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An all-electric, self-flying air taxi that rises like a helicopter and flies like a plane will be on display at Tūranga this weekend. Wisk’s air taxi will be on public display in New Zealand for the first time at Take Charge Christchurch. New Zealand’s first battery electric aircraft, operated by ElectricAir, will also be on…
Discover some of Christchurch’s best spaces to explore, learn and be entertained these holidays. A day at the playground Make the most of a fine day and head to one of the city’s many playgrounds. The Margaret Mahy Playground in the central city is packed with fun things to try or you can enjoy an…
Residents who pay for Christchurch City Council services by cheque will need to find other ways of paying from the end of this month. The Council will not be accepting cheque payments from 30 April 2021 because the three major New Zealand banks are phasing out cheques in May and June of this year. The…
Gail Carson literally has a “feel” for creating a valuable resource from discarded ‘junk’. For more than 20 years, Gail has picked over the items on offer at non-profit recycling space Creative Junk to put together tactile books for blind and low-vision children. She says that the craft items “are not junk at all”, describing…
The clock is ticking for those wanting to give feedback on Christchurch City Council’s plans for investing in the city and keeping services running over the coming years. The period for public submissions on the Draft 2021–31 Long Term Plan ends at midnight on Sunday 18 April. The plan sets the direction for the next…
Familiar fronds will be rearranged in a new Anzac setting, complementing a nearby poppies artwork. Recently repurposed to honour the Anzac story, the new-look fronds at the Anzac Drive-New Brighton Road intersection will align with the Poppies over Gallipoli sculpture on the corner of Anzac Drive and Travis Road. The Anzac Fronds – originally installed…
Christchurch City Council’s Regulatory Compliance Unit has completed its investigation into an incident involving Councillors Phil Mauger and James Daniels last July when a trench was dug without authorisation on land adjacent to Pages Road. The works were carried out on Crown-owned land managed by the Council without Resource Consent. The Council’s compliance unit began…
A decade on from the earthquakes, St Albans residents have a permanent new community centre to call their own. The striking new Kohinga St Albans Community Centre was officially opened at the weekend – the first permanent facility on its Colombo Street site for a decade. Mayor Lianne Dalziel opened the new $2.7 million community…
A striking white ngutu – or ceremonial entranceway – will greet visitors at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre. Called Te Aika, which means ‘the home people’ (te aika is a Ngāi Tahu version of te ahi kā: ‘the home fires burning’), the aluminium artwork recognises the mana of local hapu, Ngāi Tūāhuriri. Inspired by the…
A condolence book is being set up at Tūranga and the flag above the Civic Offices is flying at half-mast as Christchurch joins the nation in mourning the death of the Duke of Edinburgh, His Royal Highness Prince Philip. “The Duke of Edinburgh has been a pillar of strength for the Queen throughout her long…
Our Stories is a community storytelling project that connects communities through storytelling. School children interview people who grew up in their community. The stories are recorded and then edited and mapped to places. The Our Stories app was launched in 2018 with a collection of Lyttelton-based stories. Project director Kris Herbert says the collaboration with…
A weekend for foodies, runners, or art and music lovers, along with a pool party for dogs and a fun day for families – you will be spoiled for choice. Christchurch Food Show Sample tasy treats and see top chefs in action at The Christchurch Food Show this weekend. Head to the Street Food Alley,…
Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel has promised to meet with organisers of today’s Schools Strike 4 Climate NZ protest so they can discuss in depth their demands for more climate action. Several hundred students took to the streets of central Christchurch early Friday afternoon to demand real, meaningful climate action. Similar protests were staged in other…
Players may be busy keeping in touch with Barry Clausen when the 74-year-old takes to the field at the Bunnings National Touch Championship in Christchurch this month. Mr Clausen aims to run onto the turf as part of the over-55s Canterbury men’s side when Ngā Puna Wai hosts the National Championship for the first time…
Waipapa/Papanui-Innes Community Board members want to correct the historical misspelling of Kaputone Creek, seeking an official name change to Kā Pūtahi. Following a Community Board request, Christchurch City Council staff are preparing a proposal for the New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa to approve a return to the original Māori spelling, Kā…
