Canterbury farmer joins push for council shakeup
By local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
A prominent farmer is calling on the Ashburton District Council to breakaway from Canterbury's regional council.
Allan Andrews, who is among a growing chorus of people calling for shakeup of councils in the wider Canterbury region, presented his concerns to Ashburton councillors last week.
Originally from Glenavy, Andrews is a former Timaru District councillor and South Canterbury Federated Farmers president who has farmed just out of Ashburton for the past 10 years.
He said he worried about Environment Canterbury's (ECan) impact "on the whole of our province”. The community also couldn’t deal with continued heavy rate rises.
The solution was to shake up the existing three tiers of governance, Andrews told councillors.
Ashburton, Timaru, Oamaru, and Waimate rely on the farming industry and need better governance to allow the industry to operate, he said.
Andrews said his preferred model would be to retain the district councils and have a new regional council covering everything south of the Rakaia River to the Waitaki River.
There was a lot of nodding from councillors to some of what Andrews was saying, but there was little vocal support around the table.
During his presentation, he also has raised concerns about the future of irrigation for the region, which he believes a new regional council could help with.
If farmers don't get sufficient irrigation, the land will return to "broom, blackberry, gorse" and be at greater risk of fires, Andrews said.
It’s the second time in recent weeks the council has received a presentation calling for a new council arrangement.
A group presented a proposal to the councils from Selwyn down to Waitaki to break away from ECan and have some form of unitary council.
Ashburton mayor Neil Brown confirmed the proposal was discussed at the recent Canterbury Mayoral Forum without any real enthusiasm by the region's mayors to investigate forming an unitary authority.
“There was no clear directive from all the mayors, but they are aware of the concerns in the community about representation especially from Ashburton to the Waitaki.”
A unitary council – a combination of district and regional council - wasn’t what most councils were after as there is no appetite for council mergers, Brown said.
There remains concern from the southern councils about ECan’s representation review proposal.
An ECan spokesman said the regional council is aware of the discussions around forming a new unitary council, but it is not in scope for the representation review and would be a matter for central government to consider.
When it come sto irrigation, ECan, as the regulator, is responsible for making sure the community’s aspirations are implemented with regard to keeping a minimum flow in the natural waterways.
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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53.3% Yes
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46.7% No
‘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
Poll: Pedestrian access is being extended to the Ōtakaro Avon River - good idea?
Pedestrian access from one of Christchurch’s favourite streets is being extended all the way to the Ōtakaro Avon River. This new 12m-wide pathway will give you a direct, easy route from the street to the river promenade ... perfect for a stroll, a coffee run, or just soaking up the riverside vibes.
We want to know: In your view, what makes a city people-friendly?
What else should our urban areas be doing to support better community connections?
Curious about the full plans? You can check them out here.
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92.3% Yes
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7.7% No
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