Maungaraki, Lower Hutt

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1477 days ago

Testing numbers

Gemma Elizabeth from Hutt Valley District Health Board

Here is the latest information about the number of people tested for COVID-19 in our region. We will publish these figures every weekday to give you a clearer picture of what is happening in our area.

There is no known community transmission in the Wellington and Hutt Valley regions.



These … View more
Here is the latest information about the number of people tested for COVID-19 in our region. We will publish these figures every weekday to give you a clearer picture of what is happening in our area.

There is no known community transmission in the Wellington and Hutt Valley regions.



These figures will also be published on our website and updated each weekday. View figures here: www.huttvalleydhb.org.nz...

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1477 days ago

Cat Allergy

Robert Anderson from

What is cat allergen?
An allergen is a material that is capable of provoking an allergic reaction, such as pollen grains, dust mites or foods. Cat allergen is not cat hair, but a protein present in the dander and saliva of cats. These allergens become airborne as microscopic particles that can … View more
What is cat allergen?
An allergen is a material that is capable of provoking an allergic reaction, such as pollen grains, dust mites or foods. Cat allergen is not cat hair, but a protein present in the dander and saliva of cats. These allergens become airborne as microscopic particles that can produce allergic symptoms when inhaled into the nose or lungs.

Although individual cats may produce more or less allergen, there is no relationship between the pet’s hair length and allergen production, and no such thing as a non-allergenic breed.

Where is cat allergen found?
Cat allergen is present in the largest amounts in homes with cats, but has also been found in homes where cats have never been present, and in offices or public spaces where animals are not allowed. Cat allergen is particularly sticky and is carried on clothing to other locations. It is almost impossible to not be exposed to some level of cat allergen. Of course, levels of exposure will be much higher where cats are present, and these levels are more likely to cause allergic symptoms.

Because cat allergen particles are particularly small (1/10 the size of dust mite allergen), they remain airborne for prolonged periods of time. Cat allergic individuals are more likely to have a rapid onset of symptoms when entering a room with cats, because the allergen will be in the air and can be easily inhaled. Opening windows, using exhaust fans and using high-efficiency air cleaners can decrease airborne allergen levels.

Soft furnishings, such as carpets, sofas, and mattresses, will hold cat allergen even after a cat is removed from the home or banished from the bedroom. It has been shown that it can take as long as 20 weeks for levels of allergen in carpets to decrease to the levels found in a home without a cat, and up to five years for cat allergen levels in mattresses to decrease to such levels. Removal or treatment of the carpet and sofa, and encasing of the mattress, will reduce the continued exposure to these reservoirs of allergen.

Cat allergen is also found on vertical surfaces such as walls. Attempts to decrease cat allergen exposure in a home should include wall cleaning. If the cat is removed to a restricted area of the home, it is important to realise that airflow through the duct system in a hot air heated home could spread the allergen. Efficient vent and furnace filters could help trap the allergens and reduce this spread.

Step 1: Use Allergen Wash. To get all the cat saliva and dander off your clothing and bedding, use a special detergent that removes all allergens. Use the warmest water setting possible for the fabrics to get all of the saliva and dander out.

Step 2: Use a vacuum with a high efficiency air filter. These filters remove more allergens from the carpeting and upholstery than regular vacuums. Vacuum all the floors and furniture thoroughly to get everything out. Wait several hours after the first vacuuming and go over everything again. This allows the dust you stir up the first time to settle, and you get the remnants of that dust on the second vacuuming. Make sure to empty the vacuum or change the bag outside to prevent everything you vacuumed from coming back in.

Step 3: Steam clean. After vacuuming everything completely, go over the whole area with a steam cleaner. The steam cleaner gets more of the allergens out of the carpet than the vacuum, picking up the cat saliva and dander deeper in the fibres.

Step 4: Take it to the cleaners. Take things you can't wash, such as curtains, to the cleaners. Cleaning will remove the cat saliva and dander from the fabrics. Curtain Clean has a special product used to remove cat allergen. You should advise your curtain or dry cleaners of your allergy so they may apply the correct product.

Step 5: Keep the cats off your fabrics. As soon as the cats get close to any of the fabrics, the dander and saliva will return. Studies have demonstrated that washing of cats with water removes much of their surface allergen, and significantly reduces the amount of future cat allergen produced.

1477 days ago

Nissan National Demonstrator Sale

The Team from Gazley

Nissan’s National 4 day Demonstrator sale starts Wednesday the 16th until Sunday the 20th of September.

Save thousands across the Nissan range on near new Demonstrators, to view our current Nissan stock check out the link or www.gazleynissan.com, or give us a call on 04 381 3000.
Find out more

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1477 days ago

It's back... for a limited time only!

