Pegasus Post: June 21, 2016

4
Tuesday June 21 2016
Your Local Views
Playgrounds need to
be wheelchair-friendly
Shirley-Papanui
Community
Board member
Jo Byrne talks
about having
“wheelchairfriendly
surfaces” in
childrens’ playgrounds, so all
children have the chance to
play.
Many people know of my
interest in flooding issues in the
Flockton area.
However, many people don’t
realise that, as a part-time speech
language therapist working with
children and young people with
disabilities, I have also been
actively advocating for more inclusive
facilities in our ward.
The therapy team I work with
made an in-depth submission to
the Margaret Mahy family playground
team on making that play
area safe and accessible for people
with disabilities.
Overseas, many major cities are
developing all access play areas.
These are destination play areas
where children of all abilities can
play on the equipment.
This means children with disabilities
can play alongside their
siblings and friends. Children can
be side-by-side using different
swings, including basket swings
and platform swings.
Children using wheelchairs
are then not isolated in the
wheelchair swing in the corner of
a park.
Internationally there are now
play equipment manufacturers
which specialise in accessible play
grounds.
In Auckland an all abilities
playground has opened in Long
Bay.
Locally, it is fantastic to see the
Smile Dial Sensory Garden development
plans in Burwood.
The Shirley-Papanui Community
Board has been working for
more accessible play areas in our
ward, too.
As playgrounds in the ward
have come up for renewal, we
have supported city council staff
in coming up with play solutions
that work for as many children as
possible (while operating within
the proposed budget).
This means we have chosen
more wheelchair friendly surfaces,
and equipment that has
more options for less physically
able children.
Work has started in the Craighead
Reserve play area, and is
planned for the new The Groynes
play area.
The community board would
love a future Christchurch that
has play equipment across the
city for all our young people, so
they can play safely in their own
community and have the most
suitable resources available.
Another project the community
board has had input into is the
working party for the design of
the new St Albans Community
Centre.
The plans for the proposed centre
include an adult change bed,
and hopefully will also include a
ceiling hoist.
This means that adults with disabilities
who are unable to use the
usual disability toilet facilities can
still access their community and
not have to go home when they
need changing.
This would open the community
facility for use for a wider
range of community groups.
We all hope that when we look
at the future Christchurch that it
is truly accessible.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you
agree with Jo Byrne? What
parks can you think of that
specifically need to be upgraded
so that all children
can enjoy them? Email fraser.
walker@starmedia.kiwi
FLAME FILES
GUTTED: A garage fire on Linwood Ave started when hot
ash was put in a bin.
Winter fire tips
• By Mark Thomas – Fire
Risk Management Officer
TWO PROPERTY fires, with all
the drama and heartache they
entail, occurred last week – the
result of very topical causes
reflecting the start of winter.
In the early hours of June 12,
a household in Parklands was
alerted by smoke alarms to the
fact the house was on fire.
That there were operating
smoke detectors saved a possible
tragedy, but the cause may have
been avoidable.
The origin of the fire was
traced to a clothes dryer that
had been started before the occupants
went to bed.
There’s two points here.
Firstly, it isn’t known whether
the lint filter had been cleared
recently.
If it hadn’t, and this should
be done every time the drier is
used, it is possible the contents
just got hotter and hotter to
PEGASUS POST
ignition temperature.
Secondly, the use of these
things should probably be restricted
to when you’re at home,
up and alert.
Then you can deal with
problems immediately as they
occur.
The other fire was a classic
winter event, where fire ash was
left against the side of a garage
in Linwood on June 14.
Ash is an excellent insulator.
Hot embers encased in the ash,
inside a bucket, will not cool
down for days.
In this case, heat transferred
through the ash, the side of the
bucket and the iron cladding of
the garage, igniting the wooden
framing.
It is recommended that five
days is the minimum time to
expect ash to completely cool.
That’s five days you must
keep the ash and bucket outside
and well away from anything
combustible.
New Brighton rugby stronger than ever
Glenn Matthews,
of New Brighton,
talks about the
community’s
winning attitude.
The culture that has been built
within the New Brighton Rugby
Club – especially after the
earthquakes, when some thought
the suburb would fade away –
was a big key to the club’s success
this season.
Previously
United Travel
The club created history when
the division 1 and 2 sides both
won their first round competitions
in the Hawkins Cup.
It is the first time that the club
has won both grades on the same
day.
The division 1 side went into
the final round level on points
with Lincoln University, who
were aiming to be the first club
to win the Hawkins Cup four
years in a row.
As expected, New Brighton
cruised past Belfast, running in
12 tries in a 72-12 win to secure
their 9th win in 11 matches,
while Lincoln University were
unable to earn a bonus point in
their 15-10 win over Sydenham.
Therefore, the trophy was
handed to the sea-siders for the
first time since 2010 when they
shared it with High School Old
Boys.
The division 2 side remained
unbeaten and hold a 14-point
lead with two rounds to play
after winning their 11th straight
match 49-19 against a tough
Sydenham side.
The closeness of the two sides
and communication between
the coaching staff and the senior
coaching staff, of Scott Pawson
and Troy Manaena, was responsible
for the win.
The senior side will now look
to win their first Hawkins Cup
since 2013. Meanwhile, the Division
2 side will be hoping to get
their name on it for the first time
since 2012.
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