Ashburton maps out new representation: Here’s what might change
By local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Methven's community board will lose an elected member while some households will switch wards under boundary changes proposed in Ashburton District’s representation review.
The Ashburton District Council is undertaking its mandated six-yearly representation review, which ensures residents have a fair number of elected members for their region.
The initial proposal, which will go out for public consultation, largely maintains the status quo except for proposing to reduce the number of elected members on the Methven Community Board from five to four.
There would also be changes to the Methven Community Board, and the Ashburton and Eastern Ward boundary.
The proposal is to retain the nine council members elected from three wards, plus the Mayor. The wards are as follows:
The boundaries for Ashburton and Eastern Wards will be adjusted to include the new development around Trevors Rd in the Ashburton Ward due to the urban development of the area.
The Methven Community Board will reduce from five to four elected and two appointed members - the two Western Ward councillors, while its boundary will extend to include properties on the periphery of the town accounting for recent development.
Public consultation on the initial proposal will take place from June 13 to July 21.
A hearing will consider any submissions and any potential amendments before adopting a final proposal for the representation arrangements for the next triennial election, scheduled for October 11, 2025.
Proposed population representation:
- Ashburton Ward: Ashburton town and Lake Hood. 21,220 residents, five members (ratio 4,244:1).
- Western Ward: The inland rural area of the district including Methven. 7640 residents, two members (ratio 3,820:1).
- Eastern Ward: Covers the seaward rural area of the district including Rakaia and Hinds. 7,860 residents, two members (ratio 3,930:1)
⚠️ 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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61.8% Summer
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36.5% Winter
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1.7% 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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