Downsizing the Wellington City Council
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?
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: When should the tree go up? 🎄
From what we've heard, some Christmas trees are already being assembled and decorated.
What are your thoughts on the best time to get your Christmas tree up?
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4.6% Second half of November
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43.6% 1st December
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17.5% A week before Christmas
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33.2% Whenever you wish
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1.1% 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.