Podcasts about waimakariri

Even though I live in Christchurch and pay rates in Christchurch, you're not going to hear me saying that I should pay less to get into the new One NZ Stadium when it opens next year. But I bet there'll be no shortage of Christchurch people thinking that's a brilliant idea, but I don't. It's something that the council-owned company that will run the stadium says could happen. People who live in Christchurch city could pay less than people from anywhere else. The reason being —or the theory being— that those of us who live in the Christchurch city area have put money into the stadium through our rates and maybe that could or should be recognised by charging us Christchurch lot less for tickets. On average, every Christchurch city ratepayer pays $144 a year to go towards the cost of building the stadium. All up —at this stage— the cost to build it is $683 million, and it's expected to be open by April next year. There's already a precedent for locals paying less with the hot pools at New Brighton. Locals get cheapie deals there. And locals in Hurunui pay less to get into the hot pools in Hanmer Springs. But I don't think we should go down that track with the stadium. One reason being that we will all benefit once the thing is up-and-running. The money coming into town will be brilliant, which is enough of a pay-off for me. The forecasts say it'll put $21 million into the local economy every year. That's enough of a return for my investment. I don't want cheaper tickets, as well. What's more, it would be extremely hypocritical of people who are anti-stadium and have been banging-on for years that it's just a nice-to-have and their rates money shouldn't be going into it, to put their hand out for cheaper tickets. The reason the levy for out-of-towners is being talked about is because it's the promoters and the people behind the concerts and the sporting matches who set the ticket prices. So the stadium operator couldn't give Christchurch people a discount because they don't set the prices, but they could put an out-of-towner levy on tickets bought by people outside Christchurch city. Which would, effectively, mean Christchurch locals paying less and people elsewhere paying more. But I don't think that would be fair. Because what about people living right on the doorstep of Christchurch city? How fair would it be to make people in Selwyn and Waimakariri, for example, pay more? It wouldn't be fair at all. Because what we would be doing is punishing them because Christchurch City Council couldn't get its act together on the stadium funding in the first place. It didn't even bother —right at the outset— to try and negotiate a deal where those areas did have some skin in the game, where they did make some sort of financial contribution towards the stadium. It would also be punishing people in Selwyn and Waimakariri for their councils not being proactive. For not picking up the phone and calling Christchurch and saying they wanted to do some of the heavy lifting. Fifty percent of people in Selwyn travel into Christchurch every day for work and school. And I've said all along that people in Selwyn and people in Waimakariri should be contributing to the stadium through their rates. But that horse has bolted. The people who could have made that happen —the councils— didn't. And so I'm not going to turn around now and say that us Christchurch locals should get preferential treatment.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's REX Daily Podcast, Dom talks with Ben Picton, Rabobank Senior Market Strategist, about a new special report from RaboResearch analysing the US tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, the likelihood of tariffs being applied to NZ and Australia and what the implications might be for food producers... He talks with Alex Gowen, UK & Europe Regional Director for Beef + Lamb New Zealand and New Zealand Meat Board, about the relative strengths and weaknesses of NZ red meat in that part of the world, the recent Global Forum for Food and Agriculture in Berlin and some of the key lessons from the event... And he talks with Brent Walton, CEO of Waimakariri Irrigation Limited, about the size and scale of the scheme, the history and future of it and the Kathmandu Coast to Coast, which begins today and sees competitors kayak 70km down the Waimakariri River as part of the iconic event. Tune in daily for the latest and greatest REX rural content on your favourite streaming platform, visit rexonline.co.nz and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn for more.

Dom talks with Brent Walton, CEO of Waimakariri Irrigation Limited, about the size and scale of the scheme, the history and future of it and the Kathmandu Coast to Coast, which begins today and sees competitors kayak 70km down the Waimakariri River as part of the iconic event. Tune in daily for the latest and greatest REX rural content on your favourite streaming platform, visit rexonline.co.nz and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn for more.

The Government's fast track legislation is shaping up to be a real cluster. Especially, in Greater Christchurch. I think some of the projects it wants to get going here sooner rather than later are making its new legislation more ram-raid than fast track. So it's released details of 149 projects that will be included in the Bill which, it says, is being done to help rebuild the economy, sort out the housing crisis, improve energy security, and do something about the state of our infrastructure. But, here in Canterbury, it's going head-to-head with the Selwyn and Waimakariri councils over the construction of nearly 8,000 houses which these two councils have been trying to block for years. The reason they don't want them is that they don't think they can cope with the kind of rapid expansion these developments would lead to. And I agree. I think it's reckless and all part of this "get stuff done" mentality that can sound great, but that's about it. I think what we're seeing here is the Government going all "you can't stop progress" on it and not considering the wider implications. And they are riding roughshod over the concerns of two of our local councils. In Selwyn, for example, under the new fast track bill, a development by the Carter Group in Rolleston West would see 4,200 more homes built across four suburbs. Which would mean more than 12,000 new residents fast-tracked into Rolleston - which is already New Zealand's fastest-growing town. That's on the basis of there being 4,200 extra houses, and an average of just under three people per house in Selwyn at the moment. That happens - and the population of Rolleston would increase by 41 percent. As Selwyn councillor Sophie McInnes is saying today, that would be "explosive growth". She says, think about how many schools they would need in the area - where Rolleston College is already a capacity with 1,800 students. You bring another 12,000 people into the area and you're going to need more schools, aren't you? What about health facilities? I don't see any new medical centres or a hospital on the Government's list of things to do. As Selwyn councillor Sophie McInnes is saying, they want Rolleston to grow at its own pace. In a sustainable way. For the local economy to grow and create local jobs, so they don't get these new developments popping up where people sleep at night and then leave in the morning to go to work and school in the city. And then there's Waimakariri. Where the Carter Group wants to build 850 houses and a commercial centre at Ohoka but the council's been against it - for the same reason as Selwyn has been opposed to the developments there - because of concerns about unsustainable growth. The difference is, though, that the Ohoka development includes a school and/or a retirement home. But, last year, independent commissioners decided not to give consent for the project because they didn't think it would fit with Ohoka's existing rural nature, and because there's a lack of local jobs and a lack of public transport. They said at the time, "Families with secondary school students, sporting interests and those working in Rangiora, Kaiapoi or Christchurch will travel to meet their day-to-day needs." So, basically, the decision not to give the Ohoka project consent was for similar reasons as to why the Selwyn council doesn't want that massive 4,200 house development. These areas can't cope with that kind of growth and it would just turn them into dormitories. But, oh no, the developers with their noses out of joint have run to the Government and have said "pick us, pick us" and the Government has decided "yep, you're on the list". And I think it is very short-sighted. I think the Government is being reckless. And I think it will do nothing to change the minds of people who think this whole fast track thing is the Government riding roughshod just to please its mates. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Woodend Bypass north of Christchurch has got the greenlight as one of the first seven roads of national significance - how has the announcement gone down in the community? Waimakariri residents could face a targeted rate to help fund flood protection work on the Ashley/Rakahuri River. And North Canterbury's mayors have called for a Civil Defence levy - what would that entail?

