Ashburton Guardian, Saturday, September 4, 2021

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2 NEWS

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

Celebrating our essential workers on the front line ...

PANDEMIC STARS

Sue Abel, the conduit between Civil Defence and other agencies and thousands of people at home.

PHOTO MALCOLM HOPWOOD 030921-MH-003

Let’s call them our Covid champions.

They’re Mid Canterbury’s essential workers, the unsung heroes of the pandemic.

They’re hardworking Mid Cantabrians, who have been on the front line in the fight against the virus working hard to ensure lives stay as normal as possible.

We want to recognise those community stars and celebrate them in our Covid Champions series. If you know of any, let us know.

Email: editor@ theguardian.co.nz

Sue’s keeping Mid Canterbury connected Malcolm Hopwood An Ashburton woman has turned her surname into a mission statement during Covid-19.

Sue Abel has been willing and able to fulfil her job no matter how long it takes.

Sue is District Neighbourhood Support co-ordinator, working

part-time hours from the Ashburton Police Station and she’s part of our Covid champions series.

When level 4 was enforced and the police station went to lockdown except for operational staff, Sue took her responsibility home and operated from Seafield Road.

There she worked with the Civil Defence welfare committee, of which she’s a member, to send out regular messages and advice to about 5000 email addresses which she believes will

Complete Local Care Since 1982

reach more than 10,000 people throughout Mid Canterbury.

Daily she’s receiving information from agencies such as St John, Fire and Emergency NZ, Ashburton Police, Ministry of Social Development and Volunteer Mid/South Canterbury and emailing it to the 5000 people who are on the Neighbour Support list.

It’s part of what’s called Gets Ready, a Civil Defence programme prepared for emergencies.

Sue’s been in the job since Jan-

uary so didn’t have experience from last year’s lockdown to call on, however, she ran the programme during the May floods and learned a lot from there.

“My role is a connector, sending out and receiving information and calls from a number of people and agencies,” she said.

“What I’ve learned is that people are resilient, have their own system of coping in place, but appreciate receiving added information from us.”

She’s aware that co-ordinators in their immediate area are

ringing or visiting people who, in turn, are checking on their neighbours or people in the street.

“Being a co-ordinator may be a small thing, but small things contribute to big things,” she said.

“I’m pleasantly surprised at the robust system we have in place and how well the services are working together.”

Sue is the glue that’s holding Neighbourhood Support together and has extended her daily hours to ensure everything is working.

NEWS 3

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

Cover story

‘Please. Please.

Give me my cat’

Rakaia mum and children traumatised after public attack Maddison Gourlay

A Rakaia mum is still shaken after being verbally abused by strangers who snatched her cat and threatened to keep it in an appalling public incident.

Priscilla Gomez and her children, aged five and 11, had taken their much-loved cat Totoro with them to Dorie Beach for some lockdown exercise and family fun. But minutes after arriving that quickly turned nasty when Gomez rushed back from the water’s edge when she saw a woman scoop up the cat, put it in their van and wind the windows shut with the motor still running.

Totoro had been hiding in long grass because it was spooked by a barking dog in the mystery couple’s parked van, according to Gomez, who did not know the duo. The Guardian tried to track the couple down but had no luck.

“I am still horrified,’’ Gomez said, adding that her traumatised children were reduced to tears from what was a prolonged and aggressive interrogation.

“I just don’t understand how people can treat other people like that.

“They are not the police or SPCA. They did not have the right to take my cat from me.”

Gomez initially thought the woman was simply picking up her cat to look after it until she got back from the water.

But what unfolded was more

than 15 minutes of accusations, including foul-mouthed language and finger pointing from the woman and her male friend inside the van.

A traumatised Gomez videoed more than two minutes of what was a scarcely believable incident.

“Please give me my cat. Please give me my cat,’’ Gomez pleaded over and over.

Female van passenger: “Who takes their cat to the beach?

You’re dumping it at the f… ing beach.’’

Gomez: “No. I am not dumping it. It is my cat. She lives with my family and me every day.’’

Female van passenger: “Then why are you bringing it to the f… ing beach? That’s f…ing weird.’’

Gomez: “Well, we are inside of the house for two weeks (because of lockdown rules) with the kids.

We came with the kids and my pet to the beach.’’

Female van passenger: “Show me photos on your phone of your cat at home doing normal cat things then.’’

Eventually, the cat was given back to a relieved Gomez, who has since reported the incident to the police.

Gomez was just relieved to have Totoro back and unharmed after a frightening episode, which she believed had racial undertones.

Gomez, who has lived in Rakaia for only three months, was born in Chile and has been New Zealand for eight years.

“I am sure if I was a Kiwi, she would not have acted that way towards me.’’

SPEAK UP What: We love the Ashburton District and all it has to offer, but sometimes a few idiots ruin it, and our fine reputation, for everybody.

If you have been poorly treated, racially abused or frightened for you or your children’s safety then please let us know.

If you don’t speak up, then more incidents like the Dorie Beach episode will continue to take place.

For an initial confidential chat, email the Guardian editor: daryl.h@theguardian. co.nz

Priscilla Gomez is relieved to have family pet Totoro back in her arms at home.

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4 NEWS

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

There’s a lot of holes in this story Roads, potholes and council jargon – and trying to keep it simple. Adam Burns and reporters do their best to try and understand the Ashburton District’s roading repair issues, and pothole pandemic, and what can be done about it.

Adam Burns Ashburton mayor Neil Brown has suggested maintenance of the district’s roads – highlighted by the pothole pandemic – was almost becoming too expensive to take care of.

The state of Mid Canterbury roads continues to rile locals after contractors worked through level 4 lockdown to urgently repair hundreds of potholes and other defects.

The 2800km roading network was one of the biggest in the country and Brown said it was not an easy fix.

“We have a huge network,” he said.

“Just over half is tarsealed and the other half is shingle, so it takes a bit of looking after.”

The May floods, which caused about $5 million worth of damage to the network, had essentially doubled council’s roading overheads and stretched its staff.

“We spend about $5 million a year just on doing the maintenance … so it’s doubled the workload,” Brown said.

“Having a wet winter also softens up the tarsealed roads and the potholes are just appearing, so the contractors are really under the pump.”

Local road maintenance receives part-funding contributions from central government through Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency’s (NZTA) na-

tional land transport programme.

Brown said limited funding subsidies from NZTA had been a factor when asked if the network was too expensive to maintain to a certain standard.

“We request more than what they give us, so we have to make what they give us stretch further.”

Repair methods to pothole improvements had also been overhauled and the mayor also referred to historical issues around road maintenance.

“There’s no point in doing the same thing if it’s not working, they (contractors) need to adapt.”

Aggravating the situation were labour shortages with grader drivers and other roading operators proving hard to find, Brown said.

“That’s flowing through the entire labour force.

“We need to cut them a bit of slack.”

NZTA would not be drawn on questions sent by the Guardian about its role and the need for further funding.

“We understand that they, like us, have to balance resources and priorities,” regional relationships director James Caygill said.

“Waka Kotahi has confidence in the ADC’s management of their local road network.”

Potholes are a common sight for Mid Canterbury motorists.

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NEWS 5

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

Roading woes What’s the issue?

Locals are rightly fed up with the state of much of Mid Canterbury’s 2800km roading network Can’t the locals just put up and shut up?

Well, no. Not when you come across pothole after pothole nearly everywhere you go, and when it’s already resulted in accidents, car damage and frustration, plus other road defects.

Then why doesn’t the council just fix it?

It costs money. A lot of money.

Don’t they have budgets and big funding buckets for these sorts of things?

Yes, that’s correct. They do. They get some support from the New Zealand Transport Agency and the rest they have to meet themselves.

What does it cost annually?

Council has budget about $18 million in total for this year, which covers maintenance, operations and other works.

But the floods in May, which swept away roads and caused further damage, has increased that repair bill by about another $5 million.

So the cost to get them up to developed world standard is more than $20 million. Can’t they ask for more from NZTA? Waka Kotahi are far from flush according to council and are reportedly unlikely to receive all the requested funds, with their revenue being severely affected over the past year. NZTA have approved an intial amount of $650,000 for flood repairs after council requested $4 million.

How much do they get annually from NZTA? NZTA usually funds a 51 per cent por-

tion of district roading works. Earlier this year NZTA indicated $39.1 million for the next three years for the Ashburton district, although council requested nearly $41 million.

Who is this NZTA crowd anyway?

A state-owned entity responsible for managing the country’s state highway network among other duties. But it is also tasked with working alongside councils to make sure people have a land transport system that meets their needs now and in the future through its National Land Transport Programme.

So, we’ve got a problem then Houston, don’t we?

Correct. The state of some of the roading network has also been an issue for decades, according to locals who have lived here much of their lives. The mayor has also indicated that a labour shortage which affecting numerous industries has not helped.

So the council has inherited some of the problem, but that’s no excuse for not trying to find a solution.

And they’re working hard to do that.

It doesn’t sound like they’re working very hard. Ratepayers are really peed off. That showed even in the council’s own residents’ survey when the biggest concerns raised, and in telling numbers, were on the state of the roads, what council should spend their money on and having too many potholes.

It’s all about priorities with a limited budget and resources and trying to be fair to everyone.

They’ve got the Ashburton central business district development to take care

Going potty What: Ashburton has been hit by a pothole plague, with roads in various states of disrepair through wear and tear and flood damage.

Your help: What do you think should be done to solve the pothole and roading issue in the district?

Email: editor@theguardian.co.nz

of, plus the flash new council digs being built and a whole host of pricey longterm plan projects already signed off.

Surely, you’re taking the Michael Mouse out of me now. What’s more important

than making our roads to safe to drive on – and before someone dies?

Well, that’s an unfair question.

Unfair, because it’s true?

No comment.

Favel calls for roading accountability Malcolm Hopwood

Former Ashburton District Mayor, Donna Favel.

Former mayor, Donna Favel, says Ashburton district councillors should hold staff and contractors to account over pothole and roading maintenance issues.

In turn, ratepayers should do the same with councillors for their governance of the roading programme.

Favel, who became Ashburton’s first female mayor when she was elected in 2016, said she understood bad weather and flood damage had added

to the district’s mounting pothole problem, which has caused outrage and frustration for thousands of residents. But Favel also thought that the council should front-foot the issue and explain to the community how its programme of works operated financially.

“It’s important that it’s communicated effectively so ratepayers know how it’s being spent,’’ she said.

“As a ratepayer, who’s just experienced a significant increase in rates, it’s my expectation and others that our assets are maintained.’’

She supported community reporting of roading concerns to the district council and the council notifying them of actions to be taken.

Funding was also provided by the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) and Favel referred to one of its audits on how their subsidies were being spent by local authorities.

She would like the last audit made available so ratepayers could evaluate how the district council has allocated funds.

“The Ashburton District Council can then advise us that it’s been prudent and responsible with our roading expenditure,” she said.

Favel said there were two options available to council to meet roading requirements.

The second was to decrease the number of roads where existing rural roads with only one or two properties on them could be placed in private ownership.

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6 NEWS

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

Anzco workers receiving vaccination incentives Adam Burns Essential workers at Ashburton’s ANZCO are being motivated to get Covid jabs by being offered gift cards.

Bosses for the meat production giant are offering $100 supermarket vouchers once they prove they have had their first or both doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

a really good “ It’s thing . . . just to

motivate people to go get the jab and keep the workers and company safe.

There are nearly 1000 employees at ANZCO’s Seafield Road site and more than 200 vouchers had been handed out since the country first went into lockdown a fortnight ago.

Maintenance engineer Danny

Jacobs said it was “a great motivator”.

“It’s a really good thing . . . just to motivate people to go get the jab and keep the workers and company safe.

“As a large employer in Canterbury, ANZCO has a responsibility to keep its employees safe,” an ANZCO spokeswoman said.

“An outbreak of the highly transmissible Delta variant of Covid-19 would have a significant impact on ANZCO’s people and its operations.”

ANZCO would not comment on whether other industries should offer similar incentives for their staff.

Vaccination incentives were being proposed in other parts of the country.

Residents of the small Northland town of Moerewa were being prompted to get vaccinated by offering three $200 grocery vouchers per day to residents and a weekly iPad giveaway in “an effort to boost Maori vaccination rates”.

North Canterbury lines company MainPower were also offering a day of special leave to every employee who had received two doses on the proviso that the firm reached its target of 90 per cent of its staff fully vaccinated by December 1.

ANZCO Canterbury maintenance engineer Danny Jacobs sporting a jab plaster.

PHOTO ADAM BURNS 020921-AB-5898

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The most creative entry was Ben Costello’s Cookie Monster cake.

The great Covid bake-off

The wackiest entry was ‘Mr Saxon with Covid’ cake, which was made by Eilish McKerrow

Mount Hutt College have been getting creative to stay connected during alert levels, having a baking competition on Instagram.

A tactic to survive lockdown 2.0, the Mount Hutt College prefect team decided they wanted to create

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Top staff entries were Miss Cullen’s daffodil cupcakes and Mrs McConnell’s caramilk cheesecake.

activities and competitions for students to keep in touch.

Cakes, slices, cookies, scones, scrolls, waffles and many other sweet treats were entered in the competition, but only a select few were chosen as the best of the best.

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

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editor@theguardian.co.nz | PO Box 77 | facebook.com/ashguardian Woof. Woof. It was International Dog Day recently and we asked readers to share a photo on our Facebook page of their four- legged friend and tell us their name, breed, and what they love most about them.

Well, doggone it, we got swamped by entries, and they’re still coming in. More than 250 entries so far and 10,000-plus followers reached. Better still, PetZone Ashburton have come to the dog party, offering up prizes for the best small, medium and large pooch.

We approached leading judges from the internationally renowned Crufts Dog Show to pick our winners, but they were all unavailable.

So resident Guardian dog lover, Daryl Holden, will make the call. Don’t bark at him if he gets it wrong.

This is Teddy, he likes to follow mum everywhere.

Alanna Peck

Jakman, a very loyal little old man. Looks like a puppy, but is coming up 15 years old.

Jannine Johnson

Rolo, hungarian vizsla, he loves to play with our calves.

Barbara Hibell Soler

Abbey is a labradoodle. Loves walking and cuddles at night-time.

Lois Eaton

Beau the labrador loves to hunt as much as I do, it’s what he lives for.

Hayden Roberts

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Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

Our boy Griffin! He’s a 9-year-old american bulldog, completely at the mercy of our very small cat!

Allison Dodds

This is Sparkie. He’s a shitzu maltese. He’s loving this lockdown having someone to fol- This is my Mini (right), 11-year-old shitzu/lasso apso (and her wee friend Bob). Mini is very loyal and my best low around all day, plus lots more walks.

Wendy Lennon

Barrie Brown friend, never far from my side.

Above – Molly and Gracie are rotties and they’re great company, especially now they are finally getting a bit older.

Kaye Donaldson Left – This is Ruby, a staffy lab x. Ruby lets our crazy cat Coco sleep on top of her and sit on her back while Ruby walks around – a Dani Adams one-in-a-million dog.

This is my german short-haired pointer Jen, named after my much-loved nana who sadly passed away from cancer a few years ago now. I love absolutely everything about this dog but one that really stands out is her loyalty towards me. Forever my #1 pup.

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This is Pippa ... she’s four and loves going outside, then coming back ... and then going back outside again ... ALLLLL DAY ...

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Mya, the german shorthaired pointer. I love how much she loves cuddles.

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Above – Ace is a 7-monthold border collie. I love that he’s a big softie.

Samantha Rutherford Left – Roger our belgium griffon. He loves his family.

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This is Gus he is a 13-month-old springer spaniel crossed with a miniature poodle. He is loving lockdown with all the cuddles.

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Right – This is Mishka, she is a siberian husky. What I love most about her is her typical husky attitude and her sweet gentle nature.

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10 NEWS

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

Sewer pipe project back on track Methven Community Board member Ron Smith slammed council for neglecting Methven’s water services back in July. Now he wants a district referendum on the government’s Three Waters reforms.

PHOTO ADAM BURNS 260721-AB-3650

MCB member calls for water reform referendum Adam Burns A Methven Community Board member is calling for the Ashburton District Council to take decisions on the Three Waters reforms to a referendum.

It follows sweeping local government angst on plans to inherit the management of Three Waters infrastructure off dozens of local councils around the country.

Last week, the Canterbury Mayoralty Forum, which includes Ashburton District

Mayor Neil Brown, formally requested an adjournment to the reform process.

But Methven Community Board member Ron Smith has urged council to go further and set it to a vote among the district’s ratepayers.

“It needs a referendum so the people of Mid Canterbury have a say,” Smith said.

Smith was an outspoken influence at the last community board meeting where he grilled council staff as the town contended with further boil water notices and infrastructure woes.

Despite accusing council of giving Methven a “rough deal” over the years, he had doubts as to whether centralisation of the

district’s water assets was the way to go.

“We’d probably be pleased to have somebody else take it over,” he said.

“But maybe the devil we know is better than the one we don’t know.”

The council agreed in July to fast-track nearly $10 million worth of planned water infrastructure upgrades in Methven, following a public backlash to the town’s latest boil water notice.

Community board chairman Dan McLaughlin said it was difficult to establish a position with so little detail on hand, but on current evidence it was a tough sell.

“Let’s just say I haven’t come

across anyone who has said ‘wow that’s a great idea’.”

