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Unlock the potential of your unused space, whether it's a shed, garage or paddock and start making it work for you. Kiwis from all over New Zealand are looking to rent affordable space for storage, a workshop or an event. Let us help you find the perfect renter for your space.
Dear neighbours, looking ahead to summer (we can't wait!) and the glut of crops, we're looking for recipes for either plum or cucumber dishes, to feature in the magazine. Send your best ones to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz by December 3, 2023. Every published recipe wins a copy of the … View moreDear neighbours, looking ahead to summer (we can't wait!) and the glut of crops, we're looking for recipes for either plum or cucumber dishes, to feature in the magazine. Send your best ones to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz by December 3, 2023. Every published recipe wins a copy of the December issue of NZ Gardener.
Christmas is on its way and for those of us with family across the country this means posting gifts from afar. Unfortunately, with the rise of mail theft in our communities, this can be risky business. Have you had a parcel stolen in your neighbourhood? Vote in our poll and share below whether this… View moreChristmas is on its way and for those of us with family across the country this means posting gifts from afar. Unfortunately, with the rise of mail theft in our communities, this can be risky business. Have you had a parcel stolen in your neighbourhood? Vote in our poll and share below whether this influences how you're gifting nowadays.
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Hold on a sec, mind-blowing deals are on the way! But before you rush in, take a moment to read our latest article for shopping tips that'll help you save hundreds of dollars this Black Friday.
Also, don't miss our Black Friday deals on broadband and power plans, plus PriceMe to … View moreHold on a sec, mind-blowing deals are on the way! But before you rush in, take a moment to read our latest article for shopping tips that'll help you save hundreds of dollars this Black Friday.
Also, don't miss our Black Friday deals on broadband and power plans, plus PriceMe to compare retailers like The Warehouse, Noel Leeming, Farmers, and more!
Let's make this Black Friday the best one yet!
Hi neighbours, tourism operators are frustrated at Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency’s decision to close the Arthur’s Pass route for much of the day for two weeks.
State Highway 73, linking the West Coast and Canterbury, will close on weekdays for resurfacing between Otira and Arthur’s Pass … View moreHi neighbours, tourism operators are frustrated at Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency’s decision to close the Arthur’s Pass route for much of the day for two weeks.
State Highway 73, linking the West Coast and Canterbury, will close on weekdays for resurfacing between Otira and Arthur’s Pass from 10am to 6pm between December 4 and December 15.
Arthur’s Pass cafe and store owner Sean Moran said the closure would severely affect his business.
But Waka Kotahi Canterbury/West Coast system manager Mark Pinner said the fortnight before the Christmas holidays "has the least impact overall, compared to later options".
Read the full story by reporter Joanne Naish here.
Photo: SH73 Peg Leg Creek resurfacing, also in the Otira Gorge closer to the top of the pass, completed in 2021.
This little momma and her babies here to ask you a question... can you give him some love? Literally! ❤️ With the number of animals needing SPCA’s help on the rise, and the number of foster homes due to go down in the upcoming holiday season, we need foster homes now more than ever.
Over … View moreThis little momma and her babies here to ask you a question... can you give him some love? Literally! ❤️ With the number of animals needing SPCA’s help on the rise, and the number of foster homes due to go down in the upcoming holiday season, we need foster homes now more than ever.
Over the next six months, around 10,000 cats and kittens will require temporary care to heal, learn and grow. Not only felines, but dogs, small animals and farm animals can all need foster care, and we’re desperately seeking new foster homes around the country.
No matter your circumstances, we are keen to hear from you. Whether you have kids, pets, work full time or can only commit for a couple of weeks, you can make a HUGE difference in the little life of an animal in need ?
We cover training and all costs. All you need to provide is your time and love ? Keen to know more?
Get involved today and get started on the most rewarding journey.
By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The West Coast Regional Council is now faced with "a massive task" of resending about 16,000 rates invoices as it cleans up its earlier mistake.
It follows the shock of ratepayers opening their bills early in October to find increases of … View moreBy local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The West Coast Regional Council is now faced with "a massive task" of resending about 16,000 rates invoices as it cleans up its earlier mistake.
It follows the shock of ratepayers opening their bills early in October to find increases of anywhere up to 100%, after council passed a general rates rise of 16.4% in June.
It later emerged the wrong capital value factor was used to assess rates demands in more than half of the bills sent out in early October.
It mainly affected ratepayers who are within special rating districts for flood protection assets, such as the Greymouth Floodwall.
