144 days ago

Downsizing the Wellington City Council

Neil from Thorndon

This was published in the Post weeks ago but in case you missed it....

My recent Official Information Request to the Wellington City Council was very revealing. My request was sparked by reading that Wellington Water alone has eight people in "Communications". Wouldn't these 'Spin Doctors' be better employed by Wellington Water as plumbers to fix the leaking pipes?
It gets worse. The OIA revealed that the Wellington City Council employs between 53 and 65 people in "communications", as well as 12 in "cultural", 12 more in "Maori Liaison", 16 in "Cycle Planning" and a staggering 35 people in "Climate Change!" Am I alone in thinking that at least half of these positions should be closed? What actual function do they perform in a city of 216,200 with a declining population?
If it's good enough for the new central government to downsize the boated public service, then isn't it time that the WCC did the same?

More messages from your neighbours
11 days ago

⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️

The Team from SPCA New Zealand

It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:

👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️

Image
3 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?

Image
Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
  • 61.7% Summer
    61.7% Complete
  • 36.6% Winter
    36.6% Complete
  • 1.7% Other - I'll share below
    1.7% Complete
1071 votes
9 days ago

Would you like a free copy of our February 2025 issue?

Mei Leng Wong Reporter from NZ Gardener & Get Growing

Kia ora neighbours. We give away free copies to readers whose recipes are used in our magazine. We're still on the hunt for tomato recipes, so send your family's favourite way to use up your homegrown harvest, to: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. If we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of the mag

Image