CHRISTCHURCH CITY COUNCIL INSTALLS EV CHARGERS ON SUMNER CLIFF FACE NO CAR CAN REACH
Two units, one bollard, zero vehicles. Council calls it 'future-proofing'.
Christchurch City Council has installed two EV chargers on a stretch of coastal road in Sumner where, according to residents, no car has ever legally parked.
The chargers sit on a narrow verge between the cliff face and the seaward kerb. The nearest legal parking bay is about 40 metres away, past a solid run of double yellows. A council bollard has been placed in front of the chargers, apparently to protect them from the cars that cannot get to them.
Sumner resident Colleen Wetherall, 71, said she watched the installation take four days. "Two blokes, a digger, and a fella with a clipboard," she said. "I asked the clipboard fella where the car was meant to go. He said 'that's phase two'. There is no phase two on the sign."
A second resident, Anders Kviteseid, said he'd tried to report it. "Rang the council. They put me through to Sustainability. Sustainability put me through to Transport. Transport put me through to a woman on maternity leave. I gave up and had a pie."
A Christchurch City Council spokesperson confirmed the chargers were part of a "forward-facing EV network rollout" and had been "strategically sited to anticipate future demand". Asked whether a car could physically park at them, the spokesperson said the matter was "under review by the parking team". My mate Sergeant Willis at the station tells me they've been laughing about it since Tuesday.
The chargers are drawing power. Nothing is drawing from the chargers. Phase two remains unscheduled.
More yarns from Sumner Council Chaos
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Reader Letters
★ Garry (Halswell)
Incompetence like this wouldn't have happened in my day. We had standards!
ropeable_dave
Garry, mate, the standards were different, but incompetence isn't new. Just look at the state of public transport back then!
★ BarryBishopdale
Bloody council strikes again! How on earth do they think cars will reach these chargers? More ratepayer cash down the drain.
★ Trev_Hornby
Barry, it's all just a piss-take. The council loves making us laugh while it drains our wallets.
★ Margaret_F
This is classic council bollocks. Just like when Gerald and I dealt with them in the 80s over that botched footpath fiasco.
mum_of_2
Margaret, nothing's changed since then. I reckon they have a manual on how to botch things up.
JoannePetone
Why does this council keep wasting money? Anyone who has been to Sumner knows a bollard there is pointless!
Sandra McKenzie
Not just bollards, I bet next they'll install a footpath to nowhere. Councillors must be having a laugh at morning tea.
couchgremlin
Lol.
wayne1987
Wow, a bollard in front of chargers nobody can use. Wonder how long till they invent wearable cars?
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