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Guardian
Ashburton
Thursday, December 7, 2012
FIRST PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 27, 1879
Council opts for urban bridge route By Sue Newman Months of uncertainty ended yesterday for the 18 Tinwald families who were told a new road could be carved through their front yard. Those families own land that is on one of two final route options chosen by the Ashburton District Council for a road to access a second bridge across the Ashburton River. The council said the route would follow either an urban or rural track. The urban property owners lost out. And they’re furious said one of the worst affected land owners Graeme Wilson. The seven or eight families who are most affected by the choice of route were phoned yesterday by council staff, given the bad news and told they could have an on-site meeting with staff if they wished. “I was told it was coming through our place. If I sound upset – I am. It’s going to run along our boundary on the town side and it’ll be about 30 to 35 metres wide. I’m a bit distraught really.” The new road would encroach on part of the family’s garden and would come within about 15 metres of their home. He has no idea whether they will receive compensation for their full property or just for the land lost. If the latter’s the case that will do absolutely nothing to make up for the loss of quality of life that would come with having a road outside his front door, Mr Wilson said. He’s spoken to several other property owners on a direct line with his place and said he believed the new road would go right through the centre of one house. “We’ve got a dream set up here. I’ve always said to people that if I thought this was the best option for the town, we’d grit our teeth and say okay, so be it, but this is ridiculous, it defies all logic.”
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Mr Wilson said he didn’t believe council was looking far enough out. There was every indication a bypass would be needed in the future and that meant huge amounts of money would be spent on a second urban bridge that would only be a short term solution. “The feedback forms were against this being the best option but council makes decisions and to hell with what people think, they’ll do it. This has to go to submissions and then a hearing before an independent commissioner and we’ll fight it tooth and nail.” The council has maintained its view that Ashburton requires a second urban bridge and that this should be accessed by Chalmers Avenue on the northern side. Originally it had tagged Grove Street as the southern route option, but a huge public outcry saw this route scrapped and an urban and rural route further east suggested. It took those options to the public and received more than 500 feedback forms and 18 comment forms from potentially affected landowners. Those responses were analysed by consultants Opus and the urban route was recommended as the preferred option. The council is now considering possible roading alignments and a corridor of properties has been identified. The owners of those properties are being contacted by the council ahead of a final report going to next Thursday’s council meeting for sign-off . Mayor Angus McKay said he was unsure whether the bridge would be discussed in an open or public excluded forum. “It depends on how the report is written in relation to ratepayers. Normally transactions of council that pertain to other people’s lives are in public excluded.”
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Christmas parade going to the dogs By Sam Morton
Photo Supplied 041212 Rook in Santa Outfit
Barking mad: Mid Canterbury vet Jade Hackney is encouraging dog owners to dress their dogs in santa themed costumes and march at this year’s Ashburton Santa Parade on Saturday.
Move over Rudolph, Mid Canterbury’s four legged friends are taking over this Christmas. That’s right – if veterinarian Jade Hackney has her way, dogs will be the centre of attention on Saturday at the Ashburton Santa Parade – although reindeers will certainly be present. Earlier this month, Dr Hackney and her troops at Canterbury Vets put their thinking caps on and decided on entering a float for the dogs – after taking two dogs to the Alexandra Blossom Festival this year. “It’s a fun way to include your pet in Christmas celebrations,” Dr Hackney said. “We’d love to see a good turn out to celebrate our four legged family members in this year’s parade.” Since the festival, Dr Hackney has been brainstorming a variety of costume ideas, which she hopes will be showcased on Saturday at the parade. She is encouraging all dog owners to take part in the march and asks participants to gather at Mona Square at midday – where the parade will begin. All dogs must be on a lead during the march,” Dr Hackney said. The parade will see plenty of prizes given out, including awards for the Best Dressed Dog and the Best Dressed Dog/Owner combination. The parade, hosted by the Ashburton Business Association and sponsored by the Ashburton Trust, traditionally attracts thousands of spectators lining East Street – just before midday. Executive officer Sue Cooper said despite an initial slow response, the event had shaped up to be a cracker. “We have 28 floats registered and from what I have seen, they are all looking great. “We’re expecting a great day and there will be plenty of action after the parade too,” Mrs Cooper said. That’s right – the family fun Christmas in the Park will get underway in Mona Square following the parade. Music, kids entertainment and with a bit of luck, fine weather – will surely top the day off in style.
