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4 Tuesday <strong>January</strong> <strong>30</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi<br />
Your Local Views<br />
Accountability needed<br />
Yaldhurst<br />
Rural<br />
Residents’<br />
Association<br />
chairwoman<br />
Sara Harnett-<br />
Kikstra<br />
talks about<br />
quarries in the west and<br />
who makes decisions on<br />
them<br />
IN A recent interview with<br />
Environment Canterbury’s<br />
new chairman, Steve Lowndes,<br />
he stated that the public<br />
perception of ECan was not very<br />
favourable, but ECan is bound<br />
by Government policy.<br />
In part he is correct, in that<br />
Gerry Brownlee the Minister<br />
for Earthquake Recovery at the<br />
time of the District Plan sent<br />
a directive to the city council<br />
to allow for a more permissive<br />
regime. (As an aside, as soon<br />
as this regime entered the leafy<br />
suburb of Ilam with a potential<br />
funeral parlour, he is calling for<br />
a judicial review.)<br />
However, Government policy<br />
does not include allowing the<br />
aquifers to become contaminated<br />
nor does it include allowing<br />
residents to develop silicosis<br />
because of the proximity, and<br />
number of quarries. Neither<br />
does it include allowing the<br />
entire south-west rural area<br />
to become one great quarry<br />
pit.<br />
In recent times there has<br />
been a multitude of resource<br />
consent applications for quarries<br />
and all of them successful<br />
because ECan’s and city<br />
council’s interpretation of policy<br />
and the new rules appears to<br />
be one of we must approve the<br />
consent.<br />
The recent decision by Judge<br />
Borthwick to overturn the consent<br />
in the Harewood Gravels<br />
case appears to suggest their<br />
interpretation is misguided.<br />
Her decision emphasised the<br />
cumulative effects of so many<br />
quarries and the social impact<br />
on communities.<br />
Perhaps it’s time for decisionmakers<br />
to become accountable<br />
which may turn their minds<br />
to stop perpetuating decisions<br />
which have a major impact on<br />
communities. In the meantime,<br />
the train wreck rolls on.<br />
•HAVE YOUR SAY: Email<br />
emily.oconnell@starmedia.<br />
kiwi with your views on<br />
quarries and how they are<br />
being handled.<br />
New home and new<br />
name for friendly pooch<br />
• By Julia Evans<br />
WESTERN NEWS<br />
Local<br />
<strong>News</strong><br />
Now<br />
Fire rages, homes at risk<br />
CHRISTMAS CAME early for<br />
Hank the border collie cross.<br />
After featuring as poster boy<br />
for Dogwatch Sanctuary Trust’s<br />
<strong>2018</strong> calendar and more than<br />
two months at the trust, the<br />
two-year-old was adopted on<br />
December 24.<br />
He starred on the front page of<br />
the <strong>Western</strong> <strong>News</strong> over Christmas.<br />
So he now has a new home<br />
– and a new name. He is now<br />
called Gus. His new owner said<br />
he had come along way in a short<br />
space of time – describing him as<br />
a “dolphin” in the water.<br />
“He is very affectionate and<br />
gaining more confidence as he<br />
gets to know the neighbourhood.<br />
He is very responsive to commands<br />
and appears a quick and<br />
willing learner.”<br />
“I think further down the<br />
track when he is completely<br />
chilled he will enjoy his new<br />
home.”<br />
The bright, lovely and playful<br />
animal, according to trust<br />
manager Pam Howard, had been<br />
without a home since October.<br />
Mrs Howard said many people<br />
had wanted to adopt Gus, but<br />
just weren’t a right fit.<br />
Gus had been at the city coun-<br />
SETTLING IN: With time, Gus<br />
is becoming more relaxed in<br />
his new home.<br />
cil pound before arriving at the<br />
trust, and had some “quirks” she<br />
said.<br />
She described Gus as “resource<br />
guarder” – a dog that growls and<br />
snarls at other animals and people<br />
to stay away from an object it<br />
might be guarding.<br />
“He just needs an owner that<br />
understands when dogs have<br />
quirks you work with them and<br />
you don’t set them up to fail,”<br />
Mrs Howard said.<br />
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