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Monday April 20 2015
SOUTHERN VIEW
GOOD CAUSE: Cherry’s on Maryhill pupils Kiya ConnollyCooper, Cooper Wixon, George Boughton, Georgia White, and Rocio Sharp stand with the hampers which will be raffled off to raise money for the Barrington playground rebuild.
Pre-school raises funds for Barrington playground
A Hoon Hay pre-school is working to raise money to rebuild the arson-hit Barrington playground. Cherrys on Maryhill pre-school decided to help raise money to rebuild the playground because it was used by a number of its pupils and their families. The families have contributed grocery items, and have approached businesses in the area which have also made contributions. Super Liquor, The Warehouse, Pita Pit, Brumbys, Unichem Pharmacy, and Fresh Meats have all donated goods to go into the raffle baskets.
All of the items have been put into hampers and would be raffled off. Each family would sell tickets for the raffles which is expected to raise $1000. The playground was badly damaged in an arson attack on March 13. Community members, local businesses and organisations have banded together to raise about $20,000, which the city council then matched. The pre-school decided to raise funds for the cause before the city council decided to match the community contributions.
Head teacher Lou Cameron said the pre-school still wanted to go ahead with the contribution because it was a local park and it was something the pre-school could help with. A few weeks before the arson, the preschool had a family night at the playground where a large number of our families brought along takeaway tea and played on the playground together. “When we heard about it having been damaged, we knew we wanted to help raise funds.” The rebuild of the playground is expected to cost between $3035,000.
Spreydon Library closed for earthquake repairs Spreydon Library will be closed from today to May 3 for earthquake repairs. The library will reopen on Monday, May 4. Work includes repairing cracks, repainting the interior, replacing windows and fixing the pavement. Libraries and Information unit manager Carolyn Robertson said the city council was completing the work as quickly as possible, and was expecting the process to go smoothly. “Spreydon is the first of many libraries getting the repair treatment over the next 12 months, and Christchurch City Libraries is doing everything possible to minimise disruption and keep customers informed. We’d like to apologise to all our
Spreydon customers for the inconvenience.” Items from Spreydon Library can be returned to any library in the Christchurch City Libraries network, and Spreydon Library’s after-hours returns will be cleared on weekdays throughout the closure. The nearest library is South Library at 66 Colombo St. Reserved items will be made available at South Library unless otherwise requested. The next library scheduled to undergo repairs is Papanui Library in mid-way through this year. For more information about the closure and library services, contact the Fingertip Library on (03) 941 7923 or visit www. christchurchcitylibraries.com
▌READER’S ▌ LETTER The proposal by the city council to incorporate a playground at Seager Park, Hillmorton, is a retrograde step demeaning those engineering this concept. This vicinity aligned with heavy bush, a nearby stream, attraction of homeless people, also alcoholconsuming Hillmorton Hospital patients denotes this playground as an unrealistic option. Present parks with playgrounds off Mathers Rd, Barrington Park, and Spreydon Domain would
indicate adequate facilities within the Hoon Hay /Spreydon area. In spite of parochial views by Spreydon-Heathcote Community Board chairman Paul McMahon backing this concept the placement of such a facility would be demeaning to Hillmorton. These sentiments would be reiterated by many inclusive of Linden Grove resident Carol McMillan. Gary Knight, Hoon Hay.
A COMMON SENSE PLAN FOR CHRISTCHURCH The City Council has said it wants to spend $4.68b on capital works over ten years. It proposes to borrow $2.38b by 2020. It proposes to sell $750m of assets. It proposes to increase rates by a total of 75% over 10 years.
Andrew Turner
Yani Johanson
Phil Clearwater
THE PLAN HAS BEEN CRITICISED AS RISKY AND UNAFFORDABLE, SO WE ARE PUTTING FORWARD A COMMON SENSE ALTERNATIVE FOR PEOPLE TO ALSO CONSIDER. 1
Concentrate on essential, urgent work to rebuild city.
2
Cut $700m (about 15%) from a capital works programme that is already behind schedule.
3
Don’t sell assets that bring in good money ($230m over ten years).
4
Use money retained to; • reduce borrowing (save ratepayers hundreds of millions in interest) • speed up repair of roads.
5
Ask the government; • to use the money they have allocated to a big stadium for repair of roads • to pay its share of unfunded earthquake repair work ($180m).
For our full Common Sense Plan visit:
Jimmy Chen
Pauline Cotter Glenn Livingstone
If you don’t want the Council to burden current and future
commonsenseplan.co.nz
ratepayers with high rates and unsustainable borrowing:
facebook.com/commonsenseplan
MAKE A SUBMISSION before 28th April on the form the
twitter.com/commonsensechch
Council has provided, or online at http://ccc.tfaforms.net/57 Authorised by Tracey McLellan, Chairperson, The People’s Choice Inc., 4 Wildwood Avenue, Christchurch