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Hungry for local customers? Give your business a restart boost with a FREE 3-month Premium Business Listing.

Usually $150, your 3-month Premium Listing enables you to reach thousands of people who live around your business! Find friendly locals who want your services, introduce your team and … View more
Hungry for local customers? Give your business a restart boost with a FREE 3-month Premium Business Listing.

Usually $150, your 3-month Premium Listing enables you to reach thousands of people who live around your business! Find friendly locals who want your services, introduce your team and share what makes you stand out from the rest.

There's no catch and no hidden fees. It's just our small way of saying thank you for playing such an essential part in our communities.

Grab a FREE 3 Month Premium Business Listing now. (Feel free to share the news with your fellow small business owners too!)

*This is a limited time offer
Get 3 months FREE

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1477 days ago

Staying Safe Workshop

Lorna Harvey from

Join us for a Staying Safe Workshop. Monday 9th November, 10AM - 2PM. Improve your driving skills and feel more confident on the road. In this free refresher workshop for senior drivers, we will discuss:
- updated road rules
- how age affects driving ability and
- how to adapt your driving … View more
Join us for a Staying Safe Workshop. Monday 9th November, 10AM - 2PM. Improve your driving skills and feel more confident on the road. In this free refresher workshop for senior drivers, we will discuss:
- updated road rules
- how age affects driving ability and
- how to adapt your driving technique for today's busy roads
info@ageconcernwellington.org.nz or 04 499 6648 for more information and to register.

1478 days ago

Masterton man wins ACC case

Nicholas Boyack Reporter from Community News

A young Masterton welder’s health nightmare is nearly over with the swipe of a bureaucrat’s pen.

Last week Aiden Sayer, 21, who was almost killed in a workplace accident earlier this year, was languishing on a public waiting list for a bladder stone procedure that ACC should have covered.

His… View more
A young Masterton welder’s health nightmare is nearly over with the swipe of a bureaucrat’s pen.

Last week Aiden Sayer, 21, who was almost killed in a workplace accident earlier this year, was languishing on a public waiting list for a bladder stone procedure that ACC should have covered.

His urologist argued that the bladder stone was caused by having to endure a catheter for a month following his February accident. ACC said no, but after persistent lobbying and a story on Stuff last week, the corporation has changed its mind.

Following ACC acceptance, his urologist has quickly arranged for a procedure to be carried out in a private medical facility next Tuesday.

“I’ll be able to do more hours of work ... I’ll be able to work on my car, be able to go out with friends, return to a normal life. I couldn’t do that before because of my stone,” Sayer said.

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1479 days ago

Metlinks thanks the public

Nicholas Boyack Reporter from Community News

Metlink is thanking Wellington commuters for their cooperation following the Government announcement that physical distancing is no longer required on public transport.

"We would like to thank everyone for their hard work complying with these measures on board our services for the last few … View more
Metlink is thanking Wellington commuters for their cooperation following the Government announcement that physical distancing is no longer required on public transport.

"We would like to thank everyone for their hard work complying with these measures on board our services for the last few weeks. This has been made possible by the your continued support for wearing face coverings on board public transport, which has made our services safer for both passengers and staff."

The Government still expects all New Zealanders to wear face coverings on public transport with exemptions only for school services, children under 12 years old, and passengers with disability and health concerns. Passengers should continue to follow the Government’s level 2 advice which includes logging their journeys using QR codes and the COVID-19 app, practicing good personal hygiene by washing and sanitising their hands before and after travelling, sneezing and coughing into their elbows and avoiding public transport completely if they are sick. Passengers can keep up to date with the Government’s latest alert level 2 measures on public transport through Metlink's social media, website and app.

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1478 days ago

spring Garden clean ups!

Ian Hamilton from Natures choice gardening services - Lower Hutt

Want a fresh Garden for spring ? Don’t have time or the passion? Putting the house on the market ? We can help. Guest arriving ? We can help- call me today on 0272430951 and book a free quote
Check out our latest jobs on face book

1478 days ago

Pet Bus a modern day Noah's Ark

Nicholas Boyack Reporter from Community News

A modern day Noah’s Ark traverses the country every month carrying one of the nation’s most treasured cargo - pets.

Petbus is Karyn McLauchlan’s solution to New Zealand’s impersonal and stressful pet transport options. McLauchlan used to be a dog breeder, and had a terrible experience … View more
A modern day Noah’s Ark traverses the country every month carrying one of the nation’s most treasured cargo - pets.