Back again for his regular interview, Christchurch's Mayor Phil Mauger joined John MacDonald in studio on Canterbury Mornings.   They dug into the funding issues plaguing Christchurch including updates on the Arts Centre and Cathedral and got the mayor's thoughts on the Waimakariri and Selwyn Councils' refusal to contribute to the new stadium.  Plus, are the new East Christchurch liaison staff going to be money well spent in improving things for the community?  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It seems to me that the rough sleepers are back on Colombo Street, outside Ballantynes.  I went past this morning on the way in and there were a few of them there in the doorway. They were there last week, too. After what seems like ages.  But, it doesn't seem to be the central city where homeless people are causing the most problems at the moment. Or, more correctly, it doesn't seem to be the central city where people who want us to think they're homeless are causing the most problems.  With news today that aggressive beggars in Addington are making some people fear for their safety. Which has got community leaders - like community board people - saying that urgent action is needed to sort it out.  Now, you might have heard me say in the past that, when it comes to begging, perhaps one solution could be requiring people to have begging permits - which would only be given out once authorities could determine that someone is genuinely homeless and genuinely in need.  But I've moved on from that. And I think begging should be banned altogether. This would have to be done at local authority level - so it would have to be something the Christchurch City Council did itself. Or Selwyn or Waimakariri.  The downside of local bylaws, though, is that the Police don't enforce them. We saw that with the Cranmer Square occupation a couple of years back.   There's a bylaw against camping in public spaces but, when we started saying that the cops should get into Cranmer Square and clear them out, they said it wasn't up to them - the council had to do it. Because it wasn't a law of the land. It was the local council's by-law.  So, if your local council had a bylaw against begging, it would have to be enforced by the council itself.  I actually think the real benefit of something like this wouldn't be someone from the council turning up and moving beggars on - because, let's face it, you might find it difficult finding a council staff member willing to take that on.  I reckon having a bylaw would at least enable people - like you and me, like the people in Addington - to say, when approached by a beggar, that it's unlawful.  You could say: “You know you're not allowed to do that mate.” Or: “You know there's a law against that.” See what I mean? You can't do that now.  It would actually empower people to feel like they at least had something up their sleeve when they feel brassed-off or intimidated by a beggar.  Because, wherever you sit on the compassion spectrum, beggars can be challenging to deal with.  They can be challenging because you might be really compassionate and you feel like you have no option but to give them a bit of money - even if you know it's not going to make any difference to their life.   They can be challenging because you might be the type that thinks that, if you can support yourself without asking strangers for money, then why can't they?  And, at the other end of the spectrum, you just might feel intimidated or scared of a beggar. And that's what's going on in Addington, according to the news today. And it won't just be Addington. This will be happening everywhere. You see it. I see it. It's everywhere.  But in Addington, at least, it's apparently got worse over the last few months with parents taking the long way when they're taking their kids to school, so they can avoid the beggars. At least they'll have a couple of weeks off having to worry about that, with the school holidays starting today.   I see that the chair of the local community board is saying that some beggars are coming up to people at ATM machines and standing over them, asking for money. Which is just cruddy, isn't it?  I mean, yes, you might be on hard times, but there's no excuse for going up to someone getting money out of the ATM and demanding they give you some. That's just next-level. It's not even begging. The community board guy is right, it's intimidation.  I see Megan Woods is getting involved, having meetings with people. She's saying today: “Unless you do something to actually address the problem, then you're just going to move them on from one place to somewhere else.”  Which is fine. And true. But “addressing the problem”, as Megan Woods puts it, is a huge task. And why should people intimidated by beggars be expected to wait - and continue to be intimidated - while society comes up with some sort of gold-plated solution?  That's why I think begging should be banned.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new stadium in Christchurch, Te Kaha, is shooting up out of the ground and so are our rates. The big news today is that those of us in Christchurch are facing rates increases of more than 30 percent over the next three years. Thanks to inflation, insurance and the cost of the new stadium. Yes, I know our mayor said rates increases wouldn't be any higher than the rate of inflation. But, if you believed that nonsense of his during the election campaign, you'll believe anything. At the moment, the expected rates increase for next year alone is sitting at around 13 percent. The mayor wants staff at the council to do some numbers and work out how they could get that increase —for next year alone— down to somewhere between 9 and 12 percent. Annual inflation, by the way, is sitting at 5.6 percent. So, whatever they come up with, there goes Phil Mauger's pipedream of rates increases matching inflation. And “pipedream” is putting it politely. So Phil can tell the bean counters all he wants to play around with the spreadsheets and come up with different numbers, but let's just leave him be and turn our attention to another councillor who, I think, has come up with a much better idea. This is councillor Aaron Keown, who wants the council to go to the Government and ask for approval for a new regional rate —or let's just be honest and call it what it is, a regional tax— to add the stadium costs to the rates bills of people beyond Christchurch. I've always thought that it's nuts that just Christchurch ratepayers are the ones who are going to be lumbered with these stadium costs. Technically, if you don't live in Christchurch city, you have actually already contributed to the costs because the Government has poured truckloads of money into it as part of the Crown's contribution to the cost of rebuilding after the earthquakes. But, then, so has every other taxpayer in the country. But, unlike a taxpayer in Auckland for example, someone living in Selwyn or Waimakariri or Hurunui is going to benefit from the stadium much more than someone further away. So we can't change the fact that Christchurch didn't get off its chuff earlier in the piece and get the other councils to get some skin in the game with the stadium. That should have happened right from the start. But, even if that boat's already sailed, there is no way that Christchurch ratepayers should be paying for this on their own. Which is why I'm right behind Aaron Keown's idea. And it seems another councillor, Sara Templeton, might be behind it, as well. The two of them don't want the stadium costs to be lumped-in with everything else, which is why Aaron Keown is floating this idea of a regional rate. As for Sara Templeton, she says people are pretty angsty about rates increases and she's worried that if too much gets ploughed into the stadium, then there won't be enough money for climate change adaptation. Although, let's face it, there'll never be enough money for that. She's also concerned that the state of the city's water infrastructure will go downhill even more. Which is probably more of a concern now, given the new government's enthusiasm for local councils to hold on to their water assets. But back to the stadium and Aaron Keown's idea of a regional rate to help pay for it.When someone comes to Christchurch from out of town to see a big sports match or go to a concert at the stadium, they're not just going to do that and then sit in their hotel room the rest of the time. They're going to do other stuff. And that won't just be within the city limits. There'll be people going to Waipara to the wineries. Shooting through to the hot pools and the jet boat rides in Hanmer Springs. Heading up to Mt Hutt - and not just in winter, there's mountain bike tracks there, as well. See what I mean? The whole region is going to benefit from the stadium. So the whole region should be paying for it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Special guest Carly Mulqueen from St. Peter Chanel Parish in Waimakariri, New Zealand, joins to share about renewal at her parish. She tells the story of how she and her husband became Catholic 9 years ago and how she ended up coming on staff, leading Alpha, and became so passionate about evangelization.    More Resources:  WATCH a short video feature on Carly and her parish   READ Thriving Faith: Discipleship in Uncertain Times, by Fr. James Mallon   LEARN about COACHING at our website  COME  to our featured online event on Nov.21st: Intentional Invitation: From Good Experiences to Life-Changing Encounter 

More than 300,000 people are being potentially supplied drinking water that doesn't have the necessary protective barriers. The country's water regulator, Taumata Arowai, has named 27 councils that are operating 84 drinking water supplies that do not comply, and says they have been legally required to have the right barriers in place for nine years. Among the councils with several supplies which don't meet the standard, are Hurunui, Marlborough, Tasman, Taupo, Waimakariri, Waimate and Waitaki councils. Meanwhile in Queenstown, roughly 20,000 residents are now able to drink from the taps after the boil water notice was partially lifted this morning. Tess Brunton is in Queenstown. 

Twenty-seven councils have been given until June 30th, 2024 to produce funded plans for installing protozoa barriers on water supplies. Without them, hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders could be at risk of bugs such as cryptosporidium. Christchurch City Council has the biggest potential impact - with more than 168,000 residents relying on two non-compliant supplies. The Council declined RNZ's interview requests, as did Waimakariri and Taupō councils, which could affect 29,000 and 8000 people respectively. Taumata Arowai head of regulatory Steve Taylor spoke to Guyon Espiner.

An emergency flood alert was issued for residents near Tuahiwi in the Waimakariri district last night. The alert warned further flooding was possible around high tide at 8pm last night, and encouraged people to leave. Heavy rain caused widespread surface flooding throughout Canterbury, closing roads, fords, and bridges. Waimakariri's mayor Dan Gordon spoke to Corin Dann.