An ancient turtle fossil discovered in a church pillar in Christchurch may have lived up to 35 million years ago. Christchurch sculptor Paul Deans found the fossil embedded in the limestone core of a pillar from the demolished Oxford Terrace Baptist Church, erected between 1881 and 1882. Several sections of the extracted cores given to…
The streets of Christchurch will be filled with runners and walkers this weekend as the ASB Christchurch Marathon celebrates its 40th anniversary. Previously, the ASB Christchurch Marathon has been held at the start of winter but the organisers have decided to bring the event forward to April when the weather will be milder. More than…
Local rūnanga Te Ngāi Tūāhuriri has gifted a special name – Parakiore – to the Metro Sports Facility. Christchurch City Council Head of Recreation, Sports and Events Nigel Cox says the name Parakiore is a tribute to the youngest son of Tūrākautahi, the Ngāi Tahu chief of Kaiapoi Pa. Parakiore is described as a man…
Changes are being proposed to Christchurch City Council planning rules to help enable Māori to build on land they own in the Papakāinga/Kāinga Nohoanga zone. Plan Change 8 seeks to significantly reduce the setbacks required for building on Māori land in the zone, and increase the maximum permitted site coverage of buildings from 35 percent…
Community volunteers are helping with predator trapping in seven small parks and reserves on the Port Hills as a part of wider initiative to protect native species. Christchurch City Council is working with local community groups on the trapping initiative at Westmorland East Valley, Purau, and Cracroft Reserves in Cashmere, Coronation Reserve in Huntsbury, Birdsey…
Christchurch City Council is meeting at 9.30am on Thursday 8 April. The main items on the agenda for the public part of the meeting are: Reports from the Community Boards outlining issues and projects in their areas. A report seeking Council’s approval of the detailed traffic resolutions, speed limits and tree removals needed for the…
People who travel on Brougham Street may experience some delays over the coming weeks as work is done to replace an ageing stormwater pipe underneath the Barrie Street intersection. The brick barrel pipe dates back to 1910 and has reached the end of its useful life so it needs to be replaced with a new…
Cantabrians are being challenged to step outside their comfort zone, forge new connections and celebrate the region’s diversity. A new initiative – InCommon – has been created in response to the Christchurch mosque attack by Cantabrians who want to ensure the incredible community spirit, togetherness and companionship that poured out after the tragic event doesn’t end….
The 2020 survey quizzed 6412 New Zealanders, including 546 people from Christchurch, about their perceptions of life in the country’s main urban areas – Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Tauranga, Hutt City, Porirua and Wellington. Eighty-seven per cent of the survey’s Christchurch respondents rated their quality of life as good, very good or extremely good –…
The tsunami sirens along Christchurch’s coastline will undergo routine testing on Saturday morning at 11am. The 45 sirens, which are located at strategic points between Brooklands and Taylors Mistake, will sound for up to two minutes. “Normally we test the sirens on a Sunday at the beginning and end of daylight saving time but because…
Work on the multimillion-dollar upgrade of Woolston Village has been extended for one month, with contractors now expected to finish at the end of April. Christchurch City Council Transport Planning and Delivery Manager Lynette Ellis says the streetscape project, which includes installing new pedestrian crossings, mini plazas, wider footpaths, cycle lanes, and landscaping has experienced…
A floating pontoon as part of a $3 million wharf upgrade is on the horizon for Diamond Harbour. The Christchurch City Council’s Urban Development and Transport Committee has approved the upgrade project progressing to detailed design and construction. This includes the addition of a pontoon and an 18-metre gangway to improve accessibility and safety for…
Celebrate the long weekend with a trip to the Oxford A&P Show, a night at the rugby, a treasure trail and Easter egg hunts. Oxford A&P Show Head out of town on Easter Saturday for a day at the Oxford A&P Show. Bring the family for an action-packed day of all things rural – from dog…
Christchurch City Council is proposing changes to who pays for the city’s vital land drainage work, as part of its Draft Long Term Plan 2021–31. The land drainage targeted rate funds the operating costs of the Council’s stormwater drainage and flood protection and control works. At the moment this rate is only paid by ratepayers…
Linwood’s new pool complex is starting to take shape. The walls and roof of Te Pou Toetoe: Linwood Pool have gone up and contractors, Apollo Projects Limited, are now focusing on constructing the inside of the $22 million complex. All the pools are in place and the rooms are now being built. Te Pou Toetoe:…