North Canterbury News: February 15, 2024

6 The
OPINION
North Canterbury News, February 15, 2024
Mayor Marie Black
Asummer festival
Iamreally looking forward to
Saturday, February 17, and attending
the Markham street Summer
Festival.
Thanks go to the team from
AmberleyNZ for organising this
event for everyone to enjoy.
There will be awide variety of
stalls and activities for the whole
family in Markhamstreet but also the
other retail outlets in very close
proximity to the street.
Given Markham Street is the oldest
established street in Amberley,
holding asignificant piece of history,
the festival will add to the existing
vibrant retail and special character.
The following weekend February
24 and 25, the Amberley Fire Brigade
is hosting a24­hour swim in support
of ‘‘Swim for Hope’’ with the brigade,
and community members, swimming
continuously for 24 hours.
This is agreat initiative in
collaboration with the ‘‘I am Hope
Foundation’’ and the Give aLittle
page campaign funds will support
people suffering from Mental Health,
offeringalistening ear and coping
strategies.
Iwant to acknowledge our FENZ
personal as like many people in our
district, Iamacutely awareofthe
demands that have been placed on
our volunteer fire brigademembers
over the past few weeks, and to
publicly thank them for their
dedication to keepingour district
safe.
This acknowledgementextends
also to the volunteers who supported
the welfare centres set up over two
recent fire events.
The severe fire risk remains with
us, so my plea is that we are all
consciousofthe risk, and our shared
responsibility keeps us all safe until
we receive some very welcome
autumn rain.
Just around the corner is our
wonderful autumn A@Pshow
season with Amuri on March 2, and
Cheviot March 9, with the Hawarden
Show committee planningtoward
2025 and to bring the show back
better than ever.
These are fabulous occasionsand a
great chance to catch up with family
and friends.
Finally on Sunday, March 3, the
North Canterbury Wine and Food
festival will be hosted under the
Oaks in the Glenmark Domain –this
is simply the ‘Coolest Little Wine
Festival’ and awonderful
celebration of local produce and
people.
We aretruly fortunate to have so
many wonderful events to attend,
and enjoy, and Iwarmly invite you to
support them andthe many people
who have spentcountless hours to
ensure these special events are on
ourdoorstep. All this activity adds to
the richness of our district. Lets
enjoy it together.
Call for funding tools
By DAVID HILL,
Local Democracy Reporter
ANorth Canterbury mayor has called for
‘‘more ambitious’’ funding for roading
and infrastructure.
Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon has
backed acall by Local Government New
Zealand(LGNZ) for more funding tools to
support infrastructure.
‘‘Roading investment is very important
to us as agrowth district.
‘‘Canterbury receives apaltry amount
comparedtothe restofthe country in
transport and it is the same across the
South Island, and we need to be
ambitious.’’
Mr Gordon says he welcomes the
Government’s signals of moving from
‘‘centralisation to localism’’.
He is lookingforward to meeting with
Government ministers to discuss
opportunitiesfor partnerships on
projects in the council’s Long Term Plan.
North Canterbury’s councils are busy
workingontheir Long Term Plans, which
set targets for the next 10 years.
The Government Policy Statement on
land transport is under review and could
have implications aroundwhat funding
is available,but will not be known until
after the Long Term Plans have been
adopted.
Several councils were caught out six
years ago, following achange of
Government, when they found they were
not getting as much roading funding as
they anticipated.
Hurunui District Council chief
executive Hamish Dobbie says councils
could ‘‘always redo’’their Long Term
Plans next year, but this carried acost.
Hurunui had one of the largest roading
networks in the country, but had a
relatively small population to maintain
it.
Roading was funded 52 percent from
Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport
Agency’s One Network Fund, but when
there was afunding shortfall ratepayers
were left to pick up the full cost.
Funding is largely for maintenance,
though the council can apply for
emergency funding after severe weather
events.
Mr Dobbie said more investment was
needed to make the network more
resilient in the face of more frequent
weather events.
‘‘There is acapital cost in building
networks and it you have alot rain events
you need bigger culverts.
