Issue 4 June/July 2010 - Christchurch City Council

City Housing
City Housing Newsletter
Backyard Banter
June/July 2010

1
Foreward
Welcome to this edition of
Backyard Banter
the newsletter for you, our tenants.
Summer finally arrived but is now
a memory with winter biting.
However, Autumn/Winter have
compensations with the change
of colour in the landscape as the
trees get ready for winter – before
we know it the new buds will be
appearing and spring will be on
its way.
Over the last few months I have
visited a number of complexes
and enjoyed meeting many
tenants and having a quick
informal chat.
It is great to see the interest many
of you take in maintaining your
gardens as I have seen some
pretty spectacular displays of
flowers and vegetables.
I hope you enjoy this edition of
Backyard Banter and find the
articles to be of interest to you.
If you have any suggestions
about future content / articles
for the newsletter don’t hesitate
to let us know.
Regards
Kevin Bennett
City Housing Manager.
Notice
Did You Know...?
You can now talk to your Housing Officer about your tenancy &
home matters without needing to come into the city.
In 2009 we reviewed how we provide our service with a focus on staff
being more accessible to our customers.
The changes now see City Housing staff
working, from 13 locations across the City
including the Shirley, Beckenham CCC
Service Centre, Papanui, New Brighton Work
and Income Offices, Hornby Heartlands and
Linwood Community Link. These locations
are closer to City Housing complexes which
means that you no longer have to come into the centre of the city to see
your Housing Officer.
In these locations our staff work together with other agencies to ensure
that your needs are dealt with during one appointment. On some
occasions referrals can be made to other partners within these sites to
assist with any other needs you may have.
Linwood Community Link
Valerie Merryweather Tuesday 8:30 – 11:30 am
Bevan Lawson Wednesday 1:30 – 4:30 pm
Hornby Heartlands
Sharalynne Pollard Wednesday 1:30 -4:30 pm
Papanui Work & Income Office
Natasha Ellis Wednesday 9:30 – 11:30 am
New Brighton Work & Income Office
Mark Mountford Thursday 8:30 – 11:30 am
Shirley CCC Service Centre
Mary McClemont Tuesday 9:00 – 11:30 am
Beckenham CCC Service Centre
Debbie Watson Wednesday 9:00 – 11:30 am
Andrew Boon Thursday 9:00 – 11:30 am
Additionally City Housing Staff are committed to being on-site at some of
our larger housing complexes at a predetermined time each week to talk
to tenants about their tenancy and home matters. We have found this very
beneficial, comments from some of our tenants have been very positive.
Andrew Boon Brougham Village
Natasha Ellis Airedale Place
Bevan Lawson Norman Kirk Courts
Sharalynne Pollard Fletcher Place
Mary McClemont Mabel Howard
Mark Mountford Concord Place
Debbie Watson Harman Courts
Monday 10:30 -11:30 am
Monday 2:30 -3:30 pm
Monday 10:30 - 11:30 am
Monday 10:30 - 11:30 am
Monday 2:30 - 3:30 pm
Monday 10:30 - 11:30 am
Monday 10:30 - 11:30 am
If you would like to make an appointment with your housing officer at
one of the above locations please contact them by phoning:
941 8999

Backyard Banter
2
Up and Coming Events
2010
Christchurch City Housing
Art & Photography Competition
A Cup of Sugar ‘You and Me in the Neighbourhood’
Residents of Christchurch City Council Social Housing Complexes are
invited to enter in the 2010 Art & Photography Competition.
The 2010 City Housing Art &
Photography Competition will be held
on 20 October 2010. The theme for the
competition is “A cup of sugar, you and
me in the Neighbourhood.” The theme
has been chosen as the exhibition dates
coincide with Neighbourhood week
which is the first week of November.
An entry form will be sent out June 2010
to all City Housing tenants to enter in
the competition allowing for plenty of
time to complete your submissions.
There are 3 categories, Painting,
Photography and Sculpture and all
entries will be judged by qualified
judges. All entries will be displayed as
an exhibition at Our City O-Tautahi for
4 weeks.
After the judging has been completed
there will be an awards ceremony which
will be held at Our City O-Tautahi on the
20th October 2010.
Please note that Workshops will be
held in various locations to discuss
the competition with the Exhibitions
Adviser from Our City O-Tautahi. The
workshop time table will be detailed in
the Activities Calendars.
2010 City Housing Tenants
Christmas Function
On the 3rd November 2009 the City Housing Tenants Christmas Function was held at
the Woolston Club. As the 2009 event was such a great success, we will be holding
another event on the 7 December 2010 at the Richmond Club.
We hope many of you may attend this years event to partake in some Christmas cheer.
Tried
&True
Recipe Idea
Hashbrown
Pizza
This makes a great meal. The recipe
is for 2 servings.
4-6 Hashbrowns
(enough to cover the base of your baking dish)
1 Tin of Baked Beans or Spaghetti
¼ Cup of Grated Cheese
½ Cup – 1 Cup of Sliced Bacon
(alternatively replace with ham/cooked sausage)
½ Cup of Mushrooms
½ Cup of Finely Sliced Onion
½ Cup Diced Capsicum
(Red or Green peppers)
Salt & Pepper to Season
To Put This Together:
Pre-heat oven to 180C
Place the Hashbrowns in an oven
proof baking dish or pan and place
on top Baked Beans, Spaghetti,
sprinkle with bacon, mushrooms,
onion and capsicum, lastly cover
with cheese.
Bake in oven for 25-35 minutes.
Watch that the cheese doesn’t burn.
If you Would like to Attend the Christmas Function
Please Register Your Interest With
Rick Fraser or Glenyss Seaward Phone 941 8999
Further advertisements will be sent out in the coming months and also advertised again
in the October – December Calendar.

