A mother's plea for bus services, and her duty to represent the ratepayers

Wednesday, 7 May 2025

The juxtaposition between a mother’s plea to help her community’s most vulnerable and her duty to represent ratepayer views has stunned the regional council.

Sharn Nu’u is a low income mother, foster mother, renter, and community volunteer. She is also a member of the Malvern Community Board in the heart of Selwyn about 50km west of Christchurch.

Nu’u presented two realities of rural life to Environment Canterbury’s draft annual plan 2025/26 hearing on Tuesday.

A trial bus service from Darfield to Rolleston via West Melton and Kirwee is pitched to be funded by Malvern Ward ratepayers through a targeted rate of $139 for one bus at peak times, or $178.03 for a service at peak times and one at midday.

Malvern currently has one bus service from Darfield in the morning through Kirwee and West Melton to Christchurch which returns in the evening and costs Malvern ratepayers $22.40.

Users of the services currently pay $2, but under the plan ECan would increase the fee to $3 from July 1 and potentially introduce bus zones, increasing fees to $4 or $6 to the city depending if one zone or two were approved.

Malvern residents gave “overwhelming feedback” they did not want to tick up their rate payments for more services in the rural community, Nu’u said.

A shared rate with all of Selwyn District, another direct-to-Christchurch service, or exploring alternative transport services such as boosting funding Malvern Community Vehicle Trust to provide a smaller shuttle service on the same route was preferred, Nu’u told the council.

But doing nothing was not an option for many families, she said, as she started her own personal submission.

While Selwyn was one of the least deprived districts in the nation, hardship was rife in the rural community, and it was getting worse, she said.

Darfield, West Melton and Kirwee’s populations had grown by more than 30% in the past 10 years from 5640 to 7500. By 2034 the three towns were expected to be home to almost 10,000 people, another 32% increase in population.

Nu’u, who lives in Darfield with primary aged child, three teenagers, and a young adult, said she sees the struggles of the community’s most vulnerable exacerbated by almost no transport options.

“I’ve watched many children become young adults, who had high hopes and ambitions for their futures, struggle to obtain the help they so deserved and the freedom they so needed. As a result [they] are now non-contributing members of society struggling with mental health, addictions and some turning to crime.”

Nu’u said many people relocated to rural communities for cheaper housing, not realising the basic amenities they rely on like doctors and counsellors were not available.

Since the start of the school year Nu’u said multiple families of Darfield High School had approached her looking for mental health help for children who had attempted suicide.

There were no mental health services available in the community, so parents had quit their jobs protect them and drive them to counselling sessions in the city. Nu’u said she did the same thing when her child was struggling.

“Something so small as public transport being available to our areas could open up so much more opportunity for our youth, elderly, vulnerable, and create healthier pathways for many.”

Nu’u understood the ratepayers and the Government had no appetite to fund the service, but pleaded with the council to invest in the people who needed help.

Councillors were almost moved to tears by her submission, with ECan’s chairperson, Craig Pauling, saying he looked forward to discussions with his fellow councillors to find a solution that served all in the community.

“I really hope we can do something about it, but it’s complicated because we either do buses or support the Malvern Community vehicle trust, but there’s nothing in between.”

Deliberations for the draft annual plan 2025/26 will begin on May 17.