Thursday 17 July 2014

Council approves a legacy project for New Brighton

Christchurch City Council today approved an all-weather hot saltwater pools complex as the preferred legacy project for New Brighton and is looking for private partners to move the project forward.

Mayor Lianne Dalziel says, "It is clear the community is united around this project, and it has the potential to make a significant difference to the wellbeing of the community. It also has potential to be a major attraction for New Brighton, which will encourage further investment in New Brighton's Business District.

"The Council now needs to 'test the waters' and get a sense of what level of interest there is for a public-private partnership to develop this project. There will be people and organisations out there who see this as an opportunity to develop a distinctive community-based facility that is also an exciting business venture.

"An Expressions of Interest process will actively seek out potential private partners to work with the Council to enable this project to move forward," Mayor Dalziel says.

The Council requested staff in the Facilities and Infrastructure Rebuild Group to develop a draft High Level Expression of Interest (EOI) for a hot saltwater pools complex, based on, but not limited by, the scope outlined in Section 1.3 of a Council-commissioned report to inform a legacy hot salt water pool for New Brighton. To view the report click here http://resources.ccc.govt.nz/files/TheCouncil/policiesreportsstrategies/SuburbsRejuvenationProgramme/LegacyProjectSGLReportNewBrightonHotSaltWaterPools7July2014.pdf and scroll to page 14.

The draft EOI will be approved by the Mayor, Chief Executive, Burwood-Pegasus Ward Councillors and the Chair of the Burwood-Pegasus Community Board prior to its release.

In addition to the EOI, Council staff have been asked to approach potential partner providers/users who may have the capability and interest in being involved in a Legacy Project for New Brighton, to encourage their involvement in the EOI process.

Background

The concept of providing a legacy project for New Brighton was raised on 3 April 2014 by the Council's Earthquake Recovery Committee of the Whole. The Committee requested that staff identify options for a legacy project in New Brighton and report back to the Council.

On 5 May 2014, the Burwood-Pegasus Community Board agreed to lead a process to identify a legacy project that involved community input. At the time of this decision, the Board had already established a Community Advisory Group for New Brighton to aid the completion of a master plan for the recovery of New Brighton. The Community Advisory Group agreed to become part of a New Brighton legacy project group, named the Community Advisory Panel (CAP) - established to work with the community and the Board to identify a legacy project for New Brighton.

The concept of an aquatic complex was a recommendation from the Burwood-Pegasus Community Board following a report from the CAP.

The CAP settled on an aquatic complex as the preferred legacy project following two workshops and the results of a residents' survey, which gathered people's thoughts and ideas for a legacy project. The survey attracted 202 responses, where people said they supported a project that recognises the coastal environment, is accessible and attractive for all ages and attracts people to and through the New Brighton Business District.

The CAP discussed these principles and other ideas that came through, such as a dog park, a community centre, an aquarium complex, an artificial reef and a water park. Overall, people were very keen on the option of an all-weather hot saltwater pool complex. The Panel felt this option best fitted the community-supported principles.

The CAP met twice and agreed to put forward one option for the Community Board to consider.

The CAP Chair is Andrea Cummings and fellow Burwood-Pegasus Community Board member Tim Sintes also sits on the CAP. Other groups represented are:

* New Brighton Project Inc
* New Brighton Pier and Foreshore Promotion Society
* Renew Brighton
* New Brighton Business and Landowners Association
* Eastern Vision
* WOW Brighton
* Representatives from residents' associations of Southshore, South New Brighton, New Brighton, North New Brighton and Northshore
* NZ Police.

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