Waka Kotahi - 'sabotaging growth' after it opposes massive housing development
A growing Central Otago town may be denied a 500 section development, after Waka Kotahi cited concerns over climate change and the lack of public transport.
But that position has angered outspoken Otago Regional Council councillor, Michael Laws, who lives in Cromwell.
‘’Waka Kotahi are sabotaging growth in Central Otago and the likes,’’ he said on Thursday, the same day as submissions to the Central Otago District Council closed.
‘’This is something that will benefit our entire region.’’
About 10km west of Cromwell, company Fulton Hogan plans to rezone about 118ha of a former quarry into a 90ha residential area, including a 5ha business park and 22ha industrial area.
But a major road block for that development is the position taken by Waka Kotahi, which partly funds public transport in Queenstown and Dunedin – but not in Central Otago – one of the fastest-growing regions in the country.
Read the full story from reporters Joanne Naish and Hamish McNeilly here (subscription required).
⚠️ 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 ❤️
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!