North Canterbury News: November 11, 2021

OPINION
6 The North Canterbury News, November 11, 2021
Council wants input
from its communities
The Hurunui District Council now
understandthe governmentposition
to mandatethe Three Waters
Reforms.
We also now have amuch clearer
picture of ‘‘why’’ it is so important to
continue to hear from you.
Our counciltook the view that
informally we need to hear fromour
constituents during the 8week
period of Julythrough September,
but at the HurunuiDistrict Council
we also had an active resolution on
the table to formally consult.
Therefore at last week’s
extraordinary meeting we resolved
to prepareand plan for thisprocess.
We are comingtoyou to allowyour
voice.
Earlier this year as acouncilwe
drafted astrategy that cements
waterresilience as akey objective,
stating that ‘‘enduring water
supplies sustain our people, our
prosperity, and our environment’’.
Securing future water security
and water quality is one of the
pillars that alignswith the council’s
oppositiontothe reformprocess.
We continue to hold on to the
McALPINES MITRE 10 MEGA RANGIORA -OCEAN WATCH
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beliefthat the establishment of
Taumata Arowai is the first step in
this process.
Give time for the regulations to
becomeembedded and then
progress with the nextsteps.
Be bravetake time and pause –
take the community on the journey
with you. Let us understandthe
regulations and theassociated costs.
We have achance here to work
with critical partners and drive for a
successful outcome.
You all have avoice and nowisthe
time you need to participate in local
democracy, and mobilise the voice
of the peoplebymaking
representationthrough the select
committee process.
Ijust want to finishtodaywith
‘‘The purpose of local government’’
which is to (a) enable democratic
local decision­making and action by,
and on behalfofcommunities and (b)
to promote the social, economic,
environmental, and culturalwellbeing
of communitiesinthe present
and for the future.
Kia kaha and thank you,
Marie
Little change proposed in representation
By DAVID HILL
Woodend and Pegasus representation
at the WaimakaririDistrict Council
table is now in the hands of local
residents, Woodend­Sefton Community
Board chairperson Shona Powell says.
The council has opted for the
existing ward structure ahead of next
year’slocal body election following its
representation review.
Concerns remain about Woodend,
Pegasus and rural representation,
after councillors votedlast week for
the existing three ward and four
community board boundaries to
remainthe same.
This leaves the growing towns of
Woodend and Pegasus in the Kaiapoi­
Woodend ward.
Ms Powellsays it is now up to the
local communitytodosomething about
it.
‘‘The council has done it’sjob with
the representation review, so if local
people want local representation then
they need to make it happen.
‘‘We need quality people to stand and
local people need to vote for them.’’
She estimates Woodend(including
Ravenswood) and Pegasusnow have
populations of around 4000 each,
comparedtoKaiapoi which has about
12,000 people.
‘‘We are the third largest urban area
in the district, but thisarea feelslike
there isn’tacommunity of interestwith
Kaiapoi.
‘‘I know thatcouncillors from
Rangioraand Kaiapoi try to represent
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becoming fresh S
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Fresh SW turning
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Moderate SW
becoming fresh SE
NE 1.1 mturning
SW 0.8 mturning
NE 0.7 m E0.9 m NE 0.8 m E1.4 m
SW
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SE
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Fair
Rob
oby
byn’s Ramb
mbl
bli
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ngs
Short circuit needed
Hands up anyone who has tried to get
something sorted with abig utility
company.
Ibet there are heaps of you who have
hung on the end of the phone for ages,
trying to do something as simple as
change aname on abill.
All the while there is some voice
cutting in intermittently saying all the
operators are busy, but you can go to our
website, message us or use WhatsApp.
No, Iwant to speak to aperson, and get
this settled once and for all.
It seems, despite being married to the
same bloke for 45 years, Ican’t add his
name to an account. He has to give the
ok.
He is on our main account, so why
can’t they just take it as read. We are the
same people, living together at the
address both bills go to.
So having finally connected with areal
person, Ithought my frustrations would
soon be over. Nope, Ineeded hubbies
permission.
Well he is never going to hang on until
ahuman is available. He doesn’t text,
message or have the ability on his little
flip top to access the internet.
So Iwent to said company’s website. I
endeavoured to fix the problem by
setting up the account in both our
names.
End result —they closed the account,
sent me abill for afinal reading, and
opened anew account, for anew
us, and we do havegood supportat
events from councillors, but sometimes
thereisn’t agreat dealof
understanding for local issues in this
area.
‘‘They are certainly elected to
represent the whole district, but there
are times you think ‘if you had talked to
us, we could have toldyou’.’’
Whilethe next representation
review is due in six years time,Ms
Powell would likeareviewtobe
completedin2024 after the next
Census, due in 2023, ‘‘because the
population is changing so fast’’.
The only change in representation is
the allocationofmembers for the
Rangiora­AshleyCommunity Board,
wherethereisafive/threesplit at
present. The councilhas approved a
Fair
connection in hubbies name.
Apparently his name was all that was
recorded on the website before Isaw the
error of my ways, and exited.
Great. Itried ringing again to get it
sorted.
