On the Trail with Olive – September 2013 This update comes a little late – the storms of 10th September took out our power, water and of course internet access – us and 28000 other people! One week later we are again made aware of the resilience of Selwyn and the way neighbours help neighbours to make things work. OMG, I love this place! August saw my activity level lifting – if that’s possible. I have been meeting people in Rolleston, Kirwee, Prebbleton, Southbridge, West Melton, Ladbrooks and Dunsandel. I have continued to go to as many Resident’s and Community meetings as I can fit in – difficult when so many happen on the same night. It has been fascinating listening to the so very diverse issues in TaiTapu, Prebbleton, Windwhistle and again at Leeston. I attended the public meeting at Darfield on the future use of the McHugh Plantation – the most recent addition to our rates charges. I have had great hospitality and debate at Fireside meetings in Bankside and West Melton. The Leeston Rural Women hosted a wonderful dinner. I attended the Rolleston garden Club meeting and learned more about rhodos and camellias in one night than I had known before. The Hororata Community continues to attend meetings convened by the Hororata Community Trust and we seem to be close to achieving a consensus about what the people of Hororata want their village to look like now and into the future. It will be important to be able to partner with Council to start a ‘Hororata 2020’ journey. At all of these meetings, the distance between the Mayor and the people of Selwyn stands out as the Number one complaint. It was interesting to note that at the Council meeting on the 11th following the storm, no mention was made of it at all. Business as usual in spite of millions and millions of dollars lost in destroyed equipment, devastated landscapes, and yet more phenomenal challenges to livelihoods. And of course we have ridiculous and avoidable challenges – when the power goes off, Southbridge loses its sewage system because they don’t have their own generator; the Glentunnel water source can only run intermittently because the generator is shared with another pump – and so it goes on. The complaint from the Police about the lackadaisical response of the Selwyn District Council to the storm was ironically validating. Liquidation of Selwyn Holdings has proceeded. The challenges to the eastern Selwyn Sewer System has been discussed but referred back for more committee work. Curiously, in the face of all this, Council spent one hour discussing the best composition of cycle lane surfaces! And so it goes on. Countdown starts with the posting of papers next Friday. Don’t forget to vote!! On the Trail with Olive – September 2013 This update comes a little late – the storms of 10th September took out our power, water and of course internet access – us and 28000 other people! One week later we are again made aware of the resilience of Selwyn and the way neighbours help neighbours to make things work. OMG, I love this place! August saw my activity level lifting – if that’s possible. I have been meeting people in Rolleston, Kirwee, Prebbleton, Southbridge, West Melton, Ladbrooks and Dunsandel. I have continued to go to as many Resident’s and Community meetings as I can fit in – difficult when so many happen on the same night. It has been fascinating listening to the so very diverse issues in TaiTapu, Prebbleton, Windwhistle and again at Leeston. I attended the public meeting at Darfield on the future use of the McHugh Plantation – the most recent addition to our rates charges. I have had great hospitality and debate at Fireside meetings in Bankside and West Melton. The Leeston Rural Women hosted a wonderful dinner. I attended the Rolleston garden Club meeting and learned more about rhodos and camellias in one night than I had known before. The Hororata Community continues to attend meetings convened by the Hororata Community Trust and we seem to be close to achieving a consensus about what the people of Hororata want their village to look like now and into the future. It will be important to be able to partner with Council to start a ‘Hororata 2020’ journey. At all of these meetings, the distance between the Mayor and the people of Selwyn stands out as the Number one complaint. It was interesting to note that at the Council meeting on the 11th following the storm, no mention was made of it at all. Business as usual in spite of millions and millions of dollars lost in destroyed equipment, devastated landscapes, and yet more phenomenal challenges to livelihoods. And of course we have ridiculous and avoidable challenges – when the power goes off, Southbridge loses its sewage system because they don’t have their own generator; the Glentunnel water source can only run intermittently because the generator is shared with another pump – and so it goes on. The complaint from the Police about the lackadaisical response of the Selwyn District Council to the storm was ironically validating. Liquidation of Selwyn Holdings has proceeded. The challenges to the eastern Selwyn Sewer System has been discussed but referred back for more committee work. Curiously, in the face of all this, Council spent one hour discussing the best composition of cycle lane surfaces! And so it goes on. Countdown starts with the posting of papers next Friday. Don’t forget to vote!! On the Trail with Olive – September 2013 This update comes a little late – the storms of 10th September took out our power, water and of course internet access – us and 28000 other people! One week later we are again made aware of the resilience of Selwyn and the way neighbours help neighbours to make things work. OMG, I love this place! August saw my activity level lifting – if that’s possible. I have been meeting people in Rolleston, Kirwee, Prebbleton, Southbridge, West Melton, Ladbrooks and Dunsandel. I have continued to go to as many Resident’s and Community meetings as I can fit in – difficult when so many happen on the same night. It has been fascinating listening to the so very diverse issues in TaiTapu, Prebbleton, Windwhistle and again at Leeston. I attended the public meeting at Darfield on the future use of the McHugh Plantation – the most recent addition to our rates charges. I have had great hospitality and debate at Fireside meetings in Bankside and West Melton. The Leeston Rural Women hosted a wonderful dinner. I attended the Rolleston garden Club meeting and learned more about rhodos and camellias in one night than I had known before. The Hororata Community continues to attend meetings convened by the Hororata Community Trust and we seem to be close to achieving a consensus about what the people of Hororata want their village to look like now and into the future. It will be important to be able to partner with Council to start a ‘Hororata 2020’ journey. At all of these meetings, the distance between the Mayor and the people of Selwyn stands out as the Number one complaint. It was interesting to note that at the Council meeting on the 11th following the storm, no mention was made of it at all. Business as usual in spite of millions and millions of dollars lost in destroyed equipment, devastated landscapes, and yet more phenomenal challenges to livelihoods. And of course we have ridiculous and avoidable challenges – when the power goes off, Southbridge loses its sewage system because they don’t have their own generator; the Glentunnel water source can only run intermittently because the generator is shared with another pump – and so it goes on. The complaint from the Police about the lackadaisical response of the Selwyn District Council to the storm was ironically validating. Liquidation of Selwyn Holdings has proceeded. The challenges to the eastern Selwyn Sewer System has been discussed but referred back for more committee work. Curiously, in the face of all this, Council spent one hour discussing the best composition of cycle lane surfaces! And so it goes on. Countdown starts with the posting of papers next Friday. Don’t forget to vote!!
Posted on: Mon, 16 Sep 2013 22:50:13 +0000
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