Southern View: April 09, 2019

8 Tuesday April 9 2019
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
News
• By Georgia O’Connor-Harding
HALSWELL residents
living with disabilities want
to see improvements made
to the suburb’s transport
infrastructure.
Surveys undertaken by the
Halswell Community Project
and city council have identified
a need for improvement in the
suburb’s infrastructure.
A report
released to
Southern
View showed
residents
living with
disabilities
Chance to help rid Redcliffs of pests
• By Louis Day
had concerns
over speeding
traffic, a lack
of controlled
PREDATOR-FREE Redcliffs has
exterminated more than 800 pests
in just over a year.
Fifty per cent of the pests were
rats.
There are now more than 400
traps from Taylors Mistake through
to Redcliffs.
Chief mouse catcher Paul Cragg
was delighted with the progress
INDEPENDENT LIVING: St John of God Halswell is one of many organisations in the suburb
providing care to people with disabilities. It has joined the tiny house movement to provide more
housing for people with physical disabilities. ​
crossings, large curbs and a need
for smoother footpaths. It also
found there was a general desire
for more disabled toilets in the
area.
Halswell-Hornby-Riccarton
Community Board member Ross
McFarlane said it is about finding
a happy balance of what footpaths
are functioning now and
what is due for a replacement.
“We’d all like footpaths paved
with gold but the fact is just in
the present financial situation
. . . let’s face it we have still got
a lot of earthquake damage,” he
said. But Mr McFarlane said it
was an excellent survey.
St John of God Halswell resident
Josh Caldwell, who was diagnosed
with rare auto-immune
disease transverse myelitis, said
the footpaths need to be addressed
as they are challenging.
“It is kind of citywide though
. . . I think Halswell is pretty
good compared to the rest of the
city,” he said.
Two surveys were undertaken
being made.
“It has certainly been a bit of a
success story, the number of people
that been engaged in backyard
traps has been amazing,” he said.
However, Mr Cragg said there
was still work to be done.
“Wherever you live there are rats
and they are eating eggs and birds.”
PlaceMakers Cranford St has
donated materials to build 150
more rat boxes.
due to the high number of organisations
working with people
with disabilities and an information
gap identified during a community
planning session.
One survey covered accessibility
to community facilities
while the other allowed the
opportunity to give feedback on
A community trap build will be
held on Sunday from 10am-noon
at the Redshed workshop opposite
Redcliffs New World.
“They’re super-easy to build
and kid-friendly and all they
cost is a gold coin donation to
help cover some of the trap
costs.”
Mr Cragg invited people to come
along and join the predator-free
movement.
what made the suburb a good
place to live.
It showed people with intellectual
disabilities liked living in
Halswell because of the slightly
rural feel, having accessible
facilities and it is close to other
areas.
The survey was originally
Local
News
Now
Call for transport infrastructure improvements
Ross
McFarlane
SOUTHERN VIEW
Fire rages, homes at risk
undertaken due to the high
number of organisations
working with people with
disabilities and an information
gap identified during a
community planning session.
Halswell has a large number
of organisations working with
people the disabled including
Halswell Residential College, St
John of God Hauora Trust and
Halswell Men’s Shed.
Thirty-eight individuals
responded ranging in ages from
10 to 82.
The report also showed there
was a demand for further recreational
activities and Zumba
for people living with disabilities
was recommended.
Other recommendations
were for more outdoor lighting
around car parks and walkways.
City council’s head of community
sport, governance and
partnerships John Filsell said it
will use the survey to work with
disability organisations and
community groups to assist in
projects that benefit people with
disabilities.
Halswell Community Project
chairwoman Chrys Horn said
it was a good survey which
highlighted the needs of a group
the community doesn’t hear
from often.
•HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you
think Halswell has adequate
facilities for those living
with disabilities? Email your
views to georgia.oconnor@
starmedia.kiwi
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