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Catchments saturated in Waimakariri
From local democracy reporter David Hill:
Waimakariri is awash after the recent rain, as the risk of major flooding increases.
After three heavy rain events last month, Waimakariri District Council three waters manager Kalley Simpson says groundwater levels are similar to the levels after the … View moreFrom local democracy reporter David Hill:
Waimakariri is awash after the recent rain, as the risk of major flooding increases.
After three heavy rain events last month, Waimakariri District Council three waters manager Kalley Simpson says groundwater levels are similar to the levels after the June 2014 flood event.
‘‘The catchments in the district are saturated and groundwater levels are high, therefore there is an elevated risk of flooding due to rainfall events over the coming months.
‘‘We will continue to closely monitor and respond to any future wet weather events, taking into account this elevated risk.’’
Simpson said the July 26 rain event was the largest, and it followed heavy rain events on July 12 and 20.
Woodend (119.6mm) and Kaiapoi (109.6mm) received the most rainfall, followed by Rangiora (78.6mm), Mandeville (72.2mm), Summerhill (near Oxford, 61.8mm) and Oxford (47.2mm).
Undercurrents were also flowing at a particularly high level in the Mandeville area, he said.
‘‘This event (July 26) was more of a coastal event and was in the order of a 20 to 30 year event over 24 hours for Kaiapoi and Woodend, which experience the higher levels of rainfall."
The council did major infrastructure work following a series of heavy rain events in 2014, while stormwater work had begun in Kaiapoi as part of the Government’s Covid-19 ‘‘Shovel Ready’’ funding.
Simpson said the upgrades had generally performed well, while the stormwater improvement areas in Kaiapoi, including Feldwick Drive and Otaki St, had experienced flooding as predicted.
‘‘There was surface flooding across the wider district, most of which was in known areas of flooding where we have investigations or upgrades under way.
Some areas flooded unexpectedly, such as in McDougal Place in Kaiapoi.
‘‘We had staff and contractors out responding to and observing the event and have identified the source of flooding which we will address.’’
Future of Kaiapoi aqua sports park to be decided
From local democracy reporter David Hill:
The Waimakariri District Council will vote on Tuesday, August 2, on whether to extend an agreement to develop a proposed aqua sports park in Kaiapoi.
Two options will be on the table after the Kaiapoi East Residents’ Association (KERA) presented an … View moreFrom local democracy reporter David Hill:
The Waimakariri District Council will vote on Tuesday, August 2, on whether to extend an agreement to develop a proposed aqua sports park in Kaiapoi.
Two options will be on the table after the Kaiapoi East Residents’ Association (KERA) presented an alternative option to the WHoW Charitable Trust’s proposed aqua sports park to a Kaiapoi-Tuahiwi Community Board meeting last week.
Community and recreation manager Chris Brown said a report had been prepared outlining the choice between extending the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the trust for a further two years or allowing KERA to develop a community space on the site.
The MOU was signed between the council and the trust in August 2020 for two years, with the option of a two year extension, to develop an aqua sports park concept in the Kaiapoi east regeneration area to the north of Kaiapoi River.
A separate three-year license to occupy agreement was signed last year allowing the trust to operate an aqua play park in Lake Courtenay, to the south of the river.
Brown said there was no reason why both proposals could not be accommodated.
KERA chairperson Michelle MacWilliams proposed turning the site into a native regenerating forest with picnic areas, walkways and areas for free activities such as petanque.
‘‘We have reached out to business owners and many of them are on their knees. We don’t want them to have to wait for another three years for something that might not happen.
‘‘We are looking at something that will bring benefit in the spring. It will bring people in and it’s free, so people can spend their money in the stores.’’
MacWilliams said the proposal had support from Ryman Healthcare and other potential funders.
The Kaiapoi-Tuahiwi Community granted KERA permission last year to establish a pocket forest around the perimeter of the site.
Brown said should councillors decide to extend the MOU with the WHoW Charitable Trust, he would reach out to KERA.
Options for how the two organisations could work together and how KERA’s ideas could be accommodated on the site and on other council reserve land would be discussed.
‘‘There are some environmental regeneration projects already under way, such as the Honda Forest, and we’ve been developing dog parks and walk ways, but there’s always room for more,’’ Brown said.
‘‘The council just needs to look at the proposals and make a decision for what’s going to be the best four economic, social, environmental and cultural wellbeing for the district and long term what’s going to be the best for Kaiapoi.’’
When asked at last week’s community board meeting whether KERA would be willing to work with the trust, MacWilliams gave an emphatic ‘‘No!’’.
