Thursday, 3 April 2014

Key recommendations from the Committee of the Whole

Christchurch City Council’s Earthquake Recovery Committee of the Whole met today. Following were the key matters considered and recommendations the Committee will make to the Council:

Women’s Voice Project
The Christchurch Branch of the National Council of Women of NZ presented on their Women’s Voice Project, which was supported by a grant from the Council. The Project has created an oral history archive of the experience of women during the earthquakes that can be used to inform emergency response plans.

Majestic Theatre
Ross Gray and Greg Hynes of the Historic Places Canterbury (HPC) Save the Majestic Group presented to the Committee, urging the Council to support the retention and restoration of the theatre; to seek an undertaking by CERA to order an immediate halt to the plans to demolish the building; to seek a formal meeting with CERA and the Christchurch City Development Unit (CCDU) Director to find a solution to the retention of the theatre; and to seek CERA’s cooperation to find an acceptable curved treatment of a widened Manchester Street, which would enable retention of the building.

The Committee recommended that urgent staff advice be sought on the implications of its position on the Majestic Theatre, and that an urgent meeting be organised with the CCDU to discuss these implications.

Land Use Recovery Plan update
The Committee received the Land Use Recovery Plan (LURP) Update report that covered a number of potential minor amendments to the LURP identified by the Council and other parties; amendments to the residential intensification mechanisms in the City Plan in the approved LURP; revised maps that the Enhanced Development Mechanism is likely to apply to; the internal governance structure and other matters.

The Committee added a recommendation to the Council that a working group of Councillors consisting of related Committee chairs, Jamie Gough, Yani Johanson, Phil Clearwater and Glenn Livingstone, work with the Council Steering Group to oversee the implementation of the plan.

Exemplar housing in Halswell
The Committee recommended that the Council approve, in principle, stage one of the Meadowlands housing development in Halswell as an Exemplar medium-density housing project.

A report was provided to the Council, evaluating a proposal submitted by Danne Mora Holdings Limited and the Wayne Francis Charitable Trust to develop approximately 320 new houses in the Halswell North Greenfield Priority Area identified in the Land Use Recovery Plan (LURP).

The LURP requires the Council to enable a range of medium-density housing schemes as Exemplar projects. The Meadowlands proposal was evaluated using the Exemplar housing criteria previously approved by the Council in February 2014.

The Council’s in-principle approval now allows the project to progress to the detailed design and consenting stage.

Rockefeller Foundation 100 Resilient Cities
The Committee approved the signing of the Rockefeller Foundation 100 Resilient Cities Initiative Grant agreement. The Mayor, as chair of the Earthquake Recovery Authority, will sign the agreement, including any minor edits requested by the Foundation.

Eastern Recreation and Sports Centre
A report on the process to determine the location of the Eastern Recreation and Sports Centre was considered and the Committee resolved on behalf of the Council to begin a new site selection process in the Northeast of Christchurch. The final decision on the process will rest with the Burwood/Pegasus Community Board, the Community Committee Chair and the Mayor, with this group providing an interim report back to the Council in May 2014. The Committee also asked staff to identify options for a legacy project in New Brighton, and report back to the Council by the end of May 2014.

In addition, the Committee asked staff to identify opportunities and options for an aquatic facility in the Linwood–Woolston area, possibly in conjunction with the Ministry of Education.

Natural Environment Recovery Programme
The Committee considered an internal progress report on the Natural Environment Recovery Programme (NERP), requesting an urgent report on how to change the parameters of SCIRT to better align with the NERP, and to take account of natural and environmental hazards.

Draft Heritage Recovery Programme
The Committee recommended that the Council’s Submission on the Draft Heritage Recovery Programme be deferred to the next Council meeting on 10 April, 2014.

Draft Main Road Master Plan
The Committee endorsed a Hagley/Ferrymead Community Board recommendation that the Council hold hearings on submissions to the Draft Main Road Master Plan. It is proposed that Mayor Lianne Dalziel and Hagley/Ferrymead Community Board Chair Sara Templeton determine the make-up of the panel.

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