Waikari Valley fire evacuees can return home
Residents evacuated after fire tore through vegetation in North Canterbury’s Waikari Valley have been given the all-clear to return home, fire bosses confirmed.
Anna Engelbrecht said “it’s been a relief” to find their house unscathed after an intense evacuation late Sunday, complicated by her husband’s rare neuromuscular disease.
In the span of 30 minutes, he could be unable to move or breath, Anna said, and stressful situations made things worse.
“For me it was: I need to get him out, I need to get him out.”
The pair fled their house with flames on the horizon after a change in wind direction put them in danger.
Many in the community got little sleep overnight Sunday, and some were forced from their properties by the the blaze, which broke out about 8pm and spread over 300 hectares.
Five helicopters and 80 ground crews of firefighters battled the fire on Monday, when it was fanned by high winds, and fire authorities warned it will not likely be fully extinguished for several days.
On Monday afternoon, Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) assistant commander Des Irving said residents could now return home but implored them to “be vigilant” and encouraged them to use common sense in the dry and hot conditions.
He praised the way local residents had reacted to the blaze.
“They’ve been amazing, we’re really appreciative of the residents and their support.
“It is never easy to leave your home at short notice like these people had to do last night, but safety is always the priority.”
The cause of the fire is not yet known, but the source has been pinpointed, he said.
No livestock has been reported as lost, nor any structures lost or damaged.
Poll: Is it still rude to wear a hat inside?
Times have changed and perhaps so has our societal rules around taking off hats when indoors. What are your thoughts?
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74% Yes, take them off indoors
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24.9% No, it's not anymore
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1.2% Other - I'll share below
New Canterbury bypass set to be a toll road
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Motorists could be paying a toll to drive a new bypass on State Highway 1, in North Canterbury, once it's complete.
Meanwhile, planned safety improvements to the area have been canned for now, as officials review the planned work as part of the Woodend Bypass design.
The Government is considering a proposal for its promised roads of national significance to be partially funded by a toll.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) said the Woodend Bypass has been confirmed as one of the first five roads of national significance and that a safety review will be undertaken.
Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey said the Government has backed recommendations by NZTA to introduce tolls in its Government Policy Statement on Land Transport.
‘‘As a Government, we are open to a wide range of funding tools to ensure we are able to deliver the roads that will allow kiwis and freight to get to where they want to go quickly and safely.’’
Safety improvements for Woodend’s Main North Rd were announced in December 2022, as part of a $35 million funding package for State Highway 1 between Saltwater Creek and Cam River, with work due to begin this year.
NZTA had previously advised the safety improvements were on hold, pending the revised policy statement on Land Transport.
Doocey said it made sense to have another look at the work programme.
‘‘When you look at the Woodend safety improvement programme, it was in response to Labour cancelling the bypass, so it is right to relook at that programme in the context of the new motorway.’’
The former Government included the Woodend Bypass in its policy statement on Land Transport announced in August 2023.
Funding was also announced in December 2022 for a $6 million project, including cycleways linking Kaiapoi, Woodend and Pegasus, as part of NZTA’s Transport Choices Programme.
But the programme was axed last December by the new Government.
Doocey said the proposed cycleways and an under-pass at the Pegasus roundabout would be considered as part of the final bypass design.
‘‘When you look at the Christchurch Northern Corridor, the (Christchurch to Kaiapoi) cycleway was an important part of it, so I think it would make sense to consider the cycleways and an underpass as part of the bypass design.’’
Woodend-Sefton Community Board chairperson Shona Powell said she welcomed news about the bypass, but the safety improvements were needed now.
‘‘It will take several years to build the bypass. It is just getting frustrating.’’
Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon said he had been seeking clarity about the promised safety improvements without success.
But he welcomed Doocey’s comments that the cycleway and under-pass would be considered as part of the final design.
‘‘It makes total sense to construct this as part of the works and I know the community would be thrilled to have these included.
‘‘This is an incredibly important project for our district and I am delighted by the depth of consideration the Government is giving to it.’’
He would also like to see a cycleway clip-on added to the State Highway 1 bridge over the Ashley-Rakahuri River.
The council has been planning the Kaiapoi to Woodend and Woodend to Pegasus cycleways for several years, along with a Rangiora (Southbrook) cycleway.
Proposed safety improvements had included road widening, wider centrelines and safety barriers, and reducing the speed to 60kph at the Pegasus roundabout, which would have become one lane with raised safety platforms.
Traffic lights were also proposed at the Rangiora-Woodend Rd intersection, roundabouts at the Woodend Beach Rd and Williams St intersections and a crossing refuge for people using bus stops near Pineacres.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Kaitlyn
"I've been doing compost workshops for the community for four years. But I guess composting for like the past eight years.
It originally started because we moved and our house came with the compost bin. I was curious to know what it was, so we started composting, but like, just chucking stuff and not really knowing what we're doing. Then pumpkins and potatoes just started growing out of it.
I got into gardening during lockdown. My French teacher gave me some broccoli seeds, and I grew those and then obviously, you go through the journey of discovering soils are really important to grow healthy kai.
When I was in Year 13, I was volunteering at an orchard and I ran my first compost workshop. It was pretty cool. And then people just wanted me to keep doing them. Me and my sister got an internship at the Council doing compost education for the community but my compost passion actually came from hearing about Kaicycle's composting programme in Wellington. I want to set up a composting business like that.
Me and my sister started Compost Club at Uni last year. Our main aim is to make composting more accessible and commonplace on campus, especially for students because we find that students want to compost, but they don't know how or they don’t have the resources. We go to their flat and we run a mini workshop for them, come back three weeks later, check out how it's going.
I've taken a break this semester from burnout.
I just find it hard to say no, you get to that position where your body makes you say, no, I can't do any more. I feel like in the environmental space people burn out a lot. I guess why I've struggled with saying no, is because I feel like I can change the world. But no, I can't! We need everyone to do their little part to make a change.
I'm really passionate about cooking and growing healthy kai and having a slow life. And I haven't done that yet. But I'm working towards it."
- Kaitlyn
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
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