Tuesday, Oct 8, 2019 Since Sept 27, 1879 Retail $2 Home delivered from $1.35 THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF MID CANTERBURY Gulls converge on domain FULL STORY P6 www.guardianonline.co.nz PHOTO SUSAN SANDYS 071019-SS-0123 Busy month P5 Rakaia has to wait for speed review BY JAIME PITT-MACKAY Rakaia community and thank everyone “Yes. Lower the speed limit and put [email protected] for keeping us informed and we have in- some sort of crossing in for the children. The New Zealand Transport Agency cluded Rakaia in the sites to be consid- I personally think a set of lights at the say they are aware of Rakaia residents’ ered.” park and Mobil intersection would be the concerns about the 70km/h speed limit Comments on the Ashburton Guardian best option. Trucks block visibility and it through the town, but that residents will Facebook page on Monday were unani- does make it quite hard for right turning have to wait their turn for a speed limit mous in their support of the speed limit traffic.” review. being lowered through the township. In a statement last week, the NZ Trans- Last week the New Zealand Transport “Should be 50 through township and port Agency said they are currently iden- Agency announced a number of speed 70 across the two bridges. I would rather tifying state highways where lower speed reviews for South Island towns, but did have added 3-4 mins of travel time than limits could make a big difference in not include Rakaia. be delayed 3-4 hours after another acci- preventing deaths and serious injuries, NZTA senior traffic and safety engineer dent,” one commenter said. and where communities are calling for David Scarlet said the transport agency “Absolutely. 70km/h is far too danger- change. is currently working through speed limit ous when trying to cross the road. There “South Canterbury/North Otago has reviews in seven locations on the Canter- are children walking and houses along two communities where residents have bury highway network. the main road, it’s going to take a fatality been wanting a speed review for some Solid form “Following this, we expect there will be before they will do anything. Places like time and both welcome the announce- another group of speed limit reviews, still Irwell Village have a 60km/h speed limit ment of the required formal speed review P24 to be finalised,” he said. and they only have a half dozen houses consultation opening,” the statement “We are aware of the concerns of the on the main road. Ridiculous.” said. Ph 03 307 7900 Mid Canterbury. to subscribe! That’s our Heartland. Earn 1.60%p.a. with Heartland’s Direct Call Account. Find out more at heartland.co.nz Direct Call Account terms and conditions apply. News 2 Ashburton Guardian Tuesday, October 8, 2019 www.guardianonline.co.nz Gen’s studies contributing to cause BY SUSAN SANDYS [email protected] Staveley resident Genevieve de Spa was at home in her house bus yesterday, but her heart was in the congested streets of Wel- lington. That’s where fellow activists from the international group Ex- tinction Rebellion were, staging protests in the capital. Confined to her mobile home named Trev, de Spa is current- ly studying towards a Masters thesis in professional practice at Otago Polytech. The 48-year-old is a commit- ted Extinction Rebellion mem- ber. As much as she would have liked to have been at the protests, she knows that in the long-term her thesis is contributing to the cause, and that is turning around a one-way track to environmen- tal disaster. “The trajectory we are on at the moment will take us to civilisa- tion collapse, and that’s likely to be pretty ugly – famine and war and shortages of everything that we need,” she said. And that was a scenario she believed would happen in her own lifetime. The subject matter of Gen’s thesis is currency design, explor- Climate activist Genevieve de Spa, with dog Radar, was giving her virtual support to Wellington protests while at Staveley yester- ing how systems of governance day. PHOTO SUPPLIED based on economic growth are contributing to environmental The Staveley Camp caretaker Christchurch. crime,” Gen said. of government – tell the truth and degradation. and Ashburton Water Manage- “I am definitely prepared to be Wellington Extinction Rebel- declare a climate and ecological While she could not be at the ment Zone Committee repre- arrested again and again for this lion, led by “guerrilla gran” Mary emergency, act now to halt bio- protests, she was watching ac- sentative has participated in cause. That’s how important I Rose, 80, caused a series of dis- diversity loss and reduce green- tion unfold via social media, and previous Extinction Rebellion think it is. I’ve never been arrest- ruptions yesterday as part