A handful of councils have considered referendums for their respective communities on the proposal, with Westland mayor Bruce Smith the loudest advocate of the move.

Brown has previously indicated that he would seek community feedback on the matter despite there not being a binding obligation to do so.

Invercargill deputy mayor Nobby Clark is also set to table a motion for his council to opt out of Three Waters.

Work on the Ashburton Relief Sewer (ARS) line has re-commenced following the Covid 19 Alert Level 4 lockdown when the contractors were unable to operate.

Despite the two-week delay the Ashburton District Council has stated the overall project remains on track to be completed by March.

With works back under way, the intersection closure on Beach Road East and Beach Road was put in place from Thursday.

Ashburton Contracting Ltd (ACL) is making good progress along Albert Street, with the pipelaying in the street expected to have been completed this week before the work moves into adjacent land.

At the other end of the project at Milton Road South, Seipp Construction is working in two locations laying the section of wastewater pipe that will run from the Ashburton River through to Wakanui Road where it will join ACL’s portion of the laid pipe.

The intersection of Milton Road South and Beach Road is closed to all traffic for approximately five weeks.

Traffic will need to detour via Cochranes Road, Wakanui Road, or Trevors Road depending on where drivers are travelling to.

Milton Road South between Beach Road and Wakanui Road remains closed to all traffic (except for residents). This section of the road will reopen at the end of November.

Milton Road South from the river to the Beach Road intersection remains closed to traffic, except for residents, and will reopen at the end of December.

First responders have finger on roadworks’ pulse Jonathan Leask Ashburton’s first responder emergency personnel know all about the dangers of roadwork obstacles in lifesaving situations, but they’ve overcome that during the CBD development project.

The Ashburton District’s Council’s $15m central business district upgrade project has had ongoing roadwork disruptions since January last year, starting almost right outside the gate of both the Ashburton Fire Station and the St John Ambulance bay.

Initially, the roadworks along Cass Street proved a challenge for some volunteer firefighters even getting to the station, with a concerned Ashburton Volunteer Fire Brigade chief fire officer Alan Burgess saying in February 2020 they had some people “parking half-a-block away and running to the station”.

Since then, Burgess said the only major issue was the planned closure of all the East Street intersections at once.

The initial programme involved the closure of all traffic movement through the four East

CBD status East Street Closed to all through traffic for a week.

Tancred Street Temporarily closed for this week to all through traffic. Pedestrian access available.

Street intersections for several weeks, but in April the council approved an additional budget of $181,000 to keep roads open to traffic for a project that was on schedule for a November finish before work ground to a halt under Alert Level 4 restrictions.

“Access to the west side was a prime concern, but we discussed that with the council and the contractors,’’ Burgess said.

“So they were well aware of the potential issue and addressed that.”

The CBD works were providing a challenge, but roadworks were nothing new for first responders to deal with, he said.

“There is always roadworks somewhere.

“It’s a matter of understanding what is open and what is shut, and then can you even turn around a corner as some areas

Burnett Street Remains open but no exit via East Street with a diversion down the alleyway beside The Somerset Grocer to Havelock Street.

are just too tight to get a fire engine around.”

The CBD works have been an inconvenience, but Burgess said they have been kept up-to-date by the council and contractors.

“It’s just a matter of getting through the next few months.”

He sees the bigger concern being the increasing build-up of traffic along West Street before roadworks fully begin at the Walnut Avenue roundabout and rail crossing for traffic signal installation.

St John Mid Canterbury territory manager, Charlotte Broms, said her organisation had also been well informed by the council on proposed road closures, works or diversions.

“Our ambulance officers are aware of any disruptions caused by the works and adjust their travel routes accordingly.”

The Ashburton CBD Revitalisation Project is right on the front door of both the Ashburton Fire Station and St John Ambulance, with both emergency services kept well informed of the traffic disruptions they may face daily.

PHOTO JONATHAN LEASK 270721-JL-002

NEWS 11

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

DROP-OFFS – Mobil service station – Caltex service station (Ashburton) – Community House (Cass Street) – Tinwald SuperValue – Cafe Time (Tinwald) – PGG Wrightson (Methven) The Ashburton Guardian sales team (from left) Karen Hall, Melissa Shimmin and Simon Bell parted with some best-selling novels by dropping them into the Bookarama collection box at the Caltex service station.

PHOTO MALCOLM HOPWOOD

Get your unwanted books dusted off Malcolm Hopwood Bookarama boxes have been distributed to key locations around the Ashburton District.

Ashburton Rotary is again or-

ganising the annual book sale from September 27 to October 2 and is calling on the Mid Canterbury community to contribute books they no longer need to Bookarama.

Rotary co-ordinator, David Mead, and his team have confirmed Mobil and Caltex service stations, SuperValue in Tinwald, PGG Wrightson (Methven) Community House and Café Time

(Tinwald) as locations for people to drop off their books.

He said the books would be picked up each night and stored at the Ashburton A&P Showgrounds before being taken to the Sports Hall on Tancred Street on September 18.

Rotary already has several thousand in storage from last year.

The Rotary team needs a week

to sort out the books and put them into categories ready for the opening, Mead said.

Last year nearly 20,000 books were offered for sale and Rotary raised $67,000 that was distributed to a variety of charities.

Mead is hoping that total will be surpassed in 2021.

“We take anything and everything,” he said.

Traditionally, novels, ro-

mances, sport, travel and cookbooks are popular but “everything sells”, he said.

“Over lockdown people have more time to read and probably have books lying around the house that Bookarama could offer for sale,” Mead said.

“We offer a pick-up service if people contact us.”

Ashburton Rotary has yet to confirm its charities for this year.

RUBBISH

Ashburton recycling habits slip over lockdown Jonathan Leask The Ashburton District’s recycling habits have slipped during lockdown.

Cameras on collection trucks are recording an increasing level of rubbish in yellow recycling bins.

That rubbish can contaminate a whole truckload being rejected at the Christchurch sorting plants and diverted to landfill – stinging ratepayers over $1000 per rejection.

Ashburton District Council contractors have reported polystyrene, shredded paper, green waste and black bags in recycling bins collected over the past week.

The recording equipment on the collection trucks is able to

capture images of the contaminated bins and pinpoint houses that the bins belong to.

Infrastructure services group manager Neil McCann said the quality of recycling has deterio-

rated during lockdown and if it continued, it was only a matter of time before a load was rejected.

“Things like grass clippings and shredded paper are the worst as they go through whole loads as

the truck packs in more material and the material is tumbled,” McCann said.

Prior to lockdown, contamination was about 6 per cent, with loads rejected at 10 per cent.

At the end of July, about 1000 properties in the district were being monitored after receiving a recycling warning from the council and repeat offenders can have their bins removed under the three strikes rule.

While recycling auditors are not on the ground during alert level 4 or 3 checking yellow bins prior to recycling and issuing warnings, images from the collection trucks can go towards a strike against a property.

Red and yellow bins are being emptied as normal in Ashburton, Methven, Rakaia, Hinds, Mayfield and Mt Somers, and under alert level 3 glass can now be recycled in green crates.

Resource recovery parks are also open, with limited services.

YELLOW OR RED? Yellow recycling bin: For recycling hard plastic grades 1, 2 and 5, cardboard, newspaper, tins and metal cans, which all must be clean of food scraps and be loose (not bagged).

No lids are allowed in recycling.

Red bin: Anything else – including items like drinking glasses, ceramics, crockery, porcelain and glass cookware and ovenware that are not recyclable.

12

EveryLife

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

by Gen de Spa

Memories of a loved Mid Cantabrian

Remembering an Ashburton character Petra de Geus

Career Polymer clay bead-maker Age 60

W

hen Petra de Geus taught a bead-making workshop a few years ago for the Mid Canterbury Timebank group, someone literally had to be her left hand.

Formerly an international award-winning polymer clay bead-maker, whose extensive travels were financed by selling hand-made beads, Petra had suffered a debilitating stroke at the age of 51. She would have turned 61 at the end of last month but on August 5, Petra left her body behind, ending the struggle of the past 10 years.

Petra’s frustration with her situation was evident. She wore it on her sleeve.

She’d been a vital, hard-working, hard-playing woman, a keen motorcyclist with two children, Kimberley and Matthew, running her own business and constantly making coffees for the stream of friends coming over for catchups.

She had an eye for style and had started her working life at 17, setting herself up as an antiques dealer where she was also

Petra de Geus out and about at the TimeBank with her friend.

PHOTO SUPPLIED

successful.

One of her offerings on joining the Timebank, a community organisation that allows people to share skills, support others and get needs met by exchanging time credits rather than money, was to appraise people’s antiques.

She had often taken the opportunity to message people on Facebook to let them know if they were giving something away, which they may not have realised was more valuable.

Petra was one of Ashburton’s characters, noticeable by her wheelchair and a friend or carer

pushing her, and sometimes with her large dog Radar pulling her, too.

She was loud and clear in her complaints. The inaccessibility of buildings and forests for differently-abled people, the roughness of footpaths when they are navigated on wheels, the need for passwords and pins on everything.

Well, you try using a phone with one hand and a brain injury and see how you go getting the numbers right every time.

Petra’s messages were a thing to decipher, but she was to the point. “AAAAAAA. Cellulitis. Ts paingul.’’

Hardship is not uncommon and Petra certainly had more than her share, but she was a survivor and she kept a wry sense of humour.

It wasn’t hard to see beneath the surface a good keen intellect and a kind, caring heart.

Petra was an animal lover and had a number of cats, as well as her dog.

Her loss will leave a very uniquely Petra-shaped hole in the lives of her friends and family.

She will be sorely missed.

Go well dear Petra. Hope you find some freedom there.

YOUR LIFE Obituary pages traditionally describe and celebrate the loves of the great and good, the famous and infamous. But there is another type of life that deserves noticing. Of people less in the public eye or lives beyond normal recognition. To offer a piece to Every Life, please contact us at: editor@theguardian. co.nz Please provide a photo of the Every Life subject and your own contact information. Articles should arrive within two weeks of the subject’s death. They are published at the editor’s discretion.

COMMENT

That’s why we have rules – Jenkins Lee Jenkins ON THE BEAT

F

or police, things will change slightly now that we have moved to alert level 3.

We will be out in the community even more now because police traffic stops will be placed all over town.

It would definitely make things run smoothly if you have your driver’s licence at the ready and that you can tell us exactly where you are going if you are stopped by us.

If you are out and about, and you are driving to where you need to be and where you are entitled to go, then just be clear on your purpose.

And don’t forget that we are here to support the community. If you need a hand, we are

always here to help. We are a 24hour service so please don’t be shy to give us a call if you need us in any capacity. Phone us on: 111 or 105.

won’t let you into their premises if you do not have a facemask on.

If you cause a problem, then they won’t hesitate to get in contact with police.

Fortunately, we have had only a few call-outs to essential services due to a lack of a facemask.

That’s why we have rules We are well aware that some people in the community are not overly concerned about Covid-19, but we know there are other people who are extremely fearful for their personal health and the health of their loved ones.

That’s why we have rules. The police do not make them, but we are charged with making sure the community follows them.

But I have to say that at level 4 all the communities in Mid Canterbury did a fantastic job of playing by those rules. Thank you. Your compliance made it easier for my team.

Remember those facemasks I would also like to remind

WOF understanding

everyone that at alert level 3, Covid face mask restrictions would still be in place while visiting essential services.

Some people are not a fan of facemasks but, as I explained above, we don’t set the rules.

Essential service business staff

One last thing, although a few more cars will be on the roads at level 3, the police won’t be worried about cars being out of warrant or certification at this stage.

Under alert level 4, those sorts of vehicle certification requirements could not take place.

The pragmatic approach now is that anyone having a warrant of fitness on their vehicle that expired at alert level 4, won’t be getting a ticket.

If anyone in the community does get ticketed because of that issue, please contact me directly to get it sorted.

NEWS 13

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

Years of separation

for Ashburton farmer Yesterday Jonathon Small left for Hong Kong indefinitely after months of seeking permission unsuccessfully to bring his partner to Ashburton.

He won’t return without Grace, the love of his life.

By Malcolm Hopwood

A

shburton farmer Jonathon Small will land in Hong Hong to start a new life

today.

He didn’t want to leave, he did everything to stay, but he fought Immigration New Zealand and lost.

The problem wasn’t Jonathon, but his partner who he met four years ago this month. Since November, 2020, Jonathon and his family have tried everything to bring her to Ashburton so they can be reunited, but the government has told them it “wants to protect the health of New Zealand”.

Jonathon, 32, and his father, Graeme, have reams of paper from MPs, ministers and government departments declining their applications, no matter the fresh evidence they provided.

Jonathon or Jono, as he’s known, will go into quarantine for a fortnight and then finally meet Grace Leung, a Hong Kong national, who he met and fell in love with back in 2017.

In September four years ago, he landed in Hong Kong en route from Europe to Australia, before returning to New Zealand.

“I wanted some local knowledge of Hong Kong so, when I got there, I wrote on a travel app and Grace responded,” Jono said.

She was born there, knew the territory and showed him around. In the fortnight he stayed, Jono and Grace, a dental technician, became close.

Grace was booked to spend new year in Australia, so they reunited and travelled the country together. Jono finally returned to Terracedale, the family farm at Huntingdon near Lake Hood, in time for the New Zealand harvest between mid-January and March, 2018.

“We kept in contact and soon realised we wanted to be with each other. We started to plan our lives together,” Jono said.

For the next 18 months they saw each other regularly either in New Zealand or countries such as Bali, Japan, Korea and Sri Lanka.

However, the repressive Chinese Government was starting to worry both of them and Jono made plans for Grace relocate to Ashburton last year.

“New Zealand and Hong Kong had reciprocal agreements for her to come here and then apply

for a visa,” he said.

But then Covid-19 struck and the borders of both countries closed.

“There was nothing either of us could do,” Jono said. “She wasn’t The Wiggles, or a film actor, or a rugby player, or even rich.”

So Jono and his family started the application process to Immigration New Zealand to bring her out. He applied for a partnership visa based on their commitment to be together. The visa was refused because they weren’t living together even if Covid denied them that opportunity.

“They accepted we were in a genuine relationship but still refused the visa on pre-Covid grounds,” he said.

Jono was angry and frustrated.

“I felt seriously let down, disappointed and desperate.”

He had guaranteed work as farm manager and was certain Grace would’ve been employed locally as a dental technician.

Three more applications followed, all declined. Jono received hope when Immigration New Zealand told him to apply on humanitarian grounds, but then they turned him down. He was devastated.

“I received a huge amount of conflicting and confusing information and advice,” he said.

In addition to immigration, the family sent letters to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Minister of Immigration, Kris Faafoi, who referred it to his associate, Phil Twyford. All were declined on the grounds of keeping New Zealand safe. The family’s plight was highlighted on TV3 about two months ago.

A submission to Rangitata MP Jo Luxton was also declined after six weeks of waiting and another to Selwyn MP, Nicola Grigg was never responded to.

“During this time the America’s Cup took place, cricketers came and went, foreign fishermen with Covid entered our quarantine facilities and business and investment leaders flew in and out,” Jono said.

“If you could pay your way into New Zealand, you were fine. Now there’s space for 300 displaced Afghanis, but no place for a New Zealand farmer and his partner to be together.

“It was the inequality of the whole thing that got me down.”

Jono’s parents, Graeme and Elizabeth, also appealed to immigration and MPs. “We have always done our best to follow the rules and be good citizens of New Zealand, but enough is enough and, when we see all sorts of sports teams and entertainers, plus others, coming into NZ at this time, we have to do what we can to help our family,” they said.

Now as they enter one of the busiest times on the farm with irrigation and preparing for the harvest, they have no staff. “We support Jono 100 per cent, but it’s going to be physically hard for us working by ourselves,” Graeme said.

“I’m concerned about my parents’ workload and regret the timing, but I had to leave,” Jono said.

The opportunity arose last month. On August 9 he discovered he could travel to Hong Kong on Air New Zealand with no visa but at very short notice.

“I didn’t want to lose the opportunity and made the call.

I booked the one-way ticket to leave on September 3. We’ve lost two years of our lives and don’t want to be apart anymore,” he said.

Jonathon acknowledges that, throughout the months of uncertainty he felt depressed, neglected, disappointed and seriously let down.

If he has a message, it’s one of hypocrisy that sports people, teams and entertainers can come and go but

Above – A happier moment for Jonathon and Grace as they enjoy sightseeing on the Great Wall of China.

Right – Jonathon Small relaxes at home after a final day’s work on the family farm. there’s no “wiggle” room for an Ashburton farmer and his partner.

Jono’s future in Hong Kong is uncertain after three months.

He’ll look at his options then, but he’s made one commitment. He won’t return to New Zealand without Grace.

you could pay your way into New Zealand, you were “ Iffine.

Now there’s space for 300 displaced Afghanis, but no place for a New Zealand farmer and his partner to be together

14

RantorRave

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

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OUR VIEW

Wait, you’re from where . . .?

S

o, the powers-that-be at city hall have spoken.

Well, most of them anyway because two of the nine Ashburton District councillors didn’t offer one word between them in the discussion on Wednesday to dump the new town slogan idea. Not one word.

