Latest news with #Cantabrians
Otago Daily Times
7 days ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Cantabrians urged to take on big swim
Coastguard Tautiaki Moana is calling on Cantabrians to dive into action this June for a cause that saves thousands of lives across New Zealand. The Big Swim, a nationwide challenge to raise money for the Coastguard, will return for its second year from June 1. Participants set their own swimming goals, whether that's a few lengths or a more ambitious distance. They are encouraged to ask friends, whānau, and colleagues to sponsor their efforts and raise funds for Coastguard. Along the way, swimmers can unlock rewards as they hit fundraising milestones. Aidanfield swimmer Sarah Ridgway is pledging to swim 40km in The Big Swim, which is no mean feat for someone balancing full-time work with motherhood and family life. Ridgway said she sees it as an opportunity to return to swimming while raising money for a good cause. She grew up in the water – swimming, fishing and boating in Northland. But after moving to Canterbury, she and her husband, Kerry, bought a boat to explore and create new memories as a family around Lyttleton Harbour, Akaroa and Kaikōura. Although her husband was new to boating, he joined Coastguard Canterbury as a volunteer in 2021 to improve his boating education but also to give back - now volunteering weekly and loving it. His involvement has given Sarah renewed confidence and a sense of safety when out on the water with their kids. Ridgway plans to swim 10km a week at her local partner pool. Once a participant raises $100 they can enter a nearby Partner Pool for free throughout June. In its inaugural event held in July last year, 1266 swimmers logged more than 8000 swims, racking up over 14,000km and raising $350,000 for Coastguard. The Big Swim also boosts people's well-being. After the 2024 event, 79% of participants said they signed up to improve their overall health. More than half reported better mental wellbeing with others noticing improved sleep and better focus. Among those diving in this year is Cook Islands Olympic swimmer Kirsten Fisher-Marsters who is back in the pool for the first time since retiring in 2023. 'Once I heard about The Big Swim, it just felt like the perfect motivation to get back in the water, without the pressure,' she says. The Big Swim offers people of all swimming abilities the chance to challenge themselves for a good cause. She encourages anyone thinking about doing it to just start off small. 'Find a friend or go solo. Start with three lengths, then next time five, and so on. Set little goals and see how far you go,' she says. Coastguard acting chief executive Philip Harkness says hundreds of swimmers have already signed up. "This past summer, our volunteers responded to 1,232 incidents, bringing 3,210 people home to safety. Each participant's fundraising efforts helps keep our rescue vessels fueled and maintained, supports vital rescue equipment and volunteer training," Harkness said. Harkness said with 60% of Coastguard's funding coming from the generosity of the public, every dollar raised during The Big Swim makes a difference. Register for The Big Swim at
Otago Daily Times
22-05-2025
- Climate
- Otago Daily Times
One dead as torrential rain ravages Australian towns
"I'm very sorry for that man's passing. We should be bracing for more tough news over the next 24 hours," New South Wales Premier Chris Minns told ABC News. More than 100 schools are closed on Thursday, while thousands of properties remain without power, authorities said. A slow-moving coastal trough has dumped about four months of rain over the past two days, cutting off entire towns and stranding residents on roofs and the second storeys of their homes, as rescuers struggled to access the area by boat or air. Minns apologised to people who had to wait for several hours for rescue crews, but assured efforts had been ramped up with 2500 emergency services personnel deployed on site. Television video showed a woman winched to a helicopter from a flooded property. — Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) May 21, 2025 Australia's Bureau of Meteorology forecast that some areas could receive up to 300mm of rain through Friday, triggering life-threatening flash flooding, before the weather system is expected to weaken and track south toward Sydney. "We've still got rain falling and some rivers still to peak ... we aren't over the worst of it yet," Federal Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain told ABC Radio. McBain said the Australian Defence Force has been carrying out search and rescue operations in the area. As the Covid-19 pandemic brings the world into uncharted waters, Star Media journalists and photographers continue to report local stories that matter everyday - yours. For more than 152 years our journalists have provided Cantabrians with local news that can be trusted. It's more important now than ever to keep Cantabrians connected. As our advertising has fallen during the pandemic, support from you our reader is crucial. You can help us continue to provide local news you can trust simply by becoming a supporter. Become a Supporter
RNZ News
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- RNZ News
The Panel with Ed McKnight & Niki Bezzant (Part 2)
food life and society about 1 hour ago Tonight on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Ed McKnight & Niki Bezzant. The trio discuss why Cantabrians still love the car. After all the Guinea Pig chat on yesterday's Guinea Pig show we speak to a Cavy professional. Plus... Is dripping poised for a return? Ed McKnight is an economist at Opes Partners & host of the 'Property Academy Podcast' Niki Bezzant is a journalist and author
Scoop
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Greenpeace Calls On Luxon To Show Leadership On Dairy Pollution As Canterbury Floods Highlight Growing Climate Crisis
