Greetings from your Community Board

Kia ora koutou,

Voting is now open to elect the people who will sit on the Council and the Banks Peninsula Community Board for the next three years. Next time we get in touch, the new board will be elected! See all the Banks Peninsula candidates and read their profile statements.

Voting papers should have been delivered to all enrolled voters by Wednesday 21 September. If you haven't received your papers or need to enrol, you can still vote – it just means you need to cast a special vote, which is easy to do.

Election day is Saturday 8 October. For more about the elections, including special voting and candidate profiles, go here.

And we can't sign off without a warm thank you to Andrew Turner and Jamie Stewart, who are standing down at this election after serving on the Banks Peninsula Community Board. Your contributions to our community, big and small, have truly been felt.

We would also like to acknowledge all the hard work of Liz Carter, Community Board Adviser, who is retiring after 35 years with Council.

Ngā mihi nui,
Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū Banks Peninsula Community Board

Highlights of our recent meetings

Since we last got in touch, we've had meetings on 29 August and 12 September. You can watch all our meetings via livestream. Some of the highlights are included below:

• We recommended that the incoming Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū Community Board does not establish the Akaroa Issues Working Party, and instead formally appoints a Board member to the community-led Akaroa and Bays Forum to act as the Board’s representative.
• We received the draft HMNZS Steadfast Landscape History & Conservation Report, concerning the site of the former Royal New Zealand Navy Armament Depot. The Council commissioned the report to assess the cultural heritage values of the site and provide guidance on conserving and managing the site.
• We discussed and adopted new Terms of Reference for the 15 Reserve Committees.
• We approved the waterfront pedestrian upgrade proposed along the coastal edge of Te Nukutai o Tapoa Naval Point. Learn more about the wider project.
• We approved a range of staff recommendations regarding the design for the Godley Quay Traffic & Roading Improvement Project, including kerb lines, pedestrian facilities, landscaping, signage and other markings. We also recommended that the Council establish a bi-directional shared pedestrian/bicycle path on the western side of Godley Quay.
• We approved grants for 21 different Summer with your neighbours events being held across the region.
• We approved a $2000 grant from the Discretionary Response Fund for the Okains Bay School Board of Trustees towards the school’s 150th celebrations.

Read our meeting minutes for 29 August and 12 September for more information about these decisions and to see what else we discussed.

The 12 September meeting was our last for this term. We'll decide the schedule for the new term after the elections – watch this space!

Free Celect app to help with voting choice

People who want to make an informed decision about who to vote for in October’s local body elections are being encouraged to download Christchurch City Council’s free mobile app, Celect.

The app is easy to use and to download, and starts by helping you find out what ward that you’re in and then lets you browse candidate profiles and shortlist the ones you’re interested in voting for. It also includes Environment Canterbury candidates.

Celect also helps keep you up-to-date with what’s happening, as you’ll be able to receive notifications on election and voting dates and how you can vote. Download it now for free from the App Store or Google Play.

Grants to help safeguard heritage

New Zealand’s oldest operational steamship – the tug Lyttelton – will get a new electrical boiler, thanks in part to a heritage grant from Christchurch City Council.

The Council has agreed to give the Tug Lyttelton Preservation Society $58,000 to help them pay the $116,000 cost of installing a new boiler in the 112-year-old tug.

The new boiler will cut the Lyttelton’s coal usage by up to 60 per cent and help to ensure the historic tug remains viable for future generations.

New Zealand Sail Grand Prix Community Briefing

Come to a community meeting with SailGP and ChristchurchNZ and find out more about the New Zealand Sail Grand Prix that will be held on Whakaraupō Lyttelton Harbour on 18–19 March 2023.

When: Monday 3 October 2022, from 7pm–8.30pm

Where: Lyttelton Arts Factory, 1 Sumner Road, Lyttelton

This exciting event will bring high-adrenaline racing, several thousand people, and global media attention to Christchurch. Representatives from SailGP, host city agency ChristchurchNZ, Christchurch City Council and Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke Rāpaki will present information about the site plan, traffic management, opportunities for business, legacy projects and more, and there will be an opportunity for questions.

Treated wastewater to irrigate golf course

Duvauchelle’s new wastewater scheme will provide treated wastewater for irrigating the Akaroa Golf Course.

At its meeting on 13 September, the Council approved the recommendation of the Duvauchelle Treated Wastewater Options Hearings Panel to adopt Option 1 – to spray and drip irrigate treated wastewater to the Akaroa Golf Course.

Restoration complete on Akaroa’s whaling pots

Some important relics of Akaroa’s whaling days have been returned to a prime spot on the township’s waterfront.

Three whaling try pots that date back to the early 1800s have been reinstated on Beach Road after being carefully restored.

Banks Peninsula hazardous waste drop-off day

Gearing up for a spring clean? Barrys Bay Transfer Station is taking hazardous waste on Saturday 15 October 2022, from 9am–4pm – for FREE!

The following items can be dropped off at the transfer station (102 Onawe Flat Road):

• waste oils
• gas bottles and fire extinguishers
• paints and solvents
• household chemicals
• aerosols
• batteries: Alkaline, Lithium/Nicad/NiMH
• agrichemicals

Please bring items in their original container or write the product name on the container for easy identification.

Sustainability Fund looking to support climate action

Christchurch City Council’s Sustainability Fund is now open and accepting applications for projects that help address the Council's climate change objectives and targets.

Anyone can apply for funding, including community organisations, schools, social enterprises and  businesses.

Projects that have been funded previously include a car sharing network for the Little River community, a climate coach to help reduce emissions in Lyttelton and setting up composting facilities in a school.

Applications to the Sustainability Fund close on 31 October 2022. Decisions on funding will be made in early 2023.

Let’s use water like we oughta

From October 2022, Christchurch and Banks Peninsula households that regularly use much more water than the average will pay extra for their water supply.

You can use our Water Reporter online tool to find out how much water your household uses before charges come into effect.

If your household is using a lot of water there might be a leak on your property. You have time to find the leak and get it fixed.

Find out how to read your water meter, check for leaks and reduce your water use here.  

Photo Hunt is back for 2022

Christchurch City Libraries is hosting the annual Photo Hunt to gather photographs from across the community, along with the unique stories of their creators.

This year's theme is Our Stories – Milestones and Moments. Share your photos and help us tell the diverse stories of Christchurch and Banks Peninsula. Submit a photo online or in your nearest library. Entries close 31 October 2022.

Dragon set to headline New Year's Eve party

International act, Dragon, has been confirmed as the headliner for the family-friendly New Year's Eve celebration organised by Christchurch City Council.

Since forming in 1973, the band has sold more than two million albums and been inducted into the Australian Hall of Fame. Dragon is known for hits like April Sun in Cuba, Rain, Are You Old Enough? and Young Years.

The NYE22 event caters for all ages, with family entertainment early in the evening from Music with Michal.

Council says no to government’s intensification direction

Christchurch City Council has voted against changing its planning rules to comply with government direction to enable more housing and development in the city.

In a move aimed at showing the government that Christchurch does not want intensification forced upon it, the Council has decided not to formally notify and invite submissions on the proposed Housing and Business Choice Plan Change that would bring the District Plan in line with recently passed legislation.