The Star: December 21, 2017

The Star Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Thursday December 21 2017 17
Viewpoint
Taking stock of the city’s progress
AS ANOTHER year comes to a
close, we take the time to reflect
on the year that has been and we
look forward to the year ahead.
There have been more signs of
real progress as the central city
starts to come to life and the fantastic
new beachside playground
in New Brighton has opened. I’d
like to give a real high five to the
central city developers who have
invested so much in putting the
heart and soul back into the city.
And well done Development
Christchurch and the local community
on a great job in New
Brighton – it truly will become
the star destination at the end of
the journey from the city to the
sea.
Speaking of the that, Regenerate
Christchurch has focused on
engaging the community over
the future of the Avon-Otakaro
River corridor and I’m looking
forward to the next stages. It’s a
big project, but we have the time
to do it well because we can use
so much for transitional purposes
in the meantime.
At the same time, it is engaging
on the regeneration of
Cathedral Square. With the decision
now made to reinstate the
Cathedral, rather than end up
in court for another few years,
Lianne Dalziel
PROGRESS: The opening of the new beachside playground in
New Brighton yesterday is another sign of progress in the city.
we know that these plans can
proceed with certainty.
Christchurch has also developed
a reputation for trialling
the new technologies of the
future – a lot of Christchurch
people are investing in electric
cars and the city is investing in
the infrastructure to support that
– e-charging stations have been
popping up everywhere. We have
also seen a New Zealand-made
autonomous vehicle launched
and I am hoping that we get the
ability to trial it on our 30km
central city roads.
We have spent the past few
months at the city council preparing
for the Long Term Plan,
which is something every council
prepares with its community
every three years. It has a 10-year
financial strategy (how we pay
for what we plan to do), and a 30-
year infrastructure strategy (how
we manage our buildings, pipes
and roads).
We need our communities
to be fully involved because,
although we are much better
off in terms of what we know
about our finances and have
our insurance settled, we also
have a better idea of what our
future obligations will be to
finish the work that still needs
to be done. Naturally, we need
to set priorities – we couldn’t do
it all at once, even if we had the
resources to do so. So we need
communities to give feedback on
that – what comes now and what
can wait.
Last year, some of the community
boards took the draft Annual
Plan into malls and to stalls
outside supermarkets. We know
we connect with more people if
we come to you, so there will be
more of that next year.
Finally, may I offer seasons
greetings to The Star team and
their readers.
Please take care over the
summer break and return
determined to make the most
of 2018. I know I will. I’ve really
valued the opportunity to write
this column and to receive your
feedback. My column will be
back with the World Buskers
Festival, which starts on January
18. What a great way to start the
year.
•If you want to ask Ms
Dalziel a question, email
mayor@ccc.govt.nz. Put
Reader’s Question in the
subject line
Time to wind down and
‘reflect on what matters’
WHAT A year it has been. Like
all of us, I’m looking forward to
some down time over Christmas
and the opportunity to spend it
with family and friends.
It is a time to decompress
after a busy year, reflect on what
matters most to us, and look to
the future and what we want to
achieve in the year ahead.
What is playing on my mind
as we enter the holiday season,
though, is the knowledge that for
many people, that idea of downtime
seems like a pretty distant
memory. The recent Canterbury
well-being survey showed that,
while things have returned to a
new normal for most of us since
the earthquakes, there are still
thousands of people who are
still in limbo and dealing with
the huge stress of unresolved
insurance and EQC claims.
According to the survey, the
latest results show 82 percent
of people in our city rate their
quality of life positively – with
24 percent rating it as extremely
good and 58 percent good. Those
are good numbers and show we
have a lot to be proud of in the
return to normality our city has
achieved over the last few years.
Those numbers stack up
really well against other cities
in the country and show that
Christchurch is a great place to
live, work and play.
However, the results also show
14 percent of people are still
suffering the negative impacts
of living in a damaged environment
or being surrounded by
construction work. These people
are still having to make decisions
about house damage, repairs,
and relocation.
For these people, they are
trapped, unable to move on
with their lives. We’ve got to
do better for them. That’s why
this Government is prioritising
establishing an insurance and
BREAK:
Like many
of us,
Megan
Woods is
looking
forward to
spending
time with
family and
friends at
Christmas.
EQC arbitration tribunal to
speed up the resolution of earthquake
claims.
It’s also why we saved the Residential
Advisory Service, which
provides help for people still in
these situations. And it’s why
we’re working on new ways to
speed up claims and get people’s
lives back on track. For so many
people, that’s the best Christmas
gift we could possibly deliver.
•Megan Woods is the
Minister of Greater
Christchurch Regeneration
The Government
spent $3.4 million on
maintenance, security and
rates for red zoned land in
the last year
Christopher Ford – How
about the Government or local
government create a job training
course learning to become a
grounds person or landscaper?
With such a large area to keep
pretty it sounds a great idea and
will create a future while cutting
costs to maintain.
Sam Stoner – How about
planting native bush there and
letting it return to its natural
state? Or does the council not
care about the environment?
Jaed During – Gerry
Brownlee announced that the
red zone could be built on and
then the Valentine’s Day quake
hit. It shut that idea up . . . But
going by the cost and actual
landscaping, rather than going
native and self-maintained, it
will be suggested again.
Raewyn Roberts – And
then I was shocked to learn all
MISSION: The Government
has help from Bryan Fairbairn
who mows 9ha of red zone
off New Brighton Rd.
PHOTO: MARTIN HUNTER
the fruit trees were removed, no
food foraging in Christchurch.
Ngahuia Johnston –
There’s plenty of pd workers
who can grab a mower and do
it by hand and save the country
some money.
J-h Bray – What about
cleaning up around the Avon at
Porritt Park?
Melissa Shearer – It’s
lovely in there thanks to this
maintenance.
Betty Campion – Nice to
see it all maintained great job.
Carolyn Hunter – They
mow the red zone next to me
regularly and do a good job.
Looks like a park.
Julie Knowles – What
about building homes there?
Tommy Lazare – I see a
giant fun park, maybe a car race
track, maybe a MX track. Just
don’t build homes on it.