Local City Councils In Cash Crisis
Not so much Upper Hutt and Porirua, but Wellington and Lower Hutt city councils are in a debt and improvements bind.
Wellington is in such a bad state with earthquake strengthening structures uncompleted and hugely costly, water and sewerage pipes disintegrating into dust, working from home killing the CBD and trying to preserve/resurrect buildings that have had their day in a historical-histrionics fervour while pursuing costly flavour-of-the-day cycle lanes, and the flailing of LGWM.
Lower Hutt, a place I also know well, has not a lot going for it apart from Queensgate; Jackson Street retail and hospitality; fresh, cold, untainted spring water for those with water containers. But LH is facing a 20% rise in rates and there is no end game to this. The Melling interchange and rail realignment will be a big blow out of costs for sure.
By comparison, Upper Hutt is almost trucking along and at least has a number of features that set it apart from its regional neighbours - Lower Hutt, Porirua, Kapiti and the Wairarapa.
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!
⚠️ 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 ❤️