MAKING MUSIC

The Darfield Library was the perfect venue for the inaugural Malvern School of Music ‘Have a Go - Musical Instruments’ session on Saturday, January 28th.

Approximately twenty eight children and fifteen adults showed an interest and had a chance to try out the following instruments; violin, cello, guitar, ukulele, ukulele bass, keyboard, recorder, flute and bagpipe chanter and goose bag (that does actually sound like a goose!). The morning was a great success, with tutors flat out teaching prospective students how to make music from the instruments. Such was the success of the morning the Malvern School of Music are planning on making this an annual event!

On Monday, February 13th, the Darfield Library community room will be the venue for the free Ukulele for Beginners session, for adults interested in learning to play.

The Darfield Ukulele Group (supported by the Malvern School of Music) are keen to encourage more members to their weekly fun and friendly group. The Beginner's session will cover simple strumming techniques, a few east chords, and you’ll learn to play a simple song. Spare ukuleles will be available, and the first lesson is free. No need to enrol.

For further information please see the advertisement in the Public Notice section of this issue.

Look Out For Learners

By now there will be approximately 11,500 Selwyn students travelling back to school again.

That number of learners, which equates to nearly 20 percent of the district’s population, will be biking, walking and scootering on Selwyn’s roads and footpaths. Caregivers are encouraged to practice the safest route for their children to walk or ride to school, and educate them about the risks of crossing roads and driveways. Children should be reminded to stay alert and avoid distractions like mobile devices and headphones. Motorists are urged to slow down when passing on the roads, as children can be unpredictable. Get into the habit of going 30km/hr past schools and 20km/hr past school buses. Be patient and obey the crossing patrol.

Congestion around school zones can be reduced by dropping back and walking the last part of the journey when taking kids to the school gate. Ensure everyone that needs a helmet has one, which includes those using scooters. Wearing a helmet reduces the risk of head trauma by 74 percent.

A range of high vis products are available that make children more visible in all weather conditions. Most schools have high vis items available for free or at a small cost.

Road safety resources for parents and children can be organised through your school or Selwyn District Council by emailing roadsafety@selwyn.govt.nz

Damages To Properties

The new year often seems to be a time of movement within the Rental Industry, with some looking for fresh starts in new towns, others upsizing or downsizing depending on where they are in their stage of life, but for whatever the reason it almost always brings something that happens in every house in the country into question - What is damage and what is fair wear and tear?

When a Tenant leaves, the first thing we do is complete a thorough Exit Inspection. This is then compared to the inspection that was completed prior to them moving in and gives us a snapshot of any changes in that time. We must then take into consideration how long has the Tenant lived there. Have they just needed a short term six month lease while their house is being built? Has this been their family home for the last ten years?

Some things are obvious such as, a large hole in the wall or a large red wine stain in the middle of the living room. Others are not so clear.

New Zealand Tenancy regulations state that - ‘The tenant is not responsible for repairs or damage arising from burglaries, natural events (such as storms, floods and earthquakes), or fair wear and tear.

However, they are responsible to repair to a good standard any damages that have occurred in the home caused by either themselves or by a visitor.’

Sounds simple but wear and tear gets a lot of people confused, so to break it down into a nutshell here are a few examples of what is considered fair wear and tear. Flooring getting worn with age and normal use, or taps and washers getting worn out or leaking.

What is not considered fair wear and tear is things like burn marks or drink stains on carpets, drawing on walls or stains and odours caused by pets. Our advice to tenants is if you have caused damage or feel there is wear and tear evident that is impacting the property then contact your landlord or property manager as soon as possible and discuss what needs to be done and who is responsible for doing it. Take steps to limit further damage if appropriate, before maintenance or repairs are done. For Landlords, ensure you attend to maintenance requirements promptly as often this will reduce the chance of more damage to your investment in the long term. Both tenants and landlords also have the ability to issue a fourteen days notice to the other party to ensure repairs are made in a timely manner to protect the Tenant's standard of living and the Home Owners Investment. Rebecca Smith.