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HIT Lab NZ celebrates 20 years of innovation This month, the University of Canterbury (UC)’s HIT Lab NZ is celebrating two decades at the forefront of human interface technology research. Since its establishment, HIT Lab NZ has grown into a multidisciplinary centre with a strong track record of excellence in using advanced technologies to solve…
A decision by the coroner to investigate the role of digital platforms in the Christchurch terror attack has been called a “landmark moment” for the accountability of social media platforms by the national coordinator of the Islamic Women’s Council of New Zealand. In an earlier decision, the Coroner’s Court had ruled that the role of…
Te Pūheke opens a pathway towards improved environmental stewardship If Aotearoa New Zealand is to successfully transition to a more sustainable, resilient future without sacrificing productivity, then the full impact of various land-use practices needs to be well-understood and appropriately managed. A powerful new model being developed by a multi-disciplinary team led by researchers at…
If you are carrying a few extra kilos in weight, an extra apple or two per day might make a difference in boosting your immune system and helping ward off COVID-19 and winter illnesses. New University of Otago, Christchurch research has identified, for the first time, exactly how much extra vitamin C humans need to…
Councillors will consider more than 500 submissions from the community as hearings begin on Christchurch City Council’s Draft Annual Plan 2022/23. The Draft Annual Plan, which outlines the Council’s spending on projects and day-to-day services over the next financial year and how they’ll be financed, was released for public comment in March. Five hundred and…
Technology teacher numbers boosted by new University of Canterbury entry system There has been a dramatic upswing in the number of students training to become technology teachers at the University of Canterbury after a new entry system launched this year. University of Canterbury students (back row from left) Gareth Wynne, Peter Le bon, Andrea Eves…
On the 10th of June 2022, our Duke of Edinburgh Memorial Grove at the Christchurch Gondola will be officially opening as a place for New Zealanders to remember and reflect on the contributions of HRH, Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh. Established in September 2021, 100 Red Matipo / MÄpou trees were planted on the…
Christchurch was buzzing over the weekend as residents and visitors turned out in force for the second annual Te Pūtahi Open Christchurch festival of architecture. A range of building styles, ages and uses were on offer with mid-century Christchurch Modern buildings proving popular, as was the Bull O’Sullivan designed educational building, Te Hohepa Kōhanga Reo….
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/gang-warfare-behind-gun-violence-thats-claimed-nearly-100-lives-in-just-four-years/ZSCXGL7BNJRRSYDZASWTU5JECI/ Ignoring the inflammatory headline in the above article, and the Christchurch terrorist attack, the figures quoted equate to 10 firearm homicides per year. Which is not so far different from the average of 7 per year in the previous 9 years. However Sporting Shooters NZ acknowledge that the increase in gun homicides may be…
On 8 November 2020, Police were justified in using force to effect the arrest of a youth for a suspected family harm incident and breaching a protection order in Christchurch. In confronting him, Police were aware that the youth had threatened to stab the next officer he dealt with. The youth was aggressive and resisted…
A desire to help was the main driver for Victoria Lu to join the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF). She has just graduated the 14-week recruit training at RNZAF Base Woodbourne and will now head to Burnham Military Camp, near Christchurch, to complete two-and-a-half years of medic training. Aircraftman Lu, 23, from Ellerslie in…
Mushrooms are a-growing at the Fungi Farm in the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor Regeneration Area. The project is an initiative of the Riverlution Collective and driven by the Richmond Community Garden, but spokesperson Hayley Guglietta says it will take a couple of years for the fungi populations to get well established. “They’ve got to have…
Timaru, let’s keep burning smoke-free this winter As part of our annual ‘Warmer Cheaper’ campaign, we are encouraging Timaru residents with wood burners to burn smoke-free this winter. As the temperature drops, it’s time to start thinking about home heating. For those using wood for home heating, that means using an approved and well-maintained…
Independent testing to better understand the odours from around the fire-damaged Christchurch Wastewater Treatment Plant shows the stench is largely due to sulphurous gases. However, the concentration of the gases measured last week were at levels well below the Worksafe exposure standards. Christchurch City Council Head of Three Waters Helen Beaumont says a specialist air…
Tīrama Mai will brighten up Ōtautahi-Christchurch this winter with a range of innovative lighting installations and artworks on display throughout the central city. The lighting festival is free to attend and will be held from Friday 24 June to Sunday 3 July. Christchurch City Council Events and Arts Manager Lucy Blackmore says this year’s event…
