Greetings from your Community BoardMessage from the ChairKia ora koutou, You may have heard that we’re re-thinking some planning rules in Ōtautahi-Christchurch to enable more housing for our growing population. The proposed changes won’t apply in Akaroa or the bays. This is because Akaroa is a unique settlement with significant heritage importance, and these areas are not in the same labour and housing market as Ōtautahi-Christchurch – which also includes Lyttelton. Also, a reminder to residents that keeping plants, hedges and other foliage trimmed back from footpaths outside private property is the responsibility of the property owner. Please do your bit to keep our footpaths accessible for all and keep plant growth in check. Stay together, look after one another. Noho ora mai rā. Highlights of our recent meetingsSince we last got in touch, we've had meetings on 28 March, 4 April and 11 April. Under the Orange setting in the Government's COVID-19 Protection Framework, meetings are being held via livestream. You can watch the latest meeting here. Some of the highlights are included below:
Read our meeting minutes for 28
March, 4 April and 11 April for more information about these decisions and to see what else we discussed. Plan change sets out risk-based approach to Coastal HazardsParts of Banks Peninsula that are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and sea level rise would have future development managed according to their level of risk. Christchurch City Council has begun consulting the public on its Draft Coastal Hazards Plan Change, which outlines how the Council will manage future development, subdivision and changes in land use in areas exposed to coastal hazards. Read more on Newsline and have your say before 13 May by clicking the button below. Two options for Duvauchelle wastewater consultationChristchurch City Council will consult the community next month on two options for disposing of treated wastewater from Duvauchelle, it was decided at a Three Waters Infrastructure and Environment Committee meeting earlier this month. The treated wastewater is currently discharged into Akaroa Harbour, but the Council’s consent to do this will expire in 2023. It is a condition of that consent that the Council explores all feasible alternatives to sending treated wastewater to the harbour – a practice that is deeply offensive to Māori. Consultation opens 2 May. Banks Peninsula road repairs reach major milestoneWork on the damaged roads of Banks Peninsula reached another major milestone earlier this month as residents regained access across the main road dropout at Goughs Road. Getting the road to this point has required a huge effort from residents, community delivery teams, geotechnical engineers, designers, planners, property specialists, and Fulton Hogan. Fulton Hogan's team of contractors helped our designers determine the best solution for the dropout. This milestone also signals a change in the pace of the repairs. From now on, contractors will be repairing minor work and tidying up sections of the roading network. The majority of this work should not impact residents' ability to access their properties. For updates on the Banks Peninsula storm roading repairs, sign up for our e-newsletter by clicking the button below and entering your details. Police report: increase in thefts from vehicles
The Community Board received a report from local police, noting that they are aware of a slight increase in thefts from vehicles occurring recently. Senior Sergeant Ian Appley says, “We see the same mistakes time and time again. People leave valuables in their car or leave their vehicle unlocked, which gives offenders ample opportunity to take their belongings. Prevention is key in this space. A helpful motto to use is ‘Lock or lose it, conceal it or remove it’.” Anyone that sees suspicious activity around vehicles can call Police on 111 if it is happening, or 105 after the fact. Top tips for preventing theft from your vehicle include:
Joining a neighbourhood support group can be beneficial to deterring theft as more people in your neighbourhood can keep an eye out for suspicious activity. Tiny homes for tiny birds on Banks PeninsulaThe titipounamu/rifleman wrens on Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū/Banks Peninsula are getting some new accommodation to help improve their chances of breeding successfully. Native to New Zealand, titipounamu (Acanthisitta chloris) are the country’s smallest bird. The males weigh just six grams and females weigh seven grams. They are one of only two species left of the New Zealand wren family. Titipounamu are rarely seen on Banks Peninsula because they prefer to take cover in mature forest and mānuka/kānuka scrub, but a plan has been hatched to help boost their numbers in the area. Refreshed strategy for strengthening communitiesA refreshed strategy for building strong, connected communities across Christchurch and Banks Peninsula has been approved by the Council. Community groups will play a big part in helping to deliver the strategy. The refreshed Te Haumako Te Whitingia Strengthening Communities Together Strategy is a result of extensive consultation and reflects the current and anticipated needs of the community. Council offering financial help to community groupsNot-for-profit groups working on projects and initiatives that help to connect and strengthen communities in Christchurch and Banks Peninsula may be able to get help with their costs. Each year Christchurch City Council puts money aside in its Strengthening Communities Fund so that it can provide financial support to the many groups and organisations who are working to build community wellbeing. This year there is nearly $7 million in the fund. Just over half of that money will be distributed by the Council on a metropolitan basis. The remainder will be divvied up between the seven Community Boards, who will use the money to support projects and initiatives in their own areas. Vaccine passes no longer needed at Council facilitiesAll people, regardless of their COVID-19 vaccine status, are now welcome at Christchurch City Council’s public facilities. Christchurch City Council has made the decision to remove the My Vaccine Pass requirements for people visiting its facilities. That means people no longer need to show a My Vaccine Pass to enter Council pools and recreation centres, libraries, community centres, service hubs, the Civic Offices, Christchurch Art Gallery or Akaroa Museum. Plan change sets rules for short-term visitor accommodationA plan change aimed at managing the impacts of short-term visitor accommodation on residential and rural areas of Christchurch and Banks Peninsula has been approved. “Online booking platforms have made it easy for people to rent out spare rooms or whole houses to out-of-town visitors on a casual basis and opened up more choices for travellers,’’ says Urban Development and Transport Chair, Cr Mike Davidson. “There are costs and benefits associated with the growth in short-term accommodation. The plan change that we have approved aims to ensure we effectively manage the effects of short-term accommodation, and the potentially negative impacts it has on residential neighbourhoods in particular,’’ Cr Davidson says. The Plan Change, which was first publicly notified in late September 2020, sets rules on what types of visitor accommodation can occur in the different zones of the city and under what circumstances. Our next Community Board meetingYou can find out the dates, times and agendas of upcoming Community Board and Council meetings here. Sign up and share our newsletterSharing is caring, and we'd love you to share our newsletter on your social media channels. You can cut and paste this URL to link to the online version of this newsletter: https://createsend.com/t/r-5180533E02F0FA372540EF23F30FEDED Contact your Community BoardTe Pātaka o Rākaihautū/Banks Peninsula Community Board is here to provide support and advice to our community. Contact the Banks Peninsula governance teamYou can find all our contact details on our web page. Agendas and MinutesRead agendas and minutes from previous Council and Community Board meetings. You received this email because you are subscribed to receive updates from Christchurch City Council. |