Latest floods a ‘dodged bullet’
"We just dodged another bullet.”
Ashburton mayor Neil Brown wasn’t mincing words when he renewed calls for Ashburton’s second bridge, hours after it had reopened following a second flood-related closure in two years.
The South Island was essentially cut in half for almost 12 hours after Waka Kotahi closed the State Highway 1 Ashburton/Hakatere River Bridge due to a build-up of debris on Sunday night.
It was an ‘I told you so’ moment and Brown didn’t hesitate.
“We need to do something.
“We had almost a third of our annual rainfall in 24 hours. The river got to half the flow it was two years ago and we got away lightly this time, but it may not happen next time.
“We need to build some resilience into this river to keep the South Island connected.”
During the 2021 floods, the river raged at 1500 cumecs and the bridge was closed for days after a pier slumped and needed to be repaired.
The river flow peaked at 723 cumecs at the Ashburton/Hakatere SH1 bridge at 4pm on Sunday, with Waka Kotahi officially closing the 90-year-old bridge at 7pm. It reopened at 6am on Monday.
The closure was warranted, Brown said.
“It was a precautionary measure.
“They had to monitor that debris that is building up in front of the piers of the bridge and they could not do that in the dark.”
It also highlighted the need for a second river crossing in Ashburton.
The council has done all the work on the second bridge project, with its $113.6m business case sitting with Waka Kotahi.
Former Minister of Transport Michael Wood had asked the council and Waka Kotahi to discuss ‘innovative funding options’ for the project.
“We were about to present those to him but he resigned.
“We have a new minister of transport and we will be working with him to push this case further ahead.”
Government MPs, including Rangitata MP Jo Luxton and Local Government Minister Kieran McAnulty, are aware of the situation, Brown said.
“They just haven’t come out and said how they are proposing to solve the problem."
Luxton was on annual leave on Monday and deferred to McAnulty's office, as did Minister of Transport David Parker.
McAnulty said a decision on the potential funding of a second Ashburton Bridge is a work in progress.
Decisions would be made as part of the development of 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP), he said.
"Waka Kotahi is continuing to work with the Ashburton District Council to explore potential funding options and to progress the business case for a second Ashburton bridge."
National has already pledged to build a second bridge in Ashburton in its first term if elected, but has stopped short of locking in the proposed Chalmers Avenue option.
*Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
Poll: Should drivers retake the theory test every 10 years?
Drivers get where they need to go, but sometimes it seems that we are all abiding by different road rules (for example, the varying ways drivers indicate around a roundabout).
Do you think drivers should be required to take a quick driving theory test every 10 years?
Vote in the poll and share any road rules that you've seen bent! 😱
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48.6% Yes
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49.4% No
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1.9% Other - I'll share below
Hero
“I was born and raised in war. To be honest, those are not good memories.
I really like Iran, and I really miss it, but I couldn’t be myself there. Even though my family didn’t like my decision, I left Iran. I promised myself that I would do whatever I can for all communities, especially for the kids, so they do not have the same experience I had.
I studied software engineering in Iran and left in 2006. I went to Malaysia and stayed in Kuala Lumpur for seven years. I was admitted to Lincoln University to do my PhD here, but unfortunately, I couldn’t afford the expenses. I requested a scholarship, but they told me I had to be there for six months first. So, I stayed in Malaysia and did my PhD in network security. In December 2013, I came to New Zealand with a work visa.
It took me a while to connect with the Iranian community here. I volunteered with the Multicultural Council, SPCA, and community patrol, and I established the Christchurch Iranian Society in 2017. Before that, I started working on Radio Toranj, the only Farsi-language radio show in New Zealand.
One of the reasons I started organizing cultural events was to showcase Iranian culture. I wanted to show people that we have delicious food, colorful dresses, traditional customs, and our own instruments. My hope was to show people that we are not what you see in the media.
I am working to involve all the communities that celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in the Nowruz festival in March 2025. We want to share this celebration not only with our community but with the public as well. It’s better when it’s shared.
I remember the first time someone from Dunedin called me and asked, Hero, can you help? Something happened, and they keep declining Iranian visa applications. When I heard that, I felt insulted. We are still human, so how can they do that?
Through this journey, I’ve learned a lot. Every single day, people with different cases call me, and I try to share my knowledge and guide them as much as I can.
I have received several awards, including the Christchurch Civic Award and an Award of Recognition for my contributions to the community during the pandemic. In 2021, I established Canterbury Kia Ora Academy, a charitable trust. Through this charity, I can help other communities as well, not just the Iranian community.”
- Hero
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
www.humansofchch.org......
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