North Canterbury News: July 20, 2023
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What’s happening in your<br />
community…<br />
Waimakariri Calls for Pause<br />
TheGovernment needs to pauseand seekamandate<br />
before pushing any further ahead with itscontroversial<br />
ThreeWaterReforms, says WaimakaririMayor Dan Gordon.<br />
Mayor Dan Gordon spoke on behalf of the Council in<br />
opposition tothe Government’s Water Services Entities<br />
Amendment Bill at the Governance and Administration<br />
Select Committee hearing.<br />
“This Bill shouldn’t go ahead because it’s based on flawed<br />
assumptions, models not suitable for New Zealand, and<br />
there’s no mandate from Kiwis nationwide. This process<br />
overall should be stopped until at least aer the General<br />
Election in October,” says Mayor Gordon.<br />
“A pause is the most sensible option. This is because if<br />
the current government is re-elected then they will have<br />
won anelectoral mandate to push ahead, on the other<br />
hand, if anew government is elected, they won’thave to<br />
waste precious reform time repealing poor legislation.”<br />
In the submission, the Council recognised there was a<br />
need for change in water provision, but this Bill didn’t<br />
go far enough to address the matters of concern to<br />
councils and their communities<br />
“Thegovernment continues to pushahead with theremoval<br />
of assets from communitiesresulting in the loss of control<br />
thatownershipconfers onthem,” saidMayor Gordon.<br />
“The Waimakariri community does not support this and<br />
the loss of ownership and effective control is the crux of<br />
the issue.<br />
“There is abetterway to undertake ThreeWaters Reform<br />
andourCouncil as well as Communities4LocalDemocracy<br />
(C4LD) we’veprovided modelsand alternatives thatwould<br />
deliver on the Government’s objectives.<br />
“Wegenuinely want areform thatworksfor all. We don’t<br />
support this Billand ask foritnot to proceedfurther<br />
pending the outcomeofthe generalelection.”<br />
It’s Back to School this Week<br />
School holidays are over and our children will be heading<br />
back to school this week. Winter time adds extra risk to<br />
road user’s journeys, particularly for children who don’t<br />
have as much experience or are easily distracted.<br />
Darker mornings and evenings, and wet orfoggy days all<br />
contribute to reduced visibility so making sure they are<br />
able to be clearly seen isimportant.<br />
For those that live rural, make sure your youngsters<br />
wear some type of reflective garment ifthey’re walking<br />
or cycling to school or to catch the bus. Giving drivers<br />
every opportunity to see them helps reduce the risks.<br />
Remember to check lights are working on bicycles if<br />
riding in dark or low light conditions.<br />
Drivers –allow plenty of space and slow down when you<br />
see younger people walking or cycling. Children cannot<br />
accurately judge the speed and distance of approaching<br />
cars – so slow down and expect the unexpected.<br />
In areas where there are vulnerable road users, like<br />
schools, please reduce your speed regardless of the<br />
speed limit. Driving to the conditions means being<br />
aware of what is happening around you and driving<br />
appropriately so you can react should something change.<br />
Police have alow tolerance for speed around schools<br />
and when passing stationary school buses. Drivers are<br />
required to slow down to <strong>20</strong>km/h no matter what side of<br />
the road they are on when passing. School patrols also<br />
rely on courtesy and safe behaviour from all road users to<br />
help keep children safe on their journey toschool.<br />
We ask all drivers to be extra careful on the roads as<br />
children settle into the new school term.<br />
IS YOUR ORGANISATION ONTRACK?<br />
INCORPORATED<br />
SOCIETIES ACT<br />
WORKSHOP<br />
Learn about the newIncorporatedSocieties Act,<br />
<br />
<br />
—<br />
<br />
<br />
$<strong>20</strong> per society (twoparticipants)<br />
Registration essential<br />
Formoredetails visit waimakariri.govt.nz/ontrack<br />
or contact Wendy Howe 021 432 028<br />
Takeaway<br />
cups belong<br />
in the bin.<br />
They have a<br />
plastic lining, so<br />
can’t berecycled.<br />
Lids and plastic<br />
straws go in the<br />
bin too.<br />
rethinkrubbish.co.nz<br />
Our differences makeusunique<br />
andweall have things...<br />
InCommon Waimakariri<br />
LaunchEvent<br />
3August |5.30—7.30pm<br />
Woodend Community Centre<br />
RSVP 27 <strong>July</strong>:community@wmk.govt.nz<br />
To find out morevisit waimakariri.govt.nz<br />
Free Digital<br />
Skills Classes<br />
IntroductiontoSmartphones<br />
Kaiapoi Library<br />
Tuesday 25<strong>July</strong> • 10am–12noon<br />
RangioraLibrary<br />
Thursday 27<strong>July</strong> • 10am–12noon<br />
IntroductiontoApps<br />
Kaiapoi Library<br />
Wednesday 2August • 10am–12noon<br />
RangioraLibrary<br />
Thursday 3August • 10am–12noon<br />
Bookings essential<br />
steppingup.nz<br />
03 311 8901
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