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Plenty of time for creativity - see the categories for this year's North Canterbury Wearable Arts show in September, in Rangiora
Bring a bit of nature inside with a simple tree mural in Resene colours.
Find out how to add colour to you child's room with this handy advice.
Talk to your provider and give them a chance to sort it. If it remains unresolved, you can talk to TDR – your free and independent complaint service.
TDR helps over 3,000 Kiwis every year with their telco troubles. Whether it’s a broadband, mobile or home phone billing issue, it’s free … View moreTalk to your provider and give them a chance to sort it. If it remains unresolved, you can talk to TDR – your free and independent complaint service.
TDR helps over 3,000 Kiwis every year with their telco troubles. Whether it’s a broadband, mobile or home phone billing issue, it’s free to resolve your complaint with TDR. It’s easy too – you can contact us online or by phoning 0508 98 98 98 – and we’ll start working with you and your provider.
The King's coronation took place over the weekend which saw our Prime Minister pledging allegiance to King Charles III. Do you think Aotearoa should say goodbye to the royal family?
Share your thoughts and reasons below.
Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your comments to be … View moreThe King's coronation took place over the weekend which saw our Prime Minister pledging allegiance to King Charles III. Do you think Aotearoa should say goodbye to the royal family?
Share your thoughts and reasons below.
Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your comments to be excluded from the We Say You Say column of your local paper.
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
A council bungle has left ratepayers to foot a $70,000 bill.
The Ashburton District Council is retrospectively getting consent for upgrade work carried out in 2020 at the Scarness weir located in Mt Harding Stream near Methven.
It follows an … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
A council bungle has left ratepayers to foot a $70,000 bill.
The Ashburton District Council is retrospectively getting consent for upgrade work carried out in 2020 at the Scarness weir located in Mt Harding Stream near Methven.
It follows an abatement notice from Environment Canterbury, issued last year, for the non-consented work.
The initial work was carried out following a health and safety audit of the district stockwater network. To remedy a health and safety issue the structure was altered, but ECan wasn't consulted.
Council staff had a meeting on site with ECan earlier this year to understand the full extent of the issues.
The council has since engaged Beca to assist with the retrospective consenting of the structure.
The consultants have completed a topographical survey upstream and downstream of the site and are developing a consent strategy, concept design, assessment of environmental effects, and consent application.
The application will be lodged by mid-June with the total cost of the work estimated to be around $70,000.
ECan formally advised the council that the compliance date of the abatement notice requires the matter to be addressed by November 20.
The weir is in an area of the stockwater network that forms part of the Pudding Hill Intake, which is currently being investigated for closure by the council, making it potentially redundant in the future.
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It can be stressful to find more ways to save money. Comparing your bills using NZ Compare is one simple way you can cut costs!
It only takes a couple of minutes to check if you're on the right plan, for the right price. … View moreBut your Broadband and Power bills don't need to Neighbours!
It can be stressful to find more ways to save money. Comparing your bills using NZ Compare is one simple way you can cut costs!
It only takes a couple of minutes to check if you're on the right plan, for the right price. Remember the longer you leave it, the more money you could be choosing to spend instead of SAVE.
Read our guide on how to save on your Broadband and Power bills OR ring our NZ-based Customer Support Team on 0508 226 672 Monday-Friday 10am-6pm. They're here to help!
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
It’s hoped banning booze from more of Ashburton will help reduce alcohol fuelled crime.
The Ashburton District Council is set to adopt an updated alcohol control bylaw, which extends existing liquor ban areas in Ashburton and Methven.
The … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
It’s hoped banning booze from more of Ashburton will help reduce alcohol fuelled crime.
The Ashburton District Council is set to adopt an updated alcohol control bylaw, which extends existing liquor ban areas in Ashburton and Methven.
The intention of the bylaw is to stop people drinking in specific public areas, to reduce the potential for alcohol-related offensive behaviour and harm, damage, disorder, and crime.
Police are backing the move, saying “side loading”, aka leaving a licensed premises to drink alcohol somewhere in public nearby, is a big issue.
Acting Senior Sergeant Janine Bowden told councillors at the recent submission hearing it was a regular occurrence and she had seen evidence of both pre-and side loading through alcohol containers and bottles discarded outside and around licensed premises and in areas like car parks.
“Duty managers in licensed premises have obligations in relation to intoxication and managing that.
“When people go outside, they can also consume alcohol in an uncontrolled way and then go back into licensed premises.”
In response to feedback suggesting police were not enforcing the bans, Bowden said police were actively patrolling areas in “high risk times” in relation to intoxication and harm caused by excessive alcohol consumption.
The proposed liquor ban extension was a good fit with the police prevention model, she said.
“Obviously there is that enforcement arm of the police but it’s better to prevent something than enforce it.”
Bowden holds the role of alcohol harm reduction officer in Ashburton and said the bylaw provides police with a prevention tool.
“I don’t think anyone wants young people under 18 years of age in and around the public areas consuming alcohol.”
Meanwhile, councillor Richard Wilson raised concerns that there was too much room for interpretation in the bylaw and it could see people caught out with “booze in the boot”, such as when they had bought alcohol and were taking it home.