Now, perhaps it would be slightly churlish to focus on that, as it would be to concentrate too much about an obvious inaccuracy in the council’s report on the matter by its economic development manager, Simon Worthington.

His report said the Guardian had “taken an interest in the council’s plans for a new slogan”.

Taken an interest? In the council’s slogan plans?

Pull up the bus, Simon. That’s certainly not the case, which

Daryl Holden set off warning signs reading it. If that one simple piece of information could be gotten so wrong, then how much confidence does that give us that the remainder of the document was exact in detail, interpretation and research?

Let’s remember that the Guardian drove the slogan branding concept on behalf of our community way back in March.

It had nothing to do with the council. We saw the need to address a glaring marketing and identity gap because Ashburton,

in many ways, was a faceless town. It was a town with a name, but a town with no official slogan since the often derided Whatever it Takes moniker got dumped goodness knows when.

We decided to take a community leadership position on it, to ignite debate, to mobilise community thinking, gather reaction and views.

And, boy, what a response we got. Thousands had their say.

Some clever ideas were suggested.

Then national media interest followed, excited to hear about our progressive, forwardthinking town wanting and understanding the value of a clever slogan to build its image in these ultra-competitive times.

As the council should know, in the next decade or so regional towns like ours will have to work

much, much harder at marketing themselves and developing a competitive identity than they have ever done in the past.

Their audiences are becoming more discerning and demanding. Their competitors are increasingly becoming more sophisticated.

A slogan, a welcome sign and even a clever sculpture, at the very least, could have been part of the town’s image makeover.

Make no mistake about that.

And why should we care about that? Well, for one, check in on the agricultural sector where there are hundreds of vacancies in the district. Hundreds.

That’s also the situation in much of regional New Zealand where farming jobs are plentiful.

Employers that can offer the best packages, and in the best towns, will get their men and

women.

Ashburton wants to be leading that charge. It needs to be seen as progressive, with more appeal and a little something extra to offer and entice.

It could be the difference between getting families to move here or to Southland or the West Coast. And that, my friends, comes back to image and standing out.

That comes back to one thing, as cleverly noted by Carolyn Cameron, the only councillor who saw real value in an upscaled image change.

Cameron said that ditching plans for a new town slogan meant Ashburton had missed its chance to improve its national image, which, she added, “is arguably not the best”.

Point made, councillor Cameron. Point made.

15 TAKING ISSUE

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

It’s time to get the elephant out of the room

I

am working with a handful of clients at the moment with relationship issues.

Ranging from inability to communicate well, to dealing with repairing the relationship after trust has been broken, to simply having drifted apart over time.

And, despite what situation is being addressed, there is one thing in common in all of these cases.

They are looking at the elephant in the room and nothing but the great big elephant.

In each situation the couple are determined to talk about The Problem, how it happened, when it happened, why it happened …

“Let’s talk about what happened?”

“How you feel? Are you okay?”

Problem, problem, problem!

Okay, I admit a little of that is important, but please don’t make it every single conversation. That’s insane.

You’re just going over the problem again and again. You’re looking for where the blame lies and it just keeps creating more hurt.

What you focus on magnifies.

Instead, I direct my clients to design what they do want.

I ask both of them, when this is resolved how do you want things to be?

What kind of relationship do you deeply desire?

What’s the room like without the elephant? How do you WANT the room to be when you

Sahera Laing LIFE COACH have freed the elephant?

Your relationship need not be what it was before, but can become something far better.

Why go backwards when you have so much unexplored territory to discover together?

Rebuild something stronger, more passionate and more enjoyable.

Then realign these wants with each other. Share what each of you desires to experience in a relationship.

Start looking at what the solution looks like.

As you both start to focus on the future relationship that you can have together, you need to consider who you need to be to create that relationship. What do you need to focus on within yourself, and in your behaviour, to have this?

No one needs to love you for who you are … they love you for who you are becoming.

We change through our lives and having someone to grow with is much more fun and fulfilling. Besides nothing in nature stops growing. If it’s not growing it’s dying.

Stop revisiting places you have been to and do not enjoy or that hurt.

Start mapping out new places

to go and new memories to make together.

Stop starring at the problematic elephant and start to see the room and its potential.

Sahera Laing is a mental fitness consultant, columnist and speaker. The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the author and those providing com-

ments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of the Ashburton Guardian Co Ltd or any employee thereof

I note with interest the photo in Thursday’s Guardian of the RAAF Vampire A79-649 and thought I should point out that the Ashburton Aviation Museum has two Vampire aircraft on display.

Our single seat model had been parked outside the Cave Tavern for many years as part of a children’s playground.

It was rescued and restored by a team from the museum. We also have a Goblin engine out of a Vampire that is in the pro-

cess of being restored. Although the museum is now closed due to our current lockdown level we will be open again when we move to Level 2.

The museum has grown exponentially since its inception back in 1974 and we now have a world class aviation museum at the Ashburton Airport.

We are looking forward to being open again and being able to show our visitors the wonderful collection we have.

Owen Moore

Letters to the editor

LETTERS The jab New Zealand is slowly getting through the vaccination programme, but there are still a lot of people not wanting to be vaccinated or dithering about it, and I admit I was one of the latter.

I thought about the people who had diphtheria, Polio, T.B. in the past. And of those who did survive and the long slow road they had to recovery, and if we hadn’t been inoculated against these and other diseases we would be

battling these as well as Covid.

You see, it isn’t just about yourself, and anyone who really cares for their family, friends and others they associate with will take responsibility and have the jab.

Just think if all of Mid Canterbury was vaccinated it could be business as usual and socialising as usual. What a great thought.

M. Harrison

Vampires in Ashburton

We welcome your letters and emails, but: Ideally, no more than 200 words.

We reserve the right to edit or not publish Email: editor@ theguardian.co.nz

OPINION

The times they are a-changing W

ow, a lot can happen in just a few weeks, can’t it?

Like the rest of you I have been reflecting on the impact of going back to Covid-19 Alert Level 4 and how that has affected individuals and the nation as a whole.

I am one of those people who were required to hurry back home before midnight in order to go into lockdown.

Then when I was home, realised that all the events and meetings in my diary were no

Heather Kennedy CHRISTIAN COMMENT longer going to happen or were now going to happen in different ways to usual. I suddenly had to schedule Zoom meetings, create worship services for e-mailing and get in touch with people who might be feeling lost, alone or challenged by lockdown.

Then I realised that there were

a lot of things I could do in lockdown, because I was at home.

I tackled a difficult jigsaw puzzle, finished crocheting a rug and read a novel I had been getting through slowly.

Then I even did some baking, and for those who know me, this is the last thing in the world I would normally do.

Then I started feeling guilty for all the things I have chosen not to do. To finish writing a book, but I should soon; to read a lot of resources and information that would enhance my sermons,

prayers and Bible studies; to write emails to people I usually only contact once or twice a year; to start sorting out books in my study, clothes and kitchenware in preparation for down-sizing (as my husband and I move back to Invercargill at the end of the year).

All these things will still be there to do, after lockdown.

So, like everyone else we have the opportunity to make the most of lockdown opportunities, or not. Life is like that. Life will always be like that and we have

the freedom to make choices that we either live with or make the most of.

Covid-19 and especially the Delta variant, will have changed our lives for ever, we will never return to some of the excesses and indulgences of the past, but at least we have a country, a community and family and friends with who we will always be able to care for, support and be supported by, come what may.

Heather Kennedy is the minister at Ashburton Methodist Parish

16 WEEKEND FOCUS

T

here was a moment in Mary Hefford’s life when she realised she wanted more than a moggy.

She grew up on a farm and had a love of all animals, especially cats.

“A moggy is a house guest,” she said, but she longed for something more.

It was when she bought a burmese for her daughter, Albertene, that she saw the value of a purebred. They weren’t just cuddly creatures, a “pedigree is a family member”, she said.

“Nina, my lilac burmese, changed everything. I could see what a pedigree could do.”

Now Mary has nothing against moggies or bitzers, she just wanted something else. In addition, coming from a rural background, she liked breeding animals. She bred

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

Mary Hefford loves animals and adores them around her, but her creature of choice is a cat. She’s “feline” good when she’s breeding award-winning Russian, British and American cats.

By Malcolm Hopwood sheep, deer and cattle, so why not cats?

Mary quickly discovered she’d entered a congested market with burmese, so she chose a breed just developing in New Zealand.

She attended a short-hair show in Canterbury and fell in love with russian blues.

“They’re intelligent, affectionate, very loyal and friendly,” she said.

But breeding isn’t simple. It can be as difficult as reuniting with family members during level 4.

Eventually, Mary purchased a Russian girl, registered it with New Zealand Cat Fancy (NZCF) and then became registered herself in 2004.

She bred initially for pleasure but, as her reputation grew and her Russians started winning

medals at provincial and national cat shows, she began receiving orders. In addition, the breed was becoming very popular.

Mary has bred hundreds over the years and sent them throughout New Zealand and to Australia, Holland and South Africa.

Such was her reputation, she was approached by a british blue breeder in New Zealand. Would

she expand her horizons?

“I was ready to spread the love,” Mary said. “The breeder sold me a champion kitten and I started from there.”

Her british blues, described as rounded, muscular, playful and fiercely loyal, are now scattered around New Zealand and Australia. “They are friendly, less energetic and affectionate on their own

WEEKEND FOCUS 17

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

Far left – Mary Hefford displays Sparky, the first american short haired male in New Zealand and yes, he really is that big.

Left – Mary’s love of animals also extends to calves, dogs, deer and orphaned lambs.

Right – Mary holds aloft a Russian champion, against a background of title ribbons.

Below, left – This british shorthair (Haxtendorf Countess Violet Crawley) is only four months old here.

Below – This slow-dripping tap must be a great place to have a shower. Haxtendorf Miss Ellie is an american shorthair and a supreme winner.

Below right – Various kittens from Haxtendorf Cattery.

terms,” Mary explains.

But there was still something missing from her cat-alogue. She found it at the Australian National Cat Show in Brisbane. It was an american short hair. “I always wanted to breed a black and silver tabby with a classic pattern,” she said.

They were a new breed, unknown in New Zealand, so Mary imported a male and female and started. She now has 10 kittens.

She can claim super power status. She has a Russian, British and American all living happily on her lifestyle block in Tinwald.

“The American is a very strong, healthy and muscular cat with a distinctive look,” she says. “It’s important to have fresh lines so I’m currently bringing in a new american short-haired boy from Russia.”

That might sound confusing but, when it comes to four legs and a tail, there’s no such thing as a cold war among cat breeders. Mary’s breeder of americans lives in Russia and it’s where she’s getting her next male.

She admits it’s expensive to import. Cats must be quarantined in their country of birth and then spend two weeks in New Zealand before being released.

Mary now has 24 cats at her Haxtendorf Cattery, including 14 breeding girls and six studs.

Currently she has 200 orders for all breeds with a waiting list of two to three years.

The busiest time of her year starts now. September to May is the breeding season and it’s almost a fulltime job for Mary. “I’m up at night helping my girls have babies.

Some british and american mums

have difficulty delivering because of the size of the babies’ heads,” she says.

Mary is owner, breeder and midwife with the help of vet, Juan Gray.

But, in her spare moments, she works with husband, Paul, on dad, Bevan Grice’s farm at Seafield Road. She also coaches rowing at Lake Hood for the Ashburton Rowing Club. Her son, Haxby, has a rowing scholarship and is studying computer science and rowing competitively at Otago University.

Mary has bred cats for nearly 20 years and never believed her business would take off to the extent it has. “Cats offer unconditional love and companionship and are wonderful to have around the house,” she says.

She encourages people, especially those living by themselves,

to adopt a cat at times when New Zealand is facing lockdown. They could be pedigree, moggy or a rescue cat from the SPCA, it doesn’t matter.

“During Covid-19 last year I was getting 10 inquiries a day from people wanting kittens as companions. They went manic,” she said. “It was the joy of looking after and having something on your knee.”

She’s had inquiries during the current lockdown, but not to the same extent.

Mary acknowledges her reputation and success at shows has led to the demand. Her cats have won nearly 50 regional and national titles and she has a wall of ribbons and trophies. In addition, Nibbles, a russian male, has appeared on the Dine Treats television commercial.

However, showing comes second to breeding, although Mary acknowledges that winning awards “does get my name out there and sells overseas”.

“My greatest satisfaction is breeding beautiful cats to go to beautiful homes,” she said.

Her kittens sell for between $1500 and $2000 and, while it sounds a lucrative business, she explains it costs $1000 a year to keep a cat and she has 24 of them in specially built areas on her property.

“It’s not a money maker. The breeding pays for itself, but I do it for other reasons,” she says. “I just love animals and I’m happiest when I’m surrounded by them.”

With 20 pet lambs, 10 calves, four dogs and 24 cats on nearly two hectares of land, Mary is in pedigree paradise.

18 WEEKEND FOCUS

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

QUICK FACTS Where: Harper River that feeds Coleridge Hydro Power Station.

What: Exotic plant species are endangering our braided rivers and bird life.

Who: Trustpower, together with BRaid, is clearing Harper Delta of weeds and predators.

When: Work started again this month.

Outcome: Improved nesting areas and habitat for our river birds.

Left – The Harper Delta in 2015, prior to the weed remova gramme.

Below – Trustpower’s Brian Lancaster bulldozing exotic pest pla the Harper Delta.

Right – An aerial view of the Harper Delta, clear of weeds.

PHOTOS SU

Below (from left): – Black billed gulls and their chicks. The nationally critical species is endemic to New Zealand and is the most threatened gull in the world.

– Spot the eggs – a nationally vulnerable banded dotteril sits on its well-camouflaged nest.

– Wrybills nesting will find the delta of the Harper River a much safer baby-raising area now thanks to Trustpower’s Brian Lancaster.

Brian ferrets out pred

helps run a hydro B

rian Lancaster’s job is “stoat-ally” important. He helps to maintain a power station and removes predators that surround it.

Brian works for Trustpower, administering its assets that control the water diversion from the remote Harper and Wilberforce rivers into Lake Coleridge.

The lake and the Coleridge Hydro Electric Power Station, New Zealand’s oldest, are deep in the Mid Canterbury high country. The lake is only accessible by winding gravel roads that climb deep into high country, sitting between the Canterbury Plains and the Southern Alps.

It’s the reservoir for the power station which sits 165 metres below it on the Rakaia River.

Brian regularly travels to the isolated area at the top of the lake to check on and

Braided rivers are rare globally. They occur when a climate and geology collide to form braided channels across a gravelly riverbed.

We have most of them in Canterbury. Equally rare are the braided river birds which nest there. When plant species threatened to ruin the birds’ habitat, Trustpower came to the rescue. This is their story.

By Malcolm Hopwood maintain the water diversions.

But, at this time of the year, he also has another responsibility. His task has expanded into a caretaker role for the natural environment he works in.

He’s embarked on a project to keep the

delta of the Harper River clear of weeds and reduce predator numbers for the birds that nest on the gravel plains each year from September through to February.

The gravel plains of the river delta are a hotbed of ecological diversity and an ideal

habitat for braided river birds, all of which are native or endemic to New Zealand.

Over time, many of Canterbury’s rivers have been overrun with introduced plant species that have strangled the rivers, reduced suitable nesting areas and created

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

WEEKEND FOCUS 19

val pro-

ants on

UPPLIED

dators and

o station habitat and cover for introduced pests and predator species.

Through Brian’s work and dedication, the situation looks different at the Harper River.

Prior to his work starting, the Harper Delta was covered in exotic pest vegetation including willows, lupin, gorse and broom.

Now, in partnership with Canterbury environmental group, Braided River Aid (BRaid), Trustpower has adapted the way it carries out its maintenance work. In doing so, it created a “good nesting habitat for the braided river birds and enhanced the overall environment”, said Trustpower’s environmental advisor, Holly Simperingham.

Work started five years ago to clear the vegetation. In using a bulldozer to keep

the channels of the river diversion clear, Brian Lancaster also cleared large areas of the delta that had become infested.

Since then, he’s continued to clear new spots of vegetation, keeping the delta pristine and ready for the nesting season.

Around the same time, Trustpower embarked on a trapping programme to reduce the number of predator species that prey on the birds, their nests and the eggs within them.

“Clearing the weeds from the delta not only created the nesting area, it also reduced the habitat and cover for predators,” she said.

But to give them a better chance at being able to hatch eggs, they needed to do more.

So they installed 24 traps across 12 sites bordering the delta, strategically placed

Trustpower’s Brian Lancaster (left) and Nick Ledgard (BRaid) install awareness signs on the Harper Diversion.

to form an additional barrier around the nesting habitat. The traps are in place year-round and have caught more than 100 predators including possums, rats, stoats, ferrets, feral cats and hedgehogs.

Simperingham said an additional step was to create more awareness of the environment and the vulnerable bird populations.

“It’s an area used by the public for recreational activities, so we worked with BRaid and the Coleridge Habitat Enhancement Trust, to install signs that help people identify the birds and ask them to take care during the nesting season,” she said.

“The nests can be well camouflaged so not taking vehicles on to the gravel areas of the riverbed and watching where you step is really important.”

The work has resulted in Trustpower

being awarded bronze environmental accreditation by BRaid, alongside others that are making a difference in caring for the braided river environments.

“BRaid takes a great approach to partnerships by looking at what we already do in our business and how we can carry out those tasks while making enhancements to the environment at the same time,” Simperingham said.

