Tuesday, Jan 28, 2020 Since Sept 27, 1879 Retail $2.20 Home delivered from $1.40 THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF MID CANTERBURY Vandals strike P4 P5 Firefighter Sam Cullimore takes his shift on the stair-climbing machine at the EA Networks Centre Gym’s Aus- World tralian Bushfire Appeal on Saturday. PHOTO ROBYN HOOD 250120-RH-024 mourns Kobe Sweating it out P7 , 15 for a good cause BY JAIME PITT-MACKAY on Saturday to raise funds for the Aus- those in Australia. [email protected] tralian Bushfire Appeal through a Les “Everyone has been quite shocked at They might have climbed the number Mills gym class mash-up that took place what has been happening to Australia of steps equivalent to the height of Mt alongside a stair climbing challenge be- so the staff came to me and said they Cook, but a group of dedicated fire- tween the firefighters and gym staff. wanted to do something,” she said. fighters and gym-heads didn’t gain a The event raised just over $1400. single metre in height. EA Networks gym and fitness manag- Local firefighters and EA Networks er Jenny Soal said staff had been want- CONTINUED P2 Gym staff and members came together ing to do something to help support Local news for local people Mid Canterbury’s only locally-owned daily newspaper 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, January 28, 2020 www.guardianonline.co.nz Mermaid and other kites dazzle BY SUSAN SANDYS “To make a kite like that … all [email protected] those big kites they take a lot of A topless mermaid kite which energy and time, people can get flew at a kite fun fly day at Lake their knickers in a twist,” White- Hood created internet debate head said. yesterday. Ashburton Peter Lynn Kites Some said the mermaid need- team member Lyndall Chisnall ed either a bra, bikini top, or two said the Australian couple which clam shells to preserve her mod- owned the kite had a bra for the esty, while others maintained mermaid. The couple would talk it was just a kite and there was to the organisers of events they nothing wrong with it. attended, and if they deemed at About 2000 people turned out any time the kite would be offen- on Sunday for the fly day, which sive, they would put the bra on. was the final South Island event This was backed up by one in the New Zealand Kite Tour at- of the Facebook commenters tended by kite flyers from around who had attended a fly event in the world. Brisbane where the mermaid Kites of all shapes, colours and was launched topless, then re- sizes dominated the skies at the launched later with its bra on, lake, making for a spectacular after those flying it “realised their display. mistake for a family day”. Amongst the airborne crea- Chisnall was involved with or- tures, which included giant sting- ganising the Ashburton fly day, rays, a 30-metre long whale and a which followed kite tour events at purple dragon, was a large topless Nelson and New Brighton. mermaid. She said she and fellow organ- Following the event yesterday ising team members conducted a morning, radio host Polly Gilles- “listen in” with the crowds at Nel- Above – Luka, 14 pie posted a photo of the mer- son, and found everybody loved months, and his maid to her Facebook page and the mermaid, and none were of- grandad, take in asked people to say whether it fended by it. the spectacular was appropriate at a family event “After it came down and then display at Lake or not. went up again, everyone started Hood on Sunday. Some called for a couple of clapping and cheering,” Chisnall PHOTOS ROBYN HOOD well-placed starfish or clam said. 260120-RH-009 shells, while the majority thought And at Lake Hood, it had been it was just fine, believing breasts similarly well-received. Right – Kites fill should not be viewed only in the “Everybody looking at that, the sky at Lake context of sexuality and that mer- they just look at it and think it’s Hood on Sunday. maids were naturally topless. a mermaid. If they look beyond The controversial Organisers of the festival also that, there’s something wrong mermaid kite can jumped to the mermaid’s de- with them I’m afraid,” she said. be seen in the fence. The couple which own the mer- background. New Zealand Kite Flyers Asso- maid are understood to be travel- 260120-RH-001 ciation committee member Anne ling down south before returning Whitehead said mermaids were to Australia, and could not be topless by definition, and they did contacted by the Guardian yes- not wear