I’m Leaving

As I have retired from the Waimakariri mayoralty, I will no longer be attending this site. Thanks for visiting over the years.

I can still be found on Facebook.

Christchurch Weeps

I am sure that all in our District are horrified about what has taken place in Christchurch today and our thoughts and prayers are very much with the victims and their families, and with the Muslim community in Greater Christchurch, including Waimakariri, and across New Zealand. We are also thinking of our colleagues in the Christchurch City Council and acknowledge the huge pressure that our Police and medical services are under and thank them for all that they are doing.

Oxford A&P Show on a Warm Autumn Day

Once again the Oxford Show was a Waimakariri magnet. Big crowds turned up along with the McAlpines North Canterbury Pipe Band (pictured).

Festival of Colour in Rangiora

Enshi Photographic Exhibition at Chamber Gallery Rangiora – our Sister City on Display

The Chamber Gallery in the #Rangiora library is now showcasing the work of photographers from Waimakariri’s sister prefecture, Enshi in Hubei Province.

These stunning photos are an example of how sister city relationships can enhance cultural exchanges between New Zealand and China.

Kaiapoi Food Forest is going well

Volunteers helping out at the Kaiapoi Food Forest. Pre-existing and transplanted fruit trees and new plantings of berry bushes and natives have transformed this corner of our Regeneration Areas that was formerly known as one of the Kaiapoi Red Zones.

Waimakariri Youth Council is Recruiting!

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1609745252395634&id=117278721642302

Rangiora High School Gets Engaged About Council’s LTP | Waimakariri District Council

http://www.waimakariri.govt.nz/your-council/media-and-news/2018/03/rangiora-high-school-gets-engaged-about-councils-ltp

Night Market in Kaiapoi

Big crowd tonight enjoyed food stalls, fire dancing and this afternoon’s ice sculptures.

Ice Sculpture in Kaiapoi

Check out @AyersDavidL’s Tweet: https://twitter.com/AyersDavidL/status/886085310924242944?s=09

The Sefton Tug of War Pulls in the Crowds – Again

The Sefton Tug of War – a great #Waimakariri event and an imaginative fund-raiser for the Sefton School. pic.twitter.com/NRcsfIFVmZ

— David Ayers 🇺🇦 (@tetarapuka) May 21, 2017

Sefton Remembers ANZAC

ANZAC evening in Sefton. Moving service as the sun went down. pic.twitter.com/E8vCoGzpa1

— David Ayers 🇺🇦 (@tetarapuka) April 24, 2017

2017 Poppy Day

pic.twitter.com/3Gba5Rrrex

— David Ayers 🇺🇦 (@tetarapuka) April 21, 2017

New Library and Service Centre Replaces Earthquake-prone Building

Another earthquake-prone building being replaced in #Waimakariri – the new Oxford Service Centre and Library. pic.twitter.com/VagUCPOd3l

— David Ayers 🇺🇦 (@tetarapuka) April 12, 2017

Oxford is Full of People Springing In!

Classic cars have poured into #Oxford for Spring into Oxford – all ages, all makes. The town is buzzing with markets too!

Buskers in #Rangiora

A good crowd on a lovely day in Victoria Park!

David Ayers, Mayor, Waimakariri

Conway Lane Development Impresses | Waimakariri District Council

http://www.waimakariri.govt.nz/your-council/media-and-news/2015/conway-lane-development-impresses

World War I Horses Remembered at Glentui

World War I Horses Remembered at the Birch Hill Cemetery

Check out @AyersDavidL’s Tweet: https://twitter.com/AyersDavidL/status/566810542170324993?s=09

Trousselot Park’s new Mouse House!

Check out @AyersDavidL’s Tweet: https://twitter.com/AyersDavidL/status/563191290326573057?s=09

Have a Great Christmas Everyone!

The Passing of Time …

North Canterbury Business Awards

When Is It Ever Going to Stop Raining?

Retention Basin, Acacia Avenue, Rangiora, 26 May 2010

We’ve had a lot of rain in the last three days, and some parts of the District, like Oxford, are feeling the effects.  It’s still not a Civil Defence level event, but Council staff and contractors are being kept very busy.

There are parts of our District, for instance the lower-lying parts of Kaiapoi and southern Rangiora, which are historically swampy.  When we get a lot of rain, they tend to revert to their natural state.

The retention basin on the left is an example of what is supposed to happen – and the basin over the road was more-or-less empty when I took this photo this morning.  Part of the problem with this part of Rangiora is that water comes down from the rural parts of Johns Road and ends up here. The Council is working on this, but the work id not yet complete.

Obviously, with the area out to Lehmans Road within the designated urban limits, stormwater is an issue that will occupy the minds of the Council, residents and developers for some time to come.

Railway Drain culvert under Kowhai Avenue, Rangiora 26 May 2010

Even relatively new drainage works have the potential to come under pressure.  The cuklvert at the right has caused problems several times in the last couple of years and the Council has budgeted money in the coming year to investigate ways of alleviating what happens in heavy rain events.

Another Kaiapoi Landmark Commemorated

The former BNZ building in Kaiapoi – now housing John Rhind Funeral Directors – was given a “Landmarks” plaque this morning.  Now owned by the M E Ayres Trust, the restored building is a credit to Pat Peoples and her son Paul Ayres.

The BNZ is the second building on the site and reflects the way 19th Century banks liked to present themselves to the public: solid and safe.

