DRA Secretary

08/12/2024

Malvern Area Plan

Over the Christmas period – think about what you would like to see for our area – improvements, parks, rivers, housing, facilities, transport, infrastructure (all the wish lists).

The Council's strategy team want your feedback around what you would like your town to look like in the future, so they can form options for consultation in the latter part of 2025.

Some engagement opportunities are –
* Darfield Library drop in 16th January 10-11.30am & 5.30-7pm
* Darfield Library drop in 18th January 10am-12pm
* Darfield Library workshop 23rd January 2-3.30pm
* Skate Jam Darfield 16th February 1-3pm
There will be an interactive space and info at the Darfield Library from the 13th – 31st January.

More info here https://yoursay.selwyn.govt.nz/my-future-town or email [email protected]

NOTE: the last plan became obsolete in August 2023, with the new District Plan, and they need to draft a new one.

05/12/2024

The Local Alcohol Policy is out for review until 11th DECEMBER.

It is a requirement for Council to review this and advise that some points to note are -
* The introduction that all clubs must have rostered duty managers present during trading hours.
* Extension of off-licence opening hours from 9-10pm (e.g. supermarkets, bottle stores).
* Introduction of sensitive sites – restrict NEW off licence premises from opening within 150m of health facilities, schools, preschools, recreational spaces and standalone bottle stores can only open in town centre zones – not residential areas.
* Simplifying the opening hours for the different facilities.

The submission forms and policy can be found here (it is a simple easy policy to look at) -
https://yoursay.selwyn.govt.nz/local-alcohol-policy

24/10/2024

Public transport in and out of Darfield is back!

Find below the Malvern Community Board’s submission to eCan on their Regional Public Transport Plan LTP consultation which closed today.

“Regional Public Transport Plan

Thank you for providing the opportunity for community engagement into the Long Term Plan for public transport. The Malvern Community Board of Selwyn District submit on behalf of the Malvern community which covers the largest area of the Selwyn District with approximately 15,000 residents.

Currently the only bus to connect our Malvern townships with Christchurch City is the number 86 which is a one bus in one bus out system. This bus runs Monday to Friday leaving Darfield 7am and arriving at the Christchurch Bus exchange at 8.14am. This bus then leaves the Christchurch Bus exchange at 4.38pm arriving in Darfield around 5.45pm. Stops are Kirwee, West Melton, Westfield Mall, Bus Interchange, Manchester St Super Stop.

The Malvern Ward has grown, with West Melton having come into the Malvern Ward in October 2022, and it looks as if the outcome of the representation review will have West Melton remain in this ward for some time to come. On top of that, the Selwyn Districts Growth Plan for the district includes growth strategy for West Melton, Kirwee, Darfield and other smaller satellite rural townships.

With families choosing to move to Malvern, there has also been a boom in the youth population. Malvern does not have the facilities or amenities to cater to these new families and youth, and new comers are finding they need to travel to Rolleston or Christchurch to access essential and basic services I.e. general practitioners, dentists, higher education, social services, fitness and leisure centres and supermarkets, to name a few.

The Malvern Community needs more public transport options to accomodate the growth in the area. In the recent past, models have been trialled, however it is possible these opportunities were presented prematurely as the developments in the area were at their early stages. Since the service to Rolleston has stopped, further subdivisions have been built and a larger Metro bus has been provided to accomodate the growth for the single bus system. Also, the local bus services that was available for students attending schools in Christchurch have stopped which poses a logistics and economic issue for families which is leading to many deciding to leave the district to be closer to institutions in the city. We believe now is the time to explore further options for Malvern and we would appreciate the serious consideration of the views of the Malvern community with targeted consultation for the areas residents and this be a matter of consideration for the long term plan and potentially looking further into the future for Malvern.”

24/10/2024

With wastewater works going on in town, this has once again become a topic of conversation.

The following is public information provided by SDC, and includes information around estimated pricing:

For existing households, the Council will consult on options before payment decisions are made.

