Loos and views for Rakaia Gorge
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
A Matariki observation deck will be installed next to a new toilet block at the Rakaia Gorge Campground.
The Ashburton District Council received funding from the government’s Tourism Infrastructure Fund (TIF) for the project, but not as much as it had hoped for forcing a reduced design scope than was planned.
The new toilet block will replace the existing public toilets at the Rakaia Gorge Campground which were built in the 1970s and a new star observation deck constructed.
Council open spaces manager Ian Soper explained that round six of TIF funding had a directive from the minister to incorporate a focus on the Matariki public holiday which was why the toilet replacement included the star viewing deck.
The council’s TIF application had been for was for $554,000 and along with the council’s $189,000 earmarked in the long-term plan would have provided a $743,000 budget for the project.
The application was successful but for a revised figure of $262,000 for a total of $451,000.
Soper said the revised funding amount had resulted in a more basic toilet facility being installed and the deck size and height also being reduced.
The toilet block will be a dry vault system Soper said, “so we won’t be relying on water for this facility”.
The site will no longer be reliant on water supply for toilets from the Selwyn District and utilise dry hand-washing foams, he said.
The project is expected to be completed this year but unlikely to be completed by the Matariki public holiday on July 14.
Soper said parts of the project are pre-fabricated units and while they have slots held in the production line it is located in cyclone-hit Gisborne.
“They still hope to have us on track for later this year,” he said.
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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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