Upgrading roads around Christchurch stadium no longer 'paused', despite mayor's moves to delay project
From reporter Steven Walton:
Work has resumed on a hotly-debated $33 million upgrade to roads around Christchurch's planned stadium.
Residents now have until the end of the month to share their views on the project.
More than 850 submissions have already been made – making the project the council’s second most popular consultation of the year. The future of the stadium itself was the most popular.
The $33m upgrade has not been supported by new mayor Phil Mauger, who has suggested the money would be better spent fixing roads in the east or going towards the $683m cost of the stadium.
Nearly two weeks ago, the council said work on the project was paused and Mauger said that was a consequence of his wish to not proceed with the work.
On Tuesday, the newly-elected council was briefed behind closed doors about the project.
Council chief executive Dawn Baxendale said the briefing to the council explained the project will improve pedestrian safety and traffic management while also replacing “outdated” three waters networks around the stadium.
Following the briefing, work on the project has resumed.
That means the public consultation can be finished and staff can consider the responses.
A council spokesperson said staff would then make changes to the proposal where it can. After that, it will make a recommendation to a hearings panel that is expected to convene in February next year.
The panel will then make a final recommendation to the council in March, when the council will effectively decide whether the project continues.
The Christchurch City Council launched consultation on the scheme on the first day of Mauger’s mayoralty and released its proposed plans covering Lichfield, Madras, Tuam and Barbadoes streets.
Footpaths would be widened to up to 5.8m on some streets, speeds lowered to 10kph or 30kph, car parks taken away and room allowed for cycle lanes, gardens and outdoor dining.
But businesses along one of the routes were not happy with the plans, as they did not want to lose parking.
The two options for Lichfield St involve the loss of some, or all 72, car parks.
The council’s consultation document said the upgrades were designed to cater for large influxes of traffic and pedestrians attending events at the stadium, Te Kaha.
If approved, the work would start some time next year and be completed by 2026, when Te Kaha is due to open.
Mauger said in October he wanted to delay the work on the surrounding streets until after the stadium was built.
“I would rather, as a ratepayer, drive down the streets as they are and pay that $24m (sic) off the stadium.”
While Mauger said the cost was $24m, the council’s consultation document said it was $33m.
Mauger said the work should be done, but only “when people come and we get more money”.
“You’ve got to cut your cloth to suit the budget.”
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Poll: Are Kiwis allergic to “exuberance”? 🥝
In The Post’s opinion piece on the developments set to open across Aotearoa in 2026, John Coop suggests that, as a nation, we’re “allergic to exuberance.”
We want to know: Are we really allergic to showing our excitement?
Is it time to lean into a more optimistic view of the place we call home? As big projects take shape and new opportunities emerge, perhaps it’s worth asking whether a little more confidence (and enthusiasm!) could do us some good.
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41.5% Yes
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33.6% Maybe?
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24.9% No
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