Existing township stage 2 and 3 areas are budgeted to be constructed in 2034-2038.

The priority of existing township areas is indicative, we will use information on septic tank consent expiry to help prioritise connection of the areas within the existing township

What are the costs for connecting to the new Wastewater network and how do I pay?
If your property is provided with a connection, you will need to pay an annual wastewater rate which will cover the capital and operating costs for the scheme. The costs will vary each year and have not yet been set by Council.

In addition, the property owner will need to pay for physically connecting their house to the sewer connection point at the property boundary. This cost will be different for each household, because it depends on how far back your house is from the road or how hard it is to access gully traps. For most households, this is estimated to cost around $5,000, with only the most complicated connections costing up to around $20,000.

Council will engage with Darfield and Kirwee communities on the charging options as part of the 2025/26 Annual Plan process.

Residents and businesses in Darfield and Kirwee predominantly manage their own wastewater, relying on septic tanks and on-site treatment plants.

05/09/2024

Dear Resident

Do you own your own home and are struggling with the ever-increasing cost of living?

Selwyn District Council staff will be leading a session around RATES RELIEF ENTITLEMENTS in Darfield on TUESDAY, 10 SEPTEMBER at 11.00am at the library.

💡Find out if you are eligible for a rebate.
📅 Don’t miss out—mark your calendar!

16/07/2024

Are you ready to put your hand up to support your residents?
Do have ideas for Darfield that you'd like to follow through with?

Tomorrow evening's AGM will include nominations and elections for the 2024/25 committee. Come down and put your hand up!

18 July 2024 - 7.30pm - Darfield Recreation Centre

15/06/2024

Do you have an event in Darfield that you'd like to add to your community website?
https://darfield.org.nz/events/

Register your event here:
https://form.jotform.com/240559498812872

13/04/2024

Selwyn District Council - Long Term Plan
There will be another Drop In Session to discuss Council's LTP, at the library on Friday 19th, from 3pm-5pm.
It's great to note that this meeting is longer in duration so there will be time for your questions to be discussed.
Get in there and make your point heard. Without our voices, our community cannot make change.

07/03/2024

Dyslexia friendly books?
Did you know they are available in our libraries?

The best way to find them is by searching ‘dyslexia friendly’ in our online catalogue, then clicking the ‘dyslexia friendly’ subject field in the left-hand column to view all the titles. You can also identify them if you’re browsing the shelves, by the dyslexia friendly logo on the spine, which looks like a person reading a book.

Browse the catalogue:
https://ent.kotui.org.nz/client/en_AU/selwyn/search/results?qu=dyslexia+friendly&te=

04/03/2024

Ancient New Zealand at Darfield

Canterbury Museum’s ‘Ancient New Zealand’ exhibition has landed at Darfield Library and Service Centre!

This display explores prehistoric North Canterbury - a place where giant penguins and birds with teeth swam in warm, tropical waters. Learn how palaeontologists are piecing together the ancient past through a treasure trove of fossils found in the Waipara Gorge.

https://www.canterburymuseum.com/visit/whats-on/tropical-north-canterbury

26/06/2023

In June 2023, I volunteered to be part of the Darfield Residents Association.

About me ...
Wayne and I moved to Darfield in February 2022 after selling up and travelling NZ in our motorhome for 16 months. Having arrived in the South Island from Waikato, we knew this would be our new home, so the following months were spent trying to find a new place to call home ... and here we are, gorgeous wee Darfield - a beautiful provincial community, with friendly people and great amenities for day to day living, plus near to a city and airport.

Professionally, I have spent the last 20 years doing admin, accounts, systems/processes, websites, social media, etc, for other small businesses. I don't profess to be a master of any of them, more like a "Jill Of All Trades", but regardless, I've been proudly providing and supporting a foundation upon which small businesses can grow.

I am also a volunteer for the Malvern Community Vehicle Trust, regularly doing one to two drives per week.

🙂