Ashburton Courier: February 22, 2024

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28 Ashburton NEWS Courier, February 22, 2024 www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz Decisionexpected soon on new bridge BYJONATHAN LEASK Local democracy reporter A decision is expected soon on asecond Ashburton bridge as the Government rolls out its 100day plan. TransportMinister Simeon Brown last week announced the axing of the Auckland Regional Fuel Tax at the end of June, and said the Government's Policy Statement on Land Transport ‘‘will be released in the coming weeks’’. In Mid Canterbury,there is hope it will confirm plans, funding and atimeline for the second bridge across the Ashburton/Hakatere River. Ashburton District Council infrastructure and open spaces group manager Neil McCann said the council is eagerly waiting and expecting an announcement soon. The second bridge is a resilience project, providing a secondarycrossing of the river with the existing bridge having closed twice in recent years due to flooding, cutting off the South Island. It will also alleviate the congestion issues on State Highway 1. The whole project, including connecting the bridge to existing roads, is expected to cost at least $113m. The council has budgeted $7.5m for the project, carried over from previous longterm plans. “But obviously if the bridge gets fully funded we won’t need it," McCann said. In the lead up to last year's election, National's local government spokesperson Simon Watts, council chief executive Hamish Riach, National’s Rangitata candidate James Meager, deputy mayor Liz McMillan, and National transport spokesperson Simeon Brownwere on site at the SH1 bridge to discuss the plans for asecond Ashburton/Hakatere River bridge. PHOTO JONATHAN LEASK Ashburton’s mayor hopedthe council wouldn't havetofund the bridge via ratepayers. At arecent council workshop, Mayor Neil Brown said when he meets with the Transport Minister he won’t be committing $7.5m to the project. “The last Government committed 100 per cent funding.” The LabourGovernment included the second bridge as one of 14 key strategic projects in its land transport policy, which Waka Kotahi uses to develop its 10year National LandTransport Plan. The coalition Government is preparing its own version of the policy. “I know it’s being reviewed at the moment but it is in there at 100 per cent funding,” Brown said. The mayor said he hoped it remainedthat way, but some contribution may be required depending on the nature of the project. During the election campaign, National pledged to build the bridge in its first term. As the bridge will be built off Chalmers Avenue, and not along State Highway 1, it will be considered alocal road once completed. The council may be called on to fund any necessary upgrades on Chalmers Ave and the new connecting roads on the south side of the river, with the Government funding the bridge construction. The council’s longterm plan has the construction slated to start in 2025/26 on the Chalmers Ave route, which will be determined by the Government's redrafted policy. Not just transport resilience Ashburton’s second bridge has been described as a resilience project that will benefit the whole South Island roading network. That’s because the second bridge provides abackup for the 93yearold SH1 Ashburton/ Hakatere River Bridge. Money is also set aside in the long term plan to lay awater main across the new bridge to provide resilience to the water supply. The council is budgeting $4.62M for anew water main to be installed across the new bridge. The bridge will also be built to allow for “all sorts of cabling and ducting in mind for the future”, McCann said. That will provide an opportunity to lay alternative communications cables, as a fibre optic cable to the rest of the South Island runs across the SH1 bridge. LDRislocal body journalism cofunded by RNZ and NZ On Air You’re invited: Community drop-in sessions inAshburton To help meet demand forhousing, Kāinga OraHomes andCommunities is building new public homes in Ashburton. Come along to one of our sessions to see what’s planned. HotelAshburton ValettaMeeting Room 11/35Racecourse Road, Allenton. Wednesday28February 2024 Call in anytime from11am-2pm. Thursday 29 February 2024 Call in anytime from4pm-7pm. Find out more canterburydevelopments@kaingaora.govt.nz www.kaingaora.govt.nz/canterbury 0800 801601 Youth job boost BYJONATHAN LEASK Local democracy reporter Aprogramme aimed at getting young people into jobs is proving