Tired of Council shenanigans, CERA minister Brownlee called Parker "a clown." Early in 2012, NZ National govt 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, trashed housing in E suburbs, poor roads & 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... Latter two roads, especially bad after Council / SCIRT spent months digging up the roads to replace trashed 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, laughable consultations after MoE's inept decisions to consolidate. 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 3km distance from South New Brighton School on Southshore spit, dangerous should a tsunami strike. Never mind the bottleneck while trying to escape via trashed 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, Hagley Park netball courts.
Bridge St / Estuary Rd: Twenty one months post 22.02.11 Killer Quake, 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 quaked bldgs & more about damages caused to bldgs 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 bldg owner didn't want to pay for expensive repairs, so just evicted tenants & closed shops. The bldg would be demolished, 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: Sat afternoon 10.11.12, I snapped closed shops, E side, Estuary Rd. W side, Estuary Rd the shops had a stay of execution. 2 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. 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 too, after months of road works. No cops nor NZDF soldiers formed steel mesh fence cordons to protect stuff, like in red zoned CBD.
Why were shopkeepers allowed to continue working in their shops for 21 months post 22.02.11 Killer Quake, during 1 000s of aftershocks, before eviction by CERA?
In late 2013 the dairy would return as a container shop on the opp cnr. There were several container shops around town since 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.
No photo opps for big wigs, no CERA officials, no big talk Sutton & Brownlee, no Ford supervising orange, plastic, road cone cordons outside shops, no Marryatt looking after ratepayers, no Parker looking after ratepayers who paid for his overseas junkets.
Closed fish shop sign:
Dear Valued Customers,
We regret to inform you that
we will be closed until further
notice.
Thank you so much for all your
support over the years and we
wish you all the best for the
future.
Hope to see you soon.
South Brighton Fish Supply.
*Trekked Estuary Rd. 26 images.
Content & pics, Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
See Ripped Apart: A City in Chaos (The Press / Stuff Co).
See Parker lets rip at officials (The Press / Stuff Co).
See Councillors in the dark over paid leave (The Press / Stuff Co).
See Shock closure upsets South Brighton residents (The Press / Stuff Co).
See Council leave inquiry sought (The Press / Stuff Co).
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