North Canterbury News: December 14, 2023

Crate Day maybe on the move
By ROBYN BRISTOW
Ashley Sergeant hopes moving Crate Day
to February will help avoid conflict along
the Ashley /Rakahuri River between 4WD
drivers and bird conservation
organisations protecting endangered
bird’s nesting habitats.
He is stepping up as aspokesman after
the drubbing 4WD recreationalists
received following Crate Day
celebrations on the river on Saturday,
December 9.
Ashley hopes he can persuade those
who take part in Crate Day to set their
sights on the first Saturday in February
for the annual trek.
He says when he began aone­day 4WD
trek up the river from the Rangiora,
Cones Road Bridge 13 years ago, he never
imagined it would end up more than a
decade later, creating such an uproar.
It began with him and afew mates
enjoying afamily day out, abarbecue and
aswim.
The next year afew more joined in, and
the concept grew —into Crate Day.
The recent trek attracted upto150 or
more 4WD.
Ashley believes the growth has caused a
lot of disparate groups to join in the trek,
leaving no one person as aspokesperson
or contact for anyone to approach about
concerns.
This has led to the 4WD drivers ‘‘being
completely and unfairly blasted in the
news and media’’.
‘‘The original Crate Day trip used to
start down at the Rangiora Bridge and go
upstream.
‘‘We changed that to avoid the nesting
areas between the bridge and the Okuku
confluence.’’
He says after chatting with alarge
number of the people who take part, it has
been decided to ‘‘promote’’ achange of
date to the beginning of February when
the nesting season is done.
‘‘The Crate Day just gone will be the last
year alarge portion of the people Iknow,
and associate with, will be attending the
day on the original date.’’
Ashley says the positives of adate
change means river levels will ‘‘usually’’
be more consistent, it will be agreat way
to celebrate summer and the start of a
new year, and won’t fall on the same day
as Santa festivities for family’s that want
to attend.
‘‘We are not the bad bunch of people
that the media is making us out to be.
‘‘Most of us are upstanding, respectful
members of society that participate in the
river clean up days and do our best to
preserve the area we enjoy.
‘‘I want to see our access to the river
maintained for years to come, and Idon't
think butting heads with people that are
just trying to do what they think is right
will be the correct way to go aboutthat,’’
In dialogue ... Environment Canterbury ranger, Chuck Dowdell, speaking with occupants
of a4WD vehicle near the Okuku River bridge, on Crate Day last weekend, advising them
where they could drive to avoid conflict with nesting birds.
PHOTO: FILE
Ashley says.
For those who want to celebrate Crate
Day, an unofficial celebration in New
Zealand, held on the first Saturday of
December, Ashley hopes to look at doing
another event.
It is early days yet, says Ashley, but he
would like to see an ‘‘all inclusive’’ event,
on aprivate property, where everyone
can enjoy socialising, ‘‘without being in a
public place and ruining someone else’s
day’’.
He concedes alot of people don’t want
to join clubs or agroup for all sorts of
reasons.
But he says that doesn't mean ‘‘as a
group we can’t steer it in the right
direction and Ihope that's what this will
do’’.
His effort to shift the date of Crate Day
have been welcomed by the Department
of Conservation (DOC), the Ashley
Rakahuri Rivercare Group (ARRG) and
the Waimakariri District Council.
DOC North Canterbury Operations
Manager Leeann Ellis says it is fantastic
there is strong support from participants
of the four­wheel­drive event on Crate
Day to change the date.
DOC appreciated they had considered
the impact of the event on endangered
nesting birds who were vulnerable to
disturbance, and difficult to spot by
vehicle users.
Work would continue with ARRG, the
Waimakariri Council, Environment
Canterbury, and the combined 4WD
Club to try and minimise disturbance,
and improve the breeding success of the
threatened birds.
Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon says
the council is concerned at Crate Day
activities, and this year worked with the
Police, DOC, 4WD clubs and
Environment Canterbury (ECan), to try
and educate drivers to avoid areas
known to be bird nesting areas.
He is keen to have aformalised group
to work with 4WD enthusiasts, and says
having been approached by 4WD clubs
keen to move the date ‘‘is agreat
outcome where people can use our
natural environment for recreation
pursuits without it being to the
detriment of native wildlife or plants.’’
ARRG spokesperson Judith Hugey
congratulated Ashley Sergeant for
standing up, taking leadership and
recognising the event had morphed into
something that threatened endangered
braided river birds. “Our hope is that all
participants will heed the call. It would
be an example for achange of behaviour
on rivers throughout NZ.’’
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The North Canterbury News, December 14, 2023
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