Students call on local board to fix open drain: South Auckland

Caryn Wilkinson Reporter from Community News

Pupils from Papakura Normal School have appealed to the local board to fix an open drain along Walters Rd, which neighbours their school.

Kaige Chase, Gabriel Moaate-Minhinnick, Olivia Kim, Genesis Blakelock and Angelina Tuiono asked the board to take their concerns to Auckland Transport after incidents involving children walking to school.

"We realise this is probably about money but saving money in the old days has just stored up problems for today," they said.

The students told the board a six-year-old boy fell into the drain.

Another boy failed in his attempts to rescue him.

But a motorist intervened and pulled him to safety.

In another incident, a driver leaving the carpark opposite drove into the drain.

“The incident with the boys led to temporary fixes that involved some orange plastic fencing, but it just seems to have become a permanent solution," the students said.

"Now it is breaking down and probably ending up polluting our sea.”

The drain had become overgrown, with the school spending money battling gorse and weeds and building a large fence to keep students safe, they said.

The pupils urged the board to infill the drain to create more parking and drop-off zones.

Board chair Brent Catchpole said he was impressed with the amount of research that went into their deputation.

"These young people did not just come along to complain," he said.

"They gathered evidence, thought about the problem and even outlined possible solutions."

The board will refer the matter to Auckland Transport and Healthy Waters, asking for a quick response, he said.