Ashburton Courier: November 18, 2021
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www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz<br />
NEWS<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong> <strong>Courier</strong>, <strong>November</strong> <strong>18</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
5<br />
Town and country to unite at protest<br />
Town and country coming<br />
together is part of Groundswell<br />
NZ’s mantrafor its second<br />
nationwide protest, Motherof<br />
All Protests.<br />
Protesting government’s<br />
unworkable regulations, it will<br />
takeplace from vehicles<br />
travellingin convoy around the<br />
west side of <strong>Ashburton</strong> this<br />
Sunday, from 1pm. There was<br />
no planned gathering.<br />
The protest route starts from<br />
the <strong>Ashburton</strong>DomainatWest<br />
Street, travels north to<br />
RacecourseRoad, turnslefton<br />
to Belt Road and through to Oak<br />
Grove then left on to Alford<br />
Forest Road. It willthen turn<br />
left at West Street back towards<br />
the domain.<br />
Jodan Townshend,one of the<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong> protest organisers,<br />
said this timepeople were<br />
encouraged to stay inside their<br />
vehicles, whether it be tractors,<br />
cars,trucks or utes, due to covid<br />
restrictions.<br />
For the Motherof All Protests<br />
people arebeing encouraged to<br />
drive to their local town, stayin<br />
their vehicle and listen for a<br />
Groundswellstatementtobe<br />
read on theNewstalk ZB radio<br />
frequency at 1.35pm.<br />
In <strong>Ashburton</strong> the radio<br />
frequency is 98.1FM or 873AM<br />
Protesters will start atthe<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong> Domain on West<br />
Street and drivethe route until<br />
anationwide statementisread.<br />
Then all vehicle drivers are to<br />
pull over, put their hazard<br />
lights on,and turn up their<br />
radio for the Groundswell<br />
statement, Mr Townshendsaid.<br />
Vehiclesare expectedto<br />
drive theroute from1pm to<br />
2pm.<br />
As wellasnogatherings,<br />
organisers have requested no<br />
offensiveplacards or signs.<br />
Howeverthere are<br />
Groundswell flags/banners<br />
which can be displayedon<br />
vehicles to showdrivers are<br />
part of the protest.<br />
Groundswell NZ cofounder<br />
Laurie Paterson said<br />
momentumhad continuedto<br />
build since thousands of<br />
farmers, andafairfew dogs,<br />
descended on towns and cities<br />
throughout thecountry for<br />
Howl of aProtest, to oppose<br />
what they calledunworkable<br />
regulations.<br />
More centres wereon board<br />
for this protest, and ahuge<br />
turnout, including many<br />
tradies, was expected in<br />
Auckland.<br />
Groundswell NZ had created<br />
an online tool for supporters to<br />
write to agriculture and rural<br />
communities MinisterDamien<br />
O’Connor, ‘‘to tell him to do his<br />
job and stickupfor rural<br />
communities’’, the group said.<br />
Withinaweekoflaunchit<br />
Thousands attended the Howl<br />
of aProtest in <strong>Ashburton</strong> in<br />
July.<br />
hadgeneratedabout 5000<br />
letters.<br />
Hard copieswould be<br />
deliveredtoMrO’Connor’s<br />
Beehive office beforethe<br />
protest withcopies sentto<br />
Prime Minister JacindaArdern<br />
andclimatechange Minister<br />
James Shaw.<br />
Mr Paterson said virtuallyall<br />
feedback and phone calls<br />
before HowlofaProtestwere<br />
fromrural people but thistime<br />
it was the opposite with the<br />
callscomingout of cities.<br />
‘‘That’s partofour mantra<br />
thistime... town and country<br />
together,’’ he said.<br />
Therewereexpectations of<br />
those attendingMotherofAll<br />
Protests, including obeying<br />
road rules, local Covid19 rules<br />
and making wayfor emergency<br />
services.<br />
Participants neededtostay<br />
in their vehicleand not<br />
compromisetheir bubble, he<br />
said.<br />
The Groundswell NZ<br />
message would be read by cofounder<br />
Bryce McKenzie,who<br />
would drive intoGoreaspartof<br />
the protest along with Mr<br />
Paterson.<br />
The pairhave recentlyhad<br />
meetings withFederated<br />
Farmers, Beef+LambNew<br />
Zealand, DairyNZand<br />
Horticulture NewZealand,<br />
discussingarange of topics.<br />
Hot pools opening<br />
pushed back again<br />
Further delays have pushedout<br />
the opening of Methven’s Opuke<br />
Thermal Pools andSpauntil later<br />
this month.<br />
The facility planned to be open<br />
originally for the startofwinter<br />
and had been taking bookings for<br />
a<strong>November</strong> 12 opening. The<br />
openingisnow set for <strong>November</strong><br />
26.<br />
The Opuke website saysa<br />
number of ‘‘unforseentechnical<br />
issues’’ have delayed the<br />
commissioning of the pools andif<br />
they are resolved the pools may<br />
open earlier.<br />
Previously, covid lockdowns<br />
andsupply chains issues were<br />
cited as reasons for the delayed<br />
opening.<br />
Onlinebookings can be made<br />
via theopuke.nz website.<br />
The Opuke experience will<br />
offer family hot pools, akids’<br />
aqua play zone with crazyriver<br />
andleapoffaithplunge pool,<br />
adultexclusive hot pools, private<br />
pools,and aspa facility and cafe.<br />
Photo: Methven’s Opuke Thermal<br />
Pools and Spa is shaping up for<br />
opening.<br />
PHOTO SUPPLIED<br />
28-32 MOORE STREET, ASHBURTON l PHONE 03 550 7000<br />
Limited time only -T&C’s apply<br />
243.4845 2434845
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