The Star: October 08, 2020

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The Star Thursday October 8 2020 4 NEWS Stokes has sick dad’s blessing to leave NZ FAMILY FAREWELL: Ged Stokes with wife Deborah and son Ben. CHRISTCHURCH-born England cricket star Ben Stokes says he has his family’s blessing to return to action in the Indian Premier League in Dubai after taking compassionate leave to visit his father Ged, who is ill with brain cancer. Stokes travelled from his father’s home in Christchurch to Dubai on Saturday and is currently in quarantine ahead of meeting up with the Rajasthan Royals to continue their campaign in the IPL, which began in September and ends in November. “Sitting in a hotel room in quarantine once again after leaving New Zealand is not how I thought I would be arriving at the IPL, but here I am and all things considered, I’m in a good place,” Stokes wrote in a column for British newspaper The Mirror. “Saying goodbye to my dad, my mum and my brother in Christchurch was tough. It has been a difficult time for us as a family, but we’ve pulled together and supported each other as best we can.” “And I was able to get on the plane with my parents’ love and blessing after we reached the decision, for me to get back playing, as a family with no external influences.” Stokes took a five-week break from cricket to visit his family and help care for his father, who he said had eventually encouraged him to get back to playing. “We gave it all a lot of thought and talked it over at length, and we came to a decision that now sees me back focusing on the game.” - Reuters Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz Covid could increase demand • From page 1 The city council believes the demand for community and affordable housing will be “especially relevant due to the economic contraction caused by Covid-19.” The need for social housing is forecast to increase by 62 per cent from 2017 to 2048. Research from the Greater Christchurch partnership committee’s Our Space report also predicts there will be 14,000 more households classed as Stephen McPaike Authentic Thai Cuisine “stressed renters” by 2048, meaning they are paying more than 30 per cent of their income in rent. This only reinforces the need for a broader community housing approach in providing secure and affordable housing for renters and owners according to the city council’s draft community housing strategy. The draft plan states that while the city council has “a significant investment in its housing stock” further investment is required to maintain existing and further develop community housing to meet future demand. Social housing advocate Stephen McPaike said the CONCERN: The need for social housing is forecast to increase by 62 per cent from 2017 to 2048. proposed investment was a step in the right direction, but was not sure if it would be enough to help meet future demand. “There is already an increasing waitlist of families, couples and individuals needing social or community housing. But the numbers are just going to keep going up under Covid,” he said. In its draft plan, the city council states while most of its housing stock meets a satisfactory level, there remain 225 units which need to be replaced at an estimated cost of $67.5 million. A further 136 units will also needed to be added to the city council’s housing stock at a cost of $40.8 million in order to restore the number of units at its disposal to pre-earthquake levels. Restoring its housing stock to what it had before the earthquake sequence would leave the council with 20 per cent of all public housing across the city. However, if it were to maintain this share of public housing it would need to build an additional 460 units over the next 10 years. This would cost an additional $13.8 million a year and $138 million in total over the course of a decade. As part of the its proposed strategy, the city council also wants to reframe its social housing approach to a community housing one. This would mean that a broader mix of housing tenures are proposed in future renewal and redevelopment initiatives. • Range of beautiful dishes • Take away or dine in. • Delivery available (distance dependant) • Gluten-free, diary-free and vegan options. 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Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz Council to buy $12m of VBase shares • By Louis Day CITY COUNCILLORS have approved buying up to $12 million of shares in events management company VBase as it struggles to foot the bill for repairs of the town hall. The city council-owned company still owes the city council $9.789 million for the completed works to the town hall while additional works to the building and remedial works on the Ferrier Fountain remain on-going. The city council will now borrow the money required to buy the shares to give VBase an equity injection. The interest on the borrowed funds will be met by the city council. City councillor James Gough, who was one of five councillors to vote