You know how the number of sheep in New Zealand is down? That's according to stats which came out a month or so ago which, of course, prompted a fresh round of sheep jokes - especially across the Tasman. Well, they are - and even though we might still have a fair number of sheep, I reckon there's another breed that we're being outnumbered by - and that's local councillors. Maybe not as many as once had when we had all those borough councils around the place. But even without them, we just have so many councils. All of them with their mayors running around in the mayoral chains, all of them with top-earning chief executives, all of them struggling to pay the bills, and all of them pretty much charging as much as they possibly can get away with in rates to cover all the costs. Which is why I am delighted by this new government report which has come out saying the time has well-and-truly come for us to have a re-think about how many councils and councillors we have running things. I've long been an advocate for having less councils in the immediate Christchurch area. This hasn't been me saying I think the city council is absolutely brilliant and the other Greater Christchurch councils aren't. In fact, going by what people tell me, it's probably the complete opposite. Christchurch council has shown itself to be a bit of a basket case on a number of occasions - and I know people in the likes of Selwyn and Waimakariri have looked sideways a bit and come to the conclusion that the last thing they'd want would to be lumped in with the crowd on Hereford Street. And that has actually tested my resolve when it comes to my support for amalgamation to create a Greater Christchurch super city structure. But I've always come back to the fact that the greater Christchurch area has more mayors and councillors than the whole of Auckland. Nutbar. And that's not even counting the ECAN regional council. Amalgamation of councils isn't the only thing recommended in this report by the Panel for the Review into the Future of Local Government. Which, as an aside, is a refreshingly boring title for something like this. Often these sorts of things have names with a little bit more pizazz but, at the same time, are totally meaningless. They could've called this thing something like Democracy 2050 - A Pathway for All of Us. Thankfully, they didn't. And it's not just amalgamation of councils that's covered in it. The panel's report also recommends four-year terms for councils (I like that idea too). It thinks the voting age for local body elections should be 16 (that gets the tick from me). It also says there should be more of what it calls “Treaty-based appointments” to local councils. That's the sort of thing we've seen with Environment Canterbury, where it's introduced unelected iwi representatives with full voting rights. That'd really get the anti co-governance crew all excited. Bit I think, if we could pull it off, it would be if the current councils in the Canterbury region were amalgamated into one. But you'd keep some of the service structures in place in the different areas - things like building consents, all the day-to-day council stuff. But you'd have one mayor and one set of councillors. That would get my vote.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Local Democracy reporter David Hill will talk about Waimakariri, Hurunui and Kaikoura District Councils looking to pass their annual rates rises of 5.97, 7.49 and 5 per cent respectively with roading high on all three councils' spending plans. A population boom has Waimakariri, Selwyn and Christchurch councils looking at where to put an extra 77,000 homes over the next 30 years. And Rangiora High School isn't happy with the curriculum review, describing it as "back to 1986".

Additional CCTV cameras are on the cards for the Waimakariri District as crime rates are up and retailers are hit hard. Businesses and community leaders will meet this month to talk about solutions. Adam Burns reports.

North Canterbury people have got an apology from health officials for their failure to deliver a desperately needed after-hours clinic.  Te Whatu Ora had promised the clinic would open at the end of last year but the date came and went with no explanation to Waimakariri residents. At a community meeting last night it was confirmed they will have to wait at least another 12 months. Niva Chittock was there.

A new name isn't making water reforms easier to swallow for some officials. Three Waters has been renamed Affordable Water Reforms and the four mega entities have been changed into 10 regional groups. Waimakariri and Timaru District Councils are continuing legal action over the ownership of their assets. Timaru District Mayor Nigel Bowen told Tim Bower he thinks the changes are a bid to win votes. He says it's incoherent policy rolled out in an election year. LISTEN ABOVE    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kathmandu Coast to Coast: brought to you by CP MEDIA Tune in for Episode 6 … Our final Kathmandu Coast to Coast podcast for the season is here, and we've saved the best for last! We chat with some stellar athletes from the World Multisport Championships including: Simone Maier – Women's Longest Day winner Ben and Mike Ardagh – 2-Day Team family competitors Estelle Arundell – Female 2-Day Individual winner Lucy & Trevor Hone – 2-day individual competitors Sophie Beaumont - 2-Day Individual competitor From the gruelling mountain run to the exhilarating kayak on the Waimakariri and everything in between, these athletes pushed themselves to the limit and showed us what true grit and determination look like. CP MEDIA HOSTS Angus Petrie – @gustric Richard Greer – @ric.greer www.coasttocoast.co.nz www.kathmandu.co.nz www.teamcp.co.nz @teamcpnz https://www.facebook.com/teamcpnz richard@teamcp.co.nz

Our final Kathmandu Coast to Coast podcast for the season is here, and we've saved the best for last! Join Team CP as they chat with some stellar athletes from the World Multisport Championships including: - Simone Maier – Women's Longest Day winner - Ben and Mike Ardagh – 2-Day Team family competitors - Estelle Arundell – Female 2-Day Individual winner - Lucy & Trevor Hone – 2-Day individual competitor - Sophie Beaumont - 2-Day Individual competitor From the gruelling mountain run to the exhilarating kayak on the Waimakariri and everything in between, these athletes pushed themselves to the limit and showed us what true grit and determination look like.

The High Court has shot down a bid by three councils seeking to have their property rights declared by a court over the Three Waters reform. The Timaru, Waimakariri and Whangārei councils wanted the court to state their control of local infrastructure assets, and the need for compensation if that ownership is removed by legislation. But in the judgment, Justice Mallon found such a declaration would infringe on the principle the court does not interfere with the legislative process. The Local Government Minister, Kieran McAnulty, says Cyclone Gabrielle will delay his review of the Three Waters programme. Timaru mayor Nigel Bowen spoke to Guyon Espiner.  

