Since Sept 27 1879 Wednesday, June 2, 2021 $2.20 Our drenched district P2-10 MIDWEEK Broken bridge, over troubled waters Ph 03 307 7900 to subscribe! 2 NEWS Ashburton Guardian Wednesday, June 2, 2021 ‘I noticed a spongy feeling driving across’ Tuesday morning was like any other day for Morgan Mitchell, which started with dropping her partner off to work. But she never knew she wouldn’t be able to pick him up. Mitchell, in a one-car family, routinely dropped partner Ruben Pitney off at Ashburton Meat Pro- cessors. Bridge breakthrough: Massive concrete blocks were carefully lowered on to the Ashburton Bridge as a key part of strength testing on the impacted pier five “It’s the usual. I can’t let him minutes at a time last night. PHOTO JAIME PITT-MACKAY bike all that way to work from Tinwald,” she said. But this was different. Mitchell noticed that the bridge didn’t feel as rigid as normal on her drive. “I noticed a spongy feeling as I was driving across the bridge to drop him off, but it was worse driving back into Tinwald,” she Flood costs soar said. “It is really noticeable, espe- cially if you travel that road al- most every day.” Bridge repair now the focus Mitchell got back home in Tin- wald at 7.40am, getting the coun- By Malcolm Hopwood around the Ashburton bridge, the water subsides”. Track, to have them opened as cil text alert 10 minutes later. which Brown said could be out “Overnight, an amount of soon as possible, the mayor said. The alert said the bridge, which of action for weeks, though it water has gone into the piles Brown also said the weather she had just crossed only min- could also be open much earlier of the bridge and part of it has event had evolved from a rain to utes before, was now closed due From “tens of millions’’ to three with the New Zealand Transport dropped four to six inches,” he a transportation issue. He also to severe damage after the previ- times that again. Agency having already started said. “The engineers are here to said there should now be urgen- ous day’s flooding. That’s the view from Ashbur- to test its strength with 12 to assess it and decide what needs cy over where the second bridge “I felt a bit of panic,’’ she said. ton Mayor Neil Brown on what 14-tonne concrete blocks. to happen. should be located. the recovery cost to the district The bridge was closed at “They can’t get into the river- “Once that’s locked in, we could be following the one-in- 6.45am on Tuesday after it re- bed and check the foundations could stay with physical work 100-year floods and devastation portedly dropped vertically by until the water reduces.” starting in 2025 or pull it forward of the past three days. about 150mm. Yesterday morning, Brown one year,” he said. Initially, Brown thought the re- “(But) if there’s movement (in received good news from Prime And Mayor Brown, after a covery from the floods would be the bridge testing), that’s not Minister Jacinda Ardern, who draining three days as the dis- in the “tens of millions”. But af- good,’’ Brown said. in her flood visit to the district trict’s leader and front person ter the volume of water flooded “But if there’s no movement, said: “Whatever you need, let for flood updates and informa- Ashburton rivers and into farm- it means we could get light vehi- me know.” tion, admitted he had a good land on Monday night, wiping cles across within a day.” Brown said they needed Gov- sleep on Monday night. out even more fences, roads and Christchurch structural engi- ernment assistance with ‘’infra- But he had “only slept three bridges, he estimated the repair neers had been onsite working structure and relief for farmers”. hours the previous night’’. bill could cost “three times, tens on the bridge into the night yes- With the bridge closed, about “I was concerned about of millions.” terday, but Mayor Brown warned six crews were working on in- everything and wondered what A key part of that cost centred “you can’t repair anything until land routes, such as Thompson’s we can do better.” Morgan Mitchell WINTER CLEARANCESALE KEEP COOL SALE KEEP COOL SALE A MEGA DEALS SLEEPMAKER ELATION QUEEN BED - M C PANASONIC PANASONIC 58” * R H CHORUS DELUXE KING KOIL 43” SMART TV 4K SMART TV QUEEN By A H Beard HEAT PUMPS $ SAMSUNG 43” SMART TV 55” EX DEMO 4K SMART TV BEKO FRIDGE FREEZER FISHER & PAYKEL DISHWASHER • Full HD gives you great viewing • 4K Screen Resolution for optimal • 335 Litres (231 • 4K resolution offers amazing picture quality. • 4K resolution offers amazing picture quality. • Pillowtop