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Council keeping Cambridge families awake

  • Nancy EL-Gamel
  • Feb 17, 2015
  • 2 min read

Publish in the Waikato Times

Infrastructure improvements are keeping Cambridge residents awake at night in what Waipa District Council is describing as an innovative way to get work done.

Celia Pedersen and her two young boys have not been able to get a full night's sleep in weeks, ever since council approved the repair and replacement of water pipes on Empire St during night-time hours.

Dayne Fisher, 4, and his brother, 5-year-old Seth, tried to replicate the sounds they hear at night by stomping around the house and making loud deep rumbling noises.

"It feels like an earthquake," said Pedersen.

"The whole house just shakes and it wakes us up at 3am."

The works started four weeks ago but Pedersen will have to wait three more weeks before the family can have any hope of a peaceful night's sleep.

"The kids' behaviour has changed - we're tired all the time.

"I'm getting very stressed from the constant noise. At least during the day I can get away, but at night, there is no escape."

Pedersen has been spending the weekends at her father's just to get some rest, but sleep technologist Lisa Crow said it was not possible to catch up on sleep.

"Sleep is like an octopus . . . if you're not getting a good night's sleep, every area of your life is affected."

Crow said children released hormones when they slept deeply that contributed to their growth.

"They're just going to be a mess. They're not going to function. Put that on top of the mother not getting enough sleep and you have the perfect storm," Crow said.

Furthermore, in the long-term, if the family got into the habit of waking up in the middle of the night, it could be a difficult habit to break.

"It's only a problem if they think it's a problem. Someone else could wake up at 3am and not be affected - everyone's sleep is different."

Waipa District Council acknowledged and apologised for the disruption to residents, but said it had to do work at night to avoid day-time road closures.

"We understand it's not ideal for those living in the area, especially at night. [We are] reducing the impact on businesses, visitors and locals during the day," said Tony Hale, Waipa's asset management team leader.

But Pedersen said the council had not considered residents in the immediate vicinity of the work.

"If they can't do it during the day, just do it until 10pm rather than 3am. I'm still a person, I still need to sleep."

She said if councillors were subject to the same disruption, they would have vetoed the night work, more of which has been planned for the Shakespeare Rd roundabout at State Highway 1.

Work to make the current roundabout permanent starts on February 23 and is due to be completed in April.


 
 
 

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