www.guardianONLINE.co.nz
THE VOICE OF MID CANTERBURY 24/7
p7
Looking for a builder with a little more experience?
BOOS AND JEERS FOR BIEBER
p13
4 Housing 4 Commercial 4 Farm
RECORDS TAKE A TUMBLE
Contact Des anytime for an obligation free quote.
Guardian
Ashburton
www.guardianONLINE.co.nz
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
FIRST PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 27, 1879
Phone 03 308 9936 or 0274 323 258
Home delivered from
Truants Delays, delays and more delays get police escort to school By Myles Hume Several Ashburton teens were escorted back to college in the back of a police car as a result of a major truancy blitz yesterday. As part of a drive to lower truancy, Ashburton College and Intermediate staff, police and two truancy officers from the Safer Ashburton District turned up on 15 doorsteps yesterday and sprung pupils who were absent from school without an explanation. Safer Ashburton District truancy officer Tash McKenzie said the random blitz reinforced the message that schools had a zero tolerance for truancy. “It’s about sending a message that people are out there looking and monitoring,” Ms McKenzie said. “Often I think there is a perception that there’s no one that does this job and nothing happens. You often hear that people think schools don’t do anything but that’s not the case.” With senior pupils on exam leave, the college nabbed eight year nine and 10 pupils without an explanation and brought them back to the
campus in a police car. While some of the pupils reacted with shock and sorrow, Ashburton College principal Grant McMillan said it provided a sense of reassurance to parents to remind them that schools are proactive about truancy. Mr McMillan could not confirm the punishment pupils would face, but he said there would be consequences. The 15 cases varied, with some forgetting to call in sick, others having control over parents along with some parents forgetting their obligation of sending their children at school, Mr McMillan said. “It’s about supporting parents and saying to the child that mum is right, dad is right and you do need to be at school,” Mr McMillan said. “It also re-informs some parents there is no choice in this, your child does need to be at college.” Mr McMillan said truancy appeared to be on the decline, with some of the pupils falling victim to the random blitz, while others being serial offenders. “I believe it is getting lower and it’s good, but we would like it even lower than that,” he said.
Photo Amanda Joyce 271112-AJ-122
By Sue Newman
photo tetsuro mitomo 271112-tm-091
Travelling between Ashburton and Chertsey will continue to be an exercise in frustration during the summer as the New Zealand
Transport Agency carries out stabilising and strengthening work on State Highway One. The first stage of the work at Chertsey is almost completed with the second stage, just south of the main Chertsey intersection of the
state highway with Jamiesons and Wards roads about to begin. Work is also scheduled to be carried out over the summer on the outside, northbound lane of the passing lane south of Chertsey. Additional work that may slow
traffic, is planned along the state highway roadside as power poles are removed and lines undergrounded. The work is likely to continue into 2013, with a two-week break over the Christmas-New Year period.
Cellphone message getting through By Michelle Nelson
Ashburton College principal Grant McMillan talks to police before the truancy blitz. Truancy officers knocked on 15 doors as part of yesterday’s crackdown on truancy.
Proposal to video council meetings
Roading contractors will be busy carrying out repairs to State Highway One in several places over the next few months and therefore delays can be expected.
By Sue Newman
Motorists appear to be keeping their hands off their cellphones this week – at least in the Ashburton CBD. In the midst of a week-long police blitz targeting cellphone use, a survey conducted by the Guardian only turned up a single person flouting the law by text messaging while behind the wheel. Laws were introduced three years ago, making drivers liable for an $80 fine and 20 demerit points if caught operating a cellphone. The campaign is aimed at reminding the public of the dangers associated with using cellphones while driving. Statistics released by the Automobile Association New Zealand have revealed talking or texting using non-hands free phones can result in a 400 per cent increase in crash risk.
AA has voiced its support of the police operation and also of increasing penalties for repeat offenders. “Law-abiding motorists are getting sick and tired of seeing other drivers flouting the law and putting them at risk,” AA spokesman Dylan Thomsen said. “There is no excuse for a driver to be on their phone illegally – if you have to talk or text pullover.” Across the country ambulance staff, who frequently deal with the consequences of distracted driving, have also backed the campaign. St John clinical director Tony Smith said choosing to use a cellphone while driving can be difference between life and death on the roads. While the law allows for the use of hands-free mobile phones, both police and the AA encouraged minimalising the potential for distraction by switching
90c Casual $1.20
To video or not to video, that’s the question Ashburton District councillors will be grappling with tomorrow. On the agenda at the council’s finance committee meeting is a request from the media to video council meetings and for clippings from those videos to be played on its website. The Ashburton Guardian approached the council last month requesting the right to film some parts of council meetings and run video clips on its website. While some other councils, including Southland, Gore and Dunedin already allow media to video meetings, the Ashburton District Council is not so sure. Muddying the waters further is a request from a video company to video and livestream council meetings and for these videos to be available for later viewing on the council’s website. The Guardian’s option comes free of charge while the commercial option comes with one-off set up costs of $5750 and ongoing costs that could run out at more than $1200 per meeting. Councils that have moved into the video environment have imposed some conditions on how the filming is undertaken, including seeking permission before each meeting of the committee chair, the right for filming to cease when requested and the right to withdraw consent to play a video at any time up to, during or seven days after filming. Its own standing meeting orders do not preclude the right to video a meeting, providing permission of the chair is granted. The council allows news media to report on proceedings in open meetings, providing the recording of meetings is carried out in an unobtrusive manner. Staff have recommended, that rather than using the free video service, the council makes further enquiries around the process and the cost of managing video coverage of meetings using its own service provider. It has also suggested that public interest in meetings being videoed should be gauged in its annual residents’ survey, which will not take place until next year.
photo tetsuro mitomo 271112-tm-126
A motorist risks using a cellphone while driving on East Street yesterday. phones off while driving. AA also endorses the Vodafone Drivesafe service which auto-
matically replies to in-coming texts, letting the sender know the receiver is driving.
Today’s weather
HIGH LOW
20
SPACE
FREEDOM
SECURITY
7