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By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Volunteers fear for the welfare of birds at the Ashley River Estuary as ‘‘hoons’’ are caught on camera tearing through nesting sites.
Waimakariri district councillor Al Blackie says volunteers are fed up with people driving around nesting sites … View moreBy David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Volunteers fear for the welfare of birds at the Ashley River Estuary as ‘‘hoons’’ are caught on camera tearing through nesting sites.
Waimakariri district councillor Al Blackie says volunteers are fed up with people driving around nesting sites with no regard for the welfare of threatened species of birds.
‘‘We do have a bylaw, but there is not much we can do until they actually do some harm - other than naming and shaming them on social media.’’
Blackie said the council’s Pegasus Bay Bylaw Committee, which he chairs, would be reviewing the bylaw soon and was keen to hear any suggestions of how to better manage the area.
Ashley Rakahuri Rivercare Group operations manager Grant Davey said nesting birds were threatened by four-wheel-drives, helicopters hovering in the area and predators such as rats, cats and dogs.
Threatened birds included wrybills, black-bill gulls, banded dotterels, black-fronted terns and pied oystercatchers.
Some of these bird species were also endangered.
He said the presence of these multiple threats could scare the birds off, and lead them to abandoning their nests.
‘‘Along the river, we have most access points blocked, but there are areas we cannot block like State Highway 1 near the estuary.
‘‘Access is allowed for white baiters and some of them are pretty horrified by what is happening, and most of them are pretty helpful. They yell at the hoons and report it back to us.
‘‘You’ve got hoons who drive around all over the place and do donuts and sometimes it is in the early hours of the morning.’’
Motion sensor cameras have been placed in the nesting areas to monitor the presence of rats and cats, but they also picked up vehicles - and sometimes even the number plates.
Davey said Environment Canterbury’s rangers did an excellent job, but there was not enough of them.
‘‘They go and talk to people and give them a warning, but there is not much you can do.’’
Anyone caught harming the nesting birds could be fined or serve time in jail, but prosecutions were expensive, he said.
‘‘If you catch someone like the person who shot a white heron recently then you can prosecute them, but you are unlikely to actually catch people doing something like that.’’
Davey said dogs running loose were also a threat, with people ignoring or not reading signs.
‘‘It is usually perfectly respectable people doing it, but they just don’t understand.’’
The Rivercare group has received funding from the Waimakariri Zone Committee to fund a researcher to complete a thesis to better understand the full extent of the multiple threats to the birds.
■ The Ashley Rakahuri Rivercare Group is looking for volunteers for its annual bird count on the Ashley Rakahuri River on Saturday, November 19, at the Cones Road picnic area from 8.30am.
‘‘We like to have about 25 people, preferably with some ability to identify braided river birds including the wrybill, banded dotterel, pied stilt, black-fronted tern and black-billed gull,’’ organiser Beverley Alexander said.
‘‘If people are interested, but have little knowledge of the birds they can come along and we will partner them with others who have done the count previously.’’
Volunteers formed into teams, with each team taking a couple of hours to walk their designated zone.
Wet feet were guaranteed, but volunteers were rewarded with a barbecue.
Anyone interested can register by contacting Beverley Alexander on 027-3184713 or email birdiebev@xtra.co.nz.
■ Public interest journalism funded through New Zealand on Air.
Hi,
I’ve picked up a child’s bag from southbrook park near the club rooms. Has a water bottle too. Contained no valuables at the time of finding it but fruit and baby food inside.
PM if you think it’s yours with a description of the bag.
Also posted in lost and found.
Cheers.
About 20 to give away if anyone would like some ,
Free to dig out Clarkville Area
Has anybody got a reverse mortage,are you happy ? , how you did you find it?
HI all.
I'm looking for a rural property to rent able to pay up to $450 weekly.
Reliable and honest people with excellent rent history.
If this appeals to you contact Joe on 0273093745
This is the filling from used pillows, but is in a good clean condition(has always been inside pillow covers plus pillow slips) I am sure anyone making soft toys would find this useful, rather than throwing away, FREE TO GOOD HOME
Swan Plants for sale.
Same price as last Spring!
On sale Sundays till Fridays.
Morning till evening.
Biodegradable PB2 bags of 3 or more swan plants autumn sown and hardy for $10.
19 Golf Links Road, Rangiora.
From local democracy reporter David Hill:
Rangiora’s newest and largest housing development expects to have its first residents moving in by Christmas 2023.
While site development is under way, Mike Greer Homes North Canterbury director Mike Flutey says work to build the new homes in the … View moreFrom local democracy reporter David Hill:
Rangiora’s newest and largest housing development expects to have its first residents moving in by Christmas 2023.
