Major award for local Clean-Up leader, Karen Lee
Congratulations to local legend Karen Lee who has been nationally recognised as a "Tidy Kiwi of the Year" by Keep New Zealand Beautiful (KNZB) this year.
Karen is the backbone of F.O.R.C.E (For Our Real Clean Environment) which organises the popular Love Whangarei Monthly Clean Up and the new Repair Cafe Whangārei. She also somehow juggles a full-time job and raising a toddler with her partner, Councillor Nicholas Connop.
Karen says the secret is to make it fun: "People motivate and encourage others and get encouraged and motivated in return. Anyone can take part - just start small and encourage others and you'll be amazed at the results."
KNZB says "The vision of F.O.R.C.E is to treat waste as a resource, and Karen lives and breathes that vision! Karen has a passion for reducing waste in the environment, and that passion inspires others to do better too." Anyone who has been to one of their clean-ups or the Repair Cafe will agree!
Thank you Karen and everyone who volunteers to keep Whangārei beautiful - we love the difference you make.
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we are 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 ⬇️
Roading contractors have made a good start for the summer programme
The District’s road repair season is off to a good start, with a third of summer’s rehabilitation projects completed.
Infrastructure Chairman Simon Reid says sections of Russell Road (Whakapara), Marua and Snooks roads have already been renewed.
“This year, we have been closing roads and detouring traffic around some worksites to reduce the overall time spent on the repairs, so teams can move onto new jobs faster. It has already paid off, cutting weeks from the timeframes so far.”
Over the next three months, Fulton Hogan will complete two sections of Pipiwai Road (central and north), Tatton Road and Roydon Drive, while Downer will rehabilitate sections of Three Mile Bush Road South, Raumanga Valley Road and Flyger Road.
Seal extensions are also scheduled for sections of McLean Road (south) and Gray Road (north).
“We are currently working on Pipiwai Road, next to the Northland Golf Club, and the job should be completed early in December. We will then start preparing Three Mile Bush Road and Pipiwai Road, by Matarau Road.”
Councillor Reid says design work for the rest of the sites is almost complete, and the whole programme should be complete by March 2025 if the weather holds.
“When overnight temperatures have risen enough, we will start repairs to sites where gravel stripped off the seal after a sudden cold snap during last year’s construction season. We will report back on that in coming weeks. The contractors will cover the cost of those repairs."
📷 Shown here: Culvert replacement on Mangapai Road, with a temporary alternative route built to keep traffic off the work-site.
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