of house gas emissions to net-zero hoped political parties in New actions, and was among a group ed for anything actually criminal. rallies taking place in 60 capital by 2025, go beyond politics and Zealand and the world would arrested outside Environment I think inaction on the climate cities around the world. set up a Citizen’s Assembly on take notice. Canterbury in December in and ecological crisis is the real The group has three demands climate and ecological justice. Cultural diversity alive and well in Mid Canterbury Cultural diversity in Mid Can- ulation increased from 7.1 to 8.2 Mayor Donna Favel said the “Welcoming Communities pro- Following an evaluation, Gov- terbury is on the rise, the latest per cent, Pacific people 3.3 to 5.1 council was pleased to see people vides meaningful and actionable ernment announced on Friday wave of census data to be released per cent; and Middle Eastern, Lat- from diverse backgrounds making ways for everyone to help our new that it would be investing over $6.6 shows. in American and African (MELAA) a home here. neighbours and colleagues feel at million into expanding it to addi- The 2018 New Zealand Cen- from 0.9 to 1.3 per cent. During “This diversity enriches our home so that they are more in- tional councils over the next four sus of Population and Dwellings the same period, the proportion lives and provides social, econom- clined to stay and can participate years. shows the proportion of people of European people in the district ic and cultural benefits for our fully in our community.” The initiative supports councils identifying as Asian has had the decreased from 85 to 83.9 per cent. community,” Favel said. The council and its neighbour- and their communities to be wel- greatest growth – increasing from This has been alongside the dis- In addition, the data demon- ing Selwyn District Council had coming to newcomers, including 3.8 per cent in 2013 to 7.4 per cent trict’s growing population, up 7.7 strated the importance of pro- been one of five areas in New Zea- migrants, international students a in 2018. per cent between 2013 and 2018 to grammes such as Welcoming land to pilot the initiative, led by and those from other parts of New Ashburton District’s Maori pop- 33,423 people. Communities. Immigration New Zealand. Zealand. Bernina 475QE Bernina 570 QE Bernina 770QE Ex-Symposium NONREFUNDABLE 10% DEPOSIT REQUIRED. MACHINES AVAILABLE FROM OCTOBER 21, 2019. MACHINES CARRY A FULL BERNINA WARRANTY AND HAVE BEEN SERVICED PRIOR TO SALE. MACHINE NUMBERS ARE Save $700 Save $1000 Save $1500 LIMITED, ONLY AVAILABLE WHILE STOCKS LAST. ONLY $2,499 ONLY $3,999 ONLY $5,499 * Conditions apply Open 7 Days | P 03 307 6277 | Main South Road, Tinwald | www.anniesquilts.co.nz News www.guardianonline.co.nz Tuesday, October 8, 2019 Ashburton Guardian 3 ■ DAIRY INDUSTRY AWARDS National Awards portal for dairy growth MPs to Dairy farmers Ruwan and Niran- jala Wijayasena have gone from winning last year’s Canterbury talk water share farmer of the year award to helping organise this year’s. The couple are reminding Mid Canterbury dairy farmers think- reforms ing about entering this year’s Dairy Industry Awards to act Mid Cantabrians will have an- soon. Entries for the 2020 awards other opportunity to voice their are now being accepted, with concerns over proposed water early bird entries received by Oc- reforms at a meeting at the end tober 10 going into a lucky draw of the month hosted by MP for to win a prize from Honda. Rangitata Andrew Falloon and The cut-off for entries over the National’s spokesperson for Agri- three award categories is Novem- culture Todd Muller. ber 16. “The water reforms proposed Ruwan won the 2019 Canter- by the Government amount to bury/North Otago regional share the most far-reaching regulations farmer of the year, while Matt ever to hit New Zealand farmers,” Redmond won the dairy manag- Falloon said. er and Nicola Blowey the trainee Urban and rural communities category. have only a few weeks to com- He contract milks 1840 cows ment on the reforms, with a dead- for Theland Farm Group (former- Canterbury sharemilker of the year Ruwan Wijayasena is encouraging dairy farmers to enter line for submissions of October ly Synlait) on a 537ha Darfield the annual industry awards. PHOTO ASHBURTON GUARDIAN 31. farm and is in his 14th year dairy at all levels of dairy farming to Awards general manager Robin After entries close on Novem- Falloon said there had been lit- farming. think about entering the awards, Congdon said this provided par- ber 16, judges will undertake a tle clarity on what the effect of the He and his wife are Buddhist which were a great way to learn ticipants in the awards an addi- preliminary judging round in reforms will be.