Press Release – Greenpeace Greenpeace Aotearoa spokesperson Will Appelbe, who is based in Canterbury, says: 'The damage caused by this extreme weather event is real, and will impact communities in Canterbury into the future. But neither is this the last time we will see flooding … Greenpeace Aotearoa says that the damage caused by this week's Canterbury floods is yet another reminder of the risk of continuing to ignore the climate crisis fuelled by the intensive dairy industry. This week, devastating floods swept through the Canterbury region, causing many at-risk areas in the Selwyn District to evacuate, and leading to the declaration of a state of emergency in Christchurch City and Banks Peninsula. Greenpeace Aotearoa spokesperson Will Appelbe, who is based in Canterbury, says: 'The damage caused by this extreme weather event is real, and will impact communities in Canterbury into the future. But neither is this the last time we will see flooding like this in our region. 'As the climate crisis continues, we can expect to see storms like the one that battered the country this week increasing in intensity and happening more often – unless we take action to stop climate change from getting worse. 'Here in Aotearoa, the worst climate polluter is the intensive dairy industry, led by Fonterra. The oversized dairy herd is belching out huge amounts of superheating methane gas, which heats the climate much faster than carbon dioxide.' 'But as we've seen repeatedly in Canterbury, farmers are also among the first to directly experience the consequences of the climate crisis – with extreme weather events flooding their farms, or droughts leading to dry pastures.' 'The way farming is done in Canterbury has to change. We need to transition away from intensive dairying that harms the climate and pollutes waterways, towards more ecological, plant-based farming practices. And Fonterra and our Government need to support that transition.' Since the 2023 election, Christopher Luxon's Government has rolled back numerous policies that would have reduced New Zealand's impact on the climate crisis, including several in the agricultural sector. 'Cantabrians are seeing the consequences of inaction on climate change today,' says Appelbe. 'This Government's decisions have prioritised profit for a select few over a liveable future for us all.' 'Luxon must show some leadership and reverse the anti-nature decisions he has made, particularly when it comes to our country's worst climate polluter – the agricultural industry. Otherwise, the climate crisis will only get worse.' Greenpeace says that some of the communities being evacuated in the wake of this flood are also dealing with nitrate-contaminated drinking water as a result of intensive dairying. 'If we change the way farming is done, we can prevent the worst of the climate crisis by reducing methane pollution from intensive dairy, and we can protect drinking water, lakes and rivers here in Canterbury, which are under threat from intensive dairy pollution.'
Scoop
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Greenpeace Calls On Luxon To Show Leadership On Dairy Pollution As Canterbury Floods Highlight Growing Climate Crisis
Greenpeace Aotearoa says that the damage caused by this week's Canterbury floods is yet another reminder of the risk of continuing to ignore the climate crisis fuelled by the intensive dairy industry. This week, devastating floods swept through the Canterbury region, causing many at-risk areas in the Selwyn District to evacuate, and leading to the declaration of a state of emergency in Christchurch City and Banks Peninsula. Greenpeace Aotearoa spokesperson Will Appelbe, who is based in Canterbury, says: "The damage caused by this extreme weather event is real, and will impact communities in Canterbury into the future. But neither is this the last time we will see flooding like this in our region. "As the climate crisis continues, we can expect to see storms like the one that battered the country this week increasing in intensity and happening more often - unless we take action to stop climate change from getting worse. "Here in Aotearoa, the worst climate polluter is the intensive dairy industry, led by Fonterra. The oversized dairy herd is belching out huge amounts of superheating methane gas, which heats the climate much faster than carbon dioxide." "But as we've seen repeatedly in Canterbury, farmers are also among the first to directly experience the consequences of the climate crisis - with extreme weather events flooding their farms, or droughts leading to dry pastures." "The way farming is done in Canterbury has to change. We need to transition away from intensive dairying that harms the climate and pollutes waterways, towards more ecological, plant-based farming practices. And Fonterra and our Government need to support that transition." Since the 2023 election, Christopher Luxon's Government has rolled back numerous policies that would have reduced New Zealand's impact on the climate crisis, including several in the agricultural sector. "Cantabrians are seeing the consequences of inaction on climate change today," says Appelbe. "This Government's decisions have prioritised profit for a select few over a liveable future for us all." "Luxon must show some leadership and reverse the anti-nature decisions he has made, particularly when it comes to our country's worst climate polluter - the agricultural industry. Otherwise, the climate crisis will only get worse." Greenpeace says that some of the communities being evacuated in the wake of this flood are also dealing with nitrate-contaminated drinking water as a result of intensive dairying. "If we change the way farming is done, we can prevent the worst of the climate crisis by reducing methane pollution from intensive dairy, and we can protect drinking water, lakes and rivers here in Canterbury, which are under threat from intensive dairy pollution."