Pocket Spring System – Helps to • Reflex Max Support System 1297 • 14 Place settings quality picture quality fridge / 104 • Android Smart TV allows you to watch • Panasonic’s clean and simply remote and reduce partner disturbance • Gel Infused Memory Foam - Conforms to your • 6 Wash programs - Clean Netflix, YouTube and more from a touch of operating system make it easy to access all • Allergy Control – Ultra fresh offers a fresher, body providing pressure relieving comfort • Smart TV allows you to watch • Smart TV allows you to watch freezer) Medium a variety of dishes the button your favourite services. cleaner and more hygienic sleep experience • NZ MADE size unit • Time remaining display - • UHF Freeview TV • UHF and Satellite tuner allows you to watch • Also available in King Size - $1690 from a touch of the button of the button • Reversible doors Check when wash will be freeview straight from the TV. • NZ Made, 5 year warranty WEEKLY FROM $8.79 • UHF and Satellite Freeview TV • UHF and Satellite Freeview TV - position where • 590mm h 970mm w • 750mm h 1250mm w best for you • 850mm h LAST ONE • Frost Free 597mm w BONUS freezer easy & 600mm d WITH THIS OFFER For both HEATING in the winter and COOLING in the summer convenient • 1720mm h 50 C WAS $1299 WAS $2699 WAS $8499 600mm WAS $999 WAS $1399 WAS $1399 WAS $1199 WAS $1999 w 660mm MEGA DEALS 2 MEGA DEALS MEGA DEALS BONUS MEGA DEALS $ .00 $ .00 WITH THIS OFFER $ .00 3350 $ YEAR $ $ $ .00 1390 750 5 969 977 1097 $ LIMITED STOCK 129760% OFF EXCLUDES INSTALLATION WARRANTY 799 C NEW MODEL 1397 WEEKLY FROM $5.22 WEEKLY FROM $5.53 YEAR WEEKLY FROM $6.65 45 WEEKLY FROM $6.70 T&C’S APPLY. 12 MONTHS INTEREST FREE AVAILABLE. WARRANTY WEEKLY FROM $7.48 WEEKLY FROM $9.44 Wednesday, June 2, 2021 Ashburton Guardian NEWS 3 Scones and sympathy PM’s visit lifts farmer’s spirits By Malcolm Hopwood mentous and dramatic 72 hours. It was especially dramatic for Allen and not just because his property was being lashed by rain and flood Ashburton Forks farmer Chris waters. At 4am on Sunday, he was Allen says he and his wife, alerted to the approaching storm Anne-Marie appreciated a visit to and “went for a quick drive around his flood-ravaged property from his farm.” a “sympathetic and engaging’’ He saw a stationary car in a pad- Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. dock on the south side of the Ash- The PM’s chopper flew over his burton River and contacted the property yesterday to give her an emergency authorities. aerial view of where the Ashburton “It had gone sideways on to a River had broken out before land- neighbour’s property,” he said. ing and having morning tea with It was already surrounded by the Allens. water and he realised that police “Her party, which included might be too late, so he rang his Minister of Agriculture, Damien neighbour, David Clark, who ar- O’Connor, Rangitata MP Jo Lux- rived by tractor with life jackets. ton, and Mayor Neil Brown, was Clark was able to reach the strand- interested and focused on what ed car, which was over its bonnet was required,” Chris Allen said. in water, smash the window and “I asked that the impediments pull two people to safety. be removed so the government “It was pitch black, which made knew what needed to happen and things difficult,” Allen said. support from the ministry and Ru- He believed the rescued occu- ral Trusts could be given. pants should buy a Lotto ticket. “The Prime Minister was sym- “We would have been looking at a pathetic and engaging.’’ statistic otherwise.” Allen’s property was extensive- But yesterday they had a ray of ly damaged, with Chris having no The selfie of selfies. Ashburton Forks farmer, Chris Allen, holds his camera aloft to record a visit to his farm by Prime sunshine with the PM’s visit, which real idea as to the extent of the Minister, Jacinda Ardern. Also in the photo are Rangitata MP, Jo Luxton, Ashburton Mayor, Neil Brown and Chris’ wife, may have happened because Mid ravaging, but believes it could be Anne-Marie. Canterbury’s Federated Farmers’ in the vicinity of $300,000. feed down the Ashburton River, been here in 27 years. It’s done Allen emphasised to Ardern that president and neighbour, David He lists fences, tracks, irrigation but was able to catch his neigh- maximum damage to our farm the government should provide Clark, considered the Allens’ farm equipment and generators being bour’s as it swept passed. and there’s been a huge amount of the appropriate financial resourc- was one of the worst affected.