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Over the last year there have been 31 fires across the collection service, with 26 at the EcoDrop transfer stations, two at the EcoSort (recycling processing facility), one at the organics processing facility and two in kerbside trucks. Batteries that can be dropped into the collection units: Embedded: mobile phones, smoke alarms, vapes, electric toothbrushes…
The humble cabbage tree leaf proves a tough competitor at Wrybill Trophy Awards What if the leaves of the humble tī kōuka (cabbage tree) could be used for a greener, more sustainable and profitable future? That’s the question Yiting Su from Breens Intermediate explored in his winning science project at the 2025 Wrybill Trophy Awards…
The intersection of Harewood Road, Gardiners Road and Breens Road will be closed from 5pm Sunday 4 January to 5am Monday 12 January. The current west-bound one-way system on Harewood Road between Watsons Road and Russley Road/State Highway 1 will be in place. Detours will be in place during super week for all road users….
The turf, made up of a “top-secret” blend of seeds, has been growing offsite on the outskirts of Christchurch since March. Over the last few weeks, it has been harvested, transported to the stadium and expertly laid in place. Christchurch City Council has released a new video detailing the process. Subcontractor Terrafirma Turf has grown…
Help stop the spread of freshwater pests Whether you’re out fishing, kayaking, paddleboarding, jet skiing, or boating on our freshwater lakes and rivers this summer, the threat of freshwater pests spreading and invading is more real than ever. These pests can choke native water plants and destroy spawning areas for the fish that call our…
Delays expected to bus routes 8, 27 and 125 in early January A week of upgrades to the Harewood, Gardiners and Breens Roads intersection will cause delays for Metro’s Routes 8, 27 and 125 from 5pm on Sunday 4 January 2026. The Christchurch City Council-led works include the installation of new traffic signals and upgrades…
Top tips from a series of South Canterbury farming workshops South Canterbury farmers upskilled on their environmental practices at a series of workshops in Glenavy in October and November. If you missed out – here are the top tips from each workshop. Source link
Stay safe while exploring southern lakes this summer The southern lakes of Mackenzie Country are among Waitaha Canterbury’s most popular summer destinations for boating, camping, and recreation. With the community, boaties, and energy companies all sharing these waters – it’s up to all of us to keep safety front of mind. Extra care needed near…
Tiny pellets, big problem: How Christchurch is fighting plastics in our waterways Unannounced site visits to Ōtautahi Christchurch plastic manufactures have revealed significant improvements in the fight to prevent nurdle pollution — stormwater’s tiny microplastic foe. Nurdles are small plastic pellets used to make most plastic products, typically ranging from 2-5 mm in diameter. When they enter stormwater drains and flow into waterways, nurdles and other microplastics pose significant…
The corpse flower, Amorphophallus titanum, has been growing at the Christchurch Botanic Gardens since 2008 and has only ever flowered one other time five years ago. It originates in the rainforests of Sumatra. Deputy Director Botanic Gardens and Mona Vale Nicky Brown is encouraging garden enthusiasts and people with an interest in the slightly unusual…
Christchurch City Council’s programme of summer events starts on New Year’s Eve and continues throughout January and February. NYE Kids Countdown & NYE25 Celebrate the year-that-was as our free, all-ages New Year’s Eve parties take over North Hagley Park on 31 December. The family-friendly NYE Kids Countdown from 4-7pm has games, live music, dance battles…
Meet the robot protecting our harbours from marine pests Our coastal team can now tackle new areas of Whakaraupō Lyttelton Harbour for surveying and marine pest control , thanks to Kiwi tech company Boxfish Robotics and Earth Sciences NZ (formerly NIWA). Every year, we undertake biosecurity surveillance at four ports and harbours across Waitaha Canterbury, searching for invasive marine species that can damage Aotearoa New Zealand’s marine biodiversity. One of the biggest threats? Sabella spallanzanii,…
Love Our Lakes: Protecting Mackenzie and Waitaki waterways as visitor numbers set to climb Stunning lakes, blue skies, and… thousands of visitors! With summer tourism set to boom in Mackenzie and Waitaki, Love Our Lakes is back to remind holidaymakers that we’re all responsible for taking simple steps to keep our iconic lakes healthy and…
Kerbside collection There’s no bin collection on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day From 25 December to 4 January, Thursday and Friday collections will be a day later (Friday and Saturday). There are no changes to Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday collections Please put your bin out by 6am, more information can be found on our website…
