Following the severe weather events across Canterbury, BNZ is offering a flood assistance package to its customers. The package is available immediately and includes: • Ability to defer Scheduled Principal Repayments on secured lending facilities for .
Demand was so great among those wanting their drinking water tested for polluting nitrates this week, that some had to be turned away.
Gwenda Smithies was among roughly 140 people who lined up in Leeston to have their drinking water tested.
Photo: RNZ / Conan Young
When RNZ arrived, the carpark at the Leeston library was full to overflowing and the queue of people clutching containers of their drinking water was out the door.
The tests were done by the Canterbury Regional Council.
Top groundwater scientist Carl Hanson, who was there to answer people s questions, said nitrate levels in drinking water across this part of Canterbury had been slowly rising.
A truck driving through a gull colony in North Canterbury.
Photo: Supplied / Ashley-Rakahuri Rivercare Group
Nest cams on the Ashley River bed captured four wheel drive vehicles and motorbikes driving through the colony last week, with the Canterbury Regional Council reporting that 10 birds were killed.
The native birds are protected and classed as a critically endangered species.
Gulls killed by people driving their 4WDs through a gull colony in North Canterbury.
Photo: Supplied / Ashley-Rakahuri Rivercare Group
DOC North Canterbury operations manager Kingsley Timpson said rangers are making good progress to find those responsible. We are progressing quite satisfactorily in terms of trying to reach a solution with locating these people, and having a conversation with them to determine exactly what went on, Timpson said.