The Star: June 15, 2017

The Star 13
News
Latest Christchurch news at www.
.kiwi
Thursday June 15 2017
Child sex offender concern
Meeting
held by
residents
• By Andrew King
SOMERFIELD residents
met last week to discuss the
placement of a convicted
child sex offender in their
community.
It comes after schools and residents
were told on May 29 about
the offender being released from
prison and who would soon be
living near them.
The meeting
was organised
by Labour MP
for Port Hills
Ruth Dyson
(left) and included
Somerfield
Residents
Association
representatives and Department
of Corrections staff.
Ms Dyson labelled the meeting
as “extremely positive.”
“They have really tried to engage
the community as much as
possible. We were told it was the
CONCERN: Letters have been sent to schools warning of a sex offender living in the
community.
first time that Corrections have
door-knocked residents to let
them know what is happening,”
she said.
She said she initially had
doubts that police would be able
to respond to any breaches of
conditions, but said Corrections
reassured her police would make
it a “top priority.”
Residents association chairwoman
Julie Tobbell said it was
good to allow the community to
voice their concerns.
“I will be looking to set up a
meeting with concerned residents
and Corrections at a later
date once I find out how many
people would be interested in it,”
she said.
No specific details about the
offender were discussed at the
meeting, Ms Tobbell said.
The next time the residents
association will meet is July
10, but Ms Tobbell said there
could be another meeting set up
if there was a large number of
interested residents who wanted
to attend.
Schools were notified by Corrections
staff who assured them
that there will be 24/7 monitoring,
exclusion zones
to prevent contact with
children, and the offender will
be housed more than 500m
from schools.
Letters were sent to Somerfield,
St Peter’s and Cashmere
High schools.
Corrections staff were
also going door-to-door
in Somerfield letting the
community know.
Controversial
fence set
to cost
ratepayers
A CONTROVERSIAL ratepayerfunded
fence at Flock Hill Station
has been given the go-ahead.
The Selwyn Waihora Zone
Committee has reconfirmed its
decision to allocate $26,571 of
its Immediate Steps Biodiversity
Funding to section off a part of
Cave Stream and 35ha wetlands at
the station.
The zone initially approved allocating
$44,236 to the project in
March but has since reviewed its
decision.
It comes after an application
by Flock Hill’s leaseholder Flock
Hill Holdings, owned by Jim
Foster and Vince Saunders of Los
Angeles-based Coast Range New
Zealand, was made.
It proposed fencing off Cave
Stream as a way of mitigating the
associated loss of biodiversity on
the terraces. The landowners will
contribute $22,000 towards the
project.
A final decision on the funding
was held off at the zone’s May
meeting after concerns more
research needed to be done on the
project
Make your GP team your first call 24/7
Even after-hours a nurse is available to give free health advice
Phone your usual General Practice number 24/7
CREATE AN
AWESOME LIFE
FOR YOU AND
YOUR WHANAU
Gain skills for employment for FREE* through
He Toki. Training options include construction,
electrical, plumbing, health, engineering and more.
Through He Toki you’ll explore your cultural
identity and be supported to join the next
generation of Māori leaders.
Apply now at Ara
For more information
0800 24 24 76
ara.ac.nz/he-toki
12
9
6
12
3
*
Conditions apply.
9
3
6