A drinking fountain at a Papanui park is to be repositioned following concerns from a member of the public about its placement.

A Papanui resident contacted chrislynchmedia.com about the fountain at Edgar MacIntosh Park on Condell Ave.

The resident said, “Latest faux pas from our leaders. A drinking fountain with a solid metal attachment to decapitate any child riding their scooter or bike along the path – especially if the sun is in their eyes. No thought put into this one.”

“Perhaps you could shed some light on it to get them to come up with a solution before a kid is seriously injured,” they said.

Christchurch City Council’s Community Parks Manager Al Hardy told chrislynchmedia.com that the drinking fountain has been inspected and found to be protruding approximately 200mm into a 2.2m-wide pathway.

“Its design and orientation are to aide accessibility for users with mobility challenges. The Construction Standard Specifications do not specify setback for accessible drinking fountains, but to alleviate any concerns the council will move the structure 500mm back from the pathway. This will result in a 300mm clear space between the fountain and the pathway, improving safety while maintaining accessibility for all users, including those with mobility challenges,” Hardy said.

The drinking fountain was installed in September 2024 and this is the first time the council has received a complaint about it.

“The fountain will be repositioned to improve safety while maintaining accessibility. The work is scheduled for the end of this week,” Hardy said.