City Scene - November/December 2001: Future Path Canterbury

November-December 2001

Lead Stories

Your City - the best run city in the world

Annual Report Highlights

Heritage Park proposed for valley

From Your Mayor

Questions and answers about Kerbside Recycling

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Future Path Canterbury

What is Future Path Canterbury?
From Hanmer Springs to Hinds, and Oxford to Akaroa, Canterbury citizens all breathe the same air, drink from pristine water sources and drive on uncongested roads to get to work and play. No matter which town we call home, we all share much in common with the other residents of Canterbury.
One of the things we share is our quality of life. Decisions taken today will impact upon our future and the future of generations to come. That means making the best decisions regarding issues such as water, waste disposal, transportation, housing and economic development. None of these issues recognise territorial boundaries. That is why councils in Canterbury agreed to work together to address these issues that cross boundaries and impact upon our quality of life.
Christchurch City Council, Environment Canterbury and the District Council’s of Ashburton, Banks Peninsula, Hurunui, Selwyn, and Waimakariri are working jointly on a strategic planning process called Future Path Canterbury (FPC) to decide on a 50-year vision to create the region we want for our future.

Why does Canterbury need a 50-year vision?
The future will happen, whether we plan for it or not. If we want to have some influence over our future, then we need to answer this question: "What do we want in the future?"
The process of planning for the future starts by agreeing upon a vision — a picture of how we want our lives to be in our region in the future, and not necessarily where current trends are leading us.
Once we have a vision for the future we can look at what needs to change to achieve that vision. It might be everything about the way we live our lives, or it might only involve some minor changes. Visions provide energy and direction for fundamental change.

How does this affect each of us?
Visions only work when communities are involved in developing them. That is why the Future Path Canterbury visioning process begins with a public seminar series to raise awareness of issues affecting our region, such as water, transport and economic development and stimulate open-minded discussion about our collective future.
Residents can attend all or any of the seminars to become more informed about the issues. The seminars will commence in early February and run for three months. More information about the seminar series will be available in January 2002.

Want more information?
For more information about Future Path Canterbury, contact Alice Ann Wetzel at Environment Canterbury: on telephone 365-3828 extn 7212 or e-mail aliceann.wetzel@ecan.govt.nz or visit the website: www.futurepath.org.nz