North Canterbury News: October 03, 2019
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‘It has been achallenge<br />
for all of us,’ says mayor<br />
By DAVID HILL<br />
Winston Gray has had his last council<br />
meeting, as he counts down to<br />
retirement.<br />
The Kaikoura mayor, who will bow out<br />
on <strong>October</strong> 12, attended Friday’s<br />
retirement function for Waimakariri<br />
Mayor David Ayers.<br />
‘‘We had the last council meeting on<br />
Wednesday (last week) and<br />
we had afunction that night<br />
and went out for tea.<br />
‘‘It’s nice to be finished.<br />
There’s still some work to<br />
tidy up yet and reporting to<br />
do, so I’m not really in<br />
retirement mode yet.’’<br />
Mr Gray says he has<br />
enjoyed his nine years as<br />
mayor, with the last three<br />
years being the most<br />
eventful.<br />
He could not have<br />
imagined what lay ahead<br />
when reelected for athird<br />
term three years ago.<br />
Amonth after the election Mr Gray and<br />
his fellow councillors were at aretreat at<br />
St Arnaud in the Nelson region when the<br />
7.8magnitude earthquake struck early<br />
on November 14, 2016.<br />
Once the heartstopping shaking<br />
subsided, thoughts immediately turned<br />
to getting home.<br />
But as they wove their way along<br />
damaged and broken roads they soon<br />
realised aroad trip was futile and gave<br />
up at Rita farm, four kilometres south of<br />
the Clarence Valley.<br />
Eventually, ahelicopter could be<br />
heard flying toward their convoy, which<br />
they managed to wave down. They<br />
Winston Gray<br />
hitched aride back to their battered<br />
seaside township.<br />
‘‘It is coming up to three years since<br />
the earthquake that struck our area and<br />
it is hard to imagine that we are where<br />
we are today.<br />
‘‘A huge thanks must go out to central<br />
government for their support to us,<br />
which is ongoing.<br />
‘‘Throughout our town the work is<br />
really ramping up, with<br />
bridges being built, water<br />
works and sewer works<br />
being carried out.’’<br />
Mr Gray says the<br />
Kaikoura council is<br />
grateful for the support it<br />
has received from other<br />
councils, including<br />
Hurunui, Waimakariri and<br />
Christchurch.<br />
‘‘As Inear the end of nine<br />
years’ involvement in local<br />
government, it is time to<br />
reflect on what has<br />
happened.<br />
‘‘It has been achallenge for all of us to<br />
get through and Ibelieve we are getting<br />
through this process with another year<br />
to run.<br />
‘‘It has been difficult to minimise the<br />
impact of the cost to our community. As<br />
far as rates go, this has been the biggest<br />
challenge for our council.’’<br />
Mr Gray extended his thanks to<br />
council staff, who he says have worked<br />
tirelessly to meet the challenges of<br />
earthquake recovery.<br />
He says there is some stability around<br />
the council table, with only himself and<br />
Cr Celeste Harnett standing down. The<br />
only contest in the district is for the<br />
mayoralty.<br />
NEWS<br />
<strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong> <strong>News</strong>, <strong>October</strong> 3, <strong>2019</strong><br />
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