Banks Peninsula Community News - June 2021
Greetings from your Community Board
Message from the Chair
Kia ora koutou,
Like many of you, our Community Board has been awaiting the outcome of our city's 2021-31 Long Term Plan which sets out Christchurch City Council's investment in our city over the next 10 years.
The new LTP balances the need to keep costs down for our ratepayers with the need to ensure that Christchurch continues to prosper and grow. You can read more about the LTP in our newsletter and on Newsline. One win for Banks Peninsula in the final plan was the Akaroa and Lyttelton service centres remaining open. It was your feedback stressing the importance of face-to-face contact with Council staff that helped secure this outcome.
Last month's "red" weather event gave us all a scare and I would like to acknowledge the distress being experienced currently within the community after another major flooding event and let you know that we are undertaking discussions of how best to communicate with Little River residents about what has happened and how to provide easily accessible information and advice as the effects of climate change bring more extreme weather to the Peninsula.
There's heaps of good stuff happening in our local community at the moment - we've tried to capture most of it in our newsletter.
I hope you enjoy reading it.
Stay together, look after one another.
Board Chair, Tori Peden
Highlights of our latest meeting
Since our last update, the Community Board has met twice, on Monday 14 and Monday 28 June. Some highlights of our meeting included receiving our Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū Banks Peninsula Community Board Area Report for June 2021, which highlights a lot of the cool stuff going in our our board area. Read our board meeting minutes for more information about these decisions and to see what else we discussed.
Our next Community Board meeting
You can find out the dates, times and agendas of upcoming Community Board and Council meetings here.
Our next community board meeting will be held on Monday 12 July at the Little River Boardroom from 10am. The agenda is usually available two working days prior to the meeting.
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Snow causing issues on some Banks Peninsula roads
Christchurch City Council is advising Banks Peninsula residents to avoid travel on snow affected roads unless it is essential. Please check our weather updates on Newsline for the latest information and stay safe and warm today.
Water restrictions lifted on Banks Peninsula
Water restrictions have been lifted on Banks Peninsula.
Residents in Akaroa, Duvauchelle and Takamatua have been under Level 4 water restrictions – a total ban on outdoor water use – since late February.
The streams that supply drinking water to Akaroa, Duvauchelle and Takamatua have been particularly low this year, but with the recent rainfall and colder weather, we’ve seen gradual improvements to their flows, to the point they’re now sufficient and stable.
Thank you to residents for your ongoing patience and cooperation while the restrictions have been in place.
Work starts in preparation for SailGP
Work to prepare Lyttelton’s Te Nukutai o Tapoa-Naval Point for the prestigious SailGP 2022 yachting series has started today.
Whakaraupō Lyttelton Harbour will be on the global stage when a SailGP event is raced there on 29 and 30 January 2022, after a successful bid by ChristchurchNZ last year.
The Council is fast-tracking the car park development of the Naval Point Development Plan, adopted in November 2020, to make sure the site is ready for the racing. It is also taking the opportunity to replace an ageing water main, upgrade utilities and make foreshore improvements.
Have your say on the Takapūneke Reserve Draft Landscape Master Plan
A proposed draft landscape master plan for Takapūneke Reserve will help to acknowledge its immense historical and cultural significance.
The reserve was the scene of a massacre in 1830, after which the site became tapu (sacred.) It also has significant association with the European settlement of Akaroa and the Treaty of Waitangi and in 2002 was registered as Wāhi Tapu (place of outstanding historical or cultural value.)
Have your say on the draft plan before 21 July 2021.
Volunteers key to Christchurch and Banks Peninsula's emergency response
Forty-six-year-old Louis Couperus (pictured above) is a volunteer with Civil Defence. He is a safety officer with one of the response teams – NZ RT-11 -- and has, over the years, been involved in responding to fires, floods, tsunamis, and earthquakes.
He has also helped with missing person searches, welfare checks and public information drops.
These days if a big event occurs, he is more likely to be in the Emergency Operations Centre helping to manage the response teams than out in the field, but he continues to train with them regularly and to be involved in developing their skills.
Louis says that he gets a sense of belonging and worth from his volunteering.
20 to 26 June is National Volunteer Week. Find out how you can make a difference in your community by volunteering.
Speeds on Christchurch to Akaroa road under spotlight
Are the speed limits on the main road between Christchurch and Akaroa set too high, too low or just right?
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is seeking community feedback on whether the speed limits are set at safe levels as part of its review into State Highway 75, which starts on Halswell Road, and a small part of State Highway 73 where Curletts Road meets Halswell Road.