In turn BRaid said Trustpower has been an incredibly responsible and agile partner when it comes to braided rivers.

In the past few weeks Brian Lancaster has been busy.

He’s already completed a run of weed cleaning and has groomed the Harper Delta ready for the season ahead with signs, specifically relating to the nesting season, which will be installed shortly.

20 HERITAGE

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

Reduced to rubble

By Connor Lysaght

B

uildings come and go – this is something we are used to in Ashburton.

Right now, we are going through a period of rapid change evidenced by projects such as the upcoming new library and civic centre, the K-mart complex, as well as the numerous houses, outbuildings, and businesses being altered and built all around the town and district at present.

I have been told at least a few times by visitors and researchers who have come to the Ashburton Museum in recent years, who had not been in Ashburton for years if not decades, that “it’s all changed” – when you look at photographs of the town’s past, truer words could not have been spoken.

This week, let us take a look at a selection of buildings from around Ashburton and remind ourselves of some of the buildings that have been lost to time.

Commercial Hotel and flats What was once the Commercial Hotel, and eventually flats, had as much a storied history as the most illustrious provincial hotels.

It stood on the corner of East and Peter streets for just a little over a century, yet you would never be able to tell today.

Quill’s Commercial Hotel first appeared in Ashburton’s Evening Echo, March 15, 1878.

It was branded the “best accommodation to families and visitors, on the most reasonable terms”.

The Commercial became an important spot for gatherings such as club meetings, and it was the first building in Ashburton to have been fitted with a gas regulator in 1880.

The Commercial passed through many pairs of hands, eventually being converted into flats – units which I have been told were not exactly luxurious, but did the job.

The flats were to be demolished in 1982, but before the work was finished, a fire destroyed the remains of the Commercial that November.

The Commercial endured for just over a hundred years – not too shabby for an old country hotel of its kind.

Crum’s brick kiln Demolished in 1989, the

Crum family brick kiln stood as an Ashburton landmark for almost as long as the Commercial.

The early ownership history of this Creek Road site was colourful indeed – it was owned

by Sir Thomas and Henry John Tancred, as well as John Collins Allen in 1877, before passing into the hands of Montgomery and Co. About 1880, the iconic 12-chamber circular Hoffman kiln was built.

It was then sold to Hugo, Rudolph, and Max Friedlander in 1882, officially recorded as a brickyard.

The brickyard was eventually sold to Albert Crum in 1895, when it was known as the Kolmar Brickworks.

Under Albert, the kiln was modernised with a steam engine and its output reached 25 to 30,000 bricks a week, which was enough to build five houses.

By 1966, the clay pits surrounding the yard had been worked extensively and attempts to obtain more land for clay were blocked, and so after surviving on clay brought from elsewhere for years the kiln eventually shut down in 1978.

Demolition came eleven years later, and the kiln proved stubborn – it took two attempts to pull down the chimney, but eventually it fell, marking the end of an era for brickmaking in Ashburton.

Above – The Commercial Hotel, when it was operated by J. Moffat from 1901.

Below – Commercial flats, not long before their demolition and destruction by fire in 1982.

Bottom – The council villa at 113 Havelock Street, before its demolition in 2017.

Council villa 131 Havelock Street

Crum’s kiln, which was built around 1880 under Montgomery and Co. and was really put to work under the operation of the Crum family.

Demolished in 2017, the district council-owned villa that stood at 131 Havelock Street is remembered fondly by those who were familiar with it.

Over 100 years old at the time of its demolition, it was described as “a beautiful old house” despite its rough condition when it was pulled down.

It was used as office space for the district council and associat-

ed organisations, and according to an employee of the Ashburton Enterprise Agency who worked there in the 1990s, it was “a bit like working from your home really” – something many of us will be familiar with at the moment!

Both the property and finance departments had been based in the villa until about 2015, and it was unoccupied for a time after.

Unfortunately, by 2017 it was in rough shape – at the time, Dave Hampton from the ADC said “you get in the ceiling and

you don’t need a light because there’s that much daylight coming through”.

It had reached the end of its useful life and so the villa had to go.

Presently, the dual-purpose council chambers and Civil Defence Emergency Operations Centre stands in its stead – a very practical and clean-looking building in its own right, but the charm of that white and green villa is something that could not be replaced.

21

FinalWhistle The Guardian’s sports wrap

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

calling time on a week of sport

Our Top 10

Olympian plots her next move . . .

Rest, recharge & reflect

Silver medal winning Olympian, Emma Dyke is taking a break from competitive rowing for a year and she’s not sure yet whether she’ll come back to the sport. She shares her thoughts on P23

P24

National selection P22

Football over

Brain power test P26

P25

22 SPORT

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

Blindside

Mid Canterbury’s leading sports writer Matt Markham

matt.m@theguardian.co.nz

STARS OF THE WEEK Braden Currie Leaving your family behind and not knowing when you’ll see them again must be tough, but Braden shook off those concerns and produced one of the performances of his life in the Collins Cup last weekend to win his individual match-up.

Sophie Pascoe

National selection for Brea New Zealand has called former Methven triathlete, Brea Roderick, and she was more than happy to answer the call.

The 18-year-old former Mount Hutt College student is now based in Cambridge where she lives and trains.

This week she was named as part of the Tri NZ Junior World Championship team

3

by Triathlon New Zealand.

Unfortunately, due to restrictions in place, Roderick can’t attend the event, but said that the selection was a great motivator for her.

“I am ecstatic to be selected for the Junior Worlds team this year.

“Although I cannot attend, it gives me

A fish. Just an absolute speed demon fish. Sophie is deserving of her place as one of the greatest athletes this country has ever produced.

great motivation for the next few years as I move out of the junior category,” she said.

The team can’t compete due to unavailability in MIQ, but Triathlon NZ said they had been impressed with the hard work and commitment athletes had shown during these uncertain times.

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEK

Cricket

Danielle Aitchison

Smashed in the first game of the T20 series, the Black Caps have a bit of work to do. They played last night (Friday) as well, but you can catch them on Spark Sport from 10pm on Sunday night.

Talk about pure grit. On two occasions this week, Kiwi para-athlete Danielle Aitchison has pulled out incredible performances to claim silver and bronze in the 200m and 100m sprints respectively.

Rugby The Bledisloe Cup is safely tucked away, but can we grab the Rugby Championship too? Test match rugby returns on Sunday evening at 6pm with All Blacks v Wallabies to kick off a busy few weeks. Sky Sport 1.

Racing It’s one of the only sports this weekend where you’ll see local people competing. The Ashburton Trotting Club meeting from Ashburton.

Names like O’Reilly, May, Hay and Morrison all in action. Sky Sport Channel 62 from 11.45am.

A matter of fact . . .

From the world of weird and whacky, here’s five sporting facts you may, or may not, have known.

■■ 1.

More than 100 children are conceived annually at the Super Bowl parking lot during tailgate parties.

■■ 2. Cheetahs were once raced at Romford Greyhound Stadium in Lon-

don.

■■ 3.

Baseball umpires are required to wear black underwear – to avoid embarrassment if their pants ever split.

■■ 4. The NBA logo is actually a silhouette of Hall of Fame player, Jerry West.

■■ 5. Eleven hours is the longest recorded tennis match, at Wimbledon

SPORT 23

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

England’s calling, and Emma’s happy to accept T

ime to rest, time to recharge and time to reflect.

And now what happens next in the career of Emma Dyke, is anyone’s guess – even her own.

All the 26-year-old, who has a strong connection to the rural outcrops of Mid Canterbury, knows is that it’s time to step back and reassess the future. Whether rowing, something that’s been a part of her life for over a decade, features, is uncertain.

Fresh off the back of an Olympic campaign that’s seen a glittering silver medal draped around her neck as part of the New Zealand Women’s Eight, Dyke’s taken stock of a lot of factors.

And she’s had even more time to ponder life decisions than she initially thought she would.

Upon returning from Tokyo, Dyke spent two weeks in MIQ before spending what was initially supposed to be a few days on her parents’ farm in Mayfield,

Silver medal around her neck and memories of a lifetime stored away to be cherished forever, Olympian, Emma Dyke is content.

Time in MIQ and an extended stay on the family farm have given her plenty of time to reflect. Matt Markham caught up with the superstar of the water to find out what’s next.

By Matt Markham but those few days turned into a few weeks due to the nationwide lockdown.

“It’s been so nice being back down south, it’s been quite a while,” she said.

“MIQ was a great time to do some life admin, the first week was just a chance to relax and reflect – but the second week was tough.

“I definitely struggled that second week, but I was also lucky as my teammate Beth Ross and I had adjoining rooms, so we could hang out which I

Emma Dyke (left) and Kelsey Bevan pose with their silver medals in Tokyo.

PHOTO SUPPLIED

believe made all the difference.”

Life in MIQ and at the family home during lockdown was the perfect opportunity for Dyke to lock in her next moves and that started with applying for a visa to the United Kingdom, where she hopes to do some coaching, and she’s now fixed on her immediate plans once the country settles down a bit more in the wake of the Covid outbreak.

“I’ve decided that I’m taking this coming season/year off and heading to the UK when I am able. The time off will give me a good chance to find out where my head and heart are in terms of rowing.

“I am ready to take some time off as I’ve been at it full time since 2015 and I’m keen to experience something different as the world’s a big place.”

Walking away from a sport, without a fixed return, that’s been such a huge part of her life hasn’t been an easy decision.

Especially with the lure of another Olympic cycle just around the corner and the chance to go one better than Tokyo.

“I don’t know if I feel like there is unfinished business as such, as I’ve enjoyed the past few years and for me that’s everything.

“There was definitely an element of bittersweet in Tokyo since we were the World Champs, but in saying that we weren’t Olympic Champions. It just shows how much things can change in two years.”

Then there’s the mental health aspects of competing at such an elite level.

In the wake of the tragedy surrounding cyclist, Olivia Podmore the spotlight has

been firmly on mental health and Dyke is keen to see the conversations continuing.

“Mental health has obviously been a big topic recently and it’s so incredibly important that it remains a topic of focus. I think the support we athletes get is getting better and better, but athletes also need to remember that there are so many people that are available to help, or even have a yarn too.”

What did help however was the huge outpouring of support that came for athletes in New Zealand from the wider public and Dyke said seeing footage and reading messages from back home made all the trials and tribulations of Tokyo, all the more worth it.

“It was so overwhelming to see the amount of support we had behind us.

Even thinking back to the footage at the Cloud in Auckland that I have seen makes me emotional still to this day.

Seeing all of our families and friends in one location being about to cheer us on together was lovely.

“I’m so thankful what the New Zealand Olympic Committee put together for our supporters, not only did they get to be a part of the experience, but we got to feel the support that was there for us.”

While her future remains up in the air, in terms of whether or not she’ll return to the boat and row for New Zealand, the next chapter of Emma Dyke’s incredible story is set to be just as exciting as the previous.

This time though, it’s for purely selfish reasons. And that’s just how it should be.

24 SPORT

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

In search of the perfect 10…

Trying to decipher the greatest of the great in the sporting world of New Zealand over decades is never an easy task. There’s been so many wonderful athletes and performers for this country. So, choosing a list of the 10 greatest of all time seemed like a challenge. We asked a number of sporting versed identities from within the newsroom and out in the community to come up with theirs, and today we list them for discussion.

Bruce Bell

Hamish Riach

Jan Cochrane

Matt Markham

Rob Hooper

Lisa Carrington

Lisa Carrington

Lisa Carrington

Richie McCaw

Peter Snell

Sophie Pascoe

Richie McCaw

Peter Snell

Sophie Pascoe

Scott Dixon

Richie McCaw

Peter Snell

Mahe Drysdale

Lisa Carrington

Richard Hadlee

Peter Snell

Dan Carter

Valerie Adams

Peter Snell

Richie McCaw

Bond & Murray

John Walker

Richie McCaw

Hamish Bond

Hamish Bond

Richard Hadlee

Richard Hadlee

Susan Devoy

Mark Todd

Valerie Adams

Valerie Adams

Bond and Murray

Edmund Hillary

Wynton Rufer

Colin Meads

Colin Meads

Colin Meads

Steven Adams

Valerie Adams

Susan Devoy

Jonah Lomu

Valerie Adams

Richard Hadlee

James McDonald

Anthony Wilding

Susan Devoy

Bob Charles

Colin Meads

Brendon McCullum

Ivan Mauger

Daryl Holden

Trevor Cochrane

Jonathan Leask

James Tavendale

Adam Burns

Lisa Carrington

Edmund Hillary

Peter Snell

Peter Snell

Lisa Carrington

Richie McCaw

Peter Snell

Richie McCaw

Bruce McLaren

Richie McCaw

Valerie Adams

Colin Meads

Valerie Adams

Kane Williamson

Valerie Adams

Sophie Pascoe

Richard Hadlee

Lisa Carrington

Richard Hadlee

Richard Hadlee

Kane Williamson

Susan Devoy

Scott Dixon

Martin Crowe

Ian Ferguson

Peter Snell

Lisa Carrington

Richard Hadlee

Scott Dixon

Jonah Lomu

Hamish Bond

Mahe Drysdale

Bob Charles

Wynton Rufer

Kane Williamson

Peter Burling

Steven Adams

Mahe Drysdale

Hamish Bond

Peter Snell

Colin Meads

Jonah Lomu

Wynton Rufer

Bob Charles

Steven Adams

Lydia Ko

Bond and Murray

Steven Adams

Susan Devoy

Wynton Rufer

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

Rugby still in limbo Dunlea a young Crusader

Matt Markham National and community rugby in New Zealand remains in a holding pattern this week with no real definitive answers still on when it’s likely teams will be able to get back out onto the paddock.

The latest information from New Zealand Rugby has all rugby across New Zealand cancelled for another weekend, but there is some light at the end of the tunnel with a pending return to Alert Level 2 meaning that competitions can resume in some form.

But it won’t be immediate.

NZR has been in regular contact with provincial unions around the country this week as they try and map out plans for the three major tournaments: The NPC, Farah Palmer Cup and Heartland Championship as well as any remaining community level matches that are due to be played.

Mid Canterbury rugby boss, Ian Patterson said it’s not as simple as sitting down at a calendar and just slotting things in as they like though.

“There’s a lot to work through, a lot of different factors that need to be taken into account,” he said.

“We’ve got the new national directive of Balance is Better to take into account as well as player welfare and potential clashes with other sports and other events, especially at the community level.”

Community rugby includes sides like the Mid Canterbury Development side who have had just one match off the back of just a few trainings and to ask that team to reassess and gel back together is going to take some time.

Should the rest of New Zealand move to Alert Level 2 ear-

Former Ashburton College student, Josh Dunlea has been named in the wider training group of the 2021 Junior Crusaders.

The powerful forward was announced in the 60 strong schoolboy-aged side this week which will be led by Crusaders forward coach, Jason Ryan.

It’s a real nod in the direction of Dunlea who impressed every time he put on the Mid Canterbury Combined Schools 1st XV jersey last season.

The group gets together for a camp from Monday, October 11 until Wednesday October 13 where they will gain insights into the Crusaders’ high performance environment with focuses on goal setting, nutrition, fitness and mental skills. At the completion of the camp a side will be named to play a Highlanders Under 18 side on Friday, October 15 in Timaru.

Mid Canterbury will be keen to get back on the training paddock when Alert Level 2 arrives with a view to kicking off their Heartland Championship season.

PHOTO SUPPLIED ly next week, then there is the possibility of a return to rugby around September 18, giving teams over a week to get back onto the training paddock to prepare for matches.

“There needs to be an element of time in which these players can train before they start playing again and that’s what is being taken into account when decisions are be-

ing made,” Patterson added.

NZR’s message to unions and players this week was to be patient as they worked through the logistics of restarting competitions.

“Our goal is to get our teams back on the field as soon as possible and our competitions back under way, but we will not compromise the safety and welfare of our players or fans,

we are asking our provincial unions, players and fans to be patient,” NZR general manager of community rugby, Steve Lancaster said.

It’s been a long and much anticipated wait for the Mid Canterbury Heartland side who today would have been playing the third match of their campaign.

The commitment level thus far suggests that the plan is still to play the entirety of the competition but it’s uncertain how much the change of season dates will impact the team in terms of player availability.

SPORT 25

Netball awards go online With their season cancelled due to uncertainty around Covid-19 alert levels, Mid Canterbury Netball took their end of year celebrations online this week.

After almost two weeks of uncertainty around when they’d get to play the final two weeks of the local Premier competition, the decision was announced late last week that the competition wouldn’t be completed.

But there was still plenty celebrate and on Wednesday night the award winners for the season, across the season were announced in a Facebook video by Mid Canterbury Netball centre manager, Erin Tasker.

Award winners for the season were: ■■ Premier Grade Winners ■■ Premier 1: Hampstead A ■■ Premier 2: Hampstead B ■■ Premier 3: United B ■■ Umpiring Awards ■■ Leath Cup: Lead Reid ■■ Donalda Mitchell Trophy - Claudia Thomas ■■ Rhodes Trophy – Renee McLeod Team Awards ■■ Rosalie Begg Memorial Trophy (highest average goals): Rakaia Black ■■ Olive Husband Memorial Trophy (average least goals scored against) Methven Trucking Coaching ■■ Margaret Butler – CCA1 and CCA2 awards.

