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Guardian
Ashburton
www.guardianONLINE.co.nz
Thursday, June 13, 2013
FIRST PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 27, 1879
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Newspaper’s future in compact format Monday July 29 will be a historic day for the Ashburton Guardian as we will convert our Monday-Friday editions from broadsheet to a compact format. At the same time, we’ll be refreshing the entire paper with new content and a brighter look from Monday right through to the weekend. We’re doing this as a result of strong reader preference conveyed to us ever since your newspaper changed Saturday to compact over a decade ago. You might wonder why it’s taken us this long to complete the change. At the time the Guardian converted the week-
Coen Lammers editor
end paper to compact, we were once again the early trailblazer for daily newspapers in New Zealand, as we were with the launch of our subscription website last November. We knew the compact was the format of the future, but decided
to hold back changing the weekday editions largely because the remainder of the New Zealand newspaper industry stayed with the broadsheet format. A couple of years ago this began to change and in the past 12 months about half of New Zealand’s daily newspapers have moved to the smaller format, including the New Zealand Herald and several APN regional newspapers. This significant wave of change has been driven by extensive research showing that readers prefer the smaller page. On the Guardian, we’ve seen this
research which clearly shows that a strong majority of readers - in all markets - regard the compact format as “convenient, modern, fresh and more userfriendly”. The research indicates this is especially so with younger, female, more mobile readers. People interviewed as part of these research projects have said they find the compact easier to handle on the breakfast table, in bed, in a cafe or on a bus, or plane. But of course, the readers of the Weekend Guardian have known this for years. You may have noticed I’ve been
using the word compact rather than tabloid. This is deliberate. The Guardian will maintain its reputation for accuracy, balance and credibility. The smaller size does not imply that we are going down the path of sensational, lurid journalism which has caused such public disquiet in countries like the United Kingdom. As you will know from your Saturday paper, the same respected local journalists will be reporting on the same local issues in the same comprehensive and robust manner. I should also stress this is not
being done to save money on newsprint. While a compact page is half the size of a broadsheet page, there will be twice as many of them with no saving to us at all in paper. The format enables us to allocate more pages to different sections, add new sections and make more stories and photographs the focal point on a page. For advertisers, there is a key advantage in moving to a smaller page. There will be twice the number of opportunities for an advertisement to achieve page dominance. In other markets, advertisers have welcomed
the change. Advertising manager Desme Daniels and her staff are already discussing the changes with our clients and how it will affect them. Please email desme.d@theguardian. co.nz if you have any questions or ring the advertising department in the office on 307-7900. As we close in on launch date, July 29, I will provide regular updates on our plans. In the meantime please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can help with any questions you may have on coen.l@theguardian.co.nz or you can ring any of our staff in the Guardian office.
Rebuild pleases surgeon By Sue Newman Retired surgeon John McDonald has spent decades in the front line, fighting for the future of Ashburton Hospital. Today he’s a happy man. While he no longer works within the hospital system, he is a member of the district’s health committee and is still as passionate today about the hospital and its future as he was when he was one of the leaders of the Save the Hospital Crusade in 1994. Tuesday’s announcement of the $8.7 million redevelopment of the hospital was the best possible outcome, Mr McDonald said. “There’s been genuine consultation and what we’ve ended up with is what we could have expected with the changing way of doing things. I think it’s the best outcome we could have hoped for.” The two operating theatres that were in use before the Canterbury earthquakes will be replaced with one theatre and one endoscopy suite or procedure room. For years the CDHB had been working with Ashburton on a different way of delivering hospital services and that is what the redevelopment plan had achieved, he said. “This has all happened a lot quicker than I thought it would. When I first heard David Meates (CDHB chief executive) talk about the magnitude of what was buggered from the earthquake in Christchurch I thought we’d just get buried under the volume of work to be done, but this is going to be done in a very short time frame.” The commitment to spend $8.7
million at the hospital would bring huge peace of mind to the community, Mr McDonald said. “There was certainly concern among a lot of people that the earthquakes could have been an excuse to close the place. This was the fear but it hasn’t happened. There’s been a commitment to rebuild, to consult and to put in place what we need in Mid Canterbury.” He believes the option chosen for the Ashburton redevelopment was the best available, but it was also the most expensive. The deal came with a $1.5 million funding component from several Ashburton charitable trusts, through the Advance Ashburton Foundation. “That’s been key, the critical point in getting us the best option. I have no doubt the Advance Ashburton deal was the key that got us the best option.” For hospital chief executive Garth Bateup, confirmation that the hospital would be redeveloped signalled the beginning of a huge logistical planning exercise. With demolition of the theatre and outpatients blocks due to begin in August, some work had to be done to relocate some services and equipment ahead of this to ensure the hospital continued to run ‘business as usual’ he said. The fine detail of the theatre suite also had to be hammered out and this would take place over the next couple of weeks with staff, the site development team and architects. “What we come up with has to be functional so staff need to be involved and it has to be for the future. Everything we do now, where we’re placing the theatre
Photo Kirsty Clay 120613-kc-007
For decades the two-storey brick buildings on Elizabeth Street have been instantly recognised as the heart of Ashburton Hospital.
block ensures that in any future development the theatre won’t be compromised.” The redevelopment plans were part of a broader long term development plan for the hospital site, he said. The two blocks of the hospital to be demolished are the oldest remaining structures in the complex. While the theatre demolition wouldn’t be visible from the street, for many people losing the outpatients area fronting Elizabeth Street would remove a significant landmark, Mr Bateup said. The earthquake-affected buildings barely rate in terms of compliance with building standards – the operating theatre is assessed at 15 per cent and outpatients and therapy services at 11 per cent. Compliance needs to be at 67 per cent of the new building standards. •
Hospital plan, Page 5
Photo Kirsty Clay 310112-KG-082
Ashburton Hospital chief executive Garth Bateup (left) and Canterbury District Health Board chief executive David Meates check out the soon-to-be demolished operating theatre at Ashburton Hospital.
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