Halswell Connections

Meeting held Tuesday 2 19th October 2021

Halswell Community Hub, 381 Halswell Rd. 12.30-1.30pm

Present: Kate Cleverly (HCP), Keri Glassenbury (HCP), John Bennet (HRA), Mike Snowdon(Hub), Andrei Moore (CB), Philippa Kelliher (Hub), Maureen, Yvonne, Robyn White (Friendship Club, Garden Club), Mary Murfitt, Lynley Lock (Lions), Anne Galloway (CCC), Judith Penney (Hall), Chrys Horn (HCP), Renee Julian (Te Hapua), Donella Pringle-Davis (Te Hapua), Glenda Martin (Vol Can), Marieke (HIP Pegasus Health)

Apologies: Ross McFarlane, Sam Holland, Bailey Peterson

 

Speaker; Anne Galloway - Councillor for Halswell

Anne expressed thanks and appreciation to the Library and librarians for their work and efforts through COVID to make the Library as accessible to people as possible.  As with many things, the challenge is to work out how to connect with those not online.  Anne is working with Kate and Keri on social infrastructure and outreach to tackle isolation around the community. She expressed the need to look out for each other and look for the positives - especially in the current climate with COVID

Anne has been reflecting on what she does and looking at what she wants to achieve in the next year. The theme is facing challenges together rather than pulling away.

• Big focus on youth
• Civics education
• Huritini Student council - a collaboration of students from the different schools in Halswell identifying issues important to them and their community.  For young people climate is a huge issue.
• Collaborative action around waterways planting days with Halswell leading the way for the city. CCC does have a Climate Resilience Strategy:

Climate Change Strategy

• Traffic congestion - some schools are piloting car pooling schemes to reduce the use of cars. Rangi Ruru Young Enterprise group are looking at a project including Halswell
• Strengthening Community Networks 
• Multicultural opportunities - building connections between neighbours
• Safer environments - lower speeds, safe corridors to the schools and up Halswell Road etc
• Activating Nga Puna Wai. So many people don’t know its even there let alone that it is a community facility. Lots of opportunities
• Pool Activation Fund - reducing barriers to accessibility

Anne will be at Te Hapua regularly for people to talk to her about any issues they want to discuss.

Questions/Issues raised:

There were no questions or issues raised. People were encouraged to talk to Anne or contact her with any questions at any time.

News from around the Community:

Friendship Club / Garden Club:

Still meeting at Te Hapua and going well

Halswell Community Hub:

Really busy with new residents dropping in for information, welcome bags and attending groups.
New opportunities coming up - eg scrabble group on a Thursday morning from March
Collections still going - wine bottle tops, plastic milk bottle lids, plastic bread tags and sports gear
Website - developing a free business directory for Halswell based businesses

Te Hapua.

Renee and Donella introduced themselves as the new Community Librarians and outlined some of the things happening at the Library.

• Vaccine Passes have impacted some aspects of the Library activities - for example no preschool programmes as distancing is too complicated with little ones.
• Most activities / groups ARE still running. Eg - Scrabble, Knit and Yarn etc
• Library staff have developed “Grab, Scan and Go” - bundles of books for people who don’t want to linger in the library public space
• Lots of activities are now being offered online - Minecraft Club for example.
• A high Resolution Scanner is available for the community to book - digitise old slides
• Discovery Wall - touch screen with links to Canterbury stories, photos and websites. People can share photos or information through the website / discovery wall or take them into the library and staff will scan them for you.
• Not at Te Hapua but there are Laser Cutter for Fibre Craft classes at Turanga - beginner level classes to design and create items like buttons etc. There is a Laser Cutter at South Library and will hopefully be one at the new Hornby Library.
• Ready Reads - if people can’t get into the Library, they can now use ready reads. A bit like Click and Collect. The Librarian picks the items for you and you collect from outside the library.
• Book a librarian is on hold in the Library under red but can be accessed by phone

Halswell Hall

• Judith outlined that the floors have been refinished and the Hall is very happy with the finished result.
• New groups starting at the Hall
• AGM - 9th March. Looking for new committee members or people willing to help out with particular projects

Community Board - Andrei

Andrei identified the Halswell Road / Sparks Road intersection as an issue and suggested it needed an upgrade to make it safer
Number 7 bus is being reviewed this year and Andrei encouraged people to make a submission on this.
The planned bus lanes for Halswell Road / Lincoln Road are planned for 2024/25 
Andrei would like to see a footpath down past Aidanfield
Community Board meetings are now available to watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQN_yNuZzfRhDJ2scAEjCvA 

Volunteering Canterbury

Glenda outlined some of the things Volunteering Canterbury is doing / has coming up:

• Volunteer growth being seen in the 18 - 25 year old age bracket. Lots of enquiries from schools for volunteer opportunities fro groups of students
• Volunteering as a pre entry for employment for migrants - May
• Age friendly steering committee
• Projects getting those in retirement villages out into the community volunteering - on hold due to COVID
• New Governance Bites series starts in March covering topics like keeping meetings relevant, role of the chair, getting people off the board, boards as employers etc. Each session starts at 5pm with pizza and then runs from 5.15 - 7pm

Health Improvement Practitioner

Marieke introduced herself as the new HIP for Halswell Health as part of Pegasus Health.

HIPs are part of a general practice team. They work with patients to achieve goals by providing support and follow-up for issues related to mental health. 

Next Meetings

March 15th - Te Hapua Library staff
April 12th - Jackie Foulkes - St John Engagement officer
May 17th - Caroline Johnson - Red Cross

Halswell Connections

Meeting held Tuesday 20th Setember 2021

Halswell Community Hub, 381 Halswell Rd. 12.30-1.30pm

Present: Mike Bourke (CCC),Kate Cleverly (HCP), Keri Glassenbury (HCP), Andrei Moore (Community Board), Judith Penney (Halswell Hall), Ross McFarlane (HRA, HCP), Philippa Kelliher (Hub Volunteer, Resident), Pam Fisher (Te Hapua), Lisa Peterson (Te Hapua), Chrys Horn (HCP), Mike Snowdon (Resident, Hub Volunteer), Graham Nicholl (Resident), Mike Davis (Resident), John Moore (Resident), Heather (Resident), Walter (Resident), UC Students ( Laura, Callum, Ellie, Caitlin, Bethany, Emily)

Apologies: Robyn White (Garden Club/Friendship Club)

Speaker - Mike Bourke Senior Technician Water & Waste Planning, CCC.

Mike introduced himself and asked for questions on Water in Halswell.

Questions.

What does the 3 waters reform mean for Halswell?

The 3 waters reform is a government initiative to ensure safe water to all New Zealanders and came into being after the Havelock North e coli incident. It amalgamates all water providers into 4 distinct entities which takes control out of the hands of elected members and effectively puts it in the hands of a company.

One issue not yet clear is who then owns the assets. Current and future citizens of a city will be paying for the assets but how will that be recognised?

What happens if the government does take this over?

This is one of the key things to work out going forward. Mike outlined that the current system was unfair as it stands as water rates are based on CV of the house not the amount of water used. The new entities and the assets will be regulated but the costs in doing this are as yet unknown. It is however unlikely to save any money.

The council have started charging for excessive water use ovr 700l a day. Its a start to make people value water but currently a single person can be paying the same for their water as a large family if the house value is the same.

How do the council charge for wastewater?

This is based on the proportion of the water used by the house.

Is Christchurch short of water?

Not currently. Christchurch draws its water from huge underground resources which have an estimated capacity of 75 million m3 . Currently we draw around 55 million m3 which is well within capacity but with continued growth we could get there.

Mike agrees with the idea that we should be paying for water in some shape or form simply so that people value it more as a resource - like they do internet, phone etc.  There are different options in this. For example households could pay for every cubic metre used or households could opt in to pay for every m3 if they think they use less than the average designated by the council in the rates. Perth has this as an option for residents.

