Officials discuss ways to protect flood-prone beach settlement
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
‘‘Pragmatic’’ solutions have been suggested for a flood prone North Canterbury beach settlement.
Gore Bay, near Cheviot, is a popular coastal holiday spot, but faces threats from flooding and sea level rise.
The Hurunui District Council is creating a coastal adaptation plan for Gore Bay and is working with Environment Canterbury to plan for flood protection for the Jed River and Buxton Creek.
Deputy mayor Vince Daly said the creek and river were prone to flooding in heavy rain events, leaving the Buxton Campground and the coastal road vulnerable to flooding.
‘‘The creek builds up when it is in flood, and the shingle builds up, preventing it from flowing out to sea.’’
Daly said Environment Canterbury presented some ‘‘pragmatic’’ solutions at a recent meeting with Gore Bay / Port Robinson Reserve Advisory Group.
A Hurunui District Council report presented to the Cheviot Community Committee in February said the flood hazard was increasing due to the formation of a lagoon between the river and the creek mouths.
The intensity of recent rain events was increasing the erosion threat to the campground’s banks and to land around the bridge abutments.
Environment Canterbury regional lead river operations, Cliff Thomas, said options presented to the community had exceeded the budget set for the project.
An engineering consultant is now assessing the options and will provide a design for Environment Canterbury staff to consider.
‘‘A channel could be cut to allow the river to let water flows out to the ocean when certain conditions are met, such as flood risk due to high rainfall,’’ Thomas said.
‘‘However, a consent would be required to do this.’’
Longer term sea level rise posed a threat to the access road and to the Buxton and Gore Bay Camping Grounds, Daly said.
‘‘The elevation of the houses means slips are probably a bigger issue for residents than sea level rise, but it does pose a risk to the road.
‘‘This is one of the best Canterbury beaches and it is a very popular spot.’’
The Hurunui District Council began its ‘‘Coastal Conversations’’ project alongside five beach communities in 2020.
Three coastal adaptation plans have been completed for Amberley Beach, Leithfield Beach and Motunau, while the council is also working with the Gore Bay and Conway Flat/Claverley beach communities.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Teacher shortage eases in Canterbury schools
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
After a difficult few years, North Canterbury school principals say they have plenty of quality teachers to choose from.
A global teacher shortage in recent years has seen local schools competing against Auckland principals for staff at university recruiting events.
But education advocate Simon Green said heading into term four, local primary schools were well placed ‘‘to fill their vacant positions from a good pool of quality applicants’’.
Green is the Rangiora High School board of trustees presiding member, and is a leadership adviser with Evaluation Associates, working with principals and school boards in Otago and Canterbury.
While there is a slight overall drop in primary school rolls in North Canterbury, he said more specialist structured literacy teachers were required.
Additional classroom release time for teachers meant relief teachers were also needed.
‘‘The secondary school job market remains challenging for our high school principals,’’ he said.
Rangiora High School has 22 vacancies for next year, mainly due to short term teaching positions, promotions and new opportunities opening up.
But principal Bruce Kearney said the positions are filling up fast.
The school roll is expected to close in on 1800 students next year, but Kearney said growth could begin to slow down, in the short term at least.
‘‘Our role can fluctuate depending on the rolls of our contributing schools and there is a sense we are seeing the end of a bubble.’’
Longer term that could change with new sub-divisions planned in the Waimakariri district.
‘‘We don’t want to grow much more,’’ Kearney said.
‘‘But I don’t think it would make economic sense for the Government to build a new secondary school on a new site when both Rangiora and Kaiapoi have land for more growth.
‘‘Communities may need to accept that big schools are more economical. Auckland has been managing schools of up to 3000 students for years.’’
Kearney said it was possible the Ministry of Education could build another primary school across the road from Rangiora High School, next to the school farm, in 10 years time.
Last year Kaiapoi High School had 22 vacancies to fill, but principal Jason Reid said he has just one vacancy advertised on the Education Gazette, for now.
For the first time in a decade Kaiapoi will have a slight dip in its year 9 roll for next year.
‘‘I don’t think it is indicative of anything other than a population blip,’’ Reid said.
With several contributing schools, including Woodend School and Te Kura o Tuahiwi, bursting at the seams, growth at Kaiapoi High School is set to continue for sometime yet.
For now, Reid is expecting the roll to remain at 1080 next year, just under the site capacity of 1100.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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New Amberley community board confirmed
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
A new community board has been confirmed by Hurunui’s south ward.
The Local Government Commission has rejected an appeal against the establishment of a community board for next year’s local government election in the Hurunui District Council’s south ward, which includes Amberley.
Eleven objections were received, but just one, Amberley District Residents’ Association chairperson Roy Myers, gave an oral presentation to commissioners at a hearing last month.
Several objectors preferred the existing ward committee structure, which comprised representatives from residents’ associations, the Amberley Reserves Advisory Group, the Hurunui Youth Council and three independent members.
But the commissioners agreed with the council’s position that a community board elected by the community at large would be more democratic.
‘‘It may potentially attract candidates who may not have been traditionally in a position that would result in their becoming members of the ward committee,’’ the commissioners said.
South ward councillor Vanessa McPherson said she is ‘‘delighted with the outcome’’.
‘‘The decision reinforces the robust process undertaken by the council to deliver an outcome that will provide a fair and effective representation of benefit to the entire south ward.’’
But Myers said he is disappointed with the decision, which he believes is based on ‘‘wrong information’’.
‘‘The argument was that a community board would be able to be more strategic in its decision making.
‘‘But the existing ward committee doesn’t have any money to spend.’’
Hurunui mayor Marie Black told the commission a walking and cycling fund of $370,000 has been established from development contributions since 2010, but the ward committee has been unable to agree on how to spend it.
But Myers rejected this and said the ward committee was unaware ‘‘we were able to spend it’’.
‘‘How are these five representatives going to be in contact with the community?
‘‘Under the present structure, you have residents’ groups which represent their communities.’’
While the new community board will have five board members, the commissioners reduced the number of elected councillors on the board from four to two.
The commissioners’ also recommended a Hurunui Youth Council representative be appointed as an observer.
Remuneration of board members would cost $36,078 a year, or $20 per south ward ratepayer per year.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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