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From reporter Liz McDonald:
School holiday visitors and staff sicknesses are putting further stress on Hanmer Springs businesses already struggling to find workers.
The North Canterbury township has had to manage without the backpackers it traditionally depends on as a temporary workforce, … View moreFrom reporter Liz McDonald:
School holiday visitors and staff sicknesses are putting further stress on Hanmer Springs businesses already struggling to find workers.
The North Canterbury township has had to manage without the backpackers it traditionally depends on as a temporary workforce, leaving accommodation and tourism business owners run off their feet.
At the Rustic cafe and tapas bar on the main street, owners Stacey and Zane Inglis are putting in 12 or 13 hour days, seven days a week.
Stacey Inglis said they had “shipped the kids off to their nana” while they cover long shifts starting at 5am for the duration of the school holidays.
“It’s been very busy, we are trying to keep it together. Staffing is a huge issue in Hanmer and everyone is short at the moment.
“Normally we rely on backpackers to take on jobs.”
Zane Inglis said he was working as “part chef, part dishwasher”, as well as filling other roles, to keep the doors open and customers happy.
The cafe has five staff, down from the normal seven or eight, and some of those have been off sick.
Some businesses in the town have shut up shop because of staff illness, while others are carrying signs asking customers to be patient.
Businesses with the doors closed because of staff sickness when the Northern Outlook visited on Monday included A-Maze-N-Golf mini-golf and maze, and Mumbles Cafe.
Hanmer Hospitality Ltd owns five bars and restaurants in the town, but sometimes has to close at least one to keep the others sufficiently staffed.
Hanmer Hospitality director Alan McNabb said they were already stretched with roles not filled, and now winter illnesses and Covid were hitting the staff they had. Some former staff were even coming in to help out, he said.
“We start every day thinking things are fine, and then we’ve got three staff down stick. On Saturday, we were three chefs short, in the middle weekend of the school holidays.
“The managers all just have to roll their sleeves up, we either have our hands in the sink or we’re pulling pints.”
Losing the backpacker employment market because of the pandemic had affected the whole town, he said.
“They’d come here travelling from somewhere like England, want to work as much as they could for a few months, then move on.
“Young Kiwis don’t want to live in a small town, or work weekends. That’s when we’re busy.”
The company is now paying staff double time after 10pm on Saturdays to get enough people for late shifts. They also have accommodation available to try and attract staff.
McNabb said that from a resident population of about 1000, the town swells to between 4000 and 5000 during holiday periods, and 6000 when the town is at its fullest.
“Every day is a challenge.”
Hanmer Springs thermal pools and spa manager Graeme Abbot said they were “managing to scramble through”, despite being short of workers.
On some days 10% to 15% of employees at the complex had been absent due to illness, he said.
“It’s harder to get some people in, especially staff that need to be qualified like lifeguards and staff therapists.
“In Hanmer, if we are being stretched, so is everyone else in town.”
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From reporter Amber Allott:
A North Canterbury council will oppose a subdivision that could transform a rural village into a town, but developers say the development will provide new homes and an economic boost to the district.
Earlier this month, the Waimakariri District Council put a private … View moreFrom reporter Amber Allott:
A North Canterbury council will oppose a subdivision that could transform a rural village into a town, but developers say the development will provide new homes and an economic boost to the district.
Earlier this month, the Waimakariri District Council put a private plan change request for an 850-house development at Ohoka out for public submissions.
Rolleston Industrial Developments – owned by the Carter Group’s Philip and Tim Carter – wants to rezone 155.9 hectares of farmland between Whites, Bradleys, and Mill roads to residential land.
The subdivision would be called Ohoka Estate, built in stages with most sections between 500 and 1000 square metres. It would also feature shops, a public square, and a school or retirement village.
Waimakariri District mayor Dan Gordon confirmed the council would be making a submission opposing the private plan change, and “urbanising part of Ohoka”.
Since the council had decided to make a submission, the application would now be handled by independent commissioners.
The council had hired an independent lawyer and specialists to help prepare the submission, he said, and the draft would be considered at their August 2 meeting. It would be publicly available on the council website closer to that date.
Due to public interest in the private plan change, the council also had someone on hand to help explain the process and give advice on how to lodge a submission.
