Nightmare Ends
By Marcia Johnson
The Selwyn Times 7/4/09
Eight years of not knowing whether they will be able to stay in their own home because of the controversial CPW scheme has finally ended for Coalgate couple Carol Thornton and Trevor Owen.
Like many other people in the area, they are relieved that the irrigation scheme is unlikely to get the go ahead.
The couple have endured eight years of uncertainty over whether their historic Homebush Rd house would be demolished to make way for the scheme.
A 55 metre-high dam wall was planned for their back garden.
“We’ve got an idyllic lifestyle. We love it here, it’s paradise to us,” Mrs Thornton said.
“The dam would have been a huge turmoil, and has been for the last few years.”
The couple said they were “elated” about Friday’s announcement that hearing commissioners were unlikely to accept the controversial $409 million project.
The dam and reservoir in the Waianiwaniwa Valley, near Coalgate, would have stored 280 million cubic metres of water from the Waimakariri River and the Rakaia River to irrigate 60,000 hectares of farmland.
Coalgate residents have long been opposed to CPW plans.
Mrs Thornton, a part time teacher at Greendale School and Mr Owen, a garden maintenance worker, said CPW wanted to buy them out and demolish the house.
Mrs Thornton has lived in the colonial house, built in 1882 by British settlers, for 37 years.
Her children were raised there, and her grandchildren visited often.
“The thought of losing it (the house) is incomprehensible. Now, to think it was all a big nightmare is just fantastic,” she said.
Mrs Thornton said the burden of not knowing if they would lose their property meant they had stopped all maintenance and repair on the house and garden.
They had been putting their plants in pots rather than in the garden so they would be easily transportable.
“Living in limbo for so long has been such a daunting thing,” she said.
“I never believed it would really happen – then last year’s hearing made it all more real. It sent us spiralling down to lethargy, so we put everything on hold,” Mrs Thornton said.
Unimpressed with the Selwyn District Council’s support of the project, Mrs Thornton and Mr Owen would have moved out of the district if they were forced to leave their home.
“I couldn’t believe the council could treat ratepayers as poorly as they did,” Mrs Thornton said.
“I don’t think local government should be involved to that degree in private enterprise.”
The hearing reopens on May 11 when commissioners will decide whether to make a final decision on the project or accept further submissions from CPW.
Mrs Thornton said she was still a bit worried. “I believe it won’t go ahead. That’s what I want to believe anyway.”