West Coast council defends its flood plan after critics say it doesn't go far enough
The West Coast Regional Council has defended its plans for flood protection in Westport, with its chairman saying it's time for action “not hand-wringing”.
It has presented two options for the town, which was inundated with floods on July 17 and 18 that forced more than 2000 of its 4500-odd residents to evacuate and left more than 460 homes damaged.
The Buller District Council criticised the two options for floodwalls and stopbanks along the Buller and Orowaiti rivers, saying the regional council did not take climate change or liquefaction into account and one of the options was no better than doing nothing.
Regional council chairman Allan Birchfield and acting chief executive Heather Mabin said the working group made the deliberate decision to design the floodwalls and stopbanks to the current climate scenario rather than a future scenario because affordability for ratepayers was key.
“This is time for action, not hand-wringing and engaging more and more experts," Birchfield said.
Read more here.
Poll: Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?
An Auckland court has ruled a woman doesn’t have to contribute towards the cost of fixing a driveway she shares with 10 neighbours.
When thinking about fences, driveways or tree felling, for example, do you think all neighbours should have to pay if the improvements directly benefit them?
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82.1% Yes
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15.2% No
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2.7% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we are having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
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