The University of Canterbury has been forced to use barbed razor wire to deter students attempting to climb on construction cranes on campus.
A university spokesperson said students gained unauthorised access to construction sites in three incidents, two of which occurred after the barbed wire was introduced.
The spokesperson said one incident occurred in April and two in June, but the university has “not determined that a student has ever climbed a crane”.
If students were caught unlawfully in a construction zone, the spokesperson said university disciplinary action and criminal charges were likely.
President of the University of Canterbury Students’ Association Sarah Platt said alcohol was known to be a factor in the incidents.
Platt said the hype erupted during the exam period, which she said was “unfortunate timing” as students were already “looking for outside ways to procrastinate”.
There have been no known incidents since June, and Platt said the safety campaigns outlined that it’s “not the brightest idea to climb on cranes, while intoxicated or at all”.
Platt said students attempting to enter the areas could do themselves “serious harm”.
The university said one tower crane has been on campus for most of 2015, with two more being erected for the construction of the Regional Science and Innovation Centre.
The cranes have their own student-made Facebook page, which has over 4200 likes. According to the page, the crane acts as “a fatherly figure” that “watches out over the campus like a wolf in the night”.
The cranes were nominated for the UCSA presidential elections, but Platt said they were not considered fit and able enough to actually run in the elections.