Ashburton Courier: August 20, 2020

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www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz NEWS Ashburton Courier, August 20, 2020 5 Neighbourlyspirit’s new path TONI.WILLIAMS @ashburtoncourier.co.nz Christine Richards may have taken off her official Neighbourhood Support coordinator hat, but she is still actively involved in her hood. She volunteers with many community groups, as an Ashburton Mackenzie Group volunteer and board member, is on the Ashburton White Ribbon Committee and is the Neighbourhood Support street contact on her street arole she will continue. She retired from the Neighbourhood Support coordinator role two weeks ago. It was aplanned move initiated by fourmonth world holiday with husband, Paul. The holiday did not happen (due to Covid19) but Christine has taken early retirement after five and ahalf years in the role. She was grateful for the support shown by people in the community, and those in other organisations, who had helped make her job much easier. “There are so many great communityminded people there are out there. You don’t really realise how special they are,” she said. “Some of them don’t even know how special they are. “Ashburton is agreat community, we all pull together.” It was especially evident with the Civil Defence welfare group which was brought together to help people in need Christine Richardsmay have left Neighbourhood Supportbut is still active in the community. in the community during the Covid19 lockdown, she said. And at age 63 she will not be idle for long. She is already planning to increase her voluntary roles next year. One close to her heart is the school BOOST literacy programme. She considers being involved in the community as a way of paying it forward. “It’s my town, Ilove my town,” she said. Since retiring Christine has enjoyed more time walking, done more baking and is planning to get back to regular swimming sessions and to tend her garden. She also wants to delve into the family tree on her father’s side. There are also grandchildren to spoil; three in Canterbury and six overseas (Australia and Norway). The position for Neighbourhood Support is currently being advertised –it closes on August 28 and Christine will return to pass on her expertise to the successful applicant. She said in an ideal world there would be Neighbourhood Support on every street with one person as astreet contact. “It’s not ahuge job,” she said. “It would suit someone who would like to make their street community abit safer, a bit friendlier and watching out for each other.” It may mean keeping in touch with people in person or by email, phone or text. The paperwork is all supplied as well as resources and stickers, she said. “Some groups are more connected than others,” she said. They host gettogethers and are proactive in keeping people on their streets in touch with each other. However, Christine said in an emergency she would like to think all neighbours would still be there for each other, if needed, regardless if they were in Neighbourhood Support or not. Kari not afan of fluoridated water He’s been in Methvenfor six monthsand loves the small town feel, but Kari Mohoao is not so keen on the fluoride in his water. The former Timaru mayoral candidate works as an holistic life coach andpersonal development coach andisan antifluoride advocate. ‘‘I’m afollower of the science andfor me the fluorideargument does not stack up.’’ Mr Mohoao said he was disappointed that therewas no alternative fluoridefree water optionavailable in Methven. He said fluoridationwas an emotional and controversial issue andhebelievedthe science had advanced and the facts were clearer since Methven voted to retain fluoride in 2008. He saidresidents armed with more scientific informationtoday might think twice before voting for it again. The Methven watersupply has been fluoridatedfor around 50 years andinthe 2008 referendum 627 voted for it and 203 against. Mr Mohoao said people had the righttomake up their own mind andMethven was a ‘‘solid’’ community that could not be forced to change quickly. ‘‘Being anewcomer to town I am keentoencouragepeople to readmoreabout fluoride and to look at the studies and evidence that suggests it can have negativehealth affects. ‘‘I think when the Ministry of Health and healthboards don’t want to discuss asubjectlike fluoridation, it raises questions and concerns.’’ Mr Mohoao brings his own water intoMethven. Other thanits water,he describesthe townshipas ‘‘country pure’’ and good place to live. Kari Mohoao IN BRIEF PO BOXES NZ Post hasconfirmed its PO box lobbywill move to Tancred Street from September 21. Thecompanysaid at thestartof the yearthat it waslooking at anew location duetolease renewals and that any changeswould be communicateddirectly to customers. It said thenitwas committedtocontinuingtoprovide postal andPObox servicestothe community in easy-to-access locations. The PO box lobby will move to 125 TancredStreet. SHOWOFF The Ashburton Vintage CarClub has cancelledits daffodilshow and shineevent this Sunday(August23) because of covid restrictions. The event was to have been a fundraiser for the Ashburton Cancer Society, withentrantsshowing their cars at the club’s MaronanRoad grounds. The show mayrun at a laterdate. CHARITY GOLF The LionsClub of Ashburton is hoping to haveSir Richard Hadlee in attendance at its annual golf tournament on October 8. Save the dateifyou’re akeen golfer-more detailswill be released nextmonth. HUBER DIES Mt Hutt skifield’s founding father Willi Huber hasdied.MrHuber, 97, livedinGeraldine andcametoNew Zealandinthe 1950s. He wasa mountain guide and climbedAoraki Mt Cook manytimes. Forhis work at Mt Hutt, askifield hotloft was named afterhim as well as aski run. BEAUTIFULTOWNS Cambridge and Hastings are in the runningfor the title of New Zealand’s mostbeautiful largetown. Waiheke Island and Arrowtownare shortlistedfor the mostbeautiful small townand Whanganuiand Hamilton for the most beautifulcity. Finalists mustdemonstrate sustainable and environmentallyconsciousbehaviours in litter preventionand waste minimisation, community beautification, recycling projects and sustainable tourism. PLANES OFF Due to Covid-19 Level 2 restrictions,the visitofthe Full Noise Yak3 Russianfighter and AvroAnson to Ashburton Airfield todayhas beenpostponed. Anew date for the visitofthe World War 2planes is stilltobe confirmed. SAVE $2,000 Powered Headre drests &Recl ecline SALE 28-32 MooreSt, Ashburton l Phone 03 550 7000 UNITED TWIN POWER RECLINING 3SEATER RRP $5,999 NOW $3,999 * (Selected Leathers) 2305131
NEWS 6 Ashburton Courier, August 20, 2020 Local covid testing continues LINDA.CLARKE @ashburtoncourier.co.nz Ashburton’s covid testing station at Ashburton Hospital will continuetoopenfor free testing of peoplewith covid symptoms. The drivein stationtested atotal of 248 people between last Thursday and Tuesday, and will be open today, Friday and Saturday. From nextweek awalkin testing facility willoperatethree days aweek. Around the country,record numbers of peoplehave been tested for Covid19 as health authorities track and trace more than 1000 contacts of positive cases connected to one Auckland cluster. AshburtonGPSarah Clarke said local GPswould betestingtoo. ‘‘I think New Zealandwill need to keep up goodrates of testingand this episodehasbeenareminder to us all that if we get symptoms consistent with Covid19, we should get a test.’’ AucklandisinAlert Level3 while the rest of thecountry is in AlertLevel 2. People in Mid Canterbury are being remindedtopractise social distancingand good hand hygiene;gatherings of more than 100indefined spaces are banned. Ashburton’s communitybased testingstation tested 72 people on Thursday, 78 on Friday and 39 on Saturday. On Monday, 42 people were tested and on Tuesday17 were tested. While there were delayson DOCKS areoffering a varietyoffresh fish and seafood dishes Aspecial lunch offer is available to the Gold Card holders on Fridays,Saturdays and Sundays 12 pm –2pm. (Menu depends on fresh daily catch). Awalkin testing station will operate next week. the firstday, with traffic backedupand 90minute waits for some, waittimeon Friday was down to aminute for mostand on Saturday people were seenassoon as they arrived. There wasnosign of the bad behaviour and verbal abuse reported at other testingstations. Dr Clarke said peoplewere polite andwanted to do the right thing by being tested to ruleout anychancethe virus had not spread from the Auckland clusterand was in MidCanterbury. DOCKS BAR &SEAFOOD GRILL We look forward to seeing youatDOCKS! 