Kaiapoi safety improvements long overdue – school principals
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Kaiapoi North School is hoping some much needed road safety improvements will finally happen.
The Waimakariri District Council has announced it will upgrade the pedestrian crossing and add in some safety features on Williams St, in front of the school, later this year.
Safety improvements were also completed outside Kaiapoi High School ready for the new school year.
Kaiapoi North School principal Jason Miles said the school had been lobbying the council ‘‘for a long time’’, raising concerns about speeding motorists.
Student leaders had made presentations to the council in recent years, before Miles and board of trustees chairperson Greg Thomson met with council staff last year.
‘‘We are really excited to see the council is putting in place these changes. It really has been accident waiting to happen.
‘‘The behaviour of some drivers is really concerning and it is not just at the beginning and end of the day, because we have children walking to the Kaiapoi Aquatic Centre for swimming or to the domain for sports.
‘‘And it is a safety issue for other members of the community too.’’
A council spokesperson said the safety improvements would be made in two stages, with the first stage due to be completed mid-year and stage two by the end of the year.
Work will include installing speed cushion pads to force cars to slow down as they approach the crossing, improvements to the kerb and line marking.
Stage two will involve raising of the footpath on the eastern side of the crossing to make it accessible to wheelchairs and push chairs.
Kaiapoi High School principal Jason Reid said staff were pleased to begin the year with a new pedestrian crossing and safety improvements next to the school’s main entrance on Ohoka Road.
‘‘It was a significant concern for the school and we have really appreciated the effort of the council and the contractors to get the work done for the new school year,’’ Reid said.
He said staff were out in force during the first week of school to ensure students and the public understood the new environment.
The council spokesperson said too many motorists were exceeding the 40kph speed limit (during school hours).
Work has been completed to reduce traffic speeds, while a new pedestrian crossing and concrete refuge islands added, and the painted median widened in a bid to improve pedestrian safety.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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A reminder this hunting season
As thousands of hunters are making their plans for autumn – the Roar – recreational firearms groups are urging hunters to always be 100% sure of their targets.
Te Tari Pureke - Firearms Safety Authority NZ, which chairs the Recreational Firearms Users Group, has begun a public information campaign reminding hunters everywhere of Rule #4 of the Firearms Safety Code: to identify their target beyond all doubt.
Director Communities and Corporate, Mike McIlraith, says there is an estimated 50,000-60,000 New Zealanders involved in big game animal hunting each year, and the Roar is the key event for many hunters each year.
“The Roar is a fantastic time of year for hunters to get out into the hills after a trophy animal but hunting safely and making sure everyone gets home in one piece, still must be the most important goal of every trip,” says Mike McIlraith.
“The consequences of not fully identifying your target beyond all doubt can be catastrophic. Our message to hunters is a really simple one: If you are not sure, then don’t shoot.”
Mike McIlraith says while hunting fatalities are thankfully rare, research has shown that misidentification of the target is the largest firearms related risk to New Zealand deer hunters, and 80% of the time this involves members of the same hunting group.
The Authority says hunters should not feel pressured to take a shot: “Instead, hunters should take the time to analyse their target, wait and see if it is a hind or stag, how old is the animal, how many points does its antlers have? Identifying your target means never firing at sound, shape, colour or movement alone.”
Mike McIlraith says good hunters will slow down, and run through some simple mental checks:
- Can I see the whole animal, or could this be another hunter?
- Where are my hunting companions – could this be them or someone else?
- How much of the animal can you see, if it is a hind or stag, how old is the animal, how - many points does its antlers have?
“Taking a little extra time to identify your target and check the firing zone is the key to safer hunting. No meat or no trophy is better than no mate,” he says.
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