Plans for Heathcote Valley Park are progressing, with earthworks now under way at the lower end of the valley and a planting scheme drawn up for a new saltmarsh north of Ferrymead Park Drive.

The historical significance of the area has also been highlighted recently with Ferrymead being chosen as the location for a television series about early settlers.

Items of interest include:

• Wherever possible contractors working on the valley’s earthworks will be required to avoid Heathcote village area and instead travel along Ferry Road and down Bridle Path Road.



• In response to requests for some protection for walkers, cyclists and horse riders along Ferrymead Park Drive, the Council has marked an edge line along both sides of the road. This defines the traffic lane and the road shoulder. There is insufficient space for a footpath to be constructed but the road markings provide about 1.5m of road shoulder space.

  Ferrymead Historic Park has become part of living history as the chosen location for a new fly-on-the-wall television series Colonial House. The Touchdown TV production intends to show a family arriving in Canterbury on one of the first four ships in December, 1850.

  It will film them embarking on a 10-day voyage from Auckland on a tall ship and coming ashore at Lyttelton before walking over the Bridle Path to Ferrymead. Filming will continue until Christmas Eve and the series will be screened early in the New Year.

  A planting scheme has been devised for the salt marsh that is soon to be created in front of the proposed Tamaki Tours entrance area.

  Planting may involve the local community.




• The Council has adopted a formal costsharing proposal to help fund the catchmentwide drainage plans designed to cope with future development in the Heathcote Valley.

  Up to 350 new dwellings and premises are expected to be built in the next 20 years.

  A comprehensive scheme is preferred because practical on-site drainage measures for each new development is considered inefficient to fully mitigate flooding and waterquality effects downstream. The Council will act as “banker” for the scheme from its capital expenditure budget. Any private development will be levied at the time of subdivision or building consent.

• For further information, call Project Manager Darren Moses on 371 1948 or email darren.moses@ccc.govt.nz