Hotting up: Mayor Phil Mauger

by Metropol | September 2, 2026 8:33 am


Forewarned is forearmed; be prepared for a hotter summer with the upcoming El Niño.

And just like that, another winter has come to an end.

August was pretty tough on the weather front but certainly highlighted what a sensible decision it was to put a roof on our Stadium.

Crowds have been turning out for Canterbury NPC matches without having to worry about getting soaked in the rain or catching a chill in the southerly wind.

If you haven’t been brave enough to head out, now that spring is here and the events calendar is getting busier, I strongly urge you to make the most of what our humming city has to offer.

But this year we also need to be aware of the risk the warmer weather brings.

You might have seen that we’ve been warned about the upcoming El Niño. We’re expecting a drier, hotter and windier summer this year, with the fire season lasting a lot longer.

The Council is working closely with Fire and Emergency New Zealand and other key partners to be prepared.

We’ve installed more firefighting tanks and improved ponds to fill monsoon buckets to support the existing water storage we have in the Port Hills and Banks Peninsula. And teams have been busy planting fire-resilient plants, grazing livestock to keep grass down where possible and trimming some areas they can’t get to.

As the weather warms up, I would encourage everyone to take a moment to think about your property, your family and your business and make sure you’re prepared.

A little preparation now can make a big difference later.

For advice, take a look at www.fireandemergency.nz.


Source URL: https://metropol.co.nz/hotting-up-mayor-phil-mauger/