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ASHBURTON GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 2, 2013
Comment OUR VIEW
Declining crime rates great news Coen Lammers editor
T
he front page lead in Friday’s Guardian would have been welcome news for Ashburton citizens. On the back of a horrific murder in December and a spate of brazen robberies on local businesses, several voices in the retail community suggested the town was getting increasingly unsafe. After spending a night shift with local security firm TSG, the Guardian witnessed first-hand what police and security firms are dealing with. From our own observations and statistics from the security firm and the police, it is clear that the perception may be a lot worse than the reality. Like every town and city in New Zealand, Ashburton has its fair share of drunken idiots, opportunistic criminals, violent thugs and small-time drug dealers, but the district is far from under siege from society’s underbelly. Bad things do happen in Bad things big and small communities, but do happen in Mid Canterbury big and small has not changed drastically from communities, the safe haven older generations but Mid remember. Canterbury has You might be foolhardy to not changed keep your doors drastically unlocked, but if you happen from the safe to forget to lock haven older the doors of your house or generations car, chances are you will still find remember them untouched when you return. The police, the safety ambassadors and the private security firms appear to be doing a decent job at keeping the low-lifes and anti-social mob under control. Ashburton has had an outside reputation of being a violent town on the back of regular street fights 10 to 20 years ago, mostly among drunken locals, but that seems to be changing. The data provided by TSG showed that fights they attended to had decreased from 232 in 2010 to 146 a year later and 42 for the first six months of 2012. The same downward trend is visible in disorderly behaviour, burglaries, property damage and assaults, which must give all citizens some hope for the future of themselves and their children. Compared to many other regions, Mid Canterbury has the major advantage that most people remain well-connected and that its residents still care and look out for each other. As long as the district keeps growing, bad elements are likely to be attracted to town, but with the assistance of the community, police and private firms feel confident they can keep a lid on them.
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Hospital’s future in our hands T
he future of Ashburton Hospital is still in doubt. Both sides of the political fray weighed in this week. Now, regardless of whether one side is right and one is wrong, the truth probably lies somewhere in between. It’s quite possible that the people of Ashburton won’t have a clearer idea of the outcome until campaigning is well under way for the next election. I have had close relationship with the hospital since my early childhood. The first I recall was after I tripped and bit a hole in my tongue. Three stitches, and I’ve still got a scar which I still occasionally poke out for display. There was the obligatory tonsilremoving exercise when I was about five. I was promised ice-cream and jelly afterwards, but didn’t get it.
’ CRUMB
by David Fletcher
Felicity Stacey Clark FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Later there was three months in traction after being hit by a car which broke my femur. Last year, one of the staff surgeons took a skin cancer off my cheek, and skilfully manipulated the scar so it was hidden by the wrinkles. Nothing life threatening, but for the long stay, there was the comfort of a small child knowing she was close enough to home for her parents to visit daily. Before I came back to Ashburton I lived for about 10 years on the Kapiti coast North of Wellington. Kapiti doesn’t have a general hospital as such, although the population is probably slightly greater than that of Mid Canterbury. It takes roughly the same driving time as from here to
Christchurch, and double that if you are dependent on public transport. Not long ago a woman I knew of was taken to Wellington Hospital by ambulance late one night. A friend followed by car, was told the woman had to be admitted overnight, and he should leave. It was also advised the woman’s purse and money should be taken home for security reasons. In the early hours of the morning, the woman was told she was ready to leave, and to ring someone to come and get her. She couldn’t raise anyone. It was mid-winter, dark and cold. Hospital staff said she couldn’t stay any longer. So she set off in her dressing gown. Fortunately for her, an early opening café had just turned on its lights. She went in and explained her predicament. Not only did the café owner immediately make her tea and toast, knowing she had no money to pay, but he also gave her the morning newspaper, and allowed her to use the phone (a toll call) until she managed to raise someone. Do we want that sort of thing to happen here? Now’s not the time to listen to political posturing from any party. It’s the time to clearly tell all the parties and all the potential candidates what Ashburton people want. If we don’t, then the outcome may well be out of our hands.