Ashburton Courier: July 29, 2021
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
NEWS<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong> <strong>Courier</strong>, <strong>July</strong> <strong>29</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
9<br />
Building consents<br />
second highest<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong> District Council<br />
received building consents with<br />
avalue of $212 million for the<br />
financial year ended June, its<br />
second highest total on record.<br />
Of those, consentswere<br />
issued for building and<br />
development projects worth<br />
$162 million.<br />
The number of consents<br />
received for the yearwas 751,<br />
compared to 593 the previous<br />
year.<br />
Council strategy and<br />
compliance managerJane<br />
Donaldson said economists had<br />
predicted an economic<br />
downturn because of covid, but<br />
like other councils around the<br />
country,this district wasseeing<br />
highlevels of building activity.<br />
It would take another three<br />
monthsfor the surge to be<br />
processed and councilwas<br />
processing justover half the<br />
number of building consentsin<br />
the statutory20workingday<br />
timeframe.<br />
“Generally we receive<br />
consentsfor 12 housesamonth<br />
but in March and April we<br />
received 50 –they are normally<br />
more spread out, ”Ms<br />
Donaldson said.<br />
While homeownersand their<br />
builders arewaitinglonger for<br />
consents, theyalso face supply<br />
chain issues.<br />
Nearly 600 birds<br />
counted at lakes<br />
BY MARY RALSTON<br />
Stunning weather greeted bird<br />
watchers at the <strong>Ashburton</strong><br />
LakesonSaturday for the<br />
annual winter birdsurvey.<br />
After meeting at Mt Somers,<br />
small teams dispersedtothe<br />
different lakes armed with<br />
binoculars andnotebooks. All<br />
the lakes are visited at about<br />
the sametime to minimise the<br />
chancethat some birdswill fly<br />
from one lake to another and be<br />
counted twice.<br />
There wasabit of ice on some<br />
of the lakes, but probably not<br />
enough to send the birdsto<br />
alternative sites at lower<br />
elevations. If ice cover is<br />
substantial, the birds may leave<br />
the area and go to Lakes<br />
Ellesmere or Forsyth.<br />
Across all species and lakes,<br />
numbers weregood and<br />
counting conditions were<br />
perfect, so the count was<br />
probably fairly accurate. Atotal<br />
of 5909 birds was recorded.<br />
It is always atreat to see<br />
Australasian crested grebes.<br />
These arespecial birds<br />
sometimesseenatLake Heron,<br />
the Maori Lakes, Lakes<br />
Clearwater or Camp.This year<br />
though, grebe numbers were<br />
low: only eight werespotted,<br />
NATURE MATTERS<br />
which is the third lowest tally<br />
since the survey beganin1984.<br />
Numbersofother species<br />
thoughwerehigh: this year 517<br />
coots were counted, all on Lake<br />
Heron.<br />
This is the second highest<br />
number of coots sincethe<br />
surveys were started, only<br />
surpassed in 2008 with 725<br />
birds.Another very numerous<br />
duck is the New Zealand scaup,<br />
anative duck often seeninthe<br />
high country.<br />
This year there were 2437<br />
counted across all lakes.<br />
Otherwaterfowl include<br />
blackswans,Canada geese,<br />
mallards, paradise ducks,grey<br />
teal and shoveller.<br />
There’s alsoseveraldifferent<br />
species of shags, and some<br />
wadingbirds such as piedstilts<br />
usually turn up to be counted,<br />
alongwith skylarksand<br />
harriers.<br />
Thesurvey has been running<br />
for 37 years, making it one of<br />
the longestrunningbird<br />
surveys in the country.<br />
Even thoughnumbers<br />
fluctuate year to year<br />
depending on the conditions,<br />
it’s avaluable record of bird<br />
life in the high country.<br />
PamsFresh Avocado<br />
3Piece Prepack<br />
Product of New Zealand<br />
PamsFries 1kg<br />
$ 2 <strong>29</strong> ea<br />
$<br />
2 99 ea<br />
A-FOUR-DABLE<br />
EVERY DAY<br />
Pams Fresh<br />
Carrots<br />
1.5kg Prepack<br />
Product ofNew<br />
Zealand<br />
$<br />
3 <strong>29</strong> ea<br />
PamsMarinatedNZ<br />
Greenshell Mussels 375g<br />
PamsFresh NZ<br />
OvenReady<br />
Chicken<br />
1.5kg<br />
$<br />
11 99 ea<br />
$<br />
5 49 ea<br />
A-FOUR-DABLE<br />
EVERY DAY<br />
PamsFresh<br />
Potatoes<br />
2.5kg Prepack<br />
ProductofNew<br />
Zealand<br />
$<br />
6 49 ea<br />
FREE COCA-COLA<br />
OLYMPIC GAMES<br />
COOLER BAG<br />
WHEN YOUBUY ANY 2X<br />
COCA-COLAA 600ML PRODUCTS.<br />
BUY any 3*<br />
Continental soup<br />
or Pasta 85-105g<br />
Products<br />
= A free mug<br />
www.foursquare.co.nz<br />
facebook.com/FourSquareNZ<br />
Conditions were perfect for the annual bird survey at the<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong> Lakes.<br />
PHOTO VAL CLEMENS<br />
Specials availableSouthIslandonly from Monday26th <strong>July</strong>until Sunday 8th<br />
August<strong>2021</strong>orwhile stockslast.Wineand beeravailable at stores withanoff<br />
licence. Wine and beer purchases restrictedtopersonsaged 18 years oldand over.
Change language