The Star: May 10, 2018

The Star Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Thursday May 10 2018 15
News
Quarry battle takes ugly turn
VANDALISED: Curraghs Rd resident Simon Moore with
his damaged no quarry sign.
• By Anan Zaki
THE BATTLE over a proposed
Templeton quarry has taken an
ugly turn.
Residents on Curraghs Rd who
opposed the quarry had their
roadside signs forcibly removed
by an unknown culprit for a
third time in three weeks.
The latest incident occurred
last week and the culprit took
down a mailbox, a sign on a gate,
along with roadside signs, angering
Curraghs Rd resident Simon
Moore.
“They were there Monday
night and were down Tuesday
morning,” he said.
Mr Moore said even though
he lived across the Christchurch
city border in Selwyn, he and his
Weedons neighbours supported
the Templeton Residents’ Association’s
fight against the quarry.
“It’s gone a bit nasty to be honest,”
Mr Moore said.
The incidents have not been
reported to the police but he
warned if there is another attempt
to forcibly remove the
signs, they would be caught
red-handed.
He has put in hidden cameras.
The footage would then be
passed onto police, Mr Moore
said.
“So we will wait till the cameras
arrive before we put even
bigger signs up,” he said.
Mr Moore did not believe one
of his neighbours removed the
signs as they were all against the
proposed quarry.
“We are opposed to the quarry
because it will end up close to
our houses,” he said.
Mr Moore blamed the incident
on supporters of the quarry and
did not believe a local authority
was responsible for their
removal.
He also delivered a message for
those responsible.
“Leave them alone, they are
not your property and don’t start
taking retribution against people
who want to have a right to their
say,” Mr Moore said.
Templeton Residents Association
chairman Garry Kilday believed
the incidents were isolated
to Curraghs Rd.
He called on quarry supporters
to express their views by
making signs similiar to the
anti-quarry signs.
“Don’t remove an anti-quarry
sign, put ‘I support the quarry
on your gate post’,” Mr Kilday
said.
Last month Templeton residents
who had more than one
sign on display were ordered to
remove them or face a $300 by
the city council.
Maddie returns
to school
after long break
• By Emily O’Connell
MADDIE COLLINS has
returned to St Margaret’s
College after an 18-month break
due to kidney problems.
Maddie, 14, was too sick to
attend school but has
been doing better following
a successful
kidney transplant in
January.
Her mother, Sarah
Manson-Collins,
said Maddie was
enjoying being back
at school but was
finding it tiring.
Mrs Manson-Collins said
Maddie will attend school on
Mondays to Thursdays, with
Fridays put aside for ongoing
hospital appointments.
She said they are keeping an
eye on Maddie but are pleased
her kidney biopsy in March
showed no sign of rejection.
Maddie and her family were
told on January 16 their fiveyear
wait for a kidney match had
Local
News
Now
Fire rages, homes at risk
been found.
They flew from Christchurch
to Auckland early the following
day and Maddie underwent an
initial operation and then a second
operation to reposition the
kidney hours later at
Starship Children’s
Health.
Mrs Manson-
Collins said Maddie
had an “amazing
recovery” in spite of
the first 48 hours not
going to plan.
Maddie received
a kidney transplant from her
father Adam Collins five years
ago but her body rejected it.
With only a two per cent
chance of finding a donor match
in New Zealand, the family
did not expect to find another
kidney in the country.
Mrs Manson-Collins said
Maddie has a lot of exciting
events coming up including
speaking at Canterbury Bride
of the Year about organ donation.