Representative ■■ McTigue Cup (age group rep player) Anna Tuamoheloa ■■ Cousins Cup (Senior A rep player) Caitlin Adlam Individual Awards ■■ Gail Benseman Trophy (Bench Official Award) Leonie Donald ■■ YAG Trophy (Youth contributing at a high level) Alex Bateman ■■ Marene Cunneen Trophy (Premier 1 and Premier 2) Leeanne Clemens

Football season comes to an abrupt end Matt Markham The Mid Canterbury community football season has come to a premature end.

Mainland Football announced this week that after consultation with clubs around the wider Canterbury region that they were cancelling the remainder of the community football season.

While a number of sides had finished their campaigns, a large amount of lower-level football and some junior football was still to be played into September.

Mainland Football said the decision had been made knowing that returning to play couldn’t happen without a week of training before games – something that was only possible under Alert Level 2.

“Given the various restrictions

and information we currently have, while also not having any clarity on the guidelines under Alert Level 2, there was unanimous agreement/understanding that it is unfeasible to play,” they said in a statement.

“Therefore, the various community football leagues have finished for the season.”

While disappointed to see the season come to an end, Mid Canterbury United Football Club also had reason to celebrate with the Division 4/3 men’s side winning their league and also the undefeated Mid Canterbury 15th grade side who finished at the top of their league.

Methven will also be celebrating with the early season finish seeing them at the top of the table in Division One action.

This week’s decision doesn’t yet impact on any regional tournaments that may have been scheduled to be played with decisions on these events set to be determined in the coming weeks.

Mainland Football announced this week that they had cancelled the remainder of their community football season.

26 SPORT

WeeklyWorkout

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

Sportsword

Exercise your grey cells with our weekly sports crossword and quiz

No 70

1 Trailblazing 1905 All Blacks’

captain (8) 5 Most-capped NZ rugby league player, Ruben -- (4) 7 71-cap All Black halfback 2004-13 (5) 9 Hawkes Bay All Black firstfive to South Africa 1970 (7) 11 Winner 1960 Centenary Melbourne Cup, -- Jinx (2) 12 Racehorse colour, abbrev (2) 13 Crusaders All Black halfback 2006-15 (5) 14 Aussie Wimbledon men’s singles champion 1987 (4) 17 Aussie state where Jeff Crowe launched first-class cricket career, abbrev (2) 18 Equine father (4) 19 All Black winger to South Africa 1960, Russell -- (4) 22 Aussie track great, Herb – (4) 24 Wager (3) 25 Member select band of NZ bowlers to claim 300 Test wickets (7) 26 Famed cricket Ashes receptacle (3) 27 Former Kiwi rugby league halfback, Clayton -- (6) 30 One-cap Southland ABs fullback late 1950s, Lloyd -- (5) 31 Versatile Auckland All Black prop 1993-2000 (4) 32 First NZ’er to win Olympic swimming medal, Jean -- (7)

© Copyright Peter Thomson 2021 1

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4. What is the highest possible score in a game of tenpin bowling? a) 260 b) 280 c) 300

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Black prop, -- Moli (3) 4 NZ-bred 2007 Melbourne Cup winner (9) 5 Warriors rugby league whiz-kid, Reece -- (5) 6 Former South African rugby franchise, Southern -- (5) 8 Basketball role, -- guard (5) 10 South Canterbury’s first Ranfurly Shield-winning captain, Lachie -- (5) 15 Football code’s Australian governing body, abbrev (3) 16 Legendary sports broadcaster, Peter -- (7) 19 Chiefs ABs halfback (5) Down 20 US-bred 1986 Melbourne 1 Dual Tokyo Games rowing Cup winner, -- Talaq (2) medallist, Kerri -- (6) 21 ABs World Cup winner 2 Former Black Caps captain, -- now coaching Queensland (5) 23 Former Auckland All Germon (3)

Black winger, -- Wright (5) 26 Women’s badminton competition, -- Cup (4) 27 Women’s tennis teams competition, -- Cup (3) 28 Gridiron role, tight -- (3) 29 Former Phoenix football coach, -- Buckingham (3) 30 Golf hole-in-one (3)

Solution No 69

M U L I A O I R O N S S T E V A T H R U I A R K E B U N D O E WA L S

A I N A B N C R D U C KWO R L W E B A R N W N S H D O N O S R O K O C O P A E E C R O R U H S T EW

Selection of previous puzzles available as printable PDFs Email: peter@sportswordcentral.com

PH 03 308 8432

3. What colour is the outermost ring on an archery target? a) Yellow b) Blue c) White

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MOBILE 0274 332 259

EMAIL trudgeonnz@ gmail.com

1. In which sport to women compete for the Solheim Cup? a) Netball b) Golf c) Hockey 2. In which year did the famous ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ boxing match take place? a) 1972 b) 1973 c) 1974

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SPORTS QUIZ

I R D O R T H A E S A A L D M K O N B N E B S A R T

5. Eddy Merckx was a famous athlete in what sport? a) Cycling b) Triathlon c) Darts 6. Aside from Tennis, which other sport is played at the All England Club in Wimbledon? a) Lawn Bowls b) Croquet c) Badminton 7. Spa motor racing circuit is in what country? a) Belgium b) Germany c) France 8. House, sweeping and tee are terms in what sport? a) Golf b) Curling c) Bocce Answers: 1. b) Golf, 2. c) 1974, 3. c) White, 4, c) 300, 5. a) Cycling. 6. b) Croquet, 7. a) Belgium, 8. b) Curling

Across

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

RightonTrack Guardian racing

SPORT 27

Mid Canterbury’s horse and dog racing action

Ford pairing look strong Matt Markham They’re small in numbers compared to other locally run race meetings, but there’s some strong prospects in among those heading to Christchurch tomorrow for the Ashburton Trotting Club’s first meeting of the season.

Eight horses trained in the Mid Canterbury region will line up at the transferred meeting from Ashburton, taking on the might of Addington Raceway instead of the big roomy track here locally.

Harness Racing New Zealand have a commitment to race at as few venues as possible during Alert Level 3 and Addington is the track of choice in Canterbury – meaning that Ashburton misses out on having the meeting on home territory.

However, the good news is the meeting will still go ahead.

And for a Rakaia father and son, training and driving combination it will hopefully be fruitful.

Alan and Jason Ford will trek north with two horses on the float, trotters Test The Boundaries and Call This Fun. Both are talented trotters at their best and despite not hav-

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Myrcella Belle’s Boy Flamboyant Dismara Martin John Royal Jester Von Art El Dorado Pay Me Visa Four Starzzz Shiraz The Naenae Express

1 73654 2 8x053 3 93380 4 x0407 5 0x5x8 6 77786 7 9408 8 5x 9 429x Thornley 10 0800x 11 00x 12 6090x 13 029qx

Megan Mcintyre S Blake G A Cook M F Maynard A N Edge B G White S P Murtha C P Negus Andrew Fitzgerald

Random Spur John Morrison Aditi G D Smith Instant Delight Bacardi Pride M P Edmonds Rachel Daytom L F O’Reilly Majestic Jag J R Dunn Cheeky Monkey Miss Millie A L Lethaby Toobusy Being Famous Craig D Awesome Impee Andoverfist Dashing Dutchy Aiguille

P J Wakelin T S Chmiel C Mcdowell S J Ottley

R3 HARVEY SIGNS HARNESS 7000 MOBILE PACE $9,000 1980m 12:43 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

34x42 83649 0037x 54403 80x64 40943 0 88 64058 4 768

Valerie Verde K M Cox Fly Lika Falcon G D Smith Prodigal Son Craig D Thornley Franco Hatton J W Cox Glitz And Glam J R Dunn All Together Now T S Chmiel Miss Markle R D Close Chance Achiever S J Ottley Get Outta Town B N Orange Sheezagoldengirl Sam Thornley Tane J J J J A Young-Grant Black Lace J P Versteeg

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

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Moody River It’s Me Auchtercairn Justace

J R Dunn Sam Thornley R T May G D Smith

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She’s A Dagg B N Orange Penelope Bromac Ben Hope Magic Sign Sheree Tomlinson Reinimin Patron Honour Before Glory R D Close Little Gee L F O’Reilly Tiger Lou C J Defilippi

R5 GAVIN DOUGLAS MOBILE PACE $9,000 1980m 13:54 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

The return of racing in New Zealand on Wednesday was highlighted by an excellent 11-race card of action from Ashburton Racing Club – and the locals weren’t without a say there either.

Training duo, Sarah and Matt Smith had a great day out on their

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Greenback Boogie B N Orange Black Lace J P Versteeg Twilight Bromac The Cobbler R T May U R The One T S Chmiel Franco Cornel T M Williams Pampelonne G D Smith Rollyarrrz Korbyn Newman Owhatanight P J Davis

7 8

1 2 3 2 4 3x 5 6 9x5x6 7 8 509x7 9 10

Rakero Rebel G D Smith Dancing Kate J W Cox Pampelonne Stoked To Haver J R Dunn Spark It Up Rozha R T May Hilda Maud John Morrison White Diamond Gold Craig D Thornley Apatchofgold J J A Young-Grant Dancing Desire B N Orange

R7 CHELSEA PROPERTIES HANDICAP TROT $9,000 2600m 15:04 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

81097 1505x 99313 33081 56319 1690x 068x3 0x811 81805

Moment Of Kaos J W Cox Test The Boundaries Jason Ford Listen Easy B N Orange Sundons Flyer J J A Young-Grant That’s The Story Sheree Tomlinson Escargo S J Ottley Prince Ranier J R Dunn Greenbank Betty T M Williams Red Harbour Craig D Thornley

R8 ALLENTON PHARMACY F&M MOBILE PACE $9,000 1980m 15:41 3 4 5 6

27173 57020 3313 88061 836x2 002x6

Big Mama Morris Vesnina Daisy Duke Safe Zone Immer Besser Annie Richter

K G Cameron J R Dunn B N Orange John Morrison S J Ottley T S Chmiel

31366 31384

Conquer Me Shards In Manhattan C J Dalgety

R9 PREMIUM PEAS YOUNG AT HEART MOBILE PACE $9,000 1980m 16:16 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Excellent in two runs back from a spell and lobs a good draw here today. Should be on the speed throughout and in a field that is devoid of standouts, he’s got to be the one they all have to beat today.

Each Way Bet: Saginaw – Race 9, Addington Sunday

Hasn’t put a foot wrong in a few months now and is a wonderful follower of speed. Not many in this weekend’s assignment would match him for dash over a furlong and if he’s close enough, he might just reel them all in.

Longshot: Kingsdown Atom – Race 11, Addington Sunday

Showed a bit more of the true worth last time out when third.

Likely to get lost in the betting markets this week though with a big, even field. Good draw and a slick beginning will have him right in the action though and no surprise to see a big performance.

Local Hope: Test The Boundaries – Race 7, Addington Sunday

Smart trotter back from a spell for the Ford family from Rakaia. Posseses a huge motor and as long as the manners come along to the party today and he’s close enough turning for home the might not be able to hold him out in the run to the line.

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Pete’s Dash Better Fly My Mate Ben Bossmaro Sister’s Delight Blazing Impact The Optimist Saginaw Shards Fury Cha Cha B Off The Edge

Matt Markham’s Ashburton selections

J J A Young-Grant J R Dunn Scott Iremonger T M Williams S J Ottley R T May K G Cameron R M Cameron J W Cox B N Orange

Race 1: El Dorado, Von Art, Pay Me Visa, Martin John Race 2: Majestic Jag, Aguille, Aditi, Random Spur Race 3: Fly Lika Falcon, Miss Markle, Get Outta Town, Valerie Verde Race 4: Tiger Lou, She’s A Dagg, Just Ace, Reinimin Patron Race 5: Pampelonne, Rollyarrrz, Twilight Bromac, Franco Cornel Race 6: Rakero Rebel, Dancing Desire, Stoked To Haver, Hilda Maud Race 7: Test The Boundaries, Greenbank Betty, Escargo, That’s The Story Race 8: Daisy Duke, Big Mama Morris, Immer Besser, Vesnina Race 9: Blazing Impact, Bossmaro, Saginaw, The Optimist Race 10: KD Hawk, Zsahara, Beyond The Horizon, Call This Fun Race 11: Maybe, Brother John, Artatac, Woodlea Explorer Race 12: Jonique, Journo, Pro Surfer, Chal Be BEST BET: Fly Lika Falcon (Race 3) VALUE: Test The Boundaries (Race 7)

R10 FLOWERS AT THE GATE TROT $8,000 2600m 16:42 1

R6 MACCA LODGE FILLIES & MARES MOBILE 2 3 PACE $9,000 1980m 14:32

R4 DOUG COLEY FLOORING LIMITED MOBILE 1 PACE $8,000 1980m 13:18 2 1 2 3 4

Locals shine in return to racing

Best Bet: Fly Lika Falcon – Race 3, Addington Sunday

Tomorrow at Addington Raceway

R2 MT HUTT TROTTING CLUB TROT $9,000 2600m 12:10

ing raced for a number of weeks will have plenty of fitness under the belt and look strong chances today in their respective races.

Test The Boundaries returns from a good spell after turning more than a few heads in his first campaign and will be expected to prove a strong player in his small field during the middle stages of the day.

Matt Markham scours the racing action over the weekend in search of some winners, some value and a local hope or two.

Ashburton harness

R1 BETAVET AMATEUR DRIVERS MOBILE PACE $8000 1980m 11:45 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Jason Ford and Test The Boundaries are one to watch today at the Ashburton meeting at Addington.

PHOTO SUPPLIED

home track picking up a winner and two placings from their five starters.

They won late in the day with Splendior who fought off the challenge of hot-favourite, Frankie The Fox to win with plenty of authority in the Rating 74 event under the ride of Corey Campbell.

That win followed on from a third placing from Thistle in the first race of the day and then a second placing from Diroadelle a few races later.

The day almost became even better for the combination with another runner, Vermont making up huge ground from back in the field to finish fourth in the last race of the day.

Also in on the action was great campaigner, Standrews Masonic who ran a bold race for third and Peter Corbett prepared, She’s A Smash Hit to also finish third.

And while not official, Amanda Higgins played a part in perhaps the most impressive win of the day.

She’s been the caretaker trainer of exciting three-year-old Sea Shepherd for Southland trainer, Sabin Kirkland who is unable to travel due to Covid restrictions, so sent the horse north to Ashburton to be prepared for Wednesday.

Many local runners will get the chance to get back in on the action again on Monday when the Ashburton Racing Club holds its second meeting since lockdown.

Track Spy

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Sally Lindenny G D O’Reilly Faith No More Laura Mckay Call This Fun Jason Ford Shes So Right Tres Magnifique B Weaver Bella Button S D Lethaby Momentous R T May Rachmaninov T J Grant Smudgee B J Borcoskie Beyond The Horizon J W Smith Shiffty G D Smith Zsahara Sheree Tomlinson Take After Me John Morrison Palisade B N Orange Spot The Gamble Sam Thornley Kd Hawk R J Butt Mighty Flying Rocker J R Dunn Make My Sundon S J Ottley

R11 IAN LOCHHEAD MEMORIAL HANDICAP PACE $9,000 2600m 17:14

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

683 78171 9x0x3 42122 549x2 80x00 7x867 30x22 31747 28154 6360 57646

Kingsdown Atom Brother John Stamp Duty Artatac The Conqueror A Rocknroll Star Allandale Woodlea Explorer Proteus Classie Washington Kennedy Dreaminsover

John Morrison

B N Orange S J Ottley G D O’Reilly Craig D Thornley K M Cox G D Smith T S Chmiel C J Defilippi J J A Young-Grant

13 14 15

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Tetrick Korbyn Newman Magical Matty Sheree Tomlinson Maybe J W Cox

R12 GRAEME SPARKS MEMORIAL MOBILE PACE $8,000 1980m 17:38 1 2 3 4

66223 453 1367x 359

Pro Surfer Donegal Carrickfin Luminite Motoring Major

Korbyn Newman R L Houghton Sam Thornley Craig D Thornley

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

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Kowhai Shadow S J Ottley Jordy John Morrison Wee Ring The Changes Chal Be J F Curtin Journo B N Orange Szybka Lane J R Dunn Jonique Look Sharp G D O’Reilly Jessie Kelly Ben Hope

28 MOTORING

DriveThru

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

All things motoring and otherwise

with Bernard Egan

Of Prefects and Anglias A

t the celebration of Ray McCausland’s fascinating life, and in Malcolm Hopwood’s lovely obituary published in this newspaper last Saturday, he was correctly referred to as a good gentleman, wonderful journalist, great story-teller and quite a character.

The colourful tales which have been shared include reference to a car which Ray owned – a Ford Prefect.

A Prefect which was driven in his own unique style.

Knowledge of Guardian sub-editor Donald Hurst’s interest in Ford Prefects prompted a discussion with him about these cars, produced between 1953 and 1962.

The Prefect’s smaller cousin – the Anglia – also came into the discussion.

There are not a lot of Prefects and Anglias to be seen on our roads now, but back in the day they were, with good reason, popular cars.

Actually there was another model called the Popular.

