Kaiapoi hub planning progresses
By David Hill, local democracy reporter
After years of planning, Satisfy Food Rescue is excited work will start on the Kaiapoi Community Hub site soon.
The Waimakariri District Council is planning for site works to start in September, to kick start the proposed $6.8 million project in the former red zone, situated between Charters St and Courtenay Drive.
‘‘There is still a lot of work to do and we are going to need a lot of support from the community, but we are so excited that it is
starting soon,’’ Satisfy Food Rescue chairperson Phillipa Hunt said.
"It is pivotal for the project to be a success with purpose-built premises, so we can continue doing what we are doing, and to grow and provide more for the community groups that we look after."
Satisfy Food Rescue redistributes food from supermarkets and other outlets to more than 40 organisations, including food banks, in the Waimakariri and Hurunui districts, and in Christchurch.
The council is pitching in the first $1.6 million, and implementation project manager Duncan Roxborough said planning for enabling works, car park and croquet fields was in the detailed design stage.
He said the council is working closely with the recently established Kaiapoi Community Hub Trust and the Kaiapoi Croquet Club.
The trust was launched in March and is a collaboration between Satisfy Food Rescue, the Kaiapoi MenzShed and other community partners.
It has received a $200,000 grant from the Ministry of Social Development and is busy raising the remaining $5m.
Satisfy Food Rescue will occupy the northern end of the development, while the Kaiapoi MenzShed planned to build three sheds.
A shared community facility with a commercial kitchen and a large green space would also be established.
"It has such great potential in providing opportunities for collaboration and for all sorts of groups to be involved in ways we haven’t thought of yet," Hunt said.
The trust also planned to build an auditorium, with the possibility of a picture theatre and recording studio.
The Kaiapoi Croquet Club is also developing its own facility on the site with support from the council.
Other organisations had expressed an interest in joining the project and there were still sites available.
Speaking at last month’s Kaiapoi-Tuahiwi Community Board meeting, council community and recreation general manager Chris Brown said a
geotech report had been completed for the site.
Kaiapoi Community Hub Trust trustee Heath Kelly said the trust had several options to attract sponsors, including a legacy board and naming rights for buildings.
For information go to kaiapoihub.org
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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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