Ashburton mayor fuming over ‘unacceptable’ delay in SH1 bridge debris cleanup
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
A two-month delay in clearing flood debris from a SH1 bridge is “not acceptable”, Ashburton’s mayor says.
The debris from the July 23 floods remained next to the State Highway 1 Ashburton/Hakatere River Bridge, despite Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency stating on August 3 that the debris would be cleared “in the next fortnight”.
It’s now mid-September and Ashburton Mayor Neil Brown said it’s not good enough.
“The delay is not acceptable.
“I was also told two weeks ago it would be removed within two weeks and it’s still there, so there will be a call to Waka Kotahi to please explain.”
So far the only action has been locals accessing the site to cut some of the debris into firewood.
Waka Kotahi maintenance contract manager for South Canterbury John Keenan said the work has been delayed while they wait for funding approval.
“While our highway contracting team waited for river levels to drop enough for them to gain safe access to the underside of the bridge and riverbed, an emergency works funding application was progressed, which has been approved in the last week and funded.
“The contractors should be starting the debris removal on the SH1 Ashburton River/Hakatere Bridge the in coming weeks, in conjunction with clearing the debris off the nearby rail bridges - at Hinds and Ashburton.”
The excuse didn't stand with Brown, who said the work needed to be done whether the funding was approved or not.
Debris forced the bridge to close on July 23.
“If it’s serious enough to close the bridge because of the debris building up, once the river level drops it should be serious enough to remove as fast as possible when it’s safe to do so," Brown said.
“That debris up against the piles causes risk for the stability of the bridge if another major flood comes down, so removing it as fast as they can would be beneficial to the life of the bridge.”
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......
Here's Thursday's thinker!
I am lighter than air, but a hundred people cannot lift me. What am I?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
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! 😱
-
48.6% Yes
-
49.4% No
-
1.9% Other - I'll share below
Loading…
