Ashburton Council considering more money on roads
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Spending an extra $1 million on roading is a possibility but the Ashburton District Council is keeping a close on the rate rise for 2023-24.
The full-day budget workshop on Thursday had councillors and staff work through the budgets line-by-line for the 2023-24 year, looking to keep to the average 5.5% rate rise outlined in the long-term plan (LTP).
Ashburton mayor Neil Brown said the focus is trying to keep the rates as low as possible while still delivering services.
Sticking to 5.5%, lower than the current level of inflation, Brown said the council was “sending the signal there are no increased levels of service”.
“We have even pruned some things off it.”
Roading remains the biggest concern in the community and in response, Brown proposed possibly adding $1m in additional funding.
“That could alter things, depending on how it’s funded.
“It would be an increased level of service over and above and if that’s what people want, we will do.”
A presentation from roading contractors HEB at Wednesday's council meeting provided an overview of the situation to the councillors ahead of the budget meeting.
HEB general manager of roading Harry Alderson said the ideal amount of renewals annually would be about 60km a year if funding and resources were available, but with the current funding available they are managing just under 10km.
What the council do on the roads is driven by Waka Kotahi’s subsidised funding, which is set on a three-year cycle.
An additional $1.7m, redistributed from the forestry reserves, was put into roading in the last 12 months.
Now the council is considering another $1m of unsubsidised roading in 2023-24.
Whether the community has an appetite for the additional funding for the road repairs they have beckoned for, and the additional rate increase of around 2 per cent that comes with it, would be answered through the consultation process.
It is also the last time three waters will form part of the council budget planning, with the assets planned to transfer to the water entity at the end of the 2023-24 financial year.
Work on any budget errors and how an additional $1m of roading will impact the budgets will be discussed at the next budget workshop.
“We will try and get it balanced the best we can to make it all work,” Brown said.
If the extra $1m for roading is included, or any other significant changes from the LTP, the 2023-24 draft annual plan will go out for public consultation in April.
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I can be written, I can be spoken, I can be exposed, I can be broken. What am I?
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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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