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The Star: September 06, 2018

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<strong>The</strong> <strong>Star</strong> Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi<br />

Thursday <strong>September</strong> 6 <strong>2018</strong> 15<br />

News<br />

AT CHRISTCHURCH<br />

CASINO!<br />

CHALLENGE: <strong>The</strong> Palms Shopping Centre manager Emma Smith found how difficult it was<br />

yesterday to be in a wheelchair while running an entire mall.<br />

Wheelchair challenge<br />

for mall manager<br />

• By Georgia O’Connor-<br />

Harding<br />

EVERY WEEK at least three New<br />

Zealanders are paralysed by a<br />

spinal cord injury.<br />

Yesterday, <strong>The</strong> Palms shopping<br />

centre manager Emma Smith<br />

found out how challenging it is to<br />

be in a wheelchair.<br />

To raise awareness for spinal<br />

cord injuries, Mrs Smith spent the<br />

day in a wheelchair while running<br />

the shopping centre.<br />

Getting used to a wheelchair<br />

was “challenging.” Small things<br />

like unpacking a bag or a laptop<br />

or going to the bathroom were a<br />

struggle, she said.<br />

“I really appreciated how challenging<br />

life can be for others and<br />

I certainly won’t take for granted<br />

the easy accessibility I have,” she<br />

said.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Palms teamed up with the<br />

New Zealand Spinal Trust as part<br />

of a week-long national appeal to<br />

raise funds and awareness.<br />

<strong>The</strong> NZST helps those affected<br />

by spinal cord injury or impairment<br />

live independent and confident<br />

lives.<br />

Rock-fall risk could stop garden<br />

• By Matt Salmons<br />

ROCK-FALL RISK could thwart<br />

plans for a memorial garden to<br />

honour two Lyttelton men who<br />

died in the February 22, 2011,<br />

earthquake.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Norton Close site, former<br />

home of Owen Wright, was suggested<br />

for a garden to remember<br />

him and Ian Foldesi.<br />

Land Information New Zealand<br />

group manager land and property<br />

Jeremy Barr said it was “too early”<br />

to say if and how the garden to<br />

Mrs Smith said on average three<br />

people suffering a spinal cord<br />

injury was “horrifically sad.”<br />

“It is just really important we as<br />

a centre understand the frustrations<br />

and challenges and we can<br />

continue to make improvements<br />

for these families.<br />

“All shopping centres should be<br />

accessible, there is no excuse not<br />

to,” she said.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Palms is working on making<br />

its cafes more accessible by<br />

ensuring there is enough room for<br />

people with wheelchairs to access<br />

the area with ease.<br />

At the shopping centre yesterday<br />

was NZST marketing manager<br />

Mike Brown.<br />

Six years ago his life changed<br />

forever when he was struck by<br />

a car while working in Tannum<br />

Sands, Queensland.<br />

He was skateboarding to a park<br />

to meet his son and wife when a car<br />

crossed the centre line, crashing<br />

into him and breaking his back.<br />

<strong>The</strong> accident left Mr Brown<br />

with a spinal cord injury and he<br />

requires a wheelchair for mobility.<br />

Last year, Mr Brown began<br />

working for NZST following the<br />

could be created.<br />

Mr Wright was struck and<br />

killed by a boulder on the Major<br />

Hornbrook track during an<br />

aftershock while he was walking<br />

home from ferrying people over<br />

the Bridle Path. Father-of-three<br />

Mr Foldesi was walking the Stan<br />

Helms track when the earthquake<br />

triggered a rockslide that swept<br />

across the track and carried him<br />

25m down a cliff face. Mr Barr<br />

said LINZ considered a variety of<br />

requirements in approving transitional<br />

land use projects.<br />

support he and his family received<br />

after the accident.<br />

It was a long road to recovery<br />

for Mr Brown, but he said with the<br />

right support from organisations<br />

like the NZST, life is pretty good.<br />

“<strong>The</strong>re are constant struggles,<br />

accessibility is only one of those<br />

struggles but I think as a society<br />

we are certainly a lot more aware<br />

and we are making more steps to<br />

make it more inclusive,” he said.<br />

On Saturday, the shopping<br />

centre will host a wheelchair<br />

obstacle course where the public<br />

can participate with a gold coin<br />

donation.<br />

<strong>The</strong> nationwide appeal started<br />

yesterday for World Spinal Cord<br />

Injury Day and finishes on<br />

Wednesday.<br />

•To support the New Zealand<br />

Spinal Trust go to givealittle.<br />

co.nz/cause/relievethepressure or<br />

relievethepressure.org.nz<br />

•HAVE YOUR SAY: How<br />

do you think shopping<br />

malls could be made more<br />

accessible? Email your<br />

views to georgia.oconnor@<br />

starmedia.kiwi<br />

“Because this particular property<br />

was red-zoned due to rockfall<br />

risks, the risk to life on this<br />

site will be one of the issues that<br />

has to be worked through in relation<br />

to health and safety on site.”<br />

Mr Barr said it wanted to support<br />

the community through the<br />

application process. Last Tuesday,<br />

garden organiser Betty Purdue<br />

and two LINZ representatives met<br />

on site to discuss the options for<br />

the memorial garden. Mr Barr<br />

said LINZ was continuing its discussions<br />

with Mrs Purdue.<br />

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you visit Christchurch Casino on Thursdays & Fridays.<br />

Winners must be present.<br />

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