North Canterbury News: September 09, 2021
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NEWS<br />
2 The <strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong> <strong>News</strong>, <strong>September</strong> 9, <strong>2021</strong><br />
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Businesses agile and optimistic<br />
By DAVID HILL<br />
Rangiora and Kaiapoi retailers are once<br />
again proving to be resilient in the face<br />
of Covid19.<br />
Last week's move to Alert Level 3<br />
allowed for areturn ‘‘to alittle bit of<br />
normality’’ ahead of this week’s move to<br />
Level 2, Rangiora Promotions<br />
chairperson Ross Ditmer says.<br />
‘‘I think this time around there's more<br />
optimism. Last time Level 4was for an<br />
initial period of four weeks, but this<br />
time there was always hope it wouldn't<br />
be for as long and it's not as scary<br />
because we've been here before.<br />
‘‘I'm optimistic businesses will survive<br />
and thrive in this environment.’’<br />
Level 3allowed retailers and food<br />
outlets to offer ‘‘click and collect’’ and<br />
delivery services, with the Rangiora<br />
RSA Club offering aservice where lunch<br />
and dinner meals could be delivered<br />
cooked or frozen, says Mr Ditmer, who is<br />
also Rangiora RSA Club president.<br />
The only event Rangiora Promotions<br />
has cancelled so far is the monthly ‘‘Last<br />
Wednesday Club’’ catchup with<br />
members.<br />
Planning is continuing for Celebration<br />
Night in November and the Santa<br />
Parade and Party in the Park in<br />
December, in anticipation of areturn to<br />
Level 1.<br />
With the Christchurch Santa Parade<br />
already cancelled, Mr Ditmer says the<br />
Santa Parades are expected to provide a<br />
much needed boost to Kaiapoi and<br />
Rangiora retailers.<br />
Deputy Mayor Neville Atkinson says<br />
he is confident Kaiapoi can bounce back<br />
quickly from its latest setback.<br />
‘‘I hope for the sake of our businesses<br />
and people's lives that we can start to<br />
return to some form of normality.<br />
‘‘But I'm not sure what normality is<br />
anymore after the experience of the last<br />
11 years.’’<br />
Local retailers reaped the benefits of<br />
apostlockdown bounce last year, but Mr<br />
Atkinson warns it may not be as fruitful<br />
this time round.<br />
‘‘This time I'm not sure the same<br />
amount of money will be there, but I<br />
guess it will come down to whether<br />
people have saved any money in two to<br />
three weeks of lockdown.<br />
‘‘I suspect that if you were going to buy<br />
ashirt on the Friday, then you will<br />
probably still buy it when the shops open<br />
up, so Ithink retailers will recover<br />
quickly.<br />
‘‘But certainly for those in hospitality<br />
or tourism you can't really make it up.’’<br />
During lockdown Mr Atkinson says he<br />
has been conducting the affairs of the<br />
district from his spare room, with<br />
regular meetings on Zoom.<br />
‘‘The best message at the moment is to<br />
be kind because people have different<br />
circumstances and we do need to<br />
acknowledge that.’’<br />
NZ Show committee pressing on<br />
By DAVID HILL<br />
Chris Harris has been looking forward to<br />
presiding over the New Zealand<br />
Agricultural Show for longer than most.<br />
The <strong>Canterbury</strong> A&P Association<br />
president was ready to stepupfor last<br />
year'sshow,until it was cancelled due to<br />
Covid19 uncertainty.<br />
While the country was throwninto<br />
lockdown againlast month, Mr Harris<br />
says the show committee and<br />
management teamare pressing ahead<br />
with show preparations in the hope the<br />
regionwill return to AlertLevel 1intime<br />
for the November show.<br />
‘‘It'sbeen draggedout, so as long as we<br />
get to do it this year,wewill be happy.<br />
‘‘We are moving ahead in the hopethat<br />
it's going to happen,but we have access to<br />
aloan which we hope we won't haveto<br />
access.<br />
‘‘The biggest worry for ashow<br />
president is normallyawet show.’’<br />
The ChristchurchCity Council, which<br />
owns <strong>Canterbury</strong> Agricultural Park, has<br />
agreedtomake a$1millionloan<br />
available to the associationinthe event<br />
Covid19 forces the cancellationofthe<br />
show for the second year running.<br />
‘‘We have regular meetings withthe<br />
council, so theyknow whatweare up to<br />
all the time.<br />
‘‘We had to come up with aplan to<br />
make sure we had abackstop.<br />
‘‘The council recogniseshow<br />
important Cup and Show Weekare to the<br />
regionand they wantustoput on the<br />
show.’’<br />
The last 18 months have been a<br />
challenging time for the association,with<br />
the iconic show beingcancelled last<br />
November, Mr Harris says.<br />
Experienced horseman ... Chris Harris has<br />
represented New Zealand in show jumping<br />
grand prix international events and in tests<br />
against Australia.<br />
PHOTO‘: SUPPLIED<br />
‘‘Weare here now because of the work<br />
of the various committees and the<br />
generoussupporttoour ‘showsaviour'<br />
campaign and from our sponsors.’’<br />
Despite the uncertainty, Mr Harris<br />
saysthe showcommittee and<br />
management team haveopted not to<br />
scale back,meaning the show will have<br />
the usual variety people have come to<br />
expect.<br />
‘‘Inthe woodchopping there probably<br />
won't be as many competitors because<br />
theywon't have the Australiansand<br />
there'sunlikely to be any overseas judges<br />
unlessthey're alreadyinthe country.’’<br />
Based on afour hectare lifestyle block<br />
at Aylesbury, betweenKirwee and West<br />
Melton, Mr Harrisand his wife Maria<br />
have had along association with horses.<br />
‘‘I'vebeen with horsesmywhole life.<br />
‘‘We used to haverace horses,<br />
gallopers,and I've always been involved<br />
in the equestrian section predominantly<br />
in the show jumping.<br />
‘‘Thisshow will be the firstyear since<br />
Iwas 15yearsold, 36 years ago,that I<br />
haven't been competing.<br />
‘‘There'sjust too many jobsas<br />
president,soIwill be watching this<br />
year.’’<br />
Mr Harris has represented New<br />
Zealand in showjumping grand prix<br />
international events and in tests against<br />
Australia.<br />
These days he is aNew Zealand<br />
showjumping selector.<br />
Aformer racehorse breeder, Mr Harris<br />
now doescontractmowing for aliving.<br />
Over the last few yearsthe couple has<br />
cut backonthe horses and now has just<br />
five show jumpers.<br />
As Mrs Harris works for Harness<br />
RacingNew Zealand, she will be<br />
unavailable for most show events this<br />
year, leaving the couple's14yearold<br />
daughter Kimberly to tag along with dad<br />
at the show.<br />
‘‘She willprobably comealongand tell<br />
me how bad my speeches are,’’MrHarris<br />
jokes.<br />
The New Zealand AgriculturalShow is<br />
due to be held at <strong>Canterbury</strong> Agricultural<br />
Park from November 10 to 12.<br />
Tickets are now on sale,with children<br />
able to attendthe showfor free thanks to<br />
the support of the KiwiGaming<br />
Foundation.<br />
JillianDickie<br />
Advertising<br />
022 024 3<strong>09</strong>2<br />
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@ncnews.co.nz<br />
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