North Canterbury News: March 26, 2020

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6 The North Canterbury News, March 26, 2020
Meeting challenges in
unprecedented times
Theseare unprecedented times and
many in our community will be
experiencing arangeofemotions as we
work throughthe impact of the
coronavirus outbreak, bothatapersonal
and acommunity level.
As local MP, I’m heretodowhatever I
can to support our communityatthis
time.
That is why Ihave been connecting
with our residents, community
organisationsand business operators
impactedbyCovid­19.
As we can no longer get together in a
physicalmeeting, my staff are setting up
conference callssothatIamaccessibleto
advocate for you and link you with the
help you need.
Ihave met with Enterprise North
Canterbury for an update on the impactof
Covid­19 on local businesses.
Ihave also been connecting with
business operatorstocheck in with them
and see if they needhelp in navigating
avenues of assistance.
We needtosupport our businesses to
keep on staff and Isupport thepackageof
assistanceannounced by the government,
whichincludes wage subsidies.
In the Electoratewith
MattDoocey
MP forWaimakariri
Authorised by MattDoocey,Level1ConwayLane,188 High Street,Rangiora.
Ihave also been connectingwith socialservices
organisations that havereached
outtometodiscuss howthey could
access further support and Ihave been
able to link them in to the appropriate
avenues.
Iamalso connecting with some of our
doctors and pastoralcare providers.
Oneofthe challenges forcommunities
will be theeffectofself­isolation on
pastoral care.
These concernswere raised at the New
Zealand Mental Healthconference in
Christchurch recently, at whichIspoke as
amember of Parliament’s CrossParty
Mental HealthGroup.
Ihad advocated for across­party
approach to mental health and it is
encouraging to be able to worktogether
across partylines on the challenges, like
Covid­19, that face us as anation.More
than anything, thisisatime to work
together.
Remembertoconnect withthe website
covid19.govt.nz, whichhas everythingyou
need to knowabout Covid­19 in one place.
If you’re stillunsure, call the
free government helpline on
0800 779 997.
Waimakariri
Focus from Dan Gordon, Mayor
Let’sstand together
Kia ora kotou. Warm greetings to everyone
in our community.
Firstly, Iwant to acknowledge that for
many of you,ithas beenadifficultweek.
Iknow thereisahigh level of
uncertainty and things are changing
almost on adaily basis.
Ineed to reassure you that the council is
working hard to support our community
and ensureall our essential services —
water, roading, recycling and rubbish —
will continue to operate smoothly through
this difficult time.
We haveshutall council buildings and
facilitiesinorder to followMinistry of
Health guidelines in order to protect our
residents. We are closely following the
situation, and as soonasit’s safetoreopen
facilities, we will do so.
In the meantime, we’re adapting and
finding ways for peopletoaccess council
services remotely.
Stafffrom departments suchasthe
aquatic facilities are beingredeployed to
assist our community in other areas. Our
libraries already offer arange of digital
services people can access now,and will
be offeringbook deliveryoptions for those
isolatedathome.
Residents can contact customer services
by email, phone, Facebookorvia the Snap,
Send Solve app.
As far as possible, we will still be
carrying outour normal activities, suchas
dog registrations,building inspections and
LIMS. We do ask for your patience, as we
get to finish updatingthese processes to
accommodate the issues.
The council agreed to establish an
Emergency Covid­19 Response Committee
which will streamline the council's
decision­making.
The committee, made up of councillors,
is focused on providingafast response
duringthis time.
Our councillors are at this moment
takinganother lookthroughour budgets
and at the projects we had planned for the
comingyear. It is important thatour
infrastructure is maintained, that we
support local contractorsand we keep
planning for future growth. However,
theremay be spending that can be
deferreduntil thissituation is behindus.
Iencourage residents to listen and
follow Government advice. Remain calm,
look after one another and, when
restrictions ease,support our local
businesses as muchasyou can.
Our community is strong and resilient.
Our pandemicplansare up to date and
CivilDefenceisready if needed. We have
been throughhard times before, and
together, united, we will beat Covid­19.
Funding for businesses
Researcher seeks contact
Dear Editor,
Afew yearsago the North
Canterbury News kindly published a
letter to the editor for me whenIwas
researching the men and women
who had worked on St Helens
Station, Hanmer Springs,North
Canterbury.
The letter drew many interesting
replies fromreaders and others out
of the district whom readers had
contacted.
One of these was aman whose
details Ihave unfortunatelylost and
Iwanted to make contact again. I
thinkhis name might just possibly
have beenPaul. He may havelived
near Leithfield and Ithink he
worked in the transport industry.
His grandfather had worked in the
Department of Lands and Survey
and had drawn up the plans for the
subdivision of the flatland on the
HanmerPlain into farms in the late
1940s.
Iwould really like to contact him
again, and hope that someone might
kindly put me in touch.
Yours,
PeterGrant,
St Helens Homestead,
Hanmer Springs
pfwgrant@gmail.com or (027)
525 7353
By ROBYN BRISTOW
EligibleNorth Canterbury businesses
will be able to accessupto$5000 for a
rangeofapproved support services
thanks to the Regional BusinessPartner
(RBP)Covid­19 Advisory Funding.
The fund will be administeredlocally
by Enterprise NorthCanterbury (ENC),
the local regional business partner.
ENC business support manager Miles
Dalton says the fund will be areal boost
for small businesses.
“Right now, businessesneed all the
help and support they can get. We’re
thrilled with the Government’sbusiness
support package to date, and to be able to
offerthis additionalfundingtohelp
eligible businessesisgreat news.”
Businesses will be able to accessupto
$5000(excluding GST) each to fullyfund
one­on­oneadvice and supportinhuman
resources, healthand wellness, business
continuity planning,orfinance and
cashflow management.
To be eligible,businesses will needto
have met with an approved growth
adviser(Miles DaltonorGuy Graham at
ENC) and have registered on theRBP
platform.
Fundingwill be at the discretion of the
growth advisers, with the aim to provide
funds to as many eligible businesses as
possible.
In addition to meetingwith an ENC
growth adviser, businesseswill need to
meet the following criteria:
Havefewer than50full­time
equivalent employees;
Be registered forGST in New Zealand;
Be operating in acommercial
environment;
Be privately owned, or aMaori Trust or
incorporation under the Te TureWhenua
Maori Act 1993 or similar body managing
Maori assetsundermultiple ownership.
Businessesthat meetthe criteria and
wish to applyshouldarrange an
assessment with MilesDaltonorGuy
Graham at ENC. Email
miles@enterprisenc.co.nz or
guy@enterprisenc.co.nz.
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