‘‘It is areal issue for roading
throughout the country, how do we build
enough resilience?’’
Arecent report by the Infrastructure
Commission highlighted astrong public
appetite for funding tools that go beyond
rates, like usage charging.
LGNZ president Sam Broughton says
there needs to flexibility to meet the
different needs of councils around the
country.
‘‘Not every tool works well for each
council, so we need to take alocally­led
approach to finding the right levers for
individual communities.’’
Options included revenue sharing
between central and local government,
Government paying rates on Crown land,
congestion charging, bed taxes and
tourist levies.
LDR is local body journalism cofunded
by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Crime preventioncamera to be installed at Pegasus
By DAVIDHILL,
Local Democracy Reporter
The Pegasus community is about to
install its first CCTV crime prevention
camera, thanks to agenerous donation
from alocal business.
Super Liquor Pegasus store owners
Simran and Raj Sandhu have donated
$5000 to the Pegasus Residents’ Group
Inc, following acommunity meeting in
November.
‘‘CCTV is asomethingthe residents of
Pegasus have wanted for some time to
help enhance the security and safety of
Pegasus,’’ Pegasus Residents’ Group
president Matt James said.
‘‘I was totally blown away to get acall
from Simran offering such agenerous
donation.
‘‘With this contribution we can get our
initiative off to aflying start.’’
Mr James said he aimed to have the
first camera installed during March.
More cameras will be rolled out as
more donations arereceived.
The announcement followed the
installation of the first CCTV camera in
Sovereign Palms in Kaiapoi in January.
Waimakariri MP Matt Doocey has been
working with local communities
considering installing CCTV cameras.
He said the Pegasus announcement
showed community­led initiatives could
be successful.
‘‘I think it is another great example of
local communities standing up for
themselves.
‘‘It takes an incredible level of
commitment to get to get these cameras
installed and it shows people are wanting
to reclaim their streets.’’
Despite arecent spike in crime, North
Canterburyremained one of the safest
communities in New Zealand, the
region’s police said.
The region's growing population and
improved transportaccess were
contributing to achanging environment
in the Waimakariri and Hurunui
districts.
Residents have been fundraising to
install the CCTV cameras, with help from
police, the Waimakariri District Council
and North CanterburyNeighbourhood
Support.
Abank account has been set up by
North Canterbury Neighbourhood
Support for donations to support the
Pegasus community’s CCTV camera
initiative.
Go to ncns.org.nz for more information.
LDR is local body journalism cofunded
by RNZ and NZ On Air.
This
Week
Sun
Fishing
Guide
Moon
Wind
Swell
Pegasus Bay
