$10m carryover cash seen as ‘progress’ for Ashburton council
By local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Delivery has improved but still needs to be better in the Ashburton District.
That was Ashburton mayor Neil Brown’s reaction to the council having just over $10m of carry-over projects from the 2023-24 financial year.
Carry-over money is work that had been budgeted for but was either never started or not completed in the last financial year.
“We need to definitely get the work done in the year we have budgeted for,” Brown said.
“With inflation being rampant over the last few years, when we do get to do the work it's gone up in price from what we budgeted on the year before.
“The carryovers aren’t as large as previous years so we are making progress which is good to see.
“Having no carryovers would be best, but that’s probably a pipedream because there can always be some delays.”
He believed the staff were doing their best to stick to the plans and budgets.
Councillor Richard Wilson said the council needs to be doing what it sets out to do on time and on budget, especially when it comes to three waters projects.
“We need to ensure that the money is spent when we say it [will be].”
Councillors as the governance need to hold chief executive Hamish Riach and the staff that run the operations to account to deliver, he said.
“I support the carryovers but I think they need to be dropping down significantly.”
The council approved the $8,956,894 of capital and $1,318,706 operational expenditure carryovers, a total of $10,275,600.
It’s a big drop from the $38.9m in carryovers from last year (which was more than double the $14.6m the previous year), which had included $22m for the delayed construction of Te Whare Whakatere, Methven water treatment plant, and Mt Somers Water Treatment Plant.
Some projects are repeat carryovers, like the $1.9m for the Art Gallery and Heritage Centre air conditioning upgrade.
There are $4m of property projects and $3.69m of drinking water projects making up the bulk of the $8.9m of capital works.
The figure was reduced by $50,000 as the councillors decided not to fund the installation of shade infrastructure in the courtyard play area and blinds on the ground floor windows adjacent to Baring Square East.
School phone ban good but ‘void’ being created
By local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Removing cell phones from schools is a positive step, but Sport Canterbury says something has to “fill the void" or students will potentially fill it with trouble.
Sport Canterbury’s sector support manager Megan Harlick said the removal of phones has created a void.
“Unless there is something there to activate them, they will find their own trouble.
“It’s critical we don’t leave this void that is then filled by something else.”
She said Sport Canterbury’s programmes in primary and secondary schools, which aim to keep schoolchildren active, are one way to fill that void.
Mid Canterbury community adviser Alice Breading said using phones and other devices at home can become normal behaviour, and the phone ban is an opportunity to “remind them play is out there”.
“Kids need to remember and re-learn sometimes how to play.
“They don’t have to grow up too fast, which is a big piece of the play work we are doing in primary school ... to enjoy playing, climbing trees, enjoy using the playgrounds in different ways.
“Kids don’t tend to find trouble when they are having fun and keeping busy.”
Sport Canterbury recently presented its annual report to the Ashburton District Council, which granted $67,600 for 2024-25 as part of the council’s ongoing support of the organisation.
The report detailed how Sport Canterbury has supported Ashburton College to access $360,000 over three years from Sport New Zealand’s Active As programme.
“It’s all around the enhancement of well-being through physical education,” Breading said.
It’s a student-led programme aimed at increasing physical activity at school but also extended outside the school gate by connecting with local sports groups and the EA Networks Centre.
Then there is healthy active learning facilitator Anna Holland who is working across 10 primary schools in the district around “what quality PE looks like” for the pupils.
One of the popular sessions is “chalk bombing”, where an activity circuit is created using chalk instructions around the school playground.
Breading and Holland presented a case study of what they have achieved at Ashburton Intermediate this year following a playground mapping exercise that identified some barriers and possible improvements to make at the school.
Rather than children wandering around with nothing to do, which can lead to behavioural issues, the goal was to provide more options and opportunities to keep them active, Breading said.
The process gained traction due to the support from the school and a few small changes will make a big impact over time Holland said.
“It will take longer than a term but it will become the new norm.”
Poll: Is it okay to grocery shop in your PJs?
I'm sure you've seen it while doing your weekly shop... In fact, it may have even been you.
What do you think about people heading to the supermarket in their pyjamas?
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14.5% It's fine!
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75% It's questionable
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10.6% Other - I'll share below
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