This page is not a current Christchurch City Council document. Please read our disclaimer.
 |
| Page 2 ~ Page 3 of 12 ~ Page 4  May 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 |
| Recycling beyond the green crate | |||
| Ever wondered what happens
to the glass, plastic, tins, cardboard and newspapers you leave in your green recycling
crate each week? Waste materials collected by Christchurch City Council’s kerbside recycling service are sorted on the trucks and delivered to the Recovered Materials Foundation’s Parkhouse Road site where they are processed for local and international markets. The foundation, an independent trust established by the Council and a number of other organisations, also promotes recycling activities in many other ways. These include loans to assist local initiatives to develop reuse and recycling opportunities; research on recycling processes for industry; a waste exchange service; and resource recovery centres at the three refuse stations where a wide variety of reusable materials can be dropped off at no charge and are then sorted and displayed for sale at a minimal cost.
|
Recovered Materials Foundation staff with PET plastic bottles destined for recycling markets. Each bale contains about 4000 bottles. From the top Sarah Gordon, Graeme King (CEO), Rayio Nariman, Joan McSweeney, Jim Forsman, Nicki Lancaster, Arahi Woolridge and Catherine Webb. |
||
| Track gives easy access to Victoria Park and hill | ||
| Tawhairaunui Trail, a new track in
Victoria Park, gives people in wheelchairs or with pushchairs and prams easy access to the
bush and spectacular views. Winding through 70-year-old arbor day plantings, the one-kilometre track features viewing platforms and seats. Construction was a three-year project for the Council’s Port Hills ranger services team and others keen to improve the park. Graham Tapper, former president of the Christchurch Disabled Persons’ Assembly, reckons the track can be completed in a wheelchair in an hour. "Part of it is gently sloping and part requires quite hard grunting so there’s something for a variety of people". "You can do bits of it and you can get right up to the information centre on top of the hill, which was previously quite a problem," Mr Tapper says. Tawhairaunui, which is maori for red beech, is the first fully accessible track to be built on the Port Hills. Although the trail is now open for use, an official open day will be held later in the winter, once plantings and information panels are complete. |
From left: Council park ranger Nick Singleton walks the new track with Annabel and Graham Tapper. |
|
| Sunday walks provide a highlight of the
week An enthusiast of the Council’s Active Christchurch programme says the Sunday walks are a highlight of her week. Ruth, pictured at right with her husband David, has been on almost all the walks. "We enjoy the walks, the social side, seeing lots of new places and the talks by Council staff," she says. “Sundays are a joy." The couple used to have a big garden to keep them fit but more recently found exercise "a battle". The Let’s Walk programme inspired them. They have kept going because of the quality of the walks, led by Graeme Stanley. Sharing a picnic lunch with friends afterwards is also part of the attraction. During the week Ruth accompanies David on his walk to work. May-June Let’s Walk and Let’s Cycle programmes are available from the Council’s Leisure Unit, service centres and libraries, or from Karen Theobald, ph 371 1280. |
 |
| In a nutshell . . . | ||||||||||
| Y2K ready: Christchurch City Council has a comprehensive Y2K
checking process in place. Council staff are working with other groups and individuals on
the issue and have a budget of more than $1 million to check, upgrade and replace systems
as part of Y2K readiness. Priority has been given to essential systems such as water and sewerage systems and traffic controls which should be completed by the end of June. To date Y2K readiness is going according to plan. See more details on the website www.ccc.govt.nz/y2k Banks Peninsula Amalgamation: Thanks to everyone who responded to the form in the last issue of "City Scene", about possible amalgamation with Banks Peninsula. The Council is now preparing a submission on the issue which is due to be sent to the Local Government Commission by the end of May. More details will be included in the June issue of "City Scene". Plant a tree: Planting at Christchurch’s Sister Cities Garden Park at the Halswell Quarry Park will start on Arbor Day, 1 June, when Mayor Garry Moore will plant the first tree. Six gardens are planned, one for each of Christchurch’s sister cities. The garden will officially open in October 2000 but anyone is welcome to visit any time to look at the landscape plans for each garden. Thanks folks! The Council would like to thank the more than 800 people interviewed for the 1999 residents’ survey. The random door-to-door survey was conducted by National Research Bureau for Christchurch City Council. Available next month, the results gauge how well the Council is doing in the eyes of residents. "Mayfest" jazzing Sydenham: Creative energy will flow in Sydenham this month when businesspeople, residents and artists combine their artistic talents to "jazz up" the main street. Look for the transformation around the old WestpacTrust premises at 370 Colombo Street.
|
Insulate to reduce power
bills: "Most people
understand that ceiling insulation helps retain heat but it’s more important to have
a warm floor, especially if you have young children," says City Council energy
efficiency advisor Mike Gaudin. The Council still has grants available to help people
install insulation less expensively.
Burning brightly: A woodburner can be used for efficient home
heating without making Christchurch’s air pollution worse. Choose a burner with a low
emission rate; make sure it is the right size for its location and use; make sure it is
properly installed (and you have a building consent); avoid smouldering by burning
properly; use only dry wood cut to the right size; reduce your need for fuel by making
your house more energy-efficient.
For all walks of life: A pedestrian strategy to make Christchurch a
better city to walk in will be published in draft form for public comment in August.
Council provides for pedestrians in many ways, such as building footpaths and installing
lighting. However, as the City grows it is becoming increasingly difficult to meet the
needs of pedestrians and other modes of transport. The pedstrian strategy will find ways
to counteract this.
|
|||||||||
Page 2
~ Page 3 of 12 ~ Page 4
