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By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Delays on a proposed flyride in North Canterbury are placing the project in doubt, community leaders say.
Hurunui district councillor Tom Davies said he fears a proposed flyride project in Hanmer Springs is becoming untenable, as the community continues… View moreBy David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Delays on a proposed flyride in North Canterbury are placing the project in doubt, community leaders say.
Hurunui district councillor Tom Davies said he fears a proposed flyride project in Hanmer Springs is becoming untenable, as the community continues to wait for a decision from the Environment Court.
A resource consent was granted to the Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa to install and operate a gravity-based recreation activity at Conical Hill Reserve by a Hurunui District Council appointed commissioner two years ago.
But it was appealed to the Environment Court by The Friends of Conical Hill Incorporated.
The Environment Court heard the appeal in Hanmer Springs in March.
A spokesperson for the court said the decision ‘‘is still with the court, at this stage we have no estimated issue date’’.
Davies said residents just wanted to know one way or the other, so they could move on.
‘‘It is just crazy it has taken so long,’’ he said.
‘‘I fear the project may be in danger of not going ahead because of how long it has taken.
‘‘It has been going on for years and it would probably still be another 18 months down the track before it is completed, even if it was approved now.’’
Hanmer Springs Community Board chairperson Mary Holloway said she believed most residents had moved on.
‘‘It was supposed to be a ‘shovel ready’ project and I can’t imagine how much it has cost ratepayers to go through this process.
‘‘Both sides are pretty passionate about it, but I think businesses are just getting on with what they are doing.
‘‘I think most people just assume it is not going to happen.’’
Hurunui Tourism product development manager Graeme Abbot said staff will need to review the project, should the consent be confirmed.
‘‘We will need to have another look at whether it is still viable and consider what, if any, conditions are placed on it.
Plan A was to have it up and running by now.’’
Despite the wait for the flyride decision, Abbot said the town is booming.
Visitor numbers for the first week of the October school holidays, last week, were up 14% on last year. Businesses are getting ready for the summer season, which is promising to be another busy one, he said.
The pools were fully staff which hadn’t been the case for a few years due to Covid.
‘‘We are all already fully staffed at the pools for Christmas period, which hasn’t been the case for a few years due to Covid.’’
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
“Giggly girt! Giggly girt!”
“See I got my hair cut on Friday. I've got my hair band to keep it up. See? Like this I keep it up.
Biscuit Blair - she's my favourite woman. And you. And that cheeky lady over there.
My last name is Rule. I'll write it down for you, … View more“Giggly girt! Giggly girt!”
“See I got my hair cut on Friday. I've got my hair band to keep it up. See? Like this I keep it up.
Biscuit Blair - she's my favourite woman. And you. And that cheeky lady over there.
My last name is Rule. I'll write it down for you, you silly old duff.
I was born on West Coast. I moved here when I was a little girl.
I like doing pictures here that’s why I like pictures. Doing art. I like going for a walk. I come here Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.
My sister, I go see her on Saturday. Have a cup of coffee, at home. She's five, nine. 59. I'm five, seven, 57. This year I'll be 58. My birthday's on a Thursday. I'm having chocolate cake and pizza. And lolly ice cream.
Some people are noisy. Nicholas, and Peter and Chris, they are my friends and that giggly girt over there.
I get headache sometimes at other work, because noisy.
I'm happy here. I could go for a walk if I want to. I'm good.”
- Vanessa, White Room Creative Spaces
The White Room is a community creative space that removes barriers to
making art. Through this, artists build confidence and connections and
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By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
The wait continues to learn the fate of a proposed flyride at Hanmer Springs.
The Environment Court heard an appeal against a consent being granted to install and operate a gravity-based recreation activity at Conical Hill Reserve behind closed doors … View moreBy David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
The wait continues to learn the fate of a proposed flyride at Hanmer Springs.
The Environment Court heard an appeal against a consent being granted to install and operate a gravity-based recreation activity at Conical Hill Reserve behind closed doors in Hanmer Springs in March.
A spokesperson for the court said the decision ‘‘is still with the court, at this stage we have no estimated issue date’’.
A resource consent was granted to the Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa by a Hurunui District Council appointed commissioner two years ago.
But it was appealed to the Environment Court by The Friends of Conical Hill Incorporated.
