Greetings from your Community BoardMessage from the ChairKia ora koutou, I know many of us were looking forward to easing in to Christmas, but nature had other plans. Last week's intense rainfall has caused a lot of disruption, particularly for our friends in the eastern bays, and we're still in full recovery mode. For live updates on roads, power and phones, please visit Newsline. I know I say it every month, but now in particular: stay together, look after one another. Whatever your circumstances, I hope you get the chance these holidays to stop, take a breath, and reflect on
the year that was. I'll be looking back at what we've achieved this year and what's coming up in 2022. These outcomes are in large part thanks to the effort of our wonderful community here. Thank you all for your engagement and passion throughout 2021. Finally, a friendly reminder to our Lyttelton community members to please pay attention when parking to
help keep access to fire hydrants/appliances unobstructed. Highlights of our recent meetingsOur last meeting for 2021 was held on 6 December. See below for the highlights.
We also received our Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū Banks Peninsula Community Board Area Report for November 2021, which highlights a lot of the cool stuff going on in our board area. Read our board meeting minutes for more information about these decisions and to see what else we discussed. Latest info on recovery efforts in Banks Peninsula's eastern baysThe Council is working with its contractors, Civil Defence, community groups and individuals, and the North Canterbury Rural Support Trust to help the eastern bays residents impacted by slips and flooding. We’ll be monitoring the situation over the Christmas / New Year break, with some work planned for this period. More crews are scheduled to start work from 10 January 2022. We know the bays are popular spots, especially at this time of the year. However, some roads are going to be closed (and gated) over the holiday period because they are badly damaged. Check Newsline for the latest updates regarding road access and recovery efforts. Lions Club's 50th birthday present to our communityResidents and visitors to the Akaroa Recreation Ground will be able to enjoy their picnics rain or shine now that a new picnic table shelter has been installed. To celebrate 50 years of service to our community, the Akaroa and Bays Lions Club gifted the shelter – a great addition to the barbeque picnic seating area at the Recreation Ground. The Board was pleased to support the Club’s efforts and we thank them for their decades of service. Special thanks to Ken Shearer, Kevin Templeton, Ian LePage, Geoffrey Milne, Kevin Kerr, Alan Hensley, Alex Aitkin and Ian Richardson who were directly involved in this 50th anniversary project. Highlights from our Community and Regional Parks TeamsOur Community and Regional Parks Teams have been doing some significant and interesting mahi across Banks Peninsula and the Port Hills over the last couple of months:
This only scrapes the surface of what the Community and Regional Parks Teams have achieved over the last few months. Their ongoing work to support biodiversity, marine improvements, recreation, and numerous volunteer groups and partnership activities shows the dedication these teams have to our local environment, and to the community’s own aspirations. Life of a park ranger filled with varietyMeet Alison Evans, the Regional Parks Team Leader for Port Hills and Banks Peninsula. We asked her a few questions about her life after her first year on the job. Treasures of Akaroa exhibition opensWhat does the Akaroa Junior School dental chair have in common with a World War Two sea mine? The answer is that they’re both on display at Akaroa Museum. The Ngā Taonga me ōna Kōrero: A Decade of Collecting exhibition opened on Saturday 11 December and showcases an eclectic range of objects collected over the past 10 years. Akaroa Wharf to be replacedThe Council is proposing to replace Akaroa’s 134-year-old wharf with a new structure in the same location. Work on a replacement wharf has been underway since a structural assessment of the iconic landmark in late 2018 found it was reaching the end of its viable life and it was no longer possible or economical to keep repairing and maintaining it. It is proposed to raise the new wharf deck height by a minimum of 500 millimetres, to allow for sea level rise and storm surges and to ensure the longevity and all weather use of the structure. Have your say on the Akaroa Wharf replacement proposal before 31 January 2022. New lookout for Sign of the BellbirdA new lookout opposite the Sign of the Bellbird featuring stone walls and native plantings will be under construction by February. The Banks Peninsula Community Board has approved a proposal to build the lookout and upgrade the current sealed parking area on a mix of Christchurch City Council and Summit Road Society land. The Summit Road Society has organised funding for the project and construction is expected to begin in February with a completion date in April. Protecting our Banks Peninsula heritageSome of Banks Peninsula's incredibly important historic and cultural sites will be supported and preserved with heritage grants. The Canterbury Yacht and Motor Boat Club, the St Joseph the Worker Catholic Church memorial, and the Rāpaki Schoolhouse are touchstones for our communities and whānau, and a cherished part our of history. We appreciate the steps that are being taken to help preserve these sites and ensure our built and cultural heritage is maintained for future generations. Thanks to the Council and the Sustainability and Community Resilience Committee for the grants. 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. Contact your Community BoardThe Te 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. |