Several of Ohoka’s 600 residents had voiced concerns a big development would destroy the little village’s quaint, rural nature, and said the sudden influx of new residents would put a strain on existing infrastructure.
Ohoka is currently home to mostly larger homes on lifestyle blocks, plus some smaller properties, a domain, community hall, primary school, petrol station and small church. House prices range from about $1.2 million to $3.5m.
Analysis by the Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri district councils, released last August, also found greater Christchurch would need 77,000 more homes in the next 30 years.
The Carter Group’s Philip Carter said they believed it was important there were housing opportunities in Waimakariri for both new and current residents.
“Our proposed subdivision will not only provide supply for new houses, it will also give the district an economic boost.”
They would talk to local iwi and the community to get their input as the development progressed, he said.
“We are very conscious of the high-quality village atmosphere of Ohoka, with its extensive large-scale trees and streams, and our proposed development will keep existing trees and use rural style roads and fencing.”
Carter said they were proposing a good mix of section sizes, including larger sections of 0.5 to one hectare close to smaller sections, “all of which will have rural outlooks”.
“We want to ensure Ohoka Estate is well-connected to the existing Ohoka Village and that we maintain Ohoka's special rural character.”
The MOE has a firm stance on not adding any more schools in Ohoka. If the change of plan goes thru, Ohoka primary will be the zoned school for the New Ohoka Development. To met demand they will need 26 more class rooms to cope. The principal of Ohoka Primary said Ohoka school as it is today wont be… View moreThe MOE has a firm stance on not adding any more schools in Ohoka. If the change of plan goes thru, Ohoka primary will be the zoned school for the New Ohoka Development. To met demand they will need 26 more class rooms to cope. The principal of Ohoka Primary said Ohoka school as it is today wont be able to cope. They will have to build a new school and they will loose all the rural charm the school has on offer now. All the schools in Ohoka area are close if not over capacity. Please send in a submission to not approve this change in the district plan. ANYONE, ANYWHERE can make a submission. www.waimakariri.govt.nz....
The Residential Tenancies Amendment Act changed the way that landlords can end both fixed-term and periodic tenancies.
Landlords must now give a reason to end a tenancy, and the reason must be one of the specified reasons stated in the Residential Tenancies Act.
READ MORE 🔍
From local democracy reporter David Hill:
Melanie Taite-Pitama knows the pressures school principals face.
The Tuahiwi School principal and Katote Kahui Ako (Kaiapoi learning cluster) lead principal has seen four colleagues across the nine schools in her cluster move on in the last 12 months.
… View moreFrom local democracy reporter David Hill:
Melanie Taite-Pitama knows the pressures school principals face.
The Tuahiwi School principal and Katote Kahui Ako (Kaiapoi learning cluster) lead principal has seen four colleagues across the nine schools in her cluster move on in the last 12 months.
In the last year, at least seven principals across North Canterbury have either moved to other schools, or taken early retirement, with some citing ‘‘exhaustion’’.
‘‘The workload is massive and the expectations from the Ministry of Education and whanau continues to increase,’’ Taite-Pitama said.
‘‘I think some are definitely retiring early and the more that are doing that, the more principals will see that as an option.
‘‘Communities want to retain good principals and I think teaching staff want to retain good principals, as the principal can set the whole culture and tone for a school.’’
She said being a principal required working long hours, dealing with a multitude of challenges and keeping it confidential.
It was like being a chief executive of a business.
‘‘We are expecting a lot of a principal. If you think of Bruce Kearney, who has moved to Rangiora High School, he has 170 staff and how many chief executives have 170 staff?
‘‘Principals have got to be good at everything. You are a lawyer, a builder, an accountant, a parent, a teacher, a counsellor, a social worker and you are expected to solve everybody’s problems.’’
Being the principal of a community school means you are instantly recognisable.
Taite-Pitama said she avoided going to the supermarket and buyed most things online.
‘‘People do forget boundaries and there’s an expectation that I’m ‘Mel the principal’ 24/7.’’
Despite the challenges, Taite-Pitama said being a school principal was a privilege, as you had the opportunity ‘‘to touch the lives of young people’’ and to make a difference.
She also enjoyed working alongside her fellow North Canterbury principals.
‘‘All principals want their schools to be as amazing as they can be and I salute all principals across North Canterbury because I know how complex it is.’’