90-92 Harrison Street,Allenton, Ashburton (oppositeAllentonShopping Mall). Tel03423 21 66 OPENING HOURS: Tuesday–Thursday from 5pmtill late (mealservicefrom5pmtill 9pm) Friday–Sunday from 12 pm till late (meal servicefrom12pmto2pmand from 5pmtill 9pm) Monday–closed. “We are also hoping the cluster is contained of course andthe quickest way we can findthis outistotest lotsof peoplewith symptoms.” Symptoms (with or without fever) include acough, sore throat, head cold(runny nose/sneezing), shortness of breath,loss of smell or taste. Testing forthe rest of this week will be from from10am until 2pmeachday.Access is fromhospitalgate 4which can be entered via Elizabeth Street from Oak Grove end; peopleshould stay in their car. the walkin facility is 2304826 also accessed at gate 4. Those with symptomsbut who can’t attend the testing stationshould call their GP or Healthlinefor advice. Health minister Chris Hipkins has told businesses to downloadthe QR poster and Kiwisshoulduse theNZ covid tracer apptokeep track of their movements. About 1.5 million peopleare already registered users and posterscans are increasing daily. Businesses notdisplaying QR posters prominently risk penalty. Terrace Downs to be auctioned Terrace Downs Golf Resort is to be auctioned following thedeathofits owner in Japan from Covid19. The golfresort, undershadowof the Southern Alpsonthe banks of the Rakaia River,was bought by Japaneseinvestor HiroshiHasegawa in 2012 after he wasgiven the goahead bythe Overseas Investment Office. Hasegawa, who hadturned the resort into a globally recognised luxurygolf and adventure destination, died aged 59 in April after becoming ill with Covid19. His estate is now selling the resort. Tim Rookes, managing directorofCBRE Christchurch, and WarrenHutt, senior director of capitalmarkets, CBRE Auckland, aremarketing the property on behalf ofHasegawa'sestate, with the auction set to take place on September 17in Christchurch. In addition to the course, the resort also features alargeclub house. www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz CBD buildings in focus MBIE has cancelled its visittoMid Canterbury this weektolookat earthquake prone buildingsin Ashburton’s CBD. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment willnow link up with Ashburton District Councilbuildingand planning staff via Zoom. MBIE is monitoringcouncil’s progress on identifyingpotentially earthquake prone buildings and a team hadalso planned to takealook at the CBD to get abetter understanding of the local environment. TheCBD is in astate of makeover. Councilisnearly halfway through a twoyear beautification project involving new roads andfootpaths; someold buildingsare also being demolished and newones are being build or under construction. Twoyears agocouncil had 130 buildingsonits booksthat needed remedial work to moveoff the earthquakepronebuildings register. Placardswere sentfor building owners to display; those not displaying the placards face$1000 fines. Council strategy and compliance managerJaneDonaldson said most of the buildingowners had plansand about 55 buildingswere leftrequiring strengtheningwork. An audit earlierthisyear identified 13 buildings with no visibleplacards. New placardswere sent, followedby anothersite visit. Five buildingsare stillnot displaying placards and those building owners face infringement notices and fines. Underearthquakeprone building rules, building ownershave 25 years from the day of assessment to strengthen their buildings.Thosewho do nothing could end up in court. The buildingsare not considered any moredangerous than theywere before beingidentified, but the processisabout shoring themuptobe as safe as possibleduringfuture earthquakes. Cr Leen Braamaskedatacouncil meetingrecently if therewas anythingcouncil could do to encouragelandlordsorproperty ownerstodeal with buildingsthat needed attention. Buildingservicesmanager Michael Wong saidbuildingswith earthquake prone notices had adeadline and if ownersdid notmeetthe deadline council, by law, hadtotakethem to court to decide what to do, be it demolition, strengtheningor boardingthe place over. He saidhehad questionsfor MBIE, like what if buildingownershad plans drawn but could now not get money from the bank to strengthen the building. 171ALFORD FOREST ROAD,ASHBURTON 0800 86 22 44 Chippers Generators Compactors Excavators Access Gear MotorVehicles Trailers Forklifts PortableBuildings Toilets Mowers&More 2286693
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Ashburton Courier: August 20, 2020

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