Pegasus Post: November 19, 2020

6 Thursday November 19 2020
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
PEGASUS POST
Survey to gauge areas
of improvement
• From page 1
“I think in some areas they are
[meeting needs], a bit of work
is finally being done to some
of those roads in the eastern
suburbs, and the hot pools are
attracting a hell of a lot of people
outside of New Brighton.
“We’re really confident that
we’ve turned a corner. [New
Brighton] is becoming a recreational
playground.
“But there’s a disconnect between
residents and the council,
for instance, residents seem to
have no way to express their concerns
to the council.”
The city council needed to
prioritise fixing the “state” of
Pages and New Brighton Rds, the
Pages Rd bridge, taking action on
New Brighton Mall, and addressing
general untidiness as more
visitors and businesses flocked to
the area.
City council chief executive
Dawn Baxendale said the survey
was one of the tools used to assess
where they were performing well,
and where improvements needed
to be made and prioritised.
“We want to find out what is
working well for residents and
what’s not working well because
our focus, as an organisation, is
on meeting the needs of our
HAVE YOUR SAY: Is the
city council meeting your
needs when it comes to
its services and facilities?
Email your views to bea.
gooding@starmedia.kiwi
residents,” she said.
“The findings of this year’s
survey programme will feed into
the development of our 2021-31
Long Term Plan, so I would really
encourage people to share their
views if they are approached by
staff at a council location or if
they receive an email or letter
from us.”
This year’s survey included specific
questions that will help the
city council decide what it should
prioritise in the LTP.
The LTP is the document that
councils are legally required to
produce every three years. It sets
out what the city council will do
over the next 10 years and how it
will pay for it.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has
prompted many people, businesses
and organisations to rethink
their plans and priorities and to
tighten their belts. We are having
to do that too,” said Baxendale.
The findings of the survey
programme will be made public
next year.
Community to be involved
in red zone decisions
A NEW co-governance entity
is being investigated for the
former residential red zone to
ensure mana whenua and the
community are involved in
deciding its future.
Land Information New Zealand
currently owns most of the
residential red zone on behalf of
the Crown.
However, it has started the
process of transferring parcels of
land in the Ōtākaro Avon River
Corridor to city council ownership.
That process is expected to
take up to two years to complete.
Mayor Lianne Dalziel said this
offered a chance to create a lasting
legacy for the city, therefore
it was important to partner with
iwi and the community on decisions
regarding its long-term use.
“Under the Global Settlement
with the Crown, ownership of
the former red zone is being
transferred to Christchurch City
Council, but that does not mean
we intend to make decisions on
the future of the land unilaterally,”
she said.
“As we take over ownership of
the land and assume the decision-making
powers, we want to
take a co-governance approach.
We want our partnership with
Ngāi Tūāhuriri and the wider
community to be at the centre of
the decision-making process.
Dalziel said the city council
wanted to make the most of
the opportunities presented by
the regeneration of these areas
and by honouring the late Evan
Smith.
“We want to honour the vision
for the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor
that was championed by
the late Evan Smith. To do that
we need to work side-by-side
with our communities, iwi, and
the private sector.”
Te Tira Kāhikuhiku is the
transitional governance agency
that has been making recommendations
on transitional
projects in the red zone.
The group is made up of an
independent chair, Chrissie
PARTNERSHIP:
There’s a chance
to convert the
red zone into a
lasting legacy for
the city.
Williams, five community representatives,
as well as iwi and
community board representatives.
The city council also adopted
a new policy that outlines how it
intends to deal with third-party
proposals for use of red zone
land that it owns.
Under the policy, the city
council’s head of parks will have
delegated authority to grant
leases to those seeking to use the
land for less than 10 years for
certain projects, such as temporary
gardens.
Requests for long-term leases
(10 years or more), or for more
significant projects, such as
commercial ventures, will
require consultation with the
public and a decision by the full
city council.