North Canterbury News: March 28, 2024

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OPINION
North Canterbury News, March 28, 2024
Mayor Marie Black
Pressure on councils
due to risingcosts
Last week Ihad the opportunity to
attend the regular zone forum with
Mayors and Chief Executives from
across the South Island, inclusive of the
Chatham Island.
National Council President Mayor
Sam Broughton from Selwyn District
Council reported that up and downthe
country councils are being faced with
increasing costs which is placing
enormous pressure on councils and
their communities.
Some of the interesting facts
presented are that bridges are 38
percent more expensive to build, roads
and infrastructure are 27% more
expensive to build and maintain, and
sewerage systems are 30% more
expensive to build compared to just
three years ago.
Most councils are at apoint where,
sweating their assets or under investing
in new assets, will impact on services,
and councils that have taken on debt to
fund large infrastructure investments
are now paying huge interestcosts.
With additional council
responsibilities mandated through
central government and amuch
stronger regulatory framework coupled
withreduced funding levers this is
making some situations moredifficult
to manage.
Putting that into aHurunui context
we have 282 bridges that were mostly
built in the 1950’s which will be up for
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replacement in the foreseeable future,
622km of sealed roads, 827km of
unsealedroads and 2214km of drinking
water pipes and 7wastewater treatment
plants.
Our LTP is focusingonsome of these
issues, and now we welcome your
participation and provide some
feedback to your elected members.
Over the years we have looked for
innovative ways to encourage your
engagement with ajourney on the Weka
Passrailway, aquiz evening, drop­in
sessions and public presentations. This
year to launch our consultation time, we
are inviting you to come along to the
Amberley Domain, at 6.30pm on
Thursday, April 4.
There will be abrief overview of the
LTP prior to afree sitting of the movie
‘‘Pecking Order’’. So bring along your
neighbours and friends, your picnic tea
and sit backand relax.
If the weather doesn’t co­operate —
although abit of rain would be very
welcome —wewill be in the Tin Shed.
Public sessions will be held in
Cheviot, and Hanmer Springs, and you
are welcome to call your local
councillor or myself to attend your
community group where we can outline
the draft LTP and the process for you to
feedback.
We need to work collectively to
achieve the plan, and help shape our
futuretogether.
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Growth constraint
By DAVID HILL,
Local Democracy Reporter
Planning for growth in Amberley is
constrained by efforts to protect
agricultural land.
Growth scenarios used by the Hurunui
District Council suggest the south ward’s
population of 5590 could double over the
next 10 years.
But Mayor Marie Black said there is
uncertainty due to national legislation.
For now, the south ward’s main town of
Amberley is surrounded by land which is
protected under the existing National
Policy Statement (NPS) of highly
productive land.
The HurunuiDistrict Council’s strategy
and community committee has adopted a
draft South Ward Spatial Plan, with plans
for growth over the next 30 years.
It is now out for publicengagement until
April 29 and the district’s south ward
councillorsare keen to receive feedback
from residents.
Should there be any legislative change to
how the land is categorised after the
spatial plan is adopted, the council’s chief
strategyand community officer Judith
Batchelorsaid this can be addressed
throughaplan changewhen any land is
rezoned.
‘‘We will look to influence the highly
productive land mapping in conversation
with Environment Canterbury, but at the
moment we need to comply with NPS.’’
She said Environment Canterburyhas
indicated the draft mapping will come
back to the council for comment.
Councillor Pauline White said adopting
the draft spatial plan is ‘‘a positive step’’.
‘‘It is important for the council to be
aware of what might be coming and how
the community would like to see that
growth managed.’’
Councillor Garry Jackson said the draft
plan addressed both residential expansion
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and commercial development.
‘‘Amberley is within commuting distance
from Christchurch, so it is about how we
manage that growth so we retain the
country feel as opposed to becoming a
suburb of Christchurch.’’
Fellow south ward councillor Vanessa
McPherson said housing capacity is
sufficient in the short and medium term,
but options like terraced housing could be
looked at in the long term.
‘‘You only have to look at some of the
developments in Christchurch to realise
that with design guidance, retaining rural
character is achievable.’’
Allowing for industrial land is also
essential to the area’s economic growth,
she said. The spatial plan identifies the
need to consolidate Amberley’s growth,
where there is existing infrastructure and
services, while the Leithfield village has
limited room for growth.
The coastal settlements of Amberley
Beach and Leithfield Beach have
constraints which have been identified in
coastal adaptation plans.
No growth is proposed for the rural
settlements of Balcairn and Broomfield,
while there is already land zoned for
development at Ashley Forest.
South Ward Community Committee
chairperson Jo Hassall, who also chairs
the Leithfield Community Centre
committee, said she is pleased the council
listened to Leithfield residents in its initial
engagement.
‘‘We have such anice village we don’t
want to lose that village feel. The council
staff originally suggested they could
expand the village up the hill, but now they
realise there is plenty of spaces to infill in
the village rather than spreading out.’’
The plan also identifies opportunities to
lobby for public transportasthe
population grows.
LDR is local body journalism co­funded
by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Divisionover how to achieve open, transparent meetings
By DAVID HILL,
Local Democracy Reporter
Canterbury’s regional councillors say they
want open and transparent meetings, but
are divided on how to achieve it.
