Ashburton Courier: November 25, 2021

NEWS
4 Ashburton Courier, November 25, 2021
www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz
Closure for busy intersection
Ashburton
December 8, 9, 10,
13, 14, 15, 16
January 17, 18, 19
2433660
There will be a24­hour
temporary closure of the
Walnut Avenue and East
Street intersection this
weekend.
It will start from from
7am on Sunday and go
through until 7am Monday
morning.
There will be no access
in or out of the intersection
over this time.
The closure, originally
scheduled for last
weekend, will see crews
remove the existing road
and lay new asphalt.
NZTA have provided
nearby residents with an
0800 number to discuss any
specific needs such as
nurse/doctor visits or
Meals on Wheels deliveries
etc.
Over the past six weeks
NZTA have constructed the
northern stormwater basin,
installed new light poles
and relocated some
existing light poles,
completed most of the
major trenching for
services, built new kerb
and channel throughout
the site and commenced
footpath construction
adjacent to the Ashburton
Domain.
The work continues over
the coming weeks when the
excavation of the southern
During the closure the existing road will be will removed new asphalt put down.
PHOTO DANIEL TOBIN
stormwater basin will be
completed, kerb and
channel construction,
demolition of the old
KiwiRail building and
continuing construction of
stormwater drainage,
footpath and road.
The Walnut Avenue
project is part of the NZ
Upgrade Programme and is
expected to take 18 months
and be completed in late
What you need to know
2022/early 2023.
•A30km/h speed restriction remains in place during the
project to help keep road users and road workers safe. People
are urged to travel through the site with extra care.
•There will mostly be two lanes of traffic available on SH1,
with Stop/Go used intermittently.
Falling forFigaro
ReviewedbyRowenaHart
Hereisthe perfect romantic comedy.
This one is moving and very funny with
fabulous music.
Thetwo of us lovedevery minute.
The best way tobreak into the opera world is
throughthe SingerOfRenown competitionin
London. The winner receives acontract with
an opera company.
So Millie travels to asmall villageinthe Scottish
Highlands, where she becomes astudent ofa
demanding music teacher....played by Joanna
Lumley.She is the star of this film ...her antics
arecrazy and overthe top, and very funny.
Her other pupil is Max who serves aschef,
plumber, and maintenance man for the local
pub,The FilthyPig.
There’s agreat group of characters in the pub
who all get pulled into the story.
Don’tmiss this movie ...it’sareal treat!
2425766
Council has options to challenge
Three Waters mandate decision
Ashburton District Councilhas more
optionstojoinother territorial
authoritiesindiscussionsand
challengestogovernment’s mandated
Three Waters water reform.
Ashburton District mayor Neil
Brown told councillorslast week there
was alot going on behindthe scenes
withmayors aroundthe country in an
attempttofind amoreacceptable
path.
Aletter signed by dozensofcouncils,
including Ashburton, asked for afaceto
facemeeting with Prime Minister
Jacinda Ardernand wasawaiting a
reply fromthe government,hesaid.
Amemorandumofunderstanding
had recentlybeen developed, mainly
led by Waimakaririand Manawatu
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councils,which aimed to puttogether
ateam to further talktogovernment
about alternative pathways.
It wasasharing arrangementand
there was acost of $15,000for
Ashburton to join, he said.
The decisiontojoincould not be
madeuntilareport was received at
council.
Mr Brown said he wouldask the
chief executivetocompileareport
and then council coulddecide to
commit or not.
In anotheraction,Timaru,
Waimakaririand Whangareicouncils
havelaunchedlegalproceedings and
commissioned aQCtochallenge
government in the HighCourtover
whatownership of water assets means.
‘‘We havenot joined at thisstage, but
we may alsoconsider it at ournext
meeting as well,’’ Mr Brown said.
He said some mayorsand councils
were happy with the ThreeWaters
reformand theway it hadgone,but not
this counciland anumber of others.
‘‘We need somechanges, but what
they are we are nothappywith and
removing our right to democracyis
something else we arenot happy
about.’’
TheThreeWaters reform will
transferthe deliveryofdrinking water,
wastewater, and stormwater from
localauthorities to fourpublic entities
acrossNew Zealand.
Ashburton wouldbepart of alargely
South Island entity.
bookings ph 307 1230
www.regentcinema.co.nz
2432402
NETWORKS FIREWALLS AND PCS LTD
Robin Johnstone 67 Aitken Street, Ashburton
P: 03 308 1440 C: 027 768 4058
robinbj@xtra.co.nz
2422648