The Bay News Are You Interested in the Community
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Issue 73 The Bay News 1 Are you interested in the community centre rebuild? Issue 73 April 2015 The Governors Bay Community Association (GBCA) invites anyone who is interested in the re- building of our new community centre to the next committee meeting with a view to setting up a GBCA Newsletter subcommittee to be involved in the planning process. The purpose of this group is to support and liaise with the Christchurch City Council planners who are implementing the rebuild. Money for the The Bay News is produced rebuild was set aside in the 2013/14 annual plan and some of the planning work is already underway; bimonthly and appears about GBCA thinks that it would be useful for the community and City Council staff to have direct con- one and a half weeks after the tact. The GBCA hopes that this will be an effective way for community views and needs to be com- Committee meeting for that municated to the City Council. If you would like to participate in this effort, please come to the next month. GBCA committee meeting on Monday evening 27 April 2015 at 7.30pm at the Governors Bay Fire Station, and/or contact Karen Banwell or Melanie White via the GBCA email address, Deadline for copy [email protected] . for next issue 29 May 2015 Governors Bay Fete—Sunday 15 March at the Allandale Domain A great vote of thanks to Annabelle Bain, the Sumner Silver Band, June Burney, the Governors Bay Send articles to the editor Volunteer Fire Brigade, and all the other performers, volunteers and helpers who worked so hard to make the Fete an enjoyable time for all. Thanks also to the Hawkins family for the loan of Quo Vadis. Bob Spigel Email [email protected] Phone 3299 933 Governors Bay Community Association www.governorsbay.net.nz governorsbaycommunity @gmail.com Send an email request to the editor at [email protected] to receive the Newsletter by email as a pdf in colour, on the Monday following the deadline. Representation Review 2015-16 – Previous issues of The Bay ‘Community identity’ and changes to election boundaries (wards) for News can be read or down- Christchurch city including Banks Peninsula loaded from our website www.governorsbay.net.nz Christchurch City Council is reviewing how communities are represented on the Council and on community boards. At present, all of Banks Peninsula is represented by one councilor (currently An- drew Turner) and two community boards – Lyttelton-Mt Herbert Community Board, and Akaroa- Wairewa Community Board. Governors Bay is part of the ‘community’ represented by the Lyttelton- Mt Herbert Community Board, which also includes Lyttelton, Diamond Harbour, Port Levy and Quail Island. We were allowed this special representation under the isolated community provision following amalgamation. While the Lyttelton-Mt Herbert Community Board would like to see Banks Peninsula remain as a separate ward, this is unlikely to happen because of Banks Peninsula’s much smaller population rela- tive to other wards in the city, combined with the fact that Banks Peninsula is not truly isolated geo- Continued on page 2 Issue 73 The Bay News 2 Representation Review 2015-16 —continued from page 1 graphically. The Local Government Commissioners have indicated this isolated community status should not continue. From information recently presented at public meetings held by the City Council, it seems likely that changes for the 2016 elections will see the Banks Peninsula ward divided and amalgamated with other wards in city. Information on the review process is shown on the City Council’s website at http://www.ccc.govt.nz/thecouncil/haveyoursay/ representativereview.aspx . The City Council will be holding formal consultation from April to June 2015 and will continue to update the web page with details and documents for discussion. Maps showing ideas for draft ward boundaries will be posted on the website in the near future. Governors Bay residents who want to have any influence on how the new electoral boundaries are drawn will need to check this website for the posting of the draft maps and notification of the formal submission period. They will need to make known what their community of interest is – whether it lies principally with Lyttelton, Diamond Harbour and other coastal communities such as Sumner and Redcliffs, or elsewhere. The GBCA will be presenting a submission affirming our pref- erence to remain with the Lyttelton Harbour community. Governors Bay Community Association Lyttelton Port Recovery Plan On 11 April 2015, Environment Canterbury (ECan) will be notifying its preliminary draft of the Lyttelton Port Recovery Plan, which it has prepared under the direction of the Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery; the plan will