Timeline released for Ashburton council by-election
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
A new Ashburton District Councillor should be known by May 12 at the latest.
That is if more than one candidate stands in the Western Ward by-election, but if only one candidate comes forward they will win the seat uncontested on March 16, and save an expensive by-election process.
The vacancy in the Western Ward follows the death of second-term Councillor Rodger Letham in December.
Council chief executive, Hamish Riach, said the community has the significant task of nominating and electing a candidate who can bring the same dedication and enthusiasm to the council table that Letham had.
The election dates won’t be official until the formal Notice of Election is issued in February Riach said, but he hoped releasing the details “will get people thinking about who might make a good candidate or to consider standing themselves”.
Under the planned timeline, a Notice of Election will be issued by the District’s Electoral Officer on February 13.
Nominations will then open from February 16 until March 16.
At that point, if only one eligible candidate is nominated they will win the election unopposed but if more than one eligible nomination is received, postal voting will open on April 20 and close at noon on May 12.
Riach said the timing meets statutory timeframes while avoiding a clash with the Easter period when many people would be travelling.
“We want our residents to have the best possible opportunity to make a considered choice about who will represent them,” he said.
In the recent election, both deputy mayor Liz McMillan and Letham were successful in their bid to be re-elected with Dame Lynda Topp the only other candidate that ran.
WHO CAN STAND
A candidate will need to be nominated by two electors who live inside the western ward, however, the candidate themselves can live anywhere in the country as long as they’re on the parliamentary electoral roll.
Riach is encouraging those who were new to the area, had moved recently, or didn’t receive voting papers during the October elections to check their enrolment details were up to date at vote.nz.
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Poll: Should drivers retake the theory test every 10 years?
Drivers get where they need to go, but sometimes it seems that we are all abiding by different road rules (for example, the varying ways drivers indicate around a roundabout).
Do you think drivers should be required to take a quick driving theory test every 10 years?
Vote in the poll and share any road rules that you've seen bent! 😱
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48.2% Yes
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49.8% No
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1.9% Other - I'll share below
Hero
“I was born and raised in war. To be honest, those are not good memories.
I really like Iran, and I really miss it, but I couldn’t be myself there. Even though my family didn’t like my decision, I left Iran. I promised myself that I would do whatever I can for all communities, especially for the kids, so they do not have the same experience I had.
I studied software engineering in Iran and left in 2006. I went to Malaysia and stayed in Kuala Lumpur for seven years. I was admitted to Lincoln University to do my PhD here, but unfortunately, I couldn’t afford the expenses. I requested a scholarship, but they told me I had to be there for six months first. So, I stayed in Malaysia and did my PhD in network security. In December 2013, I came to New Zealand with a work visa.
It took me a while to connect with the Iranian community here. I volunteered with the Multicultural Council, SPCA, and community patrol, and I established the Christchurch Iranian Society in 2017. Before that, I started working on Radio Toranj, the only Farsi-language radio show in New Zealand.
One of the reasons I started organizing cultural events was to showcase Iranian culture. I wanted to show people that we have delicious food, colorful dresses, traditional customs, and our own instruments. My hope was to show people that we are not what you see in the media.
I am working to involve all the communities that celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in the Nowruz festival in March 2025. We want to share this celebration not only with our community but with the public as well. It’s better when it’s shared.
I remember the first time someone from Dunedin called me and asked, Hero, can you help? Something happened, and they keep declining Iranian visa applications. When I heard that, I felt insulted. We are still human, so how can they do that?
Through this journey, I’ve learned a lot. Every single day, people with different cases call me, and I try to share my knowledge and guide them as much as I can.
I have received several awards, including the Christchurch Civic Award and an Award of Recognition for my contributions to the community during the pandemic. In 2021, I established Canterbury Kia Ora Academy, a charitable trust. Through this charity, I can help other communities as well, not just the Iranian community.”
- Hero
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
www.humansofchch.org......
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