Stockwater stalemate continues in Mid Canterbury
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
An impasse remains over a contentious stockwater race that has divided a small corner of Mid Canterbury.
An application to close a section of stockwater in the Anama area, near Mayfield, was declined by the Ashburton District Council in December with a focus group formed to try to find a solution.
Ashburton mayor Neil Brown chaired the focus group, which was working on possible alternative supplies for properties that had opposed the closure due to still needing access to stockwater.
The group held a second meeting in May.
Progress to find a suitable alternative solution that suits all parties had proved challenging, Brown said.
“We have met a couple of times and we have reached the conclusion that we can’t get agreement with all the parties to close the race.”
There are varying views and it has reached a stalemate, Brown said.
A recommendation will be coming to the council to recommend the race remains open, he said.
The proposed closure affects 20 properties and had been an even split between those supporting and opposing the closure.
When the council made its decision in December to decline the closure, it was seen as a compromise that didn’t leave properties without access to a stock water supply but at the same time issued notice that those property owners need to start to consider alternative options, as the council’s long-term direction is closing stockwater races.
The focus group’s stalemate was discussed at the council’s recent activity briefing, as was about 13km of Ealing Main (east of SH1) race recently closed and a further 30km of local races in the same area currently going through the closure process.
If those closures are completed, the report stated there “will be an opportunity to then initiate the closure of 23km of main race which currently supplies these local races”.
Poll: Should we be giving the green light to new mining projects? 💰🌲
The Environmental Protection Authority announced this week that a proposed mine in Central Otago (near Cromwell) is about to enter its fast-track assessment process. A final decision could come within six months, and if it’s approved, construction might start as early as mid-2026.
We want to know: Should mining projects like this move ahead?
Keen to dig deeper? Mike White has the scoop.
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53.5% Yes
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46.5% No
A riddle to start the festive season 🌲🎁🌟
I'm a fruit. If you take away my first letter, I'm a crime. If you take away my first two letters, I'm an animal. If you take away my first and last letter, I'm a form of music. What am I?
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!
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Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
‘Tis the season to not get scammed ...
As Christmas gift shopping moves increasingly online, scammers are ramping up their activity across the country.
Dunedin’s Investigation Support Unit is seeing more and more people fall victim to scams and other fraudulent activity, particularly on Facebook Marketplace.
There are a few ways to avoid the scams and keep yourself safe doing online trades this holiday season, says Southern District Service Delivery Manager Senior Sergeant Dalton.
🔒 “A good first step when looking to purchase something on Marketplace is to check when the seller’s Facebook profile was created. If it’s very recent, there is a higher risk that they have just created this account for a one-off fake item.”
🔒 Another important step is to make sure the seller’s profile name and bank account name match up. “We’re seeing a lot of scammers claiming their bank account name is different because it belongs to their partner or family member - that’s a huge red flag."
🔒 “When you’re selling, never trust a screenshot anyone sends you showing that payment has been made. Check your own bank account to make sure a payment has gone through."
🔒 “Quite frankly, it’s best for all parties to agree to pay, or be paid, for items in cash and in-person. Ideally in a public place with CCTV coverage."
🔒 "If you’re buying a car, check Carjam.co.nz to see if it’s stolen or if there’s money owed on it.”
A reminder: Suspicious activity can be reported on 105
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