Selwyn Times: March 06, 2019

SELWYN TIMES Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Wednesday March 6 2019 17
Local
News
Now
News
Online community groups in spat
Fire rages, homes at risk
• By Georgia O’Connor-
Harding
A SPAT HAS broken out
between two Facebook
community pages.
Greig Russell has hit out at the
administrators of the Halswell
Community Group page for
being “ousted” from the group
of nearly 11,000 members for
speaking his
mind.
He was
removed from
the page when
he posted a
mobile phone
number
online.
Chrys Horn
Mr Russell
has since
set up a new
page called Halswell Community
Page Uncensored with a
catchphrase of #LETSMAKE-
HALSWELLGREATAGAIN
“They ousted me out of the
community. Short of pitchforks
and tiki torches that is what they
have done,” he said.
Mr Russell was returning
home from a fishing trip in Greta
Valley when he came across a
group of men stranded due to
having a flat tyre. He lent the
men his spare wheel to enable
them to get home and got one of
their mobile numbers. Mr Russell
said the men had promised
to return it the next day, but
nothing eventuated and they
would not return his phone calls
and blocked his number.
To put pressure on them, he
asked members of the Halswell
Community Group to phone the
number and ask for the wheel’s
return. It was returned after
about a week.
But Halswell Community Project
chairwoman and one of the
administrators Chrys Horn said
it was harassment and would not
be tolerated.
“The trouble is people put up
stuff and they make allegations.
ARGUMENT:
Halswell
resident
Greig
Russell
said he was
ousted from
the Halswell
Community
Group
Facebook
page.
We have had quite a few times
that has happened and the poor
person on the receiving end has
no idea what was going on,” Dr
Horn said.
But Mr Russell responded,
saying it “absolutely” was not
harassment. He said he did
something about his wheel being
stolen and he got a result.
“Someone was trying to rip
me off. You put yourself in my
situation. You have got a phone
number that is all you have got.
What are you meant to do if they
block you?”
He said there is no consistency
in the Halswell Community
Group’s rules.
But Dr Horn said it is the
Halswell Community Project’s
page and it has clear rules which
people need to follow.
“If people step outside those
and they don’t take no for an
answer, then we block them and
that is just the way the world
works.
Dr Horn said it is a large group
to monitor and because the
administrators have a lot going
on in their lives, they do not
always catch posts breaking the
rules right away.
The group has a wide range
of policies, including group
members being unable to
advertise businesses, abuse
or make racial comments,
complain about organisations
or make posts containing sexual
references or innuendo.
Dr Horn said the group
doesn’t bear many grudges and
she would like to reinstate Mr
Russell when things settle down
and if the administrators agree.
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Join the Selwyn
Public Arts Panel
We are seeking expressions of interest to participate in a Public Arts
Panel. The purpose of the panel will be to purchase or commission a
piece of Public Art for Selwyn in 2019.
We are looking for local creatives, who are currently practising or have
a degree in the arts (or equivalent).
Collectively the Panel will have an informed view of the district’s
geography and an understanding of the place making potential of arts
and culture for our communities. They must respect the values of the
communities and individuals that may be affected by the panel advice.
Priority will be given to Selwyn residents, former residents of Selwyn
and mana whenua.
Applications close Wednesday 13 March. To register your expression
of interest, please email arts@selwyn.govt.nz.
Arts Culture
& Heritage
SELWYN