Record
October 2 2013
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Darfield Medical Centre delays labelled ‘ridiculous’ u by Belinda Cullen-Reid
Doors to the newly built Darfield Medical Centre will remain shut for the foreseeable future despite initial hopes it would open earlier this year.
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The Selwyn Aquatic Centre has reopened following an outbreak of cryptosporidium, which forced the centre to shut the doors …
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Selwyn Parenting Network host family fun day
The Selwyn Parenting Network will this month host a school holiday Family Fun Day …
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Life lessons on Terrace Station
Dealing with natural disasters has been part of the reality of life for Kate Foster …
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The centre has cost the Selwyn District Council just under $950,000 to build and has been funded through loans and land sales with no additional cost to ratepayers. Health professional Dr Olive Webb from Hororata is concerned with the amount of time it is taking to get the medical centre open. “I’ve been on the Canterbury District Health Board for 13 years and when I first came onto the board the burning issue in Darfield was a new medical centre. “There have been starts and stops and initiatives and regressions and political barriers and inducements and finally we have this building. “I have to say it seems ridiculous and perhaps reflects a lack of monitoring as the building was being built.” Dr Webb believes delays by the council in solving problems relating to soundproofing were not due to intentional neglect and it was more likely council put it in the ‘something I must get onto’ basket. “I think it’s abysmal and I think we need to be agitating, especially if it’s a small thing. There’s always a risk if something’s a small problem then it’s not big enough to focus a lot of attention on. I think a little bit of pressure to make things work is in order.” Selwyn Mayor Kelvin Coe said council is as concerned as anyone at the delays. A lease was signed between council and Dr Johan Vlok, which included sound
p Dr Olive Webb outside the empty Darfield Medical Centre
proof specifications in August 2011. Mayor Coe said an error on the part of the contractor led to the instalment of sound insulation at a lower level than the contract specified. He said this would be rectified by the builder and brought up to standard STC 44 requirements, which is the recognised standard in the industry for this kind of facility. “Dr Vlok in the meantime has asked for an even higher standard of insulation of STC 52,” Mayor Coe said. Council’s property services coordinator Rob Allen said remedial work by the contractor would not take place
until a decision had been reached about the higher specification of soundproofing wanted by Dr Vlok. “Anything over and above what the contract promises we will be looking for him (Dr Vlok) to pay for that.” Council has given Dr Volk until this Friday to make a decision about covering the cost of the sound proofing above what was originally contracted. Concerns regarding the size of the new medical centre car park have been raised at Malvern Community Board meetings. Dr Vlok didn’t respond to The Record’s request for comment on the soundproofing issue. ¢
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