Papakowhai, Porirua

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Read posts from interesting Kiwis on our Know Thy Neighbour page.

1652 days ago

Kate Gregorevic on the Science of Longevity

Rhondda Sweetman from Plimmerton Rotary

Our guest speaker this week, joined us by Zoom from Melbourne. Dr Kate Gregorevic is a clinician and researcher at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and highly qualified in her field of geriatric medicine and the science of longevity.

Kate began by noting the extra burden of the pandemic falling on … View more
Our guest speaker this week, joined us by Zoom from Melbourne. Dr Kate Gregorevic is a clinician and researcher at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and highly qualified in her field of geriatric medicine and the science of longevity.

Kate began by noting the extra burden of the pandemic falling on the older age groups, because of their vulnerability. Even without contracting Covid-19 flu, older people saw the virus as a threat and thus were more stressed, which could have both psychological and physiological effects.

These could be mitigated in several ways, the most important being to establish good sleep patterns. As we age we get less deep sleep and tend to wake more often at night. Our circadian rhythms are disrupted. The best remedy is a 24-hour routine including daylight exposure, exercise, and limiting worrying news and social media inputs. Alcohol and caffeine are not helpful.

Dr Kate then turned to more general guidelines for healthy aging.

Exercise builds muscle at any age and improves one’s heart function, blood pressure, and mood. It can help lift depression.

Nutrition is more important than ever because the food industry acts to subvert a proper diet in many ways. We should eat unprocessed foods low in salt and sugar, and plenty of fibre. Whole foods and fish are good. A good diet improves mood and memory.

Cognitive Challenge is important. This means keeping the brain active. Learning is continuous and there is no reason an older person cannot learn a new language, or how to use a computer, for example.

Lastly, Dr Kate stressed Social Connection. Humans are not programmed to live alone, and if they do they may well decline. We should find ways to connect, and ideally help and support others. This creates meaning in our lives.

In answer to questions, Kate explained why older people are more vulnerable to Covid-19. They have fewer T-cells and therefore fewer antibodies to fight a virus, and immune regulation is weaker. Paradoxically, this virus may overstimulate our immune response which is bad for the lungs.

Dementia is not well understood but we do know that sleep, exercise, and nutrition are important mitigating factors.

More and more people are living to an extreme age, which is a quite recent phenomenon. This is 25% due to one’s genes, the other factors being lifestyle, and improved public health.

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1653 days ago

Put wet wipes in the bin not the toilet

The Team from Wellington Water

Wet wipes are handy for cleaning the house but they don’t belong down the loo! 🚽 Listen to Benny, and pop them in the bin instead 😃

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1653 days ago

Time to get decorating!

The Team from Resene ColorShop Petone

Now’s a great time to get decorating... and enjoy savings on your favourite Resene products.

The 25% off sale has been extended until 4 May 2020 for all Resene cardholders!

Get 25% off the normal price of Resene premium paints, stains, primers/sealers, wallpaper, decorating accessories and … View more
Now’s a great time to get decorating... and enjoy savings on your favourite Resene products.

The 25% off sale has been extended until 4 May 2020 for all Resene cardholders!

Get 25% off the normal price of Resene premium paints, stains, primers/sealers, wallpaper, decorating accessories and Resene cleaning products at Resene owned ColorShops. If you’re not a cardholder already you can sign up at www.resene.co.nz/diycard or when you order online.


You can order:

Order now via the online shop, shop.resene.co.nz, for click and collect or contactless delivery, staff will confirm when orders are ready to collect.

Email your order to your local Resene ColorShop or reseller. Resene staff will arrange it for collection or contactless delivery.

Phone your local Resene ColorShop or reseller during normal shop hours to place your order. See www.resene.co.nz/colorshops for email and phone details for your local Resene ColorShop.

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1653 days ago

Need to save on power?

Electricity Authority

If COVID-19 means you’ve been using more power, or if it’s affected your income, talk to your power company to check you’re on the best plan.

Find more advice and support at the Electricity Authority’s website.

Talk, Check, see if you can save.
Find out more

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1654 days ago

Platter Boxes Perfect for Mothers Day

Platter

DIY Platter boxes delivering now and throughout level 3. Perfect as a gift or simply as a treat for the bubble
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DIY Platter boxes delivering now and throughout level 3. Perfect as a gift or simply as a treat for the bubble
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#stayhome #platterboxes #mothersday #giftideas #newzealand #supportlocal #smallbusiness #boxedplatters #love

1654 days ago

Essential work

The Team from Wellington Water

As well as our crews carrying out network maintenance in the community, did you know Wellington Water’s essential front line team also includes everyone working in our treatment plants, making sure your water supply is clean and healthy?