3
1.
2.
3.
4.
Brain
Teasers
A Ping-Pong Ball in a Hole
Your last good ping-pong ball fell down
into a narrow metal pipe imbedded in
concrete one foot deep.
How can you get it out undamaged, if
all the tools you have are your tennis
paddle, your shoe-laces, and your
plastic water bottle, which does not fit
into the pipe?
The Ball
How can you throw a ball as hard as you
can and have it come back to you, even
if it doesn’t bounce off anything? There
is nothing attached to it, and no one else
catches or throws it back to you.
In Other Words-Puzzles
MEREPEAT
Insult + Injury
??
?
Cost Savings
The Southern Home Energy Advice Centre
Who are we?
The Southern Home Energy Advice Centre (HEAC) is a free, impartial service
which helps people to make their homes warmer, healthier and more energy
efficient. Advice is provided mostly over the phone but also via email, web
forum and in some cases face to face. The Southern office was opened in March
2009 by the Minister of Energy, Rt Hon Gerry Brownlee.
The not for profit service is managed by the Energy Efficiency Community
Network (EECN) and delivered and funded in the South Island by Community
Energy Action, a Christchurch based Charitable Trust.
What sort of advice does it provide?
Advisors are trained in technical advice, energy efficiency tips, customer service,
and are knowledgeable about local home energy efficiency suppliers and
services. HEAC advisors can help callers to:
• identify causes of high energy costs and ways to reduce them.
• minimise dampness and condensation in their homes.
• choose the most suitable electricity plan.
• learn how to use energy wisely and manage energy bills carefully.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
gesg segg gges gegs
i4i
poFISHnd
long _________
do
gone let gone gone be gone
Give Get
Give Get
Give Get
Give Get
1. Solution - Pour water down the hole and the ping
pong ball will float to the top.
2. Solution - Throw the ball straight up in the air.
3. Reapeat after me.
4. Adding insult to injury.
5. Scrambled Eggs.
6. Eye for an eye.
7. Big fish in a little pond.
8. Long overdue.
9. Let bygones be bygones.
10. Forgive & forget.
Condensation Prevention
What is condensation?
When warm air containing saturated moisture comes in contact with a cold
surface like a window or concrete wall it will form condensation on that surface.
What causes condensation?
Moisture created in the home by normal household activities which then creates
condensation like: Cooking, Clothes washing and drying, Clothes dried on a
clothes horse inside, Showering and bathing, Breathing.
How do you control condensation?
It is really important to control condensation to help avoid mould and damage to
your household items through dampness.
• Ventilate your home by opening windows (remember to close them if you
leave your property).
• Close the door to the bathroom when showering or bathing to contain the
moisture and open a window to let the warm air and moisture out.
• When cooking, put lids on pots to reduce the moisture entering the room,
use extractor vans and open windows.
• When condensation forms on windows, wipe with a cloth and then wring
the cloth dry and hang outside. If the cloth is left wet the moisture will be
released back into the room.