Another earthquake anniversary approaching. And it's not as if those who lost friends and family in the quake or who lost their home in the quake need an anniversary to remind them of their loss - but February 22nd is always a time when we all think about how things have changed here in Canterbury. This Wednesday will be no different and, even after all this time, one of the starkest reminders of that change is still the residential red zones. The one most people probably think of is the area that extends out to East Christchurch. It still gets called the red zone but, officially, it's known as the Ōtākaro Avon-River Corridor. It's where the plan is for a 30-year programme of work to bring the area back to life with a variety of things from walkways, wetlands, tourism activities - plus some more mundane, but actually more critical stuff, like flood protection. The plan was all done a few years ago but it's going to be up to the city council to put the finding in over the next few decades to make it all happen. Probably the second most well-known red zone is the one in Waimakariri. There's a plan for this area too - with new parks and reserves, walking and cycling tracks, business areas etc. It seems now too, that some form of residential housing is going to be on the cards with news that the Crown has gifted red-zoned land near Kaiapoi to a local trust, which is going to lease 47 sections to people so they can live there. The Te Kohaka o Tuhaitara Trust expects the housing will be relocatable and anticipates some people could be living there as soon as June this year. It is talking about the houses on the red zone land being light, modular or tiny home structures. Things that could be packed up and moved, at some stage. It's not clear, from what I've read, how or why the red-zone land was gifted to the trust. But, irrespective of that, it is an interesting twist when pretty much since the earthquakes we've been told that the red zone areas in Christchurch and Waimakariri won't be used for residential purposes. Despite some people wanting to. I know the tiny home people were keen a few years back to get set up in the Ōtākaro Avon-River Corridor. There was talk of a camping ground somewhere in there too, I think. But there has always been a range of views from people who actually lived there before the earthquakes. Some would love to be back living there - and some have been of the view that if they can't live there, then no one should. It's the same with the red zone near Kaiapoi. Which is where these sites are going to be leased-out for people to live. A person I know grew up in the Kaiapoi red zone and she hates the idea of this trust leasing out sections when people who were living there before the quakes have consistently been told that residential would never be an option there. She says there are plenty of people who offered to remediate their sections at their own cost and do whatever was needed to make it a place they could live in again. But it's always been 'no, no, no'. It's been the same with the residential red zone in Christchurch. There were some, of course, who didn't budge when the government and the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) started paying people out for the properties they lost. I'm pretty sure there's still one living there - at Kerrs Reach. But it is interesting how things change with time, and it seems that some form of residential housing is going to happen, at least in the Kaiapoi red zone. Personally, I think relocatable housing is the way of the future. Because, with climate change, why wouldn't we want to make retreating away from coastline areas far more possible and less complex than it is at the moment? But, in this case, I think it's a bad idea. Because, while relocatable housing gets the big tick from me, why on earth would you let anyone set-up home (relocatable or otherwise) out near a beach and - in the case of Pines Beach - right by a river as well. That would be nutbar. Because, as we've seen up north, if things can change so quickly during a weather event - so quickly - it won't matter one bit whether your house is relocatable or not.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Councils aren't planning on backing down against the Three Waters reforms. The first of three bills passed its final reading in Parliament yesterday, allowing for the amalgamation of council water assets into four water entities. Councils will own these entities through a shareholding and will co-govern them with mana whenua. Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon told Mike Hosking it's frustrating the Government has pushed forward with the reform. He says this doesn't mean they will give up, as the matter is too important to the community. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So there'll be no entrenchment, but the Government's Three Waters reforms are still a dog's breakfast. Three Waters being stormwater, wastewater and drinking water which, at the moment, local councils are responsible for. But the Government thinks they aren't up to the job and wants to set-up four new water authorities to take over. And yesterday, Labour MPs had the numbers in Parliament to get the first legislation required to establish these new authorities through its third reading without the Greens and without the Maori Party. The Greens pulled the plug because they don't think the legislation goes far enough to prevent privatisation of water supplies. Which means Three Waters is a done deal and we are on the way to having four new water authorities in charge of stormwater, wastewater and drinking water around the country. There are two other bills yet to go through - but this is the one that had to pass first for everything else to happen. So, as far as the Government is concerned, with the water authorities happening, the whole thing's happening. Because, as we saw yesterday, Labour's got the numbers in Parliament - it's got the majority - and it can do what it likes. And yesterday, the Labour MPs all followed instructions and voted en-masse and Three Waters is a goer. You may have heard Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon on Newstalk ZB. He, of course, was one of three mayors who banded together last month to present an alternative Three Waters model to the Government. The other two were Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger and Auckland mayor Wayne Brown. They said at the time that it wasn't about them working against the Government - but wanting to work with it. But it's obvious, isn't it, that the Government just said “yeah nah” - despite the Prime Minister saying at the time that the Government was “open to change”. Dan Gordon said the Government doesn't have a mandate for what it's doing because it won the last election on the back of the Covid pandemic. He said it didn't win the election because people were in love with its water reforms. And even though the bill got through yesterday, Dan Gordon says the fact that it was only Labour MPs who voted for it shows how much opposition there is to it. And he's not giving up. Listening to Dan, it seems that his attention is now going to be away from the Government and on to National and ACT. Because he wants to make sure they don't stray from their commitments to repeal and replace the Three Waters legislation if they become government. And so, on the basis of that, he doesn't think the fight is over. But it sounded to me like he's thrown his hands in the air when it comes to dealing with the current government, and who could blame him? He said: “It's hugely disappointing that the Government has arrogantly pushed forward with this unpopular reform. “There's a better way, one that would have achieved consensus, and we were open and willing to sit down with the Government.” He says he hears from people every day, who tell him that they are brassed off that the Government thinks locals having control over their assets isn't the way to go - and that four new water authorities is going to be the gamechanger. In case you've forgotten, by the way, why was it that the Government thought we needed a gamechanger in the first place? It was because of the issue in Hawkes Bay back in 2016 when four people died and 5000 people got crook because the water supply was contaminated. That, as far as Labour is concerned, was enough of a reason to throw everything into the air. Although, over time it has come up with other excuses as well. Some of which have some credence. Such as the struggle some really small councils have to keep on top of things with their water infrastructure, because they don't have the population to generate the rates revenue that's needed to run wastewater, stormwater and drinking water services. But that's not the case everywhere. In fact, in most parts of the country, it's not the case. And despite huge opposition, the Government still wants to completely change the way wastewater, stormwater and drinking water services are run in this country. And it appears that nothing is going to stop it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Waimakariri mayor wants a national ban on private fireworks. It comes as more than 200 hectares of coastland between Pegasus Beach, Woodend and Pines Beach was set alight with investigators finding fireworks were to blame.  Two young people have been spoken to by Police, one of them has been referred to Youth Aid. Fire crews and an aerial team are still at the scene, tackling spot fires and dampening down hotspots. Waimakariri mayor, Dan Gordon told Mike Hosking wants Parliament to consider a ban on private sales, restricting fireworks to public displays. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

130 people have been evacuated from a Canterbury holiday park after a massive blaze arose at Pegasus Beach. The bush fire is covering 200 hectares in Christchurch North, and three helicopters and fresh crews have arrived to try and get the fire under control. Brennan Wiremu is the Civil Defence Management Officer for Waimakariri who has been assisting evacuated residents overnight.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three mayors have proposed their own changes to the contentious Three Waters scheme. The mayors of Auckland, Christchurch and Waimakariri say their plan would end the divisive, nationwide argument on the policy. The new proposal would maintain the new water regulator, but keep local ownership, control and accountability. Auckland's mayor, Wayne Brown, says he's told Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta about the plan.

Auckland mayor Wayne Brown, along with Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger and Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon say their new plan - unlike three waters - will build consensus across the country.  The new proposal would maintain key aspects of three waters, including the new water regulator, Taumata Arowai, while maintaining local ownership and allowing for what the mayors describe as meaningful roles for mana whenua. Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon spoke to Māni Dunlop.  

Wellington's mayor who has staunchly supported the government's controversial Three Waters Reforms wants to hear more about a radical proposal for change from the Mayors of Auckland Christchurch and Waimakariri. The capital's Tori Whanau is not ruling out backing some parts of the plan that would give much more control back to councils. Lucy Xia reports.

The National Party says Wayne Brown and his team have come up with much better plan for the country's three waters and it spells the end of the Government's unpopular proposal. Auckland mayor Wayne Brown, along with Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger and Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon say their new plan - unlike three waters - will build consensus across the country.  The new proposal would maintain key aspects of three waters, including the new water regulator, Taumata Arowai, while maintaining local ownership and allowing for what the mayors describe as meaningful roles for mana whenua. National Party local government spokesperson Simon Watts spoke to Māni Dunlop.   

An alternative plan to the Three Waters legislation is expected to garner widespread support from councils. The Government has confirmed it will look at the latest proposals from the mayors of  Auckland, Christchurch and Waimakariri. Wayne Brown,  Phil Mauger, and Dan Gordon say their version keeps the idea of having a water regulator, but leaves ownership, control and accountability in local hands. Timaru mayor Nigel Bowen says it's important to have two big cities backing an alternative, and he's expecting a lot of councils will get on board. The Government has already said it's listening and is open to making refinements. Waimakariri District Mayor Dan Gordon joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVE    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday, two of the three mayors in the Greater Christchurch area joined forces with their Auckland counterpart and announced that they have come up with what they think is a much better version of the Government's Three Waters reforms. These are the reforms that some of us have described as a government takeover of water services - which I think is a very fair description - because the Government wants to take all water assets from local councils and pay a pitiful amount of money in exchange for them. In Christchurch, for example, it would pay the council $120 million for $6.9 billion dollars worth of council water infrastructure assets. Daylight robbery. But it doesn't stop there. It wants to set-up four new water authorities to run drinkwater, wastewater and stormwater services around the country. For us here in Canterbury, we'd be part of a water authority that would be responsible for most of the South Island. Pretty much all the areas that are Ngāi Tahu - that would be the area covered by the one water authority that we here in Canterbury would be part of. Under the Government's proposal, councils would somehow be represented on each of the four water authorities around the country - but half of the people on each authority would be iwi representatives. Co-governance, as it's called. So Christchurch's Phil Mauger, Waimakariri's Dan Gordon and Auckland's Wayne Brown - who have all said before that they oppose the Three Waters reforms - they've got their heads together and have put forward an alternative for the Government to consider. A bit of a counter-offer. Instead of the Government taking over all of the water infrastructure - all the pipes and other things - they want councils to hold on to the ownership of their water assets and not have them taken over by the Government. Instead of being told by the Government which water authority they're going to belong to, they want councils to be able to decide for themselves how they're going to work together on water services. So the three councils in the Greater Christchurch area wouldn't be swallowed-up into this huge South Island water authority - and councils would have a say in how big the water authority they're part of is going to be. And instead of half the people on each water authority being iwi representatives, Phil Mauger, Dan Gordon and Wayne Brown want councils to be free to decide for themselves how they involve Maori in the decision-making. So, no compulsory co-governance. Those three things are the gist of what these three mayors have put on the table for the Government to consider. Just on the co-governance thing, Phil Mauger and Waimakarir's Dan Gordon both said yesterday they're not opposed to co-governance. Wayne Brown, though, was a bit more tight-lipped on that front. Dan Gordon said on Newstalk ZB this morning that most councils already have great relations with Maori - which was him saying ‘we don't need the government to tell us how to get on with mana whenua'. But I think Dan Gordon is in la-la land. Because there is no question that Ngāi Tahu will be livid after what happened yesterday. Only six or seven weeks ago, it said that Christchurch and Waimakariri councils are failing big time when it comes to engaging with mana whenua. In fact, they didn't just say it, they wrote to the Government about it. They were so brassed off they even threatened to pull out of a committee planning for the future for the Greater Christchurch area. It's called the Greater Christchurch Partnership. Which is why the Christchurch City Council suddenly pulled out of the anti-Three Waters group - Communities 4 Local Democracy. It got really spooked. So Phil Mauger's going to have a fight on his hands with Ngāi Tahu after what happened yesterday. He's also going to have a fight on his hands with some of his city councillors who didn't know anything about this proposal until they got an email giving them a heads-up just before it was announced. If I was a Christchurch city councillor, I'd be really brassed off today. All this talk after the election about getting everyone around the table moving in the same direction; what a load of nonsense that's turned out to be. Ironically, Dan Gordon was saying on the radio this morning that this counter-proposal is about solving the water issues the country faces without dividing people. Again, he's in la-la land.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An anti-Three Waters group says reform is needed, but one size doesn't fit all. It comes as Auckland, Christchurch and Waimakariri councils band together to launch a revised plan - keeping a water regulator, but ownership, control and accountability stays with councils. Communities for Local Democracy had a similar plan, but was shut down by the Government earlier this year. Chair of that group, Manawatu District Mayor Helen Worboys, told Kate Hawkesby their plan needs funding assistance, which they're happy to do. She says they support assisting communities, but their overall message to the Government is don't micro-manage them. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ayla tells Andi of the Dobson murder in 1886. George Dobson, his two siblings Arthur and Edward, and his parents arrived in New Zealand with the hope of a better life. In 1864. Arthur and George left for the upper Waimakariri to set out road lines, with Edward following into Otira Valley. During this time there was a £200 reward for anyone who could find a more suitable pass from Canterbury to the West Coast; George found this and called it “Arthur's Pass” after his brother. Jump to 1866, where George was working as a roading engineer in the Grey Valley. He was due to meet with the council the following week, however did not show up. It was later found that he was mistaken for someone else and strangled to death by the Burgess gang. The murder of George Dobson was one of at least 20 violent murders and robberies by the four person gang, with one receiving life imprisonment and the rest hanged in Nelson.Support the showListener discretion is advised, our content will not be for everyone.Music by Kyle Hsieh