It seemed odd he had to ring to agree
to be on the account when my name was
there, but he still had to ring to let me go
on the account when it was in his name.
Go figure.
So Iset about messaging. Igot replies,
but the end result is Ican’t be added to
the account, they can’t tell me where the
bill is being sent for privacy reasons, and
hubby has to contact them to sort it out
by ringing, or via messaging, texting,
WhatsApp, or emailing.
Being arural bloke all he wants is a
phone that rings out, and people can get
hold of him on —nofuss or bother with
things technological.
Iknow where the bill is being sent ­it
goes to my Gmail account and is paid out
of our joint bank account.
Icould go on, but Ihave no doubt you
are now as confused as Iam.
Instead Ihave sent them asigned
letter from hubby requesting Igoonthe
account, and one from myself saying I
agree.
And what did Iget back —an
automated reply which said: ‘‘A faster
way to contact us is to message us via
Facebook messenger or WhatsApp.’’
Igive up!
change to six representing the
Rangiora sub­division, and two in the
largelyrural Ashley sub­division, due
to population changes.
Speaking at last week’s Waimakariri
District Council meeting,CrKirstyn
Barnettstressed the need for
councillors and community board
memberstobeaware of rural voters.
‘‘We can see thatour district is
becoming more urban, but we are periurban
and we stillhave arural sector
and our community boardsneed to be
aware of our rural areas.’’
This structure is expectedtoremain
in place for the 2022 and 2025local
body elections. Residents have until
December 8tomake an objection to the
Local Government Commissionifthey
have any concerns.
0
Highs Lows Highs Lows Highs Lows Highs Lows Highs Lows Highs Lows Highs Lows
Waimakariri 11:00am 2.5 4:39am 0.4 11:58am 2.5 5:37am 0.5 12:26am 2.3 6:36am 0.5 1:23am 2.3 7:34am 0.6 2:18am 2.3 8:30am 0.6 3:11am 2.3 9:23am 0.6 4:00am 2.3 10:13am 0.6
Mouth
11:29pm 2.3 5:19pm 0.4
6:19pm 0.5 12:55pm 2.4 7:15pm 0.5 1:51pm 2.3 8:08pm 0.5 2:45pm 2.3 8:58pm 0.5 3:34pm 2.3 9:45pm 0.6 4:20pm 2.2 10:31pm 0.6
Amberley 11:00am 2.5 4:39am 0.4 11:58am 2.5 5:37am 0.5 12:26am 2.3 6:36am 0.5 1:23am 2.3 7:34am 0.6 2:18am 2.3 8:30am 0.6 3:11am 2.3 9:23am 0.6 4:00am 2.3 10:13am 0.6
Beach
11:29pm 2.3 5:19pm 0.4
6:19pm 0.5 12:55pm 2.4 7:15pm 0.5 1:51pm 2.3 8:08pm 0.5 2:45pm 2.3 8:58pm 0.5 3:34pm 2.3 9:45pm 0.6 4:20pm 2.2 10:31pm 0.6
11:09am 2.5 4:48am 0.4
5:46am 0.5 12:35am 2.3 6:45am 0.5 1:32am 2.3 7:43am 0.6 2:27am 2.3 8:39am 0.6 3:20am 2.3 9:32am 0.6 4:09am 2.3 10:22am 0.6
Motunau 11:38pm 2.3 5:28pm 0.4 12:07pm 2.5 6:28pm 0.5 1:04pm 2.4 7:24pm 0.5 2:00pm 2.3 8:17pm 0.5 2:54pm 2.3 9:07pm 0.5 3:43pm 2.3 9:54pm 0.6 4:29pm 2.2 10:40pm 0.6
11:11am 2.5 4:50am 0.4
5:48am 0.5 12:37am 2.3 6:47am 0.5 1:34am 2.3 7:45am 0.6 2:29am 2.3 8:41am 0.6 3:22am 2.3 9:34am 0.6 4:11am 2.3 10:24am 0.6
Gore Bay 11:40pm 2.3 5:30pm 0.4 12:09pm 2.5 6:30pm 0.5 1:06pm 2.4 7:26pm 0.5 2:02pm 2.3 8:19pm 0.5 2:56pm 2.3 9:09pm 0.5 3:45pm 2.3 9:56pm 0.6 4:31pm 2.2 10:42pm 0.6
11:06am 2.0 4:44am 0.3
5:42am 0.4 12:32am 1.7 6:40am 0.4 1:27am 1.7 7:37am 0.4 2:21am 1.7 8:33am 0.5 3:13am 1.7 9:27am 0.5 4:03am 1.7 10:18am 0.5
Kaikoura 11:35pm 1.8 5:29pm 0.3 12:05pm 1.9 6:26pm 0.4 1:03pm 1.9 7:22pm 0.4 1:58pm 1.8 8:14pm 0.4 2:51pm 1.8 9:04pm 0.5 3:41pm 1.7 9:51pm 0.5 4:29pm 1.7 10:37pm 0.5
*Not for navigational purposes. Wind and swell are based on apoint off Gore Bay. Maori Fishing Guide by Bill Hohepa. www.ofu.co.nz www.tidespy.com Graphic supplied by OceanFun Publishing Ltd.
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