Backyard Banter
4
Health & Safety
Personal Safety
There are lots of small things that we can all do around our homes to make sure we
feel safe and do not become victims of crimes.
• Get to know your neighbours. Make sure you know a phone number for them and they
know one for you. Talk to your neighbours and build a good relationship with them. The
more you can assist each other when you need it, the better you will both feel.
• Trust your gut feeling. If you are not comfortable with somebody at your door, don’t
open it. Don’t open the door to strangers. Look through a peephole in your door or
through a window, and always ask who it is. If you don’t know them, keep the
door closed.
• If someone you don’t know asks to use your phone, offer to make the phone call
yourself. They don’t need to enter your home and you don’t need to open the door.
• Don’t do business with strangers who come to the door or call you by phone.
• Don’t discuss your finances with strangers or give out details of your bank or credit
cards over the phone.
• Never admit to being alone.
• If you receive a wrong number phone call, don’t chat and never give out your name
and address.
• Make sure you check that your windows and doors are locked at night before you go
to bed.
• If you are working out in the back yard during the day, lock your front door to stop
anybody sneaking in.
• Keep the phone number of your local Police Station written down next to your
phone and don’t hesitate to call 111 if you are scared for your own safety or for the
safety of another person.
By planning ahead and making a few small changes now, you can make
your home and yourself feel a lot safer.
If you are Interested in Attending a Home & Safety Course Please Contact:
Rick Fraser or Glenyss Seaward Phone 941 8999
Smoke Alarms
Annual Visits During our annual visits Housing Officers will test your smoke alarms
to check they are in working order. We recommend that you test your smoke alarms
on a weekly basis. If any of you are unsure about how to test your alarm please ask
your Housing Officer. Please do not remove your smoke alarms for any reason. If
they are going off continually please contact the Housing Maintenance team on
941-8666, who will try to respond within 4 hours to repair or replace the alarm.
Information Most fire fatalities occur in homes, while people are sleeping. Fire is
quiet and fast. If you’re asleep, you can’t smell smoke. Sound is the best way to
wake a person from a deep sleep - a smoke alarm is the best way to rouse you from
your slumber. Smoke alarms detect smoke before you can see or smell it. The smoke
particles break a circuit in the smoke detector which triggers a loud warning signal,
and keeps sounding until the smoke clears.
Maintenance Dust and spider webs can affect smoke alarms. Clean with the vacuum
cleaner once a month, and while doing so, test the alarm by pushing the test button.
When the battery is going flat the smoke alarm will sound a short ‘beep’ every so often.
A smoke alarm constantly monitors the air 24 hours a day. If an alarm regularly responds
to smoke from cooking replace the alarm with one that has a button to silence
it for a few minutes or fan the alarm with a newspaper or tea towel this should stop
the alarm automatically. Do not try and disable the alarm by removing the battery.
Tips for the
enthusiastic
gardener
in the flower garden..
What to take out -
Its time to take out Dahlia Tubers
and store in a dry place.
It is safe to divide and replant
perennials.
What to prune up -
Cut back daisies, geraniums and
others that have finished flowering.
To produce thick, lush and dense
new growth you need to prune
back by at least ¾ of their size. It
is the same with Lavender, Hebes,
Hibiscus and other fast growing
shrubs.
Tidy up perennials and divide
overgrown plants. Roses will have
finished flowering.
Now is the time to clean up dead
leaves under the rose bushes to
prevent the spread of pest and
diseases.
What to plant now -
Plant Gladioli for November
flowering.

a sociation
association
5
Tenant
Profile
So What Happened?
bowling his way to
south africa
Congratulations...
to Graeme Sudlow from Fletcher Place
who has been selected to represent New
Zealand at the World Disabled Bowls
Championships in South Africa next year.
The event runs for 2 weeks starting on
the 30th April 2011. He is one of only
9 players selected to represent New
Zealand, and will play in singles, Pairs,
Triples and Fours.
Graeme needs to raise $5000.00 to pay
his way for the trip and has already
begun fundraising, including raffles,
events and collections at malls. This will
be his first trip to South Africa.
Graeme has played Outdoor Bowls
for more than 10 years, representing
the Hornby Domain Club, and played
Indoor Bowls for more than 14 years
representing the Mairehau Parish Club.
After an accident in 1993, causing a
head injury Graeme explained how
Bowls has helped with his memory and
concentration, as well as the social aspect.
As you can see from the photo Graeme
has won many Outdoor and Indoor titles,
with the highlight being the Disabled
Bowls New Zealand National Triples
Championship title in 2008.
Keep an eye out for Graeme fundraising
and we wish him good luck with this and
for a successful event.
During the week beginning 15 February this year members of the Christchurch
Beautifying Association judged City Housing Gardens in the Fendalton/
Waimairi, Burwood/Pegasus and Hagley/Ferrymead Wards.
The aim of the awards are to encourage and acknowledge the time and effort
that tenants have put into their gardens. We hope to expand this to all wards
next year.
The Community Pride Certificates were presented in late April at a BBQ
function at Biddick Courts Lounge in Dallington. This function was enjoyed by
the 40 tenants who received their certificates.
Fendalton/Waimairi Ward
Highly Commended:
First Place:
Alice Tomlins
Mavis Smith
Burwood/Pegasus Ward
Highly Commended:
First Place:
Hagley/Ferrymead Ward
First Place:
Congratulations...
a big success!
Main results were…
Joyce Reid
Alexander Wilson
Valerie Cogger
City Housing in conjunction with the Christchurch Beautifying Association take pleasure in thanking
Joyce Reid
For your contribution towards maintaining Christchurch as the Garden City
to everyone who received an award, and your contribution towards
maintaining Christchurch as the Garden City.
Garden Award
Community Pride 2010
Highly Commended
Kevin Bennett City Housing Manager
Community Services Christchurch City Council
Burwood/Pegasus Ward
Garden Award
Community Pride 2010
Irma Scanne l President
Christchurch Beautifying Association
City Housing in conjunction with the Christchurch Beautifying Association take pleasure in thanking
Alexander Wilson
For your contribution towards maintaining Christchurch as the Garden City
Kevin Benne t City Housing Manager
Community Services Christchurch City Council
First Place
Burwood/Pegasus Ward
Irma Scannell President
Christchurch Beautifying Association
Photo: Valerie Cogger and Betty Underwood display their Certificates with judges John Walsh and
David Moyle from The Christchurch Beautifying Association. From left to right, John Walsh (Christchurch
Beautifying Association), Valerie Cogger, David Moyle (Christchurch Beautifying Association), Betty Underwood.

