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Ashburton is a town and district in the Canterbury region on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the third-largest centre in Canterbury (after Christchurch and Timaru). The Māori name for the town/area is Hakatere. The area around Ashburton is frequently referred to as Mid Canterbury, the name of the district's representative sports teams.

Ashburton is located on State Highway 1 86 km south of Christchurch. The Main South Line portion of the South Island Main Trunk Railway also runs through the centre of town, but passenger services ceased on 10 February 2002. The town is the centre of a rich agricultural and pastoral farming district, part of the Canterbury Plains. It has one large relatively separate suburb, Tinwald, which is south of the main town and Ashburton River. Tinwald was once the junction for the now-closed Mount Somers Branch railway line.

Prominent residents have included the town's former Member of Parliament and Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jenny Shipley, international operatic tenor Simon O'Neill and New Zealand television and radio personality Simon Barnett.

Ashburton was named by the surveyor Captain Joseph Thomas of the New Zealand Land Association, after Francis Baring, 3rd Baron Ashburton, who was a member of the Canterbury Association. The town is laid out around two central squares (either side of the railway line and main highway), 'Baring Square East' and 'Baring Square West'.

A common nickname for Ashburton is 'Ashvegas', an ironic allusion to Las Vegas. This may be due to the perceived respectability, and conservatism of the residents, and the notable lack of nightlife within the town, coupled with it being the bright lights in the middle of the desert (Las Vegas) or plains (Ashburton).

Contents 1 Economy 2 Recreation 3 Elected Members 4 References 5 External links

Much of Ashburton's industry is oriented towards servicing the surrounding farmland. Additionally, it is currently the site of New Zealand's only bus manufacturer, Designline. Another notable manufacturer in Ashburton is Ashford's, the world's largest producer of spinning wheels. New Zealand's premier kite designer, Peter Lynn, has his factory in Ashburton, where he produces and exports worldwide giant inflatable display kites, children's kites, power kites for kite surfing, kite buggies and kitesleds.

Ashburton has a daily newspaper, the Ashburton Guardian, AshburtonOnline, a Mid Canterbury district Website, a weekly free community newspaper The Courier and a local radio station Port FM. The town also has local versions of Newstalk ZB and Classic Hits that broadcast from the town on the frequencies previously used by local station 3ZE.

Opportunities within the town itself are limited to the kind of activities that could be expected for a town of its size (e.g., movie theatre, swimming pool). There is a walking track along the northern side of the river from SH1 coastwards, for some distance, this was overgrown for many years but has now been restored and is in excellent condition.

Slightly further afield, the number of opportunities rises dramatically. The beaches adjacent to Ashburton are steep and shingly with a strong undertow, making them unswimmable. In part to rectify the limitations imposed by the lack of recreational waterways, Lake Hood was constructed just south-east of Tinwald. It provides rowing, swimming, and water-skiing opportunities. The Ashburton, Rakaia, and Rangitata Rivers offer good fishing. Upper reaches of the Rangitata are frequently kayaked and rafted, reaching Grades 3-4. The Rakaia is known for jet-boating. The Ashburton Lakes (Lake Heron, Lake Camp, Lake Clearwater, and a number of smaller lakes) are around an hour and a half inland, and also offer water sport and fishing opportunities, plus ice-skating in winter.

Mount Hutt is a prominent South Island skifield, located an hour inland, just past Methven.

Elected Members of the Ashburton District Council:

• Mayor Bede O'Malley
• Cr John Leadley (Deputy Mayor, Rakaia)
• Cr Robin Kilworth (Ashburton)
• Cr Kelvin Holmes (Ashburton)
• Cr Bev Tasker (Methven/Hinds)
• Cr Derek Glass (Methven/Hinds)
• Cr Jim Burgess (Ashburton)
• Cr Ken Lowe (Methven/Hinds)
• Cr Michael Urquhart (Ashburton)
• Cr Neil Brown (Rakaia)
• Cr Peter Reveley (Methven/Hinds)
• Cr Rod Beaven (Ashburton)
• Cr Darryl Nelson (Ashburton)

Elected Members of the Methven Community Board:

• Beverley Anderson
• Viv Barrett
• Dave den Baars
• Martin Nordqvist
• Dave Wilson
• +2 District Council appointees- Crs Ken Lowe and Derek Glass

• Reed, A. W. (2002). The Reed Dictionary of New Zealand Place Names. Auckland: Reed Books. ISBN 0-7900-0761-4. 

• Ashburton District Council
• AshburtonOnline
• The Ashburton Guardian
• Enterprise Ashburton Economic Development Agency
• Mid Canterbury Landscape Photography
• Ashburton Street Map

Coordinates: 43°54′20″S, 171°44′53″E