Ashburton Courier

17/12/2025

Festive collection gathered across the years.

Business owner Kim Miller has gone all out in decorating her workplace for Christmas. The Ashburton real estate agent said her expansive collection of figurines, trees and decorations had been one she had built up over the years. ‘‘This has been a life-long collection, from when my kids were lit...

16/12/2025

Oooh, just like a new one! Looks like the viaduct in Tinwald is reopening. Cones gone.

Drive carefully - vehicles of less than 2.39m underneath!

15/12/2025

Forecast has thunderstorm watch - plus hail - in place from 1pm.

Update - This warning is now lifted.

Good morning Mid Canterbury. 👋 MetService New Zealand have a thunderstorm watch in place from 1pm today.

⛈️ For those of us south of Rakaia, there is a moderate risk that severe thunderstorms could develop from early afternoon, producing large hail greater than 20 mm in diameter, or large accumulations of hail.

⚠️ Large hail can cause significant damage to crops, orchards, vines, glasshouses and vehicles, as well as make driving conditions hazardous.

14/12/2025

Rugby fans, young and old, rejoice; a meet and greet with Crusader Dallas McLeod!

He, along with the Super Rugby Trophy, will be visiting the Brown Pub in Methven tomorrow from 3.30pm-4.45pm. All welcome.

Hello everyone, we are pleased to announce that our own Dallas McLeod from the Crusaders will be visiting the Brown Pub on Tuesday, the 16th of December, from 3:30pm-4:45pm. Notably, they will be accompanied by the Super Rugby Trophy, and if we are fortunate, one or two additional Crusaders may also attend. Please feel free to bring your children to take photographs and meet our local Rugby legend.
Bar will be open from 2:30pm .

14/12/2025

A Melanoma New Zealand nurse educator is providing FREE skin cancer spot checks and melanoma education in their spot check van at Rakaia Library today from 11am to 3pm.

Anyone can visit, although it's a first-in, first-serve process.

A chance to receive a five-minute and non-invasive spot check - of up to three spots - from a trained melanoma nurse educator and learn life-saving advice and information about melanoma.

No appointment is necessary but there can be a wait and if you cannot be seen on the day, you can book an online consultation with a Nurse Educator here:

Nurse Booking Our skilled Nurse Educators offer FREE online and telephone consultations to anyone concerned about melanoma wanting advice, support and links to other services. Make an appointment using the form below. The thing is, melanoma isn’t always a mole, if you notice anything new or changi...

14/12/2025

No fireworks around Lake Clearwater from now until February 10.

14/12/2025

Tree of Remembrance in the Ashburton arcade until December 23.

Stars are appearing on the Altrusa International of Ashburton Tree of Remembrance in the Ashburton Arcade. For over two decades Altrusa have run this project enabling people to purchase a star and write the name of person they wish to remember at Christmas and hang in on the tree Altrusa member Hele...

13/12/2025

Feral cat numbers up in high country

Numbers of feral cats in the Mid Canterbury high country are ‘‘horrifying’’, conservationists say. More than 100 have been trapped and killed by the Department of Conservation in the upper Rangitata River this year, while community trapping groups have captured many more. Ashburton Forest & ...

13/12/2025

Wading through the new resource management legislation

Canterbury’s regional council chair will be wary of ‘‘unintended consequences’’ as he wades through new resource management legislation. Environment Canterbury (Ecan) chair Dr Deon Swiggs said regional councils have been calling for the government ‘‘to act on the outdated resource mana...

13/12/2025

Nativity scenes on show

Ashburton Anglican Church’s third nativity exhibition has been heralded a success with more than 320 people attending. Pupils from Kiwi Class at St Joseph's School were among one of many groups from pre schools to rest homes who enjoyed their visit to check out about 90 nativity scenes on display ...

12/12/2025

Confirming where underground utilities are on Monday, in lead up to construction of the bridge.

🚧Upcoming works – Second Ashburton Bridge project

Next week you might spot the 2AB team out and about. They'll be carrying out potholing (small test digs) to confirm the location of underground utilities before construction starts next year.
They’ll be using hydro excavation (pressurised water and vacuum) equipment on a truck to carry out this work at five locations.

Where:
• Chalmers/South Street intersection
• Carters Terrace
• Wilkins Road
• Grahams Road (two locations)

When:
Works will take place at times between 7.30am and 5pm on Monday 15 December (weather dependent). The crew will move from one location to the next.
Most of the work will happen on grassy areas off the road. The road surface at the Chalmers Road/ South Street intersection will be reinstated on Tuesday (repairing the small test holes).

There will be short shoulder closures at Chalmers/South Street intersection while works are underway. Traffic management will be in place to keep everyone safe.
The equipment produces a steady, low frequency noise (similar to a large street sweeper or road cleaning truck).
Find out more about the project and sign up for updates at nzta.govt.nz/2AB

12/12/2025

It's on its way... Rakaia Salmon has today been hooked and landed!!

Readying for transport to Christchurch for a $340,000 two-month refurbishment.