Ashburton District Council

31/07/2026

We're looking for help to get this lovely girl home before the weekend 🙏

She was picked up by our animal control team at Tinwald on Thursday afternoon. She is wearing a collar, but has no tags or microchip.

Please call our Customer Services team on 307 7700 if you know her family, or where she lives 💚💛

30/07/2026

Ashburton District Councillors will decide at an extraordinary meeting on 5 August whether they will submit a proposal to be part of the Head Start pathway in Government’s local government reforms.

Options identified by Council so far are for a standalone Ashburton District Unitary Council, to be part of a South Canterbury Unitary Council (with Timaru, Mackenzie, Waimate and Waitaki), or to be part of a Mid-North Canterbury Provincial Unitary Council.

Mayor Liz McMillan said Ashburton had made no decision and would take as much time as it could before the 9 August deadline for proposals to gather information.

Read more 👇

Ashburton District Councillors will decide at an extraordinary meeting on 5 August whether they will submit a proposal to be part of the Head Start pathway in Government’s local government reforms.

30/07/2026

🎶🎶 Yummy, yummy, yummy, I've got food in my tummy ...

Check out what's happening at the Hakatere Food Festival 🥘🫕on Saturday 12 September, and other events during Welcoming Week 🍜🫶

The Hakatere Food Festival, formerly the Hakatere Noodle Festival, is returning with a new name on 12 September, but its focus remains on welcoming newcomers and celebrating the different cultures that make up Mid Canterbury.

29/07/2026

Final call to register your pooch! 🐶 Most renewal notices were sent by email this year📨, so make sure to check your inbox for our reminder.

🔔 If you haven't received anything (by email or post), please give our team a call on (03) 307 7700.

All dogs over the age of three months need to be registered by 31 July. Don't risk late fees, get it done this week!

29/07/2026

A few things are happening at Lake Hood over the coming months:

🔧Annual Winter Maintenance Mode
Lake levels are currently low as part of our annual winter maintenance programme, and the ferry is temporarily out of action.

🏃South Island Half Marathon – 2 August 2026
The lake remains open to the public, and visitors should expect increased traffic and limited parking during the event.

🚤 New Brighton Power Boat Club Racing Regatta - lake fully closed from 8am-4pm on 21–22 November, but head down and enjoy the action.

🚣 Ashburton Rowing Club Regatta - lake fully closed from 8am-4pm on 28–29 November, come and support our local rowers.

💼 We're recruiting for a Lake Hood Projects Manager. If you're passionate about helping shape the future of this unique community asset, keep an eye on our vacancies and apply today.

Thanks for your patience during maintenance and event activities as we continue to support recreation and events at Lake Hood.

Head to our Lake Hood webpage for all things Lake Hood, link in the comments.

28/07/2026

You're watching live coverage of the Ashburton District Council LTP Planning Workshop - Afternoon Session, 28 July 2026.

24/07/2026

Catch up with our Grants team at this Funders Forum on Wednesday 12 August. All the funding organisations will give a quick presentation and then there'll plenty of time to ask questions and gather some good intel and advice ℹ

Are you part of a charitable group, club, or organisation in Mid Canterbury looking for funding?

The Mid Canterbury Funders Forum includes the funders in our local area and we are holding a Funding Clinic on Wednesday 12th August at the Ashburton College Auditorium.

We appreciate that most not-for-profit groups are run by volunteers and we want to help you save time by understanding:
- which local funders you should apply to for funding
- what types of projects or costs funders can actually fund
- how much you can apply for
- how to write a good application

No registrations required - we warmly invite a representative from your not-for-profit group to attend.

Each funder will give a short presentation to help you understand if they may be able to support your grant application. Then, there will be time to talk to relevant funders individually to find out more information and ask questions.

See you at 5.30pm on Wednesday 12th August at the Ashburton College Auditorium!

24/07/2026

🚧 A quick update on upcoming activity around the Ashburton River tracks:

🚴‍♀️🚶‍♂️ If you’re on the Lake Hood trail during the day next week, you may be asked to stop for a few minutes while a traffic controller lets trucks through. We’re getting started on the next crane pad and the trucks will be delivering gravel to the site. Working hours for this activity are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

🐶 On the Ashburton side, there'll be minor changes to the pedestrian and cycle detour at the end of Chalmers Avenue from tomorrow. Crews are preparing to realign the swale and install a large culvert and pipes, and they need to shift the fencing by a few metres.

👀 Thanks for your patience while construction continues. You can catch up on wider project updates in the latest newsletter at nzta.govt.nz/2AB

23/07/2026

Haere mai to the 55 new Kiwis who received their certificates of citizenship from Mayor Liz last night - thank you for making Ashburton your home 💛💚

Our new citizens came from 17 different countries, including Argentina, Nepal, Samoa and South Africa 🇳🇿🥳

23/07/2026

Update - Thanks everyone, the owner has been found.

-----

These two bulldogs have been picked up by our team this morning after they took themselves for a walk. 🐕 They're wearing collars but not chipped or registered.

If these faces look familiar, please call our team on (03) 307 7700.