Residents in Christchurch suburb plead with council to 'be on the right side of history'
A slice of ratepayer-owned land in a rapidly growing Christchurch suburb will be sold off for social and affordable housing, despite community pleas for the council to keep it.
Christchurch City Council bought land on Quaifes Rd in Halswell to build a stormwater treatment facility. At the time, the council was forced to buy more land than it needed because the owner did not want to sell only a portion of the property.
The council always planned to sell the surplus land (3.67 hectares) to help recoup costs, but the Waipuna Halswell-Hornby-Riccarton community board wants a third retained for a park or community facility that could be needed in the future.
The council sided with staff, who said the land was not needed for a park or community facility because Halswell’s future was already well catered for within its growth plans.
Council head of facilities, property and planning Bruce Rendall said there were already 77 parks within a 2-kilometre radius of the site and more sports parks were planned for Templeton.
Poll: Do you think banning gang patches is reasonable?
With the government cracking down on gangs, it is now illegal for gang members to display their insignia in public places whether through clothing or their property.
This means arrests can be made if these patches are worn in places like restaurants, shops, on public transport or ferries, and on airplanes. Arrests were made recently at a funeral.
Do you think this ban is reasonable?
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77% Yes
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22.3% No
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0.8% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
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