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On turning up to a local planting project in Christchurch’s Red Zone,  Kaitirotiro Mahi Hapori/Community Work Supervisor Raviv Carasuk was thrilled to see two people who had formerly served a CW sentence now employed by the partnering organisation.

The two men had gained the experience and confidence to apply for their new roles while serving Community Work sentences on the award winning Ōtūkaikino River restoration project.

“Through these community projects people get to serve their sentences and, importantly, also gain some work aptitudes and basic environmental maintenance skills along the way,” says Raviv.

After the postponement of Community Work through Alert Level 3 and 4, Raviv and his crew were keen to get back on the job, working alongside Christchurch City Council and sub-contractors.

They have been involved in a large number of planting native trees projects around Canterbury. Their new project involves planting 20,000 trees in the Christchurch Red Zone, a 600 hectare strip of green space running from the city to the coast along the lower Ōtākaro Avon River. The area was formerly residential, with houses removed following damage from the Christchurch earthquakes.

Raviv says people on Community Work have great pride in what they can achieve through planting and other maintenance work.

“It gets people outdoors and their mahi is there for generations to come,” he says. “They often take their families along to show them what they have achieved and, if this also leads to employment, it truly is life changing.”

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