Big hopes for bumper berry harvest By Sue Newman Ashburton’s berry farmers are watching the first of the new season’s raspberries being picked, packed and sent off to markets in what they’re hoping will be a bumper harvest. Early indications are that there’s plenty of fruit on the canes, all that’s needed is some consistently sunny days to ensure that fruit ripens said Southberry owner Vicky Dobson. There’s every indication, weather willing, there will be plenty of raspberries around for Christmas, she said. People will be able to pick their own berries from Christmas Eve afternoon, but her farm does not take orders for Christmas berries, but they can be bought at the farm gate. Picking on her farm started on Tuesday and a small team of pickers is working part days, but Mrs Dobson anticipates numbers of pickers will quickly build up. She’s been inundated with potential workers this year and now has a waiting list of people looking for work. So too has Marilyn Smith from Smithfield Berries.
Picking has also started at the Smithfield farm and with canes heavily laden, the season looks likely to be good, Mrs Smith said. Berries can be bought at the farm gate or people with time to spare can pick their own. Both berry farmers supply fruit to the Christchurch market. If it’s a good season for berries it’s looking like a less than good season for Christmas lilies says Terrace Gardens owner Helen Hargreaves. “It’s not a patch on what we’d normally get and the problem seems to be pretty general with growers,” she said. She’s had calls from Christchurch and Dunedin growers and florists desperate for lilies, but said that with a limited yield, she’ll be looking after her local markets first. For lily growers, the reasons behind the poor year are a mystery, but for most this year’s crop will be down by about a quarter, Mrs Hargreaves said. “I’m not sure whether the winter wasn’t cold enough or whether there was an overnight hail storm but a lot of lilies this year have come up without anything on them.” She anticipates picking will start later this week.
Andrien Tindall busy picking the first of the new season’s raspberries.
Make the most of the current warm weather By Susan Sandys
Don Geddes
It was hot, hot, hot in Mid Canterbury yesterday, with temperatures soaring into the high 20s. And the mercury might be set to head into the 20s again today too, but the warm weather isn’t here to stay. A strong southwest change is forecast for tomorrow with a high of just 15. The warm weather might be great for some, but the district’s firefighters will be hoping it’s not a sign of things to come this
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summer. Mid Canterbury’s principal rural fire office Don Geddes said yesterday the nor’-west conditions this week had increased the district’s fire risk, and it would soon be time to move fire danger indication board arrows from low to moderate. “We get a few days like this, the risk climbs quite quickly,” Mr Geddes said. He urged farmers who may have been burning outdoors recently to check fires were completely out so they did not reignite in strong winds. Meanwhile Mr Geddes, who
is also a member of Forest and Bird’s Ashburton branch, did not think rising river levels accompanying yesterday’s nor’west conditions would adversely affect nesting endemic black billed gulls on the Ashburton River. High temperatures yesterday which soared above 26 degrees came with a severe weather warning for heavy rain in the Canterbury headwaters to 2pm. Mr Geddes said rain in the headwaters would be more likely to affect large rivers such as the Rakaia and Rangitata. “Most of the Ashburton River
catchment doesn’t go back there to the main divide,” he said. Apart from one incident last month of a four-wheel-driver encroaching on the nesting site, the gulls had been relatively undisturbed. He believed some would already be reaching the fledgling stage, which means they would be ready to fly. Hot conditions so far this month, including a high of 27.3 on December 2 at AgResearch Winchmore, follow a cool and damp November. The average maximum for last month was 17.5 degrees, com-
pared to the long-term average of 18.4 degrees, while the average minimum for the month was 5.6 degrees, compared to the long-term average of 9.1. There was 88.9 millimetres of rain, compared to the long term average of 62.1 millimetres. Tomorrow showers are forecast, and temperatures will plummet to a maximum of 15. Showers will clear on Saturday and warm weather will return until Tuesday when there will be showers, preceeding temperatures dropping to a maximum of 15 degrees with rain on Wednesday and Thursday.
Photo Kirsty Graham 051212-KG-006
Today’s weather HIGH
20
LOW
8