TOWN HALL ALL TOO FAR
The "old" Wellington town hall needs another injection of cash surpassing $150 million in order for its restoration and earthquake reinforcing to be completed. And we know this won't be the last big bill payable concerning this building.
It's simply not worth the money already spent, already committed and already signalled as being required "over and above".
The town hall needs private funding and this will occur if a Kirkcaldie & Stains-type resolution is made. Ditch the current plans but complete the restoration of the "frontage" of the building and allow for construction of a tower block behind the facade. It might be that that a private developer will allow for a couple of things that have been earmarked for a reconstructed town hall.
What Wellington city has in historical buildings and in a multitude of amenities. the region has too. So we are all affected by what goes on, what goes up and what goes down in Wellington.
In these times of great water and sewerage reticulation issues it is better that local councils concentrate primarily on infrastructure which is their core business.
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!
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
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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