Are Akaroa's Giant House consent costs reasonable?
The owner of a Banks Peninsula tourist attraction is “flabbergasted” at her endless battle to expand her garden and build a cafe – with bureaucratic consenting costs spiralling to $165,000.
Josie Martin, owner of The Giant’s House mosaic garden in Akaroa, has already spent $97,000 and three years trying to get a consent from Christchurch City Council.
She is now facing additional costs of $67,000 after commissioner David Mountfort decided her consent application needed to be publicly notified.
Do you think this amount of $$$ in consent costs is reasonable?
Poll: Are Kiwis allergic to “exuberance”? 🥝
In The Post’s opinion piece on the developments set to open across Aotearoa in 2026, John Coop suggests that, as a nation, we’re “allergic to exuberance.”
We want to know: Are we really allergic to showing our excitement?
Is it time to lean into a more optimistic view of the place we call home? As big projects take shape and new opportunities emerge, perhaps it’s worth asking whether a little more confidence (and enthusiasm!) could do us some good.
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41.3% Yes
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33.9% Maybe?
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24.8% No
Neighbourhood Challenge: Who Can Crack This One? ⛓️💥❔
What has a head but no brain?
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!
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2025 has been massive. The Luxon-led Government's attacks on workers, on Te Tiriti, on pay equity, on educators, on health workers, and on the public service, have been relentless.
But despite everything thrown at working people, we've also seen some massive wins. We've fought back together with strike action. We've unified with days of action. We have focused on what matters. Make no mistake, 2026 will be wild, and we are ready for it! Source - New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
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