The problem will always be the societal extremes. Some people who can’t afford it could end up with big bills.

One suggestion would be including water consumption on the rates bill so people could see how much water they actually used.

Do all the new subdivisions have water metres?

Yes. All properties have a metre. Even the older ones.

Will Christchurch water continue to be chlorinated?

Mike said he would like to think not. The problem is the national system compares apples and oranges.  Christchurch is compared to other areas who draw their water from underground, however our water comes from a very different source than Havelock North where the e. coli outbreak was down to extreme conditions and poor infrastructure.  By comparison, Christchurch water comes from deep aquifers and CCC have invested in upgrading the infrastructure to prevent this occurring. For example, bringing the well heads above ground to prevent backflow.

Some wells cant get very deep so are UV disinfected. CCC has never confirmed e. coli from the wells
Having a non return valve on every property prevents backflow into the system.
The concrete roofs on reservoirs need sealing and fixing as the concrete is porous and allows runoff into the water stored inside.
Once these upgrades are finished CCC will put forward their case to the government for no chlorine in Christchurch water. 

What about nitrates? How is CCC working with the regional council on that?

Nitrate levels are a point of discussion. Christchurch levels are currently well within guideline levels but there is research suggesting those levels are still too high. The groundwater that feeds the aquifers comes from water flowing from Halkett/West Melton and North Canterbury flowing under the Waimakiriri river

ECAN are currently looking into rising NItrate levels that could be coming from North of the Waimakiriri as high levels have been detected north of the Waimak and that water flows under the river into the Christchurch groundwater

The underground water is filtered by both abiotic and biotic systems. Natural filtration removes most suspended matter from groundwater as the water passes through porous layers of soil and rock into the aquifers. Biotic factors are affected by high levels of nitrates which is why it is so important to monitor and reduce these levels.

Snow melt does end up in the Waimakiriri but not much recharges the aquifer as once it passes Halkett the water surfaces and runs off to the sea.

Water monitoring / dating.

Mike explained that water can be dated! In order to draw from the underground water, monitoring has to show that the water in the wells is at least 2 years old. Thi sis done through carbon and tritium dating and modelling can tell where the water entered the system and when. Some of the water in the wells is 175 years old.

Water Reform Costs? The government say the reforms will save us billions. Where do the savings come from?

How will the government do the same thing as the councils and do it cheaper?

The reforms will improve water for smaller, rural centres, not for the bigger centres like cities. The reforms aim to reduce the huge gap in NZ betweenthe top and bottom of water quality and access.

The savings would presumably come from the reduced levels of management. Whether this is a good or bad thing is up for discussion.

There is so much work to do in some regions and communities that it cant possibly save money.

Ross raised concerns that Christchurch water assets are worth $6.9 Billion with $1.1 Billion in debt meaning a net worth of $5.8 billion yet the government are offering Christchurch $122 million. There is a clear inequity in the argument when other communities who have not invested in their infrastructure are being offered similar amounts of money for assets worth far far less.

Ross also questioned whether the costs paid by developers would remain in the local area as if water is no longer controlled by the local council these fees would end up elsewhere in the country. Whilst he was certain most people would not have an issue subsidising the infrastructure upgrades in rural areas for example, he though people would have an issue with selling $6.9 billion of assets for $122 million!

Another issue raised was that of stormwater. Especially in Christchurch where swales and retention basins are an integral part of the landscape, parks and green spaces. How will they be managed if the council no longer control them.

Mike agreed that there were a number of issues the government had yet to address:

Stormwater
Ownership of assets

What's going on with Stormwater in the area?

New developments are responsible for managing the stormwater that development will generate. The idea is that they develop systems to mitigate the runoff so that it would be no more that that generated by the site in its undeveloped state.

The big storm in May 2021 suggests that the mitigation works. Flooding was far less than in previous events before the retention basins and wetlands had been developed.

When developing a site the developer needs to tak into account the wider basin and the impact any building may have on that, particularly since the earthquakes raised the groundwater levels in the area..
This is why long term land use plans are so important and cant just be changed as any change of use can impact another area.

Mike suggested that every household should have a stormwater system to collect the rain off the roof and reuse it.

Any truth to the rumour that the Sutherlands retention basins are over allocated?

Mike wasn't sure about this but probably not.

 

Can you use Pressure sewage tanks to collect and pump out storm water?

No. Definitely not. This is a myth. People see the tanks and think they are for stormwater but they are only for wastewater

In TC1 areas sewers have been replaced by pressure sewage tanks which are more robust and can be pumped out if needed

 

 

Halswell Connections

Meeting held Tuesday 17th August 2021

Halswell Community Hub, 381 Halswell Rd. 12.30-1.30pm

Present: Kate Cleverly (HCP), Keri Glassenbury (HCP), Sam Holland (CCC), Andrei Moore (Community Board), Debbie Mora (Community Board), Lynley Lock (Halswell Lions), Anne Galloway (CCC), Judith Penney (Halswell Hall), Brenda Newton (Halswell Hall), Murray Holmwood (resident), Ross McFarlane (HRA, HCP), Maureen (Resident), Philippa Kelliher (HCP, Resident), Anna Ashby (Knights Stream School), Jessica (Resident), Lynne Bull (Halswell Newsletter), Robyn White (Garden Club/Friendship Club), Pam Fisher (Te Hapua), Megan Thompson (parliamentary support), Megan Woods (MP Wigram)

Apologies: Emma Pavey (CCC), John Bennett (HRA)

Speaker - Megan Woods MP

Megan outlined a few issues she is working on locally but asked for feedback as she was more interested in answering peoples questions and hearing from the local community what was important to them.

Megan is currently working with NZTA on the access for pedestrians along Lincoln road past Aidanfield where there is currently no footpath along what is a very busy and dangerous road.  This is being included in the emerging options as part of the Lincoln Road upgrade. The question is how we reduce congestion along that stretch of road as some days 8 lanes wouldn't be enough to alleviate the congestion.

Megan also encouraged people to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

Questions:

If you are single and living alone, why can't you self isolate at home?

MIQ came into force because people wouldn't follow the rules. If people had followed the rules initially this may have been an option. There is a small trial in October for isolating at home following travel to see if we can make that work. It's based on trust.

What is the timeframe for the Lincoln Road upgrade?

Megan is meeting with Waka Kotahi next week on this

Why is Lincoln Road NZTA not CCC?

Essentially because it is such a busy main arterial road. Councils don't want the responsibility or financial burden of maintaining these roads on their relatively small budgets. Councils do have a close relationship with Waka Kotahi to help raise the profile of local priorities for maintenance

Why is the speed limit 80kph past Aidanfield?

This is historic from when this stretch of road ran through a green belt. It will change in the future as the area is now built up and residential 

 

What is the update on the Hillmorton High School upgrade?

Ministry of Ed are in discussions with the school around the sports centre and this is looking positive. Currently the school is receiving 5 new classrooms and 5 outdoor courts.

The school is master planned for 2000 students. 

Currently the mInistry have no plans to change the year 7 / 8 zoning which put Halswell students “out of zone”

Megan identified a need to make the roads safer for students to access Hillmorton safely.

Is the new Netsall centre still going ahead at Nga Puna Wai?

Yes- probably need to speak to community board members and councillor around details and plans for this.

When will the new Metro centre open?

Early next year

Is the new hospital car park going ahead?

Yes. The site on the corner of St Asaph and Hagley that is currently a bare land car park will be developed in partnership with Ngai Tahu. The current CDHB building will also be extended. The current hold up is through issues with the consent process.

Will you be standing at the next election? And what will you be standing on?

Yes.  Parties usually release the manifestos and policies a few months out at around the same time so its a fair process.  Megan outlined that she prefers to think of it as a 3 year conversation so that people know what she stands for when she stands rather than a sudden release just before an election.

Are there any other portfolios you would like or are interested in?

No. Housing, Energy, Research and Innovation and finance are more than enough.

