North Canterbury News: June 16, 2022

District more age-friendly
By DAVID HILL
The Waimakariri district has achieved
many of its age­friendly goals over the
last three years, but there is still work to
do.
Waimakariri District Council agefriendly
community facilitator
Madeleine Burdon says ‘‘significant
progress’’ has been made since the Age­
Friendly Waimakariri Community Plan
2019­2021 was adopted three years ago.
In areport to arecent Waimakariri
District Council community and
recreation meeting, councillors were
reminded that by 2048 around 30 percent
of residents are predicted to be aged
65­years and over.
While funding runs out for the agefriendly
community facilitator role runs
out at the end of this month, the Agefriendly
Advisory Group will continue its
work of advocacy in the community with
support from the council’s community
team.
Over the last three years council staff
have been increasingly looking at
planning through an ‘‘age­friendly lens’’,
Madeleine says.
‘‘We’ve made significant progress, for
example in the library, the range and
diversity of what they offer is outstanding
and they are innovating and adapting to
the challenges, concerns and issues, such
as helping with smartphones in asafe,
friendly environment.’’
Madeleine says little things can make a
big difference in making acommunity
more age­friendly, such as planting trees
in the right place, signs on the footpath
and ensuring footpath repairs are made
in atimely manner.
‘‘They might seem to be small things,
but if someone falls and ends up in
hospital it is abig thing and it can be abig
cost and it can mean that person loses
their independence.
‘‘So it comes back to planning and
Madeleine Burdon
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designing and that mindset of agefriendly.’’
Another council­led age­friendly
initiative involves the roading and solid
waste teams working on solutions to
ensure bins awaiting collection are not
blocking pedestrian access on footpaths.
An age­friendly housing sub­group
supported the establishment of
Waimakariri Abbeyfield Inc last year to
work towards creating affordable,
accessible and safe housing for the
district.
Covid­19 has impacted on the advisory
group’s ability to meet its objectives over
the last two years, but but it plans to
continue advocating for improved public
transport and advocating for footpath
safety.
The group is also working with aquatic
staff to prepare for emergency situations
and plans to follow up on its recent street
hazards audit with University of Otago
researchers to reduce falls.
It also hopes to develop more
intergenerational activities and bring
back the Waimakariri Older Person’s
Expo as life returns to some normality.
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NEWS
North Canterbury News, June 16, 2022 21
Love among the greyhounds
By SHELLEY TOPP
Agreyhound lover has chosen anovel
way to propose to her partner.
When Paula Douglas decided to
propose to Hamish Pulley via the
Greyhounds As Pets (GAP) website she
contacted GAP marketing team leader
Emelia Lake for help.
‘‘It is the first ever marriage proposal
through GAP,’’ Emelia says.
‘‘We worked together to get Paula up on
the website, and Hamish said yes. It was
such alovely thing to be apart of, and
lovely that greyhounds are such abig part
of their lives that Paula wanted to
propose in this way.’’
When Hamish first saw Paula's
proposal on the website's greyhound
adoption page last month he wondered
what was going on.
Then half­way through reading it he
asked Paula if it was aproposal.
‘‘Don't Iget to propose?’’ he asked, with
agrin on his face.
Around 18 months earlier, in
December 2020, Hamish had also given
Paula abig surprise, by secretly adopting
agreyhound to give her at Christmas.
The Rangiora couple both love
greyhounds and had been planning to
adopt one for sometime so Hamish
decided to surprise Paula with aspecial
gift on Christmas morning.
He contacted GAP for help in choosing
Pippa, asmall, young, female and took
her to his parent’s home to hide her until
Christmas Day.
‘‘I was super­surprised when she
showed up on the doorstep before
breakfast,’’ Paula says.
Pippa quickly became abig part of
their lives and now even helps Paula and
Hamish foster other greyhounds for GAP.
‘‘There is so much to love about
greyhounds,’’ the couple say.
‘‘Greyhounds are known because of
their speed, but they are special for so
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Making friends ... Pippa (right) makes
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many other reasons,’’ Paula says.
‘‘There are both physical and
behavioural traits that make them so
loveable.
‘‘They don't have an undercoat, so don't
have nearly as much dog odour as other
breeds. Their coat is very short as well, so
it is easy maintenance. That said, they
can get cold, which is why you quite often
see greyhounds dressed up in cute
jackets,’’ Paula says.
‘‘Most greyhounds are super­cuddly
and once they learn what pats are about,
they will grovel in all sorts of ways to get
pats.’’
Greyhounds also love to cuddle up with
soft toys, especially cuddlepillars which
are giant, stuffed­fabric caterpillars that
come in all sorts of colours.
Paula and Hamish haven’t set adate
for their wedding yet.
‘‘Hamish's brother is getting married in
November so we are not going to think
about dates until after that,’’ Paula says.
Pippa will definitely be part of their
big day, possibly as the ring bearer, she
says.
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