The Landmarks programmes in Kaiapoi and Rangiora are slowly but surely commemorating with plaques the notable historic buildings of the towns.  It is my strong belief that increasing communities’ knowledge of the their histories helps make those communities stronger. 

Kaiapoi has a notable built heritage and around the Charles Street – Williams Street corner provides a very good example.  The former BNZ is a very important part of that precinct.

The Dudley Pool 5km Rating Zone is Gone!

The 5km targeted rate on those properties within 5km (as the crow flies) of the Dudley Park Aquatic Centre is gone.

The Council has finally accepted that a District facility should be entirely funded across the District.

It has taken several years, but the final area of controversy around the new pool is now behind us. This issue has been constantly raised with me – never the actual amount, but the principle of it.  People have been repeatedly saying to me that the whole District is able to use it and that it isn;t fair that one section of the community should have to pay more.  The people saying this have been from both inside and outside the zone.

Those who voted to remove it (on my motion) were Councillors Robbie Brine, Kevin Felstead, Dan Gordon, Neil Cruickshank, Peter Farrant, Elaine Cole – and, of course, me.

Attempt to Change Uniform Annual General Charge Fails

The Council is currently making its decsions on the 2010-2011 Annual Plan and Budget.

It had already received strong submissions from the farming community requesting that the Uniform Annual General Charge (UAGC) be restored from its current $20 to its former $70.  It went down to $20 only last year.

The UAGC is a charge that all properties pay in their rates.  Raising it has the effect of lowering the general rates for high-value properties and raising them for low-value properties.  This sounds like it is unfair on low-value, usuaully urban, properties, but it needs to be remembered that general rates form a much smaller proportion of total rates for urban properties than they do for rural.  A lot of urban rates are for water, sewer, rubbish collection, etc, which rural properties don’t pay (they pay for their own water, etc).

Lowering the UAGC last year meant that many farms had rate rises in the thousands of dollars for no change in service.  Farmers are saying that this is unfair.

Yesterday an attempt to put the uniform charge back to $70 failed by one vote.  Five voted for (Crs Dan Gordon, Kevin Felstead, Peter Farrant, Elaine Cole and myself) and five against.  In the council’s standing orders, a draw means the motion is lost.  The mayor (who opposed) doesn’t have a casting vote.

My personal view is that the rating structure of this district needs a thorough review.  Rates are not a particularly fair way of taxing people, but ours can be more fairly distributed than they are.

Rangiora Town Centre Consultation Report Nearly Ready

The former Northern A & P Building, Ivory Street

The report of the council, the three citizens and business groups and the consultants on the Rangiora Town Centre is close to being completed.  It will go before a Council committee on Tuesday 18 May (i.e. next week) and hopefully released to the public shortly after that.

This will not be a final report .  It will be a discussion of issues and options and will be open for public consultation.

Countdown Hearing Opposed

The hearing for the proposed Countdown supermarket in Ivory Street, Rangiora, has been postponed until, I think, July.  This is at the request of Progressive Enterprises (i.e. Countdown / Woolworths) who want to study the Council’s planning officer’s report.

The planning officer in his report opposes the building of a supermarket on this site.  His main reasons centre around its inappropriateness in a Residential 1 zone and the negative impact it would have on the Town Centre.

In addition there is opposition from residential neighbours and the adjacent Kohanga Reo pre-school.  As well as the above, they cite traffic and noise issues.

How I Sometimes Occupy My Days … Resource Consent Hearings!

Actually, I haven’t had to do it too often, but I do find myself on a lot of hearings for new by-laws, District Plan changes, swimming pool fencing exemption hearings and even appeals against menacing dog classifications.

Resource consent hearings occur when someone wants to do something that is contrary to the District Plan and the council staff deem it to be a major-enough matter for the public to be notified and for people to be given a chance to be heard.  Often they are heard by a panel of three councillors but if the matter is really high-stakes, an outside commissioner will be appointed.

An example of an outside commissioner being used is for the forthcoming Countdown Supermarket hearing for Ivory Street, Rangiora.  This is supposed to have been heard by now, but the supermarket people have asked for a delay because the council planning officer has recommended against it being approved and they want to think a bit more about this.

In the last two days, I have been on hearing panels considering an application for a child-care centre in Woodend (with Dan Gordon and Roger Blair) and for approval to build a house on a lot of less than 4 hectares in Okuku (with Robbie Brine and Dan Gordon).  The former isn’t finished yet.

Often these decisions are not easy. There are a few things worth remembering, however.

• The decision has to consider the Waimakariri District Plan and the Resource Management Act.
• It’s not a numbers game.  The quality of the submissions and their relevance to the District Plan and the Act are more important than the number of people on one side or the other.
• The first duty of a council planning officer is to consider the District Plan and the RMA. The panel or the commissioner will not necessarlity follow his or her advice.
• The panel or the commissioner may have to consider whether granting consent will create a precedent elsewhere in the District.
• Once a decision is made, it becomes the council’s decision.

There’s a lot more, but that will do for now!

“Superstar” is Great!

We went to North Canterbury Musical Society’s Jesus Christ Superstar and it was a fantastic performance.  I can highly recommend it and urge you to get your tickets. Be quick – I hear they’re going fast.  Tickets are available at Harrington’s Jewellers in Rangiora, at the Visitor Centre in Kaiapoi and at the Court Theatre in Christchurch.