Conserve water where you can
Northlanders and visitors to the region are being urged to conserve water as a dry summer continues.
Northland Regional Council Chair Geoff Crawford says parts of the Far North and Kaipara Districts have been under water restrictions since late last year and the region has only got drier since then.
"That - coupled with an influx of the tens of thousands of visitors we’re expecting over Northland-Auckland Anniversary weekend and Waitangi week - all puts pressure on our water supplies."
Chair Crawford says the regional council, which monitors river flows, groundwater and manages resource consents to take water, is urging everyone to play their part and do what they can to conserve water.
"Water shortages affect everyone - albeit in different ways - with farmers and water tank users needing to pay to top up their supplies. That water has to come from somewhere."
"Rainfall is the key to it all...we've been hoping for it and while some areas have had some rainfall in recent weeks and some further rain is predicted in the coming week, unfortunately it has not fallen across the whole region and has not been enough to top up our rivers."
While the region waits for rain, Chair Crawford urges people to use water sensibly and notify any leaks to their local district council.
He says Bewaterwise.org.nz has some useful water saving tips.
🧩😏 Riddle me this, Neighbours…
I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?
Do you think you know the answer?
Want to stop seeing these in your newsfeed? No worries! Simply head here and click once on the Following button.
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!
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
Loading…
