Woza Wanderer: Council Shenanigans, South New Brighton Shops Trashed

Council Shenanigans, South New Brighton shops focus. Mayor Parker's & town clerk Marryatt's dysfunctional Council: In 2012, citizens protested Council shenanigans regarding pre-quake bail out of bankrupt property developer Henderson. Pre-quakes Marryatt had under-insured council assets, like AMI stadium which was trashed by 22 February 2011 Quake. Councillors & Marryatt double-dipped Council boards of directors' fees, thus adding to their salaries. Post-quakes, much Council work was taken over by CERA, like infrastructure rebuild, demolitions & rebuilds. Council just gave consents for rebuilds.

Tired of Council shenanigans, CERA minister Brownlee called Parker "a clown." Early in 2012, NZ National government installed a Crown observer for a couple of months, checking on Council. $80 000 was spent on a report checking Council's communication problems. None of which proved any use, as Council shenanigans continued. Parker tried to wheedle an overseas trip with his wife, paid for by ratepayers, but that was stopped.

Never mind that Marryatt's $540 000p.a. salary was more than PM Key's, UK prime minister's, US president's salaries.

Hard working Parker wrote a book Ripped Apart, published 2012. Post quakes Marryatt gave his council workers 11 days extra paid leave in 2011 & reprised that perk in 2012. Mayor Parker & deputy mayor Button weren't in town when Marryatt announced that. Marryatt's granting a paid leave perk for hard work would've been OK, if there were improvements in ratepayers' quality of life in post-quake Christchurch. But 1 000s of ratepayers still endured squalid, broken-housing in eastern suburbs, & poor roads & poor infrastructure. EQC & insurers were slow to fix housing. CERA / SCIRT were slow to fix infrastructure.

I regularly drove to New Brighton, road conditions appalling: New Brighton Rd, Travis Rd, Rookwood Ave, Bowhill Rd, Estuary Rd, Bridge St... The latter two roads were especially bad after Council / SCIRT spent months digging up the roads to replace broken sewage pipes, then digging up the roads again after a botched repair job.

10.11.12. DETOUR AHEAD road sign, N view, Estuary Rd, South New Brighton

Post 22.02.11 Killer Quake, Avon River bridge repairs by Council / SCIRT were neglected for over a year. Only lately, Council / SCIRT began repairing South Brighton Bridge on Bridge St, with more detours & traffic congestion ratepayers endured over 2 quake years, so far.

10.11.12. S view, road signs, Estuary Rd, South New Brighton. Port Hills & Mt Evans beyond

10.11.12. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh cordon. Pump at road works, Estuary Rd, South New Brighton

In September, MoE wanted to consolidate Canterbury schools. One MoE consolidation was to merge Central New Brighton School with South New Brighton School, the former close to New Brighton shopping mall. But Central New Brighton School was three kilometers distance from South New Brighton School on Southshore spit. That would be dangerous should a tsunami strike. Never mind the bottleneck while trying to escape via broken South Brighton Bridge.

At a parent consultation, a parent heckled education minister Parata with the slogan:

A LIFE JACKET SHOULD NOT BE PART OF ANY SCHOOL'S UNIFORM

I'd stood next to that parent at the recent education protest at Hagley Park's netball courts.

Bridge St / Estuary Rd: Twenty one months post 22 February 2011 Quake, the shops were closed by CERA with a yellow-sticker dated 8 November 2012 & a day's notice to pack up & leave. That closure said much about CERA's dictatorial stickering of buildings & more about damages caused to buildings by jolting excavation machinery run by Council / SCIRT. Those shops endured excavations & slow road-works along Estuary Rd & Bridge St for months.

Later on, Luke told me the building owner didn't want to pay for expensive repairs, so just evicted tenants & closed shops. That building would be demolished in 2013.

10.11.12. Orange, plastic, road cone cordon. N view, Estuary Rd road works, South New Brighton

10.11.12. Orange, plastic, road cone cordon. S view, road works, Estuary Rd, South New Brighton. Mt Evans & Port Hills beyond

10.11.12. Orange, plastic, road cone cordon. E view, Bridge St road works, South New Brighton

10.11.12. Orange, plastic, road cone cordons. W view, Bridge St road works, South New Brighton

Marryatt, Parker, SCIRT boss Ford & CERA boss Sutton had lots to answer for. Council / SCIRT workers enjoyed their extra paid holidays for messing Estuary Rd shops & livelihoods, with slow excavations & road blocks & detours.

Town clerk Marryatt went to his Hamilton home during weekends & SCIRT boss Ford lived in Auckland.

10.11.12. CERA closed shops, 21 months post 22.02.11 quake, Estuary Rd, South New Brighton

Estuary Rd: Saturday afternoon 10.11.12, I snapped closed shops on the east side of Estuary Rd. On the west side of Estuary Rd the shops had a stay of execution. Two shop windows' signs:

Valued clients
we have now
relocated
Ph...

WE ARE OPEN
Come across the road to
the Doctor's surgery to get
your Pharmacy supplies.

Two Chinese men moved stock out of their dairy. Just another move, like 1 000s of quake-moves. There were no Council workers helping, although Estuary Rd was riddled with orange-plastic-road-cone-cordons. Bridge St crossing was also cordoned after months of road-works. No cops nor NZDF- soldiers formed any steel-mesh-fence-cordons like they did to protect stuff in the red-zoned-CBD.

Why were shopkeepers allowed to continue working in their shops for 21 months post 22 February 2011 Quake, during 1 000s of aftershocks before eviction by CERA?

In late 2013 the dairy would return as a shipping-container shop on the opposite corner. I'd seen several shipping-container shops around town since the quakes.

10.11.12. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. Yellow pump at road works, Estuary Rd, South New Brighton

10.11.12. Orange, plastic, road cone cordon. Open shop, E side, Estuary Rd / Bridge St, South New Brighton

10.11.12. CERA closed shops, 21 months post 22.02.11 quake, Estuary Rd, South New Brighton. In late 2013 the dairy would became a container shop on the opp cnr.