Chief executive Darryl Lew told the council's Risk and Assurance Committee on Monday that "a complete diagnosis" had been done across all the original invoices.
"We now understand what went wrong and what we need to do to put it right," Lew said.
He said steps were being taken to avoid a repeat of the mess.
"It is critical now ... that we develop an internal control framework around rates generation into the future. One doesn't exist at the moment."
Lew said the council proposed undertaking "quite a complex" mail merge exercise in fresh generation of between 10,000 and 16,000 new rates demands.
At the same time he had implemented "a control procedure and a checking procedure" to ensure everything was right as the new invoices were generated then mailed.
"That is not a trivial task."
Sending new corrected rates demands out could take a couple of weeks, but it would be clearer by the end of Monday, he said.
Lew said council staff were meeting its auditor PricewaterhouseCooper and the contractor who maintained council's rating system this afternoon to work through the practicalities.
He said the computer based rates system used by council was currently used by about other 30 local authorities.
Lew said he was commissioning a new internal control framework for the rates system given it did not have one currently.
Risk and Assurance Committee chairperson Frank Dooley said he appreciated what the new chief executive and his team had done to rectify what had been an "embarrassment".
PricewaterhouseCooper confirmed the original glitch related to the rates generated for the ratepayers in council's special rating districts. It amounted to 16,087 invoices, and would take time to correct.
"There is a large credit that has to be processed," Dooley said.
He suggested that everyone should still pay their rates other than that charged specifically to their special rating district.
"That's the only error here, the rates for the special rating district."
Dooley said there was "one error that wasn't picked up" in going back to the original decision on June 27 to strike the general rates increase, but it had a huge impact.
"There will be a massive process to correct over 16,000 credits."
Dooley said was recommending that if people were unhappy with their 2023-24 rates demand, then they could just pay based on their 2022-23 demand.
It was vital people still paid their rates by November 30 to avoid "a cascading effect" on council's cash flow.
The council previously extended the deadline from October 20.
Dooley said as long as people paid something by November 30, council would exercise "total discretion" around penalties.
Lew repeated there was "a massive amount of work" to do in the meantime.
For many people, the thought of downsizing and moving to a new house can be pretty daunting, especially if you’ve lived in the family home for the last 20 to 30 years. But if you take the plunge, it can open the door for you to truly expand your life.
There are two things to consider when … View moreFor many people, the thought of downsizing and moving to a new house can be pretty daunting, especially if you’ve lived in the family home for the last 20 to 30 years. But if you take the plunge, it can open the door for you to truly expand your life.
There are two things to consider when you’ve decided to sell up – how to present your home so it’s appealing to buyers and packing up your home for the physical move.
Before you jump into renovations to make the place look shiny and new, think carefully about the value they will add to the house and whether you’ll recover that cost in the sale price. Renovations can be costly, stressful and time-consuming, so they’re only worth making if they’ll add significant value to your house sale.
Click to read more.
For as little as $61, unwrap thought-provoking articles, entertainment and adventure every Sunday!
Purchase a subscription to Sunday Star-Times via mags4gifts.co.nz before December 25 and receive a free Linden Leaves diffuser worth $40.
For more information visit mags4gifts.co.nz/sstchristmas… View moreFor as little as $61, unwrap thought-provoking articles, entertainment and adventure every Sunday!
Purchase a subscription to Sunday Star-Times via mags4gifts.co.nz before December 25 and receive a free Linden Leaves diffuser worth $40.
For more information visit mags4gifts.co.nz/sstchristmas
Happy Shopping!
The team at Sunday Star-Times
Choose retreat or residence as the winner of this brand-new, fully furnished home in beautiful Whitianga.
For only $15 a ticket, you could be in to win this Jennian home in the Coromandel worth over $1 million. Featuring three bedrooms, two bathrooms, two outdoor decks and an open-plan kitchen,… View moreChoose retreat or residence as the winner of this brand-new, fully furnished home in beautiful Whitianga.
For only $15 a ticket, you could be in to win this Jennian home in the Coromandel worth over $1 million. Featuring three bedrooms, two bathrooms, two outdoor decks and an open-plan kitchen, living and dining area, this home is waiting to be lived in and loved by its new owners.
Make this property your permanent residence, a holiday home, rent it or even sell it – it could be all yours! Be in to win by purchasing your tickets today.
Give your bedroom a fresh look with this creative bedhead project and Resene paints.
