North Canterbury News: December 23, 2020

Tyre solution still in pipeline
By ROBYN BRISTOW
Efforts continue to get rid of thousands of
used tyresonthe outskirts of Amberley,
as the court process to hold those
responsible for the stockpile grinds on.
Environment Canterbury, the Hurunui
District Council and the landowner are
working together on aplan to removethe
tyres,but fundingcontinues to dog their
efforts.
They hopeanorder by the
Environment Court last weekfor Peter
Benden, adirector of one of the
companieswhich failed to remove the
tyres from the Racecourse Road site
under an Enforcement Order,may help.
Bendenwas sentencedinthe
Environment Court on Wednesday last
week. He was fined $36,000 and ordered
to pay $20,000 toward the costsof
removingthe tyre pile.
Two companies who were also part of
the proceedings, Annexure ServicesLtd
and Tyre Recycling Services New
Zealand Ltd, werenot representedatthe
Julytrial, or at the sentencing.
Judge Hassan said he was precluded
by law from sentencing defendants in
absentia. He therefore grantedastay of
sentencing for the two companies.
The landowner may end up footing the
billfor their removal if alternative
fundingcannot be found. Aspokesperson
for the landowner said there is a
commitmenttohave the tyresremoved.
Environment Canterbury’swebsite
saysinanupdate that it appreciates the
community wants the tyresremoved
urgently, particularly immediate
neighbours.
‘‘We share the community’s concern
and are actively working on pursuingthe
removal of the tyres,’’ECan says.
‘‘In the event of no fundingbecoming
availablevia courtprocesses, the
responsibility for funding tyre removal
rests withthe landowner.’’
However, ECanisoptimistic that
financial support may come from the
Ministry for the Environment, ‘‘with
whom we are working on asolution’’.
The pile containsmore than 120,000
worn­out tyres.
They beganpiling up in early 2016and
have been the subject of enforcement
proceedings eversince.
Angela will miss Kaikoura, not the commute
By DAVID HILL
NEWS
North Canterbury News, December 23, 2020
3
HILUX, HIACEAND
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NZ’s favourite home for
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Angela Oosthuizenislooking
forwardtospending more
timewithfamily after five
years in Kaikoura.
The Kaikoura District
Council chiefexecutive steps
downatthe endofJanuary
after overseeingthe district’s
$38 millionearthquake
rebuild.
She willstay put with
familyinChristchurch.
“I've beencommuting for
fiveyearssoit’s been quite a
sacrifice beingawayfrom
family,sotobeabletospend
moretimewithmydaughter,
who is now ateenager, will be
wonderful,” she says.
During her fiveyearsin
Kaikoura,Mrs Oosthuizen
oversawthe completionof
the Kaikoura Civic Building
construction,thenled the
council through the 2016
earthquake andthe ensuing
rebuild, andthisyear
throughCovid­19.
“It’s certainly been a
challenging five years.
‘‘Myfirstchallengewas the
civic building andgetting the
project finished without any
further costoverruns.”
Mrs Oosthuizen says she is
proud to have completed the
$38minfrastructure rebuild
on time,withinbudget, and
withconsiderablylessdebt
thanexpected.
“We were anticipating
borrowing $10m, but we’ve
comeout with adebt of only
$5m.
Angela Oosthuizen ...
away from family.’’
“That’slargelybecausewe
applied for external funding,
we hadalotofsupport in
kind, thenwehad thesupport
fromthe Crown with the
‘shovel ready’ projects,and
we’ve beenreally careful
withour management.
“We areinamuchmore
resilientposition now,with
moreinternal capacity and
slightly increasedstaffing
levels.”
‘‘I’ve been commuting for five years so it's been quite asacrifice being
Mrs Oosthuizenpaid
tributetocouncillors and her
“fantastic team who have
gonethe extra mile to make
sureweendedupinagood
space”.
“I certainlywill miss
Kaikoura and thefriendships
and relationshipsIhave
made. It’sone of the most
beautiful places in New
Zealand, butmyfamilypullis
muchstronger.”
PHOTO: FILE
An ex­pat South African,
Mrs Oosthuizensays she
plans to finish her
professionalregistration so
she can operateasa
charteredaccountant in New
Zealand.
“I finished my studies in
South Africa, butthenwe
cametoNew Zealand. Iwas
mid­way throughdoing my
professionalregistration
whenIcame to Kaikoura.”
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Exciting times here at Williams
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We are looking forward tothis move and can
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Closed 5pm 23 rd December and Re-open 5 th January
Wishing you all aHappy and Healthy Christmas and New Year