David Timbs from Peter Timbs Butchers has decided not to run in this year’s local body election.

Mr Timbs initially said he would be running for council but has now put his support behind independent candidate Ali Jones who is running for the Innes council seat.

“Ali has been working with our business and in the wider community for a long time now, trying to get the flooding issues resolved for the Edgeware Village and our shop. I have every confidence in her and really want to see her around that council table,” he says.

Family business, Peter Timbs Butchers, has had ongoing problems with flooding including water entering the store on several occasions, the last being on July 26th and on two other occasions last month.

“This time it was during our busy period over school holidays, and before that it was in December during the lead up to Christmas. Despite raising the problem with council staff, and I know the local councillor was aware, it has taken a long time to get any recognition of the problem and the effect on the community, and certainly nothing has been done to address the issues,” he says. “Ali has come to see me several times and has worked really hard to get answers, solutions and progress which we appreciate. She had assumed it had been sorted however a memo from staff to the community board in the New Year, followed up by Ali, has meant quite a lot of detailed work is now being done.”

Jones says the issue is not simple but it has taken far too long to get information and potential solutions.

“This has been happening for years and I would have thought the committee responsible for water issues, would have proactively sorted things but sadly no. There was information in a memo to the Community Board in January that was incorrect and it was important to have that corrected and a plan in place to resolve this, if possible, once and for all,” she says.

In late July, the Papanui Innes Community Board was briefed on a staff report that will go to the full council in August.

“I appreciate the council has been under the pump as a result of Covid and flu however, this issue has not happened over night. It’s so important that with things like this we start from a position of “how can this be sorted? rather than, “we can’t do this because….,” she says.

David Timbs says his workload and challenges resulting from things like Covid and the flooding have factored into his decision this time round.

However, he adds, “Never say never.”

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