Ashburton District Council

18/06/2026

🐶 We're looking for the owner of this young chocolate labrador cross, picked up wandering in Ashburton yesterday. He's about nine months old, with a leather collar but no tag or microchip.

If he looks familiar, or you know his people, please call our Customer Service team on 307-7700 📞

17/06/2026

🤩 Great to see so many members of the local business community come along to our breakfast ☕ with Infometrics principal economist Brad Olsen this week – his insights and commentary on the domestic and global stage were insightful and upbeat.

He also had good things to say about Ashburton’s economy, which continues to stand out as a strong performer with growth running well ahead of the national average. Strong dairy production, resilient farm incomes and elevated meat prices 🐑🐄 are providing a solid foundation for economic activity in our district, helping to support our businesses, jobs and investment.

Global challenges and cost pressures remain, but Ashburton enters the year from a position of strength, with its productive agricultural base boosting confidence and momentum for the broader local economy 💪

17/06/2026

Should we introduce rules for responsible cat ownership? 🐈

🐾 We're proposing that cats over four months should be desexed, microchipped and added to the NZ Companion Animal Register.

This reflects what many owners already do and would make it easier to reunite lost pets, protect domestic cats if they’re caught in traps and help reduce unwanted litters.

And it wouldn’t require cats to be registered directly with the council, pay an annual fee or wear a tag (like dogs).

Let us know what you think on this (and a few other proposed changes) at the link in the comments. 👇

New rules for responsible cat ownership are being proposed as part of a review of the Keeping of Animals, Bees and Poultry Bylaw.

17/06/2026

📣 Don't panic if your red bin hasn't been emptied yet! Our contractor is down a driver and will be emptying bins until 7.30pm tonight, so please leave your red bin at the kerb if it is full.

The late areas include some streets in Tinwald west, and the west side of West Street.

If you bin has been missed after 7.30pm, please call Customer Services on 307-7700 to let them know

17/06/2026

You're watching live coverage of the Ashburton District Council's Council Meeting - 17 June 2026.
The full agenda for the meeting is available on our website: https://www.ashburtondc.govt.nz/council/council-meetings

15/06/2026

Mayor Liz McMillan and Councillor Phill Hooper are ready for a chat with you today from 5pm-6pm at the Ashburton Library, near the Customer Service desk. Drop in and chat about local government reform, what it means for you and our district.

15/06/2026

Hola mi amigo! Ashburton District will be welcoming refugees from Colombia and Venezuela from next February.

Refugees from the two South American countries will make up most of the district’s 115 refugee quota next year, as they flee from persecution and danger in their home countries.

Immigration New Zealand said refugees from the two South American countries would make up most of the district’s 115 refugees next year.

15/06/2026

Council is turning its workshop on Simplifying Local Government on Wednesday into an emergency Council meeting.

Mayor Liz McMillan said time was ticking for Council to engage with the community on its preferred options for amalgamating with neighbouring councils.

“So this workshop has become a meeting where decisions can be made, rather than us just talking about it. We plan to go over all the options and narrow it down to a few that we can realistically talk to the community about and get their feedback.”

Ashburton District Council is turning its workshop on Simplifying Local Government on Wednesday into an emergency Council meeting.

13/06/2026

Reminder! A nationwide test of the Emergency Mobile Alert (EMA) system will be sent tonight between 6pm-7pm to all compatible mobile phones and devices.

👉📱 You can mute the sound of the alert by pressing the volume button on the side of your phone, while leaving the message on screen for you to read in full.

❗If you have a hidden phone for your personal safety, or the sound of the alert affects your physical or mental health in any way, we recommend turning off any devices with a SIM connection between 6-7pm or putting them into flight mode.

Find out more about Emergency Mobile Alerts at getready.govt.nz/ema

13/06/2026

Chertsey residents are asked to use water conservatively on Monday 15 June while contractors seal the bore at Chertsey's new drinking water plant. The work will happen from early morning to late afternoon.

The new treatment plant has four new reservoir tanks, which hold 30,000 litres each, so there should be plenty of water for the township, however residents are asked to hold off non-essential activities that use a lot of water, like washing the car or watering gardens.

The final finishing touches to Chertsey’s new drinking water treatment plant will happen on Monday and households connected to the supply are being asked to use water conservatively for the day.