Backyard Banter
6
From The Team
Activities Service
City Housing provides an Activities Service which is available to all our tenants and
we strongly encourage tenants to participate.
Every 3 months a calendar is sent out to tenants outlining the forthcoming 3 months
activities. City Housing provide transportation to most of the events however we
strongly encourage individuals to make their own way if they can.
If you would like to attend, you are required to contact the Activities Co-ordinators
to book in for an activity. There are often limited places available so we strongly
encourage you to book in early to secure a place.
Cooking Classes
City Housing Activities Co-ordinators are qualified cooking facilitators. We are able
to provide 6 week cooking courses on a regular basis for City Housing tenants and
have a fully equipped cooking facility.
Cooking On a Budget
A free 6 week course with 1 class per week. Course content includes kitchen hygiene
and safety, menu and meal planning, making food look good, basic healthy eating,
shopping on a budget, what you can do with a food parcel.
Senior Chef (Cooking For Older Adults over 65 )
A free 6 week course with 1 class per week. Course content includes nutrition,
breakfast ideas, budget considerations, healthy light meal ideas, meal planning,
main meal ideas, supermarket shopping tips and a sweet treat final session.
Transport available. There are limited places available, bookings essential.
If you are Interested in Either of These Courses Please Contact:
Rick Fraser: 941 8289 or Glenyss Seaward 941 8078
Text: 027 434 8637, Email: cityhousingactivities@ccc.govt.nz
Surviving on
a Shoestring
Exciting
New Course
This is a new programme to be run by Trainme in partnership
with City Church.
Free 10 week course aimed at improving literacy and numeracy
by way of budgeting and cooking.
Limited Spaces Available:
Phone Karen Hadlee: 379 7979 for Details
Friendly
Reminders
A friendly reminder from
the team about...
Noise - Generally excessive noise is
unacceptable at any time however in some
cases people making the noise are unaware
that they are causing a disturbance. Therefore
City Housing encourage neighbours to attempt
to sort it out between themselves.
However there are times when it is more
appropriate to contact the Noise Control
Team directly. You can contact the Noise
Control Team on (03) 941 8666. They will attend
the complex as soon as they can and make a
professional assessment of the noise levels.
If the noise is related to a domestic
disturbance or is a result of dangerous or
speeding drivers it is important to phone the
Police immediately.
Any situation which warrants you phoning
the Noise Control Team or the Police should
be followed up with a phone call to your
Housing Officer. City Housing will follow up
the complaints with the Noise Control Team or
the Police if it is required.
Keys - As Housing Officers don’t carry keys
they are generally not in a position to come
out to let tenants into their units if they lose
their keys or lock themselves out.
If a City Housing contractor comes out to help
a tenant gain access to a unit, this may cost
a lot of money and the charge will be passed
onto the tenant. For this reason we encourage
all our tenants to be particularly careful not to
lose their keys.
Cutting Keys - Most of our keys are on a
master system which means that only certain
locksmiths can make copies of the keys.
These locksmiths must have the permission
of City Housing to make a copy of a key where
appropriate. Housing Officers can provide
tenants with a form to allow tenants to get a
copy of their key made at one of the approved
locksmiths. You may choose to get a copy of
a key made to leave with a trusted friend or
family member in the event that you become
locked out or lose your keys.
Tell us what you think - At City Housing
we are very interested in finding out what our
tenants are interested in reading about in the
biannual news letter. If you have an item of
interest that you would like to see in the news
letter or have any suggestions for the news
letter it would be greatly appreciated.
We appreciate any feedback provided.

Social Housing Providers Since 1938
City Housing