Dear Editor
It looks like the Ashburton District Council is doing its best to exacerbate the country’s housing crisis by applying the brakes to their consent process.
Subject: ADC Update under Red Traffic Light Setting
Good morning,
The following is an update to council’s position under the Red Traffic Light Setting
Paperwork – Any and all hard copy documents that come in will go into ‘quarantine’ boxes for 3 days. With this, there will obviously be at least a 3 day delay.
Email documents are preferred and then we can get to working on them faster. This includes documentation for Consent Lodgements, CCC Information (Drainage Plans, Applications etc.)
Any documents given to Inspectors on site means the Inspectors will be required to take paperwork with gloves and these will then go into these same boxes for at least 3 days.
There will be no exceptions to this rule.
Inspecting – We are within Council policy to ask for a vaccine pass when on-site. We can also refuse to do an inspection if our inspector feels that it unsafe to do. At present, we are wanting everyone to be wearing a mask when we enter a site or house and (if possible) leave the room while the inspection is taking place.
We understand this may cause frustrations for some and while we respect your decisions, we must adhere to Council Policies and keeping our team safe and operational is paramount for us.
Many thanks and take care ADC Building Team
With virtually no cases of any kind of Covid in the South Island for at least a year and none south of Christchurch since God knows when, the wacko Ashburton District Council has decided that PAPER is a health threat!
Where do local body staff learn basic concepts like risk? Has the nitrogen-infused water from the Mid-Canterbury dairy farming hinterland had an impact on the brains of those manning, sorry personing, the Ashburton DC?
Perhaps the sensible citizens of Ashburton should line up to pay their rates in cash!
As for inspectors feeling unsafe!! Poor little diddums. The South Island air is fresh and clean, the population is sparsely distributed but people still need houses to live in and it’s a good idea that they get built as quickly and efficiently as possible. A Covid aerosol has as much chance of surviving an Ashburton building site as Jacinda has of Lorde refusing to be her wedding singer. What’s even more distressing is that other councils, even those in the wide-open South Island, are reputedly thinking of instigating similar policies.
Where is that ticket to Australia?
Shelby
