Work to renew Christchurch footpath a 'waste of money' - resident

Christchurch man Graham Tait has lived on the same street for 25 years and the 83-year-old says he has never had an issue walking on the footpath - so why is it being torn up and completely renewed?

Mr Tait said Ryeland Ave in Ilam had “hardly a crack in it”, but the Christchurch City Council disagrees so it has torn up the street as part of a $60,000 renewal project.

Work is being undertaken to replace the existing footpath, remove the top surface, level the formation below and relay a new top surface.

Mr Tait has complained to the city council, calling the project a “complete waste of money” that would be better off spent elsewhere.

Mr Tait said the money would be better spent at Tuirau Pl, which has big tree roots in the ground or the intersection of Ilam and Maidstone Rds.

But city council city streets maintenance manager Mark Pinner says its own assessment showed Ryeland Ave clearly has cracks.

But Mr Tait said: “I am 83, I can’t fall over in the street, it is ridiculous,” he said.

The footpaths were last replaced 23 years ago.

Mr Tait said he was unlikely to get much sympathy from his neighbours or his wife.

“My wife said stop complaining, it will be nice to have a nice street to walk on,” Mr Tait said.

Mr Pinner said the city council aims to be proactive in maintaining roads to avoid future deterioration.

But he said the it will always take on feedback and work to improve its determination of sites to best serve the public as a whole.