Resident pleads for help to stop anti-social behaviour

A Christchurch woman has asked her local community board for help to combat the drunken and disorderly behaviour, parking issues, littering and property damage plaguing her street.

 

Siska Pl resident Ruby Chan said she and her family have put up with the anti-social behaviour since 2004 when the number of flats on the Upper Riccarton street started to increase.

 

So last week, she made a presentation to the Halswell-Hornby-Riccarton Community Board, calling for its help and for no-stopping restrictions to be placed on the street.

 

She said she raised several “burning concerns” along with issues around the number of flats, concerns from drivers accessing Rountree St from Clonbern Pl, no parking signs and young people being aggressive and intimidating.

 

“The problem has escalated to the next level . . . accessing the street during night-time is a nightmare,” she said.

 

Dr Chan, along with her family, have been living on the street for the past 28 years.

 

She said the issues have been growing since 2004, with residents taking their concerns to the Christchurch City Council around that time – but nothing has eventuated since.

 

Dr Chan said one of the key problems is that no car parking signs on one side of the street are being repeatedly taken down by young people.

 

“I have been contacting the city council to have them replaced, but up until now, nothing. So it is very difficult for us to access the street.

 

“Our proposed solution is to have yellow lines but this is getting nowhere with the city council,” Dr Chan said.

 

Only one vehicle can travel through if cars are parked on both sides of the street.

 

“You just have to brace yourself, take that head-on collision, hoping you are okay,” Dr Chan said.

 

Particularly at the beginning of the year when young people are having parties, Dr Chan said students will bang on her windows or stand on the street and pull “wonderful gestures”.

 

“They are drinking on the streets even when there are clear signs saying there are alcohol bans,” Dr Chan said.

 

She recalled one night when she was unable to sleep due to a motor-cycle travelling up and down the alley by her window.

 

Living behind Siska Reserve, Dr Chan said residents also have concerns over littering and are worried it will become a dumping ground for rubbish at the end of the university year.

 

Community board chairman Mike Mora said the situation residents are facing is not good at all and he would see what “wheels” the board could get “in motion”.

 

A Canterbury University spokeswoman said it maintains close and constructive relationships with the city council, environmental health team, police and University of Canterbury Students' Association to address neighbourhood matters around the campus.

 

She said there had not been any matters regarding Siska Pl drawn to its attention other than some noise disruption last year that was caused by a resident not enrolled at Canterbury University.