Are there any COVID vaccination events planned for the South Island?

Yes we are working on getting the vaccination centres close to where people are. Eg school halls, local pharmacies. 

Halswell Pharmacy are now doing vaccinations.

What is the difference between local government and council?

Local government covers the region and is made up of regional council, council and ECAN whereas the Council is responsible for a smaller, specific area -Christchurch.

 

Issues raised:

Dangerous crossing outside Halswell School - can’t put in a pedestrian crossing as it’s a State Highway

NZTA are looking at a discussion paper on reducing the speed limit outside all schools to 30kph

Traffic all through the community is an issue

Public Transport

Due to the growth there are major issues with public transport. Pre earthquake the bus routes and timetables served Halswell far better. Obviously the bus lanes and upgrade of Lincoln Rd will help but what is the timeline for improving public transport?

Megan said the government had been pushing councils to be ambitious with public transport plans and present business cases to support them. Some councils had done this - CCC had not. The timeline sounds like there will be public consultation early 2022 which will then go to the government for funding.

ECAN are responsible for the bus routes - we will look at getting a representative to a future meeting to discuss this issue

News from other organisations:

Community Board

Summer with your neighbours funding applications are open

A speed review will take place on Aidanfield drive

Looking at the portable speed signs and whether it would be viable to get one for the area. Keen to see results on effectiveness

Smart bins in parks having a few teething problems due to location and lack of numbers. Andrei is keen to hear any feedback around whether the amount of rubbish has increased or decreased with the changes. Halswell football club has already raised this and he feels more signage is needed around rubbish and dog waste. Waiting to hear if ore bins are on the way

CCC

Sam shared that there is a regular Principals meeting and they are looking at improving the safety access to schools through “play on the way” 

The new Hornby Centre consultation  is open for engagement on activities and programmes. This closes on Sept 1st - link

Workshop coming up for anyone interested in organising events - Get Set Go programme is a 1 day workshop including all resources for $35. Contact Sam if you are interested.

Halswell Hall

Holding a summer BBQ on 28th Jan 2022

Bookings are almost full but need volunteers to spread the load

Knights Stream School

KSS is growing well with over 300 students. ⅔ of these are year 3 and below (under 8) The BoT has been proactive in approaching the ministry regarding the next phase of the building process to accommodate the growth. The next block planned will increase capacity by around 250

Playground areas are being developed and Mike, Anna and a group of students are visiting school to gather ideas.

Halswell Lions

Next meeting is September 1st - speakers are Kate and Keri from HCP

 

Halswell Community Project

Lynne encouraged people to check out the new look newsletter and to send in information and articles for the September Newsletter - deadline 24th August.

Next Market is the Christmas market on 28th November - fully booked already!

As well as the bread tags, wine bottle tops and sports gear, Halswell Hub is now a collection point for the Hoon Hay Food Bank (non perishable items and sanitary products) and Milk Bottle lids- #2 plastics for Over the Top Recycling. Neith is collecting the lids, melting them down and turning them into skate boards to sell to fundraise for his rowing dream.

HCP has secured funding from Rata and the Community Board to extend the opening hours of the Hub and to employ a Community Youth Worker. 

The Hub is in the process of having the new heating system installed.

Halswell Garden Club

Halswell Friendship club

Monthly meetings continue, Christine is now the contact person for the Garden club

Next meeting:  Tuesday 21st September 2021 12.30pm

Speaker - Mike Bourke - water issues/solutions in the Halswell ward

 

Future Connections Meetings:

October 9th - Speaker TBC - topic - Dogs and Dog control

November 16th - Citizens Advice Bureau

Halswell Connections

Meeting held Tuesday 13th April 2021

Halswell Community Hub - 381 Halswell Road, 12.30-1.30pm

Present: Pam Fischer, Lisa Peterson (Te Hapua), Julie Turner (Resident), Philippa Kelliher (Hub volunteer, Resident), Michelle Rose-Johns (HIPPY), Keri Glassenbury (HCP), Lynne Bull (HCP), Judith Penney (Halswell Hall), Ross McFarlane (Halswell Residents Assoc), Mike Snowdon (Resident), Debbie Mora (Community Board), Sam Holland (CCC), Emma Pavey (CCC), Peter Mechaelis  (Halswell Lions), 

Apologies: Megan Woods MP, Mike Molloy, Robyn White, John Bennett

Discussion:

Speakers: Emma Pavey (CCC Community Development Advisor) and Sam Holland (CCC Community Recreation Advisor)

Emma and Sam gave some background on who they were, how they arrived in their roles and some of the projects they worked on. Sam and Emma work closely together and their roles do overlap.

Emma started as a funding advisor before moving on to become a Community Recreation Advisor followed by a governance manager. All these roles linked strongly into and gave a valuable background to the role of Community Development Advisor.

Initially Emma worked in the Hoon Hay area where she initiated projects like the Hoon Hay Fiesta as a tool to bring people together and increase capacity. Emma also worked with a group of teenagers around the need for lights on the park for basketball. 

This process involved working with the local people/ group, upskilling them and helping them to navigate the channels at council for the desired outcome. Civic participation helps empower people and give them a voice to make a difference for their community.

Emma explained that community led development (rather than council led) leads to a more connected community.

Sam is originally from Christchurch and studies at Lincoln Uni. She has had lots of roles including a summer assistant supporting events across the city such as Hello Hornby.

As the recreational advisor she supports local groups with events and activities such as the Celebrate Halswell Event, Childrens Day and possible future events.  She is also involved in the Huritini Student Council encouraging local children to take part in activities they are passionate about. For example the group have been looking at signage around Westlake Park  to protect the birds and wildlife. She is also involved in the Give Gear Get Great program.

Some of the things Emma and Sam are working on at present include:

• Halswell Heritage Trail - maps around the community with information about the history and heritage of the area that brings stories together. The plan is to develop an app to go with this.
• Long Term Plan Submissions close on the 18th April - there are drop in information sessions associated with this.
• Community Service Awards
• Walking Festival
• Representation review which closes on the 16th May. Halswell is currently the largest ward so may see boundary changes. For example - Westmorland and Wigram are likely to be separated off and placed in adjacent wards rather than Halswell.
• Development contributions. Developers currently pay a contribution towards development and infrastructure and this process is open for submissions, for example $1000 per section could be going towards local development and infrastructure 
• Climate change strategy - submissions close on 25th April

Mike raised the issue of the Nottingham stream levels. It would appear that the stream, like the Westlake Lakes is groundwater fed and therefore affected by the low rain levels over a long period rather than the development around the area.

Christchurch City Council has started a project to develop a Three Waters Strategy to ensure long-term sustainability of the natural resources communities rely on for their daily needs. We may be able to get them to a future Connections meeting to discuss this in more detail.

Te Hāpua: Halswell Centre.

Pam and Lisa shared what is happening at the Library currently. 

A new What’s On booklet has been released and is available from the library

Digital Futures courses for 65 plus are going well

Tuesday afternoons are Tech drop in help sessions and residents can book a librarian for 1 on 1 help 

Groups use the library facilities for informal meetings such as:

Knitting Group -Thursday and Saturday afternoon 1 - 3pm
Scrabble group - Wednesday 1 - 3pm

 

HIPPY

HIPPY (Home Interaction Programme for Parents and Youngsters) is currently reaching out to find families with children aged 3 - 5 for their program which encourages parents to be first teachers and aid the transition to school. The program improves skills and relationships and feedback shows that children from the program are often ahead of their peers when they start school.

Halswell Community Project

Lynne asked that any notices or articles for the next newsletter be emailed through to her at halswell.newsletter@gmail.com.

Kate and Keri have been busy at the Hub. The Community Board recommended that the Council gift the building to HCP to run and the final decision will be made by council in May.

A new batch of welcome bags has been put together and are ready to be distributed. Kate will drop some off at the Library to give out.

