Nor'West News: March 12, 2019

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4 Tuesday March 12 2019 Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi News Local body election contest heats up •From page 1 In the same year, he founded the Think Papanui Facebook page which shares information on city council consultations, community board agenda items and decisions, local projects, and other community work. Mr Britten said he would decide whether he was running for the board or city council before the nominations closed in July. “An elected role representing this community represents something I’m really passionate about . . . I also think it would be something I would be good at, I have the right skill set.” Mr Britten has been a leader at Papanui-based community development organisation Te Ora Hou Otautahi since 2011 and has volunteered for the Papanui Youth Development Trust. He is also on the Casebrook Intermediate School board of trustees. •Soapbox page 8 Inspirational women subject of video •From page 1 To reflect the Gibson sisters’ idea, Rachel said the school theme this year is “flourish”. Every year the student leadership team, comprised of eight year 13 students and 12 clan leaders, chooses a theme for the year. “As young women in 2019, we are fortunate to have so many choices and opportunities which help us to ‘flourish’ far more than perhaps our grandparents or great grandparents could,” Rachel said. “We wouldn’t be here without the previous generations, for example, standing up for women’s rights and paving the way for future generations,” • By Matt Slaughter THE DISTANCE between the hydrotherapy pool and the toilets at Taiora: QE II Recreation and Sport Centre is causing pool users embarrassment. Parklands resident Aileen Trist said the hydrotherapy pool was most often used by people who need close access to the toilet and changing room facilities. However, the hydrotherapy pool is further away from the RESPECT: Students from Christ’s College joined with Rangi Ruru students to make a video which aims to encourage people to think about and thank the women they admire. Rachel said. “We want the girls to know that with failure can come even greater success. Taking a risk in a facilities than any other pool at the venue. “People that use the hydrotherapy pool use it because they have a disability, whether it’s a big one or a small one, they have mobility problems.” City council head of recreation, sports and events Nigel Cox said the hydrotherapy pool was 55m away. He said installing the pool any closer to the facilities had not been an option because the supported and safe environment is a good time to try things you might otherwise not have thought about. budget for it was a late addition. Mrs Trist said her husband Tony has suffered two strokes and is paralysed down his left side. He was almost left embarrassed trying to get to the facilities during the couple’s last trip to QE II, she said. Mrs Trist wants three uni-sex toilet facilities to be installed closer to the hydrotherapy pool so others like her husband do not have to struggle in the future. NOR’WEST NEWS “It can build confidence and emotional resilience, which especially for young women is really important.” A video produced by Rangi Ruru students, with assistance from Christ’s College, went live on both schools’ websites on Friday. It hopes to encourage others to think about and thank the women they admire most. And what would the school’s 1889 founders think of the world for women today? “I believe the Gibson sisters would be very proud of Rangi Ruru in 2019, as we inspire, challenge and empower young women within a community that knows and cares for them,” Rachel said. Call to put toilets near QE II hydrotherapy pool She discussed this proposal in front of the Coastal-Burwood Community Board at its meeting last week. The board requested the city council seek urgent advice on how the toilets could be added. Mr Cox said the city council was aware of Mrs Trist’s concerns, but there are currently no plans and no funding available to install more accessible toilets. Delicious Asian Cuisine offered at two unique restaurants Hoi An House Thai and Vietnamese Restaurant • Function area caters up to 80 people Nothing quite like it in Christchurch • Lunch from 12pm to 2.30pm Thursday to Sunday and dinner from 5pm 7 days Food for the people The best of Asian street food Takeaway menu available $15 Lunch Special Thu to Sun 265 Halswell Road, Halswell 03 260 1799 | Open 7 days www.hoianhouse.co.nz No bookings required! 145D Colombo Street, Beckenham Former Nando’s site | 03 366 8844 www.commi.co.nz Enjoy this cuisine? Check out the Asian Garden Cooking School 7 Whitchurch Place, Harewood | Phone 03 359 8917 | www.asiancookschool.co.nz
