Nor'West News: May 21, 2019
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4 Tuesday <strong>May</strong> <strong>21</strong> <strong>2019</strong><br />
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi<br />
NOR’WEST NEWS<br />
<strong>News</strong><br />
Car park<br />
struggles at<br />
Nunweek Park<br />
set to ease<br />
•From page 1<br />
She said the car park can now<br />
be filled with members or parents<br />
during the current hockey season.<br />
“On Mondays, Tuesdays,<br />
Wednesdays and Fridays we have<br />
competitions starting at 1.30pm<br />
that run through to the last training<br />
around 9pm,” Ms Trolove<br />
said.<br />
City councillor Aaron Keown<br />
voted against the decision at the<br />
community board meeting.<br />
Cr Keown asked about the<br />
possibility of leaving some parks<br />
unrestricted to prevent parking<br />
struggles from being shifted<br />
elsewhere.<br />
But city council staff said saving<br />
some of the all-day parks for nonrecreational<br />
use was not an option.<br />
This is because it would not<br />
be consistent with the Reserves<br />
Act, which states that a car park<br />
on a recreation reserve is for the<br />
benefit of the park users.<br />
Community board chairman<br />
Sam MacDonald said while Cr<br />
Keown’s concerns were understandable,<br />
the community board<br />
worked through the potential<br />
problem and “recognised there<br />
was still a lot of on-street parking<br />
available.”<br />
Teething problems at new campus<br />
• By Matt Slaughter<br />
OVERCROWDING at the<br />
Shirley Boys’ and Avonside Girls’<br />
high school new site is a concern<br />
for some.<br />
The schools say the 2200<br />
students who started at the QE II<br />
Park site earlier this month are<br />
settling in and conversations to<br />
deal with issues are ongoing.<br />
However, a post on the People’s<br />
Republic of New Brighton<br />
Facebook page asking members<br />
what their children thought<br />
of the school two days after it<br />
opened received more than 100<br />
comments.<br />
Some students had told their<br />
parents overcrowded buses and<br />
narrow hallways had made the<br />
move difficult.<br />
AGHS principal Sue Hume<br />
and SBHS principal John Laurenson<br />
said early challenges were<br />
to be expected, but there was<br />
nothing to worry about.<br />
“To be perfectly honest with<br />
you, on the first few days of<br />
school there was congestion<br />
and we couldn’t allow that to<br />
continue because it would have<br />
been a health and safety issue.<br />
So, it’s not fabricated and we<br />
have to find out a logistical,<br />
organisational solution,” said Mr<br />
Laurenson.<br />
“Of course, there are always<br />
issues with tweaking things and<br />
CROWDED: Efforts to decrease congestion at the Shirley<br />
Boys’ High School and Avonside Girls’ High School new, shared<br />
campus are under way.<br />
finding out how they work best<br />
for everyone, so we’re just working<br />
together to make sure the site<br />
works best for everyone,” Mrs<br />
Hume said.<br />
Some Facebook commenters<br />
said these early issues had made<br />
the first days at the school difficult.<br />
“My daughter said the hallways<br />
are far too narrow and packed<br />
full of kids,” said one commenter.<br />
Mr Laurenson said congestion<br />
had eased somewhat and<br />
meetings to figure out how to<br />
deal with it, particularly when<br />
students made their way to lunch<br />
areas, had already happened.<br />
Options including separating<br />
the two schools’ lunch times had<br />
been considered.<br />
The same commenter said her<br />
daughter had been made to wait<br />
more than an hour for a bus after<br />
two drove past her too full.<br />
Other commenters said students<br />
were struggling to adjust to<br />
the shared nature of the campus.<br />
Mrs Hume admitted adjusting<br />
had been difficult, but said measures<br />
had been taken to deal with<br />
these issues.<br />
“This is new for us all and<br />
we are adjusting to occupying<br />
the same site and sharing some<br />
facilities. The senior teams from<br />
both schools keep in touch with<br />
each other as we work together<br />
to support the co-location and<br />
student access to the shared<br />
spaces. There is some pressure at<br />
break times on some spaces and<br />
we are working together to manage<br />
that.”<br />
She said overcrowding on campus<br />
had eased as the students<br />
had become more familiar with<br />
the site.<br />
Environment Canterbury has<br />
also added another bus and stopping<br />
points to ensure students<br />
could get to and from school<br />
more comfortably, said Mrs<br />
Hume.<br />
Other Facebook commenters<br />
agreed with Mrs Hume, saying<br />
students needed to be patient<br />
and allow time for the schools to<br />
figure out how they could function<br />
best together.<br />
“We are so lucky to have a<br />
wonderful new school in the<br />
area. Being the newbie always<br />
takes time, give it a chance,” said<br />
one.<br />
IF IT’S<br />
HAPPENING NOW<br />
CALL 111<br />
IF IT’S<br />
ALREADY HAPPENED<br />
USE 105<br />
There’s a new way to report non-emergencies to Police.<br />
Use 105.police.govt.nz if your property has been intentionally damaged,<br />
you’ve had something stolen or have lost property to report. You can<br />
also get updates here on a Police report you’ve already made, or add<br />
information to it. Call 105 to report anything else that’s already happened.<br />
Just remember, in an emergency, always call 111.<br />
NZP0467_A4
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