Simon Green has been principal at North Loburn and Amberley Schools and recently took on a new role with Evaluation Associates, supporting new principals in Canterbury, Otago and the Chatham Islands.
He said North Canterbury principals were looking forward to the school holidays after a stressful first half of the year, managing Covid restrictions and staff and student wellbeing.
‘‘They’ve been so busy looking after the wellbeing of staff and now they need to take some time to look after themselves.
‘‘There’s a lot of young principals in Canterbury coming through and deputy principals stepping up as there’s been a lot retiring, more than there usually would be.’’
Green said good school principals ‘‘live the craft’’ of teaching and connecting with their communities, as well as being multi-skilled.
‘‘If you love connecting with people, bringing out the best in your community and making a difference.
‘‘Being a principal requires a unique skill-set, but it’s also very rewarding.’’
■ July 4 to 8 was Tu Meke Tumuaki Week, which was organised by the New Zealand Educational Institute to recognise the contributions of school principals.
Simply visit your local Resene owned ColorShop, choose your favourite red testpots and for each one you buy Resene will donate $1 to Cure Kids to help fund vital child health research!
Offer applies to all Resene green 60mL testpots (excludes metallic and wood stains) purchased by retail … View moreSimply visit your local Resene owned ColorShop, choose your favourite red testpots and for each one you buy Resene will donate $1 to Cure Kids to help fund vital child health research!
Offer applies to all Resene green 60mL testpots (excludes metallic and wood stains) purchased by retail customers between 13-31 July 2022 at Resene owned ColorShops.
Come in and see the Resene team today!
Transform a dull concrete pad into an attractive seating area with a little bit of help from Resene Walk-on flooring and paving paint.
Find out how to create your own.
From local democracy reporter David Hill:
Policing, local government, education and immigration have been the focus of visits from the nation’s leaders to Rangiora, Kaikōura and Kaiapoi over the last two weeks.
The most notable visit was by new Police Minister Chris Hipkins, who visited police… View moreFrom local democracy reporter David Hill:
Policing, local government, education and immigration have been the focus of visits from the nation’s leaders to Rangiora, Kaikōura and Kaiapoi over the last two weeks.
The most notable visit was by new Police Minister Chris Hipkins, who visited police in Rangiora and Kaikōura as part of his nationwide tour.
‘‘We’ve talked about everything from gang crime to stock rustling to mental health,’’ Hipkins said.
‘‘Our police do a tough job, and we’re fortunate to have such a grounded and committed group working to keep us all safe.’’
New Associate Local Government Minister Kieran McAnulty made Waimakariri his first stop last week, in a series of visits around the country.
Mayor Dan Gordon said topics discussed included last year’s floods, advocacy for lifestylers, transport projects such as the Woodend Bypass, Skew Bridge and Southbrook, racing and Three Waters reform.
‘‘We found him to be very interested in the work we are doing here in the Waimakariri district and he listened as we outlined our concerns, particularly around Three Waters and transport.’’
Gordon hoped to host McAnulty again on a visit to learn more about the council’s Civil Defence Cadet programme - a first in New Zealand.
Kaiapoi North School has been the focus of two MP visits, as its structured literacy programme captures national attention.
Opposition Education and Immigration Spokesperson Erica Stanford was in Kaiapoi on July 1, and met with Kaiapoi North School principal Jason Miles.
Her visit was followed by Associate Education Minister Jan Tinetti, who came to observe the structured literacy programme first-hand last week.
Stanford said the Government had been ‘‘very late to the party’’ and she wanted structured literacy rolled out to schools throughout the country.
‘‘It goes right back to early childhood education and even learning at home, so we are looking at what we can do to change these outcomes.’’
She was also concerned with school attendance rates, which dropped back to 60% last year in the wake of Covid-19.
The Government recently announced a new strategy, aiming to improve attendance to 75% of children attending school regularly by 2026.
But Stanford said the Government needed to do better.
‘‘We can see schools in similar deciles and ethnic make-ups getting very different results, so how we learn from those that are succeeding?’’
Stanford also met with local businesses, discussing their challenges with recruiting staff and attracting migrants.
While airfares were expensive and even getting flights could be a challenge, Stanford said there were ways of simplifying the process of assisting businesses to attract migrant workers.
One option was issuing short-term residency Visas for new migrants on arrival in particular areas of skills shortages such as nurses or farm workers.
