Western News: March 24, 2020

WESTERN NEWS Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Tuesday March 24 2020 5
News
Siska Pl problems in spotlight
• By Georgia O’Connor-Harding
DRUNKEN AND disorderly
behaviour, cramming of parked
cars, litter and damage to public
property.
This is what Siska Pl resident
Ruby Chan has had to put up
with since 2004 as a result of an
increase in the number of flats
on the Upper Riccarton street.
On Tuesday, she made a
presentation to the Halswell-
Hornby-Riccarton Community
Board calling for help and for
no-stopping restrictions to be
placed on the street.
The most “burning concerns”
she had was the number of
flats, safety concerns for drivers
accessing Rountree St from
Clonbern Pl, no parking signs
and young people being aggressive
and intimidating.
“The problem has escalated
to the next level . . . accessing
the street during night-time is a
nightmare,” she said.
Dr Chan, along with her family
has been living on the street
for the past 28 years.
But she said the issues have
been growing since 2004, with
residents taking it to the city
council around that time – but
nothing has eventuated since.
Dr Chan said one of the key
problems is signage reading no
car parking on one side of the
street being repeatedly taken
down by young people.
“I have been contacting the
city council to have them replaced
but up until now, nothing.
So it is very difficult for us
to access the street.
“Our proposed solution is
to have yellow lines but this is
getting nowhere with the city
council,” Dr Chan said.
Only one vehicle can travel
through if cars are parked on
both sides of the street.
“You just have to brace yourself,
take that head-on collision,
hoping you are okay,” Dr Chan
said.
Particularly at the beginning
of the year when young people
are having parties, Dr Chan
said students will bang on her
windows or stand on the street
and pull “wonderful gestures.”
“They are drinking on the
streets even when there are
clear signs saying there are alcohol
bans,” Dr Chan said.
She recalled one night where
she was unable to sleep due to
a motor-cycle travelling backwards
and forwards in the alley
by her window.
Living behind Siska
Reserve, Dr Chan said
residents also have concerns
over littering and it becoming
a dumping ground for young
people at the beginning and end
of the year.
Board chairman Mike Mora
TIGHT
SQUEEZE:
Siska Pl
resident Ruby
Chan describes
having to
“brace” herself
when she drives
along her street
when cars are
parked on both
sides. ​
said the situation residents were
facing was not good at all and
would see what “wheels” the
board could get “in motion.”
A Canterbury University
spokeswoman said it maintains
close and constructive relationships
with the city council, environmental
health team, police
and University of Canterbury
Student’s Association to address
neighbourhood matters around
the campus.
She said there had not been
any matters regarding Siska
Pl drawn to its attention other
than some noise disruption
last year which was found
to be caused by a resident
not enrolled at Canterbury
University.
Asbestos in
several
buildings
•From page 1
It was closed in 2012 due to earthquake
damage and has been vacant
ever since.
But city council’s head of facilities,
property and planning Bruce Rendall
said it has found about $300,000
of the $360,000 needed to remove
asbestos and demolish the site.
He said if the remaining funding
was found, the work – including the
building demolition, land and soil
treatment would take about four
months.
The funding would come from the
city council’s operational budgets.
In July last year, the city council
undertook asbestos surveys at the
centre to determine the extent of the
asbestos removal required before the
demolition could occur.
The testing found several of the
buildings on the site were constructed
when asbestos-containing
materials were commonly used.
Mr Mora said it would be good
news if the demolition could begin
in July and agreed with Mr Peters.
“It just reminds everybody about
the earthquakes. People are grizzling
about private buildings in
town that have not been demolished.
Yet this is a public building – it
should be demolished,” he said.
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