Selwyn_Times: October 05, 2022

Selwyn Times Wednesday October 5 2022
6
NEWS
• From page 1
He was also left wondering
what police were waiting for as
the teen had about 44 charges.
“Still our law and order says
we have to give him a chance to
be a better person. Within six
months, 44 crimes he (committed),
so why are you waiting for
the 45th?”
Mehta had a simple answer:
“If you do the crime, you need to
face it and that’s what I told the
boy.”
The youths would not stop
while they believed “no one can
touch (them),” Mehta said.
Mehta’s business had been
ram-raided three times and had
been the target of an armed robbery.
The robbery happened in late
August when teenagers – the
youngest who has been identified
as 10 – burst into the shop armed
with a spanner at about 7pm one
evening.
They tried to strike his wife but
she avoided the blows by pushing
a Covid screen at the offenders.
Their toddler was in the back of
the shop and Mehta was visiting
a patient at Christchurch Hospital
at the time.
When Mehta asked for a trespass
notice for the four offenders
police had identified, he was told
the notices had been given.
But when he asked for photographs
of the boys so he would
know who to stop, police would
not give them to him.
The offenders had been wearing
masks and hoods, he said.
How would his wife know who
they were if they walked into
their shop again?
He asked the boy at the conference
why he did it. The teen
replied he did it for fun and for
social media videos.
‘If you do the crime, you
need to face it and that’s
what I told the boy.’
– Sangeet Mehta
Mehta said he would not be
waiting for an email regarding
the outcome as he honestly believed
nothing would happen.
He also wondered who was
helping business owners hit by
ram-raiders. He had to fix the
door and the wall, and install a
steel gate and bollards. He had to
pull back his open hours because
of safety concerns.
“I’m losing my business. Who
is it affecting? Me. Why? Because
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Offenders as young as
10 involved in robbery
Bollards have been installed
outside the Prebbleton
Dairy.
of youth, and we’re still thinking
about ‘oh, we should have to give
him another chance to become a
nicer person’.”
Mehta queried why he should
have to pay insurance excess and
fix everything when he was the
victim.
He said all of the dairy owners
around him who had been hit
were tired of being left to pick
up the pieces without more help
from the Government or action
from the police.
When asked if he was still
intending to sell his business,
Mehta noted that “millions of
dairies want to sell but no one
will buy”.
“If I know your car is going to
break down next year, is anyone
going to buy?” he said.
Anglers out
CANTERBURY anglers were out
in force on Saturday to fish the
first day of the new season.
October 1 is always the start
of the new season, and this year
it fell on a Saturday and was
also the first day of the school
holidays.
This made opening day in the
region a popular family affair in
many instances.
Fish & Game New Zealand
rangers were out checking
compliance and reported a lot of
anglers from the top of the Lewis
Pass all the way down to the
Waitaki River.
The weather was great for fishing,
frosty but clear, throughout
the region and many anglers travelled
hours to fish their favourite
spots.
Canterbury angler Neil Goldie
braved the early morning frost
to fish the Waimakariri River
mouth.
Trying first for a sea-run
salmon, Goldie said: “It’s a
little bit early for a salmon, but
with warmer temperatures at
sea in summer, there’s a chance
of a salmon taking advantage of
the cooler waters now to make a
run.
GOOD TO GO: Fish & Game New Zealand ranger Chris
Aldous (left), checks the licences of Warren Mackie, Russell
Mackay and Neil Goldie at Harts Creek.
PHOTO: RICHARD COSGROVE
Christchurch
Heritage
Festival
7 – 24 October 2022
Our Stories
Milestones and Moments
Discover some of the exciting events on offer…
Introducing Kā Kōrero o Waikirikiri Selwyn Stories
Selwyn Libraries, selected dates 7–13 October
Lincoln Township History – milestones and memories
22 James Street, Lincoln, 8 October
From Poland With Music
The Piano: Centre for Music and the Arts, 14 October
For the full programme and event details, visit
ccc.govt.nz/heritagefestival
Ensuring Safer Water –
Chlorination Upgrades 2022
New Zealand’s drinking water laws have changed.
Under the Water Services Act 2021, councils must chlorinate public
drinking water supplies by 15 November 2022. Selwyn District Council has
started applying for exemptions for its previously unchlorinated supplies
and is expecting feedback on these applications from Taumata Arowai in
early 2023.
If you’re on a water supply that isn’t currently chlorinated, we will be
installing chlorination in order to comply with the law as per the
below timetable.
Location
Rolleston
Rakaia Huts
West Melton
Lincoln
Taumutu
Leeston
Prebbleton
Jowers Road
Proposed Rollout Date (Week commencing)
17 October
25 October
31 October
7 November
14 November
21 November
28 November
5 December
If you’d like a reminder text or email when chlorination is due to begin on
your water supply, sign up at selwyn.govt.nz/wateralerts.
selwyn.govt.nz/water-chlorination