6 April 2017

More than 1000 Easter eggs are waiting to be hidden in Temuka.
The second annual Temuka Plunket Easter Egg Hunt will be held at The Ashfield on April 8 and organisers have confirmed it will cater for about 200 children.
The hunt is a fundraiser for the town’s Plunket organisation.
Temuka Plunket president Sophie Sullivan said the event followed on from the success of last year’s hunt, which attracted big crowds.
“We raised about $2000 last year and we’re hoping for a similar amount again.”

This year’s hunt will also include a range of stalls on the grounds of Ashfield, as well as face-painting, a bouncy castle and items from the Temuka Toy Library.
Mrs Sullivan said money raised from this year’s hunt would be used to continue Plunket’s Temuka Music and Movement group, which is held on Thursday mornings at Wallingford Home.
“We’re also looking at setting up a kids’ fitness group one morning a week during winter as a way to get people out of the house and active.”
Mrs Sullivan said all eggs in the hunt were nut-free.
“The eggs are from Rainbow Confectionery and Thompson Construction has also supported us.
“We are very grateful for all the support.”
The Easter Egg Hunt will be held at The Ashfield, Cass St, Temuka on April 8, from 11am to 2pm. The egg hunt will start at 11.30am. Tickets cost $20 per family or $5 per individual, with gate sales only.

Information from: www.timarucourier.co.nz

March 31, 2017

Cafe chain first tenant for retail complex

A national cafe chain has been confirmed as the first tenant in a Washdyke retail development.
Robert Harris will open a cafe at the complex, which will be built at 209 Hilton Highway on the former Seedlands site, at the turnoff to Pleasant Point on State Highway 1.
The project, being overseen by Hilton Nominees Ltd, will include retail and office space in an 1100sq m building, to be built by South Canterbury firm Thompson Construction and Engineering.
Hilton Nominees chairman Ken Buckingham would not disclose the cost of the project.

“I won’t disclose that information at this stage but can confirm that Robert Harris is the first confirmed tenant for the site,” he said.
The land has been owned by a group of shareholders, mostly South Canterbury-based, since 2007.
Mr Buckingham said the time was now right to develop it.
“For us, now’s the moment to do something with the land and build the retail complex.
“The design of the building is something we have been working on for a while and finalised earlier this year.”
Mr Buckingham said a start date for building the project would depend on the consent process.

The site was in a good location and would have good car parking, and the traffic lights offered good access to the complex, he said.
The development would have room for about four retail premises.
Having a first tenant was an exciting part of the project.
“We are very fortunate to have lots of space, which has allowed us to be more creative with the design, as well as offer extra car parking,” Mr Buckingham said.
“The design’s courtyard will offer a more European-styled environment, which is sure to be a hit with the Robert Harris customers.”
Robert Harris business development manager Rod de Lisle said the company saw Timaru as a “vibrant provincial city”.
“It’s lively and growing.”
The chain had a cafe in Stafford St about eight years ago, and was keen to reopen in Timaru, he said.
“It has been on our radar for a while.
“One of our most successful cafes is up the road, in Ashburton. Their customer base includes frequent travellers, many of whom have asked us to reopen a cafe in Timaru.”
Harris recently invested in a design makeover, encompassing a new look for its new cafes.
The company was looking for a franchisee for the Timaru cafe.

Information from: www.timarucourier.co.nz

1 March 2017

Children play at the Waimate Event Centre

The progress of the multi millon dollar Waimate Event Centre has been described as a learning experience nearly 12 months after it's official opening.
Waimate District Council chief executive Stuart Duncan confirmed on Wednesday the facility had been valued at $6.2 million, contributing $500,000 more to the council's surplus than budgeted in the Long Term Plan.
Duncan's comments followed announcements on Tuesday the council had posted a $2.1 million surplus for the 2016/17 financial year, exceeding budget by more than $800,000.
The centre officially opened in December 2016.

It was valued at $5.5 million in July 2016. It began life as a $3.8 million investment by the district council and the community, and project partner Gary Rooney.
Latest statistics showed visitor numbers to the centre peaked at 3755 in June 2017, up from 3093 in May, before dipping to 2941 in July.
Figures had fluctuated over the months January to September, dropping to 1671 in September.
Council community and strategy manager Carolyn Johns said the council had expected user numbers to decline slightly as the outdoor sports commenced and people took advantage of the warmer weather and exercising outdoors.
"However the number of users since the Waimate Event Centre opened has exceeded our expectations," Johns said.
Duncan said: "We are still learning as we go but overall we are happy with the way it's going."

The attendance figures were pleasing though he was keen to see more people booking the facility for private functions.
"We are looking at a couple of things going forward which will likely include more sport including indoor soccer and indoor hockey," Duncan said.
"Staff have been in conversation with football representatives." 
At Tuesday's extra-ordinary meeting, councillors set fees for the use of the new cricket practice lane at the centre.
Councillors voted to approve a minimum pre booking rate of $20 per hour or a casual rate of $6 per person per hour with a maximum of five people.
Johns said there had been communication with cricket clubs who had sought casual use rates.
Waimate Mayor Craig Rowley said a casual rate was about attracting casual users.
"In my opinion we should be encouraging casual users."

Information from: www.stuff.co.nz

29 January 2017

A purpose-built $12 million home for Alpine Energy and lines company Netcon is set to be built on the company's current site in Washdyke.
Alpine Energy chief executive Andrew Tombs said the build would include a two-storey 3000 square metre administrative building, a communications tower, yard operations for Netcon and extra parking facilities. 
"While the building is industrial in nature, it is also modern with its use of open and shared meeting spaces, ensuring staff will work in a comfortable, efficient environment," Tombs said.

The building was scheduled for completion by early 2018. Once finished it would sit behind the existing Netcon building on the company's 5.5 hectare site off Meadows Rd.
The network company had now handed the construction site over to contractors and neighbours, Thompson Construction and Engineering, for initial earth works.
Tombs said the building would consolidate more than 170 Alpine Energy and Netcon staff and operations into one main office block. Currently staff were spread across three buildings and several portacoms on the site.
"We've also removed a number of sheds that had been on the build site, and donated them to local charitable organisations, so, where we can, we are adopting a sustainable approach to repurposing the older buildings as potentially reusable community assets."
The current Alpine Energy offices would eventually be dismantled and removed to provide additional yard space, while the existing Netcon buildings would be retained and used for training purposes.
Thompson construction and design manager John Wilson said the approach to the Alpine Energy office design had been a collaborative one.
"We've effectively taken a fairly simple, industrially-slanted concept and refined it into a modern, purpose-built landmark."

Tombs said it was pleasing to be able to use local construction expertise, supporting the company's ethos of contributing back to the community. 
"In that time we've built a great working relationship with the contractor and we are all looking forward to seeing the building take shape."
Tombs said the company had also received encouraging inquiries around leasing opportunities on a 11,000sqm site beside Elginshire St. The area had been earmarked as a new light industrial park.

Information from: www.stuff.co.nz