Selwyn Times: June 27, 2018

SELWYN TIMES Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Wednesday June 27 2018 11
Your Local Views
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Readers respond to an
History of ‘Weedens’
article about Malvern
ratepayers not profiting
from the sale of district
council-owned houses and
land in Darfield
Former mayor and
Springfield resident Bill
Woods – Before people
comment on the sale of the
Darfield houses by saying that
there have been houses sold
in the former council areas of
Ellesmere and Paparua and the
money has gone to
the consolidated
fund of the district
council, why should
Malvern expect to
retain the money
from the sale of
their houses? There
is no argument
with that except
that there has been at least eight
houses from the Malvern area
sold already with the money
going to the consolidated fund.
These particular houses were
built for a reason and the people
were rated specifically for that
reason to pay for the houses.
Under the Public Works Act, if a
property is acquired for a specific
reason and that reason is no
longer applicable, the property
has to be offered to the original
owners. In the case of the houses,
the Malvern council did not buy
the houses off the owners but
rated its community to pay for
them. Now that the houses are
no longer required, the money
taken from those ratepayers
should be returned to them at
today’s value. A precedent has
been set in legislation and should
apply to these houses. Finally, it
would be nice to have our three
elected members support those
who elected them.
Gary Knight – If the three
council- owned houses in Ritso
St are decontaminated from
methamphetamine then sold for
between $300,000
and $350,000, surely
the accrued revenue
from these sales
must filtrate back
into the Malvern
community. The
case raised by
former mayor Bill
Woods and past
district councillor Paul Stewart,
determining revenue from
the sale of these properties be
returned to the community, not
only echoes these sentiments
but also civic guidelines bound
by protocol that must surely be
appraised, respected and adhered
to. Within this context, it is
essential that an absolute public
consultation process is enacted
in addition to any submission on
the Long Term Plan 2018- 2028,
thereby enabling bureaucracy
to work in favour of entitled
monetary filtration into the
Malvern community.
Weedons
Residents’
Association
secretary
Gary Doyle
talks about
the history of
the township
THE WEEDONS area as it
is known was named after
William Weeden.
When a railway station was
built at the intersection of
Weedons Ross and Jones Rd, the
sign writer misspelt the name as
Weedons. This misspelling has
remained.
Mr Weeden took over a hotel
named Halfway House on the
Main South Rd from a Mr
Mains. The site of the hotel is
believed to have burnt down in
the 1880s.
This establishment was a
Cobb and Co stage coach
stop, being halfway between
Christchurch and the Selwyn
River. When the railway came
into being with a line going
south and another travelling to
the West Coast, a rail depot was
put in place and houses started
to be built.
As a result, the Halfway
House licence was transferred to
the current Rolleston Hotel.
Mr Weeden had actually
attempted to establish a township
on the site of the under
construction overbridge. However,
in spite of selling several
sections, the venture failed due
to the railway junction and associated
settlement being located a
short distance to the south.
Weedons was one of the very
few places to have two railway
stations with the same name,
one was situated as described
and the second was closer to
Christchurch and served the
Weedons Air Force Base.
OLD: A
painting of
the former
Halfway
House hotel
in Weedons.
The area is served with an
excellent school, the land for
which was donated by a local
landowner. The Weedons
Reserve contains not only a
golf club, but a very old cricket
ground, which is undergoing extensive
development, and three
tennis courts.
Weedons has never been
a centre of major industrial
growth. However, with the expanding
growth of IZone at one
end and the proposed Fulton
Hogan quarries at the other end,
it is being squeezed between the
two with all the resulting traffic
issues.
These, coupled with the major
works being done on the Main
South Rd, have and are bringing
major changes to what has been
a rather quiet and peaceful rural
area.
Twice a year we clear the Community Fund collection boxes at
Christchurch Airport and share the money across the community.
Kiwi dollars, international currency, small change from your cup of
coffee, plus a top-up donation from us, all add up for local charities
and community projects.
GOLD
CARD
LUNCHES
MON - FRI
The New Brighton Blanket Bank has been running since 2012 with the aim of
collecting donations of good used and unused blankets, duvets, sheets and
towels; and redistributing them to those in the community that require some
extra warm bedding. Blanket Bank Coordinator Sarah (pictured) helps families
and individuals from all over Christchurch, and even beyond.
Charities and community groups
can apply for funds at
christchurchairport.co.nz/communityfund
Woodfired Pizzas / Full Menu •
$20 Pizzas Mon / Tues •
$7 Beers 4-6pm Every day •
Gaming Room •
Tues Quiz Nights •
$15 Burgers Wed •
$15 Curry Thurs / Fri •
Roasts every lunch and Sunday nights $22 •
Takeaways Available •
Open 7 days Coffee/Lunch/Dinner
Open 11.30am Mon-Sat | Ph 03 421 6481
Sunday Breakfast from 9am
West Melton Village, Weedons Ross Road
www.twofatpossums.co.nz
Courtesy Van available