G'Day, Folks
Hey, fellow Kiwis of Selwyn District — There’s a Sikh temple attempting to plonk itself right in the middle of our semi-rural paradise, and it’s so out of place it’s like watching a hobbit willfully skipping second breakfast.
A Temple...Where?!
Picture this: rolling green paddocks, sheep judging you quietly, a rusty ute parked by the dairy—and then BAM, a shiny Sikh temple screaming “look at me!” on the horizon. It’s not subtle, folks. This isn’t Auckland with its hipster multiculturalism; this is Selwyn, where the most exotic thing is a cow with a funny moo. A high-vis temple in the middle of nowhere? It’s like putting a disco ball in a shearing shed—just doesn’t vibe, mate.
Our Rural Zen’s in Full Meltdown
We’re not saying Sikhs aren’t lovely—top blokes, great food, wicked headgear. But this temple’s landing in a spot so Kiwi it hurts: think rugby on Saturdays, kids biking to the creek, and Nan’s scones cooling on the porch. Our ancestors didn’t sail halfway round the world, fight off scurvy, and invent pavlova just for us to let a cultural curveball photobomb our quiet paddock life. We’re too awkward to say it fits—because it doesn’t. It’s like inviting a Bollywood dance crew to a barn dance.
This isn’t about being mean; it’s about keeping Selwyn’s sleepy, slightly boring rural charm intact. Imagine explaining to your grandkids: “Yeah, we let them build a temple next to the tractor shed because we felt too guilty to say no.” Nah, let’s not be that pathetic.
Join Our Awkward Rebellion
- Submit your opposition using form 13: Be a hero without leaving your couch.
- Share the LOLs: Tell your mates about the temple that’s more lost than a tourist in Rolleston.
- Own Your Inner Selwynite: It’s okay to like your boring rural life, promise.
Let’s keep Selwyn weird in our own way—less kirtans, more terrible DIY projects. Chuck us a hand, eh?
Anti Features
Things about a Sikh temple that just don't fly in Selwyn
Sticks Out Like a Sore Thumb
A flashy temple in the middle of quiet paddocks feels like a spaceship landed in the Shire. It’s not exactly blending into Selwyn’s low-key rural charm.
Traffic Chaos
Hundreds of visitors piling in for prayers or festivals, weddings and events from 4am to 10pm, 7 days a week, up to 100 people PER DAY on narrow country roads? Good luck dodging tractors and utes when the parking spills over.
Noise That’ll Bother the Sheep
Chanting, music, and kitchen clatter from the langar hall could shatter the peace. Selwyn’s not used to anything louder than a cow mooing at dawn.
Water Woes
Extra facilities mean more water use draining the local aquafers
Farmland Lost
Turning fertile Selwyn soil into a temple site feels like a kick in the guts to locals who’ve lived off the land for generations. Less grass, more slabs.
Tourist Mess
A big, shiny Gurdwara might pull in sightseers from out of town. Great for them, but it’s goodbye to the quiet life and our rural way of life
Environmental Impacts
They plan to have a kitchen with 100 people a day or maybe more getting fed, all that waste has to go somewhere.
The Proposed building is described as a non-rural activity - IN A RURAL AREA
It just ain't gonna work, mate.
Safety
The adjoining roads are already very busy, many families live along this road with small children and pets. Many pets have died on this road already, and increasing traffic just makes things riskier for current residents
Important Info
Submissions close on Thursday 27th February 2025 at 4:30pm.
Submissions close on Thursday 27th February 2025 at 4:30pm.
We need to get our act together and submit Form 13 to the council with the follkowing info, once form 13 is submitted send an email to [email protected](the applicant) with a copy of your submission
Resource Consent Number: RC245337- Proposed address: 517 Hamptons Road, Rolleston
- Type: Land Use Consent
- Proposed Activity: establish and operate a community facility - place of worship
Make a submission then tell your friends!
The more submissions the better
- 1. Make your voice heard
- 2. Protect our beautiful rural Selwyn heritage
- 3. Keep it great for future generations
Short Version
Some Sikh people want to build a Sikh temple smack bang in the middle of our beautiful rural Selwyn district, and we want to oppose the development. All it takes to stop it is local residents(actually ANYONE, yes anyone - you don't need to live in Selwyn) submitting their opposition by Form 13 to the council by FEB 27th 2025 4:30pm
You need just 4 things listed below, along with your reasons to oppose the development. The council apparently does not care about the fact that its not a great cultural fit, they care more about business, legal things, environmental impacts, so make sure to include those items in your submission.
- Resource Consent Number: RC245337
- Proposed address: 517 Hamptons road, Rolleston
- Type: Land Use Consent
- Proposed activity: establish and operate a community facility (place of worship)
Other Links
Submission Tips
- Keep points short, use bullets, not sentences
- Highlight lack of local community engagement
- Be firm—we are an affected party
- Avoid emotive language
- Strongly object, request outright rejection by Council