Thanks to external funding delivered through Council’s strong community partnerships, Hurunui District is benefiting from a range of community programmes that are making a difference in residents' lives.

Hurunui District Council’s Community Partnerships team reported to the Strategy and Community Committee last week on the past six months of activities, with a strong message of gratitude to external funding agencies for making many projects possible.

Council’s Together Hurunui Facilitator Natalie Paterson highlighted successful projects that were being rolled out through external funding. This includes a total of 120 Slice of Wellbeing mental-health resource packs being made available to Culverden, Waikari, Cheviot and Amberley North Canterbury Veterinary Services, the district’s three area schools and local Police, to distribute as needed.

“Particularly the vets, when they’re out on the farm having a chat and pick up that things are not going well - they have a resource they can pass on,” said Paterson, whose role is funded by Lotteries NZ through the DIA.

An extra layer of support is the Snacks in Schools lunchbox top-up programme, funded by MainPower, which is available in seven of the district’s schools. Additional to this, Cheviot and Amuri area schools are also providing nutritious lunch options through the MainPower Community Pantry, working with Satisfy Food Rescue.

Strategy and Community Committee Chair Pauline White said there was “real power” in bringing the various agencies together to deliver positive outcomes for the district.

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Through the team’s collaborative approach, other initiatives have developed. Recreational opportunities and skills-based training for the district’s young people have been available through funding from the Ministry for Youth Development, The Rātā Foundation and Sport Canterbury. Council’s Youth Team Leader Jo Sherwood said there had been an uptake in the number of young people participating in skills-based training in the district as well social connections and leadership opportunities.

Over the past six months, 20 young people passed their Learner Driver theory test – a 100% success rate; 18 completed Defensive Driving courses; 26 obtained a Plunket certificate in babysitting; 25 completed a First Aid course; and 179 enjoyed a holiday activity over the April and July holidays.

The report also revealed the impact of Mayors Taskforce for Jobs (MTFJ) Community Employment Programme (CEP), a nationwide partnership between Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) and Ministry of Social Development (MSD) that has a strong focus on getting young people into sustainable employment. To date, 152 young people have been placed in Hurunui. The programme connects local businesses with youth, creating sustainable employment for both. Nineteen young people are already placed in jobs from July 2024, in a mix of permanent, short-term contract and part-time positions and 20 others having recently registered for the programme.

Mayor Marie Black commented after the meeting that support for the district’s young people through the MTFJ programme had been “transformative”. “It really highlights the power of councils at a local level having the funding and the power to make decisions for their communities.

“Young people in rural New Zealand face more challenges during those important school-leaving years than their peers in urban areas, whether getting their drivers’ licences or work experience,” Mayor Black said. “MTFJ, along with our other partnerships, is making a valuable contribution to our community.”

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