Selwyn Times: October 31, 2017

10 Tuesday October 31 2017
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SELWYN TIMES
Fire rages, homes at risk
Growing Darfield brings issues
Lincoln University
students have
undertaken a planning
project if Darfield was
to expand. Georgia
O’Connor-Harding
reports
THE POPULATION of the once
quiet Darfield has begun to soar.
But with more growth comes
more problems, a new Lincoln
University report shows.
Back in the 1970s, Darfield’s
population barely stretched to
900.
For years the small country
town remained under the radar,
but was commonly characterised
as “the township under the
nor’west arch” after the arch of
cloud often spotted west of Darfield
when the
wind blew across
the Southern
Alps.
But with a
population
projected to reach
nearly 4000 by
Karen
Johnston
2025, what was
once known as a
service town for
farming and the rural community
is now starting to boom.
Darfield currently has a population
of about 2000.
Long-time residents such as
Malvern Butchery owner Pat
McKay describe it as “the gateway
to everywhere”.
Located in the Canterbury
Plains, Darfield is a main town
leading to the Waimakariri and
Rakaia rivers and onto the West
Coast.
“We have got a Fonterra plant,
brick works and we have got a
sawmill. How many towns in
New Zealand can say they have
got that?” Mr McKay said.
The rapid development of the
Central Plains Water Scheme has
also helped to transform Darfield
into a busy hub.
The growth in the town,
originally known as White Cliffs
BUSY: Darfield is an expanding town that will mean solving infrastructure issues.
PHOTO: GILBERT WEALLEANS
Junction then Horndon Junction,
has been viewed as positive.
Mayor Sam Broughton said the
developments in the town have
allowed new people to move into
the area and a lot of investment
had been put into the main
streets of Darfield.
He said the new Challenge
Darfield and a new shopping
centre in McMillan St had been
completed recently along with
the expansion of Farmlands.
But more growth comes with
more problems – as outlined in a
new planning project on Darfield
by a group of Lincoln University
students.
The project, identifying issues
and options for the growing
area, was presented by masters
students Richard Sheild, Hilary
Riordan and Mithran Gopinath
to the district council.
The project was assigned by
the district council.
The student’s presentation
showed growth was partially
due to the town’s conversion
to dairy farming and a shift of
population from the Canterbury
earthquakes.
Fonterra’s plans to have two
new cream cheese plants completed
by 2020 was also identified
as bringing in more people as it
created new job opportunities.
But key issues halting the
town’s growth included the lack
of a sewage system, lack of space
for commercial expansion and
low housing density.
Mr McKay, who is also Darfield
Community Committee
chairman, said planning for
the sewage system should have
started years ago.
“You have got to look 10-20
years out . . . you make the decisions
for tomorrow today,” he
said.
He said while there is no science
to prove Darfield needs a
sewage system, it needs to get
into the district council’s longterm
plan to be addressed.
Darfield is the largest township
in New Zealand without a
reticulated sewage system.
Lincoln University adjunct and
contract senior lecturer Karen
Johnston said the district council
asked the students to look at the
township because it is a community
that could have potential
issues.
Options to address the sewage
problem included a new sewage
centre which could also service
Coalgate, Glentunnel and Kirwee.
“I think that is a big political
question for the district councillors
to address, because if they
move to a reticulated system,
then the people who have invested
in septic systems already
are going to have to move over,”
Dr Johnston said.
She said the issue is whether
Environment Canterbury will
continue to give consents for septic
tanks rather than requiring
the district council to install a
sewage system.
ECan’s principal consents adviser
Paul Hopwood said it can’t
refuse consents for septic tank
systems in advance of a reticulated
system being installed if the
discharge on groundwater can be
managed.
“Until a reticulated wastewater
system is installed, property
owners or developers can apply
for resource consent for on-site
wastewater discharges,” he said.
Mr Broughton said the district
council has a working party researching
the reticulated system
and has been unable to identify
any health or environmental
reason for it.
He said while a system could
have advantages for the businesses
on the main street, it would
come at a high economic cost.
Two Rivers Community Trust
community services stream
manager Bev Elder said any
movement of rates to pay for projects
such as a reticulated system
can be desperately difficult for
some residents.
“Many of them are living lives
of desperation now, deciding
between should I pay the rent
this week or the food this week,”
she said.
Mrs Elder said it is easy to
think of Selwyn as a rich territorial
area, but there are pockets in
the district which are not.
She said the district council
should be making decisions for
all kinds of demographics rather
than being led by developers and
people with money.
Changes which it could make
included allowing studio flats on
the back of houses available for
people at lower rents and more
emergency housing options.
Other options discussed in the
students presentation was for
Darfield to maintain low density
housing around the perimeter
to retain a rural feel and leave
high density housing close to the
central business area.
•HAVE YOUR SAY: What
problems do you see in the
future if Darfield decides to
expand? Email your views to
georgia.oconnor@starmedia.
kiwi