Western News: October 02, 2018

WESTERN NEWS Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Tuesday October 2 2018 7
News
Monk ‘shocked’ by quarry plan
Local
News
Now
In Brief
Fire rages, homes at risk
• By Emily O’Connell
A PLACE for peaceful
meditation.
That’s what the Sri Lankanbased
Buddhist temple, Samadhi
Buddhist Vihara, was looking
for when it decided to move from
its Hornby location last year.
Springs Rd proved too noisy
for the temple so it decided
to purchase 4ha of land on
Maddisons Rd in Rolleston,
through donations it had
collected.
What the temple didn’t realise
was months after making the
move, Fulton Hogan would
reveal its plan to create a quarry
on a 170ha piece of land at
Curraghs, Dawsons, Jones and
Maddisons Rds, opposite its
temple.
Temple resident monk
Makuludeniye Somarathana
said he was “shocked” and
“disappointed” by the news and
he’s concerned the quarry could
disturb its peace and quiet.
“Finally we decided this place
was suitable for the meditation
centre . . . we were totally
disappointed and our hope was
destroyed,” Bhante Somarathana
said.
He’s worried about the potential
noise, dust, pollution,
increase in truck movements and
loss of money after developing
the land.
But Bhante Somarathana says
there’s not much it can do – he’s
already been in touch with the
Templeton Residents’ Association,
attended its public meetings
and has gone along to workshops
on how to write a submission on
the proposal.
And now he’s waiting for Fulton
Hogan to lodge its resource
consent application before he
can make a submission against
it.
Fulton Hogan was expected to
lodge its application last month.
But South Island general manager
Craig Stewart told Western
News on Thursday it expects to
lodge its resource consent application
in early November.
When asked about the delay,
Mr Stewart said Fulton Hogan is
wishing to ensure it has consulted
widely with the community
and gathered all the necessary
expert information before it
lodges its application.
“Fulton Hogan has at the
forefront of our minds the importance
of working very hard to try
and minimise any impact on surrounding
neighbours,” he said.
DISAPPOINTED:
Resident monk
Makuludeniye
Somarathana
standing in front
of the proposed
170ha quarry,
opposite his new
temple.
Residents’ association chairman
Garry Kilday said he wasn’t
surprised Fulton Hogan was
waiting until early November
and he suspects it may even take
longer.
He believes the temple’s “fears
are founded” and it’s just a
“waiting game” until the application
is lodged.
Mr Stewart said a
community advisory group
was established in May and
through it Fulton Hogan has
been meeting regularly with
neighbours, residents and
business owners.
YOUTH FUNDING
Halswell footballers, Daniel
Metherell and Reuben Harrison
have received $600 from the
Halswell-Hornby-Riccarton
Community Board to travel
to the South Island Football
Tournament in Dunedin. The
tournament is set to take place
between Thursday and Saturday.
The two under-15 age group
players represent the Ferrymead
Bays Football Club.
LICENCE HEARING
Halswell-Hornby-Riccarton
Community Board chairman
Mike Mora and Halswell Ward
member Ross McFarlane will act
on behalf of the board for a liquor
licence hearing. The hearing
is for an application from The
Common Room, 119 Riccarton
Rd. The hearing will be held on
October 15 and 16.
RESERVE NAMES
The Halswell-Hornby-
Riccarton Community Board
has recommended to the city
council to approve names for
four reserves and parks in
Halswell and Westmorland. The
four names are Aglaia Drainage
Reserve 1, Aglaia Drainage
Reserve 2, Prospect Drainage
Reserve and Opouria Knights
Stream Park.
Senior Move Managers Presentation
Tuesday 9 October, 2pm
Margaret Stoddart Retirement Village
We warmly invite you, your friends and family
to join us for a presentation by Lynleigh Ashcroft
from Senior Move Managers.
Lynleigh will talk about their service, provide insights
into the process of moving and tips on how it can be
eased through using a move manager.
Presentation followed by afternoon tea.
Please RSVP to Susie on
337 6500 by Friday 5 October
23 Bartlett Street, Riccarton