Poor old Phil Mauger. After winning the Christchurch mayoralty on Saturday and saying on Sunday that he wants a transport plan for the city that is good for everyone - including motorists - yesterday, his council released details of its plan to spend $33 million upgrading the streets around the site of the new stadium, Te Kaha. And in the process, it wants to take away dozens of car parks. There are currently 72, it wants to get rid of 49 and keep 23. But that's not all. The council wants to widen footpaths on some streets in the area to nearly six metres, put in more cycleways and lower the speed limit in the area to as low as 10 kilometres per hour. Not surprisingly, businesses in the area aren't happy about it. And no wonder, because it's nuts. And I'm with Phil Mauger on this one. He's saying the $33 million should be pumped into the stadium itself, not on taking away car parks, widening footpaths, cycleways and slowing down traffic to 10 kilometres per hour. Phil Mauger is saying the work should only be done - and the money spent - once people start coming to town to go to the stadium and the city starts to reap the financial benefits that will come. “You've got to cut your cloth to suit the budget”. That's what the mayor is saying - and I fully agree with him. Can you imagine when the council eventually gets around to what it should have done years ago, and knocks on the door at Waimakariri and Selwyn and asks them to help out with funding the stadium; can you imagine what they'll say if they know the council is spending more than $30 million upgrading the streets around the stadium site? If I was them, I'd say ‘come back when you've got your priorities sorted, then we'll talk'. Because spending $33 million beautifying the area when, at the moment, the stadium site itself is still pretty much a piece of dirt and when the council is still trying to nut out how it's going to cover the cost blow-out, makes no sense at all. I see the council's transport manager is saying that if the council does this work now, it will mean it doesn't have to spend money on expensive traffic management plans when big events are held at the stadium. That will be because - if the council gets its way - there'll be no car parks and traffic will be crawling along at 10 km/h. But let's remind ourselves how often that's going to happen. As it stands, there's probably going to be about one major event per month. The rest of the time we'll be having an even harder time trying to find somewhere to park in town and we'll be crawling around the place at 10 km/h. I'm not surprised to see that I'm not the only one who thinks what the council wants to do is ridiculous. Annabel Turley from the Central City Business Association says people still come into town in cars and they need to be catered for. And the businesses in town aren't impressed with the council wanting to take away dozens of on-street carparks. She makes a very good point too about the idea of widening the footpath on Lichfield Street to nearly six metres so there can be outdoor dining and all of that - instead of car parks. Annabel Turley says that would be the last place you'd want to sit outside and eat, because of our old friend the easterly wind which likes to invite itself to pretty much everything here in Christchurch. Yet again - an idea that looks brilliant on the urban planner's computer screen, but totally wrong for the area. Nevertheless, council staff wants to blow $33 million under the guise that it will save money in the long-run. But I don't buy that for a minute and, like I say, if the Christchurch council thinks it's going to get money for the stadium from the other local councils, then it needs to pull the plug on this nonsense and spend the money where it's needed. Like Phil Mauger says: “Cut your cloth to suit the budget”.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Riki is joined by Glenmark Cheviot stalwart and current North Canterbury representative coach Matt Keane to chat about coaching out in the country and the opportunities present in our game currently for both players and coaches north of the Waimakariri!

