North Canterbury News: February 13, 2020

NEWS
North Canterbury News, February 13, 2020
37
Feedback sought on
town centre review
By DAVID HILL
What will Rangiora’s town centre look like
in 2030? Residentsare being invited to do
alittle crystal­ball gazing as the
WaimakaririDistrict Councilreviews its
Rangiora Town Centre Strategy.
MayorDan Gordonsays the review is
timely as the district continues to grow.
‘‘There will be lots of potential fornew
businesses, so we want to hear what
people’s thoughts are.
‘‘This strategy is not just about
businesses. We want to develop avibrant
town centre wherepeople can enjoy
spending time and createpublic areas that
promote our residents’ health, happiness
and wellbeing.’’
The town’spopulation has passed 18,000,
is expected to reach 30,000 by 2048.More
than 60 percent of Waimakariri residents
view Rangiora as their primary shopping
destination.
Rangiora’stown centrealso attracts
visitors from the Hurunui district and
northern Christchurch.
The council’sbusiness and centres
manager, Simon Hart, saysthat as the
district grows, there is an opportunity to
identifygaps in the marketand to help
developers ‘‘fill the gaps in the right way’’.
‘‘We do wellinboutique shopping, food
and the supermarkets, but thereare other
areaswhereweare losing retailspend into
the city.’’
As the district grows, Rangiorais
expected to needanadditional 6to9
hectaresofbusinessspace.
Mr Hart says this can be achieved
through better utilisation of existing
spaces, building upwards with more multistoreybuildings,orbyextending
the
business 1zone.
‘‘There are still anumber of houses
withinthe business 1zone and that’s
normal. But someofthoseowners willbe
aware of this, so there could be
opportunities for them to take advantage
of that. Otherbusinesseswill need to
consider ‘arewespecifically atown centre
function or shouldwebeinamore rural or
amore industrial area’.
‘‘We are also lookingatthe height,
what’sappropriate, whatcan be increased
and what are the typesofactivities which
could operate on the second or third
floor?’’
One option could be town centre living
on the upper floors of buildings. Mr Hart
says the eight upstairsapartments being
built in the Burger King development will
be watchedwith interest.
The existingbusiness1zone takes in the
south side of Blackett St, westofEast Belt,
the northernside of Queen St, hooks
aroundVictoria Parkand Rangiora
Borough School and ends alittletothe
west of King St.
Submissions on the draftRangioraTown
CentreStrategy close on March 9.
Park-and-ride sites in frame
By DAVID HILL
Kaiapoi will get anew parkingfacility,
whilethe cycleway from the townto
Belfast is astep closer.
Councillorshave agreed to delegate
authoritytothe utilities and roading
committee to decideonthe site for
Kaiapoi’s park­and­ridefacility, subject
to arecommendation from the Kaiapoi­
Tuahiwi CommunityBoard,whilethe
detaileddesign of the cycleway was also
approved at lastweek’s council meeting.
The park­and­ride facility will allow
Environment Canterbury to proceedwith
its planstorun commuter buses directly
from Kaiapoi into the central city each
week day.
The Kaiapoi­Tuahiwi Community
boardwill be asked to choosebetween
sitesinBlackSt, next to the Kaiapoi
RugbyClub,orinthe formerred zone,
next to NewWorld, at its meetingon
Monday. The utilities and roading
committee is due to meet the next day.
It is proposed to provide 40 park­andride
parks, as well as parks for employees
of local businesses and two­hour parks
for customer use.Itisexpected to cost
$250,000.
MayorDan Gordonsays councillors
agreedtoback the design plans for the
Belfast to Kaiapoi commuter cycleway,
which has alreadybeen approved by the
Kaiapoi­Tuahiwi Community Board.
The proposed shared cycleway routeis
along the western side of Main North Rd
and thenalong Vickery and Peraki
streets.
‘‘I thinkit’s avery exciting
developmentand one that has been
neededfor sometime.’’
Theproject is expectedtocost nearly
$1.8million and is subject to aTransport
Agencysubsidy of 51 percent.
