Ashburton Courier: August 26, 2021
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NEWS<br />
20 <strong>Ashburton</strong> <strong>Courier</strong>, <strong>August</strong> <strong>26</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz<br />
Spooky halloween in Rakaia<br />
TONI.WILLIAMS<br />
@ashburtoncourier.co.nz<br />
Bachs at the Lake Clearwater settlement.<br />
Consultation on<br />
Lake Clearwater<br />
MICK.JENSEN<br />
@ashburtoncourier.co.nz<br />
Stakeholders and the<br />
community will be consulted on<br />
their wishes and expectations<br />
for the futureofthe Lake<br />
Clearwater settlementand the<br />
surrounding area.<br />
The increasing popularity of<br />
the scenic settlementhas<br />
placed anumber of stresses on<br />
the area and the lake has seen<br />
increasing contamination from<br />
nitrates and minerals.<br />
In December2020the<br />
Canterbury DHB issued a<br />
public healthwarning when<br />
bluegreenalgae was foundat<br />
the lakeand anumber of<br />
scientificstudies have<br />
confirmedthatits ecosystemis<br />
out of balance and at risk of<br />
‘flipping’ andunabletosustain<br />
life as it has historically.<br />
Factors forthe poor<br />
condition of the lake are likely<br />
to be historicaland current<br />
farming practicesaswell as a<br />
possible contribution from<br />
uncontained waste disposal,<br />
such as longdrop toilet<br />
facilities in the huts settlement.<br />
Since 2019 aworkinggroup of<br />
stakeholders,including local<br />
farmers, DOC,ECan, Fish &<br />
Game,LINZand <strong>Ashburton</strong><br />
District Council (ADC), have<br />
met periodically to discuss<br />
issues andpossiblesolutions.<br />
At the last gathering ECan<br />
advised thatthey intended<br />
testingfor nutrient levels via<br />
bores within the hut settlement<br />
boundaries.<br />
ADCstarted an investigation<br />
in April into thenumberof<br />
longdrops toilets remaining at<br />
the settlement, which included<br />
asurveyofhutholders and<br />
physicalinspection of sites.<br />
Athird of the 198 individual<br />
dwellings at Lake Clearwater<br />
have longdrops. Some have<br />
holdingtanks and some have<br />
both longdrops andholding<br />
tanks.<br />
All longdrops must be<br />
physically decommissioned by<br />
the end of this year to comply<br />
with tighter leaseconditions.<br />
Conditions of occupying the<br />
land include facilitiesmeeting<br />
standards set by ADC.<br />
TheLake Clearwater huts<br />
settlement was first laidoutin<br />
the 1920s andbetween19<strong>26</strong> and<br />
1964 was giftedtothe district.<br />
Historically the settlement<br />
was usedby fishermen and<br />
hunters andlater by others<br />
enjoying watersports like<br />
windsurfingandwater skiing.<br />
Public consultationonLake<br />
Clearwater will begin soon and<br />
from it an initialstrategy will<br />
be developed .<br />
Thestrategy could<br />
potentially pave the way for a<br />
changetothe district plan anda<br />
separate process may be<br />
required to resolve any lease<br />
issuesifaplan changeisnot<br />
proceededwith.<br />
Spooktacular happenings are<br />
planned for halloween in<br />
Rakaia thisyear andbeing<br />
hosted by the town’s scouting<br />
group.<br />
But volunteers are neededto<br />
help make spookydecorations<br />
and act as haunting<br />
characters, as wellashelp<br />
with setupand take down.<br />
Organiser Anita Ruigrok<br />
said planningfor the event had<br />
been under waysince late last<br />
year with somedecorations<br />
purchased from overseas but<br />
many more neededtobemade.<br />
She was keen to support the<br />
scouts and had personally<br />
financed the decorationsso<br />
far.<br />
“I believe it's importantfor<br />
childrentogosomewherethat<br />
encourages them to go<br />
outdoors and help their<br />
neighbours,” she said.<br />
“If this event canraise<br />
enough moneyfor them to fund<br />
them for ayear, Idon't mind<br />
paying for all decorations …<br />
