Profile of a street

By John Packer, Convener, Makora Street, Fendalton

Makora Street runs between Fendalton Road, just past St Barnabas Church, and Weka Street, with three bends. It contains 45 residences, the entrance to Fendalton Park, and the Fendalton Croquet and Bowling Clubs and Bowls Canterbury. Over one hundred people live in the street at any one time.

Sometime before the earthquakes, Pat Creasey came to the area and talked about Neighbourhood Support, and I set up the Makora Street group. I thought a profile of the street over about 15 years could be of interest.

With permission, I signed up all residents to the Neighbourhood Support database. When we have new residents, I visit them and get their details, send a group email saying I have welcomed them on the street’s behalf and give the new arrivals the names of everyone in the street. Having this group email list available plays an important part in the life of the street.

The street contacts are widely used by members to advertise books, fruit, plants etc. to give away, items members would like to borrow, animals and birds lost and found, etc.

The street has changed little in the last 15 years. Only one house was red stickered after the earthquake, the only house that did not have a wooden frame, and it has been demolished and replaced. Until the middle of last year, it was the only house to have been replaced since before the earthquake. One further house is being replaced currently.

As a street we have approached the City Council to paint white lines in the centre of the three bends and this has made a difference to the excessive speed of many drivers, but not all. The lines were repainted a few weeks ago.

We also got permission to move the barrier into Fendalton Park closer to Makora Street and so stopping groups of youths using the Bowling Club’s car park on Friday and Saturday nights for noisy gatherings and leaving rubbish and other unmentionable items. However, we had to pay for this ourselves.

Many works have taken place in the street itself. We have had a transformer explosion and a large number of burst water pipes. But we have had no new water problems since a new water main has been installed. The team that did the job were marvellous, keeping us informed of everything and inconvenience to a minimum. At the end of the job members of the team were all made redundant because their Auckland base firm pulled out of Christchurch.

Over the last four days different street members gave them morning teas and I wrote them all a testimonial hoping that would be useful in their seeking of new jobs.

We had annual street parties at the Bowling Club until Covid 19 put a stop to it. We must start again.

24 Byron Street, P.O. Box 19598

Woolston, Christchurch 8241, New Zealand phone 0064-3 365 8811, Fax 0064-3 365 8813 www.rmfnutraceuticals.co.nz

In full support of local community safe

#WeDesignInStyle

E-mail: alan@rmfnz.com rmmla.co.nz smcdesign.co.nz 03-3777898 info@smcdesign.co.nz