THE PRESS, Christchurch Tuesday, March 18, 2014 NEWS A5 Council set to Jigandajar apply for lost accreditation Lois Cairns ber last year to 62 per cent in lectively they could handle up to [email protected] ● ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● ● February. In his latest progress 220 consents a week. report for his government masters, It has also been recruiting The Christchurch City Council Martin says the council will additional consent officers and plans to formally apply for the formally apply for accreditation building inspectors. To date it has accreditation it needs to issue next month. taken on 11 new recruits and it has building consents next month. Ianz will then send a team of another 11 due to start by the end However, a senior government assessors to conduct an audit of of July. Most are from Canada, the official believes it will be several the council’s consenting operation. United Kingdom or Australia. months before it gets it. That audit is scheduled to begin Minturn said the council was Last July the council was on July 8 and take two weeks to deliberately looking offshore for stripped of its accreditation to complete. its new building control officers issue consents. That came after it Andrew Minturn, who works because there was a shortage of repeatedly failed to address con- for the Ministry of Business, Inno- them in New Zealand and they did cerns raised by International vation and Employment (Mbie) not want to ‘‘pinch’’ staff from Accreditation New Zealand (Ianz) and is Martin’s senior adviser, told other councils when they were so about its consenting processes and The Press yesterday it was unlike- willingly helping out. the length of time it was taking to ly the council would sail through The new international recruits issue consents. that audit without Ianz issuing were highly skilled building pro- That crisis led the Government some corrective action requests fessionals who were were being to appoint Crown Manager Doug that would need to be addressed. hired on six-month to two-year Martin to oversee the council’s Minturn said he was confident contracts and being paid at the consenting operations. The coun- the new systems and processes the same rates as their New Zealand cil stood down its then chief execu- council was putting in place would counterparts. tive, Tony Marryatt, who sub- ensure it was meeting all the regu- ‘‘The internationals are sequently resigned. latory standards by the time of the recruited deliberately as building Since then Martin has intro- audit but it might not be able to officials and they have the skills duced a new management struc- provide sufficient evidence of that for both processing a consent . ture, recruited additional staff, and to satisfy the accreditation agency. through to inspections so we can introduced systems to improve With a ‘‘tsunami’’ of building move those staff backwards and processing times. consent applications due to land in forwards,’’ Minturn said. As a result the proportion of the council’s hands over the next Depending on their skills and building consents granted within couple of years, it has been signing experience, they could be trained the statutory timeframes in- up other councils around the and out on the road within a creased from 39 per cent in Novem- country to help process them. Col- month of arriving. Bogside boogie: Keelin Mullins, middle left, leads the dancing at The Bog in Victoria St. Photo: DANIEL TOBIN/FAIRFAX NZ Views sought on 6.5% rates-rise plan submissions. A summary docu- supplies and waste disposal. Our City celebrates St Pat’s Day Lois Cairns ment highlighting key features of preferred option is to make small [email protected] Sarah-Jane O’Connor ● ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● ● the plan has been distributed to all reductions across a range of non- of a marquee. Kane said it felt good sarah-jane.o’[email protected] And the weather’s on side, which homes in Christchurch and Banks essential services, rather than ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● ● to be fully reopened and to be The Christchurch City Council is Peninsula. Nine public drop-in heavy cuts to a few,’’ Manji said. helps. celebrating St Patrick’s Day. seeking public feedback on its pro- sessions will be held across the ‘‘The loss of so many properties Guinness flowed, Danny Boy was Mike Kane ‘‘And the weather’s on side, posal to raise residential rates by city during the submission period through the red zone and sung and bar patrons were decked Bar co-owner which helps.’’ an average of 6.5 per cent. to give residents a chance to get demolitions in the central city has out in green as the city celebrated Inspector Peter Cooper said The proposed rate increase more information on what the decreased our rating revenue by St Patrick’s Day last night. choice in what they named him. line out the door of the recently police would be out in numbers forms part of the council’s 2014/15 council is proposing. $10 million, and with less than At The Irishman, on St Asaph He joked that his family reopened pub. So it was to the similar to a Saturday night, to Draft Annual Plan, which outlines Council finance committee expected growth and the added St, a big crowd celebrated the day. couldn’t exactly say, ‘‘should we Irishman they headed, with pints ensure everyone was enjoying everything the council will do over chairman Cr Raf Manji said it was cost of the rebuild, we must budget Andrea and Sean Eden started call him Bob?’’ when he was born of Guinness for the parents and a themselves without getting into the next year, how much it will keen to get feedback. He encour- accordingly.’’ off in Ferrymead’s newest Irish on St Patrick’s Day. bowl of chips for the girls. trouble. cost, and where the money will aged residents and business Public hearings will be held bar, The Claddagh, then took a Kerry and Alex Ring took their By yesterday evening, bar co- Yesterday, police were visiting come from. groups to have their say by once the consultation period has courtesy shuttle to The Irishman daughters, Caitlyn, 7, and Isobel, 2, owner Mike Kane said the vibe bars and enforcing liquor bans in The council is legally required completing a submission. ended and before the council where they celebrated Sean’s to the pub for a family outing in had been very social. ‘‘Nobody’s areas around the city. to consult the public about the ‘‘It’s important we live within adopts the final plan in late June. birthday. honour of Kerry Ring’s Irish hoeing into the drink.’’ Last night, Cooper said he was plan and it has given interested our means, but at the same time For details of the public drop-in Also celebrating a birthday was ancestry. The pair used to go to The bar had been ‘‘out of ‘‘not quite sure what to expect’’ individuals and community ensure there is no impact on core sessions go to the council’s Patrick Chesmar, who reckoned The Bog when it was still in City action’’ for about a year after the with St Patrick’s Day being on a groups until April 22 to make community services such as water website, ccc.govt.nz his parents did not have much Mall, but yesterday there was a earthquake, and then operated out Monday. Alleged thief flees, Two seriously injured in assaults A man suffered serious injuries Detective Sergeant Sarah spanned across two houses in after a group of people arrived at a Illingworth said the victims lived Tonga Place and Centennial Ave, Christchurch home and attacked at the same house and police on Sunday morning. gets hit by truck him and a woman. believed the group responsible He remained in a serious but Police say they are following was known to them. A scene stable condition in Christchurch Blair Ensor ‘‘strong leads’’ in relation to the examination at the property was Hospital’s intensive care unit yes- [email protected] The offender ● ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● ● serious assault, which happened completed yesterday. terday. was physically in Ottawa Rd, Wainoni, about ‘‘We are following strong leads, Illingworth said police An alleged thief scrambled over 1.30pm on Saturday. but are also appealing for any believed a number of people fences, waded through a river and exhausted. The A 44-year-old man was taken to information from anyone who can witnessed the incident. got hit by a truck as he ran from officer was quite Christchurch Hospital with se- help identify those involved, or Investigators were following police for more than an hour. rious injuries while a 41-year-old who saw any suspicious activity ‘‘positive leads as to the identity of The chase unfolded after a car relieved to catch up woman suffered minor injuries. in the area.’’ the offender’’. was randomly stopped on Friday Police said the attack was one In the second incident, a Anyone with information is about 6pm in Whitefield St, Kaiapoi, with his man. Under investigation: Police at the scene of a serious assault in Ottawa Rd. of two serious assaults they were 19-year-old man suffered serious asked to contact Christchurch and a passenger fled, police said. Colin Stewart Photo: FAIRFAX NZ investigating. head injuries during a fight which police on (03) 363 7400. Constable Aden Cawley pursued Police Sergeant the fugitive as he ran through properties, climbed over fences and exhausted,’’ Stewart said. onto the Northern Motorway. ‘‘The officer was quite relieved to Sergeant Colin Stewart said the catch up with his man.’’ alleged thief was ‘‘hit in the leg and Cawley was wet up to his waist spun around by a truck’’ but was after running through a river during able to continue running.