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www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz<br />
NEWS<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong> <strong>Courier</strong>, <strong>August</strong> <strong>20</strong>, <strong>20</strong><strong>20</strong><br />
11<br />
New life for Greenstreet site<br />
TONI.WILLIAMS<br />
@ashburtoncourier.co.nz<br />
Aplannedvintagemachinery<br />
museum on the groundsofthe<br />
Greenstreet community hall<br />
has already been offered its<br />
first piece, avintage swamp<br />
plough.<br />
It’s the first of many historic<br />
items, mostlyfrom thearea,<br />
expected to grace thetwo<br />
tennis courts next to the<br />
popularhallon<strong>Ashburton</strong><br />
Staveley Road.<br />
Thedeteriorated, and<br />
unused, tennis courtswill be<br />
spruceduptohouse an open<br />
machinerymuseum.<br />
Greenstreet/<strong>Ashburton</strong><br />
Forks ReserveBoard chair Ian<br />
Hodge said board members<br />
had considered many options<br />
for the site, including<br />
resurfacing and laying grass<br />
but the cost andongoing<br />
maintenance would prove too<br />
much.<br />
After much discussion<br />
Greenstreet resident and<br />
fellow board member Rob<br />
Marriott came up with the idea<br />
of avintage machinery<br />
museum,hesaid.<br />
It wasunanimouslyagreed<br />
by theothermembers of the<br />
board: Peter Elder, SueScott,<br />
Alison Aschen, Bubbles Hastie<br />
and Jonathan Ward.<br />
‘‘Wethink there will be lot of<br />
vintagemachinery sitting in<br />
people’s sheds they maywant<br />
to donate,’’ Mr Hodge said.<br />
Thesite hadalready been<br />
assessedbyGreg Donaldson<br />
Contractors and some funding<br />
secured through the<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong> District Council.<br />
Plansincluded covering the<br />
site with weedmatting, then<br />
white pebbles or stone and<br />
walkwaysbeing linedwith<br />
wooden borders.<br />
Greenstreet/<strong>Ashburton</strong> Forks Reserve Board chair Ian Hodge on the grounds of the popular<br />
Greenstreet hall.<br />
Mr Hodge said there had<br />
beenalot of support from<br />
members of thecommunity.It<br />
was expectedthe work would<br />
be done within ayear as one of<br />
the conditionsofcouncil<br />
funding.<br />
The community was amazing<br />
and is oftenquick to offer help<br />
or services thathelp reduce<br />
the costtothe committee, Mr<br />
Hodge said.<br />
But therewas some<br />
additional funding available if<br />
it wasneeded, raised through<br />
hall hireand regular<br />
Greenstreet community<br />
events.<br />
Themostrecent was the<br />
annual Greenstreet/<strong>Ashburton</strong><br />
Forks quiz nightheld last<br />
month.<br />
Thesocial event drew alarge<br />
crowd with some great prizes<br />
up for grabs, Mr Hodge said.<br />
Theboard also hosts an<br />
annual Guy Fawkes event and<br />
atraditionalKiwi Christmas<br />
barbecue complete with sack<br />
races andavisit byFather<br />
Christmas whoarrivesby<br />
motorcycle with giftsfor the<br />
children.<br />
Thehall and playground<br />
area on the site have seen<br />
many improvements in recent<br />
years including painting as<br />
well as roof/flooring repairs<br />
and upgrades.<br />
There arealso plansto<br />
update thehall’s kitchen<br />
facilities.<br />
“It’s in agoodstate of<br />
repair,” Mr Hodge said, ofthe<br />
hall.<br />
He said in the coming weeks<br />
the board wouldbecallingfor<br />
vintage machinery pieces but<br />
anyone with items for<br />
consideration could contact<br />
board members.<br />
Wellbeing group to apply for charitable status<br />
Wellbeing Opuke is working on<br />
astrategic plan and will apply<br />
for charitabletrust statusas it<br />
