Hurunui District news is brought to you by the team at Northern Outlook
Recent posts
Thank you for using Neighbourly
Stay active and keep doing the things you love.
Join a strength and balance class near you. With classes to suit every pace and ability, and trained instructors to guide you through, it’s a great way to keep healthy and make new friends. So you can live stronger for longer, and keep living the … View moreStay active and keep doing the things you love.
Join a strength and balance class near you. With classes to suit every pace and ability, and trained instructors to guide you through, it’s a great way to keep healthy and make new friends. So you can live stronger for longer, and keep living the life you want. Find a class near you today.
Get creative with your child (or grandchild) with this simple-to-make two-in-one DIY project – that repurposes fence palings as handy shelving finished in Resene Waterborne Woodsman Whero and turns one plant into 12 new ones to display on it. Find out how to make and finish your shelving and pots… View moreGet creative with your child (or grandchild) with this simple-to-make two-in-one DIY project – that repurposes fence palings as handy shelving finished in Resene Waterborne Woodsman Whero and turns one plant into 12 new ones to display on it. Find out how to make and finish your shelving and pots with these easy step by step instructions.
Very popular landscaping plant. Lomandra Lime Tuff is a compact plant with fine, lime green leaves that stay lush all year round. Simple, elegant and good looking. In summer small, fragrant, yellow flower spikes emerge. Grows approximately 50 x 50cm. Good size, ready to plant now. $7.50 per plant.
Butter, power bills, and those sneaky surcharges on your card ... it feels like everything’s creeping up in price lately. We’ve seen the headlines, but we want to hear it from you.
Overall, Most Kiwis say they’re ‘not prospering’. But, according to Retirement Commission data, some … View moreButter, power bills, and those sneaky surcharges on your card ... it feels like everything’s creeping up in price lately. We’ve seen the headlines, but we want to hear it from you.
Overall, Most Kiwis say they’re ‘not prospering’. But, according to Retirement Commission data, some members of our community (women, Māori, and Pacific people) are experiencing worsening financial positions at elevated rates.
Stats NZ tells us that food prices have jumped 4.6% since this time last year, with meat and dairy doing most of the damage. This jump is hitting us all, but groceries are just one part of the picture.
When basic costs keep climbing, the old cost-saving tricks — like bulk-buying or stockpiling on sale — don’t always work. Who can afford to spend more upfront when every dollar already has a job?
We want to know: What costs have caught you off guard the most? What are the expenses that feel impossible to juggle right now?
Share your thoughts below!
Don't forget to enter a Bright Spot in your home, workplace or community for a chance to win one of ten amazing prizes! Whether it's a colourful fence, a mural in your office or a place in the community that makes you smile - we'd love to see it.
Share a Bright Spot today for a … View moreDon't forget to enter a Bright Spot in your home, workplace or community for a chance to win one of ten amazing prizes! Whether it's a colourful fence, a mural in your office or a place in the community that makes you smile - we'd love to see it.
Share a Bright Spot today for a chance to win one of ten prize packs worth $500.
And make sure you check out the entries so far too.
Friday 15 August, and Saturday, 16 August, 10 am - 2 pm.
Come and experience the warmth of our Ryman village communities. We'd love to show you around.
Discover our lifestyle and care options, tour our show homes and explore our premium amenities.
The Government says it's scrapping those annoying card surcharges – and it’s happening next year.
Consumer NZ is stoked, saying these sneaky surcharges cost Kiwis around $65 million a year and should’ve been gone ages ago.
But not everyone’s convinced it’s a win. Labour and … View moreThe Government says it's scrapping those annoying card surcharges – and it’s happening next year.
Consumer NZ is stoked, saying these sneaky surcharges cost Kiwis around $65 million a year and should’ve been gone ages ago.
But not everyone’s convinced it’s a win. Labour and Hospitality NZ are worried the costs won’t just disappear. Labour MP Arena Williams put it simply: there should not be surcharges for customers at all. But she points out that the Government’s plan does not deal with banks and merchants “who still scoop a big fee”.
Many of our community are rocked by the recent announcement. Retailers warn card surcharge ban could lead to higher prices - the unfortunatel reality is that small businesses are feeling the squeeze along with their customers. In comparison, large retailers pay significantly lower banking fees and ultimately have more leverage at the negotiation table.
💸 So someone still pays – but who?
We want to know: Who should be covering this cost?
Share your thoughts in the comments!
For all your painting and decorating projects, get in contact with Andrew and the friendly team at Enviro Painters for a free measure and quote
Canterbury Police has been consulting internally with staff on a proposal to redesign its structure, says Canterbury District Commander Superintendent Tony Hill.
"Our goal is to deliver a better service to our communities by boosting core policing services and strengthening our ability to … View moreCanterbury Police has been consulting internally with staff on a proposal to redesign its structure, says Canterbury District Commander Superintendent Tony Hill.
