January-February 1999   C H R I S T C H U R C H   C I T Y   C O U N C I L · Y O U R   P E O P L E · Y O U R   C I T Y
BAD NEWS FOR Y2K BUGS PAGE 2	MOORE: CITY AIMS TO BE FAMILY-FRIENDLY PAGE 2	YELLOW BUT NOT MELLOW PAGE 2	BOOSTING SKILLS TO HELP OUR PEOPLE FIND JOBS PAGE 3	WALKING HAND IN HAND PAGE 3	TAKING THE POOCH TO THE PARK PAGE 4	SMILES OF SHAKESPEARE IN FESTIVAL OF ROMANCE PAGE 4

Turning tide against litter
If you are enjoying Christchurch's beaches, you can thank people like Doni Ranginui and Kylie Johnston (pictured at Taylor's Mistake) who were among the students involved in the Gigantic Beach Clean Up at the beginning of summer. Students from more than 10 schools went to the beaches armed with sunhats, sunscreen, gloves and rubbish bags. The annual event is coordinated by the Council's Keep Christchurch Beautiful Campaign and is aimed at increasing environmental awareness. Schools are encouraged to prepare for, or follow up, the clean up with relevant classroom activities.	Council park rangers and Coast Care staff members talk to the children about the local coastal environment and marine life. Follow the children's example and look after the beaches as well as enjoy them. Council Coast Care workers offer the following friendly advice: Keep to tracks and accessways — to protect plants and prevent erosion. Keep your dog under control. Don't even let them chase birds. Don't light open fires, use barbecues provided. Take your rubbish home.	Coast Care can be contacted on 382 1678.

What I love about Christchurch is its POTENTIAL . . . Pacific Underground — born and bred in Christchurch, some of the best Pacific Island talent in theatre and music in Aotearoa. Opportunities, as a city values the input of all members of our community. Talent, and the provision of space and time for it to be developed. Empowerment, Encouragement and Education for the youth, who are our most valuable resource. Notice the differences — celebrating our strength in diversity. We come together being more tolerant and understanding. The landscape inspires dreams, over amber sun rises, across flat plains, deep blue seas. It is people who bring life, heart and soul to a city. Art is a way of defining who we are. Expressing ourselves, opening minds to new ways and thoughts. Cultural growth is equally as important as economic growth. Life is what you make it. Go hard and make the most of it. God bless, One Love, forever deep in the Pacific Underground. — Anton `Antsman' Carter, Manager, Pacific Underground

Christchurch City Holdings Ltd (CCHL), the company which owns the Council's trading enterprises, paid a record $30.7 million dividend to the Council for the year to 30 June 1998 — an increase of $20.8 million from the previous year.

Responsible for the Council's shares in four important local companies, CCHL is an independent legal entity with its own board of directors established in 1993 to ensure optimum returns from the Council's trading investments, consistent with the wider objectives of the Christchurch community.

CCHL owns 87.63 per cent of Southpower (now Orion), 65.63 per cent of the Lyttelton Port Company, 75 per cent of Christchurch International Airport Ltd and 100 per cent of Christchurch Transport Ltd.

The CCHL 1998 dividend included a $15 million special dividend received from Lyttelton Port Company and a $2 million dividend paid by Christchurch Transport Ltd. CCHL's 1999 result will include substantial sums received from Orion as a result of a capital repatriation announced by that company in March last year, and from the sale of its retail electricity business to TransAlta, as required under government legislation.

Copies of the CCHL 1998 Annual Report, which was published in December, are available from all Council offices or by calling 941 8475.