be open for submis- sions from 13 April 2015 to 11 May 2015. The Recovery Plan is based heavily on Lyttelton Port Company’s 30-year vision to cater for growing freight demands. More information about the Recovery Plan can be found on the ECan website at http://ecan.govt.nz/our-responsibilities/regional-plans/lpr-plan/pages/default.aspx The Recovery Plan includes deepening of the existing dredged channel by about four metres, the reclamation of a further 27 hec- tares in addition to the 10 hectares reclamation already consented and a plan for the reconfiguration of the Port. As described in the December 2014 Bay News, the additional reclamation, if implemented, will have an enormous visual effect on Governors Bay as it will extend container handling facilities into the Harbour along the entire length of the existing Sticking Point breakwater. In addi- tion, the reclamation has the potential to influence circulation patterns in a way that could encourage further intertidal mudflat ac- cumulation and expansion in the upper harbour. Lyttelton Port Company have explained to the Governors Bay Community Asso- ciation that the proposed configuration is necessary to provide the space and layout necessary to provide for freight demands, and that they are not prepared at this stage to consider an alternative configuration that would see the reclamation extending instead along the natural shoreline beyond Te Awaparahi Bay. In addition, the Plan does not specifically cover where the dredge spoil from channel deepening would be dumped (see the recent article in the Press, “Port plan ‘fails residents’”, 4 April 2015, p.C20). There is the potential that this may be within the harbour as the dumping is covered under existing regulations and a consents-based process. If Governors Bay residents want to question whether the Plan’s proposals really represent the only viable alternatives for the Port’s recovery, they should consider making a submission. In a message to the Governors Bay Community Association, ECan has said: “Making a submission is the only way to ensure your views are heard and we’d like to encourage you to do so. To find out more about what’s in the Plan and how to make a submission you are welcome to visit us in our PORTacabin on the corner of Oxford and London Streets in Lyttelton. This will be open on Thursdays 10am to 2pm and Saturdays 10am to 12.30pm commencing Thursday 9 April 2015. “We are also holding three public meetings, which you are welcome to attend. They are: Lyttelton’s Naval Point Yacht Club, on Tuesday 14 April 2015 at 7.30pm Christchurch’s Hagley Park Netball Club Rooms, on Thursday 16 April 2015 at 7.30pm Diamond Harbour Community Centre, on Monday 20 April 2015 at 7.30pm. “There will be further publicity about these events nearer the time. If you have any questions about any of the above please email [email protected] or call Customer Services on 0800 324 636.” The GBCA will be making a submission and we welcome anyone who can help us prepare this. Governors Bay Community Association Christchurch City Long Term Plan The City Council has adopted the consultation document for its Long Term Plan 2015-25 and is now seeking public feedback on its proposals. The Plan covers everything the Council does over the next 10 years and beyond. It also outlines options for dealing with an estimated $1.2 billion funding shortfall resulting from the earthquakes. Public consultation on the Plan runs from Tuesday 17 March until midday Tuesday 28 April. The consultation document and a list of times and locations of public meetings can be accessed through the City Council’s website at http://www.ccc.govt.nz/thecouncil/policiesreportsstrategies/ltccp/index.aspx . The next meeting will be held on Monday 13 April, 7.30-8.30pm, in Diamond Harbour at the St Andrews Church Hall. Those making submissions can ask to be heard in person at public hearings held in May. Councillors will consider this feedback before they finalise the Plan at the end of June. Issue 73 The Bay News 3 Update on Cholmondeley rebuild It has been some time since I have provided an update on the Cholmondeley rebuild to this newsletter and much progress has been made which is now very visible. Things are getting very exciting and busy as we plan the final stages which include a migration from our temporary accommodation at Living Springs, a good shakedown cruise of the building with a hand-picked group of children and the staff, and of course an official opening and public open day. I truly appreciate the patience and tolerance of our nearest neighbours in the initial stages last year with the deluge of concrete trucks as the foundation slabs were poured. There was some damage to the road on the corner of Cholmondeley Lane and Merlincote Cres- cent which has been marked off with warratah stakes.