Next Market is 23rd May

School Holidays at the Hub - Sock Puppet craft mornings 10 - 12 on Wednesday 21st and Thursday 22nd April

In addition to the sharing shack, book shack and collecting wine bottle tops, the Hub is now a collection point for good quality blankets and bedding which will be sent over to the New Brighton blanket bank. They have also started collecting bread tags which can be recycled to fund wheelchairs in South Africa.

Halswell Hall

Judith noted that she had taken delivery of the spring bulbs from the fundraiser. They had a good response and raised $421 which will go towards installing an AED on the front porch of the hall.

The Hall is looking for several people to help with the running of the facility - funding coordinator, fundraiser, communications officer, IT person, Social media.

Lots of little jobs need doing around the place and lots of fundraising happening

The new stage will be installed at the end of July and Judith is looking into getting the Elms trimmed due to Health and Safety concerns.

Halswell Residents Association

Ross outlined the proposed changes to SH 75, Halswell Road between Dunbars road and Curletts road. More information can be found here: https://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/sh75-halswell-road-improvements/

An open Night to be held on Thursday 15th April at Rowley School. 3.30 - 6pm

It was discussed that Halswell NEEDS better bus services into town. Currently it is far faster to travel by car than take the bus due to the congestion. Hopefully this proposal will ease that congestion and make safer access to Hillmorton High School with traffic lights at the end of Tankerville Road.

Halswell Lions

Peter said the Lions have had a busy month. They supported Hillmorton High school during their camp by taking the school lunches out to the students and staff on camp over the 2 week period. He noted that the lions are heavily involved with HHS.

The Lions district have lots of youth activities and the Halswell Lions are hoping to increase the number they get involved in. For example they have been working with an Oaklands School student on the Peace poster competition and would like to see more young people getting involved in these opportunities.

The last Lions meeting had the Justice of the Peace as speakers which was very well attended and received. 

Next Meeting - speaker is CEO of Age Concern

Halswell Lions currently has 19 members and has club elections at the end of April.

Peter discussed the new facebook page and said Lions were pleased with how it was going. Engagement is already up which is encouraging.

Meeting Closed 1.30pm

Next Meeting: Tuesday 18th May Hillmorton High School - details to be confirmed but meeting at the school in the new Middle School Learning Block

Upcoming Meetings 2021:

Date	Speaker	Venue
May 18th	Hillmorton High School	Hillmorton High School
June 15th	Zahra Hussaini - communities supporting Migrant and refugee families	Halswell Hub
July 20th	Tracey McClelland MP	Halswell Hub
August 17th
September 21st
October 19th

(Please note, speakers and venues are subject to change. Please check out the events page on the website and on our facebook page for final details)

Halswell Connections 

Meeting held Tuesday 16th February 2021

Halswell Community Hub - 381 Halswell Rd; 12.30 - 1.30pm

Present: Kate Cleverly (Halswell Community Project); Keri Glassenbury (Halswell Community Project); Robyn White (Halswell Friendship Club and Garden Club); Adrienne Senior (MenzShed); Peter Mechaelis (Halswell Lions); Ross McFarlane (Halswell Residents Assoc); Andrei Moore (Community Board); Judith Penney (Halswell Community Hall); Chrys Horn (Halswell Community Project); Margaret Trotter (Oaklands School)

Apologies: Swantje Bubritzki; John Bennet; Emma Pavey; Sam Holland; Anne Galloway; Alice McLay; Megan Woods; Debbie Mora

Discussion:

Unfortunately Emma (CCC Community Development Advisor) was sick so the discussion was a general update and networking meeting hearing from each group represented.

Halswell Hall

Judith outlined that the Hall now has a 5 year strategic plan in place covering long term plans, maintenance schedules etc.

The Hall is currently running a Spring Bulb fundraiser - details can be found on the facebook page or by emailing Judith for orders. Judith is hoping to be at the Halswell Market on 28th Feb to promote this and take orders.

Halswell Menzshed

Adrienne said the MenzShed is going very well and has been running for approx ⅚ years now.

Roger Spicer is managing the Shed and doing a very good job of getting out and networking with local groups and maintaining and growing the groups community focus. They are working on lots of projects both at the Shed and around the community and are always open for groups who need some help with building projects to make contact.

Friendship Club/Garden Club

Robyn said that the friendship club has just celebrated their 12th Birthday.

They have monthly meetings at the Library and in between have monthly coffee meetings and outings.

The Garden Club also meets monthly and is going well.

Halswell Lions

Peter outlined that the Halswell Lions are an established local group and are looking at networking with as many local groups as possible. They hold their own events - Carols in the Quarry for example as well as supporting other local events like the Celebrate Halswell event and others.

The Lions are keen to grow and develop their membership and would like to hear from community groups wanting/needing support with events and activities that they can help/get involved in

Halswell Community Project

HCP exists to promote activities and events across the community and connect people regardless of who they are or where they come from.  Kate and Keri outlined some of the activities that HCP run - the local market, events, school holiday activities, monthly newsletters, website, weekly coffee morning and mahjong groups and the Halswell Hub

Upcoming events to note - Halswell Market - 28th Feb; Children’s Day - 7th March.

Halswell Residents Association

Ross outlined some of the work of the Residents association. Currently they are advocating for an increased share of facilities in the Halswell area to cope with the continuing growth. He pointed out that Halswell still has 6570 sections to be developed before it is considered completed. This is a huge number of sections and will need an investment in the infrastructure for the area.

Local Residents.

Ashley, Philippa and Mike described issues with traffic and lack of facilities/infrastructure as well as speed limits and the way Halswell Junction Road divides the community. They also pointed out that commercial hubs were either non-existent in some parts of the community or consisted of very similar shops. For example - Longhurst is almost entirely food outlets. 

Tracey McLellan - MP.

Andrei said that Traceys office had been really busy with a wide variety of issues. Tracey will be holding another drop in clinic in Halswell on 13th March from 9.30 - 11.30am at the Library.

Community Board

Andrei outlined several issues that the community board are looking into at present.

Speeding - particularly around the new Richmond Avenue intersection as local residents report not feeling safe

Consultation on the Long Term Plan - Halswell needs more input into this in terms of submissions in order to get fairer access to funding for infrastructure for the future growth of the community.  He felt that we needed to be getting into the hundreds of submissions to be heard and in order to help guide this we need to first gather information from the community on what is needed so that Halswell remains a desirable place to live and doesn’t become over congested due to the lack of facilities and infrastructure.

Community Facilities Network Plan - despite the map showing a huge gap in facilities in the Halswell area, the document stated that there were no geographical gaps. This has now been amended.

Land at Quaifes Road - the land has not been sold and the community board are encouraging the council to retain at least some of the land for future community facilities. They have gone back to Ngai Tahu for consultation as this was not done previously to determine any significance of the land to them. The group felt that as a community the discovery of the ancient totara stumps on this site meant that the land had a significance to the whole community. Halswell Residents Association are working with the council to get a land survey of the site to determine if there are any sizable sections of wood left that could be used as an example for significant carvings

Water - the council are in full agreement over the removal of chlorine from the drinking water and are awaiting the exemption from central government to do this.

 

Oaklands School

Margaret outlined the progress with the rebuild. The School is almost finished with just the last part being the hall and final landscaping. With the exception of 2 pre existing classrooms all students are now in new facilities and the new courtyard and sports court are complete.  The rebuild has been 3 years in the making, the school is looking really good and it has been a positive start to the year.

There will be an official opening coming up and next steps are looking at the schools branding to incorporate the gifted name Te Kura o Ōwaka.

