The Star: January 17, 2019

The Star Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Thursday January 17 2019 3
News
Big turnout expected for Hagley Park polo
• By Louis Day
TICKETS ARE selling fast for
the Armstrong Prestige Hagley
Park Polo Classic next Sunday.
Director Jimmy Wood said
he hoped the event would
receive the same support as
last year.
“THe crowds last year gave us
goosebumps, we hope they all
return this year. You don’t need
to play or even ride a horse to
enjoy the day – it’s about being
with friends and enjoying the
beautiful surroundings.”
THere will be a champagne
lawn which will feature oysters
and bubbles provided by Louis
Champagne and Oyster Bar.
Tickets for the champagne
lawn are $55 and are selling out
fast, there are also only two VIP
tables left.
THe gates will open at 11.30am
and the first game, a play-off for
third and fourth place will begin
at 12.30pm, followed by the final
at 3pm.
Family team Waireka, which
is made up of Roddy Wood and
his three sons, Charlie, Jimmy
and Henry, will be competing
against Style Magazine, Bayleys
Realty Group and Louis
Champagne and Oyster Bar.
Firing and then hiring
in brief
Jail for woman
dealing synthetics
A woman has been jailed for
six months for selling synthetic
drugs. Lani Hawkins, 21, admitted
possessing the psychoactive
substance for supply and breaching
a supervision sentence.
Numerous people have been
admitted to Christchurch Hospital
after taking the drugs and
several deaths were being investigation
in relation to the use
of the product. Police searched
Hawkins’ Phillipstown home in
October and found 2.24 grams
of synthetic drugs and $145.
• By Julia Evans
ALMOST HALF of Regenerate
Christchurch’s core staff have
lost their jobs.
Chief executive Ivan Iafeta
told The Star yesterday 13 roles
within the organisation had been
disestablished
after it publicly
notified the draft
Otakaro Avon
River Corridor
Regeneration
Plan.
“Following
this, we’ve
reviewed and Ivan Iafeta
realigned our
organisational structure. As a
result, 13 new roles have been
established and 13 roles disestablished.”
Mr Iafeta said Regenerate did
not make any payouts.
“No one whose roles were disestablished
received any form of
additional payout beyond salary
obligations.”
He did not answer questions
requesting how much was paid
within those obligations, nor
why the new roles were created
or how much the recruitment
process was costing.
The company has 27 core staff,
with an annual wage budget of
$3.7 million. It is funded half by
ratepayers and half by taxpayers.
The Star revealed in September
Regenerate spent almost
$500,000 on consultation for the
red zone plan.
It was also reported in April
that the organisation spent $6.8
million on consultants over two
years.
Regenerate also came under
fire over delays to Cathedral
Square plans, which were supposed
to be revealed in 2017, but
were only released in June.
City councillor Raf Manji, who
has been critical of Regenerate’s
spending in the past, said he
could not comment as it was an
ongoing matter.
“We’re in the middle of discussing
the new framework. But
what I would say is that Regenerate
has done most of its work and
should be wrapping up.”
A spokesman for Greater
Christchurch Regeneration
Minister Megan Woods said she
was not aware of the restructure
as it was an internal operational
issue.
He said the future of
Regenerate would be part of the
upcoming “global settlement
AXED: 13 staff
at Regenerate
Christchurch
have lost
their jobs as
the company
reviewed
its staffing
following
release of
plans for the
red zone.
discussion” with the city council.
Seven jobs at the organisation
are listed on the executive
recruitment and human resource
consultant company Decipher
Group website.
The roles are for a principal
policy advisor, senior advisor,
commercial advisor, planning
manager, commercial manager,
senior human resources advisor
and business performance
director.
Route for lantern
festival changed
The route of the South Island
Lantern Festival is changing
after issues last year with access
to the event, as well as hotels and
businesses nearby. This year it
will run along the Avon River
between Lichfield and Colombo
Sts. The festival hub will be in
Victoria Square.
Police seek dairy
robbery information
Police are seeking information
on an aggravated robbery of
a dairy in Bryndwr. A man
entered Skinny Dairy on Clyde
Rd around 11.15am on Monday,
armed with a knife. The man
took cigarettes and left. Staff
managed to secure themselves in
a back room and were uninjured.
Police would like to hear from
anyone who has any information
on 363 7400 or anonymously via
Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
District plan changes
approved by minister
Last week The Star reported
that Minister for Greater
Christchurch Regeneration
Megan Woods would add a
missing clause to the District
Plan regarding flood prone
areas. It should have said Dr
Woods approved the city
council’s proposal to amend
the District Plan under section
71 of the Greater Christchurch
Regeneration Act.
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visit keepourmoneyclean.govt.nz