Western News: February 26, 2019

WESTERN NEWS Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Tuesday February 26 2019 7
News
Riccarton Rd plants
given new home
• By Georgia O’Connor-Harding
PLANTS WHICH otherwise would have
been sent to the dump have been given a
new home in Riccarton.
Creeping rosemary, agapanthus, hebes
and ​coleonema were removed from
Riccarton Rd last week as part of major
road works which started this month.
Eighteen planters were taken
out to enable space for one
lane of traffic in each direction
on Riccarton Rd during the
construction period.
But instead of being left to die,
the plants which could be saved
were transplanted to garden
beds at the Rata St and Straven
Rd intersection last week.
Riccarton Bush-Kilmarnock
Residents’ Association member
Lyndon Telfer wrote to the city council
last month, asking if the plants could be
placed in other gardens.
Association chairman Tony Simons
said it was good to know the city council
is thinking about conserving plants.
“We don’t like seeing things dumped so
we are really pleased the city council did
that,” he said.
The roadworks involve upgrading
damaged underground pipes and
•From page 1
The board will also make a
recommendation on the city council
going out for public consultation to allow
the Kyle Park Management Plan 1993 to
be updated.
The key objective for changing the plan
is to enable a community facility to be
accommodated on the eastern end of Kyle
Park.
Currently the
management plan does
not allow for a community
facility.
Cr Buck said she is really
keen to “keep the pace
going” and get the Hornby
Mike Mora
Anne
Galloway
facility established.
“We have gone through
all the options – this is the
quickest, fastest one and
the one I think has the
most community support,”
she said.
If the partial reserve
reclassification and
management plan changes
do not go ahead there
would be further delays as
an investigation would be required to find
another suitable site, a city council report
said.
It may also result in higher construction
costs due to inflation and a lower scope to
be able to be delivered for the budget.
Said Cr Galloway: “It is time to let
the community know we want the best
for them and provide a facility that will
encourage education and learning as well
as physical activity.
Cr Buck said her only concern was she
may not be able to get to the meeting due
to another commitment.
Last year, when the reclassification
Tony Simons
rebuilding the road to accommodate bus
priority measures.
The area has faced issues in the past
with plants along Rimu and Titoki Sts
being squashed by vehicles parking for
the Christchurch Farmers’ Market on
Saturday mornings.
Mr Simons said while it is still an issue,
the city council has made improvements
by putting bark chips on the
gardens.
It has also been placing road
cones around the gardens on
Saturday mornings to prevent
cars parking on the flower beds.
Halswell-Hornby-Riccarton
Community Board deputy
chairwoman Helen Broughton
said she brought the issue of
cars parking on Rimu and
Titoki Sts to the city council in
June.
She suggested bollards be placed
around the gardens.
Mr Simons supported this idea and
said the road cones are “not particularly
attractive.”
But city council planning and delivery
transport manager Lynette Ellis said the
safety of road users and the costs need
to be considered before any solutions are
finalised.
Kyle Park vote looms
CHOSEN SITE: Strong support
has been given by members of
the Halswell-Hornby-Riccarton
Community Board to allow Kyle Park
to be reclassified for the construction
of the Hornby mega-facility.
of Denton Park was discussed, the
community board decided not to proceed
with using the park for the facility on the
recommendation of a city council panel.
The park was turned down as the site
for the facility after strong opposition
from residents.
Former Save Denton Park chairman
Mark Peters said he imagined the
reclassification should go fairly
unopposed.
“I am more than happy to see this
proceed as soon as to get it sorted,” he
said.
•HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you think
Kyle Park is the best site for the
Hornby mega-facility? Email
your views to georgia.oconnor@
starmedia.kiwi