Ashburton Courier: August 06, 2020

www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz
Make it click, save your life
TONI.WILLIAMS
@ashburtoncourier.co.nz
The seatbelt is one of themost
important safety features of a
modern vehicle, saysdriver
safety tutorJonny Kirkpatrick.
But it’sonly effective if it’s
beingused and beingworn
correctly;sittingacross the
shoulder/sternumand across
the hips.
These are the strongest
points of the body and will help
reduceinjuryontherestofthe
body in an accident,especially
ahigh speed accident, of
which the impactis“insanely
violent”, he said.
Mr Kirkpatrick, of ProActive
Driver­ayouth driver
education trust ­was one of six
specialist tutors taking
AshburtonCollege Year12
studentsthrough various
aspects of road safety
education duringthe Rotary
Youth Driver Awareness
programme at the Hotel
Ashburton this week.
“Make it click, just like the
ads say.It’s hands downthe
most important safety feature
by alongshot,” he said.
“You’re nothelping yourself,
if you’re notwearing it.”
It is also lesseffectiveifit’s
defective(with nicks or cuts)or
twisted when worn; both ways
reduce its strength by up to 50
per cent.
It’s meant to restrain you
againstthe seat and keep you
in the seat.
It won’t do thatifit’s notfull
strength.
Mr Kirkpatrick spoke about
the safety features of modern
vehiclesand the benefits of
ANCAP safety ratings of four
and above; thehigher number
Station open day
The Terrace Station CharitableTrust is
holding thefirst of its spring open days this
Sunday.
The Hororatastation’s 15ha gardensare a
mass of snowdropsand people will be able to
stroll thegroundsand bring apicnictoenjoy
onthe lawns of the historic homestead, home
to Kate andRichard Foster.
In September, therewill be violets and
primroses forvisitors to enjoy, then in
Octoberand Novemberdaffodils,bluebells
and more willbeblooming.
The gardens are openonSundayfrom 11am
to 3pm.Entry is $5,children are free.
ProActive Driver tutor Jonny Kirkpatrick makes sure Ashburton College Year 12 student Matty
Cornish­Madden has the seatbelt in the right position for best safety.
PHOTO TONI WILLIAMS
the better and meant multiple
airbags(eight to 12) covering
driver andpassengers.
There was also anti­lock
braking systems(ABS brakes)
to prevent thevehicle sliding
or slipping, crumple zonesin
modern cars designedtotake
the impactofacrash, and
autonomousemergency
braking,electronic stability
control and sideintrusion
bars.
“Insurancewill buy anew
car, not anew you,” he said.
He also demonstrated ­using
thedrivingskills of Bob in a
Suzuki Swift ­the stopping
distance of avehicledriving at
30km/h andhow when driving
www.auricelectrical.co.nz
at doublethe speed, it
quadrupled the stopping
distance even withafull
assortment of brakingsystems.
He said thefunction of
vehiclesafety featureswas
primarily to protect drivers
from having an accident, and
secondarily to protect those in
the vehicleduring an accident.
NEWS
Ashburton Courier, August 6, 2020
Access resolution on Lochlea extension
Lochlea extension developers
andneighbours havereached
agreement on roadaccess to the
new gated community, but
tensions remain overother
aspectsofthe project.
LesBriggs, whodeveloped
the Lochlearetirement village
off Charlesworth Drive,is
buildinga39­homeextension
off nearby PrimrosePlace but
neighbours wereunhappy
about an increase of traffic and
asked theAshburton District
Counciltomake accessoff
Allens Road.
Both parties agreed last week
that the mainaccess to the
extensionwouldbeoff Allens
Road, though there would be a
smalleraccess off Primrose
Place. The development will
haveclose links with the main
village facility.
Neighbours remain
concernedatthe ground level
of the extension, which theysay
will put the newhomes1.3m
higher than theirs. They are
still tryingtofind an acceptable
resolution with Mr Briggs.
Approvalfor the original
staged Lochlea subdivision was
grantedbycouncil in 2008and
further consent to develop the
parcel of landat146 Allens
Road was granted in February.
Workstarted, then stopped,
after council staffissued the
developeralist of 16 matters of
concern.
Neighbours thenraised
concernsoftheir own about
stormwater overland flow, the
overall height of the
development on boundaries
andconstruction effects,
especiallyrelating to pile
driving for the proposed
retaining walls.
Council staff areworking
through the issues with both
parties.
Errol Kingsbury,
representingthe neighbours,
told councillors last week that
therewas no objection to a
secondary entrance of 4m off
Primrose Place. Therewill be
signs at both gates saying
‘‘residents only’’.
Council then dedicated
reserve landatthe end of
Primrose Placeasalegal road;
the 4m widthdoes not include
footpaths,kerband chanelling.
Mr Kingsbury saidthe
neighbours werenot against
private enterprise or progress,
but hadbeenangry about not
beingkeptfullyinformed about
the development. The resource
consent application lodged last
year wasgranted non­notified.
‘‘Welearned afterwork
started there werevery
significant ground level
changes, which could cause
major floods on our sections.’’
He wrotetomayor Neil
Brown and meetings with the
developer and council staff
followed, and many of their
concernswerealleviated.
Neighbours had since agreed
thattherewouldbeminimal
traffic through Primrose Place,
it would be quicker for
emergency services if theywere
needed andthe extension
would providefootpaths for
walking, as there were
currentlynoneonAllens Road.
SurveyorChris Hopper from
Davis Olgivie hasbeen working
withBriggs Investments on the
project and he said the design
had been throughmany
iterations,taking on board
neighbours’comments.
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7
Mardi gras
festivity in
September
More than 70 stall­holders will
take partinanew mardi gras
event in theplace of Boulevard
Daythis year.
BoulevardDay organisers
decided nottogoahead with
the annual event on September
28because of uncertainties
createdby covid, butAshburton
woman Carol Johns says there
is support forsome kind of
gathering and has organised a
mardi gras.
It willtake place on East
Street, which will be closedto
traffic and stallholders willline
the road. Ashburton retailers
will keep their shop doorsopen
and some have booked street
space;otherstall­holders
would sell food andhand­made
items, like bespokedog collars
and horse gear.
Community groupshad also
beengiven free space.
Carolhas beenbusy pulling
the event together overthe past
three weeks andsaid there was
support for aevent that helped
the community feellike was
returning to normal.
She said Bookarama was
continuing, with its opening
day on September 28,and
peoplenow had two reasons to
visitAshburton thatday. It is
also South Canterbury
anniversaryday.
Carolhas tapped into some of
the stallholders whocome to
Ashburton forWaitangi on East,
an event that runsalongside the
Multi­Cultural Bite.
‘‘This is just whatAshburton
needs, aday where we can get
backtosome sort of normal and
bring lifeinto thetown.’’
He said the retirement
villageextension wouldhave
its main entranceoff Allens
Roadand its physical address
wouldbeAllens Road. The
Primrose Placeaccessgave
residentsaccess to Lochlea
village and itsamenities.
Mr Briggssaid the original
Lochlea development wason
15ha of landhebought11years
ago; it was splitinto 67 private
sections,111 retirement
houses, 19 apartments andan
80­bedhospital. Some 39
retirement units would be built
in the newextension.
He said those residents
needed easy accessto facilities
in the main villageand that the
developmentwould provide
employment andmorehousing
for retired people at atimethat
was notconducive to
construction projects.
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