At the hearing he asked Bowden how police would enforce the bylaw when it came to the “extreme” of transporting cough medicine, defined as alcohol in the bylaw, through a liquor ban area.
Police will take a “sensible, pragmatic view” to enforcing the bylaw, she replied.
Under the Local Government Act there are a number of exemptions for the transportation of unopened bottles or containers of alcohol through alcohol ban areas, which include carrying alcohol bought from an off-license, and carrying alcohol to or from private residences.
The bylaw consultation had 28 submissions and the council deliberated on the feedback last week, with a final draft of the bylaw to come before council on May 17.
Three new sections added in Ashburton are:
1: River crossing retail precinct up to Kermode St, SH1 across to Cass St.
2: Ashburton Central Retail area, bordered by Cass St, Moore St, William St and Tancred St.
3: Countdown down to the Regent Cinema, the block of East St, Wills St, Peter St and Cass St.
In Methven the only addition is incorporating the full length of Mackie St and extending along Methven Chertsey Rd to make the boundary clearer to residents.
King Charles III will be offically crowned on Saturday (NZ time) at Westminster Abbey. It will be the first coronation ceremony since Queen Elizabeth II's in 1953.
In other words, it's a very big deal for Great Britain and the rest of the Commonwealth.
Will you be celebrating King … View moreKing Charles III will be offically crowned on Saturday (NZ time) at Westminster Abbey. It will be the first coronation ceremony since Queen Elizabeth II's in 1953.
In other words, it's a very big deal for Great Britain and the rest of the Commonwealth.
Will you be celebrating King Charles' coronation? We want to hear the details.
Are you having a party at your place, and who's invited?
Will you dress up in fancy dress or a costume?
Are you decorating your house? Or celebrating another way? Share your plans, or tell us what the coronation means to you (or doesn't mean) in the comments below.
Download the free Nymbl app, and with just 10 minutes a day you can stay active and improve your balance.
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The Miniature Schnauzer dog breed has it all in one small package: intelligence, affection, an extroverted temperament, humor, and a personality that’s twice as big as their bodies. Throw in that walrus mustache and quivering enthusiasm, and they’ll make you laugh every day.
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
The Methven community will be celebrating a win with Waka Kotahi set to reduce the speed in the northern entrance to the town.
The speed reduction, and other proposed safety improvements along State Highway 77, were reported to the Methven … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
The Methven community will be celebrating a win with Waka Kotahi set to reduce the speed in the northern entrance to the town.
The speed reduction, and other proposed safety improvements along State Highway 77, were reported to the Methven Community Board by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency regional senior safety engineer James Long this week.
Lowering the speed past Ōpuke hot pools has been hot on the community’s agenda, pushing for a reduction from 100kph along the stretch of SH77 on the northern entrance to the township.
Waka Kotahi consulted on a reduction to 80kph, which was “unsurprisingly” deemed inappropriate in the feedback, Long said.
It has instead resulted in a reduction to 60kph, but he was unable to confirm when it would be changed.
Deputy mayor and Methven resident Liz McMillan is delighted at the decision.
“I walk along that area often and see how much the new footpath is used and when the speed is finally reduced to 60km it will be so much safer and a big win for our community."
Long also covered the school variable speed zones and possible improvements to the pedestrian crossing and the SH77/Forest Drive/Methven-Chertsey Rd intersection.
McMillan and school principals had met with Long at the pedestrian crossing that services all three schools in the town earlier this year to discuss safety issues.
The result will be the removal of some car parks to increase visibility as well as a recommendation to raise the crossing, which reduces speeds to avoid a “catastrophic outcome”, Long said.
The pedestrian crossing will also benefit from a variable 30kph speed zone that will be introduced in the next 12 months.
The speed will reduce to 30kph, from 50kph, for a small period at the start and end of the school day, with the zone stretching from around Dolma St to just north of the pedestrian crossing, Long said.
The other area being considered for safety improvements in the future is the town’s main intersection.
Rather than the current cross roads, it will be recommended a small roundabout may function better, Long said. A potential new pedestrian crossing in the centre of town is also being proposed.
The roundabout and pedestrian crossing have been added to the list to be considered for the next National Land Transport Programme.
Methven Community Board member Richie Owen supported looking at the safety initiatives as the increasing road usage as the town develops means some of the road layouts may be out of date.
Real flavour begins on our family farms, where we take a wholesome approach to farming and allow the goodness of the land to do its work.
With a mild climate and ample space our farms are ideally suited to natural farming methods, the highest standards of animal welfare and sustainable … View moreReal flavour begins on our family farms, where we take a wholesome approach to farming and allow the goodness of the land to do its work.
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From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Naming meeting rooms in the new library and civic centre after primary schools better represents the district than “overused” rivers and lakes, councillor Richard Wilson says.
The Ashburton District Council was considering options for naming … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Naming meeting rooms in the new library and civic centre after primary schools better represents the district than “overused” rivers and lakes, councillor Richard Wilson says.
The Ashburton District Council was considering options for naming the 27 meeting spaces in the new library Te Pātaka o kā Tuhituhi and civic centre Te Waharoa a Hine Paaka.