Oaklands currently has a roll of around 575 with 120 year 7 and 8s

 

Meeting closed 1.30pm

Next Meeting:  

March 16th - Halswell Residents Association

 April 13th -  Emma Pavey - Community Development advisor

Sam Holland - Community Recreation Advisor

Possible/Suggested Topics for future meetings:

Tracey McLellan/Megan Woods - local MPs

EcoSort - Recycling

Craig Pauling - Regional Council

CCC Planner - what they see happening in/around Halswell

Hillmorton High School Update

Zahra Hussaini

 

 

Halswell Connections

Meeting held Tuesday 15th June 2021

Halswell Community Hub, 381 Halswell Rd. 12.30-1.30pm

Present: Nick Regnault (SWBC), Kate Cleverly (HCP), Keri Glassenbury (HCP), Judith Penney (Halswell Hall), Brenda Newton (Halswell Hall), Darryl Tempero (Kiwi Church), Chrys Horn (HCP), Robyn White (Garden Club/Friendship Club), John Bennet (Halswell Residents Association), Sonali Chandratilake(CDEM), Emma Pavey (CCC), Sam Holland (CCC), Sally (resident), Andrei Moore (Community Board), Debbie Mora (Community Board), Philippa (resident), 

Apologies: Mike Molloy, Anne Galloway, Debbie Mora, Amy Lawson, Megan Woods

Discussion - Supporting Refugees through Community Sponsorship. (Nick Regnault (SWBC))

Nick has been involved with South West Baptist Church and the pilot scheme welcoming refugees to New Zealand.  NZ has an existing refugee programme run by the government in partnership with organisations such as the Red Cross and using volunteers. This Quota programme is government funded and has 1500 places per year.  Worldwide, the number of refugees has increase whilst the number of government funded places has decreased

On top of this, are community sponsored places. Such a programme has been running successfully in Canada for 40 years.  Under Community Sponsorship, communities may come together to sponsor a family and help them to settle into an area. The aim is to welcome a family to the community and encourage them to settle there by providing practical and social support.

New Zealand ran a pilot programme under the community sponsorship scheme which involved 4 groups across NZ and 25 refugees.  South West Baptist was part of a campaign to make the programme bigger and permanent.  As a result the government have agreed to expand the pilot to more refugees but needs communities to get behind it to make it a success. So far 50 groups have depressed interest in the programme.

“Community Sponsorship complements the quota programme but it is communities that offer the help.”

Nick showed a video from the www.kiwiswelcomerefugees.com website which demonstrated the experiences of both refugees and communities involved in the programme.

From a community perspective getting involved means providing practical support at a grassroots level. Things like......

• Making the family feel welcome
• Helping to find a house and making sure it is furnished/equipped with everything a family will need.
• Helping families to learn English, 
• Help with getting their driver's licence
• Friendships
• Spending time together
• Introducing them to others in the community
• Helping them find groups and activities to take part in
• Helping the children feel welcome at school

SWBC welcomed 3 Middle Eastern families, all with children. All had a fundamental grasp of English which is different to the Quota system. The sponsorship programme is more geared to families who have a high chance of integration.

In order to welcome the families, SWBC set up 3 groups of 7 / 8  volunteers and organised to think about how they could use existing networks, available time etc to create a sense of belonging. They then mapped where the volunteers lived and found houses for the refugee families in that area so that there would be a crossover in the places visited and facilities used. Frequenting the same schools, shops etc created accidental as well as intentional interactions. One example Nick gave was the children being at the same School. A simple “Hi” in the playground or at the gate made the children of the family feel like they belonged.

The networks of the volunteers and community around them enabled them to leverage opportunities for work/employment etc and helped bridge cultural divides/misunderstandings (such as “Bring a plate”). Volunteers invested time that may have been setting aside a time for a coffee or more.

The families sponsored by SWBC felt safe. Even after the terror attack which affected many of them very badly, these families don’t blame NZ and are still grateful they came to NZ.  The programme creates friendships and connections that help people when they go through hard situations.

Going forwards, the government has agreed to fund an additional 150 families over 3 years NZ wide. This is contingent on Kiwis stepping up. Nick and his organisation are inviting communities to form a group and welcome a family.  The first families arrive in NZ in July 2022. This time groups are not on their own, the government is investing in training and will match new groups with those who have done it before to provide support. In addition, in this second round, families get a choice whether they want to engage in the programme or not and there will be an attempt to match families with sponsorship groups and locations

“The only thing that can make a difference to a society is a group of committed citizens” (Margaret Mead)

In order to succeed more people need to engage in conversations.

Questions:

How does a group go about finding a house?

Families don't initially qualify for housing NZ so look at private market, use networks to find available property

What challenges are posed by refugees coming from detention centres?

At this stage this is unknown but presumably will be similar to families coming from a refugee camps. Those families are more likely to have more complex issues and be assigned to the government Quota system.

How can we help change public perception of refugees?

Be a bridge ot help. We start by being the change, modelling it, talking about it. Our action creates the change.

What are refugee expectations of us when they arrive?

The first pilot operated in a vacuum of knowledge. This created some difficulties, eg, refugees not being able to transfer qualifications or skills to the NZ labour market.  The learning that came from this will be applied to the new pilot. Eg asking “here is an opportunity, would you like to take it” and an understanding that ties to family and home may be stronger than the desire to relocate and “lose” that sense of belonging. Refugees will be interviewed as part of the process to ensure that expectations are realistic and all parties understand the process and what they are going to.

News from other organisations:

Halswell Hall

Judith outlined the work the hall has had done. This includes major drainworks and installation of a water filter.  They are also fundraising and seeking sponsorship for an outdoor AED.  The Spring bulb fundraiser raised $600 and the latest fundraiser is Pies. Judith left some flyers and details for interested people.

Kiwi Church

Beer and BBQ Church is happening at the Hub each Sunday. 

Halswell Community Project

Chrys requested items for the newsletter and Judith passed on congratulations for a successful AGM.

Keri shared that the May market was a huge success with a beautiful day and over 1200 people visiting.

Kate shared that the council had voted unanimously to gift the Hub to HCP and that HCP are now working with staff to organise this.

A reminder that the Hub is a collection point for Blankets, Wine Bottle Tops, Bread Tags and sports gear for the give gear get great programme.

Friendship Club / Garden Club

Meeting regularly as usual

CDEM (Civil Defence)

Sonali introduced herself as the new Community Resilience Coordinator to work with communities on response etc. She shared a series of leaflets/flyers and information that are useful for communities including radio frequencies and information on tsunami zones.

Halswell Residents Association.

John outlined the work the HRA has been doing including submissions to the council and concerns over the ward systema nd boundaries.

HRA are currently opposing and extension of hours and footpath advertising by the Bottle-O on Ensign Street. They have also been discussing speed restrictions and the Matai Stumps on Quaifes road.

Halswell Residents Association meet on the last Monday of each month, 7pm at St Marys Church.

CCC

Emma shared that the representation review was due to close (Thursday 17th June)

Sam shared about an upcoming engagement on parks in Halswell that she would like to hear from the community about. More information to follow.

Get Set Go workshop is coming up for those who might be interested. This is a 1 day workshop for anyone involved in organising community events. For more information contact Sam.

Community Board

Debbie and Andrei outlined what the community board have been working on. This includes the representation review and ward boundaries. Kennedys bush was originally positioned in the Cashmere ward but has now been reassigned to Halswell. This unfortunately created another issue which saw Knights Stream pushed out to Hornby. Following more discussion with Council Knights Stream is now back in Halswell Ward but at the expense of Copper Ridge, which remains in Hornby. This seems like a strange decision as parts of Wigram are in Halswell but parts of Halswell are not.  Andrei is asking for clarification and plans to appeal this.

