Selwyn_Times: August 30, 2023

Selwyn Times Wednesday August 30 2023
4
In Brief
NEWS
‘SEVERE DAMAGE’ TO
RESTAURANT FROM FIRE
The Black Door Bar & Eatery in
Lincoln will be closed for “some
time” after a fire caused severe
damage to the restaurant over
the weekend. The blaze was
reported in the early hours of
Saturday morning and attended
by Lincoln Volunteer Fire
Brigade. The exact cause is yet
to be determined but the fire did
start in the kitchen.
ARREST AFTER BURGLARY
Police have been quick to make
an arrest after a couple’s home
was burgled and car stolen
in Faringdon last Saturday.
Included in the stolen items
were tools, clothes, electronics,
jewellery, dirty washing, and
shoes. “Anything they could
fit in the car,” they said. Also
stolen was a box of important
documents, which included
photo albums. As a result a
37-year-old woman was due to
appear in Christchurch District
Court yesterday. Police have not
ruled out further arrests.
TYRE SLASHER CAUGHT
A 15-year-old has been
arrested in relation to charges
of intentional damage after a
number of vehicles had their
tyres slashed in the Farringdon
area. The teenager will appear
in the Christchurch Youth
Court.
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
‘How can you approve something
that is under appeal?’
• From page 1
Appeal submitters Lincoln
Voice have been left ‘very
frustrated’ by how the process
has unfolded.
“We told
them in
writing that
they should
remove
PC69 from
the District
Plan process.
How can
you approve Denise Carrick
something that
is under appeal?” Lincoln Voice
spokesperson Denise Carrick
said.
Lincoln Voice is complaining
to the Ombudsman about the
process and its legitimacy. The
group has also sent a letter to
the district council asking for a
please explain.
“We believe that as a council
you need to take a critical review
of your processes; your purpose
and who you are here to serve,”
Carrick said.
The six councillors who voted
the District Plan in were deputy
mayor Malcolm Lyall (Springs
Ward), Phil Dean and Sophie
McInnes (Rolleston Ward), Bob
Mugford and Lydia Gliddon
(Malvern Ward), and Shane
Epiha (Ellesmere Ward).
Mayor Sam Broughton and
Ellesmere Ward councillor
Elizabeth
Mundt were
sick, district
councillor
Grant Miller
(Springs
Ward) was
also absent
and did not
Malcolm Lyall
respond to
the Selwyn
Times as
to why. Debra Hasson (Springs
Ward) and Nicole Reid (Rolleston
Ward) left the meeting due
to perceived conflicts of interest
and did not vote.
Lyall, who chaired the meeting,
and had stepped away from
discussion on the District Plan at
previous meetings, took part and
voted on this after taking legal
advice.
“I took legal advice that
basically said at this stage in the
process where individual panels
had heard all the topics over the
District Plan and the reports had
been put through and anytime
we could have been accused of
any bias had passed,” he said.
Hasson said she had upheld
her perceived conflict of interest
as a matter of principle, as she
had done it through the whole
District Plan process because
she had been involved in panel
hearings as an independent commissioner.
Reid did not respond to the
Selwyn Times.
Carrick said Lyall should have
left the room for the decision,
which would have meant there
would have no longer been a
quorum for the vote.
McInnes regrets not knowing
the impacts on the appeal before
it was too late.
McInnes said when it was
decided what was going to be in
the District Plan she thought the
appeal would be able to continue.
Bob Mugford thought the same.
“When we went through
deciding how the variation one
and independent hearings panel
would be constructed and would
be included, we did not expect
the way that happened to make it
very difficult for that appeal to go
forward.
“We made that decision expecting
they would still be able
to appeal and found out later
that wasn’t the case, and that was
never intended,” said McInnes.
Residents spoken to by the
HAVE YOUR SAY: Do
you think the district
councillors made the right
decision? Send your views
in 200 words or less to
daniel.alvey@starmedia.
kiwi
Selwyn Times were surprised
by the process and that district
councillors weren’t aware of what
would happen to appeals.
“You’ve got to be joking,” said
one. “Unbelieveable,” said another,
“Isn’t it their job to know
these rules?”.
The only appeal avenue for
Lincoln Voice now appears to be
through the high court, which
Carrick said would be risky and
costly.
Broughton knew the appeal
would be affected but did not
expect every councillor to know.
“The whole process has been
about a seven-year process with
two election cycles which has
meant there has been a number
of new elected members come in
at different parts of the process,
so I don’t think to have every
councillor aware of what the
decisions would mean for every
piece of land in the district is
reasonable to expect.”
GO WEST
NIK KERSHAW
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Gift Ideas
Watches
Scarves
Men’s Jewellery
Lovely Range of Prints
OPENING HOURS:
Tuesday to Friday 9am to 5pm,
Saturday 9am to 4pm
18 Riverstone Drive, Rolleston.