NZTA's $90m Brougham St will be detrimental to nearby suburbs, council says
A $90 million upgrade of a busy Christchurch road could have a detrimental impact on the city’s oldest residential neighbourhoods, the city council warns.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) is proposing several changes to Brougham St, including a pedestrian overbridge, building a third lane in place of car parks, and a shared cycle-pedestrian path.
The agency wants to have “T2 lanes” during peak hours – for buses, cars with at least one passenger, or motorcycles – but the Christchurch City Council wants them to extend beyond Brougham St all the way to Rolleston. Outside of peak times they would be available for parking.
In a submission to NZTA about the project, the city council said the proposals did not adequately consider the impacts on adjoining suburbs.
Brougham St bisects some of the oldest residential suburbs in the city including Sydenham, Spreydon, Waltham and Addington.
The council was concerned the proposals would increase the noise, vibrations and emissions for residents because the traffic would be closer to homes.
Part of the project’s success relied on the council making changes to surrounding roads, and the council called on NZTA to pay for those changes.
It did not want to see ratepayers burdened financially as a result of the project, and wanted to avoid a repeat of NZTA’s northern corridor project, for which the council had to spend millions of dollars adapting local roads.
Brougham St is classed as a state highway so is the responsibility of NZTA, but the roads leading into it are under the council’s control.
An average of 45,000 vehicles, including 4500 freight vehicles and trucks, use the road each day. It is a crucial link for vehicles carrying freight to and from Lyttelton Port.
Under the proposal, intersections will be upgraded, with more traffic signals, turn arrows and bus priority lights.
The pedestrian overbridge will connect Collins St and Simeon St, which under the plan would both become vehicle cul-de-sacs.
A shared cycle-pedestrian path would be separated from the westbound lane with new trees, between Simeon St and Opawa Rd.
The council said the shared path might not be wide enough for pedestrians and cyclists to safely travel together, and wanted to see it made wider.
It was also concerned the proposals did not provide for commuter cyclists, who were unlikely to use the shared path. The council wanted an assurance there would be provision for on-road cycle lanes at least 1.8 metres wide.
However, councillor Phil Mauger said at a council meeting on Thursday commuter cyclists should be encouraged to “rat run” (take shortcuts on side roads) down another road because there was not enough room for them on Brougham St.
Cr Melanie Coker was concerned there was no provision for a right hand turn into Selwyn St, but the council believed this would lead to vehicles rat-running.
She said the community had fought for a number of years to get the turn put in and to remove it was a “slap in the face for communities”.
She wanted NZTA to put the physical work on hold so it could address all the council’s submission points.
The council also criticised NZTA for holding consultation over the summer holiday period.
Public feedback on NZTA’s proposal closes on Friday (January 28).
Changing the conversation around dementia
Reducing stigma starts with the words we use, and shifting the way we talk about dementia is a powerful step forward. This World Alzheimer’s Month, Ryman is highlighting the importance of reducing the discrimination caused by stigma surrounding people living with dementia.
Caroline Bartle, Ryman’s Dementia Care and Innovations Lead, says that using appropriate language when referring to people with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia can foster a more inclusive society. This not only benefits those experiencing cognitive decline but also their families and the wider community.
Click read more for the full article.
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Kalle
"Sports and travelling run in the family, and that's kind of what's led me to come to New Zealand."
"I grew up in a small town in Finland. My dad was involved with sports all his life, he was a shot putter, discus thrower, powerlifter, we traveled quite a bit when I was a kid. He never mentioned much of the rugby days. He just said he broke both of his shin bones playing rugby, so he said, ‘never play the sport, It's crazy.’
I started playing when I was 18. I played my first cap for the Finnish national team in 2014, we won the Finnish championship with my club. Rugby is not a big thing in Finland.
I moved here to play rugby in 2017. The club that wanted me to come over was Methven Rugby Club. They got me here and they were like, ‘what do you do for work? I’d just finished chef school in Finland. ‘We'll get you a job at Mount Hutt as a chef, you can do that while you play rugby with us.’ I said, ‘Perfect. Yeah, I'm in’.
I've always loved food. My mum was an amazing cook, and still is. When I was studying tourism I worked in some hotels in Finland, and I saw how the chef's worked. I just loved the kitchen vibe and I was like, Yeah, that’d be something I'd love to do.
I've had more of a culinary journey In New Zealand than in Finland. I started at Mount Hutt, after that I worked at The Dubliner in Methven. I worked as a senior pizza chef at Sal’s for maybe six months then worked as chef de partie at Cellar Door. At Eliza's Manor, I worked myself up to a junior sous chef. Then the opportunity came to work my first head chef job at Moon Under Water.
We're privileged to have a busy atmosphere, we can try new things and get a bit creative. There are no TV’s, just come here with your family or with your mates, play board games, to socialise.
I really want to drive the local food and ingredients through the menu. We don't mind spending more for quality ingredients as long as it's supporting New Zealand businesses. We just love to use local. And it's pub food, but I feel like it's elevated.
I play club rugby here for the Christchurch Football Club, the oldest club in New Zealand and I still play regularly for the Finnish national team, whenever they can fly me over to play."
- Kalle
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