Hands off city streets, says business group as mayor backtracks
By reporter Liz McDonald:
A who’s who of Christchurch property and business owners have joined forces to fight a $33 million revamp of central city streets, as the mayor backtracks on his opposition.
The group says the proposal, which is open for public feedback until next week, contains unworkable aspects and ignores the needs of businesses.
The city council last month agreed to push ahead with planning to redevelop the streets around stadium Te Kaha, which is due to open in 2026. The aim is to create pedestrian and entertainment spaces.
Work would include switching some streets to one-way, removing car parks, widening footpaths to make way for outdoor dining, planting trees, lowering speed limits, and installing $11m of new underground services for the stadium.
Central Government is expected to pick up half the $22m bill for the roading changes, which will affect Lichfield, Madras, Tuam and Barbadoes streets. The remaining $11m is for underground water infrastructure.
Mayor Phil Mauger said pre-election he was “not happy” about the programme and the money should go into stadium construction, but this week he said he was now seeing it differently.
He said the underground water structure was essential, as there was “no use having a stadium with 200 toilets and not enough pipes to take it away”.
The other $11m for the council to fund would be paid over four years. “It’s still a lot of money, but it’s slightly more digestable.” He still wanted to look for savings, he said.
The private operators speaking out in opposition are property developers and landlords Antony Gough, Philip Carter and Shaun Stockman, Central Christchurch Business Association head Annabel Turley, business owners Anne Kennett and Craig Freeman, and property managers Nicki Carter, Kerrie Bloomfield and Tim Hunt.
Gough, who developed and owns The Terrace hospitality precinct around Oxford Tce, said the plan was “sheer lunacy” and would strangle the city centre.
The council seemed to have “a very poor understanding” of what businesses need, he said.
Central City Business Association chairperson and pharmacy owner Annabel Turley said widening Lichfield St footpaths to 6m was “not needed”.
“This is in an area where the cold easterly wind blows often... Christchurch already has well planned areas for pedestrians and outdoor dining.”
Philip Carter, developer and landlord of The Crossing, said he and others had invested millions in the city and their developments attracted locals and visitors.
“But now the council wants to choke the CBD and make it even harder for shoppers, workers, tourists and central city residents to access and move around,” he said.
Fellow developer Shaun Stockman said a fair balance was needed, and while some aspects of the proposal were viable, others were “simply unworkable”.
“We don’t necessarily reject all the council plans in their entirety.”
Stockman said underground infrastructure was “an absolute must”, but much of the plan showed council staff were not at the coalface and lacked understanding of how people moved around the city.
He said he and other developers had followed the post-quake blueprint and created hospitality precincts in sheltered laneways, not on main streets, with the exception of Oxford Tce, which faces the river.
In a tweet last month, councillor Sara Templeton shared before and after pictures of the redeveloped Oxford Tce next to Riverside.
Alongside are a photo of Lichfield St and the council’s plan for that block, with Templeton commenting that Te Kaha would shelter the area and it would become “a great place to be”.
Picnic tables under trees would replace 22 car parks, and there would be “good off-street parking nearby”, she said.
Following the election last month council staff paused work on the Te Kaha streets plan in the face of the mayoral opposition. After a staff briefing, the new council restarted it and agreed to extend public consultation until November 30.
Council staff will then consider the submissions, make changes if needed, and make a recommendation to the council’s hearings panel.
The panel will meet early next year and make a recommendation to the council for a final decision.
Dinghy Wanted
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Six tips for improving security around your home
1) Improve outdoor lighting
Ensure that streets, driveways, and front yards are well-lit. Motion-sensor lights around homes deter trespassers by reducing hiding spots and illuminating their movements.
2) Trim your trees
Overgrown shrubs and trees provide cover for intruders. Keeping them well-trimmed around windows and doors improves visibility and reduces potential hiding spots.
3) Secure Entry Points
Ensure doors, windows, and gates are always closed when you are away from the house. Upgrade to more secure locks, deadbolts, or even smart locks for added protection.
4) Add a security camera
Place security cameras in the main entry points to your home. Doorbell cameras are also relatively cheap and a great way to keep track of who is visiting your home when you aren't there.
5) Start a Neighborhood Watch Program
You could reach out to members on Neighbourly to form a group of neighbors who can regularly keep an eye out for suspicious activity and report it. You could also check with Neighbourhood Support to see what is existing in your area.
6) Introduce yourself to your neighbours
The closer you are to your neighbors, the more likely they’ll notice when something unusual or suspicious is happening around your property
Feel free to share anything that you do around your area to deter crime.
Have your say on Canterbury’s public transport
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Canterbury residents are being encouraged to have their say on public transport in the region.
Environment Canterbury has released its draft public transport plan and is seeking submissions.
The draft plan outlines a vision for public transport in the region and notes key priorities such as improving the environment, growing patronage, accessibility, innovation and technology, and affordability.
‘‘Public transport takes many forms with communities across our region,’’ councillor Peter Scott said.
‘‘With limited funding available, we need to make sure we make the best decisions to deliver a public transport network that is integrated with urban development, innovative and meets the needs of new and existing customers.
‘‘Effective public transport is the lifeline that connects us to work, school, recreation and our friends and family, so it is important we get this right.’’
The Canterbury’s population is growing and by 2050, it is projected 700,000 people will be living in Greater Christchurch.
The draft plan covers public transport for the region, which includes the Metro service (Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri), MyWay by Metro in Timaru, Total Mobility and Community Vehicle Trusts.
It was developed in partnership with local councils and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.
Environment Canterbury has been planning to step up its public transport efforts by increasing the frequency of existing services and introducing mass rapid transport in Greater Christchurch.
But these plans have been stalled by a lack of public transport funding in the Government’s 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme.
A proposal to allow people to travel with domestic pets is also included in the draft plan.
Having pets on buses has been successfully trial in other parts of New Zealand, councillor Joe Davies said.
‘‘We’re keen to understand what controls are needed for our bus users in Greater Christchurch and Timaru to be comfortable with pets on public transport.
It is proposed to allow adult passengers to bring a single pet on board, as long it is in an approved carrier at off-peak times, weekdays between 9am and 3pm or after 6pm, and during weekends.
Another proposal would loosen those restrictions in future to allow for leashed and muzzled dogs and increasing the limit to two pets per passenger.
‘‘We want to gauge how people feel about these proposals. Now is the time to have your say,’’ Davies said.
Submissions close on Thursday, October 24.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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