Nor'West News: March 27, 2018

4 Tuesday March 27 2018
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Your Local Views
Putting job where mouth is
Papanui-
Innes
Community
Board
chairwoman
Ali Jones
writes about
the Long
Term Plan and the bid to
get a community facility for
Shirley included
You know that bumper sticker
that says: “Life is a journey not a
destination?” Well whoever made
that up never worked for local
government.
The journey that has brought
the Papanui-Innes Community
Board to this point as far as the
Long Term Plan is concerned,
has already been one of much
consultation, conversation with
the community and a bit of foot
stomping. However, it is the destination
on which we firmly have
our sights set.
Over the years I have written
columns, letters, media releases
and social media posts encouraging
people to take part in the
democratic processes that enable
us to have a voice and this year
the community board is saying it
even more loudly and urgently.
I write this as the chairwoman
of the board. In that role about
two months before the end of
last year at an LTP workshop our
board discovered that yet again
the Shirley Community Centre
had been dropped – about the
fourth time this had happened in
budget rounds.
We were aghast and I was so
annoyed I said I would resign
from the board if it was not put
back in.
By the end of that workshop,
once again we felt confident that
it would be included and were
gobsmacked when in February
this year, we were sent the final
draft of the LTP and it had been
pulled again.
Funding for the replacement
Shirley Community Centre has
been in and out of the LTP over
the years like a yo-yo. As elected
members, we know money
doesn’t grow on trees and we
understand that we have to cut
our cloth accordingly.
However, unlike other wards,
we don’t have projects that we
can take out of the LTP to cover
the things we would like to add.
The main spend in the ward
is infrastructural – sewerage
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and water pipe replacement and
repairs, major road projects like
the northern corridor, cycleways,
the land drainage programme –
we have no room to barter these
for community facilities.
In fact we have nothing at all in
LTP we can “trade.”
The community in the east,
in Shirley (and Mairehau, Richmond
and Dallington), were hit
very hard by the quakes and are
still recovering.
There must be a more equitable
spread of money across the city
and I have to say, I don’t believe
that is the case in this LTP and I
am prepared to put my job where
my mouth is.
I really love my role as chairwoman
of the board and we have
a very passionate and effective
board. I don’t want to resign but
in September or October last year
I said I would if there was no
money on budget for this facility
and I am a person of my word.
Please make a submission to
the LTP (phone our ward office
if you need assistance) and think
about coming into the council
building to talk to your submission
too.
It might be that a fruit forest,
community barbecues, a small
hall with a community garden
and all access playground is what
is needed and wanted – that is up
to you.
Orbiter Bus stops Innes Road
Readers of the Nor’West
News continue to express
disappointment with
Environment Canterbury’s
proposal to cut six bus
routes around the city,
including two in Papanui
Maria-Teresa Porta – I am
writing to express my concern
about the proposed bus cuts
to route number 107 and 108
that go through Casebrook to
Northlands Shopping Centre. I
am 79-years-old with osteoporosis.
My husband is 82 and has
Alzheimer’s disease. Neither of
us drive and we both walk with
great difficulty, even just walking
up our street to Bishopdale Mall
is too much for us.
Our doctor is in Papanui and
our dentist is in Merivale. If
ECan removes our bus, this is the
only means we have of getting
to our appointments, as well as
doing our grocery shopping at
Northlands.
ECan should consider people
like us who rely on these buses as
their sole means of transport.
eAster
extrAvAgAnzA
modiFied invAsion
Plus
south islAnd streetstoCK
ChAmPs (FridAy) And rAmP
rACe derBy (sAturdAy)
good FridAy & eAster sAturdAy
6Pm stArt
NOR’WEST NEWS
Local
News
Now
Fire rages, homes at risk
Even if they put on a small bus
once an hour, it would be preferable
to having no bus at all.
Readers also respond
to the news Belfast will
be getting a new school
to cope with its booming
population
Helen Ann Murphy –
Amazing. It was a wee village
when we arrived from Sydney
44 years ago and no one wanted
to live here. We were asked why
do you want to live that far away
from the city.
Ana Connor – At the expense
of Ouruhia School.
Rosie Mcphail – They have
not long built new classrooms
and new office block in the last
few years.
Janet Baldwin – Interesting
approach.
Heather Wilkins – Can’t
they just build on top?
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