KEY POINTS:
Christchurch City Council is about to debate a bylaw change aimed at the city's boy-racer fraternity.
Councillors will tomorrow consider banning cars from four roads in Templeton and Hornby suburbs that are regularly used for illegal street-racing and burnouts.
The bylaw, banning cars on Leggett, Barters, Hasketts and Roberts roads between 9pm and 5am at weekends, would give police authority to clear boy racers from the area.
Templeton residents have long complained to police about noisy gatherings of up to 200 young people and associated vandalism, trespass and assaults.
Council transport and greenspace manager Michael Aitken told The Press newspaper the council was trying to achieve a balance between the Bill of Rights and intervention.
"You do not want to be living in a police state and these are fairly heavy measures," he said.
"I have spoken to several residents who talk about the terror in which they live. It is absolutely ghastly."
Mr Aitken said Canterbury politicians had called for a ban on 28 roads across Christchurch but the list was cut to four because of fears a wider ban would "create the wrong image for Christchurch".
The council had investigated whether the bylaw could be challenged under the Bill of Rights, but believed it would not violate the right to freedom of movement enshrined in the Act.
Templeton residents said they hoped the bylaw would curb the mayhem that begins on their streets about 11.30pm every Friday and Saturday.
If councillors back the proposed bylaw it will come into effect next month.
- NZPA