"Our goal is to deliver a better service to our communities by boosting core policing services and strengthening our ability to meet demand, now and in the future.
We are focused on the safety of our communities and our Police team. As the proposal concerns changes that directly impact our staff, we have an obligation to consult with them first. We also acknowledge the importance of listening to our communities.
In a departure from our normal process in relation to operational decision-making, we are now sharing an external version of the proposal and inviting feedback from the public.
We haven’t reviewed our structure since 2017 and we want to get it right. We're not content to keep doing things the way we always have when we believe we can do better.
I stress that this is a proposal and no decisions have been made. I will be paying close attention to the feedback as it comes in."
If you would like to provide feedback on the proposed changes, please email canterbury.review@police.govt.nz
Feedback will be accepted up until 5pm, Monday 18 August.
The redesign proposal is available here.
Thanks to a generous gift, 730 Hectares in Kaituna Valley are now protected for everyone to enjoy
Four incredible donors have come together to gift 730 hectares of land in the Kaituna Valley to the nation — a multimillion-dollar contribution that will benefit generations to come.
This land,… View moreThanks to a generous gift, 730 Hectares in Kaituna Valley are now protected for everyone to enjoy
Four incredible donors have come together to gift 730 hectares of land in the Kaituna Valley to the nation — a multimillion-dollar contribution that will benefit generations to come.
This land, which has now been protected and opened to the public, forms part of a much larger conservation area — nearly 2,400 hectares stretching from sea level at Whakaraupō/Lyttelton Harbour, up to the Summit Walkway, and back down into the Kaituna Valley.
Once used for farming, the land has now been cleared of livestock, and pest control efforts are underway to help native plants and wildlife thrive. The goal? A richer, more diverse ecosystem that everyone can experience and be proud of.
This is a powerful example of how the actions of a few can have a huge impact. Thanks to their vision and generosity, a precious piece of our natural heritage is now protected.
Read more about the Massive win for conservation and recreation in the Kaituna.
We hope this news brings a smile!
“I was born in Afghanistan, I moved to Pakistan when I was a one year old as a refugee with my family.
I grew up in Pakistan and finished my school there. I learned English, I did computer classes, learned sewing and also I did makeup classes. I moved back to Afghanistan to continue my … View more“I was born in Afghanistan, I moved to Pakistan when I was a one year old as a refugee with my family.
I grew up in Pakistan and finished my school there. I learned English, I did computer classes, learned sewing and also I did makeup classes. I moved back to Afghanistan to continue my studies, I did my bachelor in business and I got married.
Because of the situation, we couldn't stay there anymore, so we moved to Indonesia. The first year was very difficult for me. As refugees in Indonesia, you're not allowed to work, no study, nothing. Most of the people don't understand English, so you have to learn their language.
I was trying to find a way that I could learn the language easily. I started watching dramas on YouTube. So then I learned Bahasa from that and a friend, and she learned English from me. Then I was speaking five languages. After a while, I was working as an interpreter and for a short time, I found a job at an international school as a teacher.
We were on the shortlist to go to America. You know, sometimes God wants to put you somewhere. We got a call from the sponsor group that wanted to help us come to New Zealand. How is it possible? We waited there for six years through UNHCR. I can say we were lucky. I have been here for one year, and with the sponsor group, we are like a family now.
I first went to Share Kai for the Ōtautahi Welcome Dinner. I said, ‘this is my place’. when I am among the people and talking with people it gives me energy. When we went there, we met different people. Now I have lots of friends from different countries.
When we heard that there's an opportunity for the Riccarton Sunday Market, I said, I will do it!
My food stall is called ZJ kitchen. Z is for my husband, and J is for Jamila, for me. The story for the ZJ is that we are a ZJ family. When we got married, we decided that when we have kids, we'll put the name starting with Z or J. So now I have two sons, their names start with Z, and I have one daughter who starts with J.
I believe that food is something that everyone needs every day. What I do means a lot to me. When I'm at the market, if someone eats the food they ask, do you have a restaurant? I tell them about Share Kai.
I am one of the leaders at the Cooks Collective, we run the Share Kai Cafe which is open for lunch on the first Friday of every month at WEA. We talk, we laugh and we enjoy the food. I hope one day everyone knows about Share Kai.”
- Jamila
Whether it's pre-schoolers or seniors, Scottish dancing or salsa, kapa haka or Kathak, breakdance or ballet - if you're encouraging people of all ages and abilities to keep moving through dance, we have three $5000 Love to Dance grants up for grabs.
Click read more to nominate your … View moreWhether it's pre-schoolers or seniors, Scottish dancing or salsa, kapa haka or Kathak, breakdance or ballet - if you're encouraging people of all ages and abilities to keep moving through dance, we have three $5000 Love to Dance grants up for grabs.
Click read more to nominate your community dance group.
Applications close 31 August 2025.
© Neighbourly 2025
Loading…