Selwyn Times: August 08, 2018

20 Wednesday August 8 2018
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
SELWYN TIMES
Your Local Views
Chairman going out with a bang
Jens Christensen, who is the
chairman of the committee,
which organises
the annual
Rolleston
fireworks night,
writes about
how it started
and why he’s
stepping down from his role.
SOME 35 years ago the original
Rolleston fireworks night was
hatched by a group of Rolleston
identities and stalwarts of the
time.
Local residents and the district
council over the preceding year
brought their tree and hedge cuttings
to the old league ground for
the Guy Fawkes bonfire.
The rugby league ground was
in the vicinity of the district
council headquarters.
The format over the years
was for the locals to bring their
private fireworks down to the
league fields and elders and
members of the volunteer fire
brigade would let the fireworks
off on bits of 4x2 timber and
planks while enjoying the bonfire.
It sure was a true family evening.
Twenty years ago, Ken Shearer
and I got our heads together
and in conjunction with the
Rolleston Residents Association
Committee and the Rolleston
Reserve Management Committee
thought it would be a good
idea to introduce a professional
operator with some bigger fireworks.
The Yellow Pages introduced
us to Paul Collins of Fireworks
International and he has been
with us every year since.
The cost that year for fireworks
was $2000 and while Ken and I
Valuable informed
underwrote the costs, fundraising
on the night meant that the
underwrite was never needed.
Every year since we have managed
to extend the fireworks
spend and then a bigger venue
when we moved to Rolleston
Reserve and then two years ago
the move to the bigger, better
Foster Park.
Bigger for the crowd to spread
out and a bigger safety area
for the operator to fire bigger
brighter mortar shells.
WITH A BANG:
Rolleston’s
annual fireworks
display in 2014.
This photo from
the event was
captured by
a member of
the Rolleston
Community Page
on Facebook.
PHOTO:
FRANCOISE
HURT
The fireworks spend is now
$30,000 and with 2.5km of
security fencing, 36 security
guards, 30 portable toilets, sound
systems and the like.
The night costs in the vicinity
of $65,000 to run.
Our income is $15,000 from
Pub Charity Ltd, $5000 from the
district council and the bulk of
the balance through gate donations.
The gate donations are all important
to balance the books as
the organising committee consists
of Trisha Pullin, myself and
a representative of each of the
community groups running the
stalls for their own fundraising.
We do not have any other organisation
to fall back on for the
shortfall although the organisation
does hold a reasonable cash
reserve as a buffer.
Of significance is that this
iconic district event allows the
community groups on the night
to raise for their groups an
amount in excess of $30,000.
As I am moving out of the district
it is time to seek a replacement
chair and conductor of this
big orchestra.
Assistant Trisha is keen to
hand over her important role
also.
•If you are interested
phone Trisha on 347 8973
so training can begin before
the event, which is due to be
held on November 3.
debate on euthanasia
Selwyn MP Amy Adam
writes about the public
information she held in
Selwyn last week on the
End of Life Choice Bill.
On Thursday I hosted a public
information meeting here in
Selwyn on the End of Life Choice
Bill which is currently going
through the select committee
process in Parliament.
The purpose of the meeting
was to give local people the
opportunity to hear from two
Members of Parliament with
contrasting views on this topic
The two speakers were David
Seymour, who has championed
this Bill, and Maggie Barry, who
is National’s spokeswoman for
issues affecting senior citizens.
Both speakers spoke thoughtfully
on this topic and presented
their respective views about assisted
dying to the audience.
For those who were unable
to attend the meeting and are
interested to learn more about
this topic, the aim of the Bill is
to give people with a terminal
illness or those suffering from
a “grievous and irremediable”
medical condition the option of
requesting assisted dying.
One of the most important
issues around this Bill for me
personally is making sure that
the appropriate safeguards are in
place and the law is not capable
of being misused.
The provisions of the Bill
specify that two medical practitioners
must approve the request
Amy Adams
Selwyn MP
for assisted dying.
The Bill states that the medical
practitioners must also do their
best to ensure that the person is
expressing their own wish, not
under pressure from any other
person.
The Bill states that if the two
medical practitioners do not
agree whether the person is
eligible for assisted dying or
competent to make such a decision,
the case will be referred to a
specialist for their opinion.
I have also received feedback
from many people here in
Selwyn who have strong views
both for and against this Bill.
In a recent survey that I sent
to a random selection of local
residents, the majority of respondents
stated that they were
in favour of giving the terminally
ill the right to end their lives.
•If you would like to get
in touch with me to share
your views on this Bill, email
selwynoffice@parliament.
govt.nz or phone my electorate
office on 344 0418.
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