The Star: August 29, 2019

The Star Thursday August 29 2019
16
OPINION
The coming week
in our history
August 29, 1914 – Colonel
Robert Logan led a 1400-strong
expeditionary force to capture
German Samoa in New Zealand’s
first action of World War 1.
August 30, 1903 – Guide
Joseph Warbrick and three
tourists were killed instantly when
the Waimangu Geyser in Rotorua
erupted unexpectedly.
August 31, 1974 – Norman
Kirk, leader of
the Labour Party
since 1965 and
prime minister
since late 1972,
died suddenly
at the age of 51.
‘Big Norm’ was
the fifth prime minister to die in
office.
September 1, 1987 –
Lorraine Cohen was sentenced
to death by a Malaysian judge for
heroin trafficking. On appeal,
her sentence was commuted to
life imprisonment. The trial of
Lorraine and her son Aaron, who
was arrested at the same time,
gained worldwide attention.
September 2, 1960 – New
Zealand sport enjoyed one of its
greatest days in Rome’s Olympic
Stadium. Peter Snell won the
800m and Murray Halberg won
the 5000m.
September 2, 1972 – The
New Zealand rowing eight wins
gold at the Munich Olympics.
September 2, 1979 –
Christchurch’s Ivan Mauger wins
his sixth world speedway title.
September 3, 1939 –
New Zealand declares war on
Germany. Acting prime minister
Peter Fraser said: This is not
an occasion for many words;
it is a dark day in the history
of the world … it is with deep
regret and sadness that I make
this announcement on behalf
of the Government, and the
people will receive it with similar
feelings. That will not, however,
affect the determination of both
Government and people to play
their part.
I HAVE an idea for the red zone
– leave it the way it is now and
let it continue to return to its
natural state.
The $800 million-plus cost
that has emerged for maintaining
the red zone and putting
infrastructure in like roading
and water management over the
next 30 years is mind-boggling.
That figure is an estimate. And
history tells us estimates are
usually the least you will have
to pay.
A reasonable chunk of the
red zone was once swamp and
the domain of native birds and
fauna. A wilderness.
Then Europeans arrived. The
land was cleared for farming,
dairy mainly, and later developers
capitalised on the expanding
city and began to convert it into
housing and suburbs.
That came back to bite on
September 4, 2010, and February
22, 2011, when the swamp struck
back. Not far below the surface
was water, and when the quakes
Readers respond to last
week’s article which
showed what Collett’s
Corner in Lyttelton will
look like when it opens in
2022
Felicite Jardine – I am
totally opposed to this design
and structure. It is totally out of
keeping with the current character
of the township.
Lyttelton does not need this
kind of space or building.
Smaller quirkier space works
better for attracting people to
come and spend time here in my
opinion.
Margaret Pool – This
design is disgusting, it has no
village look or feel about it what
so ever. As a resident for over 50
years I think it is an insult to the
local people that truly call Lyttelton
home.
Dianna Garrett – I have
some familiarity with the original
design competition and have
to say it is extremely disappointing
to see how different from
news online at www.star.kiwi
Leave the red zone to flourish
violently shook the land, the
water was squeezed upwards
in the form of liquefaction –
forcing the exodus of thousands
of people.
Since then our city leaders
and government agencies have
the original winning scheme
the redesign is. Warren and Mahoney
appear to have taken over
the original young architectural
team’s fresh, innovative project
and made it blandly corporate.
The competition entrants,
not just the winning scheme,
From the
editor’s desk
Barry Clarke
been in the process of what to do
with the red zone. Millions has
been squandered on pointless
consultation, hare-brained ideas
and potential developments, and
on the salaries of those who have
been overseeing it all.
made huge efforts to present
unique and original designs that
related to context and I feel if the
current scheme was presented it
would not have won.
I think the other entrants, and
the people of Lyttelton, would be
similarly disappointed.
And what has progressed from
all of this? Not much.
What we need to do with the
red zone is allow nature to take
its course; allow native bush to
regenerate and the birds and
other wildlife to boom back in
their natural environment.
Put walking and bike trails in,
places where people can picnic
and structures where they can
observe the native birds which
since the quakes have returned
in great numbers. Even put in
tarsealed car parks.
Drop the name red zone
– it sounds like a place you
should stay away from. Call it
something exotic to reflect a
wilderness within the city.
In the decades to come, the
red zone, or whatever it will
be called, will be a point of
difference for Christchurch.
And the $800 million-plus
cost can be redirected to other
projects across the city to ease
the burden on ratepayers.
barry@starmedia.kiwi
Send us your views. If
you have an opinion on
a Christchurch issue,
email barry@starmedia.
kiwi and put ‘Opinion’ in
the subject line. Emails
should be kept to about
150 words
Fraser Aitken gives his
view on the possibility
ratepayers could
subsidise city councillors
and community board
members childcare costs
Should this proposal be supported
and voted into operation by
city councillors, then this would be
tantamount to being a direct act of
contempt to all those hard-working
women doing up to three jobs a
day at all hours and still having to
pay for their childcare. Remember,
councillors are paid over $100,000
per year. Community board
members do earn less but work
part-time. They, like councillors
wish to be elected. Childcare is not
a rateable proposition and should
never be.
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