Debbie agreed that the motorway was a more logical boundary and discussed the option that maybe we shouldn't have boundaries within the community board ward (Halswell-Hornby-Riccarton) as the board makes collective decisions for the whole area. However the discussion also outlined why having smaller boundaries was useful - people feel that they have a direct route to those making the decisions.  Andrei also shared that it was Mens Health Awareness week and they are collecting NEW underwear and socks for men in need. These can be dropped into the Hub during the week (14th - 21st June)

 

Next meeting:  Tuesday 20th July 2021 12.30pm

Speaker - Tracey McLellan MP for Banks Peninsula

Future Connections Meetings:

July 20th - Tracey McLellan MP

August 17th - Mike Bourke - Three Waters

September 21st  - TBC

October 9th - TBC

November 16th - Citizens Advice Bureau

Halswell Connections

Meeting held Tuesday 20th July 2021

Halswell Community Hub, 381 Halswell Rd. 12.30-1.30pm

Present: Kate Cleverly (HCP), Sam Holland (CCC), Andrei Moore (Community Board), Lynley Lock (Halswell Lions), Anne Galloway (CCC), Judith Penney (Halswell Hall), Murray Holmwood (resident), Ross McFarlane (HRA, HCP)Maureen (Resident), Philippa Kelliher (HCP, Resident), Tracey McLellan (MP)

Apologies: Keri Glassenbury (HCP),Robyn White (Garden Club/Friendship Club), Emma Pavey (CCC),

Speaker -Tracey McLellan MP

Tracey shared a little bit about her background and how she came into politics.

Growing up in Southland she moved to Canterbury in 2002 and completed her PhD at Canterbury University. She spent 10 years at UC mainly in the fields of psychology and neuroscience then paediatric brain injury in mainly adults.  Following the earthquakes this no longer seemed enough and she decided she wanted to spend less time on funding applications and reports and more time doing practical things to help people. Working with Ruth Dysona nd Megan Woods after the quakes she discovered she was more effective doing rather than her previous roles and enjoyed being on the ground working at the grassroots level. As a result she has been able to for example, work on a new members bill on concussion in sport which is a simple legislative change but could make a huge difference especially to young people

A single parent of two grown up boys, Tracey said they are a relatively political family and getting involved and joining the Labour Party gave her a sense of belonging and family.  She believes change comes from the inside and has been in her role as an MP for 8months now, the first 3 months were an eye opener.

The job is essentially split into 2 roles - her work in parliament in Wellington and the other working in and with the local communities she represents.  Teh days in Wellington are extremely long with lots of information, meetings and decisions to make but she enjoys the variety and excitement of it. On the other hand the issues she deals with representing the local communities in Christchurch, Banks Peninsula are extremely varied as each community is very different. Which she also enjoys.

Questions:

What Select committees are you on?

Health (deputy chair). The health select committee covers a huge range of issues including water reform to ensure that every New Zealander has access to clean drinking water.  The health committee gets the most petitions, all of which take time to read, dgest and research.

Are the water reforms driven by the health committee?

They certainly started under health. The intention is that every New Zealander has access to safe, clean drinking water.  Tracey acknowledged that the Water services bill is very complicated and includes the infrastructure changes as wella s things like fluoridation in the future. Christchurch in particular is very keen to keep the water chlorine free and most councils are not keen on the shift in the infrastructure proposed but again, the focus is to make sure water is available everywhere in NZ so some decisions may not be popular. Ross suggested that the general public were overwhelmed/swamped by the proposed changes and it may have been better to tackle one aspect at a time. Tracey acknowledged that it is a lot to take in.

Who owns the water?

Discussion points suggested that water should not be owned by one group or another as it belongs to every New Zealander and it should stay that way.  Tracey said that is a question that is always going to need to be considered but it is not even on the table. This is about infrastructure and getting water to every person in NZ. They are still very much at the beginning of the process and are hoping to future proof it so water can’t be privatised in the future.

Do you have any other areas of interest?

Yes. Tracey was put into health because of her background and experience in the area but would love to be more involved in Science and Innovation as she is excited by the future in this area and how it covers/supports all sectors.

Are there plans to make dentistry free?

Labour advocates for dentistry under the health umbrella and believe it should be free and accessible and part of the health system so definitely a goal. Tracey outlined that oral health is one of the leading contributors to cardiovascular health issues and the state of children's teeth was a very good indicator for the need for fluoride in the water

What local issues do you deal with?

It varies widely from suburb to suburb. In Halswell its generally issues associated with the rapid growth and maintaining the sense of belonging and community. As an Mp it is not Traceys role but she can support people when they raise issues or difficulties. For example, around the need for a local dog park or if they need help navigating the system to get the help and support they need.

News from other organisations:

Halswell Hall

Judith outlined the work the hall has had done. This includes pruning of the trees and laying down bark chip mulch. The Pie fundraiser was successful and the Hall now has an AED installed.

Halswell Lions

Lynley shared that after the AGM, the Lions has now had a change of officers and a new president.  They have some events coming up, the first being a quiz night in August

Halswell Community Project

Kate shared that HCP has been working with council on the handover of the building and this will occur shortly once all paper work is finalised. 

A request for items for the newsletter and a reminder that the Hub is a collection point for Blankets, Wine Bottle Tops, Bread Tags and sports gear for the give gear get great programme.

 

Halswell Residents Association.

Ross outlined the issues the residents association are currently working on. This includes an application by the Bottle O on Ensign Street to extend its hours and put out footpath advertising. This sets a precedent for the other liquor outlets who currently restrict their opening hours to 9pm so if approved this potentially creates 3 outlets selling alcohol late in the evening which is less than ideal for the local community. HRA will be attending the hearing.

The NZTA speed limit review closes on 27th July and HRA have their AGm on MOnday 26th July, 7pm at ST Marys Church

CCC

Sam shared that the Huritini student council have approached the community board and presented on their ideas around Westlake park including signage and possibly a mural. They are working with the council around budgets and funding their projects.

Anne said that she and the council have been working on partnerships to get the best outcomes for local communities.

Other issues raised:

Murray shared his frustration around dog control in the area.  He said it is pretty bad and confusing with areas where dogs are off lead when they shouldn't be and mess left all over the ground.  The group decided that this was something that we should look at in a future meeting.

Next meeting:  Tuesday 17th August 2021 12.30pm

Speaker - Megan Woods MP for Wigram

Future Connections Meetings:

August 17th - Megan woods MP

September 21st  - Mike Bourke - Three Waters

October 9th - TBC

November 16th - Citizens Advice Bureau

 

 

Halswell Connections

Meeting held Tuesday 16th March 2021

Halswell Community Hub - 381 Halswell Road, 12.30-1.30pm

Present:  Keri Glassenbury (Halswell Community Project), Robyn White (Halswell Friendship Club and Garden Club), Ross McFarlane (Halswell Residents Assoc) , Ros Thornley (Halswell Community Project), John Bennet (Halswell Residents Assoc), Andrei Moore (Community Board), Judith Penney (Halswell Hall), Mike Snowdon, Philippa Kelliher, Anne Galloway (Councillor),  Debbie Mora (Community Board), Margaret Murdoch, Megan Thompson (Megan Woods), Sam Holland (Community Rec Advisor) Peter Mechaelis (Halswell Lions), Kate (Library), Marilyn, Emma Pavey (Community development Advisor)

Apologies: Kate Cleverly

Discussion:

Halswell Residents Association

Speakers Ross McFarlane and John Bennet.

HRA has been around for 26 years in which time they have had 2 chairmen and 3 secretaries. The group was formed originally around discussions regarding the swimming pool and land from the domain and has spent the last 26 years fighting for the community on various issues.

For 15 years HRA fought the council and developers to keep the land on the domain, eventually winning through the environment court to retain 13 of the 15 hectares for the community.

Other projects over the history of the HRA have included:

• Discovering and uncovering a sunken forest on Quaifes road that has been there for 900 - 1200 years.
• Keeping the No 7 bus route past the hospital.
• Protecting the historical farm buildings at Aidanfield and erecting the monument on the corner of Aidanfield Drive and McMahon Drive.
• Erecting a memorial stone in Wigram to the 7 Airmen that lost their lives in 1953
• Fighting the increase in the number of liquor stores in the area and their opening hours. HRA took legal action against the liquor store proposed for the shops on Ensign Street and lodges an appeal when it was approved. The liquor stores licence application has been in for 12 months and there have been no incidents. Ross and John acknowledged the support they received during this battle.

