RICHMOND FOOTPATH UPGRADE HALTED BY ONE CAMELLIA THAT WON'T BUDGE
Christchurch City Council confirms works paused pending an arborist, a mediator, and possibly a priest.
A $180,000 footpath upgrade on a Richmond side street has been paused indefinitely because of one camellia bush that the council concedes it did not adequately account for in the planning stages.
The camellia, roughly the size of a Nissan Tiida, sits three metres inside the works zone and has been there, by neighbourhood reckoning, since before the Lions tour of 1971. Contractors arrived on Monday, looked at it, rang someone, and left.
Mavis Lockington, 78, who lives two doors down, said the camellia belonged to a woman up the road who was "not for turning". "They sent a bloke round with a clipboard. She sent him off with a look. He hasn't been back. Neither has the footpath."
A Christchurch City Council spokesperson confirmed works were on hold pending an independent arborist's report, a heritage assessment, and "a further conversation with the landowner". Asked how long the pause might last, they said "we're hopeful of a resolution in the current financial year", without naming which one.
The contractor, contacted at a Richmond cafe, said he'd seen a lot in thirty years on the tools but never lost a job to a shrub. "Back in '74 you'd have just gone round it. Now there's three consultants and a mediator involved. For a bloody camellia."
The camellia, at time of filing, remains in full flower and shows no sign of negotiating.
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Reader Letters
flowerpower
Camellias: the ultimate power move.
Sandra McKenzie
Honestly, the council should've seen this coming. Every bloody project gets tangled up in some nonsense. Maybe they'd be more effective if they planned things properly from the start!
RugbyDave
Mate, you reckon this is bad? Try getting a pothole fixed in the city centre. Takes them longer than Bilbo's journey to Mordor.
Nat_Environmentalist
Good on that woman! Big fan of standing your ground for things you love. A bit of nature is worth sticking up for, especially as councils just keep ripping trees out everywhere.
gin11
You gotta respect the spirit of an unyielding granny and her camellia. Half of these desk jockeys around town wouldn't last five minutes against her!
Trevor_Tool_Belt
Look, I'm not anti-tree, but come on! A camellia holding up a whole project? Talk about rooted priorities. Must be a piss-take!
ratepayer_rick
This whole camellia crisis is rooted deeply in the council's inefficiency, and everyone knows it! They couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery, let alone a footpath.
OldTimerTim
Back in my day, we'd just pick the bloody bush up, shift it aside, and get on with life. All this fussing about with consultants and reports is pure nonsense if you ask me.
SunshineSarah
I bet that camellia is happier than most councillors. Free rates, no meetings, just chilling in the sun!
RichmondRascal
Hey SunshineSarah, what's the camellia council tax policy? Asking for a mate.