Ag-27 May, 2020
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Wednesday, May 27, 2020 Since Sept 27, 1879 Retail $2.20 Home delivered from $1.40 THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF MID CANTERBURY Court news P6 Sports back P16 Mid Canterbury is for business! MidCanOpenforBiz.nz open Ashburton College student executive members are making the most of having food, phones and furniture as they lead into next week. PHOTO SUSAN SANDYS 260520-SS-0005 Week of sacrifices ahead BY SUSAN SANDYS are leading up to the World Vision the sacrifices would be the most Tuesday, believing the hours be- Indeed, they are all looking for- [email protected] 40-hour Famine from June 5 to 7. difficult. “For us it would be no tween 9am and 3pm would be the ward to the week, particularly be- School days will be particularly This year, the money is going to talking, because naturally, as stu- most difficult of the whole eek.w ing able to raise money for a cause challenging for Ashburton College support climate-vulnerable com- dents, we connect with our teach- He said he would particularly they feel passionate about. student executive members next munities in Malawi. ers and our peers,” Rowiri said. miss the peanut butter sandwiches Even one or two dollars can week. “Considering they have a chal- Most student executive mem- he usually always packed into his make the difference between On Tuesday, they will go with- lenge every day, the things we have bers agreed, and head girl Poppy school lunch box. struggle and failure for Malawians, out food, Wednesday without specifically chosen are the things Kilworth said they were consider- None of the students were too they said. furniture, Thursday without talk- we usually take for granted,” said ing taping their mouths to make it worried about being without their Most Malawians were subsist- ing, and Friday without their cell- head of student welfare Rowiri easier. phones, or having to sit on the floor ence farmers, and one poor har- phones. Howell. However, head boy Henry Chap- or stand for classes on Wednesday vest due to drought or flood could The sacrifices they are making And he had no doubt which of man was more concerned about when they can’t use furniture. cause widespread hunger. Don’t miss out – villa for sale Ph 03 307 7900 to subscribe! • A relaxed lifestyle • A spectacular location • Fabulous amenities Call Donna Coxshall (Facility Manager) today on 03 307 6140 PHONE 03 307 6140 | 37 CARTERS TERRACE TINWALD, Ashburton 7700 www.terraceview.co.nz News 2 Ashburton Guardian Wednesday, May 27, 2020 www.guardianonline.co.nz ■ LOCAL TOURISM Methven hot pools get green light BY SUSAN SANDYS “I think it was a belief in our district, [email protected] and the potential that it has and that Methven Adventures Limited share- this project has,” McKenzie said. holders have decided to go ahead “We haven’t rushed into this, it’s with the company’s hot pools building been in various stages of development project despite Covid-19 decimating and thinking for many years.” tourist numbers. While there was uncertainty around Director James McKenzie said when tourism generally, project forecast- shareholders met last week to consid- ing the hot pools operation suggested er whether to launch into the Opuke most visitors would come from Can- Thermal Pools and Spa building pro- terbury, and domestic tourists would ject, they had one extra thing to con- make up to 85 to 90 per cent of visi- sider, and that was the changed face of tors. the world in the global pandemic. Methven did, however, rely on in- Previously giving the project the fi- ternational tourists as well, and it was nal green light had been dependent important those visitors did come on just two other factors – receiving back. building consent and final costs com- “By the time we get to opening ing within budget. in June next year, anything could Those two contingencies were met, change,” he said. so it was just down to whether now By this time there could be a was the right time to proceed in the trans-Tasman bubble and arrange- new Covid climate. ments with other countries managing But the answer amongst the share- Covid well. holders, comprising the Provincial Building will begin at the hot pools Growth Fund and mostly Canterbury site in mid-June, and the build is ex- residents, to that question was yes. pected to take 12 months. Right – Opuke Thermal Pools and Spa features more than 500 square me- tres of hot pools. PHOTO SUPPLIED New tower to increase plains’ cellphone coverage Mobile phone users on the Mid the Seafield area, other sites in and wireless internet service pro- rural communities and helps the the new RCG towers. Custom- Canterbury plains should start to Mid Canterbury were planned, a viders can supply competitive rural sector remain competitive”. ers may need a software update notice better coverage after a new spokesperson said. Further sites broadband services to rural cus- The new tower meant that to their phone, or in some cas- cellphone tower went live near were at different stages of land tomers. Spark 4G mobile and wireless es, would need to upgrade their Ashburton last week delivering acquisition, design and building. By December 2022, the infra- broadband services were now phones to newer models that new and improved mobile and The tower was delivered by structure built by the RCG across available in this area. support 4G HD calling,” Matepa- wireless broadband coverage us- the RCG, a joint venture between New Zealand will see at least “It’s really important for our rae said. ing 4G technology. telcos Spark, Vodafone and 2de- 34,000 rural homes and business- customers to know that most RCG Spark had simple instructions However, some users may have grees, as part of the second phase es gain mobile and high-speed towers are 4G-only, so they do not on how to activate 4G voice call- to upgrade their phones to a new- of the Rural Broadband Initiative. wireless broadband coverage. have 3G available. This means ing on a handset on the Spark er model to make use of the new The RCG plans to build more Spark’s mobile network lead Re- that because voice calls have his- website, as well as a comprehen- technology when making phone than 450 new cellular towers nee Mateparae said it was pleased torically worked over the 3G net- sive list of the handsets on which calls. throughout rural New Zealand to be part of a solution “that aids work, some older mobile phones this feature has been enabled to While the first tower was in from which mobile operators in bridging the digital divide for will not be able to make calls on date. 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[email protected] “The range of remedial action Potato growers fear a tsunami of they will be considering will in- overseas cheap chips could flood clude shift reductions, temporary the New Zealand market, trigger- plant closures and potentially sig- ing job losses and closing produc- nificant redundancies,” Claridge tion facilities. said. Potatoes New Zealand is asking Even future food security was at Government to impose urgent risk as potato growers could look short-term measures to limit im- to planting alternative crops. ports of frozen potato chips. Commerce and Consumer Af- Chief executive Chris Claridge fairs Minister Kris Faafoi has told said Kiwi growers supply about 85 media he was keeping an eye on per cent of the domestic market. the situation, while trade experts A large proportion went to hos- have said it is difficult to act be- pitality premises, where demand fore there is any evidence of harm had flattened following restau- from dumping. rants and cafes being shut during Farmer Ross Hewson at Pen- lockdown levels. darves, who is one of the dozens At the same time, globally the of Mid Canterbury potato grow- Covid-19 disruption to supply ers, said the potential dumping chains including in hospitality of frozen fries here would have had led to the “complete collapse” a “dramatic effect” and Govern- of potato prices in major produc- ment needed to act. tion centres such as the European “It’s an absolute no-brainer, I Union (EU), meaning they were mean how many more people do looking to the Southern Hemi- I want to put out of work?” Hew- sphere to dump product.