455 days ago

GET OUT OF PETONE

Michael from Trentham

A bad sign is when it seems obvious that insurance companies are going to raise their premiums for property insurance beyond the affordability of the average homeowner or retailer - and even suspend insurance cover.

So this is what is forecasted for a large majority of the Lower Hutt sea side, low-lying suburb of Petone as well as areas heading towards Eastborne.

The issue is climate change which is now well embedded and will see a rising sea and excessive rainfall during year upon year.

As well there is the sinking of the land to contend with.

And there is little that the local authority or the residents of the affected areas can do to barricade against the real prospect of submerging properties within the next 15 years rain-wise and 30 years sea-wise.

Jackson Street with its huge retail presence including around 80 eateries and housing beyond Jackson Street in both directions will be swept away or uninhabitable and all either uninsurable or unaffordability of being insured.

I have friends who help design the only new residential home in Jackson Street in maybe 60 years. And their flash two storey modern home of some 3 years will be mainly useless against the torrent of flooding.

I spent all my teenage years living in Petone, played rugby for Petone and later was for a time connected with the Petone Athletic Club and worked in Petone for two different companies. But my advice is for those living there right now is to get out and live somewhere less likely to be severely waterlogged. You can sell at the market price right now to many silly or naive people unaware or unperturbed by what the future has in store.

More messages from your neighbours
24 days ago

Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.

If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?

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Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
  • 63.3% Summer
    63.3% Complete
  • 35.4% Winter
    35.4% Complete
  • 1.3% Other - I'll share below
    1.3% Complete
2715 votes
2 days ago

EMPIRE BUILDING TRUMP

Michael from Trentham

So Donald Trump does not want to start any wars and is a peace maker.
And yet he is seriously seeking to annex the world's largest island, Greenland from Denmark, take over the Panama Canal from the sovereign country of Panama who have owned it since 1977 and even forthrightly suggesting that Canada ceases being a nation and become a state or series of states of the USA.

Greenland above everything else, harbours minerals vital for todays and tomorrows world and that is what probably attracts Trump most. His son is looking things over in Greenland as this thread is being produced. Climate change is also changing Greenland which despite its name is currently mainly covered in ice and snow all year round. Greenland has a population of 55,000.

Panama's major asset after tourism and services is the canal with a current revenue of $5 billion. It operates its shipping charges through an international organisation so that the USA gets an unbias deal for its ships etc that use the canal. Panama is a poor country on the improve and has a population of 4.5 million.

Denmark is a member of NATO. But Trump has threatened many times for the USA to pull out of this Europe-USA defence alliance and Greenland may be the straw that finally breaks the pact.

Canada is surrounded by the USA but it is so much unlike the USA and much more akin to Australia and NZ. In contrast to the USA, Canada is one of the happiest countries in the world and in total land area is the world's second largest.

NZ is going to come under the scrutiny of Trump and his henchmen/women. He will probably look to cut NZ away from its free trade arrangements with China with some kind of ultimatum.

1 day ago

New Year, New Questions You Won’t Solve!

Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

I get smaller every time I take a bath.

What am I?

Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.

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Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.

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