moves forward with its support<br />
of community safety and<br />
wellbeing.<br />
The volunteer groupcovers<br />
the rural area fromDorie to<br />
Methvenand thefoothills to Mt<br />
Somersand wasstarted by a<br />
group of individualswith<br />
connectionsto different<br />
organisations,schools,<br />
medicalpractices and<br />
agencies in thearea.<br />
Group coordinator Jess<br />
Wilson said 57 people and 11<br />
facilitators had attended a<br />
recent strategy workshop.<br />
Feedback had beengreat<br />
and anumberofwellbeing<br />
themeshad emerged.<br />
She said concernshad been<br />
raised aboutthe lackofa<br />
central information hub and<br />
list of services, andalso alack<br />
of support fornewcomers.<br />
Othershad voiced concerns<br />
about theelderly, youth, and<br />
the general anxiety currently<br />
in the community.<br />
Ms Wilson said Wellbeing<br />
Opuke would now move<br />
forward with developing a<br />
strategic plan that addressed<br />
those concerns and issues and<br />
the community would once<br />
again be askedfor its input.<br />
Becomingacharitabletrust<br />
was also agoal in the near<br />
future and wouldallow more<br />
options for the group.<br />
Ms Wilson said her role was<br />
that of aconnector and she<br />
worked with organisations and<br />
other groups to see what they<br />
needed and directed them to<br />
training or upskilling.<br />
METHVEN BRIEFS<br />
TOILET DELAY<br />
The Methvenpublic toiletupgrade<br />
project is aroundamonth behind<br />
schedule.Plannedtobecompleted<br />
this month, the upgrade has been<br />
put backbecause of adelay witha<br />
waterproofing productcoming from<br />
Australia.The $76,000toilet<br />
refurbishment projectalsoincludes<br />
an upgrade of the nearby water<br />
drinking fountain.<br />
TREES PLANTED<br />
Extra treeshavebeenplantedfor<br />
screeningatthe CamroseEstate<br />
playground. Lightingbollardsand<br />
seating has been ordered andwill<br />
be installed oncethe electrical<br />
supply is installed.<br />
OLD SKATE RAMP<br />
With Methven’s newskatepark on<br />
the corner of Bankand McMillan<br />
streets now officially open, the old<br />
skaterampatChalmersPark has<br />
becomesurplus to requirements. It<br />
willbedismantledand takenaway<br />
in the coming weeks. Thepurposebuilt<br />
new skatepark is proving<br />
popularwith localsand opened on<br />
July 11. It featuresride walls,skate<br />
bowls and otherchallenges and has<br />
been aprojectdriven by Kidz<br />
Methvenand 13 years in the<br />
making.<br />
YOUNG DRIVERS<br />
Adistrict drivingsupport initiative is<br />
aiming to get amobile AA unit to<br />
Methven to supportstudent drivers.<br />
The unit wouldmake it easier for<br />
students to completepaperwork<br />
and to progress withtheir learner’s<br />
licences.<strong>Ashburton</strong>council has<br />
employedayouth driver licence coordinator<br />
on afixed term contract to<br />
support young people locally.<br />
CONSENTSGRANTED<br />
Some14consentshave been<br />
issued for Methven in the the first six<br />
months of this year. Theyhave a<br />
totalvalue of $1,497,800, down<br />
almost$400,000 on the same<br />
period last year. Theconsents do<br />
not include the OpukeHot Pools<br />
($6,500,000) or Thyme Stream<br />
subdivision ($1,264,000), which are<br />
both located outside of the Methven<br />
townshipboundary.<br />
FUNDINGRECEIVED<br />
Mt Hutt MemorialHallhas received<br />
$8<strong>20</strong>5 from <strong>Ashburton</strong>council for<br />
new chairs andcarpet. Methven<br />
Reserve Board received $8000 for a<br />
new lawnmower and landscaping<br />
workfor playground edging.<br />
What would the<br />
criteria be for<br />
assisted dying?<br />
Know before youvote<br />
Authorisedbythe Secretary forJustice