Fresh blood or a slow death for community boards
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Ashburton District councillor Lynette Lovett believes the future of the district’s hall and reserve board committees is under serious threat.
The council is in the final stages of holding triennial meetings for all of the council-administered boards but Lovett was concerned about a lack of numbers in some cases and that “it’s the same people making the commitment year after year” in others.
“It’s not sustainable,” Lovett said.
“A lot of these people on these reserve boards are all ageing and I don’t know where we are going to go in three or four years.
“Some of these people have been in these positions for many years and there is no one coming through to take over these jobs which worries me.
“These halls and reserves are the central part of these communities.”
So far 16 of the 20 boards have elected their new boards for the 2022-25 term, with the Mayfield Reserve and Hall board and the Chertsey Reserve Board still to hold their meetings, while the Lynnford and Maronan Reserve Boards are being wound up.
Each of the boards has an appointed councillor, with Lovett on six within the Eastern Ward including the Dorie Reserve Board which she said has had several new younger members but has reservations about the future of some others.
Lovett fears a lack of new people stepping up across the district will mean some boards face an uncertain future.
“The expectations on a few people managing [the facilities] is actually quite huge.
“It’s something we need to look at.
“We want to keep these assets but we need a community commitment to them so need people to start stepping up.”
Chief executive Hamish Riach said the future of the hall and reserve governance would be in the hands of the new group manager of democracy and engagement, Toni Durham.
“[Her new role] will give us the capacity, once she is fully resourced, to think about the future and the way in which the hall and reserve boards can be represented for the best interest of the community,” Riach said.
*Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ on Air
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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).
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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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