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NOR’WEST NEWS Tuesday <strong>September</strong> <strong>13</strong> <strong>2016</strong> 11<br />
after 20 plus years in politics<br />
She is very good at organising<br />
people and policy and shows<br />
genuine concern with everything.<br />
She is very precise with<br />
detail.<br />
Have we had a bad mayor in<br />
your opinion?<br />
I can’t say we have had a bad<br />
mayor, sometimes I don’t agree<br />
on policies but that is the game.<br />
What was it like to be an<br />
elected official during the<br />
earthquakes?<br />
It was very difficult for us<br />
because the elected members<br />
weren’t part of civil defence and<br />
felt slightly pushed to one side.<br />
There was a lot of stress out<br />
there. Our ward didn’t have the<br />
same immediate issues as those<br />
out east and by the coast. We had<br />
pockets that were badly affected;<br />
we had a lady break her back<br />
when she was hit by a falling<br />
chimney which was horrible. We<br />
made sure we talked to people in<br />
our immediate streets to see how<br />
they were.<br />
Looking back, would you do<br />
anything differently?<br />
Not really, no. I did everything<br />
that I could do. I think the one<br />
thing that pleasantly surprised<br />
me was how much work goes<br />
on in the community. Especially<br />
how many volunteers there are<br />
who keep the wheels turning. We<br />
do a lot of work supporting those<br />
volunteers and groups, which is<br />
just amazing. The community<br />
board is so valuable as it allows<br />
residents to have a voice with the<br />
city council.<br />
What is your proudest moment<br />
in the job?<br />
There are a number of things.<br />
Some of the art work in Fendalton<br />
Park – it has made the<br />
place look good. The skate park<br />
in Jellie Park. We put a walkway<br />
around Avonhead Park, which<br />
I recently walked around and<br />
there were heaps of people using<br />
it. Parking issues is one of the<br />
biggest problems still facing our<br />
ward and we have worked hard<br />
to come up with solutions. I was<br />
proud of getting the post office<br />
into the Fendalton centre to<br />
keep that facility going. Also, the<br />
widening of Fendalton Rd was<br />
a good moment for us. There is<br />
plenty to be proud of, but there<br />
is always more to do.<br />
How did you deal with the<br />
criticism that goes along with<br />
being an elected member?<br />
It depends on how personal<br />
people got. All of us can cope<br />
when debate is about the issue.<br />
Have you ever had a moment<br />
where you thought, I don’t<br />
want to do this anymore?<br />
If I have had those thoughts,<br />
they haven’t lasted long. I think<br />
it is the nature of the job and you<br />
have other things in your life, so<br />
you don’t get too down. You have<br />
to be able to take a step back and<br />
reassess.<br />
Your son was on the city<br />
council – must be a family<br />
thing?<br />
Yes, he was on the city council.<br />
He was elected in the Hagley-<br />
Ferrymead Ward. After a huge<br />
natural disaster the job takes its<br />
toll and I think a few from that<br />
city council burnt out. But that is<br />
the job.<br />
So where to now for you?<br />
I have a few projects that<br />
need attention. I haven’t sorted<br />
out my new house; the garden<br />
needs sorting. I will catch up<br />
with some friends and I will find<br />
RETIRING: Val Carter (centre)<br />
with her fellow Fendalton-<br />
Waimairi Community Board<br />
members (left to right) David<br />
Cartwright, Sally Buck, Cr<br />
Jamie Gough and Faimeh<br />
Burke.<br />
other interests as time goes on.<br />
I am a keen gardener when I get<br />
the time so I will get into that.<br />
SCIRT programme on<br />
the home straight<br />
SCIRT’s five year programme of repairs to pipes, roads, bridges and retaining<br />
walls is almost complete and we’re aiming to finish construction in December.<br />
The City Council and NZ Transport Agency will continue completing ongoing<br />
repairs to the city's earthquake-damaged infrastructure after SCIRT.<br />
Progress in your neighbourhood<br />
• Fixing the Northern Relief, one of Christchurch’s biggest wastewater pipes running<br />
through Fendalton, Merivale and St Albans is more than halfway through and will be<br />
completed at the end of the year.<br />
• Essential wastewater repairs in Aikmans Road in Merivale are progressing well and will<br />
be completed at the end of the year.<br />
• Ongoing repairs to the wastewater networks in Fendalton, Strowan, Papanui and<br />
Bryndwr are due to finish at the end of <strong>September</strong>.<br />
• The historic Helmore’s Lane Bridge was reopened to pedestrians and cyclists on 5<br />
<strong>September</strong> after major rebuilding.<br />
Your support is helping us to get the job done. Thank you from the SCIRT team.<br />
Want<br />
more<br />
info?<br />
Email:<br />
info@scirt.co.nz<br />
Phone:<br />
941 8999<br />
Find out about work<br />
in your area:<br />
www.scirt.co.nz<br />
Email us on:<br />
info@scirt.co.nz to get our:<br />
Weekly Traffic Update<br />
Monthly e-<strong>News</strong>letter<br />
Follow us on Twitter:<br />
@SCIRT_info<br />
#chchtraffic<br />
• Renal Prasad, Welder with SCIRT’s McConnell Dowell team.<br />
Programme funded by
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