While site development is under way, Mike Greer Homes North Canterbury director Mike Flutey says work to build the new homes in the Bellgrove sub-division will get under way by the middle of next year.
Sections in stage one were already on the market, with 60 percent of the nearly 200 sections already sold.
A wide range of house and land packages will be offered from two-storey town houses to high density and medium density housing and large sections.
‘‘We will have options for first home buyers and downsizers and some big family homes. We should be able to provide options under $600,000. I think all our price increases have probably settled,’’ Flutey said.
Within stage one there was provision for a community shopping and commercial centre and a pre-school, which would be surrounded by the higher density sections.
Recreation reserves have been allocated in the later stages, along with walkways and cycle ways.
The entire development was 100 hectares, with up to 1300 sections.
Standalone sections ranged from 330 square metres, with some large sections expected to be more than 1100 square metres.
Higher density sections, including duplex and multi-storey units, will be from around 200 square metres.
The $595,000 to $600,000 price tag will buy a 200 square metre section with a two-bedroom, one bathroom house and garage, Flutey said.
Three-bedroom houses with a double garage will sell from $650,000.
Large three to four bedroom family homes will sell for around $850,000 with ‘‘views out to Mt Grey’’, Flutey said.
The smaller sections will have an entrance way and ‘‘a bit of hard landscaping’’, with raised garden beds for the larger sections.
The subdivision received a $5.7 million grant last month for transport and three waters projects from Kainga Ora’s Infrastructure Acceleration Fund to kick-start development.
The funding was subject to providing affordable housing under the $750,000 price cap for new homes in the Greater Christchurch area.
Flutey anticipated 40% of house and land packages would be under $750,000, in line with the funding application.
Bellgrove Rangiora project manager and director Paul McGowan and Flutey were joined by Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon and councillors, and MP Matt Doocey on Thursday to officially break ground.
‘‘This is a significant milestone,’’ McGowan said.
‘‘We are pretty happy to be finally under way after two-and-a-half years of planning.’’
Gordon noted the Bellgrove homestead, which will take centre stage in the new development, was once the home of Waimakariri’s first mayor Trevor Inch.
‘‘This is exactly what our town needs because we are running out of sections and it is great to be on a property which was once the home of a former mayor.’’
■ According to Westpac’s online mortgage calculator, a couple with a combined income of $95,000, no children and no debts may be able to buy a $600,000 home on a 30 year mortgage with a $120,000 (or 20%) deposit.
Fortnightly repayments would be around $1522, based on Westpac’s residential base rate of 7.35% per annum.
With two children the combined income would need to increase to at least $105,000.
According to Statistics New Zealand, the median individual income in the year to June 30, 2022, was $1189 per week or $62,000 a year (or $1320 a week for men and $1055 a week for women).
■ Public interest journalism funded through New Zealand on Air.
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At Ryman, we believe the measure of a full life is one that gets richer with age. It’s rediscovering lost passions and plunging headfirst into new ones. It’s embracing new experiences right there on your doorstep. That’s why we’re creating communities that challenge the expectation of … View moreAt Ryman, we believe the measure of a full life is one that gets richer with age. It’s rediscovering lost passions and plunging headfirst into new ones. It’s embracing new experiences right there on your doorstep. That’s why we’re creating communities that challenge the expectation of aging, while bringing job and meaning to every moment.
We are honoured to present our latest brand campaign that explores our residents lives through their eyes. From the poignant moments of life in care, to our residents continuing to push the boundaries of what they want to achieve.
Howdy neighbours
I have a whole lot of pet and rescued ducks who are laying lots of yummy eggs. Unfortunately I am too busy with work and with general duck care to have the time right now to collect, grade, check, market and sell these eggs, so they are piling up until I get time to cook them … View moreHowdy neighbours
I have a whole lot of pet and rescued ducks who are laying lots of yummy eggs. Unfortunately I am too busy with work and with general duck care to have the time right now to collect, grade, check, market and sell these eggs, so they are piling up until I get time to cook them and feed back to the ducks or they go to waste.
Duck eggs can be used the same way you would use chicken eggs and are considered richer and more gourmet than chicken eggs. They are usually preferred by chefs for baking. And most people who are allergic to chicken eggs can eat duck eggs. They are larger than chicken eggs and due to a thicker shell usually keep longer. They are also used by a lot of people to create salted eggs (which apparently keep for a long time) or cultural delicacies such as century eggs.
This feels wasteful to me as they are a good nutritious form of food and we are in a situation right now where food is expensive.
I also have another problem which is that my ducks could so with some fresh vegetables or vegetable scraps, and since moving out to Oxford, I cannot find any vegetable markets nearby which offer scraps that I can feed to my ducks.
