North Canterbury News: December 21, 2023
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24 The<br />
NEWS<br />
<strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong> <strong>News</strong>, <strong>December</strong> <strong>21</strong>, <strong>2023</strong><br />
Enjoy the journey of growing up<br />
Abig part of growing up is about enjoying<br />
the journey of becoming who you want to<br />
be, Culverden Constable Damian<br />
Schuurman says.<br />
ConstableSchuurmanwas guest<br />
speaker at Hurunui District Council’s<br />
Secondary School Achievers Fund<br />
awards ceremony recently in Scargill.<br />
He said the next few years will have<br />
challenges and great times, andthe key<br />
to reaching goals was being around good<br />
people.<br />
Looking back on his youth and early<br />
career days, he said he had ups and<br />
downs and is very grateful for the people<br />
who showed beliefand helped shape<br />
him.<br />
‘‘Surround yourself with good people,<br />
as they will be ahuge part of the success<br />
of getting to where you want to go.’’<br />
Their plans may change, career paths<br />
may shift, and that did not matter. ‘‘Work<br />
hard at everything you decide to do.’’<br />
Nine school leavers in the Hurunui<br />
District received ascholarship as they<br />
embark on tertiary education in 2024.<br />
The scholarships received are a<br />
portion of an $11,500 scholarship —a<br />
joint venture with the Hurunui District<br />
Council (of $10,000), and the council’s law<br />
firm Buddle Findlay ($1500).<br />
The fund assists students with with<br />
accommodation costs, scholarship travel<br />
expenses, purchases of text books and<br />
electronic equipment.<br />
To date, 145 students have benefited<br />
from the fund which began in2000. This<br />
year <strong>21</strong> applications were received.<br />
Hurunui Mayor Marie Black presented<br />
the awards and encouraged the students<br />
NORTH CANTERBURYSPORT<br />
Bowling tournament<br />
Top lawn bowlers from across New Zealand willcompete inthe Summerset<br />
Nationals single and pairs tournament in <strong>Canterbury</strong> from January 2toJanuary 9.<br />
Around 800 players are expected to take part.<br />
Three <strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong> clubs —Kaiapoi, Rangiora and Woodend —will be<br />
hosting singles and pairs games.<br />
Kaiapoi Working Mens Club will host men’s singles games on January 2, and mens<br />
pairsonJanuary 6and 7.<br />
Rangiorawill host men’s singles on January 2and 3, and women’s singles and<br />
men’spairs on January 6onJanuary 7.<br />
Woodend hosts women’s pairs on January 2, Men’s singles on January 3, and mens<br />
pairs on January 7.<br />
Bowls New Zealand says the very high quality of the greens and hospitality Bowls<br />
<strong>Canterbury</strong> host clubs consistently deliver to players competing in an event has<br />
attracted top bowlers from around the country.<br />
‘‘We are thrilled that so many players have committed to being apart of the<br />
tournament in 2024,’’ it says.<br />
Waimakariri Gorge Golf<br />
Summer Golf: Stableford 18 Holes: KBush 37, IBeets 37, WMehrtens 37, LAnderson<br />
35, BFaulkner 35, LScott 34, SMacdonald 34.<br />
Nearest to Pin for 2–No. 4–MRobertson; Nearest to Pin for 2–No. 11 –J<br />
Pottinger; Longest Putt –No. 8.<br />
Studentcelebration ... Guest speaker Constable Damian Schuurman of the Culverden<br />
Police (left), Mateo Bonny, Matt Horn, William Knight, Award presenterMayor Marie<br />
Black, Jessica Shearer, Bob Morgan, Regan Clark and Jed Dwyer. Absent: Ilona<br />
McLachlan and Briana Hodgen.<br />
PHOTO: SUPPLIED<br />
to enjoy and discover the joy of learning,<br />
the thrill of mastering new skills and the<br />
satisfaction of using them to make a<br />
difference. She said the range of options<br />
the students were exploring was<br />
exceptional —rural medicine, law and<br />
commerce, agricultural business,<br />
environmental geology, marine science,<br />
photography, lawand arts, broadcasting<br />
and communications, law and commerce<br />
and engineering.<br />
Mrs Black, Crs Vanessa McPherson<br />
and Karen Armstrong, Buddle Findlay<br />
representative Anna Wishart, Youth<br />
Council member William Munsey,<br />
Munsey, and three independent<br />
