Breathe clean air this Spring......;-).
I have just changed the filter in our heatpump, as I do every winter. About 80% of all new cars come with a similar filter called a cabin air filter. The cabin air filter serves a similar purpose to the filter for your heat pump. It helps keep dust, allergens, and pollutants from coming into the car through the vent system. Cabin Air Filters first appeared in the 1980s but became more prominent around 1995. Many people don’t know their vehicles have these filters.
Cars over time can develop a musty smell inside the cabin. Changing the cabin air filter every 20,000 to 30,000km, like most manufacturers recommend, will help eliminate odors and promote fresh air. The picture shows a dirty cabin air filter we recently pulled from a car. They can be very dirty, especially when they have been in a vehicle for 100,000km.
Cabin air filters generally take only 15 to 20 minutes to replace. They are often located behind or under the dash. Costs vary by manufacturer, but are relatively inexpensive. Since most folks don’t know they have these filters, when they see the dirty one come out of their vehicle, they are excited to replace it. As we head into spring, often using the heat or air conditioning in our cars, make sure you are breathing clean air by having your cabin air filter checked at your next service appointment.
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!
Poll: If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓
In the Post's article on speeding penalties, the question is asked whether speeding fines are truly about road safety, or are they just a way to boost revenue for the Crown?
What do you think? Should speeding motorists receive speeding fines or demerit points?
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34% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
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66% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
Share your favourite main crop potato recipe and win a copy of our mag!
Love potatoes? We will give away free copies of the May 2026 issue to readers whose potato recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way to enjoy potatoes: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by March 1, 2026.
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