
972 votes