Incredibly, within just hours of our discussion, an Anglia appeared on Trade Me. But not just any Anglia – a 1948, very rare Ford Anglia Roadster Pick-Up. “Forduitously” we know the seller, North Island micro car enthusiast Terry North, who explained this Anglia was imported from Australia in the 1990s, and used by Stefan’s Juice Company in their advertising and for promotional work.

Terry purchased it from a subsequent owner.

The unusual pickup was built by Coach Craft in Brisbane.

It’s thought to be the only one in this country and, not surprisingly, sold within days.

A discussion about Ray McCausland’s car prompted these words.

His mantra about composing a story was “look for the angle”.

Hopefully he’d have liked the angle taken to write about an Anglia.

Ray, a wonderful wordsmith, no doubt knew that by rearranging letters, prefect becomes perfect, which is ironical because the Prefect was a perfect car for him.

Reverently confessing Remembering Noel Lowe M O S ne sub-editor has been mentioned herein, let’s mention another one – Steve Devereux – well known as a purveyor of fascinating snippets often via Facebook.

Here’s his recent motoring related tale: A bloke takes his new car back to the garage and says to the mechanic: “I just don’t understand it, every time I drive past a vicar there’s a beep and a number appears on the instrument panel”.

“Don’t worry about it,” says the owner, “that’s the Rev counter”.

Have to confess to liking that one.

peaking of confessions, this writer has owned up to a serious misdemeanour – never having read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Hearing the confession, said sub-editor has prescribed penance – getting a copy (soon as lockdown is over of course) and reading it.

Bookworm Ray McCausland must surely have known about that book, and would have been amused to find that upon arrival on our planet the extra-terrestrial lead character, realising he would need an earthly name, did some research and called himself – what else – Ford Prefect.

any people including those of us here at Guardian Motoring are remembering Noel Lowe, a gentleman who contributed so much to our community in a wide variety of ways.

Noel often spoke with us about stories – both test drives and personality pieces – which appeared in our pages.

In December 2018 Noel shared memories of his first car an Austin A40 Devon. A vehicle he described as a good reliable car which he never forgot.

Pictured right is a young Noel Lowe with his pride and joy.

We’ve enjoyed many great chats with Noel, appreciated his interest in what we do and feel privileged and glad to have known him.

Our condolences are extended to Audrey and all her family.

CLASSIFIEDS 29

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

Some like it . . . yellow A

collection of rare Holdens is expected to fetch eight-figures at auction next month.

Following the record-breaking $1 million sale of one of four special HSV utes in January, Lloyds Auctions has listed another Maloo GTSR W1, among a group of eye-catching HSVs. This example, with 19 kilometres on the odometer, is finished in yellow paint that matches an original 1996 HSV VS GTSR with 86 kilometres on the clock, as well as a customised HSV GTSR W1 sedan that represents one of Australia’s last muscle cars.

As the final machine offered by HSV, the supercharged W1 represented the ultimate V8-powered Holden Commodore.

The car was never officially offered to the public as a ute – or in the light yellow paint shown here.

The colour in question is XU3 Yellah, which was the factory colour for the VS GTSR, but would’ve had to have been on special order for three VFs here.

Lee Hames, chief operating officer for Lloyds Auctions, said the collection received more than $1 million in bids within 24 hours of going online.

“These vehicles are extremely rare, and we are unlikely to see them come through auction again,” he said.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if a museum or Holden themselves purchased them to preserve history, I just hope they get to stay in Australia.”

Some Australian classics have attracted international attention from the likes of McLaren boss Zak Brown, who owns a Holden V8 Supercar driven to victory in the Bathurst 1000 by Garth Tander and Nick Percat.

The fourth showstopper in the auction

was a special show car developed for the 2004 Sydney Motor Show.

Pitched as the HSV GTSR Prototype Concept Coupe, the Monaro-based machine was touted as a racing alternative to the likes of Porsche’s 911 GT3 Carrera Cup cars.

The GTSR Prototype won plenty of attention from muscle car fans, but didn’t attract enough investment to go into production.

Which means just one example exists, making the orange coupe one of the most collectable Holdens of the modern era.

Big bucks for rusty Gullwing A

It might be rusty, but this Mercedes-Benz 300SL is expected to attract a big price.

s one of the most iconic cars to come out of Germany, the Mercedes-Benz 300SL is something that most people can only dream of owning, but if you thought that this rusty example was a ticket into the Gullwing club, think again.

Despite its less-than-ideal condition, this 300SL is still just one of 1400 built, so is still a hot commodity in the collector world. Because of this, it has been listed online at the hefty price of $2 million.

As you can probably tell from its condition, this 1956 Gullwing has lived an interesting life, starting with its first owner, Roger M. Andrews, who was an assistant director that worked on films like Superman from 1948.

Following Andrews’ death, the car spent 60 years in the possession of the Wolf family, where it not only received a red paint job, but also covered almost 150,000km.

It was then sold to a Mercedes collector in 2018, who removed the red paint to uncover the car’s original shade of white, giving it a patina finish unlike any 300SL around.

On the inside, it’s a different state of affairs as the red vinyl was restored at some point, and all the gauges are in perfect working order. It also comes with the original Karl Baisch Gullwing luggage.

In terms of mechanicals, the car reportedly started right up after over a decade of sitting, and was happy to idle once a little bit of work was done. The listing notes that this is a matching-numbers car except for the transmission, which was swapped at some point.

With an asking price of $2 million, this Gullwing might take a while to sell, but here’s hoping whoever buys it keeps it in its current condition and racks up a few more miles on the clock.

30 MOTORING

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

It’s back, and electrified B

ritain’s oldest car manufacturer, AC Cars, has unveiled the AC Ace RS electric, continuing the company’s return and reaffirming its approach to providing highly evocative, handbuilt cars with high performance zero-emission powertrains.

Restored for the first time in over two decades as an official AC Cars model, and retaining the iconic shape of the original, the new AC Ace RS electric is a true thoroughbred in keeping with the lineage of the iconic brand.

A world away from messy conversions using off-the-shelf parts, the AC Ace RS electric is a brand new production car that delivers precision British engineering with a specifically developed cutting-edge electric drivetrain.

Despite its classic styling the new AC will deliver a 0-100kph time of around 5.5secs and 500Nm of torque (peak), ensuring that it’s in a different performance league to the Ace of old. The AC Ace RS electric will achieve around 200 emissions-free miles on a single charge.

Named in honour of the original car’s final iteration, the AC Ace RS, just 37 Founders Editions

of the AC Ace RS electric are planned, starting at £129,500.

Alan Lubinsky, chief executive of AC Cars for 25 years said: “Our move to electric power has proved to be more important for the brand than anything else we’ve attempted before. The combination of our pedigree with a new, fully electric drivetrain means that we’re ready to offer brand new cars that are undeniably historic in character yet thoroughly modern in their powertrain and performance.

“The interest around the world in our new electric cars has been tremendous and has proved that developing a bespoke EV powertrain is the right approach in ensuring the future success of AC Cars.”

Undeniably the Ace

It’s back, but there’s a lot of the latest technology lurking under those familiar lines.

The definitive British sports car in the post-War years, the original AC Ace was launched in 1954 and stayed in production until 1962, capturing enthusiasts’ attention with its undeniable beauty and spirited performance.

In turn, the Ace led directly to the development of another all-time automotive great, the formidable AC Cobra.

The new car will wear an AC Cars chassis number, ensuring the AC Ace RS electric reaffirms the marque’s traditional values and delivers customers an expertly crafted, brand new electric car.

Using the more advanced Mk IV AC chassis, the new cars will be hand-built under the watchful eye of acknowledged expert Steve Gray, Head of AC Heritage.

Based at the UK’s historic racing circuit Brooklands, Surrey, Steve and the specialist team will be responsible for tailoring each car to the owner’s specification.

Once again AC Cars has worked with Derby based technical partner Falcon Electric, to ensure that the integration of EV technology remains wholly in keeping with the personality and performance that made AC’s cars

admired around the world.

Deliveries of the first customer cars will start in late 2022, and reservations can be made now via the AC Cars website.

The launch of the new AC Ace RS electric follows the finalisation of the AC Cobra Series 1 electric, ahead of the first customer deliveries, and the AC Cobra Series 4 electric announced in June

YOUR L

New powertrain for 3, CX-30

PARTS &

YOUR LOCAL HONDA Building on the already feature-packed offering that has won both models praise and accolades, this update will see Mazda CX-30 and Mazda3 add the G20e M Hybrid engine and a stylish SP grade to their respective line-ups.

Mazda Australia marketing director, Alastair Doak, explains the update is key in delivering customers the latest and best technologies.

“These updates expand our range and product offering further, giving our customers more opportunity.”

Headlining updates to both models, Mazda CX-30 and Mazda3 will offer enhanced efficiency, adding a new powertrain and

advanced safety technology in G20e Evolve M Hybrid Vision Technology.

Debuted in Mazda MX-30, e-Skyactiv G combines the virtues of Skyactiv G with the M Hybrid system to provide improved fuel efficiency, a smoother transition from idling stops and a more refined driving feel.

Each model line will bolster safety and style, adding a new SP Vision Technology grade that pairs Mazda’s most advanced i-Activsense features with interior and exterior visual highlights to define a stylish new grade Mazda CX-30 Touring is more customisable than ever; the SP Vision Technology variant is available with a choice of 2.0-li-

PARTS & SERVICE CENTRE Honda Service Store Ashburton

tre, 2.5-litre or 2.5-litre AWD. It adds Burgundy leather trim, black dash and door card accents, black metallic 18-alloy wheels and black side mirror caps.

Mazda3’s most popular Evolve grade will be renewed as G25 Evolve SP. Adding a sporty flair to hatch or sedan, the new SP variant adds black exterior mirrors, black 18-inch alloy wheels, black grille and black cloth seats with red accents.

Further changes across the nameplates have been made to boost equipment levels and customisation.

The updated Mazda CX-30 and Mazda3 are currently available for pre-order.

CONTACTLESS SERVICE

Malcolm Lovett Automotive We are open for contactless business.

8am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

Can pick up / deliver your vehicle.

Phone 03 308 9109 Corner Cass and Havelock St (use Cass St entrance)

MALCOLM LOVETT AUTOMOTIVE LTD

One-Stop Glass Shop Auto Glass

House Glass

Cars Trucks Tractors Construction Caravans Classics Mirror Glass Autoglass camera recalibration

Flat Glass Perspex Mirror Cat/Dog Doors Double Glaze Replacements Picture Frames Fire Door Glass General Residential Work Retrofit Double Glaze Aluminium or Wooden Frames

W E A R E N Str, O W Ashburton DOING HOUSE GLASS 299 Havelock Phone 03 308 8485 03299 308Havelock 9109 Str, Ashburton 03 308 9109 hondaadmin@malcolmlovett.co.nz

• • • • • •

Warrant of Fitness (WoF) Vehicle Servicing and Repairs Airconditioning Battery Town Courtesy Vehicles Available Auto Electrical Repairs

If it doesn’t go, let us know! Call 307 2696

office@wilsonwindscreens.co.nz 152 Wills Street, Ashburton 7700

hondaadmin@malcolmlovett.co.nz

187 Alford Forest Road, Ashburton P 307 2696 E autosparks@xtra.co.nz

PUZZLES 31

Puzzles and horoscopes Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

Cryptic crossword 1

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3

Simon Shuker’s Code Cracker

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Your Stars

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ACROSS 1. Put their carcase another way to give distinctive quality (12) 8. It’s left out if religious settlement has nothing ahead (8) 9. Drive very fast to the zone (4) 11. Having dined, took each half with half a score (5) 12. Book division made up of canons (7) 13. Grass growing from fruit one had left (4) 15. Silly old Georgia appears twice (4) 19. Got idea of planting out something like evening primrose (7) 20. Flesh cured and saved by one escaping from difficulty (5) 22. That of Dogs is late at quitting it (4) 23. A gift will do if the country makes it (8) 24. Trifle with violin, having fed lad for a change (6-6) DOWN 2. In the army one may give one a lift (5) 3. Consider it an injury not to begin now (6) 4. Get down low right in the grass (6) 5. Lack of movement made one retain it anyhow (7) 6. It is amusing, having guests (12) 7. GI forces me to change and meets with disaster (5,2,5) 10. Bees make it in a fit of rage (3) 14. It’s right it may have led Dad to be worsened by debauchery (7) 16. Remain without a place to put a pig in (3) 17. The outcome will justify itself without a hyphen (3-3) 18. In a ship will make a bar do for it (6) 21. Coldness requires one to be hot stuff (5)

WordWheel Insert the missing letter to complete an eight-letter word reading clockwise or anti-clockwise.

WordWheel 927

A E S E

Quick crossword 1

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17 19 22

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www.thepuzzlecompany.co.nz 4/9

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Sudoku 24

ACROSS 7. Merchant (6) 8. Marvel (6) 10. Cul de sac (4,3) 11. Swindler (5) 12. Small military group (4) 13. Financial resources (5) 17. Rodent (5) 18. Wise (4) 22. Change (5) 23. Softens (7) 24. Attic (6) 25. Provides (6)

25

DOWN 1. Arena (7) 2. Devilish (7) 3. Prise (5) 4. Swine-like (7) 5. Counted up (5) 6. Penned (5) 9. Opponent (9) 14. Concerned (7) 15. Stroll (7) 16. Persevere (7) 19. Chuckle (5) 20. Tempest (5) 21. Swell (5)

1 8 6 5

9 4 9 2 7

5

3

3 2 4 1 1 6 8 4 8 5 2 3 1 9 6 4 7

7 6 9 4 5 2 8 3 1

1 7 8 5 4 3 9 2 6

Across: 1. Scared 8. Exist 9. Manhood 11. Remember 12. Steam 15. Ages 16. Ask 17. Aria 19. Gnash 21. Footpath 24. Earlier 25. Laser 26. Fettle 4 Fever 2 6. Limb 8 Down: 2. Chant 3. Rehearse 4. Door 5.

7. Star 10. Devastate 12. Soap 13.

Gauntlet 14.

Mash 6 1 2 9 18. Spark 20. Spell 21. File 22. Oust 23. Half

Previous quick solution

3 4

2 4 5 9 6 7 3 1 8

Kim Miller

9 3 6 1 2 8 7 5 4

3

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7 5 8 1

7 3

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6 9 7 3 2

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1Supposes Across: 1. Postscript 7. Owner 8. Adamant 10.

8Easy 18. War chest2 5 11. Halo 13. Serene 15. Mishit 17.

21. Turmoil 22. Opals 23. Second 5 2best.

8 6 Down: 1. Pin-up 2. Surmount 3. Scales 4. Roam 2 1 5 4 5. Pharaoh 6. Consistent 9. Took to task 12. Disclose 14. Reserve 16. Pallid 19. Exact 9 20.

6 Logo.

4

Previous solution: ate, ats, awe, awes, east, eat, eats, est, eta, etas, sat, sate, saw, sea, seat, set, seta, sew, stew, swat, sweat, taw, taws, tawse, tea, teas, was, wast, waste, west, wet, weta, wetas, wets

MEDIUM

3 1 4 8 7 6 5 9 2

Previous cryptic solution

9

Fill the grid so that every column, every row and 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.

8 7 9

F E I R L WordBuilder How many words of three or more letters, including plurals, can you make from theF five letters, Eusing each I letter only once? No foreign words or words beginning with a capital are allowed.

Rone five-letter L word.

There’s at least Good Very Good How 7many words 12 of Excellent three or 15 more letters, including plurals, can you make from the solution: five letters,ate, using Previous ats,each awe,letter only once?

No eats, foreign words or words awes, east, eat, est, eta, etas, beginning withsea, a capital areseta, allowed. sat, sate, saw, seat, set, sew, There’s at sweat, least one five-letter word. tea, stew, swat, taw, taws, tawse, teas, was, wast, waste, west, wet,15weta, Good 7 Very Good 12 Excellent wetas, wets

eight-letter word reading clockwise or Previous solution: ADORABLE anticlockwise. Previous solution: ADORABLE

11

12

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C

Insert the missing letter to complete an

10

142

142

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ARIES (Mar 21-Apr 19): To merely fulfil the basic requirements of a role is not fun or interesting enough as far as you’re concerned. You act with the intention of feeling something.

TAURUS (Apr 20-May 20): A presence has you fortifying your boundaries. The force that threatens your territory may be aggressive, assertive or very soft and kind. The latter is the most dangerous of the three.

GEMINI (May 21-Jun 21): You are drawn to elegance and repelled by extravagance. Beauty and usefulness are intertwined in your aesthetic rules – rules you are not entirely aware of even as you closely stick within their guidelines.

CANCER (Jun 22-Jul 22): Do you want the work that supports your life or life that supports your work? Much will depend on how in love you are with your work – or life, for that matter.

This will be a point of ponderance today.

LEO (Jul 23-Aug 22): While it may not be ideal, it is certainly possible to launch a rocket without a launching pad. If the ground is flat enough and substantial enough to bear the scorch marks of your extreme heat, it will work.

VIRGO (Aug 23-Sep 22): Once upon a time, you knew what you wanted and you went all-in, mostly successfully. Now, what you most want is another person’s success. It’s a tricky thing to go all-in on. Support without interference.

LIBRA (Sep 23-Oct 23): Faith is not solely the domain of the religious, though rituals do help to fortify and vitalise faith. Create your own rituals to weave your belief into your psyche and daily life.