because it helps the<br />
communityinthe long runI<br />
believe.”<br />
There was afair amountof<br />
work done and Anita was<br />
positive it could be amassive<br />
success.<br />
“I want to give Rakaia<br />
something that they canbe<br />
proud of, and look forward to<br />
CHRISTIAN COMMENT<br />
Always winter?<br />
‘‘It is winter in Narnia,’’ said Mr Tumnus, ‘‘and<br />
has beenfor eversolong…always winter, but<br />
never Christmas.’ Thisisafamousline fromCS<br />
Lewis' TheChroniclesofNarnia. WhatLewis so<br />
wonderfully captures withthis imageisthe<br />
bleaknessoflife without God.Warsand<br />
rumours of wars, wildfires ragingout of control,<br />
the innerturmoilofour ownsoulsweall know<br />
something of what Lewiscaptures in this quote.<br />
In thepast few days,Haiti hasbeenravaged<br />
withyet anotherearthquake. The Taliban has<br />
nearly taken overAfghanistan. Our worldoften<br />
seems hopeless. Andthenwelook at ourselves.<br />
Ourrelationships are notalwayswhat they<br />
should be; we hurt those closest to us. Work does<br />
not fulfil us, and we wonder, at times, what’s the<br />
point?<br />
Lewis was an Oxford professor for many years,<br />
but he only came to believe in God later in life.<br />
Throughmany triumphs and setbacks, he<br />
realized that nothing in this life truly satisfied the<br />
Anita Ruigrok with some workinprogress decorations.<br />
for hopefully manyyears to<br />
come,” Anita said.<br />
She was seekingvolunteers<br />
to help with decorationsand to<br />
dress up as characters it<br />
could be aDisney character, a<br />
haunted person,someone<br />
from achurch sceneora<br />
Halloweentheme.<br />
The evening, beingrun at<br />
the Rakaia Scout Den, on the<br />
cornerofRailway Terraceand<br />
Normanby Street, in Rakaia on<br />
October 30, begins at 5pm for<br />
younger children and gets<br />
more spookyfor older children<br />
from 7pm.<br />
Anita is also seeking a<br />
photographer and spacefiller<br />
decorations such as small<br />
haybales, metal stakes to keep<br />
tombstones in place.<br />
She has been making<br />
decorations over thepast few<br />
months but in thelead up to<br />
halloween is seekingtoramp<br />
up tombstoneproductionwith<br />
drawing,cutting andpainting.<br />
She is using amix of brush<br />
and paint and spray paint<br />
techniques.<br />
As part of theevent,which<br />
will be agold coin entry forthe<br />
Rakaia Scouts, Anita has also<br />
been in touch with potential<br />
hauntingactorsand suppliers<br />
for bulk halloweentreats.<br />
Therehas also been a<br />
backdrop organisedfor a<br />
ghoulishly goodphoto<br />
competition,facepaintingand<br />
the scoutswill have barbecue<br />
sausages anddrinksfor sale.<br />
Anyoneable to help can<br />
contact Anita on<br />
dutchflower@gmail.com<br />
deep longings of his heart for joy and<br />
contentment.<br />
You might be surprisedthatLewis’ answer, the<br />
Bible’s answer, to such apredicament is not to<br />
suppressorto denyyourself happiness and<br />
pleasure.Inone of his sermonsasalay preacher<br />
late in life, Lewis writes:<br />
It would seem that Our Lord finds ourdesires<br />
not too strong, but too weak. We are halfhearted<br />
creatures, fooling aboutwithdrink and sex and<br />
ambitionwheninfinite joy is offeredus, like an<br />
ignorant child who wants to go on making mud<br />
pies in aslum because he cannot imagine whatis<br />
meant by the offer of aholiday at the sea. We are<br />
far too easilypleased. (CS Lewis, TheWeight of<br />
Glory).<br />
Our hearts go after ‘weak’ desires, because<br />
deep down we longfor God himself. The Bible<br />
says of God, ‘‘You reveal the path of lifetome; in<br />
your presenceis abundantjoy;atyour right hand<br />
are eternal pleasures’’ (Psalm 16:11). Christ<br />
offers us eternal joy, satisfaction, and rest from<br />
this wintery world.<br />
Rev Dr Jason Pickard,Grace Presbyterian<br />
Church
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