Walking and talking in Rangiora
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 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.
Poll: Does the building consent process need to change?
We definitely need homes that are fit to live in but there are often frustrations when it comes to getting consent to modify your own home.
Do you think changes need made to the current process for building consent? Share your thoughts below.
Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your comments to be excluded from the Conversations column of your local paper.
-
91.5% Yes
-
8.2% No
-
0.3% Other - I'll share below!
Food and product recalls
These items have been recalled during the last month. If you have any of these items at home, click on the title to see the details:
Product recalls
Avanti, Malvern Star & Raleigh bicycles
Yoto Kids Speaker
Anko Kids Pyjamas
Battery drill chainsaw attachment
Industrial pedestal misting fan
Yamaha adaptor
Zero Tower safety harness
Naturacoco moisturising cream
Thule child bike seat
Food recalls:
Maketū pies mussel pie
The Catering Studio cottage pie
Matakana Smokehouse gravlax/salmon
Our Fruit Box fruit juices
ProLife Foods value packs - nuts, raisins.
YY Dumplings & Fu Yuan ready-to-eat meat products
Waiheke Herbs italian herb spread
We hope this message was helpful in keeping your household safe.
Say goodbye to tyre waste
About 40% of the 6.5 million tyres Kiwis use every year are recycled, repurposed, or used as tyre-derived fuel. But the rest end up in landfills, stockpiled or dumped.
The good news is now there’s an easy solution to all that tyre waste. It’s called Tyrewise and is New Zealand’s first national tyre recycling scheme.
Tyrewise ensures that tyres in Aotearoa New Zealand are recycled or repurposed properly, saving millions from going to the landfill.
Find out more about the scheme online.