At present, cyclists travelling from
Christchurch to Kaiapoi need to crossthe
narrow, old Waimakariri bridge on Main
North Rd.
Arecreational cycleway into Kaiapoi
will alsobeconsidered as part of next
year’sLong Term Plan,while Enterprise
North Canterbury is continuing to
explore funding options to create the
Wheels to Waipara cycleway from
Christchurch to Waipara.
In form ... New Zealand’s leading harness racing driver, Blair Orange, returns to the
birdcage with JR Bromac, the winner of Race 6atthe Amberley Trotting Club’s annual
Waitangi Day meeting in Rangiora.
PHOTO: SHELLEY TOPP
Red-letterday forOrange
By SHELLEY TOPP
New Zealand’s leading harness racing
driver BlairOrangewas in hot form at
the Amberley Trotting Club’s annual
Waitangi Day meeting.
He won five races andwentclose to
nabbing three more withathird and two
secondsfrom 10 drives on the day.
It was abusy day for the club
presidentRoss Rennie andhis
committee on their big family­friendly
festival day. There was an 11­race
programme, good­sized fields, alarge
crowd, including many families with
children, exciting racingonthe grass
track, and apackedprogrammeofother
activitiesthroughout the day.
The day also markedasignificant
milestone for Weedons trainer Margo
Nyhan and her partner, reinsmanPeter
Davis,who were both badlyinjured in a
roadcrash heading to the Amberley
club’sWaitangi Day meeting last year.
Gamechanger, one of the five horses
on theirhorse truck, died at the crash
scene. But three of the others,MyEyre,
OverZealousand Madeleine Stowe have
madeasuccessfulreturn to racing,
winning nine races between themsince
the accident.
My Eyre and Overzealousboth lined
up at Amberley last Thursday,but didn’t
finish in the money.
SOUTH WARD
Community
Resilience Meeting
Raising nativeplants
Learnabout eco­sourcing and potting up
native seedlings with environmentalist
and consultant Sue McGawatLeithfield
on Saturday, February 29, 1.30pm to
3.30pm. Cost:Two TimeBank Hurunui
credits or $15, plus $5 materials. Children
free.Register: (03) 314 3406 or email
tbhlearningexchange@gmail.com.
Bottlelake Junction
Bottlelake Junction,acountry,Celtic,
Bluegrassband, will play at the Balcairn
Hall on Saturday, February15, at 8pm.
Tickets are $25 from Stan’s 7Day
Pharmacy, Rangiora, Sefton Garage and
SallyMac’s, or online at balcairnhall.com.
U3A North Canterbury
U3A North Canterbury will host apublic
address in Rangiora, Captivity, Survival
and Rehabilitation.Terry Waitehas astory
to tellabout his experience representing
the Archbishop of Canterbury to seek the
release of captives in Lebanon, where he
becameaprisoner for five years.Itwill be
held on Tuesday, February 25, at the
Rangiora Baptist Church, East Belt,
Rangiora. Be there at 9.50amfor a10am
start.Entrybyticket only. Ticketsare
$10.30each and availablefrom trybooking.
com/nz/book/search or contact U3ANorth
Canterbury secretary Bob Gumbrellon(03)
312 8933 or email jobo@gumbrell.net.
Animalevacuation
If you live on alifestyle block, do you ever
wonderwhat willhappen to your animals
in amajor fireorflood? Join adiscussion
on evacuation plans on Tuesday,February
18, from 7.30pmatthe Ohoka Hall,
opposite the Ohoka Domain. Contact Niki
Mealings on (027)293 4937.
Preparing for emergencies as a
community &improving our
resilience!
When:
Tuesday 18th February
7.00pm -8:30pm
Where:
Amberley Domain (Tin Shed)
Who:
Residents of
Amberley, Leithfield,
Broomfield, Balcairn
&South Waipara
+Local Civil Defense,
Emergency Services,
&Council Officers
For more information:
amberley.sp.hdceoc@outlook.com