Monday, Nov 25, 2019 Since Sept 27, 1879 Retail $2.20 Home delivered from $1.35 THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF MID CANTERBURY Rising Grim to the stats challenge P2 P24 Motoring Friday, July 5, 2019 Jenny’s XK8 Jaguar is her dream car. FULL STORY P21 Those taking part in the Skids for Skinny memorial event take part in a moments silence in memory of Paul Skinner who passed away earlier this year. PHOTO ROBYN HOOD 231119-RH-010 Skids for Skinny a success BY JAIME PITT-MACKAY mountain biking circles and ran Skinners the Ashburton River trail to the skills park “I think everybody was so glad that they [email protected] Bikes Mowers & Saws in Netherby. before the riders had a play in the park could do it for Paul and show our support A memorial mountain bike ride and plaque Organiser Brad O’Brien said between 80 ahead of the unveiling of the memorial. for his family and our appreciation for unveiling was held on Saturday to com- and 100 people took part in the bike ride, Alongside the bench that was installed in what he has done for all of us and it shows memorate the life and celebrate the con- with a few extra meeting the riders at the the park, Paul’s wife, son, sister and neph- how much he has done for the communi- tributions of a well known Mid Canterbury skills park for the unveiling of the memo- ew planted a tree donated by the club in his ty,” he said. mountain biking identity who passed away rial bench. memory next to the bench. suddenly in September. “It went really well and it was nice to O’Brien said it was fitting that the me- Skids for Skinny was held in memory of see everyone come along and support the morial was in the skills park as Skinner had Paul Skinner, who passed away suddenly in event,” he said. played a big role in the Mid Canterbury September, aged 47. The memorial ride started at the Ma- Mountain Bike Club and the development Skinner was a well known figure in local nia-o-Roto Scout Park and went along the of the skills park over the past few years. CONTINUED P2 Ph 03 307 7900 Don’t miss out - a villa for sale 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 Monday, November 25, 2019 www.guardianonline.co.nz ■ RURAL MENTAL HEALTH ■ ACADS Grim mental health stats ACADS’ BY SUE NEWMAN no alcohol [email protected] Rural suicide statistics paint a grim picture of the state of farmers’ mental health, but it is the numbers behind the numbers that are signs a hit even more alarming, says National spokes- person on mental health, Waimakariri MP Matt Doocey. He was in Ashburton on Friday talking to members of the Mid Canterbury Rural Support Trust about the need for increased support for the rural sector when it came to mental health, particularly around suicide prevention. Ministry of Health suicide figures for the period from 2003 to 2015 showed that the urban rate had decreased by 7 per cent per 100,000 people while rural numbers had risen 17 per cent, Doocey said. Every number represented a person who Tania Scott had chosen to take their own life but when the number who had attempted 20,000, planned, BY JAIME PITT-MACKAY 50,000 or thought about suicide, 120,000 were [email protected] added the numbers were staggering, he said. Rangitata MP Andrew Falloon (left) and Waimakariri MP Matt Doocey talking rural Using a community pool around “It shows that those who do take their lives the Ashburton District? Do not mental health. PHOTO JAIME PITT-MCKAY 221119-JM-0020 are the tip of the iceberg. From the top, from be surprised to see a no alcohol government down, this needs to be a focus. sign courtesy of the Ashburton Rural mental health needs to be a priority to give them the means to deal with these.” know how and where these should be used, While debt might be a normal part of farm- Doocey said. Community Alcohol and Drugs and solutions need to be rural community Service (ACADS). focused.” ing, farmers were now having to deal with “There are striking similarities in this environmental issues, freshwater regulations, with mental health in post earthquake in Health promoter Tania Scott Rural communities were under huge pres- said they had so far handed out sure from all quarters at the moment and emissions trading, increasingly tight moni- Christchurch. There’s an overall feeling that toring by banks and more. if another disaster hits there is no resilience nine signs to a number of com- that meant mental health issues were at what munity pools who felt they need- was probably an all time high, but decisions They were at the coal face having to com- left.” ply with a raft of new regulations and rules, National was about to release its health pol- ed to get the message across to on what was needed in the rural sector and some people using their facilities. how services should be delivered could not be he said. icy that included a key mental health compo- “It’s understandable they’ll feel under nent. It was important it received feedback on “A lot of those pools operate on made in cities, Doocey said. a key system and pool (commit- “Mental health is the inability to deal with siege.” this from affected communities about what Organisations such as the rural support was needed and what would work, he said. tee) approached us asking if we the stress in your life and farmers are saying had any signage they could put they feel that they don’t have any power or trust were saying they had to fight to get the Dealing with mental health issues was suffi- resources they needed and it was National’s ciently important that it should be done with up after learning that people had control. accessed the pool and had been “We need the rural community to come up belief that those resources should be pro- a bi-partisan rather than political approach, vided and the rural communities trusted to Doocey said. drinking and swimming, which with solutions to the problems and we need is obviously not a good mix,” she said. Scott said the signs were the same design as the worldwide standard, and through extra fund- ing they have a stencil that can be Skids for Skinny deemed a success used to spraypaint the message on to walls. From P1 also accepted at the event. ing time on weekends playing drena at the age of 23. Last summer seven commu- Organisers of the event have Paul grew up in Kyeburn, Cen- rugby for the local club. He joined The couple moved to Ashbur- nity pools collected signs from also been raising funds as they tral Otago, attending school there the town’s Roundtable group, ton, where Paul established a ACADS, while two others have al- felt it was important, in particu- and then later at Ranfurly. He left beginning what was to become mower and chainsaw servicing ready collected signs. lar, that his son Jacob could con- after the sixth form to take up an a dedication to a wide range of business with his father David in While they have been a big hit tinue with the sport he and his apprenticeship as a motorbike community organisations and 1997. The father and son pair had with community pools, Scott said dad had been passionate about mechanic in Alexandra, at David- groups throughout his life. been looking for an opportunity the signs can be used in any loca- – motorcycle racing. son Honda. Nicknamed Skinny, he revelled to work together as David retired tion that members of the public A Givealittle page has been set It was his dream job, and he in the social side of playing rug- from agricultural contracting and can access, or in locations where up which has received a number was able to indulge his passion by, and it was through a friend in Paul wanted to move into his own people may not want people car- of donations, and donations were for motocross, while also spend- these circles that he met wife An- business. rying alcohol in to certain areas. Local news for local people Mid Canterbury’s only locally-owned daily newspaper www.facebook.com/ashguardian www.guardianonline.co.nz 0800 ASHBURTON News www.guardianonline.co.nz Monday, November 25, 2019 Ashburton Guardian 3 ■ ASHBURTON CBD Committed to access-friendly CBD BY SUE NEWMAN doing it now without having a charter.” [email protected] The ministry is approaching local author- There will be a strong commitment to mak- ity chief executives this month to find out ing Ashburton’s redeveloped town centre how well their policies and practices were accessible to everyone, regardless of their meeting the needs of people with physical mode of transport, says mayor Neil Brown. disabilities. While the Ministry of Social Development The survey is designed to gain an under- has formulated an accessibility charter it standing of how well local authority policies hopes all local authorities will sign, Brown and practices are working for people with believes accessibility issues should be up- disabilities. permost in all communities’ minds.