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Kiwiana is past its use-by date. Is it time to re-imagine our symbols of national identity? Kiwiana can offer profits and comforting nostalgia, but Kate Pickles explains that a closer examination reveals that this set of symbols representing colonial settler narratives is no longer fit for purpose in the 2020s. Definitions of Kiwiana vary and…
How quickly can the Covid-19 vaccine make travel possible? Will travel ever look the same again? Professor Colin Michael Hall and colleagues from University of Oulu and Wakayama University provide expert insight in article on The Conversation. The recently-announced trans-Tasman bubble between Australia and New Zealand is one of the few options for international travel…
Goughs Bay fantastic for conservation Haley fence ‘back’ block to be fenced first Two forested stream gullies on a sheep and beef farm on Banks Peninsula will be fenced to protect water quality and biodiversity. The Goughs Bay ‘Hayley fence’ project will receive more than $15,000 of Immediate Steps (IMS) biodiversity funding over the next…
If you are planning on staying close to home these holidays, make sure you take time out to explore bewitching Banks Peninsula. Peppered with secluded bays, hidden bush and scenic reserves, Banks Peninsula is where you want to go if you need to recharge your batteries for the year ahead. We are unashamedly bias but…
Residents in Halswell, Wigram, Hornby, Sockburn and Templeton are being asked to conserve water to ease pressure on the water supply network while work is done on the Denton Pump Station. Over the Christmas period we identified an issue with the Denton Pump Station and had to close it down While other pump stations in…
If you want to beat the heat and take a refreshing dip this summer, here’s our top five picks for places to go. 1. Hays Bay If you fancy a dip in the sea but want to avoid the crowds, head to Hays Bay in Lyttelton Harbour. Lovely and quiet, Hays Bay gets the full…
We’ve reached maximum daylight hours, the weather’s generally playing ball, and, with a bit of luck, you’ve found a new mountain bike under the Christmas tree to put some miles on. Christchurch is blessed with a huge network of trails within 15 minutes of the CBD. Greater Christchurch and the Port Hills are brimming with…
If you’re staying local this summer, take the kids on an adventure to check out some of Christchurch’s best neighbourhood playgrounds. Our city is home to nearly 400 playgrounds. They come in different shapes and sizes – some are known for their impressive slides, while others win points for their aesthetic surroundings. If you have…
Mountain bikers will have a new trail to conquer if plans to expand the track network in a popular Port Hills scenic reserve go ahead. Christchurch City Council has been working with mountain bike clubs on plans for easing the pressure on the busy Rapaki Track by adding to the tracks in Montgomery Spur Reserve….
Christchurch’s prolific book and audio borrowers are keeping city libraries busy, borrowing more than 4 million items in the last year. In total, Christchurch City Libraries issued 3,387,207 books in the 12 months to the end of November and a further 450,651 eBooks in the same period. The eBook issues marked a massive jump –…
One of the entrances to Tuawera Cave Rock, on Sumner Beach, is being closed to the public because of the rockfall risk. “We have recently noticed some rockfall around the smaller, northern entrance of Cave Rock so for safety reasons we have decided to close off that access point,’’ says Christchurch City Council Regional Parks…
The public can provide comments on a proposed multi-use sports centre to replace the current Hagley Sports Centre (formerly known as the Horticultural Hall) in South Hagley Park. The replacement building will provide improved indoor community sports facilities for the public, including changing rooms and toilets. Funding for it is coming from the Government’s $2…
The year is rolling to an end which means it is time for many of us to swap our work clothes for shorts and jandals and to wish you all a happy and safe holiday. The Newsline team is taking a break over Christmas and New Year but will be back on 5 January 2021…
High cyanobacteria levels in Lake Clearwater The Canterbury District Health Board has issued a health warning for Lake Clearwater after testing found the presence of high concentrations of potentially toxic cyanobacteria. Temporary signage is being installed around the lake to alert people of the need to avoid contact with the water. Water quality sampling at lake…
The temporary weekend ban on freedom camping at the busy North Beach Carpark has been extended. The ban was first introduced at the end of February 2020 after concerns were raised that the number of freedom campers staying in the car park was making it difficult for people to access parking for the busy surf…
Help protect our busy waterways from freshwater pests This summer our dedicated freshwater advocacy officers will be out and about again to help show freshwater users how to ‘Check, Clean, Dry’, in order to protect our busy waterways from aquatic pests. Advocacy officer Zoe Arts With border restrictions and higher sales of watercraft a feature…