Final Council meeting of the year prompts robust discussions Canterbury Regional Councillors had a full agenda in the final council meeting of 2025 that prompted discussion around committee representatives, allowances, and nitrates on Wednesday 10 December. Councillors were appointed to represent the Canterbury Regional Council on several trusts and community advisory groups during the 2025-28…
Pool Party – School’s Out For Summer! What time is it? Summertime! Say goodbye to schoolwork and hello to the ultimate pool party at Te Hāpua: Halswell Centre to kick off your summer break. Whether you want to have a splash, test your obstacle course skills, or bounce into summer on a bouncy castle, we’ve…
Spring and stormwater-fed Addington Brook winds through industrial land in the city’s south-west, before passing through South Hagley Park and flowing into the Ōtākaro-Avon River. Previously, the brook faced several challenges within the park including slumping banks, limited drainage capacity, poor biodiversity, and blockages caused by trees. In some areas, the narrow waterway was difficult…
School students take action to protect Te Repo o Papatahora wetland A group of tomorrow’s scientists from Te Rōhutu Whio School in Tauwharekākaho Rolleston visited Te Pā o Moki marae in Southbridge in October to learn about the biodiversity of its surrounding land and help protect it for future generations. Ākonga (students) planted native trees…
Route 7 frequency increase causing increase in patronage too It’s not just the frequency that’s increased on Metro’s Route 7 Halswell to Queenspark service, but also now the patronage. In April the route switched to running every 10 minutes from 5.30am to 6.30pm on weekdays and every 15 minutes outside of those hours, and…
Unutai e! Unutai e! was developed by Dunedin Public Art Gallery in collaboration with Ngāi Tahu leaders and photographer Anne Noble. It explores the deteriorating state of fresh water across the Ngāi Tahu takiwā (territory). In 2020, Ngāi Tahu filed a statement of claim with the High Court seeking recognition of rakatirataka (authority) over wai…
A new national recycling system for farm plastics The future of on-farm waste management is looking brighter thanks to a new nationwide rural recycling scheme covering agrichemicals and farm plastics. The industry-led scheme will unite the Agrecovery and Plasback programmes into a single national system, offering free-to-use, simple, and accessible services for all users of…
Enviroschools celebration 2025: Canterbury students lead the way in sustainability and action From bees to trees, recycling to restoration, this year’s Enviroschools celebration brought together creative and passionate young environmental leaders from across Waitaha Canterbury. Source link
‘Marine hotels’: Invertebrate lodgings provide insights into Whakaraupō Lyttelton Harbour’s health Deep below the surface of Whakaraupō Lyttelton Harbour are invertebrates offering important clues about the health of the harbour. Earth and marine scientist Dr Joyce Yager knows this better than most. She’s keen to learn more about the invertebrates that call Whakaraupō home and…
Motu Move passes 100,000 tags in first month More than 100,000 contactless payments have now been made on public transport in Greater Christchurch using Motu Move, in the one month since the new system was introduced to Metro services. Launched on 10 November, Motu Move is the new National Ticketing Solution (NTS) which will eventually…
Festivities begin with the NYE Kids’ Countdown from 4-7pm led by Christchurch children’s entertainer Trubie-Dylan Smith. There will be games, live music, dance battles and a massive countdown at 7pm with streamers. Then step things up a notch at NYE25 with three fantastic live acts taking the stage from 8pm to midnight, DJSambora keeping the…
From guts to glory – Canterbury farmers encourage composting livestock mortalities Dealing with animal mortalities is part of the reality of farming. But rather than viewing carcasses as a waste product, several industry partners, a group of farmers and us are encouraging people to consider composting as an alternative option to an offal pit. We…
Located in Central Christchurch between Moorhouse Ave and St Asaph Street, Parakiore will open to the public on Wednesday 17 December at 5.30am. Speaking at the formal event, Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger said “Parakiore will stand for generations to come and be a place enjoyed by residents and visitors to our city alike.” Ahead of…
Canterbury voice critical in significant time of change Canterbury Regional Council’s Chair Dr Deon Swiggs says the Council is well positioned to consider and respond to proposed resource management legislation. Source link
On Monday 1 December 2025, Local Government Minister Simon Watts announced the long-promised “rates cap” policy. The proposal is to limit councils’ annual rate increases to a range between inflation and GDP growth, with water services charges and targeted rates excluded from the cap. Under the policy, the minimum increase would be set at 2%…
Improvements began last week to the Dunbars Road, Hindess Street, McMahon Drive roundabout, as well as minor changes being made to Ensign and Lillian streets. This work, due to finish on 19 December, is part of a larger package of improvements approved by the Waipuna Halswell-Hornby-Riccarton Community Board in July. Transport Operations Manager Stephen Wright…