Hanmer Springs desperate for summer staff as shortage leaves operators cutting hours
Tourism hotspot Hanmer Springs is calling for a fresh supply of workers over summer, with retail, tourism and hospitality venues all desperately seeking staff.
A housing shortage and transient workers have meant several operators have needed to reduce their hours, despite being fully booked for the upcoming season.
Alan McNabb owns and operates five venues in the village – Monteith’s Brewery, Finn’s Irish Pub, Roasted Bean Cafe, Fire and Ice Restaurant and the Alpine Village Inn.
He said despite last summer setting record visitor numbers in the tiny North Canterbury tourist town, they can’t find return workers.
“It’s horrific. I’ve lost 13 staff over the last three weeks and am about to lose another three chefs. We’ve cut opening hours so we can give the few staff we do have breaks.
“I need at least another 10 to 15 staff to get through this summer, but I have nowhere for them to stay either.” Read more here.
🧩😏 Riddle me this, Neighbours…
I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?
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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: Canterbury is thriving on paper... but are you seeing evidence of Canterbury's improving economy?
As reported in the Press, Reserve Bank Governor Anna Breman recently gave a shout-out to our region, calling Canterbury a "stand-out" for how we recover from tough times. With tech firms growing and exporters investing, the business side of things is looking bright!
👉 But we know that "business growth" doesn't always mean the weekly shop gets any cheaper. While the city expands, many families feel like they’re just trying to keep their heads above water.
We want to know: With the business buzz of 2026, do you feel like things are finally looking up for your household, or does it still feel like a climb?
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17.4% Yes
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58.7% No
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23.9% In some areas ...
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