Kiwi adults know more te reo than they realise, UC study reveals Even when they can’t speak te reo Māori, New Zealanders have a surprisingly sophisticated knowledge of the language, newly published University of Canterbury research shows. Principal Investigator Professor Jen Hay and co-author Professor Jeanette King of UC’s New Zealand Institute of Language, Brain…
Graduate with passion for problem-solving lands software engineering role Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) student Exequiel Bahamonde Cárcamo says UC’s full-year projects and internship opportunities were invaluable in teaching him how software engineers work in industry. “My degree has given me the skills to break down problems and tackle them…
The scholar who created a world-class music school The University of Canterbury’s School of Music’s public-facing and performance activities moved in 2017 to UC’s original campus, now the Christchurch Arts Centre, when the old Chemistry Building came up for lease. Firstly, the school needed a leader who could modernise and revise its curriculum to align…
The scholar who created a world-class music school in post-quake Christchurch The University of Canterbury’s School of Music’s public-facing and performance activities moved in 2017 to UC’s original campus, now the Christchurch Arts Centre, when the old Chemistry Building came up for lease. Firstly, the school needed a leader who could modernise and revise its…
How to keep COVID-19 at bay during the summer holidays — and help make travel bubbles a reality in 2021 University of Canterbury academics Michael Plank and Alex James say with the summer holidays about to begin, we need to remain vigilant to keep COVID-19 at bay in The Conversation. But as the prime minister…
UC equips environmental scientists to make a difference In a first for Aotearoa New Zealand, the University of Canterbury (UC) is offering a new four-year degree to upskill environmental scientists during a time of rising concern about climate change. UC’s Director of Environmental Science Professor Sally Gaw says environmental scientists are needed to step up…
DIY water blasting contaminates homes with asbestos DIYers are being warned about the potential for accidentally contaminating their own home and gardens during home maintenance over summer. Regional leader compliance delivery, James Tricker, said there have been four recent cases where people have water blasted their roofs and released asbestos fibres into the air. “They’ve…
A new network plan is set to make it easier for local Community Boards and Christchurch City Council to make decisions about community facilities across the city and how they are run. The Community Facilities Network Plan adopted by Christchurch City Council provides a snapshot of all the community centres, halls and volunteer libraries across…
People trying to avoid traffic by driving in a bus lane are jeopardizing efforts to improve the reliability of public transport in Christchurch and putting themselves at risk of a $150 fine. “Bus lanes are designed to give people who travel by buses priority on the transport network at busy times of the day,’’ says…
Award-winning project launches UC graduate’s career An award-winning project into the 3D visualisation of an aerospace launch vehicle has launched University of Canterbury (UC) graduate Flynn Doherty’s career with leading aerospace manufacturer and satellite launch company Rocket Lab. Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Engineering, Professor Jan Evans-Freeman presented software engineering student, Flynn Doherty with the People’s Choice Award…
A large steel frame measuring 13.2 metres high by 10.3 metres wide has been installed on the western façade of Christ Church Cathedral. The 18-tonne frame is a key component of the stabilisation work of the quake-damaged Cathedral and will be a permanent structural element, eventually housing the Rose Window. It has a banner over…
Fast-tracking of Canterbury flood protection a critical first step in climate adaptation More than $24 million will be spent on a programme of flood protection projects in Canterbury thanks to central government’s climate resilience fund. In December, Environment Canterbury confirmed $15.5 million in funding from the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment’s Provincial Development Unit (PDU)…
Canterbury Distinguished Professor Roy Kerr gives Black Hole lecture via Zoom The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences is awarding the Oskar Klein Medal to the University of Canterbury’s renowned Canterbury Distinguished Professor Roy Kerr. Canterbury Distinguished Professor Roy Kerr is an eminent mathematician, known internationally for discovering the Kerr solution, an exact solution to the…
A close eye will be kept on traffic volumes in the St Albans, Edgeware and Mairehau areas following the opening of the $290 million Christchurch Northern Corridor (CNC). The CNC, built through an alliance between Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, Christchurch City Council, Fulton Hogan, Aurecon and Jacobs, connects central Christchurch to State Highway 1…