The Star: September 19, 2019

Thursday September 19 2019 The Star
Council chief
to start
next month
• By Louis Day
NEW CITY council chief
executive Dawn Baxendale is set
to start next month.
A city council spokeswoman
said Mrs Baxendale would start in
mid-October after securing a visa.
Mrs Baxendale was named as
the new chief executive in July but
was unable to start straight away
due to not having a visa.
The former Birmingham City
Council chief executive will earn
$495,000, an $80,000 increase
from her predecessor Karleen
Edwards’ salary.
She will also receive an
additional $30,000 towards
relocation costs from the United
Kingdom.
Her appointment attracted
criticism from inside and outside
the council.
City councillor Aaron Keown
told The Star he did not think Mrs
Baxendale, who was one of 38
applicants, was the right person
for the job.
“She is one of a number of
people who would be right for
the job but we could not afford
her. You have got 38 people and
many of them were willing to do
it for $400,000 or less, which is an
amount that would be a lot more
acceptable,” he said.
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Noise at new sports
hub upsets neighbours
• By Matt Slaughter
NOISE LEVELS around Nga
Puna Wai Sports Hub are
concerning some surrounding
residents.
Others say this is only an
issue sometimes and the
sports hub is an asset for the
community.
Said city
council
manager of
recreation and
sport services
David Bailey:
“A resident
who lives close
David
Bailey
to the venue
has contacted
us on two
occasions. On one occasion, the
resident alerted us to the noise
of hockey balls reverberating
off the back of the goal during
hockey practice.
“On the second occasion,
the resident contacted us after
the Christchurch Car Show
to inquire if this event was
appropriate for the venue.
We also received a complaint
during the official opening
of the rugby league fields
relating to the light and noise
created during the testing and
commissioning of the speaker/
NOISY: City council staff are taking measures to manage
noise levels at Nga Puna Wai after complaints.
PA system and during the
game.”
However, Graham Purkis
who lives about 300m away
from Nga Panu Wai said noise
has not been an issue for him.
“Sure, on match day you
can hear it but it’s not affecting
us.”
Mr Purkis said in spite of the
occasional noise Nga Puna Wai
is “nothing but a benefit.”
Euphrasie Drive resident
Lorraine Sellers said noise
was much more of an issue
when the facility was being
constructed than it is now.
“We don’t hear anything
at all. I think it’s a wonderful
set-up.”
Mr Bailey said city council
staff are taking measures in
response to noise complaints
near Nga Puna Wai.
“We understand the noise
and reach of the PA system
during the rugby league
opening was disturbing to
some residents and have now
reprogrammed this system.
NEWS 9
Counterfeit
notes linked
to gangs
• By Sophie Cornish
GANG MEMBERS and associates
have been linked to a wave of
counterfeit notes in Canterbury.
Several people arrested and
charged with possessing or using
counterfeit notes have been linked
to a motor-cycle gang.
Nearly $50,000 in counterfeit
notes have been circulating
since March when police were
alerted to a jump in transactions
involving fake money.
But Detective Senior Sergeant
Joel Syme said there was no
evidence the gang was manufacturing
the counterfeit notes.
“Certainly some of the people
charged may have associations to
different gangs but it’s not a
gang-based investigation,” he said.
More charges were “definitely
likely” but he would not elaborate.
The Star has learned gang
members have been linked to the
offending.
About 15 people have been
arrested in relation to using or
possessing counterfeit notes.
By the end of August, the
Reserve Bank had recorded 543
counterfeit notes passed with a
combined dollar value of $31,160
in Canterbury, while police had
recorded 270, with a combined
dollar value of $16,920.