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.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
Poll: Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?
An Auckland court has ruled a woman doesn’t have to contribute towards the cost of fixing a driveway she shares with 10 neighbours.
When thinking about fences, driveways or tree felling, for example, do you think all neighbours should have to pay if the improvements directly benefit them?
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83.3% Yes
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14.3% No
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2.4% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite tomato recipe?
Kia ora neighbours. We know your tomato plants are still growing, but we're looking ahead to the harvest already! If you've got a family recipe for tomatoes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine to share with our readers. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our February 2025 issue.
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