As Christchurch sprawls towards the neighbouring districts of Selwyn and Waimakariri, there is a growing conversation about whether it should become a Supercity. Recent data from Statistics New Zealand predicts that Christchurch's population will hit 640,000 within two decades. And with new projects like the multi-use arena ‘Te Kaha', and road networks set to connect the outer parts of Christchurch to the CBD, many believe ratepayers who live outside the current city should be contributing financially to its growth.  Today we'll hear from Canterbury Employers' Chamber of Commerce CEO Leann Watson, and Papanui Ward Councillor Mike Davidson.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So a monumental decision by the Christchurch City Council yesterday, with a 13-3 vote in favour of spending another $150 million and getting on with the job of building the new Te Kaha stadium.As we know, it followed the announcement last month that there'd been a budget blowout, pushing the price tag up to $683 million.I think the council made the right decision yesterday and I'm delighted that this thing is actually going to happen. No one could argue that it's ridiculous that it's taken this long to get to this point - but I'm right behind it. Even though there are some aspects that I'm still not completely comfortable with.The so-called fixed-price contract with the Australian construction and civil engineering company running the project - I'm still not convinced that's going to happen.As we heard this week, the Board overseeing the project has managed to negotiate a deal which makes Besix WATPAC responsible for the costs of labour and materials - as well as carrying the can for all other risks and cost overruns.I just can't see - in light of everything that's happened over the last couple of years - how a fixed-price for a project four years out from delivery is realistic. Happy to be proven wrong, but that's how I feel about that part of it.The other thing I think is nuts, is the fact that Selwyn and Waimakariri councils aren't putting any money into it.As I've said all along, the stadium is a regional project. And it will deliver benefits for people not just living in Christchurch.Remember, for example, that nearly half of the people who live in Selwyn come into Christchurch every day to go to work or go to school. So they should have skin in the game when it comes to the stadium, because they will benefit from it.And there's been no shortage of people from Selwyn and Waimakariri saying they'd be more than happy to contribute.But I'm now actually starting to wonder whether these other councils haven't been asked yet because Christchurch wants to keep them up its sleeve - just in case.What if the whole fixed-price thing goes pear-shaped and the council needs to find more  money? The contractors were told very clearly the other day that there'd be no more money coming from Christchurch ratepayers. So perhaps Selwyn and Waimakariri are being kept out of it for now, in case they need to become a bit of a financial lifeline down the track.Just a thought.Nevertheless, even though I've still got my misgivings about the financial side of things, overall - I am delighted with yesterday's decision.  Yes, it should've happened sooner. Yes, the city was stupid to turn down the Government's offers to take over the project all those years ago. But thank goodness it is finally happening.Crusaders CEO Colin Mansbrdge makes some very good points about yesterday's decision in a piece he's written today for nzherald.co.nz. Of course, he's delighted too that it's going ahead - but he also tips his hat to the people opposed to the stadium, for their role in the community's debate about it.And I want to pick up on that and make mention of the three city councillors who yesterday voted against putting-in the extra money - Melanie Coker, Sara Templeton and Celeste Donovan.Melanie Coker's concerned about the impact the rates increase needed to pay for the stadium will have on people on fixed incomes. Sara Templeton voted against it on behalf of the people who don't want more financial burden on the city. And Celeste Donovan thinks there are more important things the council should be spending money on - Bromley being one of them.I had actually thought there might have been a couple more who would vote against. But they're the three who did, and I want to congratulate them for doing it. Because it is never easy going against the tide - and the tide was well and truly against them in the council meeting yesterday.In fact, not...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday, I asked Christchurch mayoral candidates Phil Mauger and David Meates what they thought was the biggest challenge facing Christchurch.And what a let-down that was.Phil Mauger answered first, and he said Bromley. The Christchurch suburb that has become synonymous with the appalling odour that's been coming from the burnt-out wastewater plant and the longstanding composting plant. Unfortunately for the people living there, the word Bromley is like Madonna or Prince - and one word says it all.It didn't really surprise me that Phil Mauger thinks that's the biggest challenge facing Christchurch because, as he says himself, he's the kind of person who likes to get stuff done and fix things. Practical stuff. That's what he's known for and, as far as some people are concerned, loved for.Remember he announced the other day that if he's elected mayor, he'll set-up a roving pothole repair crew. Can we fix it? Yes we can. That's Phil Mauger.Then it was David Meates' turn. And he said Bromley too. Which I couldn't quite believe and I wondered at the time whether he was just saying that because that's what Phil had said. I suspect if I'd just been talking to him on his own, he might have said something different.But, either way, they both think sorting out the Bromley odour situation is the biggest challenge facing Christchurch.But, not wanting to upset the people of Bromley (who have been treated appallingly by the Christchurch City Council), I think if these mayoral candidates think that's the biggest challenge facing Christchurch then don't go looking to the city council for any big thinking over the next three years if either of them are running the shop.To borrow a word used by the Prime Minister yesterday, the city council's handling of the Bromley situation has been a complete cluster. But is it really the biggest challenge facing Christchurch?It's a big clean-up job and re-building trust with the people of Bromley are two big tasks on the Council's plate - but, in my mind, it certainly isn't the biggest challenge facing the city. It's challenging for the people living with the terrible smell - but it's not the biggest challenge facing the city.So what is?I think the biggest challenge facing Christchurch is sorting out this ridiculous situation we have where three local councils operate in complete isolation of each other. Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri. That's what I think is our biggest challenge.And it needs to be sorted, because at the moment the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing and for that to be happening in a place the size of Greater Christchurch, is just nuts.There have been many examples of left hand/right hand, and there was another one yesterday with a recommendation that an 820-home sub-division go ahead in Selwyn, which will increase the size of Prebbleton significantly.Another example recently was the uproar in Lincoln over plans for a housing development with 1700 new houses.The Carter Family is behind that one. They want to increase the number of houses in the Lincoln area by more than 50 percent and chew up a huge chunk of farmland in the process.And while all this is going on in Selwyn, we've got the Christchurch council desperately trying to get more people to come and live in the central city. Effectively, Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri are competing against each other.Which, in my mind, is a massive challenge. Way more of a challenge than cleaning up that shambles in Bromley.Bromley's going to be sorted - eventually. Yes, the people in Bromley will probably only believe that once it happens. And yes, the wastewater plant will be sorted well before the composting plant is moved somewhere else. So the smell is going to linger for quite some time yet.But, as far as I'm concerned, it is not the biggest challenge.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on Newstalk ZB Canterbury Mornings John MacDonald spoke to Christchurch City mayoral candidates, Phil Mauger and David Meates.With the future stadium being a major issues for residents, MacDonald asked their position on whether we should go forward, pause or stop the project.He also raised the question about Christchurch potentially becoming a super city, amalgamating with Waimakariri and Selwyn, and asked them the reasons why they felt they would make a good mayor for New Zealand's second largest city.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, residents of Kaiapoi were shocked and saddened to learn of damage that had been done to RSA headstones at Kaiapoi Cemetery. Vandals had deliberately removed bronze RSA plaques from a number of headstones, and burn out marks were also discovered near some of the grave sites. Waimakariri District Mayor, Dan Gordon, joined John MacDonald on Newstalk ZB Canterbury Mornings to encourage anyone with information to please contact the Council or Police.LISTEN ABOVE 

Something quite extraordinary happened yesterday.With 10 Christchurch City councillors writing to the head of Environment Canterbury regional council, asking her to get the mayors of Christchurch, Selwyn, Waimakariri, Ashburton and Hurunui into a room to talk about putting money on the table for the new Christchurch stadium, Te Kaha.By the way: are we still calling it the ‘new' stadium - or is it time we started calling it the ‘beleaguered' stadium. We can't be far off calling it that, can we?We've been talking about it for 11 years but there's nothing to show for all the talk - other than a big piece of empty land in the centre of town.And today there's more talking, with city councillors meeting to decide the next steps in this whole torturous process - which is consulting the public on whether it should put another $150 million of ratepayer money into the stadium after last week's budget blowout announcement; or scale back the design to keep it in budget; or put the whole thing on hold for a bit.But what was extraordinary about yesterday, was that - even before today's meeting - we had ten councillors taking it on themselves to get negotiations underway with the other local councils about having some skin in the game.This is something the mayor and deputy mayor should have done months, if not years, ago. But obviously these ten councillors are so frustrated that they've gone to ECan themselves and asked it to get all the councils in a room together.And they've done it without involving the mayor and the deputy mayor.If you want to know who these councillors are: they are Sam MacDonald (who we'll be talking to shortly), Jake McLellan, James Gough, Phil Mauger, Aaron Keown, Pauline Cotter, Yani Johanson, Tim Scandrett, Jimmy Chen and Catherine Chu.And let's not kid ourselves that these councillors are doing this solely for the benefit of the community. All but two of them are seeking re-election later this year, so we could easily make gags about them “grandstanding” and playing “political football” with the stadium issue.And I see that some of the councillors who didn't put their name to the letter are saying that their colleagues are jumping the gun because Lianne Dalziel has a meeting lined up with ECan next week. But these ten want all the councils brought into the tent.As they absolutely should be. There is no way Selwyn, Waimakariri, Hurunui and Ashburton should get away with putting nothing into the stadium.The other thing these ten councillors want ECan to do - as well as bringing the councils together to talk turkey - is to introduce a regional rate or regional tax to cover some of the costs of building the stadium.So that would mean any property owner living within ECan's area of jurisdiction - which is north of the Waitaki River up to the Clarence River, just up from Kaikoura and inland to the boundary with the West Coast.Anyone who owns a property within that ECan boundary would pay a compulsory regional tax to help pay for the stadium.This sort of thing was done to help pay for Forsyth Barr stadium in Dunedin and the Caketin in Wellington - so it's not unheard of, and I think it's a brilliant idea.Because, let's face it, Waimakariri, Selwyn, Hurunui and Ashburton aren't going to commit money overnight, are they? We've already had one of the mayors in the news this week saying “ooh, we'd have to talk to our ratepayers before we made any sort of commitment”.Which has election year written all over it, doesn't it?If ECan just went ahead and introduced a regional tax for the stadium, we'd be on much firmer ground financially, and the Christchurch City Council could box on and get things underway.You may have seen in the news too that even if it decided to scale-back the design to keep it within budget, the extra design work that would have to be done would cost an extra $30 million anyway. This is in a report that's been done by council staff for councillors.So it's looking more and more,...

