Latest news with #Darfield
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Tensions rise as man refuses to leave Selwyn council meeting
Peter Schnell presented to the Selwyn District Council's public forum but refused to vacate the seat until he received the answers he wanted from the council. Photo: Supplied A Selwyn District Council meeting ground to a halt when a public speaker refused to leave the table. Peter Schnell fronted the council demanding answers over a pit on his Creyke Road property, near Darfield, in what is a longstanding dispute between his family and the council. At the meeting, Schnell presented in the public forum but refused to leave his seat until he had an answer from the council. Mayor Sam Broughton was forced to adjourn the meeting "due to the atmosphere in the room". Schnell told the meeting there was a legal reserve on his property and claimed someone started an extraction pit in the wrong location 100 years ago. "I was always promised the titles would be moved," he said. Schnell alleged the council has allowed all manner of dumping in the pit over the years, which has left the land unproductive without a $30,000 cleanup. Schnell said the council had offered him a $13,000 compensation package and to "take responsibility for what's been dumped in this pit by the council". He said he has turned down that offer because he has spent $15,000 on lawyers seeking reparations, and has also sent the council "an account for all the material they have extracted and dumped in there". Schnell demanded "a realistic conversation of paying my account". "I want answers. After 50 years, we're starting to get a little frustrated. All you can do is offer me an insult and a compensation package." He threatened to stop paying his rates until he received a realistic answer or the council took him to court. "And I would like an answer today, so I'm going to sit here until I get one, or you can have me forcibly removed by the police." At that point Broughton, who noted that he and chief executive Sharon Mason met with Schnell recently to discuss the matter, said the councillors would not be able to provide that answer at the meeting. "We are not going to get into a backwards and forwards here." Schnell then refused to vacate the chair. Selwyn Mayor Sam Broughton. Photo: RNZ / Niva Chittock Broughton adjourned the meeting as members of the public gallery began to leave the heated confrontation. "This is not the way we conduct business in this chamber," the mayor said. "We are here to listen to you and we have done that sensibly, and we do not feel that is the right way to go." As the councillors, staff, and public cleared the room, Schnell rose from the chair, exclaiming "I think I've made my point" as he walked out. Mason said the council maintained its position that it has no liability, as gravel extraction was originally undertaken over 70 years ago with the consent of Schnell's grandfather. "Council ceased operations prior to 2003, and Schnell has had full control of the site since then. "Council has offered two resolution options, both including $13,000 compensation for historic use and a five-year discounted licence. One option involves Schnell purchasing the reserve land via the Department of Conservation." The offers remain open until September, she said. "Council remains committed to a fair and lawful resolution," Mason said. - LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
RNZ News
21-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
School building funds haven't increased in 15 years
The funding is called 5YA - five-year agreement - and is used in agreement with the Ministry of Education. Photo: RNZ/ Nick Monro Secondary school principals are unhappy the amount of money schools get to upgrade or replace their buildings has not changed in 15 years. They say $30 per square metre, plus a further $10 for older buildings, does not go far - and it was high time they got a boost. The funding is called 5YA - five-year agreement - and is used in agreement with the Ministry of Education. Darfield High School principal Andy England raised the issue with the Ministry of Education and Secondary Principals Association recently after he noticed his school's allocation had barely changed in the past decade. He told RNZ that he was surprised to find the current rate was introduced in 2010, and had not changed since. "We all know what's happened to construction costs, building sector costs, inflation generally over the last 15 years, so for the base square metre area to have not risen in 15 years, I actually don't think we're being equipped to look after the Crown's assets." England said his school received $1.59m in its 5YA, but by his rough calculations it should probably be nearly half-a-million dollars more than that in order to keep pace with inflation. The ministry could provide further supplementary funding for upgrades, but England said that made big jobs dependent on the ministry's judgement and raised the risk that some schools would not be treated fairly. He said his school had a looming project involving a switch from septic tanks to mains sewerage that could use its entire 5YA allocation unless it received supplementary funding. "If the ministry owns this land and the purpose of this land is for education, then it should be funded to an acceptable standard," he said. Secondary Principals Association president Vaughan Couillault said it raised the issue with the ministry last week. He said schools were good at making ends meet, but the 5YA funding rate seemed to be way behind where it should be. "We know that over the last five or 10 years the cost to do anything has significantly increased, and so I think the market prices are significantly ahead of the funding model that's applied to 5YA stuff.". Couillault said principals were increasingly worried about the adequacy of the funding their schools received to maintain and upgrade property. Secondary Principals Association president Vaughan Couillault. Photo: RNZ "There is increasing levels of disquiet with regard to the funding that you get being satisfactory to meet all of the needs that your building condition assessment might raise." He said at the extreme end they had to ensure there were no health and safety risks, but they also wanted to provide good places to learn. Last year's review of school property said the government set aside about $750m a year for depreciation of school buildings - money to be used to upgrade and replace property as it wore out over time. It said schools received less than half of that money directly, and the overall total was too low. The ministry said it would review the funding rate this year to ensure it had the right balance between direct school funding and supplementary funding. It said its supplementary property funding allowed it to target funding to the schools that needed it most. The ministry said it had other programmes to help schools with property condition and growth, including a scheme upgrading buildings in 763 small or remote schools. "The programme delivers upgraded lighting with LEDs, enhanced acoustic performance using acoustic panelling, enhanced electrical safety via residual current devices at power outlets, insulation and carpet," it said. In 2024/25 the allocation for 5YA was $135m and the supplementary allocation was $210m. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
