Former Hurunui Mayor returns to council table
From local democracy reporter David Hill:
Former Hurunui Mayor Gary Jackson is returning to the council table.
Mr Jackson made a last minute decision to stand in the south ward when there were just two nominations for four positions, just days out from nominations closing.
He won one of four seats in the Hurunui District Council’s south ward in Saturday’s (October 8) local government election.
He was mayor from 2004 to 2010 before stepping down from the council.
‘‘My wife passed away earlier this year and I was searching for what is my new life.
‘‘My daughter said ‘you have a passion for the district’ and she thought it might give me a sense of purpose.
‘‘Mayor Marie Black has done a great job given the pressure the council is under with Three Waters reform and I just want to be a team player at the table.’’
Jackson said he hoped to reinvigorate Amberley’s growth during his time on the council.
‘‘Kaiapoi and Rangiora have continued to make great steps forward, but we’ve lost a little bit of ground.’’
He will be joined by new councillor Vanessa McPherson and sitting councillors Robbie Bruerton and Pauline White.
Mrs McPherson said the new council team had ‘‘a good combination of skills and talents’’.
She said she had a long list of goals she wanted to achieve.
‘‘Honestly it’s early days, but I have a pretty clear vision of how the community needs to grow on its own terms and it seems a lot of people agree with that.’’
She also believed local government elections needed to be ‘‘reinvigorated’’ to encourage more people to vote.
Deputy mayor Vincent Daly and Fiona Harris also return in the east ward.
New councillors Tom Davies and David Hislop were elected unopposed in the west ward, joining sitting councillors Karen Armstrong and Ross Barnes.
Mayor Marie Black was also re-elected unopposed.
Black said she was looking forward to ‘‘building a strong, cohesive council’’.
She was due to meet with councillors individually this week to discuss their goals and aspirations, ahead of the council induction next Thursday, October 20.
‘‘I think it’s going to be a great journey and we’re hoping for less Covid impact on our community over the next three years.’’
Covid-19 was unheard of when Black was sworn in as mayor back in 2019 and the government’s reform agenda was only in its ‘‘infancy’’.
Three Waters and Resource Management Act reform and the future of local government loom as major issues over the next three years.
The deputy mayor will be elected by the council and councillors will decide whether to adopt Tuesday as the council meeting day at the October 20 meeting.
■ Public interest journalism is funded by New Zealand on Air.
We're talking new year resolutions...
Tidying the house before going to bed each night, meditating upon waking or taking the stairs at work.
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New Year, Same Brain Teasers!
A man was found dead with a cassette recorder in one hand and a gun in the other.
When the police pressed “play,” the tape said, “I can’t go on,” and then there was a gunshot.
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⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
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