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| October 2002 |
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Avon River strategy
A strategy for the Avon River, focusing on the
part of the river that flows through the Central
City, is being prepared by the City Council’s
Parks and Waterways Unit. The request for a strategy came from the
former local branch chair of the NZ Institute of
Landscape Architects who was concerned that
enhancement projects along the Avon were
occurring in a piecemeal fashion, that many
building projects were not making the most of
the river environment and that there was no
real policy for proposals on the banks of the
Avon. The idea of providing "a pleasant environment
in which to promenade along the Avon" has
more recently been promoted by the Central
City Revitalisation Project Team. The Avon River must be viewed as a dynamic
thread flowing through our city. It supports a variety of plant and animal life,
it provides a unique attractive feature within the
city, it is the centre of a number of recreational
pursuits and it also takes away storm-water
from city streets. For these reasons the Avon River catchment
— the water, the banks and beyond — is under
constant pressure from a number of sources. We can enhance the areas around the Avon
River, have events on its banks and enjoy its
riverbank environment but unless we think
about the river as a life supporting system we
could lose the very essence of what makes it
special by allowing it to be come degraded. A careful balancing act between amenity,
ecological and recreational needs must be
planned if we are to sustain and improve the
health and appearance of the Avon River
corridor for future generations. The Council’s Parks and Waterways Unit has
since initiated a landscape character analysis of
the Avon River corridor, a tree survey of all the
trees along the central-city banks, a troutspawning
survey and an ecological study of the
river habitat and its in-stream species. The Council wants to plan for the future of
the river corridor with a view to building on the
existing attractive landscape character that the
river contributes to the central city. This means
improving recreational opportunities for
enjoyment of the river, implementing a tree
replacement programme over time and ensuring
that the ecology of the waterway is maximised. Study Area While recognising that the Avon River is a
dynamic system flowing from Avonhead to the
Estuary, the focus of this study is from the
Antigua Boatsheds to Fitzgerald Avenue. The
Avon River corridor stretches beyond the river
banks across adjacent roads to the building
edges either side. Things we would like you to think about If you would like to take part in a more
detailed survey, please contact the Council
for a questionnaire which has been prepared
to gather views on various aspects that affect
the Avon River Corridor. The questionnaire
is available at Our City O-Tautahi (corner of
Oxford Terrace and Worcester Boulevard),
from the Civic Offices on Tuam Street and
from Council Service Centres, or ph Suzanne
Weld on 941 6840 — email
suzanne.weld@ccc.govt.nz The results of the consultation and a draft
strategy will be available early next year for
further comment. Information that was on
display in Our City in September will be
available again in March next year. Write your comments, drop it in an envelope and send to: Avon River Strategy No Stamp is required. |
