North Canterbury a popular place to live
From local democracy reporter David Hill:
The Waimakariri and Hurunui district councils are continuing to process high numbers of consents for new houses, as the housing boom shows no signs of letting up.
In the six months to June 30, 435 consents for new houses were issued in the Waimakariri district.
While this is 12% down on the same period last year, 400-plus consents was a normal year for Waimakariri before the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes, deputy mayor Neville Atkinson said.
Last year, 935 consents were issued for new houses and a similar result was predicted for this year.
"It’s really booming. Why would you not want to live in Waimakariri?" Atkinson said.
"When we set out rates for this year we put the range at around 900 consents and we are halfway at six months, so we are definitely on track."
Woodend led the way with 144 consents, followed by Kaiapoi with 139 and 86 consents in rural areas.
There were 38 consents issued in Pegasus and just 25 in Rangiora.
Atkinson said the bulk of Kaiapoi’s growth was in the Silverstream subdivision, with the smaller sections and high density housing.
While Rangiora’s consent numbers were down, it would pick up again soon with new developments in the pipeline.
One proposed subdivision in Rangiora, Bellgrove, was recently fast-tracked under the Covid-19 Recovery Fast-track Consenting Act 2020.
The 63-hectare site is expected to open up soon for 209 sections in stage one and up to 1100 sections over five stages.
The Waimakariri district’s population has already passed 66,000 and is on track to top 78,000 by 2031.
Long-term projections suggest Waimakariri could approach 100,000 by 2048, with Rangiora expected to pass 30,000.
Kaiapoi is set to run out of room for expansion, but could continue to grow with ‘‘infill’’ and subdividing into smaller sections and more high density housing, Atkinson said.
"That’s one of those issues we will face, whether people see it as a good thing or not is a different story."
He said careful planning and working together with the Greater Christchurch partners was essential.
"We can’t rest on our laurels when planning for our future.
"We have to make sure our systems can handle the growth and that we can continue to keep up with climate change.
"And we need to remember everything flows to Kaiapoi so we’ve got to be smarter with the way we handle our water systems."
The Hurunui District Council issued 194 consents for new houses in the year to June 30, up from 118 the previous year - an increase of 60%, building and property manager Kerry Walsh said.
Amberley led the way with 100 consents for new houses, followed by Hanmer Springs with 45 consents.
Total consents issued in the last six months were 317 with a building value of $52 million, compared with 300 at a value of $42m for the same period last year.
The Kaikōura District Council has issued 73 building consents for the first six months of this year, after issuing 154 building consents during the 2021 calendar year.
The council has also issued 50 resource consents (such as subdivisions and land use), compared to 44 resource consents for the same period last year.
Canterbury kura expansion finally begins
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
There is a sense of relief at Waimakariri’s only Māori immersion school, as work on its expansion finally begins.
Te Kura o Tuahiwi, which sits between Kaiapoi and Rangiora, is set to receive six new classrooms and a new hall to support its growing school roll.
Board of trustees chairperson Charlie Agi said the build has taken years of planning.
Work had been due to get under way last December, but was put on hold while the Ministry of Education reviewed 352 building projects.
‘‘It has come a long way,’’ Agi said.
‘‘To see the work of past members of the board have put in to get to this point, it is amazing. It is awesome.
‘‘The board has shown some resilience to keep pushing.’’
Ministry of Education spokeswoman Sandra Orr said the new classrooms include four for roll growth and the replacement of two classrooms.
The classrooms are being manufactured offsite and will be open for the beginning of term two next year, with the hall due to open in term four.
Principal Dot Singh said the delays have been frustrating, but she is excited for her tamariki to have new classrooms.
‘‘When I came in (two years ago) we were doing the planning and then we were told they were changing the plans, and then it was going ahead - and then it stopped,’’ Singh said.
She said she then wrote a two-page letter to the ministry and to Education Minister Erica Stanford to emphasis the school’s special character.
The school is the only kura between Christchurch and Kaikōura ‘‘to meet the needs of whānau who want immersion and bilingual education’’.
The kura has a roll of 179 pupils, with another 22 already pre-enrolled for this term and the beginning of next year.
The hall is designed to hold 250 people, meaning the kura will finally be able to hold full school assemblies, prizegivings and indoor sports.
‘‘Our tamariki love basketball,’’ Singh said.
The kura regularly supports the marae across the road by hosting people on site before they are welcomed on to the marae.
‘‘When the Māori Queen visited last month, they all assembled here before they went over to the marae.’’
Having the hall will provide the option of hosting visitors indoors, and allowing sports to continue in the winter and when it is raining, she said.
Singh said the extra space will also allow the kura to offer a Te Puna Reo group (pre-school) for 4-year-olds to help them to prepare for school.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Poll: Do you think banning gang patches is reasonable?
With the government cracking down on gangs, it is now illegal for gang members to display their insignia in public places whether through clothing or their property.
This means arrests can be made if these patches are worn in places like restaurants, shops, on public transport or ferries, and on airplanes. Arrests were made recently at a funeral.
Do you think this ban is reasonable?
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77.3% Yes
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21.8% No
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0.9% Other - I'll share below
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Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
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