Local City Councils In Cash Crisis
Not so much Upper Hutt and Porirua, but Wellington and Lower Hutt city councils are in a debt and improvements bind.
Wellington is in such a bad state with earthquake strengthening structures uncompleted and hugely costly, water and sewerage pipes disintegrating into dust, working from home killing the CBD and trying to preserve/resurrect buildings that have had their day in a historical-histrionics fervour while pursuing costly flavour-of-the-day cycle lanes, and the flailing of LGWM.
Lower Hutt, a place I also know well, has not a lot going for it apart from Queensgate; Jackson Street retail and hospitality; fresh, cold, untainted spring water for those with water containers. But LH is facing a 20% rise in rates and there is no end game to this. The Melling interchange and rail realignment will be a big blow out of costs for sure.
By comparison, Upper Hutt is almost trucking along and at least has a number of features that set it apart from its regional neighbours - Lower Hutt, Porirua, Kapiti and the Wairarapa.
Poll: 🤖 What skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
The Reserve Bank has shared some pretty blunt advice: there’s no such thing as a “safe” job anymore 🛟😑
Robots are stepping into repetitive roles in factories, plants and warehouses. AI is taking care of the admin tasks that once filled many mid-level office jobs.
We want to know: As the world evolves, what skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
Want to read more? The Press has you covered!
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52.7% Human-centred experience and communication
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14.6% Critical thinking
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30% Resilience and adaptability
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2.7% Other - I will share below!
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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