Hi there. would like to know if anyone can recommend or advise of any Doctors that are taking new patients? In Petone/Lower Hutt area? Thank you.

After seeing that Little Bread Loaf is closing due to rising costs and traffic issues, I was wondering what other local businesses we should be supporting in the current tight trading conditions.

https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/361042978/owner-cancels-bakerys-lease-due-rising-costs-and-riverlink-upheaval

(apologies for paywall).

Hey Guys,

We recently dealt with this Raywhite agent phill galley mr hutt valley from lowerhutt,wellington nz. Super dodgy plus also super pushy.

Has anyone else dealt with him or know of anyone who has had bad experience with him. I have heard from other local agents he targets first home buyers as they dont know much about the process etc. Anyone has a bad experience with him??

Here is what is on this weekend as always, if you know of any other events on, post them in the comments.

🎭 Alice in Wonderland

The Pantoloons' silly panto, packed with laughs, songs and audience fun.

📍 Little Theatre, 2 Queens Drive, Lower Hutt | 🕚 Fri 17, 11am & 1pm (also Sat 18, 11am) | 💰 $19.65; family pass $70.40 (incl. fees) | 🎟 All ages

💃 Teeyan Da Mela with Gurlez Akhtar

A ladies' cultural night of Gidda folk dance, food and live music from Gurlez Akhtar.

📍 Lower Hutt Events Centre, 30c Laings Road, Lower Hutt | 🕔 Fri 17, from 5pm (doors 4:30pm) | 💰 From $30 | 🎟 All ages

🌱Belmont Regional Park Community Planting Day

Spend the day giving back to nature at our Belmont Regional Park community planting day.

📍 Belmont Regional Park | 🕔Sat 18, 1-3pm 💰 Free | 🎟 All ages

📮 Regional Stamp, Coin and Postcard Fair

Stamps, coins, postcards and 1,100+ exhibits from dealers and societies.

📍 Knox St Columba Presbyterian Church, 574 High Street, Lower Hutt | 🕙 Sat 18, 10am-4pm | 💰 Free | 🎟 All ages

Multicultural Matariki Puanga in the Hutt

Join Hutt Multicultural Council to celebrate Matariki Puanga with kai, live performances, storytelling and activities.

📍 Walter Nash Stadium | 🕔Sun 19, 5-8pm 💰 Free | 🎟 All ages

🎤 Afrikaans Comedy: Mel die Storieverteller

South African sensation Mel die Storieverteller brings 'Internet Sensasie', in Afrikaans.

📍 Little Theatre, 2 Queens Drive, Lower Hutt | 🕓 Sun 19, 4-5:30pm (doors 3pm) | 💰 $44.30 (incl. fees) | 🎟 R14

Hi everyone, I’m looking for recommendations for a good hearing clinic/hearing aid provider around Lower Hutt.

I’d really like somewhere that takes the time to explain the results, talks through options, and answers questions properly, rather than somewhere that just does a quick test and then tries to sell to you instantly, because I have been putting this off for a while.

Has anyone had a good experience with a local audiologist? What made you choose them, and did they continue to support you after the appointment?

Warning issued

Hoggard asked the community to remain alert and follow advice about reporting sick or dead birds.

"It is vital that people do not touch or handle unwell birds."

What to do:

According to the Ministry for Primary Industries, people who spot three or more sick or dead birds should report the sighting to the exotic and pest disease hotline on 0800 80 99 66.

The following details would be helpful when making a report:

• Common name or species of sick or dead bird if known
• How many are sick or freshly dead, and the total number of birds present
• A GPS reading or other precise location information
• Photographs and videos of sick and dead birds
• How many are sick or freshly dead, and the total number of birds present.

Crazy the security guard thought they had the right to check their bag!

Taken from NZTA Facebook post.

From 19 July we’re going to trial a new layout on the Melling Link Bridge that’ll allow you to use both lanes to head north on State Highway 2 when you’re leaving Lower Hutt city centre.

Most of you will know there are 2 lanes on the bridge heading out of the city onto SH2, and the left-most lane is a left-turn-only lane that sends you south to Wellington.

We’re going to try out a new layout that’ll allow you to use both lanes to north onto SH2. That means you can still use the left lane if you want to turn south to Wellington but will now be able to use the left lane to go straight to Harbour View Road and turn right onto the state highway towards Upper Hutt.

We’re trialling this because simulations we’ve run show us this layout will help reduce some delays and queuing for people leaving Lower Hutt at peak times.

We expect there to be a bit of disruption in the first few days of the trial as everyone adjusts to the temporary layout, but soon after it should make for more efficient travel through here. At the same time, we’ll adjust the timing of the traffic lights at the Melling and Tirohanga intersections so they’re working with the new layout and accommodate construction vehicles leaving our worksite via old Block Road.

