Pegasus Post: February 11, 2021

PEGASUS POST Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Thursday February 11 2021 7
Red zone fences come down
KILOMETRES OF fencing
inside the former residential
red zones are being removed to
make the areas more accessible
to the public and more efficient
to maintain.
City council residential red
zone manager Brenden Winder
said most of the existing fences
inside the regeneration areas
were no longer required.
The areas include the Ōtākaro
Avon River Corridor, Southshore,
South New Brighton and
Brooklands.
Removing the fences will
make the land more inviting
for visitors and improve the city
council’s efficiency in maintaining
the areas, said Winder.
“The majority of these fences
were put up to improve public
safety as the land was cleared of
buildings following the earthquakes,”
he said.
“With those buildings now
gone, the internal fences are no
longer required and we want to
minimise obstruction for people
wishing to use the area.
“We’ll look at ways to repurpose
the posts, poles and wire
elsewhere in the other regeneration
areas.”
Perimeter fencing along
roads that pass through the
regeneration areas will remain
in place to provide security and
meet the community’s safety
INVITING: The city council is removing fencing in former
residential red zone areas to make the land more
accessible to the public and easier to maintain.
PHOTO: NEWSLINE ​
expectations.
Fences around land containing
existing lease holdings will
also remain in place.
The city council has established
a residential red zone
parks’ team. Maintenance officers
and rangers will maintain
and look after the city’s regeneration
areas.
On July 1 last year the ownership
of the Brooklands and
Southshore-South New Brighton
regeneration areas transferred
from Land Information New
Zealand to the city council.
The Port Hills regeneration
areas will transfer to the city
council ownership in May.
Ownership of the Ōtākaro
Avon River Corridor land
will gradually transfer from
the Crown to the city council
as LINZ completes title
reconfiguration and surveying
work of 29 land parcels.
That work is already under
way.
Exhibition of dune plants
at New Brighton Library
BRIAR COOK is showcasing her
native dune plants exhibition at the
New Brighton Library this month.
The exhibition holds a special
place for New Brighton artist – it is
a dedication to her father, eminent
horticulturalist, Alleyne Cook, who
died in October 2019.
Cook grew up surrounded by
plants and as a child, followed her
father around the garden asking
him every question she could think
of.
Although she has worked as an
artist for about 30 years, often with
plant material, she never imagined
they would be shared with others.
“My first impulse was to simply
see more clearly the plants I was
ART:
Briar Cook
sketching
amongst
the plants
on the
estuary
dunes.
drawing. Once I started looking
closely at our beautiful native
plants, I wanted to learn more, and
then I wanted to share what I have
learned with everyone,” Cook said.
“I am proud of this project, which
was created with funding from the
creative communities scheme and
this resource is for any age, who is
interested in the native plants who
call our sand dunes home.
“In my opinion, any definition
of the New Brighton community
needs to include the plants that
make our lives here possible. I
hope this resource will encourage
everyone living close to the sea to
take a closer look at these beautiful
community members.”
www.bigbrothersbigsisters.org.nz