1315 days ago

Holiday accommodation shortage fears in Akaroa if 'Airbnb crackdown' passes

Jake Kenny Reporter from Community News

Akaroa will have an accommodation shortage if plans to crack down on homeowners running Airbnb-style properties in Christchurch are implemented across Banks Peninsula, locals say.

Calls are being made for the popular Canterbury holiday hotspot to be excluded from a three-tiered consenting system, which will compel those who rent out a property on a short-term basis to apply for a consent, at a cost of least $1000.

The changes are being proposed by the city council after a proliferation of homes have been listed on short-term accommodation websites in Christchurch in the past four years, causing concerns about the impact on housing supply and the loss of residential neighbours.

The motel industry has also put pressure on the council to create a level playing field.

But some argue the issues faced in Christchurch are not problems for Banks Peninsula.

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More messages from your neighbours
3 days ago

Poll: Would you want an unconventional funeral?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Funerals can cost as much as $22,000 and the planning can be stressful especially at a time when loved ones are grieving. Some New Zealanders are re-imagining funerals by making their own coffin or having a relaxed ceremony at home. Would you want a less traditional funeral? Share your thoughts below.

Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your comments to be excluded from the Conversations column of your local paper.

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Would you want an unconventional funeral?
  • 84.2% Yes
    84.2% Complete
  • 13.9% No
    13.9% Complete
  • 1.9% Other - I'll share below!
    1.9% Complete
1624 votes
16 hours ago

Poll: What could the Christchurch City Council fund if it didn't have to pay GST on rates?

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger says GST on rates, currently taken by central government, would be better spent locally.

The comments follow an Infometrics analysis that found over $1.1 billion of rates revenue nationwide was collected by the Government in 2022 as GST.

According to Infometrics, $88.5m of that came from Christchurch city ratepayers. It would be enough to save the Christ Church Cathedral from ruin; restore the Dux de Lux seven times over; cover both the Art Centre and Orana Wildlife Park’s request for regular public funding for over 26 years; contribute to light rail in Greater Christchurch; or get the South Library rebuild completed.

Read the full story by reporter Sinead Gill here and share your thoughts in the comments below. (Note: Subscription required. You can still read two free stories a month if you're not a ThePress.co.nz subscriber).

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What could the Christchurch City Council fund if it didn't have to pay GST on rates?
  • 25.4% Light rail
    25.4% Complete
  • 1.7% South Library
    1.7% Complete
  • 42.4% Orana Wildlife Park
    42.4% Complete
  • 13.6% The Arts Centre
    13.6% Complete
  • 5.1% Dux de Lux
    5.1% Complete
  • 10.2% Christ Church Cathedral
    10.2% Complete
  • 1.7% Something else (share your thoughts in the comments)
    1.7% Complete
59 votes
13 hours ago

Addictive Eaters Anonymous

The Team from Addictive Eaters Anonymous - Christchurch

I am no longer looking in from the outside

I had a sense of isolation and loneliness which had been with me from childhood. As an overweight child I went on to be an obese adult.

I suffered from massive anxiety and later on in life with depression. If asked how I was I would reply 'fine', but inside felt dreadful. I recall feeling depressed in my late teens and later had postnatal depression with the births of my children. The amounts I was eating at these times increased and so did my weight - the more I ate, the worse I felt; the worse I felt, the more I ate.

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