Hearing from the people
Christchurch residents are having their say in droves -- and the Council couldn't be happier.
Where some local authorities have received little feedback to their long term council community plans (LTCCP), Christchurch City Council has had a strong response, with more than 1900 submissions to its draft 2006-16 community plan.
Councillors began hearing the submissions on Thursday 26 May and has set aside until Friday 9 June for hearings.
Mayor Garry Moore says the "tidal wave" of submissions cover about 150 topics, with the draft proposal to rationalise libraries, pools and leisure centres attracting the most feedback.
Individuals, groups, businesses and developers have made submissions. Many refer to only one topic, such as opposition to the proposal to close libraries at Redwood, Bishopdale and Spreydon, while others cover multiple issues. The shortest submission is four words; the longest, from Christ Church Cathedral, is 158 pages.
Petitions against closing the libraries and stopping the mobile library service attracted 25,000 signatures. Libraries are described by submitters as an essential service to the community, with one saying local libraries are at "the heart of the local villages... a focal point for the elderly".
A general theme is that the proposal would affect families with young children and older people. Others say that at a time of increasing petrol costs, it does not make sense to centralise library services.
A delightful submission from an elderly man includes a poem supporting retaining his library. Many oppose closing the mobile library because, they say, it services poorer parts of the city and areas where no library is close by. "Please, please can we ave the Papanui Pool," signed "I love you" is the plea of a young resident in the city's north-west. It is one of a number indicating concerted support from the Papanui community for a new pool in the area. Consultation on the Aquatic Facilities Plan was included in the LTCCP. Most submitters oppose the closing of suburban pools.
City and community forward planning and urban renewal is the third-largest topic for public feedback. Opinion is mixed; some want revitalisation of the Central City to go ahead, while others suggest that the draft plan emphasises development of the central area at the expense of the suburbs.
Three quarters of the submissions on a new bus exchange suggest that no more money should be spent on the project, while a quarter of submitters supporting the project emphasise the need for a workable public transport system. Some are happy with the services provided by the city's buses and shuttles, while many suggest changes to improve the current system. (With public transport, the City Council provides facilities, while it is ECan which manages outes and timetabling.)
Garry Moore says consultation on the draft plan and the submission process is an extremely healthy exercise. "Residents have got involved because of their passion for a particular issue," he says. "It's a sense of ownership for their city and shows what a fantastic sense of community we have in Christchurch. We had so many submissions that it was a difficult logistical exercise to schedule the hearings within the time-frame." |
