Community-led consultation capturing the vision for Mid Canterbury
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
A group of community leaders are encouraging people to have their say on the vision for the future of Mid Canterbury.
One of those leaders is Phil Everest who said the community-led Community Vision Workshop initiative is aiming to present a collective submission to Environment Canterbury.
Environment Canterbury has started an extended engagement process that will help shape the region’s future, revising plans which outline the rules for the use of land and water.
It is imperative that the community provides feedback to provide the governing body's direction, rather than sitting back and being dictated to, he said.
“We are taking the initiative and a positive approach of hosting several community meetings to collect feedback, collate it and submit it to ECan saying this is what our community would like.
“We are seeking a true community voice, from right across the spectrum, from urban and rural and all sectors, to present a vision for what we want it to look like in 50 years.
“It impacts everyone in this community, like how towns will dispose of wastewater, septic tanks or collect potable water and rurally around irrigation and land use consents."
ECan chairperson Peter Scott said information collected from the community is critical.
"As the regional regulator, we have a number of plans that need to be written, or updated, to reflect the directions set by government, meet the expectations of mana whenua and the wider community, and to respond to the impacts and challenges of climate change.”
That includes the Regional Policy Statement, which sets the direction for all other district and regional plans, he said.
Engagement with local government consultations has been declining in recent times, but the community-led initiative in Mid Canterbury is being well supported, he said.
ECan held a drop-in session in Ashburton on Tuesday, but more people attended a workshop in Ruapuna on Wednesday, Everest said.
They had hoped to have wrapped up the meetings by now but the level of interest means they have more next week, and could end up having held about 40 of them.
The plan is to create a collective submission and Everest said they are also encouraging people to submit directly to ECan by the end of August.
*Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
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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48.5% Yes
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49.6% 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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