North Canterbury News: August 03, 2023

Mini bus project
NEWS
The North Canterbury News, August 3, 2023
CDMP
5
Community Driver
Mentor Programme
By SHELLEYTOPP
Aprojecttobuild an eight­bay
garage to storethe North
Canterbury Mini Bus Trust’s
Rangiora­based vehicles is
underway.
The Trust owns 12 vehicles
with six of themkept on a
vacant lot in Blake Street.
The remainder are based in
Oxford, Custand Kaiapoi.
The new Totalspan garage
will be builtonland owned by
the Waimakariri District
Council on MarshRoad, in
Southbrook.
It will provide safeand
secure storage for the vehicles,
make pick up and returnfor
drivers and renters much safer,
and keep the vehiclescleaner.
It will also have an
administration office.
‘‘It is the biggest project ever
undertaken by the Trust,’’ says
its chair, Don Fairbrother.
‘‘We did receive building
consent last November, but are
stillawaiting resource consent
–amuch more involved
process,’’ he says.
HoweverCraig Sargison, who
previouslyworkedfor the
council as manager of
community and recreation, but
is now retired,joined the Trust
team last year and has helped
with the consentprocess.
Buildingwill start soon.
The Trust in its Business
Plan 2020­2025 budgeted for
the building to start in the
2021­22 year, and be finished
this year at an estimated cost of
$150,000.
‘‘However, due to the delays
our projected costshave
increased, and we are now
budgeting on $570,000,with
final estimates still to come, Mr
Fairbrothersays.
‘‘Without the knowledge and
perseveranceofCraig and
another trustee, Greg Wright,
our terms of lease(on the
building site) and consents
would have costusmany
thousandsfor which we would
have needed extrafundraising.
‘‘Greghas finalised the lease,
and Craig tookonthe task of
preparinganapplicationtothe
Rata Foundation for funding
for the building,and it has
committedtogrant us $100,000
upon receiving resource
consent,’’ he says.
‘‘An excellent effort, which
makes us feel very humble
when we realise the esteem
with which these philanthropic
organisations regardthe North
Canterbury Mini BusTrust.’’
The Trust is alsoplanning to
extendthe services they
provide.
Several meetings have been
held with Citizens Advice
Bureau, SalvationArmy,
PresbyterianSupport, and the
Trust to try and establish a
service transporting patients to
and from medical
appointments in Christchurch
as an adjunct to the St Johns
shuttle. ‘‘Retirement villages
and other users have expressed
frustrationand expensefor
patients,and we feel that this is
where the North Canterbury
Mini BusTrust can assist.
Dear Editor,
Inoted the letter (NC News, July 20), regarding the zone
committee.
The Hurunui District Council stepped away from this
zone committee in late 2020, and following that began
some early discussion to develop areplacement forum.
Our early preparations considered aLand and Water
committee, however these plans have taken abackstep
with the heavy workload of government reform, and of
course it fell during the restrictions of the Covid­19
pandemic.
We have kept regular liaison with Environment
Canterbury (ECan) which reports to our full council, and
are now looking towards further developing the Land and
Water committee proposal in collaboration with ECan and
the Runanga.
This promises to be apositive step forward, and will be
further developed in the not too distant future.
Yours,
Hurunui Mayor,
Marie Black.
Road signs
Dear Editor,
Iwas interested to read the recent article by David Hill
(NC News 20 July) about the wording on our road signs.
Ihave noticed, like everyone else, the change to
including Maori names in most settings.
Government departments, towns, public facilities are
all now being labelled with both English and Maori words.
While Ithink this is agood thing overall, it does feel like
we are being bombarded at the moment with new words to
learn and recognise.
Iknow some basic Maori language and can pronounce
most of these, but Iknow that alot of older people, and
also those who don't read English well, really struggle.
If the accompanying English is present we can perhaps
make some connection and eventually remember the
Maori equivalent.
Iwonder if this will be so if every road sign is bilingual.
Driving takes such concentration and it's easy to miss
information on the first pass by. Iamperhaps touching on
amuch wider issue here but Ifeel Irepresent agood
portion of the community in expressing this concern.
Yours,
Trish Warnes.
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