www.guardianonline.co.nz
tHe Voice of mid canterBurY 24/7
Haunting tV message P6
medals mount for college
Guardian
Ashburton
www.guardianONLINE.co.nz
Monday, February 18, 2013
FIRST PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 27, 1879
P14
Home delivered from
90c Casual $1.20
Housing shortages ‘critical’ the nation report, which looked at housing, child poverty, social issues, crime and punishment, and employment. Although the report noted some success in reducing crime, and increased participation in early childhood education, the Salvation Army found the gap between the “haves” and the “have nots” was widening and attempts to alleviate child poverty had stalled.
By Michelle Nelson Housing shortages are hitting critical levels, according to Ashburton Salvation Army Community Food Bank manager Judith Lilley. And the poorest families in the Ashburton District are hurting the most. Mrs Lilley was commenting on the Salvation Army’s state of
Salvation Army national spokesman Major Campbell Roberts has criticised the Government for not doing enough to reduce child poverty, create jobs or improve access to affordable housing. Mrs Lilley said the local food bank service was coping with increased demands for assistance, thanks to a supportive community. However, she said, there was no reason to be complacent, and
agreed affordable housing needed to be placed high on the agenda. “Ashburton is not Auckland, and we don’t have the same issues, but there are definitely problems with housing, and that has certainly become worse over the past few years,” Mrs Lilley said. “We are seeing at least four or five families looking for housing every week in Ashburton, for some reason people think the
Salvation Army has social housing, which we don’t.” She said the cost of rental properties had skyrocketed and affordable housing was now out of reach of not only benefit-dependent families, but also many of the ‘working poor’, backing the findings of the report. “In the past almost all of our clients were on benefits; now we are seeing more and more people who are not earning enough to
pay the rent and pay the bills,” Mrs Lilley said. “I’ve seen families who only have $50 left after the rent has been paid – and if that’s to buy food and pay bills, there won’t be anything left over for doctor’s visits. It’s not just the children who will suffer.” The report found that overcrowding was also become more prevalent, in particular in Maori and Pacific Island communities,
with families sharing substandard accommodation to make ends meet. But it’s not just families affected by the housing crisis; the service is also dealing an increasing number of homeless youth. “We’ve also got young people on the books. I saw a young man a few days ago who is of no fixed abode – he’s been couch-surfing where he can, and that’s tough long term,” Mrs Lilley said.
Stab victim millimetre away from losing sight By Rebecca Quilliam A Christchurch man was about a millimetre away from losing his sight and five millimetres from being seriously brain damaged when a steak knife was wedged firmly inside his skull, his surgeon says. The 20-year-old was stabbed behind his eye by a 9cm knife, which became embedded 8cm into his head early on Saturday. When the young man arrived at hospital he was conscious, stable and talking, Christchurch Hospital maxillofacial surgeon Les Snape said. The knife was “very strongly” stuck in the bone in the man’s head because it was one of the thicker bones that composed the skull, he said. “It was like being embedded in a piece of wood.” It was stuck so firmly, Mr Snape had to make the wound slightly wider in order to slide the knife out. It would take a “considerable amount of force” for the knife blade to be stabbed in so far, he said. “The blade of the knife went through the skull in the temporal region behind the eyebrow, and then it went into the back part of the eye socket ... within probably less than a millimetre or two of the optic nerve. If it had severed that, he would be blind.” The knife had to be removed along the same tract it went in so as not to create more damage, especially to the man’s eye and base of the brain, Mr Snape said. “If it had been posted half a centimetre further backwards, posteriorly, he could have sustained very serious damage to his brain stem or to his artery up to the brain. “He could have sustained life-threatening injuries.” The victim is stable and is recovering at Christchurch Hospital after delicate surgery to remove the weapon. The incident happened during a party at the man’s St Albans flat about 1am on Saturday. Witnesses had told Mr Snape the man was attempting to break up a fight when the incident happened. Canterbury Police communications manager Stephen Hill said the police officer who was one of the first to arrive at the crime scene had emergency medical experience. Constable Carl Christensen made a decision to leave the knife where it was until the man was at hospital. The man accused of the attack, also aged 20, appeared at the Christchurch District Court on Saturday and was remanded in custody. He is due to reappear today on charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. - APNZ
A bunch of Women on Wheels riders cruise the back country.
Women take to two wheels ONLINE.co.nz
By Jonathan Leask
Photo Tetsuro Mitomo 160213-TM-031
Lucy Conrad dressed up to the nines for 29km on the bike in the Women on Wheels in Methven on Saturday.
They came, they saw, they cycled. Women on Wheels had about 200 cyclists take to the start line for the female-only cycling event that had competitors cruise around the scenic foothills area on Saturday on a round trip back to Methven. The serious riders in the 76km race may have missed some of the sights but the 86 social riders would have had ample opportunity to take it all in over the 29km non-competitive ride. The women were lined up in all manner of things from the throngs of lycra clad ladies, some dressed up and one rider was in a frock, high heels and had a packed lunch in her bike basket. It was an event designed to cater to all women – from the serious to
To see more or purchase photos the social. “There were a lot of smiles coming across the finish line,” race organiser Simon Hampton said. “The competitive racing will always attract some people but I think holding a non-competitive ride attracted people that wouldn’t have signed up if it was a 29km race.” The event wasn’t without incident with one crash in each of the competitive races but no serious injury, and a few nervous moments when a farmer ill-timed moving his sheep
MORE REASONS TO SHOP AT COUPLAND’S Our BEST Value Bread (White, Wheat, Grain)
2 for
.50
$2
. LIMIT 10 EACH OR FROM $1.59
photo tetsuro mitomo 160213-tm-188
Our HUGE Family Mince & Vege Pie
$ 3.99 LIMIT 5 EACH.
Our CLASSIC Belgium Slice
$2.
99 h ea c
Our CRUNCHY Gingernuts
2 for
.50
$2
LIMIT 6 ACK. OR $1.99 P
along the road. Hampton was happy enough with the turnout for the event that is at this stage a one-off “gap-filler” after Girls on Bikes opted to only hold a North Island event this year. “We didn’t quite get the numbers we were hoping for but we received some good feedback. “We would definitely run it again and be confident of getting bigger numbers but it depends on Girls on Bikes so we’ll wait and see.” • Race wrap P12
Open 7.30am to 6pm everyday
Today’s weather
110 East St, Ashburton. Ph: 03 308-8487 Prices apply Monday 18th February - Sunday 24th February 2013 while stocks last. Some images are serving suggestions only.
25
LOW
9