North Canterbury News: June 15, 2023

NEWS
The North Canterbury News, June 15, 2023
Service to volunteer brigades honoured
By JOHN COSGROVE
Twenty­five years ago, just amonth
after her husband Marty Bennetts
joined the WaikukuBeach Volunteer
Fire Brigade, LaureneBennetts
noticedabig fire out the back of their
yard at the beach.
‘‘I calledMarty and told him to get
home, then Iwent downand helped out
at the station as bestIcould,making tea
and sandwiches withthe other women
for the firemen fightingthe blaze.’’
She says she had such agood time she
decidedtojoin as avolunteer also.
‘‘Initially, it was hard learning all the
names of the equipment, Iwas acity girl
and onlyknew about red fireengines.
‘‘The yellowruralfire engines,and
the role theyplay, were awholenew
learning experience.’’
She says being an active part of the
small rural community was alot of fun.
‘‘Therewere many families here,
theirs and our kids all played together,
and the volunteers of all ages were all
about doing something positive for
their community.’’
While Laurene learned all about
fighting ruralfires,Marty developed an
interest in fire retardant and aerial fire
fighting usingfixed and rotary aircraft.
His interesthas taken him to
Australia many timestolearn how to
coordinate and manage big firesand
work with aerial water tanker assets.
Thirteen years ago,the couple moved
to the Pines Kairaki Volunteer Fire
Brigade.
Recently the couple were awarded
their25­year Gold Starsand life
honorary membershipstothe brigade.
Martycontinues to be semi­active in
Fire and Emergency NZ, helping train
the nextgenerationofaerial
firefighters. Laurene says at 63 she’s
stillinterested,but it’stime to retire.
‘‘Being given the chancetodevelop
and train to serve my community as a
firefighter has allowedmetowork with
many wonderful and interestingpeople
over the years.’’
Laurene says meeting them all has
been ahighlight and learning how to
face the beast that fire is and defeating
it, is for her,areal achievement.
PinesKairaki Volunteer Fire
Brigade controller Richard Griffith
says it will be aloss to their brigade
with Marty and LaureneBennetts and
another member, gold star recipient
Tony Howlett, also retiring.
‘‘It is 75 years of valuable experience
leaving the area,but we have astrong
5
Golden ... Laurene and Marty Bennetts, Gold Star medal recipients from the Pines Kairaki
Volunteer Fire Brigade.
PHOTO:SUPPLIED
brigade here and avery supportive
community.’’
Fireman Stewart Miller receivedhis
Speeding crafts causing angst
Long Service and Good Conductmedal
for 14 yearsofvoluntary serviceatthe
same presentation.
By DAVID HILL,
Local Democracy Reporter
Bylaws are ‘‘toothless’’ without
enforcement, says Waimakariridistrict
councillor Al Blackie.
Cr Blackie, aretired dentist and
volunteer maritime safetyofficer, has
vented his frustrations at boat users who
he saysare exceeding the five knots
speed limitonthe KaiapoiRiver, in
violation of alocal bylaw.
He says he recently photographed ajet
ski doing repeatedpasses at speed.
‘‘To be fair she slowed down when she
got to the marina, and turned around,but
she was beatingitbythe time she got to
the coastguard building.
‘‘We are between arock and hard place
becauseitisanavigation issue, which is
EnvironmentCanterbury’s
responsibility,and it takes 45 minutes to
an hour for them to get here and get a
boat on the water, and by then they’re
gone.
‘‘One of these days there is going to be
carnage.’’
Local rowingclubs trainedonthe river
from young children to adults,while it
also had an impact on the Kaiapoi River
Queen, he says.
Cr Blackiesays the problem was the
councilhad no way of enforcing its
bylaws.
Signs wereput up to warn of speed
Out on the river ... Ajet ski was recently photographed on the Kaiapoi River roaring along
at speeds well above the five knots speed limit.
PHOTO: AL BLACKIE
limits, but these were often removed,
vandalised or used for target practice.
He wouldlike councils given the ability
to issue fines.
Cr Blackie says the council faced
similar issues when trying to enforce the
Pegasus Bay Bylaw.
The Ashley Rakahuri Rivercare Group
faced challengesfrom cats, dogs and
vehicles,aswell as rats and black­backed
gulls, as it sought to protect nativebirds.
‘‘Often it is locals, and theirfellow
locals, who can be quick to moan about
it, but they don’t report it,’’ Cr Blackie
said.
‘‘It is going to take the goodlocals
dobbing in the bad locals to get to the
bottom of this.’’
Public interest journalismfunded
through New Zealand on Air.
Dear Editor,
Iwould like to put out abig thank
you to North Canterbury Glass.
We had ahome invasion and had a
number of glass windows broken in
our house.
Irang North Canterbury Glass,
and Ray the manger answered the
call.
Iexplained the circumstances. He
said ‘I’m on my way’.
He was at our home within 20
minutes. He and afellow worker
were so helpful.
The windows were replaced in two
days.
Ray Barrow has only been in this
business for 12 months. For the
whole of North Canterbury Iwould
ask, please support him.
Thank you so much.
Yours, Dean Walker
Dear Editor,
Is anyone else concerned about tv
adverts that show awhimpy white
person and aheroic strong non white
person?
Who is orchestrating this
manipulation?
You don't raise someone's esteem
by undermining the other person's.
We must raise all our self images
in unison, not by causing division.
Yours, Brian Montgomery
Reducing your
fertiliser use
Synthetic nitrogen
fertiliser use is limited
on allgrazedpasture.
Nitrogen appliedtopastureaids growth, but it canleach into the ground, lowering surface and
groundwater quality.Reducing nitrogen useisessentialfor protectingdrinking water and the environment.
Thelimit of 190kg perhectareper year for synthetic nitrogen fertiliser useapplies to all grazed pasture,
notjustdairy. Canterbury dairy farmers: report your usetousbythe end of July.
E23/8308
Foraccess to the reporting tools,visit ecan.govt.nz/ncap, or call us on0800324 636.