Ross and John also discussed some of the issues currently facing Halswell as a community that HRA are working on.  These  include the ongoing growth, with 6750 sections left to be developed, traffic and speed issues,, bus routes and the CCC and ECAN long term plans as well as the local representation review and the schooling in the area. 

HRA also run the ANZAC parade which will be held on 25th April 2021.

Halswell Residents Association meet on the last Monday of each month at St Mary's Church - their next meeting is  at 7pm on 28th March and all residents are welcome.

Margaret - local resident-  Raised concerns regarding land being raised behind Kennedys bush road.  Ross McFarlane is going to look into it.

Halswell Hall

The Hall’s AGM was a success with Anton Matthew’s as guest speaker, very inspirational.

Judith noted she has received several enquiries for space on a Sunday for Church groups.  No space available.

More work and volunteers needed on landscaping at the Hall.

The Halls received approximately $30,000 per year from Hirers and relies on Funding and fundraising for the rest.  Currently needing $7000 to trim the trees posing a risk to the car park and public as too large.  The hall received $20,000 from Rata for a foldable stage.

Drama group began their first rehearsal last night for the upcoming performance of Little shop of Horror later in the year.

$1000 was raised from the bulb fundraiser.

Declined Harcourts funding.

Friendship Club/Garden Club

Robyn noted both clubs ticking along as usual. 

Halswell Lions

Peter discussed the Lions connection with Hillmorton High School and the Scouts.  

300-400 bales of pea straw available for sale.  They have been updating their presence on facebook and social media.  With a strong focus of memberships.

 

Halswell Community Project

The Halswell Hub has been busy with many new residents dropping in to see what’s happening in the area.  Clubs and activities they can involve themselves in.  

The Market sadly was cancelled at the very last moment due to moving into level 2 at 6am that day.  Market will run quarterly for 2021 and hopefully returning to monthly in 2022. 

Children’s day at the Quarry another victim of COVID but we are looking to run it at some stage in Spring.  

Planning is under way for the April school holidays for some free activities at the hub.

Anne Galloway

Discussed the need for feedback on the long term plan.  This is available online and in paper form.

Hillmorton High School needs help with getting their gym.  Any organisation that might be able to help/fundraise.

Kate - Te Hapua

The better digital for seniors course is now in its 3rd week and running well. Free course for over 65’s. 

 

Meeting Closed 1.30pm

Next Meeting:  Tuesday 13th April  12.30 - 1.30pm

Emma Pavey - Community Development Advisor

Sam Holland - Community Recreation Advisor

Halswell Connections 

Meeting held Tuesday 16th February 2021

Halswell Community Hub - 381 Halswell Rd; 12.30 - 1.30pm

Present: Kate Cleverly (Halswell Community Project); Keri Glassenbury (Halswell Community Project); Robyn White (Halswell Friendship Club and Garden Club); Adrienne Senior (MenzShed); Peter Mechaelis (Halswell Lions); Ross McFarlane (Halswell Residents Assoc); Andrei Moore (Community Board); Judith Penney (Halswell Community Hall); Chrys Horn (Halswell Community Project); Margaret Trotter (Oaklands School)

Apologies: Swantje Bubritzki; John Bennet; Emma Pavey; Sam Holland; Anne Galloway; Alice McLay; Megan Woods; Debbie Mora

Discussion:

Unfortunately Emma (CCC Community Development Advisor) was sick so the discussion was a general update and networking meeting hearing from each group represented.

Halswell Hall

Judith outlined that the Hall now has a 5 year strategic plan in place covering long term plans, maintenance schedules etc.

The Hall is currently running a Spring Bulb fundraiser - details can be found on the facebook page or by emailing Judith for orders. Judith is hoping to be at the Halswell Market on 28th Feb to promote this and take orders.

Halswell Menzshed

Adrienne said the MenzShed is going very well and has been running for approx ⅚ years now.

Roger Spicer is managing the Shed and doing a very good job of getting out and networking with local groups and maintaining and growing the groups community focus. They are working on lots of projects both at the Shed and around the community and are always open for groups who need some help with building projects to make contact.

Friendship Club/Garden Club

Robyn said that the friendship club has just celebrated their 12th Birthday.  They have monthly meetings at the Library and in between have monthly coffee meetings and outings.The Garden Club also meets monthly and is going well.

Halswell Lions

Peter outlined that the Halswell Lions are an established local group and are looking at networking with as many local groups as possible. They hold their own events - Carols in the Quarry for example as well as supporting other local events like the Celebrate Halswell event and others.

The Lions are keen to grow and develop their membership and would like to hear from community groups wanting/needing support with events and activities that they can help/get involved in

Halswell Community Project

HCP exists to promote activities and events across the community and connect people regardless of who they are or where they come from.  Kate and Keri outlined some of the activities that HCP run - the local market, events, school holiday activities, monthly newsletters, website, weekly coffee morning and mahjong groups and the Halswell Hub

Upcoming events to note - Halswell Market - 28th Feb; Children’s Day - 7th March.

Halswell Residents Association

Ross outlined some of the work of the Residents association. Currently they are advocating for an increased share of facilities in the Halswell area to cope with the continuing growth. He pointed out that Halswell still has 6570 sections to be developed before it is considered completed. This is a huge number of sections and will need an investment in the infrastructure for the area.

Local Residents.

Ashley, Philippa and Mike described issues with traffic and lack of facilities/infrastructure as well as speed limits and the way Halswell Junction Road divides the community. They also pointed out that commercial hubs were either non-existent in some parts of the community or consisted of very similar shops. For example - Longhurst is almost entirely food outlets. 

Tracey McLelland - MP.

Andrei said that Traceys office had been really busy with a wide variety of issues. Tracey will be holding another drop in clinic in Halswell on 13th March from 9.30 - 11.30am at the Library.

Community Board

Andrei outlined several issues that the community board are looking into at present.

Speeding - particularly around the new Richmond Avenue intersection as local residents report not feeling safe

Consultation on the Long Term Plan - Halswell needs more input into this in terms of submissions in order to get fairer access to funding for infrastructure for the future growth of the community.  He felt that we needed to be getting into the hundreds of submissions to be heard and in order to help guide this we need to first gather information from the community on what is needed so that Halswell remains a desirable place to live and doesn’t become over congested due to the lack of facilities and infrastructure.

Community Facilities Network Plan - despite the map showing a huge gap in facilities in the Halswell area, the document stated that there were no geographical gaps. This has now been amended.

Land at Quaifes Road - the land has not been sold and the community board are encouraging the council to retain at least some of the land for future community facilities. They have gone back to Ngai Tahu for consultation as this was not done previously to determine any significance of the land to them. The group felt that as a community the discovery of the ancient totara stumps on this site meant that the land had a significance to the whole community. Halswell Residents Association are working with the council to get a land survey of the site to determine if there are any sizable sections of wood left that could be used as an example for significant carvings

Water - the council are in full agreement over the removal of chlorine from the drinking water and are awaiting the exemption from central government to do this.

Oaklands School

Margaret outlined the progress with the rebuild. The School is almost finished with just the last part being the hall and final landscaping. With the exception of 2 pre existing classrooms all students are now in new facilities and the new courtyard and sports court are complete.  The rebuild has been 3 years in the making, the school is looking really good and it has been a positive start to the year.

There will be an official opening coming up and next steps are looking at the schools branding to incorporate the gifted name Te Kura o Ōwaka.

