Hefty rent increase proposed for Cheviot Medical Centre
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Hurunui’s Deputy Mayor hopes a solution can be found to avoid a huge rent hike for the Cheviot Medical Centre.
The Hurunui District Council is proposing to raise the yearly rent it charges for the use of the medical centre building from $14,484.74 to $24,264.50 (excluding GST).
The building has been leased to the Cheviot Community Health Centre (2013) Ltd since 2017.
Deputy mayor Vince Daly said he is seeking answers from council staff why a rent increase of 67% is necessary for the community owned health centre, which serves a small rural population.
‘‘It has certainly got them talking at the medical centre. The last time the rent was raised it was 22%.
‘‘Some of the things you can see like rates and insurance you can’t help, but we need to see more information on why some of the other costs are increasing.’’
Daly said he is meeting with the health centre and council staff to seek a solution.
Under the lease agreement, the rent is based on covering the council’s costs, rather than charging the full market rental rate.
In a budget prepared for the Cheviot Community Committee to consider, council staff cite cost increases in staff wages, contractors' fees, rates, insurance and the maintenance of a new Cheviot helipad.
The building was originally the Cheviot Hospital, which was sold in 1978 by the North Canterbury Hospital Board to the then Cheviot County Council.
The original Cheviot Hospital opened in 1927.
The Cheviot Community Committee will consider the proposal at its next meeting on November 21.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
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