The rooms will have an alpha-numeric naming system – signifying the floor level and room number – as well as a name, with both English and te reo Māori names wherever possible.
The recommendation was that the ground floor meeting rooms be named after the district’s rivers and lakes, the only meeting room on level one be named after the largest mountain, Mt Hutt/Ōpuke, and the level two meeting room theme be local flora and or fauna.
Wilson proposed an alternative option of naming rooms after local primary schools rather than the “common” usage of rivers and lakes.
“That would be a way of acknowledging all of the district.”
Assigning the names could be arranged by roll size and room size, he said, and would be “a great way to engage every school in the district” into the new library.
Mayor Neil Brown also wanted something reflecting the smaller areas of the district “which don’t get a mention anywhere” and as the schools are scattered across the district, he supported the suggestion.
There are 19 primary schools which would leave eight rooms requiring other names – with Mt Hutt/Opuke still an option for the level one room.
Councillor Lynette Lovett disagreed, believing the waterways run through district, providing the connection to all the communities.
The council moved to consider names of rivers, lakes, flora and fauna, mountains, and primary schools and will now engage with Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua for a final list of names for approval- a conversation that will occur alongside approval for other internal signage in te reo.
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
A snapshot of present-day Ashburton District will be preserved inside the new library and civic centre.
The contents of a time capsule to go in the new library, Te Pātaka o kā Tuhituhi, and civic centre, Te Waharoa a Hine Paaka, have been … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
A snapshot of present-day Ashburton District will be preserved inside the new library and civic centre.
The contents of a time capsule to go in the new library, Te Pātaka o kā Tuhituhi, and civic centre, Te Waharoa a Hine Paaka, have been decided, with items detailing life in the Ashburton District in 2023.
A Heritage Mid Canterbury Working Group produced a final selection of items for the Ashburton District Council to sign off on Wednesday.
The group was praised for a tremendous job compiling the items that “fit the bill for the criteria”, Ashburton mayor Neil Brown said.
The focus was for the items to be district-specific, people and facilities, general manager Sarah Mosley said
“We have got a good representative sample of items and objects that will stand the test of time.”
The items cover the formal background of the building, the built and natural environment, the people, and various time-specific objects.
The list of items had the support of the councillors with councillor Lynnette Lovett requesting the addition of a copy of the Rural Women’s recipe book.
The working group had discussed the book and as the recipes were “unlikely to be Ashburton specific”, they were not included, Mosley said.
The limitations of the size of the box were also considered in the decision-making process councillor Carolyn Cameron, who was on the working group, said.
“If we want to put the recipe book in, what are we going to take out,” Cameron said.
The working group considered items that may not exist in 50 years’ time which had Brown asking if a pack of cigarettes should be included.
It had been considered but “having a tobacco product or a vape inside of the time capsule would probably not be good for long term preservation”, museum archivist Connor Lysaght said.
Lysaght described the capsule as “almost like a Russian nesting doll”, with a stainless steel inner box and wooden outer box that will be placed in the wall cavity.
The capsule will be placed for the official opening but will not be sealed until items relating to the opening are added.
The councillors decided opening date set for the time capsule will be in 2078, to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the Ashburton County Council, which is two years after the 200th anniversary of the Ashburton Borough Council.
Time capsule items include:
- All resolutions of the council regarding the design and construction of the building.
- Photographs from the official opening
- Floor and elevation plans of the building.
- Large district map containing all road names.
- Aerial photographs of townships
- Photographs with captions of significant facilities and places, district landmarks and significant events, reserves, flora and fauna, lakes and other natural landmarks.
- Environmental reports
- Infographic report profiling the district’s population.
- List of clubs, organisations, churches, health and other facilities and services.
- Yearbooks from Ashburton College, Mt Hutt College
- An item selected by Arowhenua rūnanga
- Objects including facemask and vaccine pass, current monetary tender, council fees and charges list
- The ‘Hakatere Home and Heritage’ book which shows the growing ethnic diversity of Ashburton society
- Examples of district-manufactured goods e.g. socks, spinning wool.
- A test tube sample of seeds grown within the district and quantity facts.
- An edition of the Ashburton Guardian and community newsletters.
- The council is also set to run a promotion where people in the community can fill out a form at each council facility which asks “What’s the best thing about living in the Ashburton District”, their name and age.
Categories out now for our upcoming North Canterbury Wearable Arts Show in September in Rangiora. Entries open to students and adults from anywhere in NZ!
Years 1-6 - Aotearoa - Flora and Fauna
Years 7-9 - Open or Iconic Kiwi Places and Objects
Years 10-13 - Open or NZ Innovators and Innovation… View moreCategories out now for our upcoming North Canterbury Wearable Arts Show in September in Rangiora. Entries open to students and adults from anywhere in NZ!
Years 1-6 - Aotearoa - Flora and Fauna
Years 7-9 - Open or Iconic Kiwi Places and Objects
Years 10-13 - Open or NZ Innovators and Innovation
Adults - Open or Kiwiana - what it means t be Kiwi
For more info on the categories please email northcanterburywearablearts@gmail.com
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