Business owners, locals frustrated at Oxford Road closure
By DAVID HILL, Local Democracy Reporter
More notice should have been given before closing Oxford Rd, near Rangiora, for roadworks this week, says Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon.
Gordon says, given it is a busy road, the council could have done better.
Commuters and local business owners have vented their frustrations at the lack of notice.
Fernside business owners said they were not consulted on how the road closure, which could be for up two months, would impact on their businesses.
They say the lack of advanced notice left them having to quickly rethink how to operate.
One business owner was understood to be negotiating with the council to temporarily relocate his business late last week.
Commuters took to social media last week to vent their frustrations, after road closure signs appeared.
Fernside Fresh Milk owner Peter Hansen said he only found out the day before he closed for Christmas.
‘‘There was no consultation about how this would impact our businesses.
‘‘This is certainly going to effect us. We’ve only been going a short time, but we’re starting to gain some momentum.’’
A 1km stretch of Oxford Rd at Fernside, between Swannanoa and Lilly Roads, has been closed to allow for the overlay of the pavement.
The project is being led by the Waimakariri District Council’s road maintenance contractor, Corde, and work is expected to take six to eight weeks.
Information about the road closure only appeared on the council’s website and Facebook page on Friday, last week, after enquiries were made.
Hansen says he had contacted Corde to discuss how it would impact his business.
‘‘The guy from Corde said in Christchurch they put signs up to say you can access businesses, but they don’t do that out here.’’
Fernside Fresh Milk is still operating and Corde has said customers can still access the Oxford Rd entrance, from the Boundary Road end, Hansen says.
Gordon says the council’s standard notification practice was onsite signage, a letterbox drop to affected properties and updates on the council’s website and Facebook page.
But he said this could have been done earlier, and he has raised the matter with acting chief executive Jeff Millward.
Council roading and transport manager Joanne McBride said the existing pavement will be overlaid ‘‘to address failed areas’’.
A detour is in place via Swannanoa Rd and Boundary Rd.
Large trucks are being diverted to Tram Rd.
‘‘The closure will allow the contractor to carry out the works safely and more efficiently,’’ McBride said.
‘‘Options such as temporary traffic signals or stop / go operations have been considered, but it would result in longer travel delay times for drivers.
‘‘We understand this work will be disruptive, however it is important the repairs are undertaken.’’
Road resealing work on Townsend Rd also got under way on Monday between Johns Rd and Fernside Rd.
This will be completed under stop / go traffic management.
■ Public interest journalism is funded by New Zealand on Air.
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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).
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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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