Find out how to create your own with these easy step by step instructions.
How much do you know about the heart? Try our Heart Myths and Facts Quiz. Some of the answers might shock you!
Take the quiz here: www.heartfoundation.org.nz...
By local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Visitor numbers are back to 80% of pre-Covid levels on the West Coast, but a tourism operator says challenges remain.
Scenic Hotel Group operations manager Karl Luxon told the Te Tai o Poutini Plan panel the West Coast visitor economy had bounced … View moreBy local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Visitor numbers are back to 80% of pre-Covid levels on the West Coast, but a tourism operator says challenges remain.
Scenic Hotel Group operations manager Karl Luxon told the Te Tai o Poutini Plan panel the West Coast visitor economy had bounced back to 80% of pre-pandemic numbers.
However, reduced international flights into the country restricted the tourist numbers.
Luxon also detailed the impact of the Airbnb sector and the challenge of attracting hotel staff and housing them in remote settlements like Punakaiki and Franz Josef Glacier.
The bottleneck in getting international tourists back had also coincided with a prominent "anti-flying" lobby focused on the carbon emissions of international tourism, he said.
Scenic was involved in lobbying to get airlines to return, but Luxon said airfares prices "are too high".
A return to the pre-Covid tourist numbers - upwards of 3 million people - was unlikely, he said.
However, the country remained "high on the radar" of overseas travellers, even if visitor volumes were "quite small" in the global context.
Scenic was now taking a longer view of having fewer tourists but higher value offerings for visitors to the region, he said.
The West Coast visitor market remained very seasonal, Luxon said.
Scenic's Punakaiki site had an annual occupancy rate barely over 60%, but it was marked by huge seasonal variation from 100% in summer to about 10% in winter.
Effort were being made to "flatten out" the visitor economy in the South Island.
This included leveraging off the new Christchurch Convention Centre, where visitors would say, "I have come this far" and decide to take a trip west.
"The reason we're interested in that sort of business is that it is year round."
Commissioner Paul Rogers asked what Scenic foresaw in the long term for tourism to return to pre-pandemic levels.
Luxon said it would take another two years dependent on the Asian market and China.
The West Coast tourism sector, including food servicing, was still contracting in some areas, Luxon said.
This was due to "a massive amount of debt" caused by disruptions in the past few years.
While the sector was now "catching up" some businesses in the region were beginning to fall over, he said.
"Covid for tourism has a very long tail."
Scenic had seen many changes in the 43 years it had been in the region, Luxon said.
The traditional service of only providing beds was moving to an all-encompassing experience, keeping visitors longer than one night.
But, even with this change, the West Coast remained reliant on international visitors visiting for just a few days, he said.
"We're really positive about the West Coast. We wish to expand. We made the submission on the basis of maintaining the current activities while growing new activities as well."
In this respect the new TTPP planning framework should enable this aim, Luxon said.
Scenic needed to redevelop its Franz Josef sites by replacing buildings dating back to the 1950s.
The company foresaw a modular relocatable building approach, given the natural hazards of the area and the underlying uncertainty.
The Alpine Fault avoidance zone at Franz Josef Glacier restricted development in the current built-up area, which he said was "a bit problematic".
Under the plan they would only be able to redevelop their sites at Franz "within the same footprint", which was not necessarily desirable or efficient, Luxon said.
Right now, kiwi families are facing some really big challenges, and many find themselves struggling to make ends meet. This means not everyone is looking forward to Christmas.
This Christmas, give the gift of hope. By donating $40, you have the opportunity to feed a family in need through a … View moreRight now, kiwi families are facing some really big challenges, and many find themselves struggling to make ends meet. This means not everyone is looking forward to Christmas.
This Christmas, give the gift of hope. By donating $40, you have the opportunity to feed a family in need through a Christmas Box filled with food basics and treats. 100% of your donation goes directly to filling the box, which provides not only food essentials but much-needed hope.
Only together, can we bring hope to the table across Aotearoa.
It's that spooky time of year and while there are some streets that welcome Halloween and set themselves up for trick or treating, there are other houses where you're more likely to get an earful than Halloween lollies. Do you think there's a place for Halloween in NZ?
Type … View moreIt's that spooky time of year and while there are some streets that welcome Halloween and set themselves up for trick or treating, there are other houses where you're more likely to get an earful than Halloween lollies. Do you think there's a place for Halloween in NZ?
Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your comments to be excluded from the Conversations column of your local paper.
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