Nor'West News: May 15, 2018

4 Tuesday May 15 2018
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Your Local Views
Edgeware Pool worth the cost
On the
back of the
Papanui-Innes
Community
Board’s request
for $5 million
from the city
council to
build the Edgeware Pool,
member Jo Byrne clears
up any confusion over the
funding bid
THERE ARE tough decisions
to be made by city councillors
currently working through the
LTP. This includes trying to keep
rates at a manageable level for
all, while balancing this with
community desires for facilities
and services.
I would like the public to know
that the request for money for the
Edgeware Pool Group actually
came from the Papanui-Innes
Community Board not the pool
group.
There has been some
misinformation about this in the
media recently.
We believe that this model is
excellent – this is an outstanding
community group working
hard to replace a much-loved
and needed community facility.
This pool won’t have ongoing
operating expenses, unlike the
extravagant pools and leisure
centres planned elsewhere in the
city.
The budget for this pool is $5
million. For this we get a larger
summer pool, and a smaller
covered learners’ pool to provide
year-round lessons for those
learning to swim.
We could build four of these
modest facilities across the city
for the price of the one planned
in Linwood, or the one in
Hornby. We are a city in recovery
PLANS: The new designs for the Edgeware Pool include an
indoor learners’ area and heated outdoor pool.
and we need to be building more
simple facilities initially and add
to them as we can.
Swimming pools are extremely
important to an island nation
such as ours. We need our
children and young people to be
able to swim and be safe in the
water that is all around us. We
need community pools to do
this.
The Ministry of Education has
reduced access to pools through
school pool closures – often the
schools still with pools are more
affluent.
We can’t turn into a country
where only people who can
afford to learn to swim do so.
PHOTO: APOLLO DESIGN
We need to make swimming
accessible and affordable for all
and a pool in Edgeware is a great
step in this process. Every time
we talk to communities and
they tell us what they want – the
children say a pool.
Children don’t get to vote
but should have a voice. I urge
everyone to support the new pool
at Edgeware.
Come along to the Edgeware
Pool Group’s next quiz night at
Bailies Bar on Colombo St to
support its fundraising.
This group is not sitting round
waiting for a handout, but I truly
hope the city gives them a hand
up.
NOR’WEST NEWS
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Schools join
intersection battle
•From page 1
Breens pupil Anna Scullion also
attended the hearing and read
out comments from other pupils
about the issue.
“I have to run for dear life so I
don’t get hit by cars coming off
Gardiners Rd,” said one.
Harewood School principal
Julie Greenwood said the safety
of her pupils and their families
needs to be prioritised.
“A number of families in this
area have indicated to us that
they find the intersection a real
barrier for sending children to
our school,” she said, during her
submission.
Two pupils, Jacob Bates, 10,
and Frances Pickrill-Kay, 8, also
spoke.
“Some people say they won’t
put lights there until someone is
killed, but won’t that be too late?
We need lights before someone
gets killed, not after.” said
Frances.
Mayor Lianne Dalziel agreed
that something needs to be done,
however, she said traffic lights
may not be the answer.
“We have heard from people
living in the Fendalton area, where
the installation of traffic lights
has actually had a worse affect, it’s
made it more popular for traffic to
use . . . all I’m saying is that there
may be other ways of solving the
problem.”