Discovering the Adulterer’s Guide: Aotearoa’s Wicked Bible In 1631, Robert Barker, printer to the English King Charles I, made one of the most serious blunders in publishing history. So much so, one contemporary labelled it “a ſcandalous miſtake in our Engliſh Bibles.” Barker’s error was indeed grave: his 1631 printing had rendered one of the…
Late last year Environment Canterbury and Christchurch City Council successfully launched the new real-time information (RTI) system for the Metro public transport network. The implementation was completed when the Bus Interchange technology was upgraded. Over the last 12-months, the project has refreshed and upgraded Metro’s RTI system replacing the previous radio-based solution with a GPS…
Public transport users in Christchurch are benefitting from a new real-time information (RTI) system that enables them to find out exactly when the next bus is going to arrive. Over the past 12 months Environment Canterbury and Christchurch City Council have been working with technology provider NEC NZ Limited to upgrade the real-time information system…
Today, Chorus announced that the final leg of a 250km infrastructure project to provide the West Coast with an upgraded and more resilient telecommunications network is complete. Government funding from Crown Infrastructure Partners (CIP) has enabled, Chorus and the Rural Connectivity Group (RCG) to provide modern connectivity to one of New Zealand’s remotest regions. The…
Christchurch youngsters will find it easier to play both winter and summer sports thanks to a new agreement between the sporting codes that creates a gap at the end of each season. The gap will also give Christchurch City Council more time between the sporting seasons to prepare the playing fields. “With winter and summer…
New real-time information system for Canterbury’s public transport Late last year Environment Canterbury and Christchurch City Council successfully launched the new real-time information (RTI) system for the Metro public transport network. The implementation was completed when the Bus Interchange technology was upgraded. Over the last 12-months, the project has refreshed and upgraded Metro’s RTI system…
Join your local water zone committee What’s your wai? Now is the time to join your local water zone committee and make a contribution towards the future of Canterbury’s precious water resources. Nine of Canterbury’s water zone committees are looking for new community members, with applications closing on Monday 30 May. We are looking for community…
Clarke claimed second while Moody finished third at National Storage IRONMAN Australia Interviews with Clarke and Moody can be downloaded here Auckland’s Rebecca Clarke came agonisingly close to victory but had to settle for second after a gutsy performance in the 35th anniversary National Storage IRONMAN Australia. Jack Moody, also hailing from Auckland, finished third…
The NZ Vegetarian Society (NZVS) annual Think Kind Student Competition has officially launched 1 May. The competition encourages students from years 0 to 13 to submit any type of project about being kind to animals and the planet. The winner of the competition will receive $1,000 towards their school, and every entrant receives a prize….
Adaptive learning technologies puts students on path to success #KiaAngitu. Rosie Cameron is on a mission to ensure students are on the right path for success as they work towards a STEM degree. She uses adaptive learning technologies in a foundational mathematics course to meet the diverse learning needs of incoming students, helping them to…
A planned project to construct low stopbanks along part of the Ōpāwaho Heathcote River may not go ahead. Following severe flooding along the Ōpāwaho Heathcote River in July 2017, Christchurch City Council resolved to investigate the technical feasibility of installing low stopbanks along the river between Colombo Street and Radley Street to reduce the flood…
A bug hotel shaped like a whare has been installed in the Ōtakaro Avon River Corridor to help boost the population of native bees. Christchurch City Council Urban Rangers made and installed the hotel in the Horseshoe Lake regeneration area of the Ōtakaro Avon River Corridor (OARC) in a bid to establish more colonies of…
Cultural context crucial for understanding mahinga kai A recent online Shed Talk event for farmers and industry representatives in the Hurunui Waiau Uwha zone saw the cultural context of mahinga kai at the forefront to inform future protection actions. Shed Talk events are held to help communities connect with their local Environment Canterbury team and…
Environment Canterbury is reducing the cost of cash fares for buses to and from Christchurch Airport to co-incide with the opening of international borders. This means that customers who board a Metro bus at the Christchurch International Airport will pay the same cash fare as for any Metro bus trip within Christchurch. Previously, cash fares…
Researchers tackle wicked problems in shipping industry An industry-academia research partnership could help offer solutions to reduce the carbon footprint of the freight transport industry. Swire Shipping’s Moana Chief With a commitment to achieving the COP21 Paris agreement imperative to limit the global temperature rise to less than 2°C, Swire Shipping’s aim is to reduce…