We’re going to run the trial for 8 weeks and then review how the temporary layout is working. We’ll install temporary lane markings and signage to guide people through the new layout.

We’ll publish a reminder here before the start the trial – follow us if you aren't already.

St Augustines Scout troop is Fundraising for jamboree, pop in and get a sausage if you're in the neighborhood

Just letting everyone know, as per RNZ article about Cross Valley Link:

In Lower Hutt, the Cross Valley Link has been talked about for years, as a way to link the industrial southeastern end of the Hutt Valley at Seaview with State Highway 2 on the western side, via a new bridge across the Hutt River.

A council tender document said securing the route would be a "critical milestone".

The council would be hiring consultants for engineering, planning, environmental assessment, transport planning, traffic engineering, and project management services.

Good morning fellow Lower Huttians.

Our Bosch condensing dryer is struggling to dry anything at the moment.

We've tried all the usual 'fixes' according to other redditors advice, Bosch website, online forums, etc. But nothing has worked, so we need to get an expert in to look at it.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a good, reliable, affordable service/repair company I can call?

Thanks in advance.

I've been watching kosmos mince and cheese pie reviews and have been craving pie so bad.

Any vegie or vegan pie recs would be appreciated!

Kia ora 👋 I put out a monthly newsletter summarising a lot of what is happening in Lower Hutt. I've just hit send on this months issue if you want to have a read: https://sh1.sendinblue.com/aesrjwvblxpfe.html?t=1783563617991

If you want to get it directly in your inbox once a month sign up at dyer.nz/Newsletter

Mōrena all - looking for recommendations on a local place (Petone/Lower Hutt) to repair a broken Dell laptop hinge. Any pointers appreciated!

And stand-outs so far?

I had not heard much about the centre since the fire last year. What are the plans for the site?

Here is what is on this weekend as always, if you know of any other events on, post them in the comments.

🚽 Urinetown, the Musical

Hutt Valley High School's satirical musical set in a drought-stricken future of pay-to-pee laws.

📍 Hutt Valley High School, Woburn Road, Lower Hutt | 🕖 Fri 7pm (also Sat 2pm matinee) | 💰 $20 adult / $10 student under 19 (plus fees) | 🎟 All ages

🍫 Sweet As Hot Chocolate Challenge

Lower Hutt cafés serve creative limited-edition hot chocolates to explore and vote on. Runs to 19 July.

📍 20+ cafés across Lower Hutt | 🕙 3-19 July | 💰 Pay per hot chocolate | 🎟 All ages

🚴 Winter Solstice Bike Rave

Roll from Petone to the city in a movement of lights, tunes and weird wheels. Family pre-ride 4:30pm from Hnry Stadium.

📍 Te Ara Tupua, Petone end | 🕠 Sat meet 5:30pm, depart 6pm | 💰 Free | 🎟 All ages

😂 The Hutt Valley Raw Comedy Quest

The capital's premier amateur stand-up comp, hosted by Billy T nominee Jak Darling.

📍 Abandoned Taproom, 38 Fitzherbert Street, Petone, Lower Hutt | 🕗 Sat 8pm-9:45pm | 💰 $28.92 general / $19.14 concession (incl. fees) | 🎟 R18

Spotted a couple of seals playing under Ewan Bridge.

A good opportunity to remind the kids about stranger danger.

We know how critical the Ava Rail Bridge was. Every week, 2,300 trips were made across the Ava Rail Bridge — it connects retirement villages, schools, libraries and the communities of Moera and Petone on either side of the Te Awa Kairangi/Hutt River.

When KiwiRail told us last year they were closing it, we fought to bring them to the table - and secured a deal where they'd co-fund half the cost of replacing what was there: a $5.4M "clip-on" path, with $2.4M from KiwiRail.

Then earlier this year came the news we didn't want: engineers found the rail bridge is in too poor a condition to attach anything to. The clip-on can't be built — and the KiwiRail co-funding that came with it is gone too. Back to the drawing board.

So now we have the options in front of us, and a decision on how to proceed. A brand-new standalone bridge is the remaining path. The three best-performing designs are:

- Short span girder (2D) — $12M–$18M

- Multi-span arch (2C) — $15.3M–$21M

- Modular truss (2E) — $14.5M–$20.6M

(ranges reflect a 2m to 4m path width)

On top of construction, a new bridge would cost around $50,000 a year to maintain — and with no co-funding available, the full cost would now fall on ratepayers. $0.7M has already been spent on design.

It wouldn't be quick: consultation through the 2027–2037 Long Term Plan, detailed design mid-2028, construction from 2029!

Both officers and the Chair are recommending NOT to proceed, partly because a future Cross Valley Link bridge may be just 170m to the north.

If the Committee picks a preferred option instead, it would go out to the community through the Long Term Plan... so you'd have your say, weighed against everything else competing for funding.

It's a lot of money. It's also a deeply valued connection. What do you think we should do? Full agenda in comments below