Two important occasions are worth recognising this week – the final meeting of the Methven Community Board for this term and the official opening of the new Friendship Lane housing units for the elderly.

It’s been a pleasure watching the 16 new Friendship Lane units take shape since last year and residents have been moving in over the past few months - it was great to celebrate the official opening on Monday with a traditional cup of tea and chat with a couple living there.

About half the $4 million project cost is being covered by a grant from Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga – the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, which is great for Council, and the builder BP Construction has used local tradies where possible.

Council owns and maintains 102 units for elderly people, spread over six complexes in Ashburton, Methven and Rakaia, and these new duplexes are top rate.

The Methven Community Board has also done some top rate work in its past term of local government and I want to thank them for their service. The board met on Monday for the final time, also farewelling chair Kelvin Holmes and Allan Lock.

The remaining three members – Megan Fitzgerald, Robin Jenkinson and Richie Owen – have been re-elected and will be joined by Simon Wareing and Faye Barrand for a new three-year term, following the local elections on 11 October.

The board has achieved quite a lot this past term, including renewing its strategic plan for the town. Methven is moving forward and the plan has lots of good ideas and actions to keep up momentum.

I look forward to farewelling Kelvin and Allan in person on 1 October, at an afternoon tea following the final meeting of Council.

On the topic of Local Elections, may I remind you that voting will close at noon on Saturday 11 October – you must have delivered your papers to an orange ballot box by then. If you are posting your papers, then get them in the mail by 7 October, so they arrive at voting headquarters in time to be counted.

For everything you need to know about the elections, head over to voteashburton.nz