Disability advocates not fans of new lake steps
A $60,000 project to improve access to Pukekura Park’s main lake has been slammed as “disrespectful” by advocates for the disabled community who say they were not consulted about the design.
The New Plymouth District Council has just completed work on the steps and landing stage at the main lake to make it easier to feed the ducks and get into the row boats, two iconic aspects of any park visit.
But there is neither a ramp or hand rails, making it very difficult for people with mobility issues, such as the elderly, disabled, or those with low vision, to safely access the lake edge.
That the council project did not even consult with its own Age and Accessibility Working Party (AAWP) has left members annoyed and frustrated.
While council officers said a ramp would not have worked, councillor and working party chairperson Sam Bennett said they may have been able to come up with other solutions or additions such as hand rails.
Not being consulted was “disrespectful,” he said.
“I am at a loss as to why the AAWP were not consulted or provided an opportunity to advocate on this spruce up. If we had been, the result would have been one of equality for all people to enjoy this asset.”
And it also affects the elderly or people with low vision, he said.
“If the group had seen the plans we would have looked at this and said it didn’t work and could have come up with something else. But we were bypassed.
“There’s a perception people in wheelchairs don’t catch boats, but that’s not true.”
Permanent wheelchair user Chelsea-jo Lacy said the project was an opportunity to provide access for the disabled community, but now she would have to be carried down the stairs to the water’s edge if she wanted to use the boats.
“I would not be comfortable at all. I would love to be able to do the boats.”
Working party member Sydnie Maxwell, who has cerebral palsy and a walking issue, said she would need someone to hold her hand.
“Or I’d have to hold on to the rubbish bin, which wouldn’t be very nice. Even a handrail would help.”
Working party member Craig Nielsen said it was disappointing the wider disabled community wasn’t given any thought at the beginning of the project, a situation that still happens often.
“It’s pretty standard fare.
“A lot of it comes into cost, but it just means it excludes certain sectors of society from the built environment.”
If projects could not include the disabled community that was fair enough, Nielsen said.
“But to not even consider it, it’s almost insulting.”
Council manager parks and open spaces, Conrad Pattison, said a bequest enabled the council to fix up the landing stage on the main lake, which had uneven steps and was looking “very tired”.
“The work involved removing the old concrete, reinforcing the lake-edge, extending the landing a little, building new steps and concreting, for just over $60,000.”
When upgrading assets to improve accessibility council does work with the Age and Accessibility Working Party during the planning process, he said in a written response to questions.
“While we looked at a ramp for this site, the area is just too small to fit one so we had already ruled it out.
“The main lake is a dam with the lake edge forming part of that dam so we can’t cut in to it to make more space to accommodate the ramp.”
The park’s lower lake has two access points for park users to feed ducks or eels. Neither of these is wheelchair accessible.