North Canterbury News: June 15, 2023

Tamzyn humbled
New Zealanders from all areas of the
country are backing HurunuiYouth
councillorTamzyn Murdoch, aged16, to
get to the Children's General Assembly
in Denmark in September to fly the flag
for Aotearoa.
Over Kings Birthdayweekend,
Tamzyn raised over $13,000 through her
Givealittlepage, which was started by
her mum, Rebecca.
The Amuri Area School Year 11
student is one of 80 youngpeople,and
one of only two from New Zealand,
selected from across the world to attend
the Children's General Assembly.
Tamzyn will join other young people
aged 10 to 17 in creating ashared voice
on the world’s issues aheadofthe
United Nations General Assembly of
world leaders.
In her second year on the Hurunui
Youth Council, Tamzyn is no stranger to
speaking up and advocating for young
people in Hurunui.
She is also adab hand at fundraising
and started her first fundraising
campaign beforethe age of 12, when she
raised moneyfor Ronald McDonald
House.
They helped me alot when Iwas
diagnosedwith coeliac disease and I
wanted to thankthem,soIorganiseda
toy duck picking competition and raised
close to $1000.
Encouraged by that success, Tamzyn
went on to raise money for the Westpac
Rescue Helicopter, SPCANew Zealand
and Christchurch City Mission.
When she neededtoraise money to
attend the Childrens GeneralAssembly,
Tamzyn again turned to her community
to raise the money she needed, holding
abingo evening in the Waiau
Community Hall in May.
Being aired on TVNZ1 Newsthis
month promoted her fundraising to
donors across the country.
HurunuiDistrict CouncilYouth
Development Officer Jo Sherwood said
the youth councillor was afierce
advocate for young people wanting to
stay and work in Hurunui and she was
not afraid of stepping into the
leadership space, having recently
participatedinThrive for Life coaching
workshops.
‘‘It’s wonderful she has received so
much supportfrom people aroundthe
country who have recognised her
passion for our community,’’Sherwood
said.
Tamzyn said she wants to see how
young people from acrossthe world are
solving global problems.
‘‘I wanttoget adifferent perspective
on how people are solving global
problems, and Ialso want to experience
differentcultural perspectives.’’
Tamzyn will be presenting her own
perspective as ayoung person growing
up in arural communityinNew
Zealand. She said bullying, diversity and
inclusion arethemes she will be
presenting as issuesfacing New Zealand
youth.
Giving back to her community is in
Tamzyn's blood, with her mum, nan,
granddad and uncle all active in the
Waiau Volunteer Fire Brigade.
Having the support of New Zealand
behind her, Tamzyn says, has been
humbling.
‘‘I am very gratefulfor the incredible
supportIhave received from all over
New Zealand in helping me to meet my
target.’’
Tamzyn has askedthe Hurunui
community to help assist New Zealand’s
other representative to the Children's
Assembly with her fundraisingtarget.
NEWS
The North Canterbury News, June 15, 2023
21
New Clarence bridge
facing challenges
By DAVID HILL,
Local Democracy Reporter
Getting consent to build anew Waiau
Toa /Clarence River bridge is proving
to be achallenge.
In areport to arecent Kaikōura
District Council meeting, senior
operations manager Dave Clibbery
said Environment Canterbury (ECan)
has indicated there are anumber of
aspects of the proposed project which
posed challenges in granting
consents.
This included ongoing opposition
from Te Rūnanga oKaikōura.
The Glen Alton bridge, upstream
from the State Highway 1bridge, was
destroyed in the November 2016
earthquake, which has left Clarence
Valley residents vulnerable to being
cut off in heavy rain events.
The council has planned to build a
$13.5 million bridge 500 metres
downstream from the previous bridge.
‘‘The level of these challenges being
indicated by ECan is greater than
previously suggested by an initial
request for further information on the
consent,’’ Mr Clibbery said.
‘‘The project team is now
endeavouring to understand the
issues and find possible solutions and
we recently had aproductive meeting
with ECan technical specialists.’’
He said staff were continuing to
work with Te Rūnanga oKaikōura to
address the cultural concerns raised.
ECan consents planning manager
Aurora Grant says the application was
on hold while further information was
sought from the Kaikōura council.
No decision had been made on
whether to notify the consent.
There were several forestry blocks
close to harvesting, some large hill
country properties and Department of
Conservation land in the valley.
For now access was via Waipapa
Road, Wharekiri Stream and apaper
road, which has been enhanced since
the earthquakes.
The Wharekiri Stream was prone to
flooding in heavy rain events and
could be impassable for up to 10 days,
leaving residents isolated.
The project has been approved for a
95 percent subsidy from Waka Kotahi
New Zealand Transport Agency, as
part of its earthquake repairs, and the
budget has been inflation adjusted.
But the funding has asunset clause
of December 2025.
Mr Clibbery says the council
recognised some compromises would
need to be made to deliver abridge
within this timeframe
‘‘And for affected residents the
priority is just getting abridge,’’ he
says.
Comment has been sought from Te
Rūnanga oKaikōura.
Public journalism funded through
New Zealand on Air.
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