To all Property Managers and owners of rentals
Just because a Property Manager/owners of a rental can increase the rent once a year doesn't mean they have to. Contrary to their belief that WINZ will cover the increase, this is a false belief. If a pensioner/renter lives in Otaki they only get $80 a week maximum on the Accommodation Support. If need be WINZ may add a top-up on the Temporary Assistance Support. BUT .. they do not cover all the rent. In Waikanae the renter/pensioner gets $100 on Accommodation and a small top-up on Temporary Assistance if they qualify. It is NOT a given. For most pensioners all of their Super goes on the rent and when this happens that is when they can get the Accommodation Supplement and maybe the Temporary Supplement. Which by the way is not Temporary unless by some miracle the rent is reduced. I will not hold my breath waiting to hear social housing or more affordable properties are available. Kainga Ora has bought a few parcels of land but building will not happen for at least three years on some sections and why they are holding off on other parcels of other land just frustrates me.
What word sums up 2024, neighbours?
If 2020 was the year of lockdowns, banana bread, and WFH (work from home)....
In one word, how would you define 2024?
We're excited to see what you come up with!
⚠️ 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 ❤️