The first of several bills setting out the three waters system has been introduced to parliament, just days before a legal challenge from three councils is set to begin. Timaru, Waimakariri and Whangarei District Councils will take to the Wellington High Court next week, arguing the reforms "expropriate council-owned property" without acknowledging it is a "taking". Timaru District Mayor Nigel Bowen spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Three district councils are determined not to give up the fight over Three Waters.As new three water legislation is introduced to Parliament - Timaru, Waimakariri and Whangarei district councils are off to the High Court.They say this is bigger than three waters and they'll be asking the court for a declaration on the rights and interests that property ownership entails.Timaru mayor Nigel Bowen told Mike Hosking the action is being taken on legal advice.He says they believe they have a good chance, and it should be a fundamental concern for ratepayers across the country as the Government looks to redefine ownership as we know it.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I've got that old saying about the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing in my head today.And it's why I think we need to seriously consider creating a Super City by merging the Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri councils.I've thought this for some time and I'm thinking about it again today for a couple of reasons.The first, is the uproar in Lincoln over this new housing development - 1700 new houses.The Carter Family is behind it. They want to increase the number of houses in the Lincoln area by more than 50 percent and chew up a huge chunk of farmland in the process.So a truckload more houses and people, in an area with one high school and one medical centre which is already full and not taking on any new patients.And this is why people already living in Lincoln aren't happy about it.This is where the ‘left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing' comes into it.You may have heard about the Greater Christchurch Partnership. This is a group that all of the councils have an involvement with - plus all the usual agencies like Christchurch NZ. And its job is to think about the long-term growth and development of the Greater Christchurch area over the next 30 years.How the population is going to grow, where all the extra people are going to live. All that stuff.Now this proposed development at Lincoln is in an area outside the Greater Christchurch Partnership's urban boundary, so it's going to be up to the Selwyn District Council and only the Selwyn District Council to decide whether this thing goes ahead or not.Which is nuts, especially when you've got the Christchurch City Council competing with Selwyn - and Waimakariri too for that matter - trying to get more people to come and live in the central city in Christchurch. Left hand-right hand. Working in isolation.The other reason I'm thinking about merging the three councils and creating a new Super City council is the new stadium, Te Kaha.As we know, it's looking like the Christchurch City Council is going to have to come up with a truckload more money - possibly as much as $50 million.The Government isn't interested in putting more into it. So the Council's going to have to front up, if it wants the thing to become reality.Surely, it would be in a much better position if the rating bases of Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakaritri were brought into one big pot by merging them all into one?We've heard this week from some people living in Selwyn and Waimakariri who don't think their rates money should be going into the stadium - so you can bet your bottom dollar that some of their local councillors won't be voting in favour of that. Because, as we know, politicians get spooked about brassing people off - especially when there's an election on the horizon.So get all the councils under one roof and that wouldn't be an issue. It's a no-brainer, as far as I'm concerned.The Auckland Super City brought together seven city and district councils, and the regional council.There was a bit of noise when it happened nearly 12 years ago. But I think over time it's shown that it can work.Auckland these days has a mayor and 20 councillors. Christchurch city has a mayor and 15 councillors. Waimakariri has a mayor and 10 councillors and Selwyn has a mayor and 11 councillors.So Auckland, a mayor and 20 councillors. Greater Christchurch - three mayors and 36 councillors. A bit over the top for the size of the place, don't you think? I think so.Here in Canterbury, there were once all manner of borough councils - but they were swallowed up over time. Another amalgamation we've had here happened in 2006 when Banks Peninsula council joined up with Christchurch City.The issue then was that Banks Peninsula didn't have a big enough population to get the rates it needed to operate properly. Selwyn and Waimakariri don't have that problem - they've...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I've got that old saying about the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing in my head today.And it's why I think we need to seriously consider creating a Super City by merging the Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri councils.I've thought this for some time and I'm thinking about it again today for a couple of reasons.The first, is the uproar in Lincoln over this new housing development - 1700 new houses.The Carter Family is behind it. They want to increase the number of houses in the Lincoln area by more than 50 percent and chew up a huge chunk of farmland in the process.So a truckload more houses and people, in an area with one high school and one medical centre which is already full and not taking on any new patients.And this is why people already living in Lincoln aren't happy about it.This is where the ‘left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing' comes into it.You may have heard about the Greater Christchurch Partnership. This is a group that all of the councils have an involvement with - plus all the usual agencies like Christchurch NZ. And its job is to think about the long-term growth and development of the Greater Christchurch area over the next 30 years.How the population is going to grow, where all the extra people are going to live. All that stuff.Now this proposed development at Lincoln is in an area outside the Greater Christchurch Partnership's urban boundary, so it's going to be up to the Selwyn District Council and only the Selwyn District Council to decide whether this thing goes ahead or not.Which is nuts, especially when you've got the Christchurch City Council competing with Selwyn - and Waimakariri too for that matter - trying to get more people to come and live in the central city in Christchurch. Left hand-right hand. Working in isolation.The other reason I'm thinking about merging the three councils and creating a new Super City council is the new stadium, Te Kaha.As we know, it's looking like the Christchurch City Council is going to have to come up with a truckload more money - possibly as much as $50 million.The Government isn't interested in putting more into it. So the Council's going to have to front up, if it wants the thing to become reality.Surely, it would be in a much better position if the rating bases of Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakaritri were brought into one big pot by merging them all into one?We've heard this week from some people living in Selwyn and Waimakariri who don't think their rates money should be going into the stadium - so you can bet your bottom dollar that some of their local councillors won't be voting in favour of that. Because, as we know, politicians get spooked about brassing people off - especially when there's an election on the horizon.So get all the councils under one roof and that wouldn't be an issue. It's a no-brainer, as far as I'm concerned.The Auckland Super City brought together seven city and district councils, and the regional council.There was a bit of noise when it happened nearly 12 years ago. But I think over time it's shown that it can work.Auckland these days has a mayor and 20 councillors. Christchurch city has a mayor and 15 councillors. Waimakariri has a mayor and 10 councillors and Selwyn has a mayor and 11 councillors.So Auckland, a mayor and 20 councillors. Greater Christchurch - three mayors and 36 councillors. A bit over the top for the size of the place, don't you think? I think so.Here in Canterbury, there were once all manner of borough councils - but they were swallowed up over time. Another amalgamation we've had here happened in 2006 when Banks Peninsula council joined up with Christchurch City.The issue then was that Banks Peninsula didn't have a big enough population to get the rates it needed to operate properly. Selwyn and Waimakariri don't have that problem - they've grown massively since the earthquakes.But all of these people are still coming in and out of Christchurch city....

The big news in Canterbury today is that we have asbestos leeching into our drinking water. We're being told the health impact is uncertain but, I tell you what, it's enough to make me think the Government's Three Waters reforms might not be such a bad thing after all. I know the conspiracy theorists are already smelling a rat, and thinking that the timing of this research by the University of Otago is a bit suspicious, given the fight the Government has on its hands over Three Waters. Just in case you've been living under a rock, the Three Waters reforms are all about the Government taking over control of drinking water, stormwater and wastewater from local councils. It wants to set up new water authorities – there'd be one authority for pretty much the whole of the South Island, if it went ahead. The Government would also pay councils some money in exchange for their water infrastructure assets. In Christchurch, for example, it's talking about paying $120 million in exchange for $6.9 billion dollars worth of assets. Now, that's a joke, and it's had a lot of headlines. But with this news today about the asbestos – plus the debacle over the city council's handling of the Bromley wastewater plant after the fire 163 days ago – I'm looking at Three Waters through very different eyes. The University of Otago researchers are saying that asbestos fibres are getting into the water here in Christchurch because all the old pipes made of asbestos cement are corroding. And, while their study was done in Christchurch, they say it'll be the same everywhere – all over New Zealand. Now the researchers, and the head of Water New Zealand who spoke with Mike Hosking earlier this morning, are saying that there's no immediate health risk.  That's on the basis, by the way, that any link between asbestos fibres in drinking water and cancer (for example) can only be made if data on the amount of asbestos that's in the drinking water is collected regularly – and that's not happening. So that's their basis for saying there's no immediate health risk. I see the person in charge of drinking water at the Christchurch City Council is saying today too that there's no immediate health concern. What the Water New Zealand person was saying was that the risk she sees is contractors digging up the old pipes and disturbing the asbestos and getting exposed to it that way. But now that we know about it, there is no way we can sit on our hands and do nothing about it. Something is going to have to be done and I think we'd be dreaming if we thought local councils could afford to sort it out – let alone have the people to sort it out on their own. Christchurch couldn't afford to dig up and replace all the old pipes. Selwyn couldn't. Waimakariri couldn't. The only outfit that could, is the Government. And under the Three Waters reform, it would be the Government's responsibility to sort out the asbestos pipes. Makes sense to me. Just like the campaign that's getting underway here in Christchurch to get the Government to tell the Christchurch City Council to stand aside and let it take over the clean-up of the Bromley wastewater plant. I think we can all agree that it is absolutely shameful that, after 163 days, the people in Bromley especially – but everyone in Christchurch – don't have a clear idea from the Council how and when it's going to sort that mess out. Again, under the Three Waters reforms, it'd be the Government's job to sort it out. And, at this rate, I'd have much more confidence in the Government – or the new water authority – than I currently have in the Christchurch City Council. Now you might be thinking that I've fallen for the Government's spin on Three Waters. But I've been more than willing to point out some of the absurdities. Parts of it I've agreed with, parts of it I haven't. But when the scientists are now telling us that asbestos fibres are getting into our drinking water here in Canterbury but they can't tell us w...

