The Star: March 09, 2017

12 Thursday March 9 2017
Latest Christchurch news at www. .kiwi
The Star
News
Red zone
planning day
open to all
A COMMUNITY day will be held
to get input on how to shape the
future of the residential red zone.
Regenerate Christchurch chief
executive Ivan Iafeta said this year
will see a plan prepared for the
regeneration of former red zone
land from Avonside to Bexley and
Richmond to New Brighton.
The Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor
Community Day will be
held on March 25 from 10am-3pm
at Haeata Community Campus,
Wainoni. Everyone is welcome.
“We’re inviting everyone to journey
through an interactive experience
to learn about the land and
river, and then share their thoughts
on how this area could shape an
exciting future for Christchurch,”
Mr Iafeta said.
He said Regenerate Christchurch
wanted to find out what the city
needed and how this parcel of land
could help meet those needs. It also
wanted input from children.
Free guided bus tours of the
red zone are on offer, as well as
fun, family activities including a
sausage sizzle, face-painting and a
bouncy castle.
More information can be found
at engage.regeneratechristchurch.
nz.
Role of women in spotlight
• By Bridget Rutherford
ROCHELLE TOURELL has
worked in the construction
industry for a decade and
reckons she can do her job just
as well, if not better, than any
man.
The L.J. Kidd painter is one of
the 14 per cent of women who
work in the industry across the
country.
Yesterday, it was the annual
International Women’s Day,
which calls for equality.
But Ms Tourell said she feels
equal in her line of work, in
spite of being the only female at
most building sites.
“I’ve found every job I’ve
been on I’ve been accepted. I’m
just one of the team and I don’t
expect any more than that.”
She said women could be
more meticulous and could do
the job as well as their male
counterparts.
She first got into the trade
because her partner was a construction
worker. Having always
enjoyed painting, she decided to
give it a go.
It was intimidating initially
with it being a male-dominated
industry. But she doesn’t feel
that way now.
METICULOUS: Painter Rochelle Tourell says she feels equal
to her male counterparts, in spite of working in an industry
dominated by men.
PHOTO: GEOFF SLOAN
“I think there’s more and
more acceptance of women in
the trade.”
Yesterday, 120 women went
along to a Women in Construction
forum, organised by
Safe/Rebuild and Canterbury
Rebuild Safety Charter, at
By the numbers:
•Women make up 51.3 per
cent of New Zealand’s
population, according to
the latest census
•Nationally, 14 per cent
of those working in the
construction industry are
women
•International Women’s
Day was first held in the
United Nations in 1975
Christchurch Bridge Club.
It was so popular, another
would be held later this month,
which Ms Tourell would attend.
Roofer, TJ Kereru-Daly – one
of three key guest speakers
– said working in a maledominated
industry meant
she had to earn her colleagues’
support, but sometimes it was
harder to do.
Sometimes she was not taken
seriously because of her gender,
she said.
Safe/Rebuild spokeswoman
Jo Duffy said International
Women’s Day was perfect timing
for the forum.
“It seems a very obvious day
to run this forum. We want to
celebrate women in the business
and the timing is perfect.”
Sore Feet for
Safer Families
Make your kilometres count by running, or walking,
the City2Surf in support of Aviva.
Every year in Canterbury, thousands of
children, young people and adults are
traumatised by family or sexual violence.
You can help them on their journey to
violence-free futures.
Join Aviva’s ‘Sore Feet for Safer Families’
Givealittle page and become a fundraiser.
Once you’ve generated at least three
donations, you can join Team Aviva and
run with us and our supporter Gemma
Flynn, NZ Hockey star.
To find out more and
make a donation, visit
avivafamilies.org.nz