The hearing was first held in February last year, but was adjourned and later transferred to Hanmer Springs in March due to a lack of capacity in Christchurch.
If successful, it would be the latest adrenaline venture for the Canterbury tourist town.
During the consent process, submitters opposed to the flyride said it would have a visual impact on the recreation character, biodiversity and horse trails in the area.
Concerns were also raised about parking, traffic congestion, noise, the risk of fire, and devaluation of properties.
Supporters believed the venture would bring value and benefits to the Hanmer Springs community and the wider district, and promote the village as a fun, healthy and interactive place to visit.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
"Sports and travelling run in the family, and that's kind of what's led me to come to New Zealand."
"I grew up in a small town in Finland. My dad was involved with sports all his life, he was a shot putter, discus thrower, powerlifter, we traveled quite a bit when I was … View more"Sports and travelling run in the family, and that's kind of what's led me to come to New Zealand."
"I grew up in a small town in Finland. My dad was involved with sports all his life, he was a shot putter, discus thrower, powerlifter, we traveled quite a bit when I was a kid. He never mentioned much of the rugby days. He just said he broke both of his shin bones playing rugby, so he said, ‘never play the sport, It's crazy.’
I started playing when I was 18. I played my first cap for the Finnish national team in 2014, we won the Finnish championship with my club. Rugby is not a big thing in Finland.
I moved here to play rugby in 2017. The club that wanted me to come over was Methven Rugby Club. They got me here and they were like, ‘what do you do for work? I’d just finished chef school in Finland. ‘We'll get you a job at Mount Hutt as a chef, you can do that while you play rugby with us.’ I said, ‘Perfect. Yeah, I'm in’.
I've always loved food. My mum was an amazing cook, and still is. When I was studying tourism I worked in some hotels in Finland, and I saw how the chef's worked. I just loved the kitchen vibe and I was like, Yeah, that’d be something I'd love to do.
I've had more of a culinary journey In New Zealand than in Finland. I started at Mount Hutt, after that I worked at The Dubliner in Methven. I worked as a senior pizza chef at Sal’s for maybe six months then worked as chef de partie at Cellar Door. At Eliza's Manor, I worked myself up to a junior sous chef. Then the opportunity came to work my first head chef job at Moon Under Water.
We're privileged to have a busy atmosphere, we can try new things and get a bit creative. There are no TV’s, just come here with your family or with your mates, play board games, to socialise.
I really want to drive the local food and ingredients through the menu. We don't mind spending more for quality ingredients as long as it's supporting New Zealand businesses. We just love to use local. And it's pub food, but I feel like it's elevated.
I play club rugby here for the Christchurch Football Club, the oldest club in New Zealand and I still play regularly for the Finnish national team, whenever they can fly me over to play."
- Kalle
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
www.humansofchch.org......
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“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 … View more“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......
Cornhole is the perfect game for summer entertaining and the matching scoreboard helps you see who’s winning at a glance.
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Find out how to create your own with these easy step by step … View moreCornhole is the perfect game for summer entertaining and the matching scoreboard helps you see who’s winning at a glance.
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By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
‘‘Anomalies’’ in Census data on North Canterbury's population growth is creating a headache for a local council.
The Hurunui District Council’s south ward, including Amberley, has experienced a building boom in recent years, but this is … View moreBy David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
‘‘Anomalies’’ in Census data on North Canterbury's population growth is creating a headache for a local council.
The Hurunui District Council’s south ward, including Amberley, has experienced a building boom in recent years, but this is not reflected in the latest provisional Census data on population growth.
According to Census data released earlier this year, Hurunui’s south ward had a population of 5620 in March 2023, an increase of 410 people from the 2018 Census.
This suggests an increase of 1.53% a year over the last five years, much lower than the yearly average increase for the ward of 2.45% since 2001.
But council chief executive Hamish Dobbie said the council’s own data suggests a much larger population increase.
‘‘We would rate the period 2018 to 2023 as a high growth period. You’ve just got to look at the number of houses being built.
‘‘Maybe when they did the Census, people weren’t in their houses and did it somewhere else.
‘‘There is something that doesn’t add up, or maybe it is right and the population was over estimated in 2018.’’
