Southern View: April 11, 2024

Thursday April 11 2024 11
New life for neglected garden
• By Emiily O’Hagan
COMMUNITY gardeners in
New Brighton have been given
the challenge of restoring an
eight-year-old sensory garden.
The space was originally
designed by Smile Dial NZ to
enable children and people with
disabilities to be able to feel,
smell, see, taste and hear the
garden.
New Brighton community
gardening
manager
Catherine
O’Neill said
over the years
the facility has
become a little
neglected.
“Over time
it’s got a little bit
overgrown so
Catherine
O’Neill
we’re giving it a bit of love to get it
back into shape.”
The sensory garden is located
on a plot of land at the back of
the New Brighton Community
Garden.
The team is hoping to connect
the two gardens to be able
to better showcase the work
of staff and volunteers, like
newly-appointed assistant Vic
Nebbeling, pictured right.
Funding and administration
manager Lin Klenner said visitors
might start getting to know Vic.
“Then maybe if they’re not too
shy, they might feel like coming
into the community garden as
well.”
The restoration process has
started slowly, with the gardeners
cutting through tall bushes.
Workers from Christchurch
company Naylor Love have also
volunteered their time and a
chainsaw to demolish some of the
overgrown trees.
Klenner believes they’ve made a
great start by clearing everything
out.
• Watch the video at
Starnews.co.nz
– Made with the support of NZ
On Air
THEN
NOW
OVERGROWN: The sensory garden in its prime eight years ago and in its current neglected state.
Sorry we’re in your way
Expect delays at the
Dyers Pass/Colombo
roundabout
We’re making the roundabout way safer for everyone.
Improvements will include pedestrian crossings, new
road markings and safe speed platforms.
Work will take place between 2 April and early July.
We know road works are disruptive for you. We’ll work
hard to minimise disruption and keep traffic flowing.
Ngā mihi nui, thanks for your patience.
Find out more
ccc.govt.nz/cashmere-roundabout
Public consultation on
the Fire and Emergency levy
for 2026—2029
Fire and Emergency New Zealand has opened public consultation
on our proposed levies for the period 1 July 2026—30 June 2029.
Fire and Emergency is funded almost entirely through levies on eligible
insurance policies. When the Fire and Emergency New Zealand Act 2017 came
into effect a transitional levy funded the new organisation until the new levy
arrangements, under Part 3 of the Act, could be brought in. The new levy will
take effect on 1 July 2026.
Before introducing the new levy arrangements, we are required to consult on the
proposed levies and the activities we plan to undertake during the levy period.
To support consultation on the levy arrangements for the period
1 July 2026—30 June 2029, a discussion document on our website sets out:
• the activities we propose to undertake over the levy period and the
estimated costs of delivering these activities,
• our proposed levy rates, and
• the assumptions we have made in estimating our costs and the steps
involved calculating the proposed levy rates.
We welcome submissions from levy payers, insurance policy holders, their
representatives and interested members of the public on our proposals to help
inform the Government’s decisions on the final levies for 2026—2029.
INF6985 March 2024
More information on this consultation and how to
submit a response can be found on our website at
www.fireandemergency.nz/about-us/public-consultation
THE CONSULTATION CLOSES AT 5PM 17 MAY 2024