NOR’WEST NEWS Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi Tuesday March 12 2019 5 Revolutionary plan for red zone • By Matt Slaughter A NEW, children-friendly development along the Richmond end of the Avon River will aim to help Banks Avenue School Pupils recover from the trauma of the earthquakes. Avon-Otakaro Network’s Evan Smith said about four out of five Banks Avenue School pupils had been left with some form of post-traumatic stress disorder. Banks Avenue School principal Toni Burnside said an ongoing study by Canterbury Toni Burnside University associate professor Kathleen Liberty had found Banks Avenue pupils continued to show symptoms of PTSD almost nine years on from the first quake. Mrs Burnside said these symptoms included not being able to focus in class, having separation anxiety from their parents and struggling to sleep at night. Mr Smith said Avon-Otakaro Network’s so-called Riverlution project would aim to bring normality and fun back into the lives of pupils and residents who had been surrounded by red zone for so long. “With the behaviours some of the kids are exhibiting, they calm down a lot if they’re out and about and getting in touch with the dirt.” The development would run from Glade Ave to Banks Ave and include a number of features including kids walking trails, play areas gardens, a pop-up cafe and a tiny house village. “For a long time this area has been a place of fear and now it can be a part of the solution. It’s really just enabling kids to RECOVERY: The Riverlution project will aim to bring normality back into the lives of Banks Avenue School pupils who have been affected by the trauma of the earthquakes. have an opportunity to explore the space and be at peace with it again,” said Mr Smith. He said Banks Avenue pupils would get to choose one feature to include in the project and the discussion on what this would be was in its early stages. Mrs Burnside said Ms Liberty was continuing to work with Banks Ave’s teachers to develop strategies to help pupils with PTSD cope at school. These included “drink to think,” a daily initiative where children are made to drink milk, having play time before lunchtime so students are settled when they come back into the classroom and having a snack break between the start of school and morning tea time. She said involving pupils in the Riverlution project would be another positive step towards their recovery. “We’ve been devastated here, so it’s really nice for them to be a part of that re-growth and rejuvenation . . . in years to come, they’ll remember the earthquakes, but they’ll also remember that they’ve played a part.” Local News Now Fire rages, homes at risk Have your say on Annual Plan CONSULTATION ON the draft Annual Plan 2019-20 is open. Mayor Lianne Dalziel said the draft Annual Plan has a few significant changes from the budget forecast for year two of the Long Term Plan. It reflects a desire to reduce rates increases, remove chlorine from the city’s drinking water and to focus attention on roads, footpaths and parks. These are our top priorities for the year ahead,” she said. “It’s a year for getting the basics done, while ensuring our drinking water is in line with new standards set by central Government.” The average rates increase is lower than the amount forecast in the Long Term Plan, which is pleasing, she said. However, there has been an increase in the fixed charges component of rates, including an increase in the waste minimisation rate, due to increased costs for recycling on the international market. •Consultation on the plan is open for the rest of March, with hearings planned for April. As local MP I was impressed by the turn-out of hundreds of volunteers from the Student Volunteer Army (SVA) to plant native trees and clear weeds at the Styx River Catchment in Belfast recently. Congratulations to SVA president Sati and his team for coordinating such a successful event in support of the local community. I enjoyed chatting to volunteers and having a closer look at the work they undertake, and acknowledging what they do when I spoke at the event. Thirty-five species of native birds live in the fragile Styx Catchment and it was great to see everyone making such a positive impact on this area. I enjoyed attending the Rare Breeds and Heritage Lifestyle Day at Willowbank on Sunday. It was a great opportunity to have a look at New Zealand’s rare breeds and to hear about the work undertaken by the Rare Breeds Conservation Society of New Zealand. I’m inviting our principals and school communities from across the electorate to a public meeting to look at proposed changes to schools under Government’s Tomorrow’s Schools programme on Wednesday 3 April at 7pm in the Ruataniwha Kaiapoi Civic Centre in Kaiapoi, so please do attend to hear what the proposals will mean for your school. We’ve raised some serious concerns about the potential transfer of power from parents to officials. Changes to apprenticeship and trades training are causing concerns that polytechnics in the regions will be short-changed. From next year, trades-training apprenticeships will be managed by polytechnics as they were almost 30 years ago. I believe this is a step backwards as today we recognise industry is best at training industry. Regional polytechnics like Ara will be centralised into one large national polytechnic in Wellington and all decision-making for Ara will come from Wellington. We are consulting New Zealanders on their views and I would love to hear from you.
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Nor'West News: March 12, 2019

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