Invercargill footpath job downs tools over single stroppy camellia
Six blokes, two diggers, one shrub. Guess who's winning.
An Invercargill City Council footpath upgrade on Dee Street has been paused for a fourth week. Contractors cannot agree what to do about one camellia bush.
The camellia sits about 40cm into the proposed new kerb line. Council planned to remove it. Then someone's cousin objected. Then someone else's cousin objected louder. Now nobody's touching it.
"It's a bloody camellia," said neighbour Raewyn Aitcheson, 71, watching the standoff from her lounge with a cup of tea. "My Ken would've had it out in ten minutes flat, and he was on the warfarin!"
Poutini Brown runs the coffee cart two doors down (flat white's a cracker!!). He said contractors had been turning up, looking at the camellia, and leaving again. "Monday they measured it. Tuesday they measured it again. Wednesday one of them brought his mum down for a look. She liked it. That was that."
An Invercargill City Council spokesperson said the project was "in a consultation phase regarding heritage plantings". Council's own records show the camellia was planted in 2011. Asked whether 2011 counted as heritage, the spokesperson called the matter "complex" and referred further questions to a consultant in Dunedin.
The consultant has not returned calls. The camellia is flowering.
More yarns from Invercargill Central Council Chaos
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Reader Letters
Trev_Hornby
Seriously, it's just a plant!
NanTripped
My poor Nan tripped on the dodgy footpath because they can't deal with a shrub. Sort it out!
tired_in_riccarton
What a piss-take. Spending ages on a camellia while the rest of us dodge potholes like it's a video game!
DaveyBoy17
Mate, your nan would've loved the camellia, though. Beautiful plant, shame about the footpaths.
Garry (Halswell)
Growing up in Invercargill, we used to solve these issues with a bit of common sense and a shovel. Now look at us, bloody consulting a Dunedin consultant!
Sandra McKenzie
Actually, camellias can't survive major relocations easily. You'd need a proper gardening expert, not just anyone with a spade, you know.
wayne1987
Yeah, mate, it's all a big screw-up. Council's obsessed with making everything 'heritage'. I reckon they're just finding new ways to waste our rates!
couchgremlin
Lol.
Angry_Anna
Why is the council always rooted when it comes to priorities? Sort this shit out first.
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