North Canterbury a popular place to live
From local democracy reporter David Hill:
The Waimakariri and Hurunui district councils are continuing to process high numbers of consents for new houses, as the housing boom shows no signs of letting up.
In the six months to June 30, 435 consents for new houses were issued in the Waimakariri … View moreFrom local democracy reporter David Hill:
The Waimakariri and Hurunui district councils are continuing to process high numbers of consents for new houses, as the housing boom shows no signs of letting up.
In the six months to June 30, 435 consents for new houses were issued in the Waimakariri district.
While this is 12% down on the same period last year, 400-plus consents was a normal year for Waimakariri before the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes, deputy mayor Neville Atkinson said.
Last year, 935 consents were issued for new houses and a similar result was predicted for this year.
"It’s really booming. Why would you not want to live in Waimakariri?" Atkinson said.
"When we set out rates for this year we put the range at around 900 consents and we are halfway at six months, so we are definitely on track."
Woodend led the way with 144 consents, followed by Kaiapoi with 139 and 86 consents in rural areas.
There were 38 consents issued in Pegasus and just 25 in Rangiora.
Atkinson said the bulk of Kaiapoi’s growth was in the Silverstream subdivision, with the smaller sections and high density housing.
While Rangiora’s consent numbers were down, it would pick up again soon with new developments in the pipeline.
One proposed subdivision in Rangiora, Bellgrove, was recently fast-tracked under the Covid-19 Recovery Fast-track Consenting Act 2020.
The 63-hectare site is expected to open up soon for 209 sections in stage one and up to 1100 sections over five stages.
The Waimakariri district’s population has already passed 66,000 and is on track to top 78,000 by 2031.
Long-term projections suggest Waimakariri could approach 100,000 by 2048, with Rangiora expected to pass 30,000.
Kaiapoi is set to run out of room for expansion, but could continue to grow with ‘‘infill’’ and subdividing into smaller sections and more high density housing, Atkinson said.
"That’s one of those issues we will face, whether people see it as a good thing or not is a different story."
He said careful planning and working together with the Greater Christchurch partners was essential.
"We can’t rest on our laurels when planning for our future.
"We have to make sure our systems can handle the growth and that we can continue to keep up with climate change.
"And we need to remember everything flows to Kaiapoi so we’ve got to be smarter with the way we handle our water systems."
The Hurunui District Council issued 194 consents for new houses in the year to June 30, up from 118 the previous year - an increase of 60%, building and property manager Kerry Walsh said.
Amberley led the way with 100 consents for new houses, followed by Hanmer Springs with 45 consents.
Total consents issued in the last six months were 317 with a building value of $52 million, compared with 300 at a value of $42m for the same period last year.
The Kaikōura District Council has issued 73 building consents for the first six months of this year, after issuing 154 building consents during the 2021 calendar year.
The council has also issued 50 resource consents (such as subdivisions and land use), compared to 44 resource consents for the same period last year.
Support for North Canterbury bus services
From local democracy reporter David Hill:
Direct bus services connecting Rangiora and Kaiapoi to Christchurch have continued to be well-supported, despite the challenges of Covid-
19.
Environment Canterbury (ECan) says the Rangiora (91) and Kaiapoi (92) services have enjoyed a solid 18 months, … View moreFrom local democracy reporter David Hill:
Direct bus services connecting Rangiora and Kaiapoi to Christchurch have continued to be well-supported, despite the challenges of Covid-
19.
Environment Canterbury (ECan) says the Rangiora (91) and Kaiapoi (92) services have enjoyed a solid 18 months, since they were introduced in January 2021, despite the various challenges from Covid and driver shortages.
‘‘The past year has seen more people working from home and reluctant to use public transport due to an increase in community transmission of Covid-19,’’ an ECan spokesperson said.
‘‘Despite these circumstances, May 2022 was the best month for the Kaiapoi service since it began, and the Rangiora service has also performed well during May and June.’’
The Kaiapoi service had 2380 passengers in May, while the Rangiora service had well over 3816 passengers in May and 3382 in June.
Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon is a regular user of ECan’s bus service.
‘‘I use it myself when heading into Christchurch in the morning for regular council-related meetings and it’s fast, convenient, affordable and on-time - all things that a great bus service should be.
‘‘It’s great to see growth in the service from Kaiapoi and generally to see that more residents are using bus services.
‘‘For anyone who commutes to Christchurch for work, I’d strongly encourage you to give this service a go.’’
