672 days ago

Friday Feathered Friend

Nicholas Boyack Reporter from Community News

Words and picture by Louise Thomas.

"I used to avoid posting photos where I had accidentally captured a nictitating membrane - I thought they looked like weird sausage-skin sideways eyelids. Then I read that they are amazing built-in bird goggles, so the bird can blink and still see, or even shutter their eyes in extreme conditions to protect their eyes while flying or diving. Apparently we used to have them too - the pink blob in the inner corner of our eyes is a vestigial membrane. I suppose we evolved out of needing them - still they might have been handy the other day when I was trying to take photos on the beach during a gale. Pūkeko/purple swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus) at Waimanu Lagoon."

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More messages from your neighbours
4 days ago

Poll: Does the building consent process need to change?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

We definitely need homes that are fit to live in but there are often frustrations when it comes to getting consent to modify your own home.
Do you think changes need made to the current process for building consent? 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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Does the building consent process need to change?
  • 91.5% Yes
    91.5% Complete
  • 8.2% No
    8.2% Complete
  • 0.3% Other - I'll share below!
    0.3% Complete
1149 votes
18 hours ago

Lest we forget...

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

On this ANZAC Day, let's take a moment to remember and honor the brave men and women who have served and continue to serve our country.

Tell us who are you honouring today. Whether it's a story from the battlefield or a memory of a family member who fought in the war, we'd love you to share your stories below.

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10 days ago

Upper Hutt Rates Increases.

Paul from Trentham

Please excuse if I am posting this where is shouldn't be. Admins, do remove this if its not appropriate.

I have not done anything like this before so please excuse if my wording isn't quite right.


As most of us are aware the Upper Hutt City Council have proposed to raise their Rates by near on 20% each year over the next 3 years.

If your UHCC Rates are around $2500 per year, after the 3 years of increases they will be approximately $4300 which equals an extra $35ish per week. This will not only hit homeowners, rentals, hirage of venues etc but will be impacting the community as the costs will be passed on with such large increases over a short period of time.

As I am outraged about this, I have created a petition on change.org to hopefully be able to show the council how many are not for these massive increases in a short period of time.

If you would like to support this petition please go to the link and add your voice.

www.change.org...

Thanks in advance.