North Canterbury News: May 14, 2020

Team Kiwi ... Scott Bamford, left, with friends Mitch Pannett, centre, and Ben Irwin at the
finish of the Mongol Rally in Russia.
PHOTO: SUPPLIED
Scott steps up for trust
By SHELLEY TOPP
ANorthCanterbury man continues to
raisefunds for the Westpac Canterbury
West Coast Air Rescuehelicopter service
yearsafter it helped to save his life.
ScottBamford, who almost diedalonein
an upturnedtruck on an isolated road in
CulverdenonChristmas Eve in 2015,says
he willalwaysbegrateful for thehelp he
received from the air rescue service.
‘‘Everyoneknows someone the air
rescue service has helped,’’ Scottsays.
‘‘They are there for every major accident,
not justroad accidents. It can be asimple
hiking accidentinthe PortHills.You don’t
have to be miles away to be in danger.’’
Air Rescue Trustchief executive
Christine Princesays Scott is avalued
fundraiserfor the service.In2017, Scott
and two friends, Mitch Pannett and Ben
Irwintookpart in the Mongol Rally, billed
as ‘‘thegreatest motoring adventure on the
planet’’ and ‘‘motoringstupidity on a
globalscale’’, to raise funds for the service.
They raised $9400inthe 1700km rally
through 20 countries in Europe, finishing
in Russia in the car they bought for $700.
Since the rally Scott has continued to
help the air servicewith fundraising,
including the annual air rescuetrust’s
chopper appeal beingheld now.
Christine says many of the trust’s
fundraising events have been cancelled
duringthe lockdown restrictions and
grantsare down. Helpisneeded now more
than ever.
‘‘We recognise it is adifficult time for
everyone but life carriesonand things
happen,’’ she says.‘‘Thecrew have been
busy responding to motor vehicle
accidents, cardiac incidents, strokes, burn
victims, aprematurebaby,seizures and
several winchrescues.’’
NEWS
North Canterbury News, May 14, 2020
Water focus must remain
By DAVID HILL
Waimakariri Zone
Committee chairman
Michael Blackwell has
warned that the
‘‘environmental crisis’’
should not take aback
seat to the Covid­19
recovery.
Mr Blackwell issued
the warning while
delivering the zone
committee’s annual
report to the
Waimakariri District
Council’s Zoom meeting
livestreamed last week.
While the world has
changed since the
annual report was
written, ‘‘nothing has
changed in the environment,
so anything we
don’t do now will pass
the burden on to future
generations’’.
Mr Blackwell said it
was important the
council continued to
progress the Zone
Implementation Plan
Addendum (ZIPA)
recommendations,
which the council
endorsed in December
2018. It is now subject to
Environment
Canterbury’s (ECan)
Plan Change 7process.
He said many of the
recommendations had a
timeframe of five to 10
years, so any delay
would ‘‘push those
Andrew Blackwell
changes further down
the track, so it’s
important to maintain
the impetus’’.
He acknowledged the
Covid­19 crisis had
changed the world,
something Mr Blackwell
knows all too well given
that he was among
retailers on hold
awaiting the move to
alert level 2toreopen
the family’s 149­year­old
Blackwell’s Department
Store in Kaiapoi.
‘‘It’s not an easy
period for anyone, but
you’ve got to manage
things and get through.
‘‘But Ikind of feel our
district is awee bit used
to going through
adversities. We take it in
our stride.’’
Mr Blackwell stepped
up as Zone Committee
5
chairman last year,
taking over from Dave
Ashby who led the
committee through the
ZIPA process.
The committee’s main
focus over the last year
has been working on the
‘‘non­statutory requirements’’
of the ZIPA.
‘‘We’ve been working
with community groups
on planting projects and
trying to educate and
encourage more people
to get involved.’’
Acontroversial
approach adopted by
the committee is putting
the health and wellbeing
of water first in
decision­making, with
human needs second
and other uses third,
which Mr Blackwell says
is apolicy direction at
both aregional and
national level.
‘‘It’s an indication of a
direction of travel, even
though it’s not in law
yet,’’ Mr Blackwell said.
‘‘The primary focus of
this process going
forward will be on the
health of waterways,
because if that is
created and maintained
you will find your
drinking water is of
equal standard,
eventually, because
everything is connected
and that is important to
remember.’’
“A Healthcare Home for you and your Family”
There’s been
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Your yellow bin now
only accepts rigid plastic
containers and bottles
markedwith a1,2or5.
All other plastic needs to go in the
rubbish along with tops and lids.
Check the bottom ofthe container
for atriangle with anumber in it.
If there is no number,orifyou’re in
doubt –throw it out.
waimakariri.govt.nz/rethinkrubbish