Kiwis had a heck of a whinge fest in 2023. From neighbours' trees blocking the perfect golden hour sunshine to trash bins bursting at the seams, New Zealanders had a field day airing their grievances to their local councils.
So much so, the Snap Send Solve app, used to report issues to local councils around NZ, witnessed a whopping 106,979 complaints throughout the year, with nearly 82k of them being from one whiny region alone.
If you’re from Southland, dw, you guys were the chillest of the pack. With only 53 complaints, and a third of them relating to car parking, you lot seem to be living easy breezy.
Car parking isn’t just an issue down south, the Bay of Plenty aren’t so stoked with it either. 88 complaints related to the issue have left us wondering if it's about illegally parked vehicles or just a lack of prime parking available.
Wellingtonians had the most trouble with water and pipe-related complaints - 273 reports of leaks and burst mains.
Over in Northland, the roads seem to have hit rock bottom – literally. A quarter of their 383 complaints were all about the potholes covering the region.
Now, I know what you’re thinking, you’re expecting the country’s largest city to take the crown. But in a shocking twist, Auckland falls in second with 10,198 complaints - which in all fairness isn’t so bad considering almost a third of our team of 5 million live in the city of sails.
So, which Kiwis complain the most? Well, it’s the whingy Cantabrians.
With a whopping 82,884 complaints, Graffiti, rubbish and tree-related troubles were three of the top issues getting Cantabrian’s knickers in a twist.
As a proud Cantabrian myself, I can't help but cringe a bit at these results. I mean, sure, we're known for our honest opinions, but this is a bit much. Do we really need to be making a fuss about every little thing?
Oh crap, now I’m doing it… Complaining about the complainers. Well, isn't that just the most Cantabrian thing ever? OMG, I'm proving their point, aren't I?
Welp, I’d like to think we Kiwis will do a lot less moaning this year, but with 8,709 complaints already sent to Snap Send Solve this month, things aren’t looking too good.