bras. terday. Sweating it out on the stairs for a good cause From p1 “The class was good because it staff and members took on a hard work for some,” she said. fighters who took out the compe- gave people a chance to do a type group of local firefighters in a two- “One of the staff members tried tition, climbing 10,500 steps com- They decided to run the mash- of class they might not have done hour slog on the machines. doing it with the firefighting gear pared to the gym staff’s 10,291 up class, which saw between 30 before,” she said. “I have a broken arm so wasn’t on and he was buggered after five steps. and 40 people take part at the ex- Two stair climbing machines able to but my staff did and you minutes.” The annual Firefighter Sky Tow- pense of a donation to the cause, were also set up in the stadium definitely get a sweat up after five Despite some wearing their full er Stair Challenge sees competi- and the stair climbing challenge. section of the centre where gym minutes on the machine and it is firefighting gear it was the fire- tors climb 1103 steps. Tell the Government to fund NZ has a four lane highway from overinvested Christchurch to Ashburton in roads and Not long after the last election the Government cut more than $5 billion from the state highway network to instead spend on rail motorways and cycle projects in Auckland. It’s left less money available for important upgrades to our local highways. Now the Government for decades. have announced plans to borrow $19 billion, with $6.8 billion earmarked for rail and road projects. It represents an opportunity to send a message to the Government that the road to Christchurch, - Phil Twyford, the second most dangerous stretch of highway in New Zealand for fatalities and serious crashes, needs upgrading to four lanes to Minister of Transport. make it safer. To send a message to Phil Twyford head to: fourlanes.co.nz Source: Phil Twyford, Transport and Authorised by Andrew Falloon, MP for Rangitata, Infrastructure Committee, 20 June 2019. Parliament Buildings, Wellington. News www.guardianonline.co.nz Tuesday, January 28, 2020 Ashburton Guardian 3 ■ VINTAGE CAR CLUB Vintage rally a hit once again BY JAIME PITT-MACKAY [email protected] Organisers of the Ashburton Vintage Car Club’s annual rally are thrilled with another strong turnout as the event pushes on to its next 50 years. The rally was the club’s 51st and, coincidentally, 51 vehi- cles from a variety of eras en- tered the event. “We had 51 cars take part and a few extras outside of the competitions that took part,” club captain Peter Lambie said. “We had a good range of vehicles taking part from 1903 through to some pres- ent day vehicles. “You can never be sure how many you are going to get un- til they start showing up on the day.” The rally saw vehicles trav- el to McLennans Bush in the Awa Awa Reserve for lunch where prizes were awarded to winning vehicles. Lambie said the club ca- ters for everyone with vehi- cles made up until the 1980, but that it is more difficult to find older vehicles to attend events. Above – Vintage cars lined up ahead of Saturday’s 51st annual rally. PHOTOS ROBYN HOOD 250120-RH-008 Right – Eean Parkes was one of the drivers who took part in the rally. 250120-RH-006 Rates good income earner for council BY SUE NEWMAN grants making up a further 13 roads. Of those 1510 kilometres The next highest area of ex- shows it ended the year with an [email protected] per cent. are sealed. penditure was recreation and operating surplus of $7 million For the last financial year the There are 15,359 rateable During the year 6149 metres leisure, 12 per cent. before taxation and other com- Ashburton District Coun- properties across the district. of footpaths and 125 lane-kilo- During the year 109,979 peo- prehensive income. It’s total cil earned itself an income of These have a total rateable value metres of roads were resurfaced. ple visited the Ashburton Li- revenue was $1.2 million above $71.126 million with almost half of almost $19 billion. An additional 25.2 lane kilo- brary, 25,706 people visited the budget, driven largely by an un- of this coming from rates. Transport absorbed the great- metres of sealed rural roads were Ashburton Museum and the EA budgeted subsidy of $1.6 million The $35.244 million it earned est share of the council’s costs rehabilitated and road metal was Networks Centre had 454,953 for street lighting LED upgrades in rates made up 49 per cent of at 21 per cent.