Site Setup and Hoist

 

The winner of the photo competition this week is Mary Chapman.  She took these two photos from her apartment window (7C) and I have played around with them for fun. In the first, you can see the removal of part of the brick wall, to allow ingress for trucks, while the second shows the arrival of the site office.  And a single portaloo!  Aoraki promise that there will be many more.

Erection of the hoist.  I took these photos myself.  I love the one of Brigid holding up the cab!  The workers on the main deck looked over the rail and enjoyed a good laugh.

I has been fun watching the hoist go up, and it was not nearly as noisy as expected. Brigid is wearing her fire warden hiviz vest to fit in with the general scene.  As she says, it is imitation syndrome.

Apartment inspections. Aoraki, TBIG and Conroy need to inspect apartments prior to work, and are doing it in batches of three levels.  On Monday a large group of us, including HGL directors, Aoraki, Conroy and TBIG staff, inspected the apartments on levels 13, 12 and 11, to assess what work had to be done, and what challenges there were for the removal company. Fiona Conroy took photos of furniture etc. to size up the challenge, and Aoraki did, too, for their own estimations. This will keep on happening. Apartment owners will be notified, and if absent a paper giving the time and reason for visit will be left on a bench inside. 

Atogether, it was a very exciting day, with the site being set up, and the hoist arriving.  While this is happening, the riggers have trucks going in and out. This can impede car movements in and out of garages.  So we have a suggestion.  All gold carders should apply for a mobility card, and that includes people with sight or mobility problems. Presentation of a mobility card at the start of a taxi ride will cut your fare by 75%.  So you pay a quarter of the fare.  The rest is paid by the council. And, believe me, the cab drivers all tell me they would go broke if it were not for all the mobility card passengers.

To apply for one, phone Metlink at 0800 801 700.  Listen to the entire menu, as mobility card is the last item -- about the tenth. Then ask for a mobility card. A girl will come round, look at you and talk a bit, then take a photo of you.  And presto, a card arrives in the mail. Instructions come with it.  Only some taxi companies honour the card, so Wellington Combined is recommended. You present the card before the driver starts the engine, and after that you are set.  So, if your car is trapped in your parking space, summon a taxi.  Believe me, it works. 

A consultation with level 13 shareholders is on Monday at 4pm, in the ground floor apartment (Ken's). There will be a zoom link.  This gives a chance for those shareholders to ask questions, and communicate worries.

Charity truck.  It arrived, but because of staff shortages it was not possible for their movers to carry large items downstairs.  So Brigid made up for it by collecting boxes of books and bringing them down to the foyer.  There were thirty-plus boxes, so a heroic effort from her.