Tag: Council

Board rejects safety assessment, favours lights for Harewood Rd intersection

Opinion: Less than 2 months out from the election, a Christchurch Community Board has disregarded expert advice on safety, instead recommending traffic signals for the intersection of Harewood, Gardiners, and Breens Roads. This decision appears to have popular support from local residents, but if implemented will increase the expected number of injury crashes at the intersection, increase the likelihood of serious injury outcomes, and there is a high probability of increased traffic volumes*.
*refer to the independent Safety Assessment included in the agenda for the Board’s meeting

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On the 17th of August 2019 I made one of seven deputations to the Waimāero/Fendalton-Waimairi-Harewood Community Board’s meeting in relation to the Harewood/Gardiner/Breens Road intersection. Continue reading “Board rejects safety assessment, favours lights for Harewood Rd intersection”

Council settles on solution for CNC traffic south of Berwick Street

Commentary: the plan to manage traffic downstream of the Christchurch Northern Corridor (CNC) included nine options to manage the motorway’s additional traffic south of Berwick Street through to Bealey Avenue. The Christchurch City Council requested staff to proceed with scoping the three highest-ranking options as part of the first stage of downstream works. One of those options has now been picked and is included in the current consultation on transport projects in the Cranford Street area.

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Detail from the cover of the Council’s consultation document, July 2019

I’ve been following the progress of the Christchurch Northern Corridor for a number of years, and have been covering the Downstream Effects Management Plan in some detail (see links below). It has been my view that the decision around traffic ‘south of Berwick’ was one of the most significant, but also one that hasn’t been clearly communicated. Continue reading “Council settles on solution for CNC traffic south of Berwick Street”

Consultation on transport projects in the Cranford St area – August 2019

Consultation is open until 19 August on a package of transport projects in the Cranford St area, downstream of the Christchurch Northern Corridor. Here’s an overview of the Council’s consultation document.

A new PAK’nSAVE for Main North Road?

Analysis: This week the Christchurch City Council publicly notified a resource consent application from Foodstuffs for a new supermarket and self-service fuel station at 171 Main North Road. What’s being proposed, and what does the community think about it?

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Foodstuffs’ resource consent application is open for public feedback until 16 August 2019. I was alerted to this through a Facebook post from Papanui Councillor Mike Davidson, and I put up a post on Think Papanui with some images and a brief description.

A number of questions and issues were raised in comments on Think Papanui’s post, including: Continue reading “A new PAK’nSAVE for Main North Road?”

Why the low public response to Water Strategy consultation?

Opinion: Consultation closed yesterday on the Christchurch City Council’s draft Integrated Water Strategy. This Strategy is described as setting a framework to help the Council manage water supply, wastewater, & stormwater, and also water infrastructure, waterways, and coastal waters. It’s a Strategy that relates to $10 billion in Council spending and a 100-year view.

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Coverage of the Water Strategy in the Tuesday Club newsletter

Sounds important, right? Especially when water is something that impacts every member of the community, and people will march in the street over issues like water bottling? I attended two of the Council’s drop-in information sessions on the draft Strategy (and viewed the sign-in sheet for the others), and am sad to say there was a near-zero attendance by members of the public. Most sessions have had one or two people sign in. Why are so few people turning out? Continue reading “Why the low public response to Water Strategy consultation?”

Recap: Council grants greater powers to Christchurch community boards

In a Council meeting last month, a decision was made that was years in the making, and that shifts some powers closer to local communities. It doesn’t seem to have received much press and I haven’t seen elected members commenting about it on social media. Read on for details…

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Councillor Sara Templeton speaks in support of the proposed partnership approach

When I was on the campaign trail in the 2016 local body elections, an issue I heard discussed was the decision making authority and responsibilities held by Christchurch’s Community Boards. Continue reading “Recap: Council grants greater powers to Christchurch community boards”

Recap: Council’s DEMP decision – why not investigate delaying the CNC?

Item 15 on the agenda for the Council’s 13 June meeting was the Christchurch Northern Corridor Downstream Effects Management Plan (DEMP). As the name suggests, this is the plan to manage the traffic impacts downstream of the Christchurch Northern Corridor (CNC) – the motorway (currently under construction) that will run between Cranford Street and the Waimakariri River.

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A view of the community protest ahead of the 13 June Council meeting

I attended the community protest ahead of the Council meeting, caught part of the discussion on the DEMP via the livestream, and the rest through the Council’s incredibly handy video archive. At the time I was left wondering: what happened to the recommendation that the Council investigates delaying the opening of the CNC south of QEII Drive? Continue reading “Recap: Council’s DEMP decision – why not investigate delaying the CNC?”