All other Waimakariri services have also shown an increase in patronage since half-price fares were introduced in April, the ECan spokesperson said.
Overall bus patronage for Greater Christchurch for the year to June 2022 was 8.7 million boardings, which was just two-thirds of pre-Covid service levels.
In contrast the MyWay bus service in Timaru has enjoyed patronage at 5.6% higher than pre-Covid levels, which will be good news for advocates hoping to bring the service to Waimakariri.
Last month, MyWay recorded its second highest number of rides in a day with 614, while daily average rides ranged from 490 to 580.
Similar on-demand trials in Greater Christchurch were being considered as part of ECan’s Long-Term Plan and the Canterbury Regional Public Transport Plan, the ECan spokesperson said.
Woodend/Pegasus cycleways 'high priority'
From local democracy reporter David Hill:
A North Canterbury community board leader says a cycle way linking the growing towns of Woodend and Pegasus with Kaiapoi is a ‘‘high priority’’.
Woodend-Sefton Community Board chairperson Shona Powell (pictured) said a cycle way linking Woodend … View moreFrom local democracy reporter David Hill:
A North Canterbury community board leader says a cycle way linking the growing towns of Woodend and Pegasus with Kaiapoi is a ‘‘high priority’’.
Woodend-Sefton Community Board chairperson Shona Powell (pictured) said a cycle way linking Woodend and Kaiapoi would give locals the option of cycling to Kaiapoi High School or into Christchurch.
The Waimakariri District Council has rated a proposed cycleway between Woodend and Kaiapoi ‘‘priority 2’’, as part of a three-year plan to upgrade the district’s walking and cycling network, which was consulted on last month.
A proposed Pegasus to Woodend cycle way is ‘‘priority 3’’.
A Woodend to Kaiapoi cycle way would complete the circuit linking Waimakariri’s three main urban areas, along with the Passchendaele Memorial Path (Kaiapoi to Rangiora) and the Rangiora-Woodend Path.
"I went to one of the drop-ins and there was one young lad giving his feedback and he said his ambition was to bike from Woodend to Kaiapoi when he goes to high school," Powell said.
"It gives people choice and that’s why it’s important. We want people to get out of their cars whenever possible.
"Children going from Woodend or Pegasus to Kaiapoi High School either need to take the school bus or private vehicle because it’s not safe to cycle, so they’re relying on mum and dad if they want to do after school activities."
She said the community board also supported a walking and cycle path between Kippenberger Ave and Mainpower Stadium, which would link with the Rangiora-Woodend Path.
"I’m sure parents would appreciate it as it would mean children can cycle safely from Woodend and Pegasus for sports at the stadium."
A council spokesperson said the lower priority for the proposed Woodend cycleways was due to the need to work alongside Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) as they would connect with State Highway 1.
But Powell said cycle and walking access were a ‘‘high priority’’ for Pegasus residents negotiating the Pegasus/Ravenswood roundabout on SH1.
"Pegasus is a town of cyclists. We’ve got two cycling groups in the town and quite a high proportion of mobility scooters.
"A lot of people moved here because of the quality of the footpaths and the pathway around the lake.
"People want to have the ability to walk or bike over to Ravenswood to pick up a few things from the supermarket or to have a coffee, but they don’t have that choice because it’s too dangerous."
Powell was hopeful long promised safety improvements in Woodend would be completed by NZTA soon.
Three proposed cycleways were rated priority 1 as part of the cycling and walking network consultation.
These include a cycle way along Tram Rd from Mandeville to Swannanoa School, and two pathways in Rangiora - one linking Ashley, Ivory and Percival streets and the other linking Railway Rd, Torlesse and Coronation streets, and Ellis Rd.
NZTA regional relationships director James Caygill said the agency’s vision was to have completed bike networks to support more people choosing to bike.
"We can do this by altering existing streets’ space allocated for cycling or shared paths, and in doing so, making cycling a more enjoyable and safe experience for everyone.
"Waka Kotahi would like to work with Waimakariri District Council to discuss the network plan and from there, how we can best support them."
Caygill said the agency’s SH1 Ashley to Christchurch safety improvements programme was ongoing, with the section between Tram Rd and Cam River, near Kaiapoi, being completed earlier this year.
Attention has now turned to the section from Cam River to Saltwater Creek, north of Ashley River. This section includes Woodend and Pegasus.
"We have some important planned and ongoing conversations with partners and key stakeholders – the people who may be more directly affected by this work and should be engaged with first," Caygill said.
"Once these conversations are completed, we will be coming to the wider community."
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