North Canterbury News: September 30, 2021

PEGASUS, RAVENSWOOD, WAIKUKU &WOODEND
North Canterbury News, September 30, 2021
Addressing the challenges of urban growth
By DAVID HILL
‘‘Exciting things’’ are
happening in Woodend and
Pegasus, says Woodend­Sefton
Community Board chairperson
Shona Powell.
With the rapid growth, the
New World Ravenswood
supermarket opening during
the Covid­19 lockdown, the redevelopment
of Woodend’s
Owen Stalker Park, the opening
of the Pegasus Woodend Men’s
Shed and plans for new
community projects, it is all
happening in the area, she says.
‘‘It’s areally exciting place to
be at the moment and with all
the growth that’s happening,
it’s agreat place to live, work
and play,’’ she says.
‘‘Whoever thought you could
get excited about a
supermarket opening, but I
wasn’t the only one.’’
The new supermarket means
residents no longer need to
drive to Rangiora, Kaiapoi or
Christchurch for their weekly
grocery shop.
The Woodend /Pegasus and
Waikuku urban area, including
the new Ravenswood subdivision
is already the third
largest urban area in the
Waimakariri district, behind
Rangiora and Kaiapoi.
With more growth in the
pipeline, the population is
expected to double over the
next 10 to 30 years to more than
15,000.
‘‘It’s certainly growing and
it’s such afast rate and there’s
certainly future growth there as
well,’’ Ms Powell says.
The rapid growth is creating
some challenges with increased
traffic volumes on State
Highway 1, which passes
through Woodend, and at the
roundabout, north of Woodend
which links Ravenswood and
Pegasus.
‘‘SH1 traffic creates alot of
issues, but also the growth. We
have people who actually do
feel trapped in their homes.
They look at their clocks and
think ‘I’ve left it too late’,’’ she
says.
‘‘We need something which
creates some breaks in the
traffic and we’ve been
consulting with NZTA (New
Zealand Transport Agency)
about that, but we’re just not
making much headway at the
moment, but we will keep doing
that.’’
AWoodend Bypass has long
been proposed to divert SH1
traffic away from the town
centre.
Safety improvements have
also been proposed on SH1 but
Waka Kotahi New Zealand
Transport Agency has yet to
approve funding, aside from a
signalised crossing which was
installed outside Woodend
School at the beginning of this
year.
The Woodend­Sefton
Community Board would also
like to see an underpass for
cyclists and pedestrians
constructed at the Woodend /
Pegasus /Ravenswood
0800 DEUTZNZ
19
Time to shop ... Woodend­Sefton Community Board chairperson Shona Powell admits she never
imagined she would get excited about asupermarket opening, with New World Ravenswood opening its
doors during the lockdown.
PHOTO:DAVID HILL
roundabout.
‘‘We were told ‘when it’s
needed it will be put in’,’’ Ms
Powell says.
‘‘When you go to the
Ravenswood supermarket, the
only safe way to get there is by
private vehicle, because the
bus doesn’t go there and trying
to cross the roundabout safely
on bike, foot or e­scooter (when
they come), it’s extremely
difficult.
‘‘The traffic is heavy and
there’s no visibility for either
motorists or cyclists.’’
The community board
lobbied for a50kph speed limit
at the roundabout, but was only
successful in getting it reduced
from 80kph to 70kph.
The rapid growth also creates
opportunities, with local
residents eagerly awaiting a
plan change application to
create acommercial centre in
the new Ravenswood subdivision,
alongside the
supermarket, BP and
McDonalds.
‘‘Being just off SH1, it’s the
perfect location and the
community board is in favour of
the plan change, as we feel the
growing population in the
district can support more retail
space. And when you’ve got
people bypassing Christchurch,
where do they stop?’’
The Waimakariri District
Council plans to construct a
purpose built Pegasus
Community Centre in 2024 and
also plans to purchase land in
Ravenswood to build a
community facility in the future
as the area’s population grows.
The Ravenswood facility could
include acommunity centre,
library, swimming pool or a
park and ride facility.
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