The Star: February 22, 2018
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Star</strong> Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi<br />
Thursday <strong>February</strong> <strong>22</strong> <strong>2018</strong> 25<br />
Viewpoint<br />
Value Cars<br />
www.valuecarswarehouse.co.nz<br />
32 Moorhouse Ave | 03 366 7768<br />
<strong>The</strong> biggest range of vehicles in one location<br />
Time to pause and reflect<br />
TODAY IS the seventh<br />
anniversary of the <strong>February</strong> <strong>22</strong>,<br />
2011, earthquake.<br />
Seven years is a significant<br />
length of time and in all our<br />
lives it’s brought challenging and<br />
often unexpected changes.<br />
Everyone on this journey<br />
has faced testing times. Losing<br />
somebody we have known and<br />
loved, and many of us are without<br />
places that were close to our<br />
hearts and so many things that<br />
we were attached to.<br />
And as these people, places<br />
and often simple things leave us,<br />
there are connections and memories<br />
that we just can’t replace. At<br />
times the loss is heart-breaking.<br />
Every day we are challenged<br />
by the rebuild. Our city and<br />
neighbourhood looks different,<br />
we travel on new roads, visit<br />
sensational new buildings and<br />
workplaces as they open, and<br />
enjoy leafy new people-friendly<br />
public spaces. But we also know<br />
the enormity of the task, and that<br />
there is still a way to go. And in<br />
the meantime we dodge the road<br />
cones, temporary fencing, and<br />
support people, still caught up<br />
in earthquake repairs, and look<br />
forward to ticking off each additional<br />
major milestone.<br />
And all the way through these<br />
last seven years we have had<br />
flashes of enormous pride in the<br />
community we belong to. How<br />
we supported our neighbours<br />
in those crucial first few days<br />
(which still feel so recent), how<br />
nationwide and international<br />
first responders so willingly and<br />
courageously did what had to<br />
be done, how our Student Army<br />
made us proud, and how we<br />
worked together to come up with<br />
a vision for our city.<br />
This week I spent some time at<br />
our beautiful earthquake memorial<br />
– I was just one of many who<br />
came past to pause and reflect.<br />
Close by, our city is coming alive<br />
as people and businesses move<br />
Nicky Wagner<br />
back into its heart.<br />
<strong>The</strong> earthquakes have absolutely<br />
changed our way of thinking.<br />
I feel we are more open-minded,<br />
more focussed on our community<br />
and more aware of what<br />
really matters personally in our<br />
lives and to our families.<br />
<strong>The</strong> last seven years have<br />
brought us closer together as<br />
Cantabrians and that will be our<br />
strength going forward.<br />
We have a strong commitment<br />
to remember those whom we<br />
have lost by making the most<br />
of every opportunity the earthquakes<br />
have presented.<br />
We aspire to more – a more<br />
connected, a more beautiful,<br />
people-friendly, and more<br />
sustainable city. A place of opportunity<br />
for all, for current<br />
generations and generations to<br />
come. That’s a legacy we can all<br />
embrace and work towards.<br />
•Nicky Wagner is a National<br />
list MP based in Christchurch<br />
Central<br />
Reader Stephen<br />
Wickham responds to<br />
an article about derelict<br />
properties which Richmond<br />
residents say are not being<br />
maintained by landlords<br />
I found the article<br />
on page 10 of <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Star</strong> last week<br />
regarding derelict<br />
properties somewhat<br />
intriguing, especially<br />
now that New<br />
Zealand has become<br />
more urbanised. I<br />
suspect that this is<br />
not just a problem<br />
in the Richmond suburb, but<br />
increasingly a city-wide one, or<br />
indeed a New Zealand one.<br />
It appears unfair that<br />
deferring landlords or<br />
speculators, both local and out<br />
of town, are able to devalue at<br />
will the property investment of<br />
others without incurring some<br />
DERELICT:<br />
Richmond<br />
residents<br />
have called<br />
on landlords<br />
to clean up<br />
properties<br />
like this<br />
one on<br />
Stanmore Rd.<br />
PHOTO:<br />
MARTIN<br />
HUNTER<br />
form of meaningful penalty.<br />
Although I give Richmond<br />
resident and business owner<br />
Hayley Guglietta full marks for<br />
wanting to expend her energy<br />
in removing or tidying up the<br />
suburb in which she lives and<br />
conducts her business<br />
in, I feel she and her<br />
volunteers might be<br />
better off lobbying<br />
their local MPs to try<br />
and get an ‘acceptable<br />
outside appearance’<br />
amendment clause<br />
added to the Tenancy<br />
Act. Otherwise nothing<br />
for them or indeed for<br />
others will change.<br />
With our current Government<br />
MPs uttering soothing words<br />
wanting to change the present<br />
tenancy laws, perhaps it’s<br />
time for such considerations<br />
to be implemented, providing<br />
these provisions aren’t already<br />
there.<br />
ON THE DOMAIN LINCOLN 3 MARCH <strong>2018</strong><br />
nine bands. one day.<br />
THE FEELERS<br />
MENTAL AS ANYTHING<br />
THE MOCKERS<br />
STELLAR<br />
THE NARCS<br />
THE LADY KILLERS<br />
THE WARRATAHS<br />
www.selwynsounds.co.nz<br />
Tickets<br />
ON SALE<br />
NOW<br />
NEW<br />
DISCOUNTS<br />
ONLINE<br />
MORE<br />
CHOICE<br />
THAN EVER<br />
BEFORE!
Change language