The Star: November 23, 2017

4
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Thursday November 23 2017
News
The Star
UNCERTAIN FUTURE: The Westpac bank in New Brighton.
Bid to stop bank closures
•From page 1
However, Westpac spokewoman
Heather Shiels said: “Our
customers are increasingly using
technology for their banking
needs, which is resulting in fewer
branch transactions.”
Community group New
Brighton Project has set up a
facebook campaign to stop the
closure.
Ms Shiels said online transactions
have increased by 66 per
cent in five years while customers
using mobile-only devices have
increased from 24 to 39 per cent
in the last two years.
The earthquakes have also
played a role in the potential
closures, said Ms Shiels.
“Since the 2010 and 2011
earthquakes the region has
experienced significant shifts in
population, which have impacted
where people are living, working
and banking.”
First Union, which represents
bank staff, said it was “odd” for
the earthquakes to be used as a
reason for a branch to close particularly
in Lincoln.
“The stats quite clearly demonstrate
the population is growing
. . . we have been puzzled by it,”
southern region secretary Paul
Watson.
Lincoln’s population is projected
to grow to 9190 by 2025.
ASB recently set up a branch in
Lincoln.
First Union will meet with Westpac’s
senior officials and managers
in Auckland on Monday to discuss
the planned closures.
Westpac is looking to transfer
affected staff to other branches.
The bank is also opening a new
central city branch in March.
Merge organisations – Dalziel
• By Bridget Rutherford
DRAFT: Regenerate Christchurch is tasked with coming up
with a landscaping plan for Cathedral Square.
MAYOR LIANNE Dalziel
yesterday signalled more
shake-ups in the Christchurch
rebuild could be on the horizon.
Ms Dalziel said she wanted
to see Regenerate Christchurch
and Development Christchurch
Ltd merged within the next two
years.
It comes a day after new Minster
for Greater Christchurch
Regeneration Megan Woods
scrapped the preferred contractor
for the Metro Sport Facility
due to a $75 million budget blow
out, which had the backing of
Ms Dalziel.
“I want to see Regenerate
Christchurch and Development
Christchurch merged. I want
the focus of Otakaro to be the
delivery of the major anchor
projects that they have been
given control of, just get
on and do that,” she told
Newstalk ZB yesterday.
Regenerate Christchurch’s
main tasks are
coming up with plans
for the residential red
zone, Cathedral Square
as well as other pockets
in the city.
DCL deals with some of the
city council’s major capital projects,
such as revitalising New
Brighton, and provides a single
point of entry for investors and
developers.
Ms Dalziel (left) said
she wanted to speak to the
Government about merging
the two.
“If we combine their
resources, I think the city
would get a better outcome
and more quickly. I
think that if it turned itself into
more of a regeneration authority
or an urban development
authority, that would enable it
to utilise the legislation that it’s
been given by central Government.”
Ms Dalziel said she signalled
the move during her mayoral
campaign last year.
She said it was always
assumed the two would
merge after five years in
2021, but she wanted it done
sooner. It would require a
Government legislation change,
she said.
•Dalziel’s column, p19