By far the biggest positive response in the April Christchurch City Scene residents’ survey was to a question about kerbside recycling.

About half the 1484 respondents not only agreed, they strongly agreed that the Council should expand the kerbside recycling programme so that more items could be collected this way.

Generally people who filled out the replypaid form responded positively to questions about physical infrastructure, such as cycling facilities, parks and cemeteries. However, they also agreed that the Council should provide new economic development and employment programmes.

On the whole respondents either agreed that the Council should provide extra services and spend more money in the 2000- 01 year to improve services, or didn’t have an opinion either way.

The only questions they responded more negatively than positively to were about the Council developing its ability to do business on the World Wide Web, supporting Christchurch Hockey Association teams and increasing support for other sports teams.

The survey was “self selecting”, which means people chose to take part and when that happens they typically feel strongly one way or another about topics. However, the response was not the largest the Council has had to one of its surveys, probably because there was nothing particularly controversial in the draft Annual Plan for the new financial year. It is a “business as usual” kind of a plan. The draft Annual Plan was finalised as City Scene was going to print. Highlights and main points will be published next month.