Phone/internet
In previous years, phone & internet service has been hampered by limited capacity at the village telecommunications cabinet. Current capacity at the time of writing (May 2018) is unknown, but the Community Association does not have any contacts with any of the telcos to be able to expedite connections.
Mobile coverage
Vodafone constructed a mobile phone tower in August 2014 on Castle Hill Station land near the electricity substation to provide coverage to the basin. Coverage extends from close to Lake Lyndon to the Craigieburn Cutting although can be a bit patchy in parts of Craigieburn Forest.
TV/radio reception
TV reception is almost non-existent in the village; radio reception is not much better. For a while there was a TV signal repeater/booster located near the village hall, but this has fallen into disrepair/dis-use, and been decommissioned.
Most houses wanting TV reception currently utilise either Freeview or Sky satellite dishes.
Refuse collection
There is no refuse collection from individual houses in the village. There is a waste transfer station near the village entrance, consisting of 4 large lidded skips/bins and a recycling skip. These bins should be emptied regularly by the council contractors (particularly around school holiday periods).
These bins are for domestic waste only and must not be used for e.g. construction refuse.
Please use (and encourage your guests) the recycling bin as appropriate as CHCA are keen for SDC to continue with the recycling service.
Historically green waste was able to be burned on occasions throughout the year, but this is no longer possible.
Library Services
Selwyn District Council’s mobile library and Edge Connector Service makes regular visits to the village on an approximately monthly basis, usually Wednesday mornings.
The Edge Connector van is fitted with WiFi, computers and a touch screen online catalogue as well as a printer and scanner. It will bring a selection of books, magazines and DVDs along with tech kits with equipment that can include microscopes, telescopes, robotic kits and entry level VR equipment, which can be browsed or borrowed.
It will also sometimes carry resources such as a 3D printer and sewing machines to allow for specific programmes.
Postal deliveries
There is no postal service direct to physical addresses in the village. Items addressed as follows are collected and delivered to the village mailbox near the village entrance by a West Coast-bound courier overnight:
[Your name]
Private Bag 55037
Orchard Road
Christchurch 8154
Instructions for outgoing mail collection can be found inside the village mailbox, but essentially the process is:
- Select an empty mailbag
- Place your mail in one of the hessian mailbags
- Close bag with velcro fastener
- Place bag on “mail-out” hook
- Hang the large reflective tag on the nail on the Give Way sign post nearest the mail box
If the mail has been collected and you see the reflector still on the Give Way sign post, please return it to its nail in the mailbox.
Note: there have been occasions when outgoing addressed mail has been removed from the outgoing mailbag and returned to the inbound mail pile. Please DO NOT DO THIS.
Water supply
The village water supply is taken from further up the Thomas River and is completely gravity-fed. Storage is provided by large tanks in the forest near Enys Drive. The supply is chemically treated.
Chimney sweeping
Currently there is an informal arrangement for a chimney sweep to visit the village on the weekend of the Community Association AGM (usually held at the start of March each year).
Clean Sweep Canterbury Ltd
Phone: 0800 SWEEPER / 0800 7933737
Email:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cleansweepcanterbury/
Chimchim
Nick Clarkson
Ph: 0800 22 44 64
Email:
Web: https://www.chimchim.nz/