against the equity injection yesterday, described the town hall as “the gift that just keeps giving.” “My preference would be to simply write off the $9.8 million, which is the amount owing today, and then pay for it via capital savings. I think that keeps it tight and the accountability sits on this unit and you’re not continuing to issue shares,” he said. Other councillors who voted against the recommendations of staff were Phil Mauger, Aaron Keown, Catherine Chu and Sam MacDonald. Mayor Lianne Dalziel said it JOIN US NOW! would be a “high-risk” going down a different track to the one agreed upon by councillors. “Although the situation is not an ideal situation because of how we got there, this is an ideal proposal for the council to consider and indeed for resolving this particular part of the matter,” she said. Other options put forward by staff included doing nothing. Staff said this would be “less than desirable from a “financial reporting standpoint.” Staff also said writing off the debt would also have a “significant impact on rates.” A partial equity injection and partial write-off was also described as something which was said to have a “substantial impact on rates” and simply lending VBase the money was not seen as desirable as the company has already requested grant funding to support its operations. The earthquake-damaged town hall has endured a repair See website for details plagued with budget blow-outs and delays. It reopened early last year. An Audit New Zealand report found the project had been “beset with some significant issues.” The inquiry into the repair project came after it blew out to a cost of $166 million after initially being forecast to cost $127 million. In 2018, the city council acknowledged the project had suffered from inadequate project governance and management. Back then it issued VBase with a $45 million equity injection which came from its existing capital budget, having no impact on rates. Later that same year, councillors also approved spending an additional $15 million on the town hall so the repair and restoration work could be completed and a purpose-built facility added for the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra. CaRPET • From page 1 Alcohol was a factor in 13 of the Christchurch road deaths. The risk of legalising cannabis is too high because current drug testing measures can only show if cannabis is in drivers’ systems, not how much is in their systems, said Ironside. If cannabis is legalised, police should introduce a limit for how much drivers are allowed to have in their systems, similar to what is used for alcohol, he said. But police are saying little about what their strategy for cannabis enforcement for drivers will be post-election. “It is inappropriate for police to comment on any potential or proposed legislation changes,” a police spokeswoman said. Make it Legal manager Sandra Murray, a group campaigning for the legalisation of cannabis, said she understands why cannabis is often found as a factor in road fatalities because it can stay in people’s systems for weeks. But she said a stronger case can be made for other drugs being a bigger cause of road deaths. “Alcohol, methamphetamine Thursday October 8 2020 The Star NEWS 5 Impairment test for suspect drivers Sandra Murray and cocaine and prescription drugs are the drugs that cause most accidents,” Murray said. “If somebody has taken one of those drugs that is quite likely to be related to an accident, but they also happen to have cannabis in their system from a joint that they smoked three weeks ago, then the statistics will show that cannabis was in their system but cannabis was not the causal factor.” Methamphetamine, MDMA, opioids like pain killers, sedatives, were also factors in road deaths since 2017. Drivers suspected by police of having drugs in their system undergo a compulsory impairment test. It involves shining a light is shone in their eyes, they are made to stand on one leg and place one foot in front of the other and walk in a straight line. If they fail two or all of these tests they are required to take a blood test to show if they are under the influence of drugs. There have been 196 people stopped by police and charged with drug driving offences in Christchurch since 2017, an average of 5.5 offences a month. BARGAINs SCOOP PURCHaSES Chenille By Cavalier Bremworth - Luxury 60oz, extra heavy duty, solution dyed nylon, cut pile carpet, beautiful warm natural colour, exceptional value, first grade carpet. Out it goes at only $119m (that’s $32.51m 2 ) Limited stock, get in early to avoid disappointment Safari Sensational value, 36oz extra heavy duty, solution dyed nylon. Colour Nuie, a beautiful soft grey tone, very hard wearing carpet. Normal value $119.00m NOW ONLy $89m Only while stocks last Sign up to Smart Deals & be in the monthly draw for a $100 Dress-Smart gift card! 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The Star: October 08, 2020

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