‘Tis the Season to Show Off Your Trees Sparkle, NZ!
With Christmas fast approaching and trees beginning to twinkle in homes across New Zealand, we’re on the hunt for NZ’s Most Loved Christmas Tree!
Whether it’s bursting with colour, elegantly minimal, or filled with sentimental touches from years past, we want to see how Kiwis are spreading Christmas magic this season.
And now for the showstopper... 🌟
One tree will rise above them all, capturing the most public votes and the title of NZ’s Most Loved Christmas Tree 2025, along with the iPhone 17 Pro in Cosmic Orange, this year’s ultimate Christmas prize. 🎁🎄
To spread the cheer even further, four lucky trees will be chosen as Santa’s Lucky Trees, each receiving a $200 Space General Gift Voucher, the perfect way to add extra sparkle this season. 🎅🎁
Need a tree first? Explore our beautiful range here and start your Christmas magic!
📅 Public voting opens: 10 November 2025
⏳ Entries close: 17 December 2025
🎄 Winners unwrapped before Christmas — so strike a pose and share your festive masterpiece!
Poll: 🗑️ Would you be keen to switch to a fortnightly rubbish collection, or do you prefer things as they are?
Aucklanders, our weekly rubbish collections are staying after councillors voted to scrap a proposed trial of fortnightly pick-ups.
We want to hear from you: would you be keen to switch to a fortnightly rubbish collection, or do you prefer things as they are?
Keen for the details? Read up about the scrapped collection trial here.
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83.4% Same!
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16.6% Would have liked to try something different
By-election for Otara-Papatoetoe area
Just to let everyone know that we have another by-election happening, and here is the reason why. Below are details and dates, so keep an eye on your letter boxes.
The Manukau Court’s Ruling
The Manukau District Court determined that the Papatoetoe subdivision result of the Ōtara–Papatoetoe Local Board election was invalid, ruling that the outcome had been “materially affected” by voting irregularities. Judge Richard McIlraith found that the scale and nature of the irregularities met the legal threshold required to void an election under New Zealand’s local electoral laws.
In his decision, Judge McIlraith stated that the evidence presented — including reports of stolen voting papers, fraudulent use of ballots, and other procedural irregularities — was sufficient to conclude that the integrity of the election had been compromised. The court noted that at least 79 voting papers were identified as having been cast without the rightful voter’s knowledge during a judicially supervised examination of ballot boxes.
While the judge acknowledged that the election had been administered “properly and in accordance with all requirements” by Independent Election Services and the electoral officer, he concluded that the fraudulent activity originated outside the official process and nonetheless impacted the final result to a degree that required the election to be voided.
As a result of the ruling, the court ordered that a new election must be held, with Auckland Council confirming that the fresh poll must be completed by 9 April 2026
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