Fernside School PTA raises funds to install lifesaving device in community
The Fernside Community Hall has become the latest place in North Canterbury to have an defibrillator installed thanks to the fundraising efforts of its local school's parent-teacher association.
Fernside School PTA president Natasha Pagan says it took several years to raise the close to $6000 needed for the community's new automated external defibrillator, so it was exciting to finally get it.
"We noticed there was a need for the defibrillator in the community, as the nearest one is [5 kilometres away] in Rangiora," she says.
"We feel very privileged that we were able to provide something so life-changing in our community."
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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32.5% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
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67.5% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
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!
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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