UDS plans for growth
More than 100 calls have so far been received by the Greater Christchurch Urban Development Strategy team, and booklets about the strategy are disappearing quickly from local government offices as Christchurch residents take up the challenge of helping determine what their city and surrounding communities should look and feel like in 20 to 30 years time.
You can now pick up a copy of the Greater Christchurch Urban Development Strategy Introduction to Issues booklet as a forerunner to discussions to be held soon throughout Christchurch.
The booklets are available from any Christchurch City Council service centre, library or the Civic Offices on Tuam Street, from the Environment Canterbury office and from the Banks Peninsula, Waimakariri or Selwyn district council offices.
The booklet and the Greater Christchurch UDS website - www.greaterchristchurch.org.nz - were launched last month to present some of the key issues that the greater Christchurch area faces in planning long-term for a predicted population growth of 50,000 people.
Where these people should live, work and play are issues that all local authorities in the greater Christchurch area have joined forces to address through the strategy. As population grows, residential areas spread beyond the traditional city limits, making urban growth a rural dilemma.
A cross-section of representatives from organisations - from education to business - are meeting regularly to develop options for long-term planning for the city and neighbouring communities. Known as the Greater Christchurch Urban Development Strategy Forum, this group leads the project, but seeks public input about the options to ensure its vision for Christchurch's future matches community expectations. "It's very important that people take time to read the Introduction to Issues booklet or visit the Greater Christchurch website for more detailed information to understand what could happen if we don't plan for population increases," says Bob Parker, the Forum chairperson and Mayor of Banks Peninsula.
"Good planning needs to take into account the widest possible set of views, concerns, hopes and aspirations from our diverse communities. Right now councils and communities have an opportunity to build on the foundations of the past, in a co-operative way, to help us develop and prioritise a framework for the future shape of the greater Christchurch area.
"What do you envisage our city and outlying areas should look like in 30 years? Your input and ideas are a vital part of this process," Mr Parker says. "Everyone will get a chance to have their say at community meetings and other events planned to get the community thinking."
For more information: call 0800 URB DEV (0800 872 338), visit www.greaterchristchurch.org.nz, email info@greaterchristchurch.org.nz or write to Greater Christchurch, PO Box 237, Christchurch.
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