North Canterbury News: February 29, 2024
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NEWS<br />
<strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong> <strong>News</strong>, <strong>February</strong> <strong>29</strong>, <strong>2024</strong><br />
Morrie —ahandsome shopping companion<br />
By SHELLEY TOPP<br />
When Clarkville great grandmother<br />
Nada Matterson takes her<br />
‘‘handsome’’ Morrie out to do the<br />
groceryshopping they always attract<br />
attention.<br />
Morrie can carry 800 kilos so he is a<br />
handy shopping companion.<br />
He is agreat looker as well.<br />
The lime green 1971, 1100cc Morris<br />
Minor wellside ute, has averylarge<br />
steering wheel to make handling<br />
easier, and abit of bling added to his<br />
headlights ‘‘for some razzle’’.<br />
He also has tinted windows and dual<br />
silver exhaust pipes.<br />
Only one of the showy pipes is<br />
functional, the other has been added<br />
for morerazzle.<br />
‘‘You have to have abit of razzle,’’<br />
Nada says.<br />
Morrie’s interior also has atouch of<br />
razzle dazzle with new carpet, and<br />
upholsterywith lime green piping,<br />
matching his exterior paintwork.<br />
Nada and her husband David also<br />
own another Morris Minor —a1961<br />
creamcolouredfourdoor sedan.<br />
She is called Goldie.<br />
Two yearsago when the coupletold<br />
their family they intended to buy<br />
Morrie from his former Christchurch<br />
owner they said: ‘‘Why?’’<br />
‘‘Our reply was `why not?’<br />
‘‘The carsgive my husband and Ia<br />
lot of pleasure.<br />
‘‘It is all about having fun,’’ Nada<br />
says.<br />
<strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong> is beginning to dry up<br />
By JOHN COSGROVE<br />
<strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong> is starting to dryup,<br />
with low chances of useful rainfall.<br />
Rainfall is down across the region<br />
with some measuring stations<br />
recording 40 percent less rain<br />
compared with ayear ago.<br />
Metservice figures show Waipara<br />
West recorded 274.7mm, from June 1,<br />
2023, to January31, <strong>2024</strong>, compared to<br />
601mm (June 1, 2022 to January 31,<br />
2023), while in Rangiora 471.2mm fell,<br />
compared to 560.4mm.<br />
Culverden recorded 400mm down<br />
from 514mm, Hanmer Springs 626mm,<br />
down from 828mm, and Kaikoura680<br />
mm compared to 816mm.<br />
The half to one millimetreofrain<br />
which fell last Saturday was abrief,<br />
but welcome after days of nor’westers<br />
and high temperatures.<br />
Hurunui farmer Dave Black says<br />
nature is delivering atypical <strong>North</strong><br />
<strong>Canterbury</strong>summer weather.<br />
He says it is not that bad in <strong>North</strong><br />
<strong>Canterbury</strong>, but farmersneed to keep<br />
aclose eye on stock.<br />
However,ifthere is no substantial<br />
rain before the end of April then<br />
things may worsen, he says.<br />
‘‘We will need the rain in Autumn to<br />
kick start growth for the coming<br />
growing season,’’ he says.<br />
Another farmer says many around<br />
him were already feeding out dry food.<br />
He hopes the rains will come soon.<br />
The lack of rainfall is evident in<br />
<strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong> with small<br />
tributaries, streams and parts of the<br />
Ashley River becoming dry.<br />
<strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong> Fish and Game<br />
rangers were out last weekend<br />
rescuing stranded fish from ever<br />
shrinking pools.<br />
The countryside has its summer<br />
brown look and further north the dry<br />
weather has triggered extra support<br />
from the Government for farmers and<br />
growers across the top of the South<br />
Island.<br />
‘‘Conditions on the ground across<br />
the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson<br />
districts are now extremely dry and<br />
likely to get worse in the coming<br />
months,’’ Agriculture Minister Todd<br />
McClay said.<br />
‘‘Funding of up to $20,000 will be<br />
made available to the Top of the South<br />
Rural Support Trust to plan for events<br />
and support farmers and growers<br />
where needed.’’<br />
The top of the South Island is not in<br />
meteorological drought.<br />
However, Mr McClay says this step<br />
will ensure early support is available<br />
for farmers, growers, and rural<br />
communities.<br />
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Handsome companion ...<br />
Nada Matterson, of Clarkville,<br />
with Morrie, her eyecatching<br />
1971 Morris Minor well side<br />
ute, outside the Kaiapoi New<br />
World Supermarket last<br />
Saturday morning.<br />
PHOTO: SHELLEY TOPP<br />
3<br />
APPRENTICE TRUCK DRIVER<br />
LIVESTOCK<br />
Class 2or4<br />
We arelooking for an Apprentice Livestock driver to join<br />
our rural transportcompany.GVT is based in Waipara,<br />
<strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong>servicing local customersand<br />
travellingthroughout the South Island. In return we will<br />
help you develop your skills andprogress you through<br />
your truck licences as your experience develops.<br />
Keycompetencies:<br />
•Must have aclean, full car licencefor at least 6<br />
months(eligible to sit class 2L) Class 4or5would be<br />
beneficial.<br />
•Live in <strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong><br />
•Have some rural experience driving tractors and or<br />
animal handling<br />
•Training will be given to therightapplicant.<br />
•Duties will be varied and willdepend on the<br />
successful applicant’s experience<br />
Ideally you would live locallyand have somework<br />
experience in therural sector.<br />
If you are interested in this jobplease send acovering<br />
letter and your CV to marco@landline.co.nz or call<br />
Marco on 0274 965 850<br />
DATE<br />
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Tune in nowtolistenon104.9 <strong>North</strong><strong>Canterbury</strong><br />
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MP forWaimakariri<br />
Kaiapoi Office<br />
137 Williams Street•03 327 0514<br />
kaiapoi@parliament.govt.nz<br />
RangioraOffice<br />
Level1,ConwayBuilding, 188 High Street<br />
waimakariri@parliament.govt.nz<br />
03 3107468<br />
Iamrunning constituent clinics<br />
in Oxfordonthe last Friday<br />
of everymonth andinn Belfast<br />
on thefirstMondayoff every<br />
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Monday to Friday: 9am –5pm,<br />
Saturday: 10am –1pm<br />
Closed Public Holidays &LongWeekends<br />
Ph 03 327 0576<br />
2647602
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