The 10th anniversary of the September 2010 earthquake gives the Hororata community time to reflect on what has been 10 years of change and how this has readied them to be resilient in the face of COVID 19.

Richard Lang, Chair of the Hororata Community Trust looks back on what has been achieved in this time; “The Hororata Community Trust was formed after the earthquakes, in a time similar to now with COVID 19, where the future was uncertain. We knew we would survive but the question was how to ensure the community and its people thrived."

This year on the 7th November the community will celebrate the 10th Hororata Highland Games. Started to put Hororata on the map, build community and to fundraise.

"The Games has always been about community spirit and pride; developing a strong identity, a sense of place; it is about the wellbeing of our people. 220 people join Clan Hororata every year to make the Games happen. These people are connected to the area, they are passionate about our community and its future.

From the Games, we have been able to think big. It has been the foundation from which the Hororata Tartan, Whisky, Pie and Night Glow have grown. The Games has and continues to be a platform for community groups to leverage, fundraise and come together.

Between the Games and the Night Glow in 2019, alone community groups raised a collective $30,000.00 for their own causes. The two festivals attracted 25,000 people to the area in 2019. Undoubtedly Hororata is on the map because of these events and this has had a flow-on effect to all community groups and businesses in the wider area. A University of Canterbury economic study carried out in 2019 found that the Games provides an annual economic benefit of $370,000 to the Selwyn District.

In the past 9 years, the Trust has invested $150,000 back into the community through various projects and donations. All of this has been possible because of the many people and businesses who are connected to the Trust.

Now our community is working together to decide on what they want their public facilities to look like for future generations. It is really exciting and the level of engagement is awesome. The passionate discussion taking place in the community around this will lead to a strong and supported collective decision. Whatever this decision, the Trust will be there to support the community’s initiatives.”

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the first Greendale Faultline earthquake the Hororata Community Trust has released a special limited edition Hororata Whisky. In a collector’s edition decanter, the whisky has been specially selected by Sir Alex Bruce of Adelphi Distillery in Scotland and Michael Fraser-Mile from Whisky Galore, both have been valuable supporters of the Hororata Community Trust for a decade. Good things do come out of earthquakes.

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