So I am hoping I can solve both these problems at once, by offering free nutritious duck eggs to anyone out there who has excess vegetables from their garden, or excess vegetable scraps to offer my ducks (and make their day) in return.
The ducks are laying around 2 dozen eggs a day, and they would love to swap them for the following types of vegetables and vegetable scraps:
Cauliflower and broccoli leaves (they will eat the cauli and broccoli too but they actually prefer the leaves)
Carrot tops and carrots (again I think they prefer the tops lol)
Cabbage in small amounts, lettuce in large amounts
Green peas in any amounts
Beetroot
Corn/sweet corn
Kale
Tomatoes
Strawberries grapes. Raspberries
Silverbeet
Pumpkin and pumpkin seeds
Cucumber, courgettes
Duck weed if anyone has any on their pond etc
Celery
Any of the above that has gone to seed is also fine
Probably other things that are not coming to mind right now, feel free to text and ask.
They can’t eat the following or any other vegetables which have been contaminated with any significant amount of these vegetables as they are toxic to ducks.
Beans (toxic to ducks unless cooked which I just don’t have time to be doing right now)
Onions (toxic)
Egg plant (toxic)
Avocados
Alternatively if any food banks are willing to collect from View Hill, Oxford please get in touch.
Please text me on 020 406 41485 if interested. Pickup from view hill Oxford, or can maybe meet you in Oxford or Rangiora when I am going to either if you are happy to meet up at short notice.
If there is anyone else who has an excess of some type of food they wish to exchange, even if it is not what I need or you don’t need duck eggs, pls post a comment on this post, maybe we can do a three way exchange or someone else might have something useful or a need. It would be good to have a forum to exchange excess food with summer coming up. I know a lot of people will end up with more of certain vegetables in the vegetable garden than they need, and it seems silly for food to be wasted when we can maybe all help each other out.
Also if there is anyone out there who is just genuinely struggling at the moment with the constantly skyrocketing food costs who would find some eggs helpful for their own fridge, get in touch with me as I have plenty.
Admin: I put this under free stuff as it was closer to that than buy or sell and there is no exchange option, I hope that is not breaching any terms.
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
The Waimakariri District Council is seeking further feedback on the proposed Waimakariri District Plan.
Council staff have notified a summary of submissions to the proposed District Plan, which was first notified in September last year.
The summary … View moreBy David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
The Waimakariri District Council is seeking further feedback on the proposed Waimakariri District Plan.
Council staff have notified a summary of submissions to the proposed District Plan, which was first notified in September last year.
The summary of submissions includes variations notified in August in response to new medium density housing standards applying to the Greater Christchurch area.
This followed the passing of the Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2021 in December.
This directed the council to adopt medium density housing standards for the district’s main urban areas.
The new standards allowed for up to three homes and buildings of up to three storeys to be built on some sites without a resource consent, provided certain conditions were met.
Conditions included maximum heights, setbacks from boundaries, no more more than 50% of land covered by buildings and at least 20% of the section must be landscaped with trees, grass or garden beds. Building consents would still be required.
The legislation allowed councils to identify areas deemed inappropriate for medium density housing and the submissions process was an opportunity for residents to help council staff to identify those areas. Qualifying reasons included natural hazards, lack of infrastructure and character.
The proposed District Plan, notified last year, also introduced a rural lifestyle zone in the east of the district with a four hectare minimum section and a general rural zone in the west with a 20-hectare minimum.
This was in a bid to protect the district's rural character.
The new submission process is an opportunity to comment on the submissions which have been received, but not a call for new submission points, council staff said.
The summary of submissions can be viewed on the council’s website, waimakariri.govt.nz/districtplanreview, or by visiting a council library or service centre. Submissions close at 5pm on Monday, November 21.
■ Public interest journalism funded through New Zealand on Air.
Hi Neighbours, I have 3x Gardens of Fernside tickets to sell. Fundraising for Fernside School. The event is on Sunday 20th November 2022. $30/ticket
Please contact me if you would like a ticket
Free, good clean condition must be collected before 1.30 today or arrangment made for collection at weekend. Phone 033270633 or 0210732080
Hey Neighbours, did you know that Arthritis affects more than 700,000 New Zealanders and is a leading cause of disability?
This month you could help Arthritis New Zealand by purchasing a testpot of your favourite orange.
Buy any orange Resene testpot 60 ml at your local Resene owned ColorShop… View moreHey Neighbours, did you know that Arthritis affects more than 700,000 New Zealanders and is a leading cause of disability?
This month you could help Arthritis New Zealand by purchasing a testpot of your favourite orange.
Buy any orange Resene testpot 60 ml at your local Resene owned ColorShop in November 2021 and Resene will donate $1 to Arthritis NZ! The more orange testpots you buy, the more will be donated.
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