successful in Mid Canterbury, despite youth unemployment rising in the wider Canterbury region. The Mayors Taskforce for Jobs programme has helped place 47 young people employment in the Ashburton District since July one of the highest rates in the South Island. The success in Mid Canterbury comes as youth unemployment rose to its highest December quarter in Canterbury since 2018, according to figures from Stats NZ. The Ashburton District Council ran apilot of the Governmentfunded scheme to get youth into employment in February 2022, with atarget of 12 youth employed by the end of June 2023. It easily surpassed that figure and extended the programme for two years. Compliance and development group manager Jane Donaldson said the contract aimed to deliver 38 people into jobs in the 2023/24 year. With 47 already achieved, “it is likely that we will achieve far more thanthis”, Donaldson said. An employment positive outcome is someone in permanent employment for more than 30 hours per week, she said. There are 34 people in sustainable employment (longer than 90 days) and 13 haven’t reached the 90 days yet. “We are currently working with 67 clients not in workand providing pastoral care for a further 60 in employment or education.“ Employment coach Sharon Watson is leading the programme, which has 116 employers registered. Of the 47 employed youths, 10 have gone into the primary industries, nine into retail, seven into hospitality, five into trades, and fourinto construction. The programme is helping youth along the pathway to future employment, Donaldson said. It assists with first aid certificates, health and safety training, forklift certificates, passenger, wheels, track and roller license endorsements, class 2, 4and 5licenses, traffic management training, and supports employers by providing professional development around communication techniques with staff, Donaldson said. Rangitata MP James Meager said the success of the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs in Ashburton showed the importance of local solutions for local problems. The number of NEET (youth not in employment, education or training) increased from 9.6 per cent to 12.2 per cent in Canterbury compared to the previous year, and just under the 12.5 per cent recorded in 2018. LDR is local body journalism cofunded by RNZ and NZ On Air
THE geraldinenews NGĀPŪKŌRERO OTEWIKIKIRAUKĀPUKA | EST. 1992 THURSDAY, 22FEBRUARY 2024 |16,000+ copies distributed with the Ashburton Courier view online at gnews.co.nz CLOCKWISE FROM TOPLEFT: Memories of abygone era were evoked asthe veterans toured Geraldine over the weekend. PHOTOS: Craig Matheson; Geraldine.nz The veterans lined up at Geraldine Vintage Car and Machinery Museum; Allan Familton in his 1911 Model 71 Stanley steam car. PHOTOS: Jan FInlayson Veteran car club rally a step back in time Thepurrand chug-chugof20veteran cars was in theair last weekendasthe VeteranCar Club of New Zealand’s mid-summer rally came to Geraldine, motoring around the district’s honeypotsand quietspots from thecoast to the foothills. Club presidentNeville Digbysaysthe district is agreat playground for the cars, built before 1919. “You can’t motor these cars in the city - Geraldine’sgood motoring.Wecomehereand make it aweekend. It’s great.” Veterans are blue-skies cars created in a hitherto carless world. Powered by electricity, petrol, orsteam, they were first engineered in aspectrumofconfigurations, with conventions fast emerging as mass production took off. But, for prototypes and production veterans alike, theirrestoration andmaintenance nowinvolve the sort ofingenuity needed in automotive pioneeringtimes. Localman Austin Guerin is aclubcommittee member and owner of a1916 Buick DX45. He says keeping aveteran car going isabout sleuthing, engineering, and community involvement. “You can’t just gotoRepco and getparts forthe cars.They’re unique …It’sgood company.” Oftenenough, it’s that community aspect of the veteran car scene, rather than any kind of derring-do, that gets things done.For WanakabasedNeville,owner of a1904Baker Electric, thelackofwell-placed charging stations hampers his mobility. How did heget to the rally in Geraldine? “I hadtobludgearide,” he says. To find outmoreabout theVeteran CarClub of New Zealand contact Kathryn Smith on 03 358 4875 or027 428 0851 orbyemailing kathrynsmith@xtra.co.nz. JAN FINLAYSON
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Ashburton Courier: February 22, 2024

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