Councillor vents at 'toothless' bylaw: 'There is going to be carnage'
From local democracy reporter David Hill:
Bylaws are ‘‘toothless’’ without enforcement, a Waimakariri district councillor says.
Al Blackie, a retired dentist and volunteer maritime safety officer, has vented his frustrations at boat users who he says are exceeding the 5-knot speed limit on the Kaiapoi River, in violation of a local bylaw.
He said he recently photographed a jet ski doing repeated passes at speed.
“To be fair she slowed down when she got to the marina, and turned around, but she was beating it by the time she got to the coastguard building.
“We are between a rock and hard place because it is a navigation issue, which is Environment Canterbury’s responsibility, and it takes 45 minutes to an hour for them to get here and get a boat on the water, and by then they’re gone.
“One of these days there is going to be carnage.”
Local rowing clubs trained on the river from young children to adults, and it also had an impact on the Kaiapoi River Queen, Blackie said.
The problem was the council had no way of enforcing its bylaws, he said.
Signs were put up to warn of speed limits, but these were often removed, vandalised or used for target practice.
He wanted councils to be given the ability to issue fines.
Blackie said the council faced similar issues when trying to enforce the Pegasus Bay Bylaw.
The Ashley Rakahuri Rivercare Group faced challenges from cats, dogs and vehicles, as well as rats and black-backed gulls, as it sought to protect native birds
“Often it is locals, and their fellow locals, who can be quick to moan about it, but they don’t report it,” Blackie said.
“It is going to take the good locals dobbing in the bad locals to get to the bottom of this.”
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Poll: Should drivers retake the theory test every 10 years?
Drivers get where they need to go, but sometimes it seems that we are all abiding by different road rules (for example, the varying ways drivers indicate around a roundabout).
Do you think drivers should be required to take a quick driving theory test every 10 years?
Vote in the poll and share any road rules that you've seen bent! 😱
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48.4% Yes
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49.7% No
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1.9% Other - I'll share below
Hero
“I was born and raised in war. To be honest, those are not good memories.
I really like Iran, and I really miss it, but I couldn’t be myself there. Even though my family didn’t like my decision, I left Iran. I promised myself that I would do whatever I can for all communities, especially for the kids, so they do not have the same experience I had.
I studied software engineering in Iran and left in 2006. I went to Malaysia and stayed in Kuala Lumpur for seven years. I was admitted to Lincoln University to do my PhD here, but unfortunately, I couldn’t afford the expenses. I requested a scholarship, but they told me I had to be there for six months first. So, I stayed in Malaysia and did my PhD in network security. In December 2013, I came to New Zealand with a work visa.
It took me a while to connect with the Iranian community here. I volunteered with the Multicultural Council, SPCA, and community patrol, and I established the Christchurch Iranian Society in 2017. Before that, I started working on Radio Toranj, the only Farsi-language radio show in New Zealand.
One of the reasons I started organizing cultural events was to showcase Iranian culture. I wanted to show people that we have delicious food, colorful dresses, traditional customs, and our own instruments. My hope was to show people that we are not what you see in the media.
I am working to involve all the communities that celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in the Nowruz festival in March 2025. We want to share this celebration not only with our community but with the public as well. It’s better when it’s shared.
I remember the first time someone from Dunedin called me and asked, Hero, can you help? Something happened, and they keep declining Iranian visa applications. When I heard that, I felt insulted. We are still human, so how can they do that?
Through this journey, I’ve learned a lot. Every single day, people with different cases call me, and I try to share my knowledge and guide them as much as I can.
I have received several awards, including the Christchurch Civic Award and an Award of Recognition for my contributions to the community during the pandemic. In 2021, I established Canterbury Kia Ora Academy, a charitable trust. Through this charity, I can help other communities as well, not just the Iranian community.”
- Hero
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
www.humansofchch.org......
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