water restrictions
The Wellington Hutt Valley area is now under water restrictions. This has even made front page news in the “post” recently and national news. What people don’t seem to realise this has been going on for years. At the start of spring each year, water restrictions are put in place It's not a new thing.
It has nothing to do with the level of Te Marua lakes, Hutt river flow, or Waiwhetu Aquifer levels. It's been a wet winter. Ask the management of Wellington Regional Council why it is in place they won't be able to justify it. It's just something they do each year. Other districts that really do have water shortages in summer put restrictions on in late February. Never before December
It's sad that management seems to think this is the only way to manage water supply. Oh, I forgot water meters will also do it ! Then they don't have to worry about leaks
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
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