Waterways and the Coastline

The catchments of the Avon, Heathcote, Styx and Halswell Rivers lie within the City boundaries. The waters of the Avon and Heathcote Rivers flow through the urban area of the City and reach the sea at the Avon-Heathcote Estuary. The Styx River flows through rural land and reaches the sea at Brooklands Lagoon. All these rivers are spring fed. The Halswell River originates within Christchurch, but flows out to the south, eventually discharging into Lake Ellesmere.

 

The Waimakariri River, which forms the northern boundary of the City, is a large braided river fed predominantly by rainfall in the Southern Alps to the west. The river is important for recreation and provides the region with a number of important natural habitats and resources.

 

The Pacific Ocean lies to the east of the City. From the south, the coast is defined by rocky headlands and sandy bays from Godley Head to Sumner. From Sumner, the Avon-Heathcote Estuary forms approximately 8 km2 of open space bounded almost entirely by urban development. A sandy beach foreshore then continues from Southshore northward to the boundary of the City at the Waimakariri River. The beach dune system is approximately 20 km long with foredunes up to five to six metres high. The dunes form an important buffer area between the sea and the adjacent urban area.

 

Current Land Use

Nearly 16,000 hectares of Christchurch City is currently in urban use while around 23,000 hectares remains rural. A further 4,746 hectares is set aside for conservation purposes and 1,425 hectares for special purposes. Conservation zones include diverse areas within the City with scenic, ecological, or heritage values. While special purpose zones are those within which a specialist activity is undertaken. Areas zoned for special purposes include hospitals, the Airport, various pedestrian malls, the rail network and the Burwood Landfill site.

 

Within the urban area, just over 70 percent of land is allocated for housing while industrial and commercial usage accounts for a further 13 percent. In both urban and rural areas a substantial amount of land is used for recreation and open space. These areas include public parks, reserves and facilities and also private facilities such as golf and race courses (Table 2.1).

 

Infrastructure

Solid Waste

Currently there are three refuse stations in the City - Metro Place in Bromley, Parkhouse Road in Sockburn, and Styx Mill Road in Redwood. Domestic and commercial refuse from these stations is landfilled at the City’s only landfill site in Burwood. The Transfer Stations also collect recyclables and compostables.

 

In 1994, the Garden City Compost Plant was opened at Bromley for large scale composting of garden waste. Clean separated garden waste dropped off at all three Transfer Stations is composted at the Compost Plant into "Envy" garden products. This is then made available for sale at Metro Place Transfer Station, and garden centres throughout the city.

 

Sewage

In Christchurch, small plants provide sewage treatment at Belfast and Templeton, but 99 percent of Christchurch sewage is treated at the plant in Bromley.

 

Over 70 pumping stations pump the sewage from low areas, particularly near the Avon and Heathcote Rivers. Five terminal pumping stations then pump all the flow to the treatment plant. Treatment involves full primary and secondary processes plus oxidation ponds and discharge to the Estuary of the Avon and Heathcote Rivers.

 

Water

The city’s water services include 78 pumping stations, 37 reservoirs, and 1,300 kilometres of watermains.

 

Table 2.1 Land Use Information by Zone Group, 1996
Urban Zones	Hectares	Percentage of Urban	Percentage of Total
Suburban Living	7998.8	50.0	17.7
Inner Living	2,118.7	13.3	4.7
Living Hills	1,272.8	8.0	2.8
Central City Commercial	127.2	0.8	0.3
Suburban Commercial	164.1	1.0	0.4
Industrial	1,863.5	11.7	4.1
Cultural	599.8	3.8	1.3
Open Space	1,845.3	11.5	4.1
Sub Total Urban	15,990.1	100	35.4
Rural Zones	Hectares	Percentage of Rural	Percentage of Total
Rural	20611.7	89.3	45.6
Rural Industrial	185.1	0.8	0.4
Rural Living	211.6	0.9	0.5
Coastal Marine Area	1,086.1	4.7	2.4
Open Space	983.1	4.3	2.2
Sub Total Rural	23,077.6	100	51.0
Conservation	4,746.5	_	10.5
Special Purpose	1,425.6	_	3.2
Total	45,239.8	_	100

Roading

The Christchurch roading network consists of 1,505.49 km of roads, 25.1km of which is unsealed. Roads within the City are classified in Table 2.2.

 

Each year around 5-6 km of roads are added to the roading network. Christchurch residents have a high level of dependence upon the roading network which is reflected in growing vehicle use and ownership within the City. Currently some 85 percent of households have access to at least one vehicle and 41 percent to two or more vehicles.

 

Table 2.2 Road Type by Kilometre
	km	Percent
Major arterials	87.01	5.8
Minor arterials	234.19	15.6
Collectors	222.46	14.8
Local	961.83	63.8
Total	1505.49	100.0

(excludes state highways & boundary Roads not maintained by the Christchurch City Council)

Source: Christchurch City Council

 

Power [1]

Christchurch City receives electricity from the national grid at four exit points at Bromley, Papanui, Addington and Islington. Electricity is then distributed throughout the City through 1,787 kilometres of high and low voltage overhead line and 2,946 kilometres of high and low voltage underground cable[2]. During the 1995/96 March year there have been 1.4 kilometres of overhead line and 73 kilometres of underground cable added to the Southpower distribution network.

 

Telephone [3]

There are approximately 3000 kilometres of telephone cables in the City. At the end of March 1996, Telecom New Zealand had a total of 161,800 telephone access lines in Christchurch City. Of these 118,300 were residential lines, and 43,500 were business lines. Telecom estimates the annual growth in access lines in the City is between 2.5 and 3 per cent per annum.

 

There are also 19 Telecom and 10 BellSouth cell phone sites at present in the city. Resource consents applications have been made for an additional 4 Telecom and one BellSouth cell phone sites.

---

Top of Page ~ Update 96 Contents