Nor'West News: April 01, 2021

NOR’WEST NEWS Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Thursday April 1 2021 5
Removal of car parks questioned Discovery
• From page 1
Transport planning and
delivery manager Lynette Ellis
did not specify whether this was
an oversight by the city council
but said it takes time to apply for
and get the authority.
Association president Dr
Garth Wilson
said residents
were not only
frustrated the
work would
take longer,
but they
also did not
Catherine
Chu
think the city
council were
transparent
enough on whether it was an
error on their behalf.
Residents were also inconvenienced
as some equipment, such
as barriers, road cones or signage
remained on the road while
the consent awaited approval.
Riccarton ward councillor
Catherine Chu did not respond
to Western News questions by
the deadline.
Said Wilson: “The council sent
a letter to residents but it didn’t tell
the whole truth, the council was
not transparent to residents about
the cause of the delay and they
didn’t admit it as their error.”
“Residents were inconvenienced
for two months, the
barriers set out on the roadside
adjoined their driveways and
had to stay there.
“How much has this incompetence
by the city council cost the
ratepayer?”
The South Express cycleway
will connect the edge of the city
in Templeton to the central city,
with part of it being built in Riccarton.
Connecting to Ballantyne
Ave from Main South Rd, the
cycleway will make its way
through parts of Suva St, Middleton
Rd and park, Lochee
Rd, Wharenui Rd, Peverel St,
Elizabeth St, Picton Ave and
Blenheim Rd to Hagley Park.
Along the northern side of
Peverel St, on-street parking will
be removed next to Harrington
Park to make way for the 3m,
two-way separated cycleway.
Wainui St resident Stephen
Kennington questioned whether
the removal of parking would
make access to Harrington Park
unsafe for pedestrians.
In the city council’s plan,
raised platforms are being built
at the Piko Cres, Centennial Ave
and Tika St intersections to improve
crossing points and slow
vehicles down as they approach
the road.
“The park is used by families,
on family fun days [there]
hundreds of adults and children
enjoy it,” he said.
“The problem I see is that
the cycleway is being placed
on the Harrington Park side
of Peverel St; losing the shady
parking. It will entail crossing
the street and a two-way cycle
lane to access the park from
CONCERNS:
An artist’s
impression
of the
cycleway
being built
on Perverel
St next to
Harrington
Park.
IMAGE: CITY
COUNCIL
parking on the other side of the
street.
“Is that a great idea?”
Ellis said the north side of
Peverel St was chosen to provide
better access for people walking
or biking to and through the
park.
It minimises the number
of vehicle entranceways the
cycleway needs to cross and
reduces parking impacts on
Harrington Dairy.
But in terms of delays on
Elizabeth St, Ellis said investigation
work on-site was done to
assess whether archaeological
authority was needed.
“It takes some time to apply
for and get an archaeological
authority, as there is some investigation
work that needs to be
done before it can be issued.”
map lets
your children
go wild
SEND THE kids on a wildlife
treasure hunt exploring surprise
spots in the central city.
From Tūranga and Christchurch
Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū
to the Botanic Gardens and
Canterbury Museum, the colourful
Ōtautahi Go Wild map takes users
on a journey of discovery.
Follow the trail – featuring the
illustrations of award-winning
local author Gavin Bishop – to
find where the wild things are
living in the most unexpected
places.
The maps are available at the
four exploration places, with a
new Tūranga exhibition – inspired
by a Kiwi classic, Wildlife of
Aotearoa – also specially created
for the wider community and
young explorers.
Wild Ōtautahi features original
illustrations from Bishop’s popular
wildlife book, within a large,
interactive space packed with
activities and created by library
staff.
•Wild Ōtautahi is open in Te
Pito Huarewa – Southbase
Gallery on Tuakiri|Identity,
Level 2, Tūranga, until June
20.