Cashmere News Diary: 31 May 2013 - river focus + media work
* 4 June, Tuesday 5pm, next meeting of Spreydon/Heathcote Community Board; FYI, agenda:
http://www.ccc.govt.nz/thecouncil/meetingsminutes/agendas/2013/June/index.aspx.
A Cashmere Residents' Association submission to the Christchurch City Council draft 3-year Plan last month connects with this action via our local community board: "8. Ensure environmental – pollution in Heathcote River is high on the agenda. Memo received by the Board. Advice on current monitoring. *Request further monitoring and reporting to the Board in relation to Heathcote river and Cashmere Stream."
http://resources.ccc.govt.nz/files/TheCouncil/meetingsminutes/agendas/2013/June/SpreydonHeathcoteAgenda4June2013.pdf, p.11. Thank you CCC.
Pic: Cashmere Stream meets the cleaner, spring-fed Opawaho/Heathcote River at Cashmere Road, laden with silt after this weeks' precipitation, 4pm today.
* 19 June, Wednesday 7.30pm, next CRA committee meeting. We will be collating the July CRA Newsletter, so all contributions are welcome for consideration. Please let us know if you wish to attend
Updates
* Civil Defence: we are looking for a small team of volunteers who will become ready-responders, with a local hall cup of tea, in the event of emergency. Contact CRA Chair if available please.
* SCIRT works notice for neighbouring Somerfield streets, for your travelling convenience, starting next week, attached.
* Proactive news-media house, Mainland Press has bought the Christchurch Star and absorbed its suite of community newspapers. In our area, The Observer was merged into the Southern View, which has for two weeks come out as a stand-alone title, outside of the Mainland Press weekly now. Two article extracts that report CRA work are attached below, dated 20 and 27 May; and from 13 April 2013, connecting with some Cashmere Village Green issues, there was this:
Residents associations balk at park charge
Jessica Schaap
RESIDENTS’ associations across the city are disputing the need for the Christchurch City Council to charge them to use public parks for community events. The Northwood Residents’ Association has refused to pay a $103 charge for using Northwood Park for last year’s Northwood Village Fair. The fair was used as a fundraiser for non-profit organisations.
The charge is to cover booking the park for the event date to stop double-ups, an administration fee and potential clean-up costs. It is charged for all events including community, non-profit and other events not assisted by the Christchurch City Council (CCC). Events supported by local community boards were exempt up until last year.
The charge was not made clear to the residents’ association when they booked the park, association chairperson Clive Smith said. The Shirley-Papanui Community Board has agreed to pay the charge from its discretionary fund, because the whole board supported the event. Shirley-Papanui councillor Aaron Keown, said he and deputy mayor Ngaire Button even offered to pay for it out of their own pockets and, although the charge was not for revenue gathering, he believed the council budget should cover those costs.
“I think only commercial events should pay to use parks and if it has a greater public good then no you shouldn’t,” Cr Keown said. However, he said if events caused damage to the park, the organisers should pay to have it fixed.
Councillor Yani Johanson said community-run events saved the council having to put on events itself. “It’s something I’d be certainly trying to address as we [the council] do our three-year plan. Often these people put on events that save the council a lot of money.”
Mr Smith said it was mainly an issue of principle. “We do not agree that non-profit organisations that hold community events on public parks should have to pay the council for the use of our amenities. It goes against the spirit of the council wanting to promote stronger communities. We are advocating this on behalf of smaller and less organised residents associations across our city.
Additionally, we have submitted a proposed change to the CCC three year plan to exempt residents associations from being charged for the use of public parks. “Many residents are of the view that using park facilities should be free as they make up part of the residents’ amenity. I happen to agree on this point, after all we are ratepayers.”
Mr Smith suggested community boards look after the bill. “This act would be seen as verification that community boards are working on behalf of their community and are supporting and encouraging residents to run their own events.”
Cashmere Residents Association chairperson Rik Tindall said it sounded like “revenue gathering” on the part of the council. “If it’s a community-driven event then it would seem appropriate to charge if they are able to make a profit, but if it’s just a church fundraiser or for residents that are doing their best to have something for the community that is non-profit it should be a different story,” he said.
Southshore Residents’ Association chairperson Bill Simpson agreed charging residents’ associations to use parks for community events was “ridiculous”. “All that does is discourage community organisations doing things that are a benefit for the community. They don’t really have money to pay for that sort of thing,” he said.
N.B. If you have any comment on the various positions expressed on your behalf here, please let CRA committee know by reply email.
* CCC notice: Have your say on draft alcohol policy
How long should bars be allowed to stay open? Should there be a restriction on the hours alcohol can be sold?
Your answers to these questions could help shape a Local Alcohol Policy (LAP) the Christchurch City Council is developing to control the sale and supply of alcohol. The Council is keen to find out what the community thinks about its draft LAP, which is now out for public consultation.
The draft policy, which is a provision of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012, was adopted by the full Council last month and
consultation will run until 5pm on Monday 1 July. The aim of the draft LAP is to minimise alcohol related harm in the city and ensure that the sale and supply of alcohol is undertaken safely and responsibly.
A submission form and project information can be found online at www.ccc.govt.nz/HaveYourSay
* STREETLIGHT effects on you, your home and your living. Feedback required: ph. Natalie 3324363.
* We have now a short-name for our facebook page, ready to read and 'like': http://www.facebook.com/Cashmere8022
* CRA Subscriptions 2012/13 - Association membership and renewals, at the household rate of $5 per year, can be made via our Kiwibank a/c 389005.0688810.02 ~ Please notify deposit by email for confirmation by our Treasurer, and a receipt will be issued if requested: info@cashmere.org.nz. Thanks very much Peter Oliver for filling the role, and thank you all for your support of CRA.
Until next time, enjoy the holiday weekend.
Kind regards
Rik Tindall
CRA Chair, 332-1069
____________________________________
Cashmere Residents Association
info@cashmere.org.nz
http://www.cashmere.org.nz
http://www.facebook.com/Cashmere8022