Lantern Festival will go ahead
Great news!
The Christchurch Lantern Festival will still go ahead as planned this weekend however there will be NO Fireworks as previously advertised.
Council event staff have been in contact with Police and St John and they are supportive of this event still proceeding.
Saturday and Sunday Feb 18-19
5pm - 10.30pm
North Hagley Park
The Lantern Festival has been part of the Chinese New Year celebrations since the Han Dynasty (206BC - 221AD).
Usually held on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar, it marks the end of New Year festivities.
Parking
Wilson Parking and the Council have teamed up to offer cheap parking for this event. Select Wilson car parks within the central city will offer flat-rate car parking of $3 between 3pm - midnight on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 February.
The locations are:
118 Victoria St - 40 parks
374 Montreal St - 60 parks
55 Kilmore St - 30 parks
66-68 Kilmore St - 80 parks
76 Armagh St - 60 parks
109 Cambridge Tce - 30 parks
605 Colombo St - 35 parks
74 Worcester Blvd (Old Clarendon Tower site) - 60 parks
Other parking options include central city Council car parks and on street parking (various charges may apply), parking is not permitted on the grassed area of Cranmer Square.
There will be no public car parking available on Hagley Park.The Botanic Gardens Armagh Street car park will be closed to incoming traffic from 3pm on both days, with the exception of mobility card holders.
Drop-off zones will be located on Park terrace (between Armagh and Kilmore Streets) and Harper Ave.
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
🧩😏 Riddle me this, Neighbours…
I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?
Do you think you know the answer?
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Poll: Canterbury is thriving on paper... but are you seeing evidence of Canterbury's improving economy?
As reported in the Press, Reserve Bank Governor Anna Breman recently gave a shout-out to our region, calling Canterbury a "stand-out" for how we recover from tough times. With tech firms growing and exporters investing, the business side of things is looking bright!
👉 But we know that "business growth" doesn't always mean the weekly shop gets any cheaper. While the city expands, many families feel like they’re just trying to keep their heads above water.
We want to know: With the business buzz of 2026, do you feel like things are finally looking up for your household, or does it still feel like a climb?
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28.6% Yes
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42.9% No
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28.6% In some areas ...
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