Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor update
December 2022

New stop-bank enters final stage of construction

The finishing touches are being made to a new 472m-long river stop-bank, as work on the first of a series of stormwater basins in the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor continues to progress.

At approximately three metres high, the long-term stop-bank is the first element of a nine-hectare flood management area being constructed beside Anzac Drive and Pages Road; it will play a crucial role in the future wetland, and Christchurch’s ability to live with sea-level rise.

Our new website outlines upcoming projects

We've just launched a new OARC-specific 'mini site' on the Council's website, which allows us to share a lot more information and keep you updated with our current and upcoming projects. 

These projects include:

• Redeveloping Avon Park to incorporate the City to Sea Pathway, establish wetlands on the lower terrace and improve recreational facilities on the upper terrace.

• Planning the City to Sea Pathway that largely follows the river from Fitzgerald Avenue to Pages Road bridge.

• Changes to Kerrs Reach by relocating the flatwater sports facilities across the river and building a riverside landing at Porritt Park.

• Establishing Bexley Wetland - improving the stopbanks, stormwater treatment and creating an estuarine wetland at Bexley (between Pages Road and Bridge Street).

Early next year we'll share much more information about each of these projects, but you can check out some concept images and find out a bit more of what we're planning by clicking the button below. 

In the meantime, bookmark ccc.govt.nz/oarc to stay up-to-date.

New footbridges win awards, a fourth bridge in the works

Over the past three months the three new pedestrian bridges in the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor have picked up two awards. In August, Living Streets Aotearoa awarded the bridges a Golden Foot for the “urban connection” category.

In November the three bridges took out the 2022 Steel Construction New Zealand Excellence award for the $500,000–$1.5 million category.

All of the architecture, engineering, landscaping, planning and surveying work was completed by our talented Council staff, with the physical construction undertaken by HEB.

Meanwhile, Council staff are working with engineering and fine arts students at University of Canterbury on the design of a fourth bridge at Dallington.

Rubbish removed from the river

The Avon Ōtākaro Network is working with Healthy Rivers NZ and Without Waste to remove rubbish from the Ōtākaro Avon River. If you see Dayl in the boat (above) you now know what he is up to!

The rubbish is taken back to the Riverlution Eco Hub to sort, weigh and divert as much as possible away from landfill.

Tamariki from Ao Tawhiti school, as part of their actions from working with the Te Tuna Taone programme, have spent two sessions doing the sorting and recording their finds. So far they have found lots of road cones, signs, cans, bottles, plastic, whitebaiting structures, wood and metal.

Avon Ōtākaro Network's initiative is supported by the Tindall Foundation and the West Melton Christchurch Zone committee, and hope that they can get enough support to do a full 12-month trial. The Council is supporting the project by paying for the rubbish to be sent to landfill.

If your school, community group or organisation would like to help out with a sorting session for 2023, contact hayley@guglietta.co.nz 

Summertime Reading in the Red Zone

The Libraries Outreach team is collaborating with the Council's red zone rangers this summer, to bring you two fun events as part of the Summertime Reading Challenge.