City Plan, Strategies and Policies

This Masterplan establishes an implementation programme that will achieve a number of the goals and policies in the City Plan and in several strategies and policy statements prepared by the City Council. Brief summaries of the key documents follow.

City Plan

The City Plan identifies the city’s rivers as outstanding natural features. Within this context the Avon River/Ōtakaro and its environs, as an important identifying feature of Christchurch, assumes particular significance. Protection of its outstanding natural character and its historic heritage from inappropriate subdivision, use, and development are matters of national importance under the Resource Management Act 1991.

The City Plan zones the riverbed and most of the adjacent berms for Waterway Conservation, in anticipation of six environmental results for this area:

(a). The conservation and enhancement of the open space and landscape character of waterways and associated land margins.

(b). The conservation and enhancement of river habitats, improvement of the quality of river banks and their surrounds, and limiting those activities which are likely to have adverse effects on the ecological and natural character of waterways.

(c). The conservation and enhancement of the "garden city" values of the city’s waterways in the central urban area.

(d). The maintenance and enhancement of the recreation and amenity values of waterways and associated land margins, and access to and along them.

(e). The enhancement and further development of waterway and other linkages throughout the city, thereby enhancing the city’s identity and character.

(f). Activities on the surface of waterways which have a low impact and which are non-motorised.

The five adjoining heritage precincts are zoned as Historic and Garden City Parks, in anticipation of four environmental results:

(a). The conservation and enhancement of heritage, landscape, botanical and spiritual values of land within the zone.

(b). The conservation and enhancement of the city’s identity, with particular regard to heritage and garden city character, and trees along margins of waterways.

(c). The enhancement of recreational activities consistent with protecting the qualities of the zone.

(d). Activities on the surface of waters which are of a low impact and non-motorised nature.

Most of the grounds of the Town Hall and the law courts are in the Central City business zone, as are berm lands north and south of the river just to the east of Colombo Street.

The bounding legal roads of Oxford Terrace and Cambridge Terrace are placed into adjacent business and living zones, with two exceptions: Cambridge Terrace alongside the Barbadoes Street Cemetery is in the Conservation 3 (Waterway Conservation) zone, together with the adjacent riverbed, and
Oxford Terrace between Cashel Street and Hereford Street is zoned Special Purpose (pedestrian precinct), as is Worcester Street, crossing the corridor.

The City Plan and the Register of Historic Places under the Historic Places Act 1993 list a number of buildings, places and objects within the Avon River/Ōtakaro corridor as protected heritage items. The City Plan contains rules for the protection of these heritage items.

The City Plan has numerous other policies relevant to the management of the river corridor.

Waterways and Wetlands Asset Management Strategy

As the main river draining the city, the Avon River/Ōtakaro is a key element of the network of waterways and wetlands. Management of the network is directed by the Waterways and Wetlands Asset Management Strategy (1999), which splits it into fourteen individual project areas.

It takes a values-based approach in order to satisfy the Council’s responsibility to maintain its assets in good condition and to deliver on the objectives and policies of the City Plan. The six values to be taken into account are: landscape, ecology, recreation, heritage, culture and drainage.

Heritage Conservation Policy

• to understand the significance of heritage places
• to ensure that an understanding of their significance guides decisions
• to retain the historic integrity of heritage places by doing ‘as much as necessary’ to preserve their fabric but as ‘little as possible’ to alter it
• to keep records of what we do

The City of Christchurch Heritage Conservation Policy (1999) includes Policy 4.1: to prepare conservation plans for all appropriate heritage buildings, places and objects in Council ownership that are listed in the City Plan. A conservation plan is defined as a ‘document which sets out what is significant about a place and, therefore, what policies are appropriate to enable that significance to be retained in its future use and development’.

The ICOMOS Charter explains that the historical setting of a place should be conserved with the place itself. If the historical setting no longer exists, construction of a setting based on physical and documentary evidence should be the aim. The extent of the appropriate setting may be affected by constraints other than heritage value.

Central City Strategy

In 2001 Council embarked upon a strategy for the revitalisation of the heart of the city. Public feedback and Mayoral Forum leadership identified a number of needed improvements to make our Central City a more attractive place. These included improving use and access along the Avon River, with a majority of the respondents supporting the idea of a river "promenade".

Specific suggestions on added features along the river included more seats/benches, wider and shared walkways, public art, and lights and informative plaques about special historic events. Suggested activities included more boating, shows and entertainment.

An Avon River Corridor Strategy was to be drawn up, which was to include concept and project design for such elements as:

• A continuous sealed pathway with themed street furniture, signage, lighting, etc;
• improved public space "connections";
• wider footpaths/cycle/rollerblade lanes,
• narrow streets,
• improve pedestrian crossing points;
• access points to the rivers edge;
• night time lighting of heritage bridges, key features, and the entire river link;
• public art projects;
• design guidelines for building frontages;
• reconstruction of some areas and further enhancements; and
• statutory changes if required, etc

Other strategies and policies of relevance

In preparing this document, reference was also made to the following strategies and policy documents:

Metropolitan Christchurch Transport Statement (2003)
Living Streets Charter (2002)
Parking Strategy (2003)
Cycle Strategy (2000)
Pedestrian Strategy (2001)
Open Space Strategy (2003)
Recreation and Sport Strategy (2002)
Biodiversity Strategy (draft)
City Wide Planting Strategy (draft)
Natural Environment Strategy (draft)
Garden City Vision (draft)
Design Opportunities (2001)
Arts Policy and Strategy (2002)
Artworks in Public Places policy (2002)
Heritage Conservation policy (1999)
Heritage Values + Vision + Mission Statements (2004)
Safer Canterbury Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (2004)
Parks and Waterways Access Policy (2002)
Bridge Lighting Strategy (2000)
The Heritage Values of the Canterbury Provincial Buildings (1994)