Mum says plea for new fence ignored
A mum whose young boy was hit by a car says her pleas for Housing New Zealand to put up a new fence to protect her kids have fallen on deaf ears.
Maria Douglas’ son, Jimmy, 6, chased a rugby ball onto the road through the broken fence at his house in Glen Innes when he was struck by a car.
‘‘Everyone was yelling at me saying ‘your son’s been hit’. Everyone said to ring the ambulance and he was taken to Starship Hospital,’’ said Maria.
Jimmy, a ’’monkey who loves to climb’’ was left with grazes to his knee, buttock and face.
‘‘I’ve already seen a child killed around this area and I don’t want there to be another fatal,’’ said Maria.
When Douglas moved into the property it was leased by Housing NZ but in April, Tamaki Housing Association took over management of the property, along with 2800 other properties in Tamaki.
Douglas said she has contacted Housing NZ three times, and Tamaki Housing Association twice requesting a new fence. She says her requests to build a higher fence to be installed have been ignored.
‘‘We want a new gate because of the safety of the kids. But Housing isn’t going to do it for us because they tell us all the neighbours have exactly the same fence so why should we be different.
‘‘I’m worried it might happen to my three-year-old Amelia because she’s starting to climb now too.’’
Jimmy is scared to go outside because he thinks getting hit by a car will ‘‘probably happen again’’.
‘‘When you say it’s time to get up for school he says ‘no I don’t want to go’,’’ Maria said.
‘‘He’s tossing and turning at night, he’s been sleeping in my bed because it’s the only way I can get him to calm down. He’s scared to go to school because of all the traffic.’’
A Tamaki Housing Association spokesperson said they would contact Douglas to see if they can assist with improving safety on the property but have ’’no current plans to replace the fence as it meets requirements’’.
‘‘The fence on the property is a standard fence height and meets the requirements of the relevant codes.’’
In 2012, a coroner called for Housing New Zealand to put fences between lawns and driveways after an 18-month-old boy was run over in a driveway.
Coroner Morag McDowell said the lack of a barrier between the lawn where he was playing and the driveway next door was a major factor in the death of Otara toddler Sirj-Michaels Siaea.