Chertsey conundrum to be considered
Disc golf got the go ahead in the Tinwald Domain, but there is a conundrum in Chertsey that needs solving.
There are currently no public playground facilities in Chertsey, and the Ashburton District Council is at odds over how to rectify the situation.
Chertsey School is planning a new playground and applied for a $75,000 grant from the council.
That request was declined this week “on the grounds we would be investing in an asset that isn’t on council property”, which has always been the council’s stance, democracy and engagement group manager Toni Durham said.
Chertsey principal Claire Maria was disappointed by the council decision but already had positive news about their playground.
They scaled back the designs, and thanks to $120,000 in grants will be able to start on stage one of the playground development later this year, she said.
The school's playground will be available for public use, Maria said, but that didn’t solve the council’s issue of not providing for the community.
It’s a tricky situation, mayor Neil Brown said.
“[The school playground] is on Ministry of Education land so we are hamstrung there, but I do understand there is no playground in Chertsey.
“You could put it on the reserve, putting it there would have absolutely no value because it’s on the wrong side of the road.
“I wouldn’t like to see another playground built by council on the right side of the road because that would be a double up.
“We have a conundrum here and it is not easily solved."
In declining the school’s request, the council asked for a report into the feasibility of establishing a public playground ahead of the long-term plan.
Meanwhile, the council approved a Tinwald Reserve Board request for a $15,000 grant from reserve contributions to go towards establishing a disc golf course in the Tinwald Domain.
“We are trying to get this domain used more and I think it’s a good start for it,” councillor Lynette Lovett said.
The project has an estimated overall cost of $25,000.
The only concern around the request was around the process through which the Tinwald request came to council.
It was a flawed system that had the request come to council rather than going through “the normal process of reserve boards” councillor Richard Wilson said, with councillor Carolyn Cameron agreeing it was bizarre that given the project had been on the reserve board’s radar for some time, it missed the grants application deadline.
*Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
⚠️ 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 ❤️
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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61.9% Summer
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36.6% Winter
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1.5% Other - I'll share below
Worst Xmas ever?
There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.
Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...
Share your Christmas mishaps below!
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