A Stats NZ spokesperson said the current calculations are subject to change and net migration can be difficult to estimate.
Over the last five years, the council has issued 373 consents for new houses in the south ward, mostly for three or four bedroom houses.
Dobbie did not believe there were lots of empty houses in Amberley.
If Census data is unreliable, it can complicate council planning, he said.
But he acknowledged predicting population is ‘‘an inexact science’’.
‘‘It is when you don’t know there are anomalies that you can get things wrong.’’
When the council conducted a representation review ahead of next year’s local government election, it had to rely on 2018 Census data as the 2023 data was not available.
A rapidly rising population formed part of the reasoning behind a proposal to establish a community board for the south ward.
But when presenting to the Local Government Commission last week, the council presented the 2023 Census data while noting the number consents issued.
‘‘We do our own numbers for planning for things like water supply,’’ Dobbie said.
‘‘If we utilised growth numbers that come from the Census, we wouldn’t have water available when it is needed.’’
A Stats NZ spokesperson said the figures for Hurunui’s south ward compared the 2018 Census with population estimates and projections.
‘‘Estimated population change for an area comes from estimated natural increase (births minus deaths), plus estimated net migration.’’
Migration is hard to estimate because there is no single authoritative data source to measure migration into and out of an area, the spokesperson said.
‘‘Estimates for June 2023 are provisional and subject to revision,’’ the spokesperson said.
Building consents are useful, but not all consents result in completed houses, there is a lag between consent and occupancy, some are for second homes and some are to replace demolished buildings.
A second release of 2023 Census data is due on October 3, while population estimates will be revised next year.
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown said the Government is not considering allowing alternative data sources to be considered in representation reviews.
"Representation review data looks at the entire population, not just ratepayers or those eligible to vote, so care would be needed in considering whether alternative data sources could be used in the future.''
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
How many respite care beds are available in North Canterbury is causing confusion, with the associate health minister demanding answers from Health NZ.
Waimakariri MP and Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey said he was frustrated at Te Whatu Ora … View moreBy David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
How many respite care beds are available in North Canterbury is causing confusion, with the associate health minister demanding answers from Health NZ.
Waimakariri MP and Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey said he was frustrated at Te Whatu Ora Health NZ’s response to criticism over respite care availability in the region.
Doocey wrote to the agency last month seeking answers after media coverage highlighted concerns about the lack of respite care beds in North Canterbury.
‘‘Despite our best efforts to seek clarification from Health NZ, it seems the community is no closer to being reassured that adequate respite services are actually available, he said.
‘‘Regardless of how many bed vacancies are showing on Health NZ’s books, if a facility wishes to decline to offer respite care, we are no closer to a practical solution for local families in desperate need.’’
In July, Health NZ confirmed to Local Democracy Reporting that four flexi-beds at the Rangiora Health Hub had been ‘‘decommissioned for respite care’’.
Those needing respite care would need to access it through aged care facilities in North Canterbury.
But the NZ Aged Care Association said it was concerned Health NZ is passing respite care on to aged care facilities, which are not always equipped to deal with demand.
An association spokesperson said while aged care facilities were contracted to provide different forms of respite care, there was only one dedicated respite care bed in North Canterbury.
Aged care providers contacted by Local Democracy Reporting said they cannot always guarantee having beds for respite available, due to the competing demands on their service.
In a letter to Doocey, Health NZ regional manager ageing well Mardi Fitzgibbon said the North Canterbury aged care facilities were contracted to supply respite care and it was assured there were plenty of beds available.
She said the four flexi-beds at the Rangiora Health Hub were ‘‘never used for respite allocations and were instead GP flexi beds’’.
When Local Democracy Reporting contacted Health NZ for clarification, the agency said the flexi-beds ‘‘were used for a variety of needs under the care and direction of a GP’’.
Health NZ Canterbury executive director of nursing Becky Hickmott said the Rangiora Health Hub's key offering is a high-quality maternity service.
‘‘The flexi beds were for people who needed time for recuperation or ongoing monitoring in North Canterbury.’’
The flexi bed area is now used for clinic rooms, hearing screening, day assessment unit appointments and maternity bed overflow.
Respite care is funded by Health NZ and is allocated by the Needs Assessment Service Co-ordination following an assessment of a person’s needs.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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