Petbus is Karyn McLauchlan’s solution to New Zealand’s impersonal and stressful pet transport options. McLauchlan used to be a dog breeder, and had a terrible experience transporting puppies by airline in 2004, with two puppies dying on the journey to Wellington.

Her solution was to deliver pets herself using a bus. The most unusual thing she has delivered is an ant farm but she has also moved peacocks, spiders and geese.

1478 days ago

Testing numbers

Gemma Elizabeth from Hutt Valley District Health Board

Here is the latest information about the number of people tested for COVID-19 in our region. We will publish these figures every weekday to give you a clearer picture of what is happening in our area.

There is no known community transmission in the Wellington and Hutt Valley regions.

These … View more
Here is the latest information about the number of people tested for COVID-19 in our region. We will publish these figures every weekday to give you a clearer picture of what is happening in our area.

There is no known community transmission in the Wellington and Hutt Valley regions.

These figures will also be published on our website and updated each weekday. View figures here: www.huttvalleydhb.org.nz...

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1478 days ago

How does your houseplant collection help you?

Mei Leng Wong Reporter from NZ Gardener & Get Growing

For this Nelson collector, houseplants help her cope with health challenges. "It’s been proven that distraction is a really good pain relief and the plants gave me something to focus on and interrupt the pain pathways.”

1479 days ago

Poll: Should Wellington be renamed Te Whanganui-a-Tara?

Nicholas Boyack Reporter from Community News

New Zealand could officially become Aotearoa, Wellington could be Te Whanganui-a-Tara, and Christchurch could be Ōtautahi. The Māori Party is promoting the idea as an election promise.

Wellingtonians, please tell us what you think of changing our name to Te Whanganui-a-Tara?

If you do not want … View more
New Zealand could officially become Aotearoa, Wellington could be Te Whanganui-a-Tara, and Christchurch could be Ōtautahi. The Māori Party is promoting the idea as an election promise.

Wellingtonians, please tell us what you think of changing our name to Te Whanganui-a-Tara?

If you do not want your comments used in a story, please put NOT FOR PUBLICATION.

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Should Wellington be renamed Te Whanganui-a-Tara?
  • 14% Yes
    14% Complete
  • 80.7% No
    80.7% Complete
  • 5.3% Undecided
    5.3% Complete
600 votes
1479 days ago

Experts want purposed built facilities, instead of hotels, for future pandemics

Nicholas Boyack Reporter from Community News

New Zealand should move away from hotels to a purpose-built managed isolation and quarantine facility, with pandemics set to be a fixture of the future, public health experts warn.

But while the Government says there are no plans for such a facility, it hasn’t ruled it out. Michael Baker, an … View more
New Zealand should move away from hotels to a purpose-built managed isolation and quarantine facility, with pandemics set to be a fixture of the future, public health experts warn.

But while the Government says there are no plans for such a facility, it hasn’t ruled it out. Michael Baker, an epidemiologist at the University of Otago, said New Zealand was world-leading in biosecurity, but needed to invest in human biosecurity.

“Now we have to talk long-term about this,” he said.

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1479 days ago

Zumba at Dyer Street School and Avalon Public Hall

Andy from State of Motion - Zumba Fitness

Kia ora koutou, It's a new week and we're continuing our "Fit for a Fiver" special. For all of September, we're offering a week of Zumba classes for $5.

Monday at Dyer Street School @ 6pm
Tuesday at Avalon Public Hall @ 6pm
Saturday morning back at Dyer Street School @ … View more
Kia ora koutou, It's a new week and we're continuing our "Fit for a Fiver" special. For all of September, we're offering a week of Zumba classes for $5.

Monday at Dyer Street School @ 6pm
Tuesday at Avalon Public Hall @ 6pm
Saturday morning back at Dyer Street School @ 9am.

Details on our website www.stateofmotion.co.nz... Come and join the fun with Andy and Jenna.

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1479 days ago

Wellington woman coaching Liverpool

Nicholas Boyack Reporter from Community News

Former Wellington woman and Football Fern Emma Humphries is making her mark at Liverpool. She is into her third season with Liverpool after making the move to England with her partner Bev Preistmen, the assistant coach of England’s national women's team.

Humphries, 34, represented the … View more
Former Wellington woman and Football Fern Emma Humphries is making her mark at Liverpool. She is into her third season with Liverpool after making the move to England with her partner Bev Preistmen, the assistant coach of England’s national women's team.

Humphries, 34, represented the Football Ferns at the 2007 Women’s World Cup but retired early to move into coaching after tearing an anterior cruciate ligament in a knee. One of the highlights of her time at Liverpool has been meeting and working with men's coach Jurgen Klopp.

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