Community pop-up sessions
People can share their views on the safety of the route during drop-in sessions at
- Te Hapua Halswell Centre on Thursday 1 July, from 3 to 6pm
- Little River School on Tuesday 6 July, from 3 to 6pm
- Tai Tapu Hotel on Tuesday 6 July from 10am to 1pm
- The Gaiety Hall, Akaroa, on Saturday 10 July from 11am to 2pm
People can also find out more and share their thoughts by
- Visiting nzta.govt.nz/chchtoakaroa
- Emailing the transport agency at chchtoakaroaspeeds@nzta.govt.nz
Banks Peninsula Parks Team keeping it green
The Banks Peninsula Parks team has made the most of the dryer weather conditions to catch up on mowing and weed control work in the Peninsula's parks and cemeteries. The team are continuing with a number of smaller projects in the parks to enhance the areas, such as tidying up the gardens surrounding the new toilet block at Stoddart Point Reserve and giving some love to the Akaroa Recreation Ground. Over the past month, they've been busy staining seats and wooden surrounds to match the Skate Park Mural, replacing broken bollards and working with a local contractor to replace the damaged surrounds of the petanque court.
Share your views on how we manage significant indigenous vegetation
We’d like your feedback on a proposed plan change so that it better protects and maintains indigenous vegetation that is likely to be ecologically significant across the district generally as well as within areas of existing pasture on coastal farmland.
Plan Change 7 seeks to better protect and maintain indigenous vegetation while still providing for its clearance, where it is small scale and low impact, to provide for the continuation of farming activities.
It will also amend the policies and rules around the type and size of native trees and plants (indigenous vegetation) that can be cleared generally across the district, and within areas of existing pasture (otherwise known as improved pasture) on coastal farmland.
The Long Term Plan 2021–31 has been adopted
On Wednesday, councillors approved a 10-year budget that invests $3.8 billion into Christchurch’s three waters network and roading and transport systems, and heeds your calls to focus on getting the basics right. Read more on Newsline and catch up on the main items here.
You can look up the projects earmarked for Banks Peninsula using our online tool. This will be updated soon with the final figures, and we'll let you know. In the meantime, you can read the minutes here.
Council adopts climate resilience strategy
We've adopted a climate resilience strategy and put money in the Long Term Plan towards helping the city achieve its climate change goals. With the adoption of the Kia Tūroa Te Ao, Ōtautahi Climate Resilience Strategy 2021 we have a framework for action that will help Christchurch reach the target of net zero emissions by 2045.
Our 2021 Representation Review has concluded
On Friday 18 June, councillors adopted the final proposal for Christchurch’s representation arrangements, deciding how many elected members there should be and what communities they should represent at the next local elections in 2022. There have been a few tweaks to the current ward boundaries, but overall the review resulted in a proposal for Christchurch to continue to be represented by a Mayor, 16 Councillors, and 37 community board members representing 16 wards. The Mayor will be elected ‘at large’ by the whole city, and each ward will elect its own Councillor and Community Board members.
Despite a significantly smaller population than other wards, it’s proposed Banks Peninsula will continue to have its own ward and subdivisions due to its unique nature and geographic isolation.
You can see summary maps in the Council report and if you have any questions, please get in touch at engagement@ccc.govt.nz
You can make appeals and objections from 25 June to 25 July at Have Your Say.
The final proposal will now be referred to the Local Government Commission for a final determination in early 2022 – after any objections have been resolved, and ahead of the next local body elections in October 2022.
Tīrama Mai brings the light this winter
Tīrama Mai, meaning to illuminate or bring light, celebrates Matariki, our people and our unique local landscape from Friday 25 June until Saturday 10 July, between 6pm to 11pm every night.
Christchurch’s central city and New Brighton will be transformed with a series of innovative lighting installations, projections and illuminated artworks created by some of Canterbury's best lighting artists and creative minds.
Explore the lighting trails located around The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora, Worcester Boulevard, Ōtākaro Avon River, Riverside Market, New Regent Street, Victoria Square and New Brighton Pier.
Tīrama Mai is proudly produced by Christchurch City Council and will conclude with a Matariki fireworks display on Saturday 10 July in New Brighton.
Contact your Community Board
The Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū/Banks Peninsula Community Board are here to provide support and advice to our community.
Contact the Banks Peninsula governance team
You can find all our contact details on our web page.
Agendas and Minutes
Read agendas and minutes from previous Council and Community Board meetings.
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