Southern View: September 24, 2020

6 Thursday September 24 2020
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
SOUTHERN VIEW
News
Play time for kids planned on streets
SOME LOCAL streets could be
temporarily closed to traffic and
turned into play areas in a series
of pop-up events funded by the
Government.
The city council has received
a grant of just over $39,000 for
the Play Streets initiative.
The project is being led by
Sport Canterbury’s Healthy
Families Ōtautahi Christchurch
team, and transport consultancy
ViaStrada with support from
the council.
There will be 12 Play Streets
events held around the city. A
street will be temporarily closed
to traffic and the local community
will be invited to scoot, bike
and play safely.
Play Streets is designed
to encourage kids to be active
and creative while boosting
social connections between
neighbours, and recognising the
importance of play to children’s
lives and community well-being.
Council urban development
and transport committee chairman
Mike Davidson said many
children were able to use their
local street more during the
Covid-19 lockdown.
Many decorated pavements
with chalk art, played sport and
rode their bikes.
“By introducing the Play
Streets concept in Christchurch
we hope to give families the
opportunity to experience the
streets free of traffic for a short
time, and make them a lively
shared space for learning and
connecting.”
Children will be able to walk,
bike or scoot around the
street and will be encouraged
to bring play items out of their
homes and garages to share with
friends and neighbours.
Sport Canterbury’s Healthy
Families Ōtautahi Christchurch
play systems innovator Adam
Gard’ner is thrilled the project is
going ahead.
“Providing temporary closure
on some streets to allow neighbourhoods
and communities
to use the space to connect and
play can contribute to longer
term well-connected and safe
individuals, whānau, neighbourhoods
and communities.”
ViaStrada Ltd senior transportation
engineer Gemma Dioni
said streets “are a resource that
are available to us all, and closing
them for a few hours on a weekend
will give the kids a chance to
play freely and actively outside
their front door in a safe and fun
environment.”
Each event would last for
between two and four hours and
ACTIVE:
Closing
some streets
temporarily
for two to
four hours will
allow children
to play and
connect
with others.
PHOTO:
NEWSLINE
the timing will be arranged with
the community.
There will be temporary restrictions
on vehicle movements
through the street for residents,
as vehicles are not permitted to
travel through a road closure
(except for emergency vehicles).
Locations will be finalised over
the coming weeks. Play Streets
will be held from December 2020
to February 2021.
Clare Reilly
INNER LANDS
Clare Reilly’s work has
been described 26 September as Neo- – 28 October 2020
Romantic. Her paintings
are imbued with a poetic
stillness and calm.
She has a close affinity with
birds in the landscape, with
the bird motif signifying a
sense of joy in flight, and
hope and renewal. Clare
lives in Otago’s Blueskin
Bay but also spends time
ain on Rd, Banks Little Peninsula River where | 03 325 1944 | art@littlerivergallery.com
she is inspired by the
landscape, flora and fauna.
Her career spans more than
three decades of painting
and exhibiting throughout
‘The Chattering Stream’ oil painting
New Zealand, with many by Clare Reilly exhibiting at Little River
works going overseas.
Gallery 26 September – 28 October
Inner Lands
Standing at the edge of the Inner land
Looking within and out again.
All is clouded and clear with
Insight, foresight, hindsight,
and still much unknown.
There was a time when,
the land was stilled and hushed.
As if resting, from the itchy human
activity, the earth sighed with relief.
The wind played its song
over the ridge lines and
the voices of birds rang out clear
into a cleaner, quieter air.
The streams chattered down into
gullies of bush and ferns, and the
passing of days were, at last,
observed by many, from inside
their bubbles.
A time of meditative connection
to leave distractions of everyday life
and find the meaning in being.
Now take me to those Inner Lands,
on the journeys of the mind,
where coastal forests give way
to the place of dreams, and
the mind can settle and rest,
and sustain the momentary
beauty of existence.
Clare Reilly - Sept 2020
Clare Reilly
INNER LANDS
26 September – 28 October 2020
Main Rd, Little River | 03 325 1944 | art@littlerivergallery.com