Community engagement in the Papanui Ward in Christchurch, New Zealand
Question: as we go into Alert Level 4, would it be useful to have a “what’s open in the Papanui area” page on Think Papanui? It would be focused on local info, maintained on a ‘best efforts’ basis, and would not replace official Council and Government information sources. Please let me know your thoughts. ^Simon
Think Papanui publishes a weekly email newsletter that recaps stories shared over the previous week. There’s a cafe gift card to be won each month for the next three months, drawn from those who are subscribed to the mailing list. Unfortunately the cafes are closed due to the coronavirus situation, but the draws will go ahead. Here’s hoping we see an improvement in the public health situation in the very near future. If you’re keen to subscribe, head to:
https://thinkpapanui.nz/subscribe
At the 20 March meeting, the Waipapa/Papanui-Innes Community Board:
The meeting was live-streamed on the Board’s Facebook page, and two Board members and a Council staff member attended by phone due to COVID-19-related self-isolation requirements. Follow the link below to watch the video, or the minutes can be found at https://christchurch.infocouncil.biz/Open/2020/03/PICB_20200320_MIN_4511_AT.PDF. It is not clear when the Board will next meet, following the 24 March Council decision to revoke the Board’s delegations and cancel all scheduled Hearings, Committee, and Community Board meetings (see separate post for details).
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At 5pm today the Council will meet to consider governance arrangements during the COVID-19 emergency period. The staff recommendation is that almost all Council delegations be revoked (including all delegations to Community Boards), and that an Emergency Committee (consisting of the Mayor and all Councillors, but with a quorum of two) be given all decision-making authority that it is possible for the Council to delegate. See the Council’s post for a link to the agenda and live stream:
Northlands Shopping Centre will be open until end of day on Wednesday 25 March, although some non-essential stores are closing sooner. Essential services including Pak’nSave and Countdown will remain open once we are in Level 4, although likely with reduced opening hours.
When Think Papanui visited Pak’nSave this morning the shelves were mostly well stocked and there were no significant queues for checkouts.
Source
The Council’s essential services will continue to be provided as we move through Level 3 into Level 4 COVID-19 response. Click through for more info…
Council to maintain essential services during lock-down
“Mayor Lianne Dalziel and Christchurch City Council Chief Executive Dawn Baxendale are assuring residents that essential services will continue to be provided across Christchurch and Banks Peninsula throughout lock-down period.”
For last Friday’s meeting of the Waipapa/ Papanui Innes Community Board, two members of the Board and one Council staff member phoned in from self-isolation, and the meeting was streamed on the Board’s Facebook page. Board member Ali Jones has shared some comments in this Newshub item:
https://www.newshub.co.nz/…/coronavirus-how-to-balance-work…
Night closure on QEII Drive: today Sunday 22 March from 9pm through to 6am tomorrow the road will be closed for the removal of scaffolding at the new CNC overbridge. Click through for details:
https://
All Christchurch City Council community facilities will be closed from 4pm today, Saturday 21 March. There will be no public access to libraries, sport and recreation centres, pools, community centres, service centres, the Christchurch Art Gallery and the visitors’ centre in the Botanic Gardens until further notice. “There is no sign of community transmission in Christchurch and we still only have two confirmed cases, both of which relate to overseas travel. This is not a decision we have taken lightly but it is a sensible precaution to take in this fast-evolving pandemic.” Click through for more information:
https://newsline.ccc.govt.nz/…/christchurch-city-council-cl…
Christchurch City Council closing all community facilities
Source
The alliance building the Christchurch Northern Corridor (CNC) has announced that the motorway is expected to open 'just before Christmas'. The original target was mid 2020, but this has been pushed back due to longer than anticipated ground settlement times and extra work associated with the third southbound lane over the Waimakariri River. Work on local roads and the upgrade of QEII Drive remain on track for mid-year completion. Click through for details:
https://www.nzta.govt.nz/…/cnc-progress-overview-20200319.p…
