Nor'West News: April 15, 2021

NOR’WEST NEWS Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Thursday April 15 2021 5
‘He leaves a massive hole’
•From page 1
With boots clean and
always at the ready, Mahan
also coached and managed
junior grades at the club before
organising the golden oldies
squad.
He was also set to manage
the premier reserve team this
season.
The Metro Premier side
provided a fitting tribute,
beating Burnside 26-11 while
the premier reserves were also
too strong for their Burnside
counterparts, winning 38-19.
“He gave plenty. He was
always there to lend a hand or
step up when no one else did,”
Thompson said.
Mahan was also mourned by
the North Avon Christchurch
BMX Club, which he joined in
2005 when son Connor started
competing.
He was recently made a life
member of the BMX club in
recognition of his work in helping
establish new facilities at
the headquarters in Bexley after
they were devastated by the
earthquakes.
“When the 2011 earthquakes
hit and wrecked the facility,
the club lost everything,” club
president Mark Lewis said.
“Nigel led the charge to pick
up the pieces and start again,
DRIVING FORCE: Nigel Mahan’s contribution was
paramount as the North Avon Christchurch BMX Club
got back in the saddle after 2011 earthquakes.
guiding the club back to a
successful hosting of the 2014
South Island Titles on a ‘repaired’
track with generators
and water carts.
“At the same time, Nigel’s
passion and drive was instrumental
in securing funding for
the construction of the fantastic
new facility at the northern end
of Bexley Reserve.”
Although he had switched
focus to rugby matters, Mahan
was still remembered fondly at
the BMX club.
“Everyone who knew Nigel
knows he was very supportive
and had great advice,” rider
Imanuel Abdel Malak said.
“He supported from day one
with my riding, right up to
the most recent nationals (in
Rotorua last month). We will all
miss him dearly.”
“He encouraged and supported
every member from the
littlest sprocket to the ones old
enough to know better,” Lewis
added.
“He was the backbone to
many large events and the 2020
Nationals would not have been
a success without him.
“Nigel put his heart and soul
into North Avon BMX and he
played a huge part in so many
club members’ lives. He will be
sorely missed by the entire BMX
community.”
Mahan is also survived by his
wife Nina, daughter Chantal
and Connor.
A reader responds to
concerns that not all
voices were heard over
a contentious housing
development in St Albans
My neighbours and I – the
“older households” referred to in
last week’s front page article in
Nor’West News – have indeed let
our council know the reasons for
our opposition to the Wolfbrook
developments in Mersey and
Westminster Sts, and they do
not include the fact they are
“medium density” housing.
We have no beef either, with
the people (statistically 60 per
cent of whom will be renting
from investor-landlords) who
will live in them.
What we are objecting to
is their dominant, outsized,
featureless, colourless, cookiecutter,
brutalist, bunker-like
appearance, with no room for
children and minimal parking
provision, which does not sit
well in our older family-oriented
suburb.
We also object to the $520,000
to $680,000 price tags for the
very small one and two-bedroom
apartments within these piles,
being touted as “affordable housing.”
There is a place for everything.
Just as covenants would prevent
us relocating our beautiful
100-year-old character home
to a new subdivision or to a
designated housing complex site
in the inner city, we expect the
same sort of consideration, and
we sincerely hope there will be
no more of this current “style” of
architecture in St Albans.
– June Peka