Amotion by councillor Greg Byrnes
calling for Environment Canterbury’s
briefings, workshops and seminars to be
open to the public was lost by seven votes
to nine at Wednesday's council meeting.
But councillors agreed on theneed to be
more transparent.
Cr Byrnes said his motion was in line
with recommendations from Ombudsman
Peter Boshier in areport released in
October last year.
‘‘The principleofopen by default should
be the starting point and then you can
consider whether it needs to be closed and
why.
‘‘If you can’t have the couragetosay
what you think in front of your
constituents then it is apretty sad state of
affairs.’’
He noted meetings were not
livestreamed to the public and recordings
were not released until five days after a
meeting.
The Christchurch City Council recently
adopted asimilar motion.
NgāiTahu councillorsTutehounuku
Korako andIaean Cranwell said they
supported the intent of the motion, but
voted against it because Te Rōpū Tuia (a
committee comprising Papatipu Rūnanga
chairs and councillors) had not been
consulted.
Several councillorsexpressed concern
that having staff briefings to councillors
open to the public could prevent ‘‘free and
frank discussion’’ and hamper the ‘‘flow of
information’’.
North Canterbury councillor Claire
McKay questioned the need for the
motion.
‘‘What do you not trust about our council
processes?’’ she asked.
Butfellow North Canterbury councillor
Grant Edgesaid the Ombudsman
addressed the concerns raised by
councillorsinthe report.
‘‘The report makes clear that
councillorsare required to conduct
business in an open and accountable
manner. The Ombudsman acknowledges
there are times when meetings will need
to be closed, but they need to be open by
default, which this motion proposes.’’
Councillor Genevieve Robinson said the
motion was not proposing amajor change
to processes.
‘‘Coming from ajournalism background,
you need the information so you can ask
the right questions and talk to the right
people so you can write your story.’’
Chairperson Peter Scott said there was
support for the intent of the motion and
encouraged Cr Byrnes to come back with a
motion ‘‘which works for everybody’’.
LDR is local body journalism co­funded
by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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Highs Lows Highs Lows Highs Lows Highs Lows Highs Lows Highs Lows Highs Lows
Waimakariri 7:42am 2.1 1:39am 0.7 8:28am 2.1 2:21am 0.8 9:15am 2.1 3:05am 0.8 10:04am 2.1 3:53am 0.8 10:54am 2.1 4:44am 0.8 11:44am 2.1 5:38am 0.8 12:09am 2.3 6:31am 0.7
Mouth
8:10pm 2.2 1:56pm 0.8 8:54pm 2.2 2:38pm 0.8 9:40pm 2.2 3:22pm 0.8 10:27pm 2.2 4:09pm 0.8 11:17pm 2.2 4:58pm 0.8
5:50pm 0.7 12:35pm 2.2 6:44pm 0.7
Amberley 7:42am 2.1 1:39am 0.7 8:28am 2.1 2:21am 0.8 9:15am 2.1 3:05am 0.8 10:04am 2.1 3:53am 0.8 10:54am 2.1 4:44am 0.8 11:44am 2.1 5:38am 0.8 12:09am 2.3 6:31am 0.7
Beach
8:10pm 2.2 1:56pm 0.8 8:54pm 2.2 2:38pm 0.8 9:40pm 2.2 3:22pm 0.8 10:27pm 2.2 4:09pm 0.8 11:17pm 2.2 4:58pm 0.8
5:50pm 0.7 12:35pm 2.2 6:44pm 0.7
7:51am 2.1 1:48am 0.7 8:37am 2.1 2:30am 0.8 9:24am 2.1 3:14am 0.8 10:13am 2.1 4:02am 0.8 11:03am 2.1 4:53am 0.8 11:53am 2.1 5:47am 0.8 12:18am 2.3 6:40am 0.7
Motunau 8:19pm 2.2 2:05pm 0.8 9:03pm 2.2 2:47pm 0.8 9:49pm 2.2 3:31pm 0.8 10:36pm 2.2 4:18pm 0.8 11:26pm 2.2 5:07pm 0.8
5:59pm 0.7 12:44pm 2.2 6:53pm 0.7
7:53am 2.1 1:50am 0.7 8:39am 2.1 2:32am 0.8 9:26am 2.1 3:16am 0.8 10:15am 2.1 4:04am 0.8 11:05am 2.1 4:55am 0.8 11:55am 2.1 5:49am 0.8 12:20am 2.3 6:42am 0.7
Gore Bay 8:21pm 2.2 2:07pm 0.8 9:05pm 2.2 2:49pm 0.8 9:51pm 2.2 3:33pm 0.8 10:38pm 2.2 4:20pm 0.8 11:28pm 2.2 5:09pm 0.8
6:01pm 0.7 12:46pm 2.2 6:55pm 0.7
7:53am 1.4 1:46am 0.4 8:38am 1.4 2:30am 0.4 9:26am 1.4 3:17am 0.4 10:14am 1.4 4:06am 0.4 11:04am 1.4 4:56am 0.4 11:53am 1.4 5:48am 0.4 12:15am 1.6 6:40am 0.3
Kaikoura 8:17pm 1.5 2:03pm 0.4 9:00pm 1.5 2:46pm 0.4 9:46pm 1.5 3:31pm 0.4 10:33pm 1.5 4:17pm 0.4 11:23pm 1.5 5:04pm 0.4
5:54pm 0.4 12:43pm 1.4 6:45pm 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