membersAnne Costello from Hawarden,<br />
Geoff Shier and Gwyn Williams from<br />
Amberley, were on the selection panel.<br />
Successful recipients were Bob<br />
Morgan from Hanmer Springs (Amuri<br />
Area School), Briana Hodgen, Hawarden<br />
(Rangi Ruru Girls’ School), Ilona<br />
McLachlan from Broomfield<br />
(Christchurch Girls’ High School), Jed<br />
Dwyer, Culverden (Amuri Area School),<br />
Jessica Shearer,Waiau (Christchurch<br />
Girls’ High School), Mateo Bonny,<br />
Waipara, (RangioraHigh School), Regan<br />
Clark, Hanmer Springs (Amuri Area<br />
School), and William Knight, Waipara<br />
(Christchurch Boys’ High School).<br />
Overseas visitors returning<br />
By DAVID HILL,<br />
Local Democracy Reporter<br />
Overseas visitors are flocking back to<br />
Hanmer Springs.<br />
While international visitor numbers are<br />
not expected to return to preCovid levels<br />
for another 12 months, Hurunui Tourism<br />
product development manager Graeme<br />
Abbot says the town is booming as it gears<br />
up for the summer holiday rush.<br />
‘‘We are seeing our old friends from<br />
Australia back and the cruise business is<br />
keeping us busy. We are seeing some<br />
American business, which we expect will<br />
grow with the new airlines coming into<br />
Christchurch. It is certainly alot stronger<br />
than it was.’’<br />
Visitors were starting to return from<br />
China, but Mr Abbot did not expect to see<br />
as many visitors from the Asian market as<br />
four years ago.<br />
While September and October were<br />
‘‘reasonably quiet’’, Hanmer Springs<br />
Thermal Pools &Spa experienced nine<br />
percent growth in November compared to<br />
Clarence River<br />
Bridge under<br />
the spotlight<br />
By DAVID HILL,<br />
Local Democracy Reporter<br />
The fate of areplacement bridge over the<br />
Waiau Toa /Clarence River will not be<br />
known until next year.<br />
Environment <strong>Canterbury</strong>isinthe<br />
process of appointing ahearing<br />
commissioner to decide the fate of a<br />
proposed bridge to replace the Glen Alton<br />
bridge, which was destroyed in the 2016<br />
earthquake.<br />
Ajoint hearing, with the Kaikōura<br />
District Council, is expected to be held in<br />
April.<br />
Environment <strong>Canterbury</strong>has completed<br />
alimited notification, with just five parties<br />
invited to make submissions on the<br />
Kaikōura District Council’s resource<br />
consent application.<br />
Just two submissions were received,<br />
including one from an affected private<br />
landowner in support, and one from Te<br />
Rūnanga oKaikōura, which was opposed<br />
on cultural grounds.<br />
The Rūnanga has expressing aview that<br />
access to the proposed $13.5 million bridge<br />
should be on the southernside of the river.<br />
The lack of abridge has created<br />
frustration for property owners in the<br />
Clarence Valley, who relied on the Glen<br />
Alton bridge.<br />
For now access is via Waipapa Road,<br />
WharekiriStream and apaper road, which<br />
has been enhanced since the earthquakes.<br />
But the WharekiriStream is prone to<br />
flooding in heavy rain and can be<br />
impassable for up to 10 days.<br />
last year.<br />
<strong>December</strong> had also started strongly and<br />
accommodation bookings in the town were<br />
‘‘very strong’’.<br />
Staff recruitment has been achallenge<br />
over the last three years, but the pools<br />
were fully staffed and operating at the full<br />
summer hours.<br />
‘‘We are always abit scared to say we are<br />
fully staffed, in case someone leaves,’’ Mr<br />
Abbot said.<br />
‘‘We have people from all around the<br />
world on our staff, which is lovely because<br />
it adds something to the environment.’’<br />
Mr Abbot said Hanmer Springs had a<br />
growing list of attractions, including the<br />
alpine scenery.<br />
Two new hydro slides, known as ‘‘Violet<br />
Vortex’’ and ‘‘Waiau Winder’’, were added<br />
to the hot pools this year and were proving<br />
popular. New walking and cycling tracks<br />
have been added, and the town has anew<br />
disc golf course to add to the mini golf and<br />
full sized golf course.<br />
The Hanmer Springs Animal Park was<br />
also popular with visitors, Mr Abbot said.<br />
PROUDLY SUPPORTING LOCALSPORT<br />
RANGIORA