Community Day sees ideas flow

Thousands of ideas are being generated to help shape the future of the river corridor.

At the Community Day on 25 March, more than 600 people journeyed through an interactive experience to learn about the land and river, then shared their thoughts.

The main question we asked was 'what is the greatest contribution this land could make to the future of Christchurch and New Zealand?’ The responses to this question will help create a meaningful vision and objectives for the river corridor to ensure we achieve the best mix of land uses and make the most of this once in a lifetime opportunity.

We've also had ideas pour in through our engagement with children, young people and other groups.

If you couldn't make it to the Community Day, you can view information and add your ideas until 19 April at libraries in Aranui, New Brighton, Parklands, Shirley, Fendalton, Te Hapua Halswell Centre, Upper Riccarton, Central - Peterborough, Papanui, South Library in Beckenham, Spreydon and Lyttelton. You can also give feedback online until 24 April.

From Ivan

Building on our work so far, it’s time to ask the big questions and consider bold ideas.

Launching a land information viewer, assessing community needs, and now having the Outline approved are all important steps.

In late March, the Minister supporting Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Hon Gerry Brownlee, approved Regenerate Christchurch’s approach for developing a Regeneration Plan for the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor.

The Outline for the Ōtākaro/Avon River Corridor Regeneration Plan sets out how Regenerate Christchurch will determine the best mix of well-integrated uses for more than 600 hectares of land, including the former residential red zone along both sides of the river from Barbadoes Street to Bexley.

The confirmation of the Outline is important progress, which was informed by a wide range of views from across the community.

We are offering many ways for people to get involved this year and contribute to this complex decision about what is best for Christchurch. These include:

-Design workshop: In June, teams of people – at least half of them aged under 25 – will develop various design options with a range of potential land uses reflecting the overarching vision.

-Exhibition of options: In August or September, several design scenarios will go on display at a major event for public feedback.

-Evaluation panel: In September or October, 50 people, at least half of them selected from the electoral roll, will consider all public feedback on the options and provide their views to Regenerate Christchurch’s Board.

By November, we will have identified preferred land uses and activities for the area. Who will be responsible for paying for and delivering the preferred land uses will then be finalised. This is a longer time frame than first proposed, in response to feedback from the public and statutory partners.

We’re also asking people to think about what their aspirations are for the future of Christchurch. Are we collectively brave enough to consider really bold ideas? Just how bold and ambitious do we want to be?

A speaker series is planned for the coming months to provoke further ideas and encourage wide debate as part of this once in a lifetime opportunity to shape Christchurch’s future.

Community representatives announced

Three Avonside Girls High School students are among the members of the Community Reference Group announced today.

We invited nominations for a Community Reference Group and community representatives on the Technical and Community Advisory Group in March and received 38 nominations for the 11 roles.

General Manager Partnerships and Engagement Chris Mene says he would like to thank everyone who expressed a willingness to help in this way.

“It is important that local expertise, knowledge and networks help shape planning for the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor. We are delighted with the calibre of the people who came forward and believe these representatives will bring a real diversity of views to the table.”

The Community Reference Group will provide strategic advice to Regenerate Christchurch on community engagement as the draft Regeneration Plan is developed. The members are: BJ Clark, Jill Borland, Molly Behan, Rai Ellin and Maddy Teape, Nigel Ripley, Chris Cole, Rex Neville Gibson and Jane Harrison.

The Technical and Community Advisory Group will act as a sounding board and discussion forum to support Regenerate Christchurch through the development of the draft Regeneration Plan.

The community representatives on the Technical and Community Advisory Group are: Hamish Keown, Melanda Slemint, Allison Nicols-Dunsmuir and Alana Hema.

Central city strategy picks up pace

Five students from Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge selected Christchurch as the site for a short-term Global Consulting Project.

The team leader from the Judge Business School is Tom Stanley, a Christchurch born structural engineer (and former ITM cup rugby player for the Hawkes Bay Magpies). Other members of the team hail from South Africa, the USA and Britain, with accomplished backgrounds in property law, commercial real estate, business consulting and corporate finance.

The team’s chosen topic is to identify factors that would help drive more social and economic activity into Christchurch’s city centre and they will make their findings available to Regenerate Christchurch later this month.

In recent weeks, Regenerate Christchurch has engaged on the Central City Strategy with property, land and building owners specific to the area, members of the South Island branch of the Property Council and local members of the Construction Clients’ Group.

“This phase of our work is focused on exploring constraints and opportunities for Cathedral Square and surrounds,” says Jim Lunday, General Manager Strategy and Regeneration.

“Our intent is to ensure that we have taken every aspect of what is and isn’t possible within this area into account.

"In May we will engage on options and future thinking with the wider public."

New transitional trail to open

An exciting 12 kilometre transitional trail along the banks of the Ōtākaro/Avon River will open in stages from spring.

Work to prepare the Avon Trail started last week and Cantabrians will be walking, running or cycling sections of the trail from Barbadoes Street to Pages Road in New Brighton from later this year. The full trail is expected to open in early 2018.

Christchurch City Council contractors will prepare most of the trail at the same time as their upgrade of the temporary stopbanks. The first section of work will start this month from Retreat Road/Avonside Drive through to the Gayhurst Road Bridge.

The top of the stopbanks will be smoothed and a fine gravel surface added that will be suitable for a wide range of uses.

Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel says the trail announcement is great news for the city and will really help promote the regeneration of New Brighton and the surrounding area.

“This will really showcase what’s possible in terms of the journey from the city to the sea. I can see this really taking off.”

Avon-Ōtākaro Network is leading this project and community volunteers will help prepare some sections of the trail.

Evan Smith, from Avon-Ōtākaro Network describes the trail as “a great transitional initiative to give everyone easy access to the amenity of the lower Avon and surrounding red zone.”

“Now the former red zone land alongside the river has mostly been vacated, cleared and grassed, people are beginning to see the true extent and potential of the river corridor. The more we can offer as many folk as possible the opportunity to explore this, the better.”

Regenerate Christchurch has helped coordinate this work, while the Ministry of Social Development has provided some funding.

It is expected the transitional trail will remain in use for at least two years, as the largest regeneration opportunity in New Zealand’s history unfolds around it and opportunities for a permanent connection from the city to the sea are explored, says Regenerate Christchurch Chief Executive Ivan Iafeta.

“The transitional trail will be an enjoyable way for people to reconnect with this land and the river and understand the importance of this area’s regeneration to Christchurch’s future.”

A map and more information is available here.