SCORPIO (Oct 24-Nov 21): If it’s appealing to you, then it will appeal to others, too. And right now, you’ve a gift for initiating, so start something interesting and include as many people as possible.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22-Dec 21): If you don’t feel wholly understood, maybe that’s because you’re not.

Parts of you will remain unfathomable. Can you see this as a blessing? Your mystery is one of your many gifts to the world.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22-Jan 19): People want to connect with you, but you have to show them how.

How can you present yourself so they learn quickly who you are? It’s a work in progress.

You make tweaks with every person you meet.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20-Feb 18): There’s something you’re working on – a feeling you want to process or an artistic impulse begging to be expressed. It’s something worth making time and spiritual space for.

PISCES (Feb 19-Mar 20): Welcome inspiration but not control. The more charismatic someone is, the more susceptible you are to their influence over your direction. Don’t let that happen. Cling to your vision.

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8 2 1 7 5 6 3 4 9 8 3 9 6 9 5 8 4 3 2 1 7 1 4 5 027 236 8627 • kim.miller@raywhite.com 4 5 6 1• 03 307 3 8317 2 9 7 8 2Ashburton 1 4• Tinwald • Methven • rwashburton.co.nz 2 1 8 9 6 7 5 3 4 6 8 7 9 7 3 4 8 5 1 6 2 5 9 3

4 8 3 6 9 4 PREVIOUS SOLUTIONS 3 7 4 2 5 8 1 36 9 64 1 2 4 3 9 5 68 7 4 8 9 5 86 7 1 3 92 4 7 4 6 5 1 2 8 9 3 5 2 1 1 8 9 7 4 3 2 5 6 5 21 9 4

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3 2 1 7 6 8 3 5 1

32

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

Trades&Services Advertising

To place a Trades & Services ad, call 307-7900 or email classifieds@theguardian.co.nz

TALBOT SECURITY GROUP

CALL GROUTPRO FOR AN HONEST DISCUSSION ABOUT YOUR GROUT AND TILE AFTERCARE

To deal with Dirty Tiles and Grout

Locksmith Services • • • •

CALL GROUTPRO WE HELP YOU KEEP ON TOP OF YOUR SHOWER AND TILE MAINTENANCE

Car Keys House Keys Electronic Car Remote keys Locks

• Tile shower makeovers • Professional tile and grout cleaning • Re-colouring existing grout

• Sealing and repairing/replacing tiles/grout • Replacing mouldy and tired silicon

WE TRANSFORM TILES/GROUT IN BATHROOMS, KITCHENS, SHOWERS, BALCONIES, CONSERVATORIES AND ANY TILED AREA

E - operations@talbotsecurity.co.nz P - 03 307 2409 anytime 24/7

Contact GroutPro Brett Muir for a quote and an upfront honest discussion.

027 746 7632

www.groutpro.co.nz

Mobile Mower servicing • Rotary Mowers • Ride-on Mowers • Water Blasters • Small Motor Repairs

• Reel Mowers • Chainsaws • Rotary Hoes • Generators

Stan Keeley, Owner

Ph 307 0002 - Mobile 021 88 34 36

Let’s start the conversation call 0800 764 846 455 West Street, Ashburton Email: ashburton@smith-sons.co.nz or visit: smithandsons.co.nz

enovating?

Thinking of r

HEAT PUMPS KEEP YOUR HOME THE PERFECT TEMPERATURE ALL YEAR ROUND TM

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electriCOOL Ltd Phone Paul Crequer, your local authorised Daikin dealer for a free quote on all domestic and commercial systems phone 0274 362 362 or 308 4573.

Keeping your property protected with a security camera system from Masterguard Protect your biggest asset with a home security camera package from Masterguard Call me today for a free, no obligation quote

Hartley Curd phone 0800 788 393 or 021 328 301 57 Dobson Street, Ashburton.

To advertise here contact Karen Hall on 021 309 973

CLASSIFIEDS 33

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

Enrolment Scheme and Cohort Advert Wakanui School is likely to have 7 places for Out of Zone enrolments in 2022 for New Entrants and 5 places for each of Years 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Application enquiries can be made by emailing the school office at office@wakanui.school.nz whereby you will be forwarded the appropriate documents to be returned by the 23 September 2021 deadline.

All In Zone applications should also be made by this date to assist in determining the exact number of Out of Zone places.

If Out of Zone applications exceed the number of places, a ballot will be required. This will take place 30 September.

Cohort Entry Wakanui School operates a Cohort Entry Policy. There will be 8 entry points for new entrants who have had their 5th birthday.

31 January 14 March 2 May 7 June 25 July 29 August 17 October 21 November

www.guardianonline.co.nz

The Ashburton Guardian office is closed to foot traffic until Covid level 2

The Ashburton Club and MSA

We want to keep our readers, clients and staff safe, but we are here and open to phone calls, social media and emails! Here’s how:

03 307-7957 Advertising: 03 307-7974 Classifieds: 03 307-7900 Missed paper: 0800 274-287 News tips:

Write to us!

Editor, PO Box 77

Email us! editor@theguardian.co.nz

From Friday 10am, 3rd of September • •

Facebook us! facebook.com/ashguardian

•

For enquiries regarding either the Enrolment Scheme or Cohort Entry, please contact the school office Ph 302 3899.

•

Honest. Trustworthy. Local.

•

Honest. Trustworthy.

Trustworthy. Local.

Local.

Honest.

Call me Call Call me me for all for for all all your your your real real real estate estate estate needs needs needs Mick Hydes Mick MickHydes Hydes

027 437 9696 027437 4379696 9696 027 mick.hydes@bayleys.co.nz mick.hydes@bayleys.co.nz mick.hydes@bayleys.co.nz

WHALAN AND PARTNERS LTD, BAYLEYS, WHALAN AND PARTNERS LTD, BAYLEYS,

LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008 WHALAN AND PARTNERS LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008 LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

Due to Covid the bagging and delivery of fertiliser has had to be postponed.

Once we get to Level 2, we will be able to bag and deliver.

MEDICAL SERVICES

IN EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY PHONE 111.

For all other medical assistance outside of normal hours, please phone your General Practice team, 24/7, to speak with a health professional who will give you free health advice on what to do or where to go if you need urgent care.

If you don’t have a regular General Practice, call any GP team 24/7 for free telephone health advice.

internet banking

We ask that the above rules be kept to ensure we uphold the health and safety of all concerned The Ashburton Club and MSA Team would like to thank all our valued Members and Customers for their loyalty and patience.

Take care.

Stuart Geddes General Manager, Ashburton Club and MSA

Please respect any COVID-19 restrictions or requirements ASHBURTON’S STREET RECEIVERS Business Area: Mon - Fri 5pm Residential Area: Mon - Fri 5pm

Call us free on (0800 787 797).

Lines open 10am - 10pm seven days.

Wises Pharmacy, Countdown Complex, East Street, will be open from 9am - 1pm Saturday, from 10am - 1pm Lifeline Sunday.

Toll-free: 0800 353 353.

Countdown Pharmacy, Ashburton South, 2 East Street, OMMUNITY ERVICES open from 9am - 8pm daily.

Information Centre

Alcohol Drug Help Line

Pharmacies

C

Ashburton Rest Homes Please contact directly for hours.

Three Rivers Health, Allens Road, Ashburton, will be the duty practice for Saturday until 8am Sunday. To make an appointment call your regular GP. Three Rivers Health, Allens Road, Ashburton, will be the duty practice for Sunday until 8am Monday. To make an appointment call your regular GP. Emergency phone until 8am Monday: 0800 700 155 Please bring your Community Services Card. All non New Zealanders should bring their passport with them, New Zealanders should bring some form of ID.

Emergency Dentist

For weekend and emergency services please phone Methven Medical Centre on 302 8105 or Rakaia Medical Centre on 303 5002 for details on how to access the after-hours service each weekend.

Healthline is a free health advice service. It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The toll-free number

*there is a 24-hour waiting period for verification of your payment through

to call is 0800 611 116. Healthline is staffed by registered Ashburton Office - 307 8409 week-days, 9am - 2pm, nurses who are trained to assess health problems and offer outside of these hours leave a message. advice over the phone. The service is free and confidential.

DUTY DOCTORS

Methven & Rakaia Area

Collection of your order will be an allocated time period to ensure physical distancing via our drive-through.

Payments can be made via internet banking* or contactless Paywave.

Apologies for the delay which is out of our control.

Thank you for your orders.

Yours in Scouting The Team At Mania o roto Zone

Weekend Services

Strict health and safety measures will apply and we ensure that the Sale and Supply of the Alcohol Act is upheld.

A reminder to our members and customers: YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED ON TO THE PREMISES TO PLACE YOUR ORDER A Super Liquor centre rep will be available via phone or email from 10am to 5.30pm Contact us on landline – 03 308 7149 or email – ashburton@superliquor.co.nz

S

Art Gallery

327 West Street, Ashburton, phone 308 1133.

Open daily: 10am – 4pm.

If you do not have or cannot contact your regular dentist, please phone 027 683 0679 for the name of the rostered weekend dentist in Christchurch. Hours 9am - 5pm, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

Ashburton Museum

HELPLINE SERVICES

Havelock Street. Ph 308 7192. Saturday: 10am - 1pm.

Sunday: 1pm - 4pm.

Alcoholics Anonymous

Call 0800 AA WORKS (0800 229 6757) or visit www.aa.org.nz for more information.

Mental Health - Call free on 0800 222 955.

Ask for the Crisis Team.

Safe Care - 24hr Rape and Sexual Assault Crisis

Support. Phone 03 364 8791

Victims Support Group

24hr - Freephone 0800 VICTIM (0800 842 846).

Direct dials to a volunteer.

327 West Street, Ashburton, phone 307 7890.

Open daily: 10am – 4pm.

Ashburton Public Library

EA Networks Centre - Pools

20 River Terrace - phone 03 308 4020. WEEKEND HOURS: Sat and Sun 7am - 7pm. Public holidays 10am - 5pm.

Ashburton Operations Centre ASHBURTON MAIL CENTRE STANDARD POST: Mon - Fri 5pm POST DELIVERY CENTRES Allenton & Tinwald: Mon - Fri 5pm Methven & Rakaia: Mon - Fri 2pm

Methven - Saturday and public holidays 10am until 2.30pm. Phone 302 8955 or isite@midcanterburynz.com

ANIMAL SERVICES Dog, Stock & Noise Control

Ashburton District Council 03 307 7700 - 24hr service.

Animal Welfare Centre

All enquiries - phone 308 4432 or 027 3329286.

Veterinarians

ASHBURTON VETS - Ph 0276 838 000, 149 Cameron Street, Ashburton: Duty vet: Ben Hallenstein.

Full emergency service all weekend.

VET ENT RIVERSIDE - Ph 03 308 2321, 1 Smallbone Drive, Ashburton. Saturday clinic: 9am - 12 noon. Weekend 24-hour emergencies.

VETLIFE ASHBURTON - Ph 03 308 5095, Cnr East Street and Seafield Road, Ashburton. Saturday clinic: 9am - 12 noon. Weekend 24-hour emergencies.

CANTERBURY VETS - Ph 03 307 0686, West Street Clinic, West Street, Methven. Saturday clinic: 9am - 12 noon. Weekend emergencies: Cody Wong.

Vet Ent and Vet Life operate a joint after-hours SMALL animal emergency service. To use this service please phone your vet as usual.

34 CLASSIFIEDS SITUATIONS VACANT

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

SITUATIONS VACANT

PUBLIC NOTICES

General Manager Position Pluck’s Engineering Ltd is an agricultural engineering business based in Rakaia, we are specialists in farm machinery. Have been in business since 1966. With 15 staff we manufacture and repair of a large range of agricultural machinery as well as producing a significant range of dairy effluent products, our products are respected and sold all throughout NZ.

Registered Nurse

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced and motivated manager with experience in the engineering/agricultural industry to join our team. Planning, developing, and managing our business activities to achieve the desired business strategy and financial performance is the overall objective of the role. You will also be involved in: • •

Every now and then opportunities come along that - at first - might seem a bit unexpected or leftfield. But these tend to be the chances that, if passed up, you regret not taking. Take this opportunity for example: did you ever picture yourself nursing in a meat processing facility? Odds are the answer to that goes something like - ‘no, why would I do that?’. Well… we’ve got plenty of reasons why it could be the most rewarding role of your nursing career.

Let’s start with the job itself. There’s injury assessments to tend to, a bit of pre-employment health screening and annual health clinics to run. But it’s the scope of work beyond this we’re sure you’ll love. At its heart this is all about championing and enhancing health, wellness and overall wellbeing for our team. Think along the lines of injury prevention initiatives and looking at our ways of working through a continuous improvement lens. Because you’ll be a part of our Health and Safety team, you’ll have a great platform for ensuring your ideas get great visibility across the business.

Another thing that’s sure to strike a chord with you, is the chance to develop, nurture and grow great relationships right across our diverse workforce. You know mutual trust, respect and rapport can make all the difference, so you’ll be empowered to build strong bonds and connections with the team.

• • • • •

Building strong relationships with Pluck’s key customers, proactively driving the sales team’s performance and customer service activities Business planning and reporting, translating the company’s business plan and goals into action Monitoring business trends for future opportunities Improving operational systems, processes, and policies to support company growth Having a strategic focus on revenue and on stock levels, ensuring that people and resources are available Overseeing and liaising with internal senior staff including, Production, Technical, Project management, R&D, Sales and Admin.

Managing and working with company HR, IT and Finance support services.

About you You will have proven management experience with a track record of success – preferably in the engineering/agricultural sector. You will have the ability to communicate effectively and identify key result areas, as well as how to achieve the desired results for the company. And, importantly, you will have management values that match those of Pluck’s Engineering: • Workmanship • Quality & Value • LEAN • Health & Safety • Community Commitment • High personal integrity and productivity Please apply now by emailing Neil Pluck - neil@plucks.co.nz

And, if the above wasn’t enough to entice you, consider this for a moment: no weekend work or night shifts. That means regular hours and all that comes with it…whether it’s getting to the kids’ weekend sport, or simply being at home for dinner. Add to this an attractive rate of play, and the picture looks even better.

Looking for a new person to join your business?

So, if you’re looking for some different and want to make a difference and if you’re a registered nurse with a current practising certificate and current first aid and CPR certificate, get in touch today.

Call the Guardian today for your situations vacant advertising requirements.

307 7900

Apply online now at

careers.anzcofoods.com

73 Burnett St, Ashburton

METHVEN PHARMACY 101 Main Street, Methven, Ph 302 8103, Fax 302 8104

Pharmacy Technician/ Trainee/Qualifi ed Trainee Pharmacy Technician

with Open Polytechnic’s Pharmacy The position will ifrequire you to enrol Technician course not fully qualifi ed. with IfOpen youPolytechnic’s are a fastPharmacy learner, Technician good with course if notand fully qualified.

A competitive computers have great customer service skills package then thisis on could be the the remuneration offer for opportunity for you. right candidate.

If you are a fast learner, Send yourwith CV computers to: good and have great methven.pharmacyltd@gmail.com

customer service skills then this could be the opportunity for you.

Send your CV to: methven.pharmacyltd@gmail.com

“Transforming Lives through Gospel Power” 10:30 am Worship Every Sunday 63 Princes Street

All Welcome Rev. David Bayne Ph 307 7355

FOR SALE GREEN Old ManPine $180, 3.6m³ and Macrocarpa $220, 3.6m³. Split and delivered.

Shane James Firewood phone 027 611 3334.

GRAZING GRASS/CLOVER grazing for lambs, ph. Mitch 0273131320

HIRE GENERAL hire.

Lawnmowers, chainsaws, concrete breakers, trailers, and more. All your DIY / party hire, call and see Ashburton U-Hire. 588 East Street.

Open Monday-Friday 7am - 6pm; Saturday 7.30am - 5pm; Sunday 8.30am 12.30pm - Phone 308 8061. www.ashburtonuhire.co.nz

WHEEL alignments at great prices. Maximise the life of your tyres with an alignment from Neumanns Tyre Services Ltd, 197 Wills Street. Phone 308 6737.

WANTED

73St, Burnett Ashburton Members I.B.A.N.Z & & Brokernet Ltd. LevelSt, 2, 73 St,|Ashburton Members of NZBrokers I.B.A.N.Z & NZ Brokernet 2, 73 Level Burnett Ashburton | Members of|of I.B.A.N.Z Level Level 2, 73 Burnett St,2, Ashburton |Burnett Members of I.B.A.N.Z & Brokernet NZ Ltd. NZ Ltd.

Pharmacy Technician An exciting opportunity exists for someone An exists for to joinexciting our teamopportunity as a Trainee Pharmacy someone to or join our teamTechnician. on a part The time Technician Pharmacy basis as a Trainee Pharmacy Technician position is 36 to 40 hours a week and will or Pharmacy Technician. require you to do both the dispensary and Training will be provided to do both retaildispensary side of the business. will the be the and retail Training sides of provided business.to do both the dispensary and retail sideswill of the business.

The position require you to enrol

CHURCH SERVICES

MOTORING

Are you ready to progress your career?

Level 2, 73 Burnett St, Ashburton | Members of I.B.A.N.Z & Brokernet NZ Ltd.

