Housing, roads and town promotion
From local democracy reporter David Hill:
Housing, road reserve management, and the funding of Waimakariri’s three town promotions associations are set for review.
The Waimakariri District Council appointed hearing panels to consider its draft housing and road reserve management policies, and a working party to review how it supports the Rangiora, Kaiapoi and Oxford promotions associations at a council meeting on Tuesday (June 6).
Deputy Mayor Neville Atkinson will chair the housing policy hearing panel.
‘‘Social housing is something we have provided, but we also have the Vision Wests of this world and Kāinga Ora, who are very good at running these things,’’ he said.
‘‘We don’t need to be experts ourselves, we just need to make sure people are pointed in the right direction.’’
The council formed a housing working group two years ago to review the housing challenges in the district and the council’s role in supporting ‘‘positive housing outcomes’’, property unit manager Rob Hawthorne said.
The working group has prepared a draft housing policy which will go out for public consultation in August.
Mayor Dan Gordon suggested the hearing panel consider raising the age eligibility from 65 to 60-years, while councillor Brent Cairns suggested accessibility needed to be considered.
The draft road reserve management policy will be out for consultation from June 19 to July 19.
Senior transport engineer Shane Binder said the draft policy had been updated to include roadside berms, unformed legal roads, road corridor usage, utilities on the roadside and work zone traffic management.
It also included paper roads.
Gordon said Rangiora Promotions, the Kaiapoi Promotions Association and the Oxford Promotions Action Committee all played valuable roles in their communities.
‘‘The sustainability of our promotions associations is really important in our district and we helped Rangiora Promotions earlier this year to get through a period where they had a funding gap.
‘‘Changes happen so we need to make sure our promotions associations are fit for purpose and our funding is where it needs to be.’’
Cairns has been asked to lead the working party, with support from councillors Joan Ward and Tim Fulton, representatives from the four community boards and the three promotions associations.
‘‘I have met with all three promotions associations and they all have challenges,’’ Cairns said.
‘‘Most of the members have their own businesses, so they have pressures of trying to make money in this environment and then putting in the time to support their community.’’
He said the promotions associations promoted their towns, made them vibrant and attracted new people.
Council staff will also provide support.
Strategy and business manager Mark Maxwell said the review will begin by considering the challenges the promotions association are facing, before exploring solutions.
Poll: Do you think banning gang patches is reasonable?
With the government cracking down on gangs, it is now illegal for gang members to display their insignia in public places whether through clothing or their property.
This means arrests can be made if these patches are worn in places like restaurants, shops, on public transport or ferries, and on airplanes. Arrests were made recently at a funeral.
Do you think this ban is reasonable?
-
77.3% Yes
-
21.8% No
-
0.9% Other - I'll share below
Canterbury kura expansion finally begins
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
There is a sense of relief at Waimakariri’s only Māori immersion school, as work on its expansion finally begins.
Te Kura o Tuahiwi, which sits between Kaiapoi and Rangiora, is set to receive six new classrooms and a new hall to support its growing school roll.
Board of trustees chairperson Charlie Agi said the build has taken years of planning.
Work had been due to get under way last December, but was put on hold while the Ministry of Education reviewed 352 building projects.
‘‘It has come a long way,’’ Agi said.
‘‘To see the work of past members of the board have put in to get to this point, it is amazing. It is awesome.
‘‘The board has shown some resilience to keep pushing.’’
Ministry of Education spokeswoman Sandra Orr said the new classrooms include four for roll growth and the replacement of two classrooms.
The classrooms are being manufactured offsite and will be open for the beginning of term two next year, with the hall due to open in term four.
Principal Dot Singh said the delays have been frustrating, but she is excited for her tamariki to have new classrooms.
‘‘When I came in (two years ago) we were doing the planning and then we were told they were changing the plans, and then it was going ahead - and then it stopped,’’ Singh said.
She said she then wrote a two-page letter to the ministry and to Education Minister Erica Stanford to emphasis the school’s special character.
The school is the only kura between Christchurch and Kaikōura ‘‘to meet the needs of whānau who want immersion and bilingual education’’.
The kura has a roll of 179 pupils, with another 22 already pre-enrolled for this term and the beginning of next year.
The hall is designed to hold 250 people, meaning the kura will finally be able to hold full school assemblies, prizegivings and indoor sports.
‘‘Our tamariki love basketball,’’ Singh said.
The kura regularly supports the marae across the road by hosting people on site before they are welcomed on to the marae.
‘‘When the Māori Queen visited last month, they all assembled here before they went over to the marae.’’
Having the hall will provide the option of hosting visitors indoors, and allowing sports to continue in the winter and when it is raining, she said.
Singh said the extra space will also allow the kura to offer a Te Puna Reo group (pre-school) for 4-year-olds to help them to prepare for school.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
Loading…
