City Scene - January / February 1999

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

Y2K bugs on the run

Christchurch City Council can assure residents that despite the Year 2000 millenium bug, rates invoices will still arrive in the Year 2000! And all other services will continue to operate as well.

The Council's Y2K Project co-ordinator, John de Zwart, says "Don't worry! Council services will comply by 22 June — a full six months before the deadline. That means that on 1 January 2000 the water will run, our pools and facilities will be operating, toilets will flush, and yes, the rates database will be intact."

The Council finished checking units and services in December and identified all areas that need to be investigated. The next stage is ensuring all high and medium priority areas comply, and the date set for this compliance is 31 March. Certification of Compliance by an outside body will occur by the end of April.

"Council staff members have been looking at the Y2K issue for 18 months and we're really pleased with our progress. We are taking the issue seriously and want to make the transition to the new millennium as painless as possible," says John.

The Council is also pursuing suppliers to make sure there are no services affected by people working with Council failing to comply.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Current projects Christchurch residents may be interested in.

Hagley Park Stephen Godfrey has been granted permission to build a mini golf course in Hagley Park subject to the results of public consultation and obtaining necessary consents. The course would be built with wood and all existing trees and shrubs on the site, next to Victoria Lake and the bowling club, would be kept. More flowers and shrubs would be planted.
It is thought that a mini golf course would provide another family activity in Hagley Park. You may be interested If:

You visit Hagley Park,

You enjoy activities like mini golf,

You appreciate Christchurch's green spaces.

Contact for further information: Warwick Scadden, horticultural operations team leader, Parks Unit, ph 941 8637 or John Allen, consents team leader, Parks Unit, ph 941 8699.

COUNCIL NOTICEBOARD
CITY PLAN DECISIONS The Proposed City Plan was publicly notified in June 1995. Since then many people have lodged submissions and aired their views before Council Hearings Panels. This part of the process has taken just over three years to complete. Decisions on the submissions have now been written up and consequential changes to the City Plan text and planning maps have almost been finalised. The Council will be asked to formally approve the Proposed Plan as amended by decisions at a special meeting on 12 February 1999. This will take place in a closed meeting and the decisions will remain confidential until their official release six to nine weeks later. One difficulty which always arises when decisions on a Proposed Plan are adopted is the delay that occurs while the revised text is being printed. This will take about six weeks. The decisions will then be publicly notified in the newspaper, about 27 March 1999. Copies of the decisions will be posted to submitters and further submitters in two batches, three weeks apart. The first batch will go out at the same time as the public notification and the second, about 19 April. Submitters and further submitters will then have 15 working days to lodge appeals to the Environment Court. The appeal period will be triggered when a submitter or further submitter is actually served with a decision. Releasing the decisions in two batches should help those who have made a number of submissions, by giving them more time to consider decisions and how they will be affected by them. It is also hoped that this will reduce the number of appeals to the Environment Court. Appeals are expected to be heard next year. For more information phone 941 8631.	Help Flood Victims Floodwaters finally subsided in the Ruapehu District late last year but people there still need help to recover.The farming community in particular has been affected by damaged roads and erosion on productive land, says Ruapehu District mayor Weston Kirton. In some cases families lost everything except the clothes they were wearing when the flooding started. Donations will be gratefully received and can be made at a BNZ bank or to Ruapehu District Council, Manuaute St, Private Bag 1001, Taumarunui.
	Every drop counts After a dry winter and now a dry summer, Christchurch City Council is reminding people to conserve water. Restrictions on water use may have to be imposed. Contact Eric van Toor, ph 941 8980.
	Save cash when you insulate Now all you have to do to be eligible for an insulation grant is remove or permanently seal the open fire or coal burner in your living room. The grants of $3 per square metre of ceiling insulation and $1.60 per sq m of floor insulation are available now to make your home warmer and healthier. Contact Mike Gaudin, the Council's Clean Air and Energy Efficiency Programme administrator, on 372 2433.

Shuttle a success

Family-Friendly City

The free shuttle service in the City Centre has been popular since it started in December.

The distinctive yellow electric buses travel at 10-minute intervals during the day (15 at night) along a route linking the Casino in the north to Hoyts 8 in the south. They start at 8am Monday to Friday and stop at 10.30pm Monday-Thursday, midnight on Friday. On Saturday they run from 9am-midnight, Sunday and public holidays 10am-8pm.

The service is provided by the Council and operated by Christchurch Transport Ltd. For more information contact the Council's City Streets Unit on 941 8836,or Christchurch Transport on 379 4260.

The Free Shuttle Services

This is the ideal time of year for us to review just how well our city measures up to the aim

From
your
mayor

of being a family-friendly city. We were one of the first cities to appoint a Children's Advocate — which shows that this is a goal we take seriously. A family-friendly city fits with my belief that a city is as healthy and well as the lives of its citizens.
Particularly its youngest citizens.

That means having the courage to keep the "big picture" in mind — that our economy, our sense of well-being and of community are all equally important. Building a family-friendly city also means blending the "big picture" with apparently minor details.

For example, in recent months some of our staff have been checking out pram access to city buildings. Garry Moore

Petty-minded, the critics would say, but hugely important if you happen to be the one pushing the pram! We've again ensured our holiday programmes offer all children an affordable opportunity to take part in positive activities.

Because that's the way they get to know first hand that they belong.I hope you all enjoy the holiday period and get ready to enjoy what promises to be another exciting year for Christchurch.

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