Water you wouldn't even drink after boiling it - Canterbury's Selwyn residents are fed up with the state of their water. National Party leader Christopher Luxon was in Canterbury today, promising to repeal the government's Three Waters legislation. He's knocked up a billboard in Waimakariri advertising the party's pledge to unwind the laws, which have faced considerable opposition. But people in a town fed up with dirty drinking water just want someone, anyone, to fix the problem. Jean Edwards reports.

The North Canterbury town of Kaiapoi has been hit hard by a huge fire that destroyed the premises of a major employer. Sutton Tools went up in smoke early yesterday, causing up to 40 nearby homes to be evauated and toxic oil to seep into a waterway. Waimakariri district mayor Dan Gordon spoke to Corin Dann.

Fears the pandemic is causing mental distress to escalate amongst teenagers.  Waimakariri MP Matt Doocey is calling for a mental health summit to take stock of the pressure the country's youth are under. He told Tim Dower they're starting to see the early warning signs - and that should be triggering alarm bells nationwide. “I think when you look at the restrictions our young people face, the inability to meet their friends and their peers or maybe go to school, I think what we're seeing is it's starting to tick up in areas like anxiety and depression.”  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fight over Three Waters is far from over.  Today, a newly formed and growing group of 23 councils called Communities 4 Local Democracy will take their concerns to Parliament.  They will present their alternative ideas to parliament so that $60 billion worth of assets aren't taken off them.  Waimakariri mayor and co-organiser of the protest Dan Gordon joined Mike Yardley. LISTEN ABIOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on Canterbury Mornings, John MacDonald spoke to Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon.  Dan is leading the charge on Councils pushing back on the Three Waters reform, and told listeners about the concerns his residents have voiced and his request to meet with the Prime Minister. LISTEN ABOVE 

Last month, the South Island of New Zealand was hit with a deluge that forced hundreds of people in the Canterbury region to evacuate their homes. Robin is joined by Brennan Wiremu, Emergency Management Advisor at Waimakariri District Council to learn how they kept people safe and coordinated the district's response and recovery.

We're no strangers to natural disasters in New Zealand. From earthquakes to volcanic eruptions, floods and forest fires, it's not uncommon natural disasters to regularly disrupt our lives and livlihoods. Unlike the earthquake that occurred on February 22nd 2011 which pretty much came out of the blue, the extreme rain and flooding across Canterbury that happened May 2021 was predicted and expected. Local councils from Selwyn to Hurunui and Waimakariri declared states of emergency. Flood waters caused severe damage to the Ashburton bridge. Some areas of Canterbury got more than five month's worth of rain over two days. BUT, people were able to take preventative measures to reduce the damage, protect people, livestock and livelihoods. Brad McDonald is joined by Iain Grant, a Rural insurance advisor with Vero Insurance. Iain lived in Christchurch during 2012, and shares some of his experiences on living in the shaky city. Iain and Brad also talk about how people and businesses can prepare for the next natural disaster (whatever it may be) and what steps are going to help your insurer help you get back on your feet again, including: - Why some natural disasters are becoming harder to predict; - What steps you should take in the aftermath of a natural disaster; plus - The mental toll of natural disasters. Quick disclaimer: This advice is general, and in most cases, Iain's personal opinion. For specific advice on your policy, speak with your trusted advisor. While this information is current as of the publishing of this podcast, we can't predict what the industry will be doing in five years time. Also, in talking about the climate and weather events, neither Brad, nor Iain are scientists. Is there a topic you want covered or a person you want to hear from? You can contact us through the Godfreys Law website, or you can message the Godfreys Law Facebook page. We'd like to hear from you, and any ideas you have about making the podcast better. The Real Solutions Business Podcast is presented by Godfreys Law - A Christchurch based law firm, serving Canterbury for over 140 years.

A state of emergency will continue for a week in Canterbury's worst-hit flood areas. It will remain in place in Ashburton, Selwyn and Waimakariri districts but will be lifted elsewhere across the region. This comes after intense rain earlier this week, that caused chaos including forcing many people to evacuate and badly damaging roads. Mayors Neil Brown from Ashburton, Dan Gordon from Waimakariri and Sam Broughton from Selwyn spoke to Philippa Tolley.

People are being told to evacuate immediately from an area east of Kaiapoi because a flood gate is stuck open and there may be flooding. Those in the low lying areas of Pines Beach, particularly around Dunns Ave have been ordered to evacuate. Waimakariri District Mayor Dan Gordon joins Kathryn. We also speak to the President of the Pines and Kairaki Beach Association Mandy Cooke.

A state of emergency remains is in place in Canterbury as heavy rain which has caused widespread flooding continues to fall. The worst hit areas are Ashburton and Timaru Selwyn district and Waimakariri. So far more than 300 homes have been evacuated. Around 240 of these are in the Waimakariri district as banks of the Eyre River and Ashley River are expected to fail.

Residents north of Canterbury were asked to leave their homes on Sunday due to flood risk. People living close to the Eyre River in Waimakariri, just north of Christchurch, were told the river stop banks were expected to fail, and they should evacuate immediately just after 9pm on Sunday. Canterbury Civil Defence Emergency Management group controller Neville Reilly spoke to Susie Ferguson.

Rain has continued to fall overnight in Canterbury, as the region enters its second day in a Local State of Emergency. Canterbury Civil Defence Emergency Management Group declared the emergency yesterday afternoon. Hundreds of houses were evacuated, as river banks threatened bursting, and there are numerous road closures. It's expected in some areas there will have been up to 400 millimetres of rainfall. Just after 9pm last night, people living close to the Eyre River in Waimakariri, just north of Christchurch, were told the river stopbanks were expected to fail, and they should evacuate immediately. Acting Minister for Emergency Management Kris Faafoi is in Canterbury helping with the response. He spoke to Corin Dann.

Waimakariri residents are on high alert this morning due to dangerous river levels. On Sunday night the local council ordered hundreds of residents living near sections of the Eyre and Ashley rivers to evacuate. The Ashley river could still top it's banks today despite the rain easing off. Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon spoke to Susie Ferguson.

It had been an anxious night for Peter Schouzen, who owns three farms on Eyre river. The rising waters forced him to evacuate his family form their home in Waimakariri yesterday, he spent the night at his parent's place in West Eyreton. He's now made his way back to survey his home properties - and is relieved the damage is not too extensive. Over at Mt Somers Station in the Canterbury foothills farmer David Acland has also been surveying the damage.

3:30 We start the show this week with Sam Manson. Sam is an athlete that has been knocking on the door of his first Longest Day win for the past few years. If a bit of luck was to go his way he could be standing on the top of the podium in 2021. We talk to Sam about his training philosophy and preparation... but that's not all, Sam is also a respected Kayak Guide and has helped a large number of people to develop their skills and build confidence on the river. We use our time with Sam to learn about how to master the mighty Waimakariri. https://topsport.co.nz/ 20:15 Trish Hastie We chat to Trish Hastie who completed her very first Kathmandu Coast to Coast this year. The Coast to Coast has been on Trish's radar for a number of years and with her kids now aged 10, 8, and 6 the time was right to train and prepare for the event. We find out how she got on. https://www.coasttocoast.co.nz/for-trish-hastie-the-timing-is-finally-right-in-life-to-do-the-coast-to-coast 32:16 Matt Bateman Finally, we check in with Matt Bateman and his progress towards the 2 day Tandem event. We find out how his road biking has gone and why his paddling has had mixed success... www.coasttocoast.co.nz www.kathmandu.co.nz www.teamcp.co.nz @teamcpnz https://www.facebook.com/teamcpnz richard@teamcp.co.nz CP MEDIA HOSTS Angus Petrie - @gustric Richard Greer - @ric.greer