Oaklands currently has a roll of around 575 with 120 year 7 and 8s

 

Meeting closed 1.30pm

Next Meeting:  

March 16th - Halswell Residents Association

April 13th -  Emma Pavey - Community Development advisor. |. Sam Holland - Community Recreation Advisor

Possible/Suggested Topics for future meetings:

Tracey McLellan/Megan Woods - local MPs

EcoSort - Recycling

Craig Pauling - Regional Council

CCC Planner - what they see happening in/around Halswell

Hillmorton High School Update

Zahra Hussaini

Halswell Connections

Meeting held Tuesday 2 19th October 2021

Halswell Community Hub, 381 Halswell Rd. 12.30-1.30pm

Present: Lionel Bridger (CCC Animal Management), Bill Kohi (CCC Animal Management), Kate Cleverly (HCP), Keri Glassenbury (HCP), Andrei Moore (Community Board), Judith Penney (Halswell Hall), Ross McFarlane (HRA, HCP), Philippa Kelliher (Hub Volunteer, Resident), Anne Galloway (Councillor),Robyn White (Garden Club/Friendship Club), Jan Walker (Resident), Sam Holland (CCC Recreation Advisor), Lynley Lock (Halswell Lions), Murray Holmwood (Resident), Alwyn (Resident),

Apologies: Debbie Mora (Community Board)

Speakers Lionel Bridger and Bill Kohi, Animal Management, CCC

After brief Introductions Bill and Lionel gave an overview of animal management with respect to Dogs in Christchurch and then answered questions.There are 42,000 known dogs in Christchurch City and the animal management team consists of 11 field officers who between them work 24/7.

They deal with approximately 6000 wonders per year.

The biggest challenge is education and getting the message on compliance across - education is important but it needs to be followed up by compliance to drive the message home.Most common social issues are dogs fouling, being off leash in wet;and areas and social interactions between dogs, dogs and owners and the general public. As soon as a dog is off leash, there is risk - not necessarily from the dog itself but risk that other people/dogs might react/interact, risk to local bird and wildlife etc.

This is one of the reasons that dogs are prohibited during the summer period from 1 November in places like beaches.One of the priorities of the team are getting lost dogs home rather than in the pound. This both gets the dog off the street where it may cause a risk to others, get a fright and take off etc but also enables discussion, contact and education with the owners. Because of this approach, CCC has the lowest rate of impounding and euthanising dogs.

This is helped by the free microchipping initiatives which increase compliance.The most common complaints received are fouling and barking. Especially around Christmas time when people go away and leave their dogs either at home or with other people looking after them as the dogs are not accustomed to being alone for such long periods of time.

It is an offence to NOT pick up your dogs poo and an infringement can be issued.

Generally it is about getting evidence of an offence so a photo of a dog in a prohibited area etc can be sent in.

A photo of a loose dog on the Christchurch dogs facebook page is often very effective at identifying a loose dog which then allows animal control to find the owner - people dont need to follow offenders home to get an address.

Key places around Halswell to note:

Halswell Quarry Park 

The quarry has an open dog exercise area but dogs are expected to be leashed in other areas of the quarry - the exception is the wetland area which is prohibited.  This does make it difficult for dog owners to transition from one area to another. If a dog runs out of the exercise area it is immediately a risk

Restriction: Leashed.

Details: High recreational use and Sister City Gardens. Dogs are prohibited in the wetland area and must be on a leash in the rest of the park. Dogs may be exercised 'under effective control' in the off-leash area..

Policy status: Effective.

 

Nga Puna Wai and Canterbury Agricultural Park

Restriction: Prohibited/Leashed.

Details: Nga Puna Wai and Canterbury Agricultural Park (Wigram East Retention Basin), Hillmorton. The prohibited area covers the pond (which is unsuitable for recreational contact) and ecologically sensitive marginal plantings of wetland vegetation. Dogs must be on a leash on the walkway / boardwal through this area. Dogs may be under effective control in the remainder of the retention basin..

Policy status: Effective.

Sparks Rd Wetlands - were developed after the last bylaws were introduced so is not covered by those bylaws. This makes it difficult to enforce. This will be considered in the next consideration of the bylaws in 2024 so its important that the local community get involved in the submission process.

Questions/Issues raised:

What does legislation say re dogs?

There are 2 levels of legislation - National legislation and local bylaws.

The national legislation - Dog Control Act - is set by parliament and covers things like the requirement to always carry a leash and pick up dog mess.  Local bylaws sit under those laws and covers local issues - which areas are prohibited, on leash or under effective control.

Breaches of the bylaw are enforced under the Dog Control Act  and can carry an infringement of $300 - $750

Details of the different areas for dogs and the bylaws can be found on the CCC Website 

​​https://ccc.govt.nz/the-council/plans-strategies-policies-and-bylaws/bylaws/dog-control-policy-and-bylaw-2016

If people arent sure the easiest way to find information is on the council website - https://ccc.govt.nz/services/dogs-and-animals or google “ccc dogs”

The obligation is with the dog owner to know the rules before they exercise their dogs - different councils have different rules but the underlying legislation is the same

The council bylaws are reviewed every 10 years - the next review is due in 2024 so it is important the local residents, community board submit and are involved.

Ross noted that with Halswell growing at such a rapid rate it was vital to protect areas such as the creamery ponds and the Quaifes road wetlands from encroaching dog ownership

Dogs off leash at Nga Puna Wai?

At Nga Puna Wai / Canterbury Park, dogs should be either on lead or under effective control depending on the area.  There is a mix of environments in the area from green areas to the wetlands. Murray raised the issue that he has seen dead birds and noticed the birdlife reducing and questioned the lack of signage,

There is signage but it is not large and people generally dont take notice of signs.

Murray shared the example of Geraldine where signage has been attributed to a 50% drop in fouling

All green spaces are “under effective control” The wetland area is on leash.

It was noted that only protected wildlife is protected by the law. Even though its not acceptable for a dog to attack any bird/wildlife, if its not classified as protected animal control cant do much beyond education. It is illegal for a dog to kill protected wildlife as per the Wildlife Act 1953 but this does mean they are dealing with dated legislation.

Important to remember that just because a dog is on a leash doesnt mean they are under effective control.

Lack of a contained Dog Exercise area.

Andrei noted that the concept of a fenced dog park in Halswell was in the Long Term Plan but has been pushed out to 2030. It remains a priority of the Community Board and local Councillor.

Jan suggested the easiest way would be to fence the existing area at the Quarry.

Lynley agreed that an area was needed especially for bigger dogs that need to run / exercise more.

Suggestions also included a pole at the entrance to a dog area with poo bags for people who may have forgotten to bring them.

Unfortunately animal control dont have any say over dog parks - this is controlled by the Green Spaces/Parks people

What should the public do?

If you can get a car rego or address that is great

If not a photo of a dog in the wrong place is helpful

Send to CCC dog control

• If you see a loose dog, leave it. It will generally find its way home or to its owner
• Dont break up a fight
• Dont walk past an aggressive dog - back away, dont look it in the eye. If necessary yell and try to get something between you and the dog.

What can Animal Management do?

The team have had lots of success re fouling in Little River.  They did a substantive letter box drop in the area affected providing advice and education which led to a big drop in the fouling problem.

If needed they can identify all dog owners in a suburb or area and do the same.

It was suggested that it could be helpful to get this information translated into other languages as Halswell is becoming more diverse and it is always easier to understand things in your first language.

If called - animal control can take a dog depending on the issue. This is a risk if the dog or owner becomes aggressive.

It was agreed that there was a need to educate both dog owners on the laws as well as non-dog owners who can sometimes interpret the law incorrectly and accuse dog owners of offending when they havent. 

Animal Management do this through open days, school and work place visits and distributing key information

How effective are fines?

People generally pay otherwise they end up in court. Animal Control issue around 1500 infringements a year.

If an owner receives 2 or more in 24 months for 2 incidents they are issued a warning letter and if they reoffend they may be disqualified from owning a dog or placed on probation for a period.

It can cost to follow an infringement through the courts so where possible the idea is to reeducate

Are the Park Rangers involved?

Animal Management team looked into getting rangers involved and warranted/trained but this poses a risk as they are generally not trained to handle dogs.

The rangers were keen but further up the chain said no.

 

Next Meeting:

Tuesday 16th November

Speaker - Citizens Advice Bureau