North Canterbury News: February 29, 2024

4 North
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Canterbury News, February 29, 2024
Hedge Festaction packed
By JOHN COSGROVE
The third action­packed Hedge
Fest kicks off on Saturday,
March 2, at Woodend, and
should once again be athriller
for freestyle BMX, MTB and
FMX fans.
With many subtle changes to
the over 80 metre­long circuit,
riders will be able to include
more variations in their
routines, says organiser Liam
Goodwin.
‘‘We have upgraded many of
the 25 jumps, changed their
profile, made some bigger and
higher, and even added acouple
more, so it should allow
competitors to expand and
include more variations in their
routines as they compete.
‘‘It will also allow riders to
undertake much bigger stunts
and more skilful aerial
manoeuvres as they leap
between the jumps on the four
different courses we have built
there.’’
Laim and fellow event
organisers Jack Sherriff and
Jayden Stokes say they are again
expecting acrowd of over 1200 to
appear on the day to enjoy the
talents of the 50­plus
competitors.
Last year's top talent Tyler
Knox and recent Crankworx
speed and style winner Billie
Meaclem from Queenstown,are
just some of the expert talent on
show, which also includes a
number of riders from the North
Island..
There will also be five
freestyle motocrossers in action
on anewly built section nearby.
Readytogo... Hedge Fest organiserLiam Goodwin is ready for this
weekend's third annual freestyle mountain bike and BMX competition held
on his family's property at Woodend on Saturday.
PHOTO: JOHN COSGROVE
‘‘Lastyear we had acouple of
FMX riders performing with
their portable jumps, this year
the whole team of five riders are
coming.’’
One important change the
organisershave made since last
year is to startlater in the day
with the new start time of 2pm.
‘‘We wanted to allow more
people to come and to make it
more of ajam­packed action/
entertainment spectacle with
great freestyle talent on MTBs
and BMXs plus freestyle
motocross as well as great live
music.’’ It will run until 8pm
with live music by Kiwi band
Shapeshifter’s frontman
PDigsss.
Roading focus
By DAVID HILL,
Local Democracy Reporter
New Government measures
will help speed up roading and
infrastructure projects in the
regions, says Waimakariri MP
Matt Doocey.
The Associate Transport
Minister was responding to
recent comments from North
Canterbury councils calling for
more ‘‘more ambitious’’
funding for roading and
infrastructure.
Mr Doocey says the
Government hoped to have a
draft Government Policy
Statement (GPS) on land
transport ready to present to
Cabinet over the next few
weeks.
He says the Government
planned to give guidance to
Mayors and councils as the
GPSisdeveloped.
‘‘We have already
announced new 12 months,
fast­track consent legislation
to speed up the consenting
process for projects like the
Woodend Bypass.
‘‘We are not very good in
New Zealand at intergenerational
infrastructure
planning so we are looking at
ways of speeding up these
projectsand new ways of
funding them, such as using
National Super funds to invest
in infrastructure.’’
The councils raised
concerns about preparing
their Long Term Plans while
there was uncertainty around
what funding would be
available for roading and other
infrastructure projects.
Waimakariri Mayor Dan
Gordon has backed acall by
Local Government New
Zealand (LGNZ) for more
funding tools to support
infrastructure.
While the Government has
pledged to build the Woodend
Bypass, Mr Gordon said his
council was looking for
support for other projects such
as the proposed Rangiora
eastern link road and an
upgrade of Skew bridge at west
Kaiapoi.
Hurunui District Council
chief executive Hamish
Dobbie said more investment
was needed to make the
district’s roading network
more resilient in the face of
more frequent weather events.
The New Zealand
Infrastructure Commission
has been tasked with coordinating
Government
funding and investigating
funding sources,procurement
and delivery for major
infrastructure projects.
Arecent report by the
Infrastructure Commission
highlighted astrong public
appetite for funding tools that
go beyond rates, like usage
charging.
Options put forward by
LGNZ 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
journalismco­funded by RNZ
and NZ On Air.
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