Southern View: August 29, 2017

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8 Tuesday August 29 2017 Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi SOUTHERN VIEW Your Local Views Mega-facility work to start next year at Denton Park • By Julia Evans WORK ON the new $38 million mega-facility at Denton Park is scheduled to start in late next year. The Hornby Library, Customer Services and South West Leisure Centre will be sited at the park after months of debate and controversy. The facility is still in the planning stage and it will go into design at the end of this year. But south-west residents shouldn’t expect to be using the facility until the middle of 2020. Although at this stage, these are only indicative dates. Sports clubs which have been protesting the mega-facility’s construction at Denton Park said they will fight to the bitter end. A petition, started by Hornby resident Mark Peters, has received 1500 signatures – including nine from the original Denton family. Mr Peters said it was started to save the “green heart” of the suburb. “Denton Park is the Hagley Park of Hornby. We really feel passionately about that open space. It’s been there for generations,” he said. He said he is trying to get the voice of the community out there. THE Christchurch Adventure Park is set to reopen before the end of the year – but it will look very different. About two thirds of the trees in the park have had to be removed because of fire damage, and the 18 mountain bike tracks are being redesigned. The $25 million park has been closed since the tracks, chairlift and zip lines were badly damaged in February’s Port Hills fire, which hit three months after it opened. Christchurch Adventure Park spokeswoman Maree Wilson said there was a huge amount of damage across the park. Bold vision for once-proud hospital The Princess Margaret Hospital was once the jewel in the crown of the Christchurch District Health Board writes Cashmere Community Board member Lee Sampson A lack of investment over time along with the arrival of the new facilities at Burwood have left The Princess Margaret Hospital teetering on the edge of demolition. Admittedly conditions for patients at TPMH are poor to say the least, and these structures are not easily modernised, nevertheless, these iconic buildings still stand proud, almost oblivious to what the natural environment has thrown at them in recent years. So why demolition? TPMH is nestled at the foot of the Port Hills in Cashmere on a parcel of land valued at around $30- $35 million. Conceivably, if the CDHB could demolish these buildings ‘cheaply’ they’d make a ‘quick buck’ to help balance the books. In reality, demolition costs alone will stretch to several million, which this CDHB doesn’t have either with She said the whole shape of the hill had changed since the fire. “It’s the logging operation that has caused a lot of damage, with the removal of the trees. So because of that there’s a huge job ahead to get the trails up and running,” she said. A replacement haul rope for the chairlift recently arrived from Austria, and new zip lines also needed to be installed, she said. She said about 30 of the adventure park staff had stayed on, and those who were not busy with the repairs had spent their time volunteering in the community. their ongoing stand-off with the Ministry. So the make-do health services and tired facilities have an agonising short term reprieve as this frustrating state of limbo continuous, equally untenable to all concerned parties. However, there is one key missing piece to this puzzle, that’s the broader logic as to why the CDHB are seeking to demolish TPMH at all? No due diligence has been provided to support this tact, besides a somewhat related high level business case for Burwood. Moreover, the engineering assessments generally indicate TPMH structures to be pretty sound at around 35 per cent to 67 per cent NBS with ‘minor to moderate’ earthquake That included teaching cycle skills at schools, cooking for Ronald McDonald House, helping with classes at the Christchurch City Mission and taking children at Cholmondeley Children’s Centre for bike rides. The park is set to reopen before Christmas, but Ms Wilson said they could not set a date yet because there was still so much work to be done. The recent rain had turned the park into “a big mud pie”, and that made the job harder, she said. She said regular updates would be posted on the Christchurch Adventure Park Facebook page. damage, engineers further note the main buildings could be ’significantly stronger’ than the current CDHB modelling suggests. What’s more TPMH’s vast 40,000m2 of floor space would cost taxpayers about $300-$400 million to re-construct in today’s money – so potentially the remaining value of the structures could seriously eclipse that of any land sale. Now the predicament, Burwood is indeed built so we frankly don’t require this capacity at TPMH. So, what are the options? Well the CDHB seemingly favour demolition, then cramming most other services (including mental health) into Hillmorton Hospital amongst others. Personally, I prefer a slightly bolder vision; this would involve upgrading and consolidating existing services and others, along with introducing a community-orientated suite of services at TPMH – ie an integrated health facility; together with re-purposing redundant spaces through partnerships with the market, possibly Ngai Tahu. An obvious synergy is the aged healthcare or the retirement sector to assist our continued wave of ‘baby boomers’ – this would certainly help the CDHB to balance the books to a greater extent that the pocket change and lessor community outcomes demolition offers. Finally, we must acknowledge the fact these are exceptionally challenging times for the CDHB, and staff work tremendously hard to maintain service levels but I can only hope that a newlyformed government on September 23 can rapidly rebuild the relationship between the Ministry and CDHB to allow room for considered thought and vision – before all of our crown jewels are sold off. Regardless, health services should continue to be provided from TPMH site to support the ‘day to day’ needs of our growing communities. •If you would like to share your own opinion email lee. sampson.CBM@ccc.govt.nz New trails for Adventure park when it reopens EntEr with any purchase of nUrOFEn for children win be to Entries close Saturday 30th September a mocka balance bike in this pharmacy! Barrington pharmacy Next to CouplaNds, 256 BarriNgtoN st GONE: Two thirds of the trees at the Christchurch Adventure Park have been removed because of fire damage. support a healthy immune system wITh ThomPsons FREE GIFT sPECIAL PRICE $18.99 Ph 332 3156 @WilsoNsBarriNgtoNpharmaCy FREE GIFT sPECIAL PRICE $26.99 10% discount everyday using *excludes prescriptions & sale stock
SOUTHERN VIEW Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi Tuesday August 29 2017 9 FREE 11mm high dENSity luxuRy FREEuNdERlAy ON SELECTED PRODUCTS * NylON Newport • Commercial Heavy Duty • Solution Dyed Nylon • Loop Pile • 5 Colours FREE UNDERLAY $99 90 NylON Okiwi Bay • Extra Heavy Duty • Solution Dyed Nylon • Cut Pile • 1 Great Colour FREE UNDERLAY $157 00 NylON horizon • Extra Heavy Duty • Solution Dyed Nylon • Cut Pile • 1 Great Colour FREE UNDERLAY $119 90 WOOl Boucle • Extra Heavy Duty • Wool Plus • Cut Pile • 1 Great Colour FREE UNDERLAY $119 90 garage Carpet • 6m x 6m fully installed • Conditions apply FULLY INSTALLED $900 00 2nds Carpet • 100’s of metres • Pure Wool • Extra Heavy Duty CLEARANCE FROM $60 00 2 Metre Wide Vinyl • Selected patterns • Buy 1 get 1 free BUY 1 GET 1 FREE $49 90 Commercial Vinyl Planks • 4 Colours BUY 1 GET 1 FREE FROM $39 90 Call for our mobile showroom to visit your home 312 Wilsons Road North, Waltham | Phone 366 0070 Mon to Fri 8am - 5pm and Sat 10am -1pm www.carpetkingdom.co.nz *Conditions apply. Q Card Finance Now Available FREE no obligation measure & quote (conditions apply)
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Southern View: August 29, 2017

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