Jonny Osborne - Whaitua Te Whanganui-a-Tara Committee
Kia ora koutou, I am Johnny, a Wellington resident since 2000. I am a member of the Whaitua Te Whanganui-a-Tara Committee tasked with making recommendations to Greater Wellington Regional Council on the future of our coastal and freshwater quality, and how our water is used. Our waterways and all the fish and species that live in them are precious taonga, so we have set out to understand how they are valued and what should be done to provide the future we want for our water.
We want to work with you to make our Whaitua more sustainable and healthy so that the future generations can continue to enjoy the many beautiful parks, rivers, streams and beaches of this catchment.
To leave behind a strong legacy, we need to protect the health and mauri of our waterways, which are under pressure due to population and land development. We need to fix our waste and stormwater infrastructure. These are big changes, and needs to reflect our communities’ views informed by good evidence and information.
Connect with us to talk about what we can do together. You can reach us at whaitua@gw.govt.nz. To see what we have been doing visit our Facebook page, and to share what you value about our water and your solutions have your say down below.
Poll: Are you still heading to your local for your caffeine fix, or has the $$ changed your habits? ☕
Wellington’s identity is built on its cafe culture, but with costs climbing, that culture is under pressure. We’ve seen the headlines about recent closures, and it’s a tough pill to swallow along with a $6+ coffee.
We all want our favourite spots to stay open, but we also have to balance our own budgets ⚖️
We want to know: How are you handling the "coffee math" in 2026? Are you still heading to your local for a chat and a caffeine fix, or has the cost of living changed your habits?
Keen to read more about "coffee math"? The Post has you covered.
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40.8% I avoid spending money on coffee
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49% I still indulge at my local cafe
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10.2% Irrelevant - coffee is not for me
Scam Alert: Bank cold calls
ASB is warning customers about reports of cold calls from scammers claiming to be from ASB. These scammers are trying to obtain personal information, including usernames, dates of birth, and verification codes sent to your mobile phone.
🛡️ The "Caller Check" Test
If you get a call from someone claiming to be from ASB and you’re unsure, just ask them for a Caller Check. You will then be able to verify the call through the app.
Remember, banks will:
❌ Never ask for your banking passwords, PINs, or verification codes
❌ Never need to know your full credit card number – especially the CVC
❌ Never ask you to download software or remotely access your device
❌ Never ask you to purchase gift cards or transfer funds.
If you have received a phone call and think your account has been compromised, call ASB on 0800 ASB FRAUD (0800 272 372), or visit your local branch.
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!
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