TimeBank Waimakariri are holding their AGM followed by a talk by Brent Cairns about 'Setting up and Managing a Community Food Forest and their Productivity". His vision is for multiple Food Forest throughout the district.
When: 7pm Wednesday 27th July
Where: Woodend Community Centre
… View moreTimeBank Waimakariri are holding their AGM followed by a talk by Brent Cairns about 'Setting up and Managing a Community Food Forest and their Productivity". His vision is for multiple Food Forest throughout the district.
When: 7pm Wednesday 27th July
Where: Woodend Community Centre
Supper provided.
All Welcome!
From local democracy reporter David Hill:
Skill shortages continue to bite in the wake of Covid-19, with North Canterbury’s three councils facing higher than normal staff turnovers.
The Kaikōura District Council has been the hardest hit, with the position of building control officer vacant for… View moreFrom local democracy reporter David Hill:
Skill shortages continue to bite in the wake of Covid-19, with North Canterbury’s three councils facing higher than normal staff turnovers.
The Kaikōura District Council has been the hardest hit, with the position of building control officer vacant for the past nine months.
‘‘It’s in the building control space where there is a nationwide shortage of building control officers,’’ chief executive Will Doughty says.
Recently on jobs vacant website Seek there were 28 councils advertising for 60 roles, he says.
The council has a close working relationship with neighbouring councils, including the Hurunui District Council in sharing staffing resources.
It has also begun talks with the Selwyn District Council, which has initiated a wider conversation around sharing resources with neighbouring councils.
‘‘We need to look at things differently, so we’re not competing against other,’’ Doughty said.
‘‘We need to think about how we bring cadets through, and how we can give them training in areas we don’t necessarily have but other councils might have, so it’s about upskilling the industry as a whole.
‘‘The default position should not be poaching amongst ourselves.’’
In the last 18 months the council had experienced about 15 to 17% staff turnover, which was higher than normal, Doughty said.
Hurunui District Council chief executive Hamish Dobbie shared Doughty’s sentiments, but said his council had been in the fortunate position of being able to fill its vacancies.
‘‘Generally we are relatively well off compared to other councils, but it’s just when we do have a vacancy it’s hard to find staff because we’re not getting as many applicants as we would normally expect.
‘‘But it’s also a good time for people within the organisation because when opportunities do come up, we can look internally and find a person who, with a bit of effort, could step up to that role.’’
Dobbie would like to see a more co-ordinated approach between councils for staff training and to ensure councils were not competing against each other.
Staff turnover was normally 15%, but was nudging over 20% at present, Dobbie said.
Waimakariri District Council human resources manager Lara McConville said staff turnover has been hovering at more than 17% in recent months, compared to pre-Covid levels of less than 10%.
‘‘We have had a number of former staff return to the council in the past couple of months which is really encouraging to us.
‘‘We have had a number of the same challenges as other organisations and industries around the impacts of Covid-19.’’
She said the council had a flexible working policy, which was under review to ensure it continued to enable a work-life balance for employees, as ‘‘we know this is of growing importance to people since the emergence of Covid-19’’.
More than 60% of Waimakariri District Council staff are women.
From local democracy reporter David Hill:
The Waimakariri District Council has appointed a lead adviser as it looks to develop a plan to adapt to climate change.
Former Federated Farmers North Canterbury president Lynda Murchison, who has a PhD in environmental planning, has been appointed to … View moreFrom local democracy reporter David Hill:
The Waimakariri District Council has appointed a lead adviser as it looks to develop a plan to adapt to climate change.
Former Federated Farmers North Canterbury president Lynda Murchison, who has a PhD in environmental planning, has been appointed to work alongside Cr Niki Mealings, the council’s climate change portfolio holder.
‘‘The council is committed to being transformational leaders in this space and working with mana whenua and the wider community to mitigate and adapt to climate change challenges,’’ mayor Dan Gordon said.
Murchison farms in partnership with her husband, Jock Murchison, in the Weka Pass in North Canterbury and has worked in resource management for about 25 years.
She completed her PhD thesis - Conflict Between Intergenerational Family Farmers and Environmental Planning Processes: An ‘Economic versus Environment’ Proposition of Different Ways of Knowing? - at the University of Canterbury in 2020.
