Selwyn Times: October 04,

FREE TUESday OCTOBER 4 2016 379 7100 Selwyn Times Proudly locally owned and published by Star Media Award winning publishing group Kea (Nestor Notabilis) DRIVE PHONE FREE Ladbrooks, Tai Tapu, Leeston, Lincoln, Southbridge, Prebbleton, Halswell, Rolleston, Templeton, Burnham, West Melton, Darfield, Arthurs Pass Local body election votes well behind planned target BUSY TRADE: Phillippa Boa’s deli The Lincoln Pantry is one of a number of new businesses to have set up in Selwyn in recent times. PHOTO: ANDREW KING. ​ District’s growth soars • By Tom Doudney IT WAS a case of right place, right time for Phillippa Boa who opened her deli The Lincoln Pantry on Gerald St in May. The Tai Tapu woman is one of many business owners who have grabbed the opportunity presented by Selwyn’s soaring growth to set up a business in the district. Ms Boa had been planning to start the business for a while and she said friends and fellow Lincoln business owners had helped convince her to take the plunge. “I had been looking for a business opportunity in the area because I think it’s a lovely community, you have got residential growth – I think it was 25 per cent last year,” she said. “Then you have got the corporate market around you with Plant & Food and the university, so it seemed like a good hub for a shop like ours.” Ms Boa said business was going well so far. The district has recorded another year of strong growth with the value of non-residential building consents increasing by 40 per cent in the 12 months to June. This week the Selwyn Times takes an in depth look at the Selwyn’s booming economy – see pages 4 and 5. • By Tom Doudney WITH FOUR days until the polls close, more than a quarter of Selwyn’s eligible voters have already made their choice for mayor and district councillors. Voting closes on Saturday at noon and people who are posting in their voting papers need to do so tomorrow at the latest. By 4.20pm on Friday, 25.57 per cent of those eligible to vote in Selwyn had. The figure is slightly ahead of the 24.02 per cent who had voted at this stage in 2013, and also above the figures for the same stage in 2010 and 2007 elections. By ward, Malvern (33.85 per cent) and Ellesmere (31.75 per cent) have had a significantly higher proportion of voting papers returned to date than the Springs (22.55 per cent) and Selwyn Central (21.95 per cent) wards. Selwyn is part of Local Government New Zealand’s Vote2016 campaign, which aims to lift voter turnout in local elections to more than 50 per cent for the first time since the 1980s. Turn out will need to lift significantly for that to happen, with the best result in the last three elections being in 2007 when 44.78 per cent of those eligible to vote did so. Last year, 43.41 per cent voted. After tomorrow, voters will need to return their voting papers to one of the ballot boxes located at Darfield, Lincoln and Leeston Library and Service Centres, and at the district council headquarters in Rolleston. Anyone who is eligible to vote but has not received their voting papers can still cast a special vote at any of these locations. WANTED A house with Granny Flat attached in Rolleston. Call me now! Mary Westwood M 021 557 731 P 03 347 4711 mary.westwood@harcourts.co.nz www.harcourts.co.nz Four Seasons Realty Ltd Licensed Agent REAA 2008