Western News: August 09, 2016

4
Your Local Views
FLAME FILES
Tuesday August 9 2016
News
Fashion
• By Mark Thomas – Fire Risk
Management Officer
LAST WEEK I mentioned
heading to a fire investigation
about the time I was writing the
column. That incident turned out
to be the fatal fire that occurred
Gardening
Woolston and involved several
days on the scene for investigators.
While inquiries continue, I can
say that any situation in which
people are living where flame is
involved in any cooking, heating
or lighting makes for a heightened
level of risk from fire.
I regularly report the instances
of cooking or kitchen fires here. A
Motoring
call just before 6am last Saturday
to a house in North New Brighton
seemed a little early in the day. It
turned out to be a baby’s bottle
left sterilising in a pot on the stove
GUTTED: The
building in
Woolston was
left completely
destroyed by
the fire that
ripped through
the property.
PHOTO:
GEOFF SLOAN
Winter weather takes
its toll on roads
until the water boiled away and
the plastic bottle started to burn.
I’ve got to admit to sympathy
for the poor mum or dad with
memories from way, way back of
the zombie-like state that months
of broken sleep brings on. But
it appears a smoke alarm that
should have operated didn’t have a
battery. Which could have made a
bad situation tragic!
Winter weather has had an effect
on fire calls in the city. Crews
attended 18 car crashes this week.
They also went to 20 ambulance
code purple assistance calls, of
which eight involved fatalities.
Cold, wet weather seems to be
one of the influences. It means
we should be extra careful driving
just now and perhaps be a
little more regular in our visits to
elderly parents. Just in case!
New voice for residents
Newly
appointed
Riccarton
Bush-
Kilmarnock
Residents’
Association
chairman
Tony Simons writes about
the challenges facing the
area
I’ve only recently been elected
as chairman, but already there’s
plenty to do. The Riccarton
Bush-Kilmarnock Residents’
Association represents many of
those living close to Westfield
mall – the oldest and one of the
biggest shopping malls in the
city.
That presents its challenges,
but we also sit next to
Riccarton Bush, arguably
the most historically and
environmentally significant
area in the city. We cover
north of Riccarton Rd between
Riccarton Bush and the railway
line and up to Matai St West.
Over the years, the
association has been involved
with amenity preservation,
beautification, as well
as resisting commercial
encroachment.
We have participated in
consultations on the university
cycleway project and the bus
lounges on Riccarton Rd.
The biggest issue recently
was the proposed new
district plan that would have
allowed intensive multi-storey
residential development. We
fought that one hard. More
than 100 residents turned up to
oppose the planners’ proposals
and, ignoring some who said
we wouldn’t win, we submitted
to the independent hearings
panel and were listened to. As a
result, our residential zoning is
retained, and with it, much of
the value that is core to what we
are trying to preserve.
Another perennial issue is
parking. One part of our area is
limited time parking and this
has (thankfully) prevented the
horrors of all-day, jam-packed
parking. It gives space for
parking by visitors to the area
for events such as the farmers’
market, plays, gatherings, as
well as providing short-term
parking for shoppers and
WESTERN NEWS
residents’ family and friends.
Currently, the city council
is planning to extend these
parking restrictions to parts
of Kilmarnock, Harakeke and
Jane Deans Cl. And, of course,
next on the agenda will be a full
city council review of parking
across the city in 2017.
Like most residents in the
city, we are concerned about
the apparent increase in
mindless vandalism, graffiti
and hooliganism. It seemed to
get worse after the earthquakes
and, while not as bad as some
areas of the city, we have
worked with the community
board, police and Canterbury
University on this issue. The
area is under a liquor ban
but also of some concern is
the fact that more bars, with
early morning closing, may be
opening in the Westfield Mall
precinct. This in spite of the city
council stating its intention in
future to cut back on opening
hours for bars in suburban
areas.
So we’ve got plenty on. And,
of course, the more people who
join groups like ours, the louder
the community voice. Residents
in our area are encouraged to
join the association simply by
emailing us at rbkresidents@
gmail.com
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