The Waimakariri District Council adopted a climate change policy in 2019 to get ‘‘its own house in order’’, Gordon said.
It has now set its sights on developing a climate change adaptation strategy for the wider district.
Councillors adopted a climate change scenario technical report, prepared by Niwa, at a council meeting on July 5.
The report identified that weather patterns are expected to become more volatile.
Annual average temperatures are expected to increase with more extreme warm temperatures, less frost days and less snow.
A warmer atmosphere is expected to hold more moisture and more average annual rainfall, but this is expected to lead to more frequent heavy rainfall events.
More flood events are expected to be punctuated by more frequent and prolonged droughts due to increased temperatures and wind speeds, the report says.
Sea level rise is also expected to lead to some changes in coastal areas.
Gordon said the council had begun ‘‘refreshing’’ its climate change forward work programme.
This included conducting risk assessments to identify land and infrastructure most at risk.
The council would also look to calculate an emissions profile for the district as it developed its own emissions reduction plan in response to Government regulations, he said.
Other initiatives include transitioning the council’s vehicle fleet to electric vehicles, planting 25,000 plants this year in council reserves and investing in other opportunities for carbon sequestration on council land.
‘‘We will be encouraging residents, businesses and communities within the district to come on this journey with us.’’
Dear neighbours,
NZ Gardener together with Ryman Healthcare is once again looking for greenfingered good sorts – individuals or groups who use their gardening skills to help others. Tell us about the great gardeners doing right by your community, and they could be one of five finalists who will… View moreDear neighbours,
NZ Gardener together with Ryman Healthcare is once again looking for greenfingered good sorts – individuals or groups who use their gardening skills to help others. Tell us about the great gardeners doing right by your community, and they could be one of five finalists who will feature in the October magazine!
There are some amazing prizes up for grabs, so if you know a homegrown hero who is using their gardening skills for the greater good, nominate them now for Ryman Healthcare 2022 Gardener of the Year!
From local democracy reporter David Hill:
Waimakariri residents are being encouraged to read stories while on the move.
A new storywalk was launched at Northbrook Reserve in Rangiora on Friday, June 24, and Waimakariri district libraries staff hope it will be the first of many.
Library staff … View moreFrom local democracy reporter David Hill:
Waimakariri residents are being encouraged to read stories while on the move.
A new storywalk was launched at Northbrook Reserve in Rangiora on Friday, June 24, and Waimakariri district libraries staff hope it will be the first of many.
Library staff joined forces with greenspace staff to create temporary storyboards which have been strategically placed around the reserve walkway.
The idea came out of the Covid-19 lockdown as library staff explored new ways of connecting with people, Waimakariri District Libraries community connections co-ordinator Anna Paterson said.
Storywalks have been created in other parts of New Zealand, including the Gore, Hastings, and Napier districts.
"We thought with Covid and people getting out and going for walks and enjoying their local parks, this was a good way of connecting with people.
"We want people to have a love for books and reading and this is a way of doing that when the library is closed. And not everybody wants to do it online."
Each storyboard was like a different page, telling a story and linking to the local environment, Paterson said.
The story The Little Kiwi’s Matariki by Nikki Slade Robinson was chosen for the first storywalk to tie in with Matariki, with permission obtained from the author.
People can also learn about the birdlife and plants, which are found in the Northbrook Reserve and about the history of site on the storyboards.
The temporary storywalk has been set up for a two month trial and if it is successful library staff hope to be able to roll out permanent story walks at different parks around the district.
"It would be lovely to see this in every park in the Waimakariri," Paterson said.
"If the boards are still in an OK condition at the end of the trial we may be able to take them to Kaiapoi and share them a little bit more.
"Temporary boards is a very affordable option at this point, but more permanent boards would require some funding from the council."
Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon said he would support expanding the initiative and lookEd forward to a funding proposal coming from council staff.
"I think it’s a great initiative from our greenspace and our libraries teams and with the timing of Matariki, it’s a lovely integration.
"It’s great for the kids to learn as they walk around the reserve and I’m learning too."
Rangiora-Ashley Community Board chairperson Jim Gerard joined Gordon on a walk around the new story walk on Friday and said the board was "all behind the beautification of open spaces" in Rangiora.
The cost of creating, installing and later removal of the storyboards is around $1500 and is covered by existing greenspace and library budgets.
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