North Canterbury News: September 03, 2020

Committee’srole scrutinised
By ROBYN BRISTOW
The role of the Hurunui Waiau Zone
committee is under the spotlight.Its
functions and purposewill be discussed at
an special meeting of the Hurunui District
Council today (Thursday).
Hurunui MayorMarie Blacksays
disbanding the zonecommittee is not on
the table at the meeting. However, the
committee’s termsofreference and future
purpose willbediscussed.
In aletter to Environment Canterbury
chairwoman Jenny Hughey, Mrs Black
said the committee had playedapivotal
role in water management, including the
Canterbury WaterManagement Strategy.
The council’sview was the committee
couldhave an ongoingrole in CWMS
governance,but it was not envisaged it
wouldreplaceortry to managecommunity
initiatives. Rather,itwould support
existing initiatives and identifyfurther
opportunities, issues or barriers to enable
the community to meet CWMS targets.
The meeting follows apresentationby
Rural Advocacy Network (RAN)
spokesman Jamie McFadden at last
week’scouncilmeeting,during which he
said relationships between ECan and the
Hurunuicommunity wereatan‘‘all­time
low’’, with awidespread lossoftrust.
He saidbecause of ECan’sbehaviour,
the zone committee, and other zone
committees, were viewed by many as a
mechanism forECan to achieve its agenda
‘‘underthe guise of collaboration’’.
‘‘The ability of the zonecommittee to
constructively engage with the Hurunui
community has been compromised by its
association withECan to the point it is no
longer able to operate as an effective
committee,’’ he said.
Areport commissioned by the zone
committee, ajoint committeeofECan and
the Hurunuicouncil, aboutits future,
identifies arange of challenges.
The HenleyHutchingsreport says the
committee is wellawareofthem.
The committeehad prepared draft
termsofreference and askedECan and
the Hurunuicounciltocommissiona
review of its mandate, method of
operation, achievements and thefuture
challengesitwouldface.
The reportsays historic tensions
between Hurunui and ECan councillors
abouthow information was distributed to
zone landowners, braided riverbedissues,
courtactions led by Forest &Bird, and the
subsequentwithdrawal of Fish &Game
from committee deliberationshad led to
relationship issues. There weremore
challenges ahead with discussion
documentsand policy statements,
indicating its task would notget any easier.
Tour company reinvents itself
By SHELLEY TOPP
NEWS
North Canterbury News, September 3, 2020
3
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The Widest
Music Variety
AMandeville motorcycletour
business has foundinnovative
solutions to survive afterbeing
facedwith closure because of
Covid­19 restrictions.
SouthPacific Motorcycle
Toursrelies solely on
international clients for
income, so the closure of New
Zealand’sbordershit the
business hard.
They were advised to close,
but that was not an optionfor
the family­ownedbusiness,
with clients already booked for
the nextfew years.
‘‘Most of the moneyreceived
for the tours is reinvested into
third­party operators such as
accommodation,activities and
attractions,’’ says operations
manager Kim Johnston,whose
mum, CaroleLester, ownsthe
business with her husband,
Mike.
‘‘South Pacific Motorcycle
Toursacts as an inbound tour
operator bringinginvisitors to
New Zealand and creating
toursfor these clientsto
explore New Zealand.
‘‘It is awhole forgotten
tourism sector,’’ she says.
‘‘These clients come to New
Zealand specifically to ride a
motorcycle here.’’
The company and other
motorcycle touroperators
bringinmillions of tourism
Innovative team... Fromleft, South Pacific Motorcycle ToursownersMike and Carole Lester, operations
manager Kim Johnston, tour planner Hayley Lesterand workshop manager David Bright.
PHOTO: SUPPLIED
dollarsannually, with much of
it pre­paid in early bookings.
However,with their
international clientsunable to
visit New Zealand in the
foreseeable future, the
company faces achallengeto
remain in business until
borders reopen.
Its solutions include
providing anew motorcycle
maintenance and repair
service. As well, it is
establishingNew Zealand
Sports Car Tours, which
applies the same elementsthey
already provide for its
motorcycle tours, allowing
kiwis to explore New Zealand
in luxuryvehicles.
To target domestic tourism,
they havecreatedaspecial
nine­day Burt Munro
ChallengeTour,which
incorporatesthe annual
motorcycle rally in his honour
next February.
‘‘Thismotorcyclerallyis
focused aroundBurt Munro’s
fame for The World’s Fastest
Indian movieand is held every
yearinInvercargill,the
motorcycling mecca of New
Zealand.’’
The company has alsoadded
a‘‘bring yourown bike’’option,
Kim says.
The tour willinclude
accommodation, tickets to all
races, aSouthIslandtour and
someextras.
Kim says they are keepinga
positive outlook, and have
heavily discounted ratesfor
New Zealand residents.
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