Here’s Tony, an operations technician at Te Marua Water… View more
As well as our crews carrying out network maintenance in the community, did you know Wellington Water’s essential front line team also includes everyone working in our treatment plants, making sure your water supply is clean and healthy?

Here’s Tony, an operations technician at Te Marua Water Treatment Plant, calibrating process instruments. Operators monitor the plant and reservoirs, restock chemicals and communicate with essential contractors and operators on site.

Please join us in showing your appreciation for Tony and all his colleagues around the region!

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1654 days ago

Essential work

The Team from Wellington Water

As well as our crews carrying out network maintenance in the community, did you know Wellington Water’s essential front line team also includes everyone working in our treatment plants, making sure your water supply is clean and healthy?

Here’s Tony, an operations technician at Te Marua Water… View more
As well as our crews carrying out network maintenance in the community, did you know Wellington Water’s essential front line team also includes everyone working in our treatment plants, making sure your water supply is clean and healthy?

Here’s Tony, an operations technician at Te Marua Water Treatment Plant, calibrating process instruments. Operators monitor the plant and reservoirs, restock chemicals and communicate with essential contractors and operators on site.

Please join us in showing your appreciation for Tony and all his colleagues around the region!

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1654 days ago

Kids Platter Boxes

Platter

Level 3 kids Platter, perfect for birthdays or simply just a pick me up gift! $60 Available NOW, message to order or call 027 PLATTER or email belle@platter.co.nz
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Level 3 kids Platter, perfect for birthdays or simply just a pick me up gift! $60 Available NOW, message to order or call 027 PLATTER or email belle@platter.co.nz
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#birthday #delivery #kidsplatter #platterbox #platter #gifts #treatyourself #love #yum #delicious #someonespecial #kindess

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1654 days ago

Looking forward to your next copy of NZ Gardener?

Jo McCarroll - NZ Gardener editor Reporter from NZ Gardener & Get Growing

I am (very) pleased to tell you that now that the country is in Level Three, the May issue of NZ Gardener will be sent to our printers, and the magazine will be on sale from May 7. And believe me the May issue is packed with the good stuff, with ideas of what you can sow, plant, pick and preserve … View moreI am (very) pleased to tell you that now that the country is in Level Three, the May issue of NZ Gardener will be sent to our printers, and the magazine will be on sale from May 7. And believe me the May issue is packed with the good stuff, with ideas of what you can sow, plant, pick and preserve to make the most of your garden right now, plus Lynda Hallinan reflects on 60 lessons for gardeners from the lockdown, a bumper gardening quiz, and you can visit a spectacular Taupō garden alive with birds, a whimsical wonderland in Glenorchy in full bloom and meet the clever and resourceful gardeners of the Chatham Islands... all without leaving your bubble. And thanks so much to everyone who has been in touch to offer their support to the NZ Gardener team, especially those who have subscribed or renewed or purchased a subscription as a gift (an NZ Gardener subscription is a great Mother's Day idea, just sayin'!) We are so grateful to you all, and it's your support that allows us to keep inspiring and informing gardeners from all around New Zealand as we have been doing now for more than 75 years. Please share this message with your gardening groups on social too. We’re looking forward to the many more years of celebrating the amazing gardens and gardeners of New Zealand that lie ahead.

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1654 days ago

Our response to COVID-19 - Transition to alert level 3

Community Engagement Advisor from Greater Wellington Regional Council

Kia ora

Many of you will have heard the Prime Minister’s announcement that New Zealand will move to alert level 3 at 11:59 pm Monday 27 April. Like others around the region, Greater Wellington has been busy preparing for a smooth transition to this new alert level.

This is an overview of how … View more
Kia ora

Many of you will have heard the Prime Minister’s announcement that New Zealand will move to alert level 3 at 11:59 pm Monday 27 April. Like others around the region, Greater Wellington has been busy preparing for a smooth transition to this new alert level.

This is an overview of how council will operate under alert level 3. There are a few significant changes, including a return to regular timetables on buses and trains and opening most of our parks to vehicles. And while council function is affected by the pandemic, I’ll continue to bring you weekly updates on how we’re responding through this newsletter.

I want to thank you again for your ongoing dedication to stopping the spread of COVID-19. We should feel proud of our effort so far, and heartened to stay the course by remaining at home under alert level 3.

Kia kaha till we meet again…and stay in your bubbles!

Daran Ponter
Greater Wellington Regional Council Chair

Public transport

Metlink will return to full regular timetables on buses starting on Sunday 26 April and trains on Monday 4 May. Fares will continue to be free under alert level 3 for essential travel such as going to supermarkets, veterinarians, pharmacies and other health facilities. Those over 70 should continue to stay home, but may use public transport to visit a doctor or pharmacy. Total Mobility customers will continue to be able to access subsidised fares of up to $80 per trip at this alert level.

