Hundreds of kerbside bins in Christchurch getting missed for collection
From reporter Steven Walton:
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Kerbside bins are being missed for collection in hundreds of Christchurch streets.
Throughout November, December, and January, 756 streets did not get their bins emptied on the designated day, according to the Christchurch City Council.
The worst of those months was January, when 370 streets had their bins missed – an average of about 17 streets being missed each working day.
The council’s kerbside collection contractor, Waste Management, has a contractual target to miss less than an average of 1.5 streets per working day throughout a month. If a bin is missed, it is expected to be collected by the end of the next working day.
The council's resource recovery manager Ross Trotter said in a statement that the reason for the missed bins was “resourcing due to driver shortages”. He did not elaborate further.
Amalgamated Workers’ Union assistant secretary Lindsay Chappell said the pay for drivers was OK, but the issue was excessive hours.
Chappell said Waste Management was introducing new drivers to the industry, but they were not lasting because of the long hours. Continue reading here.
Poll: Is the increase in disability parking fines fair?
In October, the fine for parking in a designated mobility car park without a permit has jumped from $150 to $750—a 400% increase!
The goal is to keep these spaces open for those who truly need them. Do you think this big increase in the fine is fair? Share your thoughts below.
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89.1% Yes, it's fair
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10.3% No, it's unreasonable
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0.7% Other - I'll share below
Cyclists forced to use ‘more dangerous’ crossing if cycleway closed
Closing a Christchurch cycleway to avoid an unsafe rail crossing will lead cyclists across an even “more dangerous” crossing, cycling advocates say.
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has weighed in on the issue, calling the move to shut a 1.5km section of the Heathcote Expressway for up to two years, “illogical”. He has asked KiwiRail to explain.
KiwiRail is demanding Christchurch City Council close part of the expressway until $6.5 million worth of safety improvements can be made to the Scruttons Rd rail crossing.
It said the “unsafe” crossing posed the risk of death or serious injury once every thousand years.
What do you do think? Read the full story by reporters Sinead Gill and Tina Law here and tell us what you think in the comments. (A subscription is required, but you can see two free articles a month).
House fire causing road closures
Pages Road is closed this afternoon from Breezes Road, this is due to a house that has caught fire in the area.
Coastal Ward Community Board member, Alex Hewison, shared the closure on a local Facebook page.
Fire and Emergency are at the scene but further details have not been shared at this stage.
Avoid the area where possible.
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