Tide Chart
3
2
RANGIORA OCEANWATCH
Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Feb 15 Feb 16 Feb 17 Feb 18 Feb 19 Feb 20 Feb 21
Rise 6:48am
Rise 6:50am
Rise 6:51am
Rise 6:52am
Rise 6:54am
Rise 6:55am
Rise 6:56am
Set 8:37pm
Set 8:36pm
Set 8:34pm
Set 8:33pm
Set 8:31pm
Set 8:30pm
Set 8:28pm
Ok
Best 5:45am
Best 6:36am
Best 7:29am
Best 8:23am
Best 9:18am
Best 10:13am
Best 11:06am
Ok
Ok
Good
Good
Fair
Ok
Times 6:11pm
Times 7:02pm
Times 7:56pm
Times 8:51pm
Times 9:46pm
Times 10:40pm
Times 11:32pm
Rise12:59pm
Rise 2:15pm
Rise 3:29pm Set12:17am
Set 1:00am
Set 1:52am
Set 2:53am
Set 11:13pm
Set11:42pm
Rise 4:38pm
Rise 5:40pm
Rise 6:31pm
Rise 7:12pm
Moderate Sbecoming Moderate Sturning Gentle SEbecoming
Gentle E
Gentle E Gentle Sbecoming Gentle SW becoming
fresh E
SE
moderate E
strengthening
strengthening
moderate E
moderate E
NE 1.0 mturning
S E 0.7 m E0.6 m SE0.6 m SE 0.8 m SE 0.9 m E0.9 m
3 6 9 NOON 3 6 9 3 6 9 NOON 3 6 9 3 6 9 NOON 3 6 9 3 6 9 NOON 3 6 9 3 6 9 NOON 3 6 9 3 6 9 NOON 3 6 9 3 6 9 NOON 3 6 9
1
0
Highs Lows Highs Lows Highs Lows Highs Lows Highs Lows Highs Lows Highs Lows
Waimakariri 10:06am 2.5 3:48am 0.4 11:04am 2.4 4:47am 0.5
5:48am 0.6 12:30am 2.4 6:50am 0.6 1:30am 2.3 7:51am 0.7 2:28am 2.3 8:47am 0.7 3:23am 2.3 9:38am 0.7
Mouth
10:34pm 2.5 4:19pm 0.4 11:32pm 2.4 5:16pm 0.5 12:02pm 2.3 6:14pm 0.5 1:00pm 2.3 7:12pm 0.6 1:58pm 2.2 8:08pm 0.6 2:53pm 2.2 9:02pm 0.6 3:44pm 2.2 9:53pm 0.7
Amberley 10:06am 2.5 3:48am 0.4 11:04am 2.4 4:47am 0.5
5:48am 0.6 12:30am 2.4 6:50am 0.6 1:30am 2.3 7:51am 0.7 2:28am 2.3 8:47am 0.7 3:23am 2.3 9:38am 0.7
Beach
10:34pm 2.5 4:19pm 0.4 11:32pm 2.4 5:16pm 0.5 12:02pm 2.3 6:14pm 0.5 1:00pm 2.3 7:12pm 0.6 1:58pm 2.2 8:08pm 0.6 2:53pm 2.2 9:02pm 0.6 3:44pm 2.2 9:53pm 0.7
10:15am 2.5 3:57am 0.4 11:13am 2.4 4:56am 0.5
5:57am 0.6 12:39am 2.4 6:59am 0.6 1:39am 2.3 8:00am 0.7 2:37am 2.3 8:56am 0.7 3:32am 2.3 9:47am 0.7
Motunau 10:43pm 2.5 4:28pm 0.4 11:41pm 2.4 5:25pm 0.5 12:11pm 2.3 6:23pm 0.5 1:09pm 2.3 7:21pm 0.6 2:07pm 2.2 8:17pm 0.6 3:02pm 2.2 9:11pm 0.6 3:53pm 2.2 10:02pm 0.7
10:17am 2.5 3:59am 0.4 11:15am 2.4 4:58am 0.5
5:59am 0.6 12:41am 2.4 7:01am 0.6 1:41am 2.3 8:02am 0.7 2:39am 2.3 8:58am 0.7 3:34am 2.3 9:49am 0.7
Gore Bay 10:45pm 2.5 4:30pm 0.4 11:43pm 2.4 5:27pm 0.5 12:13pm 2.3 6:25pm 0.5 1:11pm 2.3 7:23pm 0.6 2:09pm 2.2 8:19pm 0.6 3:04pm 2.2 9:13pm 0.6 3:55pm 2.2 10:04pm 0.7
10:17am 1.7 3:58am 0.1 11:16am 1.7 4:58am 0.2
5:59am 0.2 12:37am 1.7 7:00am 0.3 1:35am 1.6 7:58am 0.3 2:31am 1.6 8:52am 0.3 3:23am 1.6 9:43am 0.3
Kaikoura 10:41pm 1.7 4:30pm 0.2 11:39pm 1.7 5:26pm 0.2 12:14pm 1.6 6:21pm 0.2 1:11pm 1.5 7:16pm 0.3 2:05pm 1.5 8:09pm 0.3 2:57pm 1.5 9:01pm 0.3 3:46pm 1.4 9:52pm 0.3
*Not for navigational purposes. Wind and swell are based on apoint off Gore Bay. Maori Fishing Guide by Bill Hohepa. www.ofu.co.nz www.tidespy.com Graphic supplied by OceanFun Publishing Ltd.
RANGIORA