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165 days ago

Mayor calls for Civil Defence levy to help with ‘huge cost’ of disasters

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter

A North Canterbury Mayor is calling for a Civil Defence levy to help councils respond to severe weather and natural disasters.

Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon raised the idea of a levy based on the Earthquake Commission model with Local Government Minister Simeon Brown, during his visit to Rangiora last week.

The levy would likely be charged with insurance premiums, but nothing has been resolved at this stage.

Gordon was joined by fellow mayors Marie Black (Hurunui) and Craig Mackle (Kaikōura) and Waimakariri MP Matt Doocey.

The Government is preparing new legislation to update the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act (2002).

The Waimakariri District Council has spent $10 million of unbudgeted expenditure over the last years due to severe weather events hitting the district.

‘‘I outlined to Minister Brown my desire to see a levy in place for Civil Defence emergencies, similar to that of the Earthquake Commission model,’’ Gordon said.

‘‘This would help alleviate some of the huge costs faced by local authorities in the wake of extreme weather events and natural disasters.’’

Gordon said the idea had previously been raised with Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell.

A recent Canterbury Civil Defence and Emergency Management committee meeting found the region’s mayors were wary of new legislation introducing centralised control in an emergency.

‘‘We have a very good system in Canterbury,’’ Gordon said.

‘‘The system we operate isn’t broken, but there are things which may be beneficial to other parts of the country.’’

He said Canterbury had shown resilience in its response to earthquakes, weather events, fire and drought.

Black said the latest flood events in Hawke’s Bay showed the importance of good communication between councils.

‘‘Often it is the district council which bares the brunt of support for its community in a natural disaster, as we are more in touch with our community.

‘‘Your own neighbourhood is the cavalry coming to support you, it is not about waiting for the cavalry to arrive.’’

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake in 2016 reinforced how important local systems were in an emergency, Hurunui District Council chief executive Hamish Dobbie said.

While there was good support from Christchurch and Waimakariri following the earthquake, it was local people who stood up and organised stuff.

‘‘When people talk about large-scale events, like if the alpine faultline goes off, you know support is going to go to Christchurch, but it may not come out to the rural areas.

‘‘So it is all very well having centralised systems. We all need to be masters of our own destiny.’’

Local Government Minister Simeon Brown said the Government was open to new ideas on how local government "can better deliver for the communities they serve, and I have passed their views onto officials".

■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

More messages from your neighbours
2 days ago

Worst Xmas ever?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.

Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...

Share your Christmas mishaps below!

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14 days ago

⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️

The Team from SPCA New Zealand

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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12 hours ago

Flute

Jan from Rangiora

Pre-owned learner's level 'Bundy' flute in good condition.
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