ECan consent backlog holds up rail hub
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Delays in processing consents is frustrating the start of the Fairfield Freight Hub and will likely push its completion into 2024.
Wareings Group director Mark Wareing said in November that they had hoped to start construction by February.
At the start of March, the $14 million project is still waiting for resource consent as Environment Canterbury (ECan) battles with a backlog in processing applications due to staffing challenges and the increasing complexity of them.
“It’s been three and a half months now but we know ECan is under the pump at the moment,” Wareing said.
As frustrating as the wait may be, Wareing said the process will take as long as it takes and that “the project will not start until we have all four consents granted”.
ECan consents planning manager Aurora Grant said staff were processing the four resource consent applications for the Fairfield Freight Hub.
“We need to take the time to fully understand the potential environmental effect of this resource consent application,” Grant said.
“We want the best outcome for the environment and the community.
“We will endeavour to process it as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
The delays with the resource consents will likely cause a delay in delivery of the project.
Once the consents are approved, constructing the rail hub is expected to take around 12 months to complete.
The project is a triparty commercial development led by the Wareing Group (which wholly owns Fairfield Freight Hub Ltd) with KiwiRail and the Ashburton District Council, and is being constructed on a Talley’s site - the former Fairton freezing works.
The council is contributing $2.3m to help fund the relocation of the rail freight yard from the town centre to the purpose-built facility at Fairton which will be covered by money from the Three Waters Reform “Better Off Funding” support package.
The Government is also chipping in with $2.5m from Waka Kotahi’s NZ Upgrade Programme.
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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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48.3% Yes
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49.8% No
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2% 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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