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NOR’WEST NEWS Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi<br />
Tuesday <strong>January</strong> <strong>30</strong> <strong>2018</strong> 7<br />
Petition to extend dog park<br />
• By Julia Evans<br />
FEEDBACK AND an online<br />
petition is being sought in a bid<br />
to extend The Groynes dog park.<br />
Fendalton-Waimairi-<br />
Harewood Community Board<br />
member Aaron Campbell has set<br />
up a petition, Extend Groynes<br />
Dog Park – More Park 2 Bark, on<br />
change.org.<br />
And Mr Campbell has been<br />
hard at work putting up signs<br />
around the area seeking feedback<br />
from users.<br />
Said Mr Campbell: “Ninetynine<br />
per cent of the infrastructure<br />
is in place, including suitable<br />
fencing for a dog park bordering<br />
the motorway bypass but there<br />
are no plans to utilise it. Allowing<br />
dogs and their owners in is a<br />
logical and cost-effective use of<br />
the space.”<br />
It comes following setting up<br />
signs to get feedback on the proposal,<br />
which would see a part of a<br />
31ha empty lot leftover from the<br />
Western Belfast Bypass added to<br />
the Northwood dog park.<br />
“An extension wouldn’t be all<br />
of that area but I’m open to hearing<br />
from users. Their input is the<br />
most important thing,” he said.<br />
He launched his bid following<br />
frustration with the slow<br />
• By Julia Evans<br />
A FENDALTON resident<br />
has written to Mayor Lianne<br />
Dalziel calling for trucks to be<br />
banned around Fendalton<br />
Stephen Purcell has lived on<br />
the corner of Fendalton and<br />
west Glandovey Rds for the last<br />
13 years. He wrote Ms Dalziel<br />
a letter detailing the impact<br />
heavy vehicles had on his life,<br />
asking for trucks to be banned.<br />
In the letter he said they<br />
operated from 4.<strong>30</strong>am-10.<strong>30</strong>pm<br />
daily. The engine brakes and acceleration<br />
was noisy and made<br />
his house shake.<br />
“They storm through, and the<br />
poor old house shakes like a 3.8<br />
aftershock,” he said.<br />
PALS: Aaron Campbell, with old english sheep dog Winchester,<br />
has launched a bid to extend The Groynes dog park.<br />
city council process and says he<br />
simply wants the public to take<br />
advantage of the space.<br />
“It’s a work in progress.<br />
There’s no long-term plan for the<br />
extension. But I’m trying to get<br />
permission to set up a poster and<br />
start getting feedback from users,”<br />
Mr Campbell said.<br />
“Once you spend a few thousand,<br />
it’ll pretty much take care<br />
of itself from there,” he said.<br />
Resident gains support against trucks<br />
“To say they are noisy would<br />
be an understatement because<br />
we are right on the intersection,<br />
we get engine brakes and air<br />
brakes or a combination of both<br />
when the lights are red.”<br />
Mr Purcell said he has seen at<br />
least 40 accidents at the intersection.<br />
“I have no doubt there<br />
will be fatalities.”<br />
He said making the roads safer<br />
for pedestrians and cyclists<br />
is imperative considering the<br />
number of schools in the area.<br />
“We, along with all our<br />
concerned neighbours, are<br />
hoping and praying something<br />
can be done to rectify this,” he<br />
said.<br />
Mr Purcell has been lobbying<br />
neighbours to join the Glandovey<br />
Idris Straven Residents’<br />
Association – door-knocking<br />
residents.<br />
“One hundred per cent of<br />
residents that were at home<br />
over the two-day period joined<br />
our association, all of them<br />
experiencing the same shaking<br />
when the truck and trailer units<br />
go past,” he said.<br />
The association now has more<br />
than 50 members from Straven<br />
Rd alone.<br />
•HAVE YOUR SAY: Do<br />
you struggle with trucks<br />
or heavy vehicles down<br />
residential streets? Email<br />
your views to julia.evans@<br />
starmedia.kiwi<br />
• By Julia Evans<br />
CHRISTMAS CAME early for<br />
Hank the border collie cross.<br />
After featuring as poster boy<br />
for Dogwatch Sanctuary Trust’s<br />
<strong>2018</strong> calendar and more than<br />
two months at the trust, the<br />
two-year-old was adopted on<br />
December 24.<br />
He starred on the front page<br />
of the Nor’West <strong>News</strong> over<br />
Christmas.<br />
So he now has a new home<br />
– and a new name. He is now<br />
called Gus.<br />
His new owner said he had<br />
come along way in a short space<br />
of time – describing him as a<br />
“dolphin” in the water.<br />
“He is very affectionate and<br />
gaining more confidence as he<br />
gets to know the neighbourhood.<br />
He is very responsive to<br />
commands and appears a quick<br />
and willing learner.”<br />
“I think further down the<br />
track when he is completely<br />
chilled he will enjoy his new<br />
home.”<br />
The bright, lovely and playful<br />
animal, according to trust manager<br />
Pam Howard, had been<br />
without a home since October.<br />
Mrs Howard said many people<br />
had wanted to adopt Gus,<br />
but just weren’t a right fit.<br />
Gus had been at the city<br />
council pound before arriving<br />
at the trust, and had some<br />
Local<br />
<strong>News</strong><br />
Now<br />
Fire rages, homes at risk<br />
New home and new<br />
name for friendly pooch<br />
SETTLING IN: With time, Gus<br />
is becoming more relaxed in<br />
his new home.<br />
“quirks” she said.<br />
She described Gus as “resource<br />
guarder” – a dog that<br />
growls and snarls at other<br />
animals and people to stay<br />
away from an object it might be<br />
guarding.<br />
“He just needs an owner that<br />
understands when dogs have<br />
quirks you work with them and<br />
you don’t set them up to fail,”<br />
Mrs Howard said.