Ashburton Returned & Services Association (Inc) THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE ASHBURTON RETURNED SERVICES ASSOCIATION INC THAT WAS TO BE HELD ON SUNDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER 2021 HAS BEEN POSTPONED. MERV BRENTON, PRESIDENT

DENTAL ASSISTANT – PART TIME/ FULL TIME POSITION We are a locally owned modern dental practice based in Ashburton with 3 Dentists and 2 Oral Health Therapists.

We have an opportunity for a friendly person to join our busy team.We are looking for someone who is well presented, energetic, physically fit and has the ability to build rapport with patients in a cheerful light-hearted manner.

You will support the Clinician by assisting during dental appointments and instrument sterilisation. For this you will need to be well organised with attention to detail and be able to follow instructions. Computer skills and a driver’s licence are required, worth noting a police check will be done.

If you want to work in a positive, fast paced environment where patient care is the number one priority please apply in person or send your cover letter and CV to: Bernie Jopson Practice Coordinator bernie@parksidenz.co.nz 03 038 7472 Applications close for this position on Tuesday 14th September 2021 at 5.00pm.

Two Positions on Offer!!

Due to an increased workload over the coming year BR Jones Contracting are looking for a Truck Driver/ Machine Operator/General All Rounder as well as a 14 Tonne Wheel Digger Operator to join their earthworks team at Lismore.

To be successful in these roles, you will have to have the ability to work unsupervised, have experience with a range of machines including diggers, graders, scrapers, bulldozers and hold a valid Wheels, Tracks, and Roller’s endorsement.

Our work varies from day to day but is mostly agriculturally based for farmer-based clients so would suit someone who has had experience in the agricultural earthworks industry.

For the Wheel Digger position; • Valid WTR Endorsement • At least 12months experience operating a wheel digger in the agricultural industry • Class 2 license minimum Class 5 preferable • Tidy work ethics, and clear communication skills essential • Health & Safety conscious, Punctual & reliable For the All-Rounder position; • Experience Grader, Scraper, Dozer Driving an advantage • Full Class 5 Driver’s License with WTR • Physically fit • Not shy to get stuck in and do a hard day’s work • Tidy work ethics, and clear communication skills essential • Health & Safety conscious, Punctual & reliable If this sounds like you please send you CV and Cover letter to accounts@brjones.co.nz

WANTED to buy. South Canterbury Foto News Volume 1, Nos 1 - 9 and Volume 2, Nos 1 - 8. Also any Canterbury News or Photo Reviews of 1960’s. Horse Racing Friday Flash 1950’s 1970’s or similar magazines.

Canterbury daily newspapers 1950-1970. Please phone Darcy (03)3481783.

UAL N N A ERAL GEN

To advertise in AGM phone Classifieds 03 307 7900

FAMILY NOTICES 35

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

SITUATIONS VACANT

DEATHS

Infrastructure Engineer • Providing economic, environmental and social solutions with our community’s water • Engineering, project management and asset management • Ashburton, New Zealand Who are we?

Barrhill Chertsey Irrigation Limited (BCI) is a farmer focused co-operative who own and operate irrigation, electricity generation and stock water infrastructure capable of delivering water to circa 24,000 ha between the Rangitata and Rakaia Rivers on the East Coast of the South Island, New Zealand. Utilising over 220km of pipeline and 40+ pump stations, we deliver sustainable, reliable water to a vast array of farming and commercial operations throughout Mid Canterbury.

Who are we looking for?

With a large volume of future projects to deliver and a changing focus on proactive asset management, BCI have created a role to support and grow their infrastructure and operations capabilities. Reporting to the Infrastructure Manager, the new role will include design, procurement, construction, operation and maintenance of pipelines, pump stations and associated infrastructure. As a graduate or intermediate Engineer, this is your chance to learn, grow and develop your career in a small, dynamic and tech savvy team at the forefront of the irrigation industry. Working with industry leaders, external partners and end users this is a very broad role across the entire scope of Engineering in a rapidly changing scheme and sector.

If sitting in an office is not for you, this role is the ideal mix of desk and field work with one of the most scenic backdrops in the world. You will be responsible for the delivery of your designs and play a pivotal role in supporting our field-based operations and communications/water ordering teams.

What do you need?

• • • • • •

Experience in hydraulic design, specifically pipelines and pump stations Project and asset management experience Be an early adopter of new technology A detail focussed mind with innovative solutions to unique challenges Ability to thrive in a team environment and share learnings Self-reliant and persistent attitude to problem solving and project delivery

DEATHS

DEVEREUX, Irene Patricia – On September 1, 2021.

Peacefully at Radius Millstream, Ashburton, aged 95 years. Much loved and precious wife of the late Stan. Loved and adored mother and mother-in-law of Tony and Sue, Eugene and Joy, Kathryn and David, Michelle and Hansi, Stephen and Kendra, Vivienne and Snow, Bernadine and Jack, and Monique and Simon.

Dearly loved Nana D of all DEVEREUX, Irene her grandchildren and great- Patricia – grandchildren. Messages to 24-12-1925 - 01-09-2021 the Devereux family c/- PO Though your smiles have gone forever, Box 472, Ashburton 7740. A private family service has And your hands we cannot touch, been held and a Memorial to We have so many celebrate Irene’s life will be wonderful memories, held at a later date. of our mum and nana we loved so much.

Your memory is our keepsake, With which we’ll never part, God has you in his keeping, We have you in our hearts.

May the winds of heaven blow softly, And whisper in your ear, How much we love and miss you, And wish that you were here.

Dearly loved and treasured Mum, Nana, great (Nana D) of Viv Canterbury owned, grandmother and Snow, Kinnear and locally operated Tennyson Horsburgh, Chantelle and Damien Quinn Patersons and Bella xxx.

Funeral Services and Ashburton Crematorium Ltd

This is a fantastic opportunity to develop your career by gaining exposure to a vast array of professional disciplines while delivering enduring, economic end to end solutions for our shareholders.

Office and Chapel Corner East & Cox Streets, Ashburton

Ph 307 7433

For further information on BCI, please visit our website www.bciwater.co.nz.

Please email careers@bciwater.co.nz for a position description or with any confidential enquiries. Applications close 29 September 2021. All applications will be acknowledged with an email.

DEATHS

DEATHS

DEATHS

GILLATT, Joy Kathleen – On August 15, 2021.

Peacefully at home surrounded by family, in her 90th year. Loved wife of Malcolm (deceased).

Cherished mother and mother-in-law of Jeanette and Bryan Murphy (Rakaia).

Much loved and respected Grandmother of William and Nikola, Robert, Siobhan and Ashley.

Adored great grandmother of Hayley and Brooke. A very special thank you to her friends, family and neighbours for all their love, care and support. Due to Covid 19 restrictions a private family service and burial for Joy has taken place. Messages to the Gillatt family c/o PO Box 111-01, Christchurch 8443.

LOVETT, Betty Alice (Nanny Betty) – It is with great sadness Betty passed away peacefully at Ashburton Hospital on September 2nd, 2021, aged 90 years. Much loved and adored mother and motherin-law of Ken and Carol, and Sue and Barry. Grandmother of Megan and Shannon, Abby and Luke, Amy and Gemma. Great-grandmother of Jye, Jade, Chayse, Millie, Cooper, Jett, Ruby-Rose, Harlow, and Rivah. Great great-grandmother of Mahlia.

Messages to the Brown, and Cawley family 67 Main Street, Methven 7730. Many thanks to Methven House for their care and support of Betty. A private cremation has been held.

SCOTT, Ailsa Evelyn, (nee McLaren) – 08.01.1946 - 28.08.2021.

Ailsa passed away peacefully in Ashburton with her children by her side.

Very much loved mother and mother-in-law of Dianne and Gerard Lilley, Trevor and Andrea Scott, and Darrell and Kylie Scott. Adored Nan of Madeline and Sophie Wyatt, Kurt and Amie, Luke and Brooke. Treasured by her brothers and sisters-inlaw, her nieces, nephews, and all family. Cherished friend to many. She will be so dearly missed by all who knew her. Messages to Ailsa Scott’s family c/- PO Box 472, Ashburton. 7740. In Ailsa’s memory donations to the Mid-Canterbury Riding for the Disabled would be greatly received. Due to Covid restrictions a private family service has been held.

HILLYER, Walter Stanley – On September 2, 2021 peacefully at Christchurch Hospital aged 78 years.

Dearly loved husband of Minda loved father and father-in-law of Steve and Hilary, Mathew, Mel and Melanie. Grandfather of Courtney, McKenzie, Dylan, Crystal, Jack and Reed.

Loved brother of Rita and MASTER loved by all his nieces and MONUMENTAL MASON nephews. Special thanks to staff at Christchurch E.B. CARTER LTD the Hospital. Messages may be For all your memorial addressed to family c/- Hope requirements Funerals 27 Amyes Road New headstones and designs Hornby, Christchurch and a Renovations, private cremation has been Additional inscriptions, Cleaning and Concrete work held.

Carried out by qualified tradesmen.

620 East Street Ashburton Phone 308 5369 or 0274 357 974 ebcarter@xtra.co.nz NZMMMA Member

03 322 7770

PREARRANGE YOUR WISHES FOR PEACE OF MIND

18-22 Moore Street, Ashburton 0800 263 6679 | 027 637 1229 www.memoryfunerals.nz

Please note all late death notices or notices sent outside ordinary office hours must be emailed to: deathnotices@ theguardian.co.nz to ensure publication. To place a notice during office hours please contact us on 03 307 7900 for more information.

Any queries please contact 0800 ASHBURTON (0800-274-287)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

CRACK, Ursula Forrest – George, Stephen, Caroleen, Sharon, Philippa and all their families want to sincerely thank everyone for their overwhelming support during Ursula's period of ill health.

The love, visits and kindness expressed to our family during this time has given us strength and comfort. Thank you for your thoughtful cards, letters, food, telephone calls, visits and flowers, and to those who attended Ursula's funeral, please accept this as a personal acknowledgement and love from us all.

"Urs, your lovely kind personal way will be forever remembered. You have bowled your last bowl. May the angels be with you forever."

Rest in Peace.

Jo Metcalf

Ashburton Weather

Saturday: Fine. Winds tending northwesterly and strengthening.

Midnight Saturday

Canterbury Plains

Sunday: Fine. Northerlies dying out.

MAX

19 MIN 5

Saturday: Fine. Winds tending northwesterly, becoming strong and gusty in exposed places.

Sunday: Fine with variable high cloud. Northerlies, dying out in the evening.

Monday: Increasing high cloud. Northeasterlies developing early, becoming strong about the coasts.

A large high is centred to the east of the country, and is spreading a ridge of high pressure back over central and northern parts. A north to northwesterly flow is strengthening over the South Island and the south of the North Island, as a cold front is approaching Fiordland this afternoon. The ridge remains slow moving over the North Island, while the northwest flow over the South Island strengthens on Sunday, ahead of the approaching front.

PAGEY, Kenneth James – Pam, Julian, Bronwyn, Gene (uncle), Joy (sister), Fiona, Bryce and families would like to thank everyone who attended Ken’s funeral, for their love and support during his illness (he never quite got used to being a substitute for a pin cushion). Thankyou also to all who sent us flowers, cards and baking.

Special thanks to the staff at Ashburton Hospital for their support and humour, and Rev Eric Mattock for his guidance at “the end of the line”. Please accept this as our personal acknowledgement to you all.

Around The Region Saturday

MAX

Canterbury High Country

18 MIN 5

Saturday Mountain weather hazards: Wind, Wind Chill.

Fine with increasing high cloud.

Wind at 1000m: NW rising to gale 65 km/h in the morning and severe gale 100 km/h in exposed places in the afternoon.

Wind at 2000m: NW rising to gale 75 km/h in the morning, and severe gale 100 km/h in exposed places in the afternoon.

Freezing level: About 3000m.

MAX

Readings to 4pm Friday Temp °C Maximum Minimum Grass min 24hr Rain mm Month to date Wind km/h Strongest gust Sun hrs on Thu Month to date

Ashburton Airport 18.5 0.9 -1.6 0.2 0.8 NE 26 3:56pm 4.9 15.5

Sunday

Monday

Sunday

Methven 19.7 6.1 – – – – – – –

17 MIN 6

Christchurch Timaru Airport Airport 14.7 17.2 0.6 -1.5 -5.6 – 0.4 0.0 0.6 0.0 NE 28 NW 13 3:41pm 8:22am 3.9 – 13.8 –

Tides, Sun and Moon Saturday

19 3 19 5 18 7 Mountain weather hazards: Wind, Wind Chill.

17 6 17 8 16 10 Fine, with high cloud.

Wind at 1000m: NW, gale 65 km/h in exposed places, 13 5 14 6 13 5 easing to 40 km/h in the afternoon.

17 7 16 7 15 8 Wind at 2000m: NW, gale 70 km/h in exposed places 16 6 16 7 15 7 easing to 55 km/h in the afternoon.

19 5 17 4 17 5 Freezing level: Lowering to 2200m.

For the very latest weather information, including Weather Warnings, visit metservice.com © Copyright Meteorological Service of New Zealand Limited 2021 Compiled by Christchurch Darfield Lake Coleridge Methven Rakaia Timaru

Monday: Fine with increasing high cloud.

Northeasterlies picking up.

Sunday

Monday

Ashburton H 1:25am 1:52pm 2:06am 2:34pm 2:47am 3:14pm Mouth L 7:30am 8:02pm 8:11am 8:41pm 8:53am 9:21pm Rakaia Mouth Rangitata Mouth

H L H L

1:15am 7:21am 1:09am 7:14am

1:40pm 7:57pm 1:36pm 7:46pm

1:59am 8:08am 1:50am 7:55am

2:24pm 8:40pm 2:18pm 8:25pm

2:43am 8:54am 2:31am 8:37am

3:06pm 9:24pm 2:58pm 9:05pm

6:54am 6:11pm 6:52am 6:12pm 6:50am 6:13pm 5:37am 2:40pm 6:14am 3:49pm 6:46am 5:01pm

new Sep 7

first qtr Sep 14

full Sep 21

last qtr Sep 29

36

Ashburton Guardian Saturday, September 4, 2021

SPONSORED CONTENT

T

Working with you for a greener tomorrow

he Ashburton District is about to take on a new role as a national leader in an organics collection project that will help play a part in reducing the region’s carbon emissions.

From next month, resource recovery specialists EnviroWaste will be adding an optional third bin to the district’s kerbside collection – a green bin dedicated to food scraps and green waste.

EnviroWaste Ashburton branch manager Shane Enright says the new service is unique, because it includes the collection of both green waste and food scraps together.

“Few other places around the country are doing this at the moment. Some are doing food scraps collection, some are doing green waste, but we will be doing both together in one bin,” he said.

Surveys conducted by the Ashburton District Council in the past indicated a strong interest in having a kerbside collection for food scraps and green waste, but the key to doing this was having the right composting facility available, Shane said.

When EnviroWaste’s state-of-the-art facility at Timaru’s Redruth Resource Recovery Park is completed, this will process organic material collected in both Ashburton and Timaru.

The facility mirrors EnviroWaste’s Hampton Downs organic facility which processes up to 30,000 tonnes per year of food and green waste collected in the Auckland area.

There is huge opportunity to divert food scraps and green waste from landfill, Shane said, with conservative estimates showing about 26 per cent or 105kg per household of organic material collected kerbside each year in Ashburton could potentially be diverted and turned into

compost.

Ashburton’s optional service is scheduled to begin in early September and will be a scheduled weekly service.

The 240-litre green bins can be booked with EnviroWaste by phoning 0800 240 120 or online at www.envirowaste.co.nz.

The optional service is $43.77 per month for a weekly collection.

The service will also be available to commercial businesses.

EnviroWaste operates Ashburton’s Resource Recovery Park and kerbside collection and this new service is another important step in the journey towards a more circular economy, Shane said.

“The more things we can do the better.

We want to do the best for our environment and this is one more opportunity to do that.

“The roll-out of wheelie bins for recyclables and rubbish in 2017 was the first step and people have adapted well to using these. The introduction of green bins for organic waste is the next logical

step, he said.

The collection schedule will see bins collected weekly over three days. Ashburton will be divided into east and west with the third collection day for outlying areas already on the wheelie bin schedule.

The service provides many environmental benefits including reducing organic waste to landfill, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and turning food scraps and green waste into a reusable product that can help restore depleted soils and actively contribute to a functioning food system, Shane said.

Compost from the processing facility will also help boost the output of processed organic materials in the area such as compost and liquid fertilisers, where demand is currently outstripping supply.

“Some people are already doing good things in terms of home composting and that doesn’t need to change; the service is a new option for households where food scraps and green waste are currently going into general waste”, he said.

When the food scraps and green waste service is rolled out, it will add to Ashburton’s already solid reputation as a leader in resource recovery.

“We’re already doing a great job at recycling with just 4 to 6 per cent contamination levels and this provides even more opportunity for residents to do their bit for the environment,” Shane said.

It is estimated that about 13 per cent of our food scraps around the country could be diverted and turned into compost.

The composting technology used at the Redruth site will be provided by an engineering company that specialises in custom designed compost systems, process technology and odour control.

The compost produced will be graded into two categories depending on the end market – agricultural/land spreading or horticultural/garden application.

The end product will be tested to meet the rigorous NZ Compost Standards.

Phone 0800 240-120 or visit www.envirowaste.co.nz to book.