North Canterbury's councils want the new government to listen to their communities
By local democracy reporter David Hill:
"Listen to our communities" is the message from North Canterbury’s council leaders to the incoming government.
The councils are united in their call for the Government, which is elected after October 14, to engage with and listen to local government.
Councils have been bombarded by a number of reforms from central government, including the affordable water and Resource Management Act reforms, and the future for local government review.
Hurunui District Council chief executive Hamish Dobbie said if the incoming Government is prepared to listen, "we are in business".
"But if they want to centralise and regionalise everything it will complicate things and make it difficult for communities to be heard."
Hurunui mayor Marie Black said her council was waiting on the outcome of the election to see what direction the proposed reforms will take.
"We are just waiting for October 14 to know what’s going to happen with all the reform.
"We are definitely waiting for some clear policy direction."
Black said she wanted the incoming government to put more resourcing into rural health.
Kaikōura mayor Craig Mackle said engaging with Canterbury councils "should be easy".
He said the Canterbury Mayoral Forum worked together well and presented a united voice.
"You expect being a wee voice, you are not going to be heard - I’m going to be stomped on, but there seems to be an understanding that what’s good us is good for them."
The reforms needed cross-party support, otherwise tax dollars were wasted by the next government unravelling the previous government’s legislation, he said.
Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon said he wanted "a commitment to localism" and a review of the funding model to support local government.
He also wanted water infrastructure to remain in local ownership and control.
The ongoing reforms created "an environment of uncertainty", he said.
"These reforms all affect the very core of what we do as councils.
"It is important the successful Government is transparent and inclusive of local government in its review and decisions around these changes.
"We support local decision making as opposed to centralised services that are at arms-length from communities."
As a growth district, the Waimakariri District Council looked forward to projects like the Woodend Bypass, a replacement of Skew Bridge in west Kaiapoi, and the proposed Rangiora eastern link road, Gordon said.
■ Public interest journalism funded through New Zealand on Air.
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Kalle
"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
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