We’re asking passengers to please start using their Snapper cards to tag on and off. This will help us gain valuable insight into how the network is preforming now, and when it returns to full service under level 3. If you do not have a Snapper card, you can order one free by calling 0800 555 345.

We’re also requesting that passengers abide by the physical distancing measures in place, even if that means missing out on their first choice train or bus as demands start to pick back up. Metlink’s real time information will be up and running as soon as we enter alert level 3 to help people plan journeys, and we’ll continue to update passengers with any developments on the Metlink website and app.

Ferry services will not return at alert level 3. Metlink is working with the ferry operator for a return at alert level 2.

Environmental management

The shift to level 3 means that our field and operational staff are able to resume more environmental management operations. Our harbour communication station is still working to ensure safe and efficient maritime management for commercial users of our region’s waters. Our Flood Protection staff have been responding to the various flood events across the region and we’ve also had teams out applying nitrogen-free fertiliser to the grazed areas at Battle Hill Farm Forest Park and the western side of Belmont Regional Park. As an environmental protection agency it is important to keep delivering these essential services to the region.

Water

As under level 4, Wellington Water Ltd continues to operate as an essential service to provide clean drinking water and safe wastewater treatment to our communities. Some staff members have been redeployed to bolster the frontline numbers for additional resilience and they are securing supply chains for all critical equipment, chemicals and other materials that keep water services running.

Regional parks

We know exercise and recreation is important, and our parks are available for safe and local access for you and your bubble. At alert level 3, we continue to limit exposure of COVID-19 to our staff and visitors. We are opening most of our park gates to vehicles, and most toilets. Park ranger offices remain closed and there is no camping, no motorised recreation, no hunting or gatherings allowed.

Our park ranger team and contractors will be back working in the parks. We ask that visitors please avoid our worksites, which will be clearly marked.

As well, volunteer activities will not be permitted in our parks under alert level 3. While we value the work of our volunteers immensely, we value their health and safety even more.

Predator free

Under alert level 3, our professional pest animal trappers will be able to resume some their predator control operations. Likewise, our allies at Predator Free Wellington will ramp up work next week, and have already been out this week attending to some essential work as a result of storm damage.

We know our volunteers are eager to get back to it, but under this alert level we are limiting pest control operations to staff only. We ask that our volunteers please continue to follow the government’s advice to stay home as much as possible. If you’d like to help us keep the heat on rats, stoats and other predators, please consider installing a trap in your backyard.

We’ll continue to offer support to conduct small operations that are deemed a matter of health and safety. These include responding to residents’ concerns about triggered traps in Wellington City, and wasp nest removal. To protect the health, safety and wellbeing of our staff and the community, a small team who are operating independently has been approved to respond.

WREMO

The Wellington Regional Emergency Management Office (WREMO) is a key part of Greater Wellington’s COVID-19 response, and is staffed and operated by council officers.

Under alert level 3, WREMO continues to operate seven days a week in order to combat the effects of COVID-19 and share information with the public on how to stay safe, ways communities can look after each other and how to get help for those who need it.

The WREMO helpline is also operating daily from 7am to 7pm and people can reach out for help by calling 0800-141-967.

1680 days ago

Marina Motor Lodge

Dean from Paremata

Hi does any body know what’s happening with the now unused Marina Motor Lodge was told its going to demolished but at present is leased to the government and will be used for emergency housing.

1655 days ago

Need advice on a DIY fail or reno dilemma?

Jo Haywood Reporter from Homed

Hey neighbours, how's lockdown life treating you? If you've been trying to sort some long overdue DIY jobs around the home, with mixed results, help is at hand. 

Have you already had a DIY disaster you need to fix, or are you looking to do some home improvements but don't where … View more
Hey neighbours, how's lockdown life treating you? If you've been trying to sort some long overdue DIY jobs around the home, with mixed results, help is at hand. 

Have you already had a DIY disaster you need to fix, or are you looking to do some home improvements but don't where where to start? Email homed@stuff.co.nz to tell us all about it - including photos if you can - and we'll ask our experts for their advice on how you can fix things up, or where to start with your project. 

So whether you have a interiors design dilemma, a need for some home DIY know how, bigger plans for a reno you'd like an expert opinion on, or even a tough cleaning problem you want cleared up, we'll get you some answers. What are you waiting for? Email your questions and photos to homed@stuff.co.nz and we'll get back to you.

Please note: We are unable to recommend specific businesses or tradespeople to provide quotes etc.

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