Rediscovering Christchurch, the Northeast

[rumpelsnorcack]

 

I decided, yet again, that it's time to start Rediscovering Christchurch once more but it is with some trepidation that I'm getting back out exploring the city again.  I promise, if I get 3 posts into this project for a third time and we get another big shake I'll give it up forever ;)
 

Because there has been so much negative publicity about the east side of the city lately, including some charming comments along the lines of 'the east is a waste of space,' I decided for this reboot of the reboot to take a look at some of what there is to offer on my patch – Northeast Christchurch.  For the purposes of this post, I'm defining that as starting at New Brighton, moving north to Bottle lake etc, and then across to Burwood Road-ish.  That's my area, the place I know and love, and where almost all of my friends and community are.  The thing about this area at the moment is that it's a mass of contradictions.  Within that area is some terrible devastation; the red zone encroaches on significant parts of it, others languish in the orange zone and yet vast tracts of it are not only green zone, but haven't suffered any significant damage at all.  There is a swath along the beach from Waimairi Beach down to New Brighton where the land basically didn't have any damage in any of the three largest shakes.  It just goes to show that the idea that all of the east is trashed and should be abandoned with cries of 'good riddance' is very misleading and needs addressing.
 

There are still some amazing things happening in this part of the city.  For some shops business is booming.  Take my favourite, the Naked Baker, for example.  It was always popular and busy but now it's really popular and it's not as if other places in the area have shut down, because for the most part they haven't.  We have been spared a lot of business loss as most of the commercial buildings seem to have stood up really well.  The roads near The Naked Baker may be pretty dodgy but it's worth braving the detours, bumps, gravel and temporary one lanes to get there as many people seem to be discovering.  On any given day you will find police, men in hi-vis vests and, of course, the locals. 

While they are my favourite, they aren't the only cafe worth visiting in the area.  Closer to the beach is the Beach Cafe, across the road from Broad Park where you can sit down to eat or grab a takeaway drink and take the kids to the playground across the road and from there over the walkway and onto the beach itself or use it as a jumping off place to head into Bottle Lake.  We may not be able to swim in the sea as yet (though indications are that we may be getting closer to being contamination-free for at least part of the summer), but a walk along the beach is as beautiful an experience as ever.  There's something really calming about being with nature like that, and while it's close to built up areas the dunes protect you from the road and housing behind it.  It's easy enough to pretend that 'civilisation' doesn't exist out there.  Further south down the beach is the pier which is also pleasant to walk along especially on a hot day and as an added bonus it connects almost directly to the library which is great for kids and also contains a cafe if you happen to need a hot drink after all your walking.  There are also plenty of restaurants both in the library complex and in nearby New Brighton itself.
 

It would take far more room than I have to enumerate all the wonderful things this part of the city has going for it, both natural and food/shopping wise, but I want to turn attention now to something we are in danger of losing.  While a lot of our commercial areas stood up very well to the February quake, one beloved local institution didn't fare so well.  QEII stadium and pool complex was very badly damaged and while it is insured we are still in danger of losing it.  Why? Because the central city plan has provision for a new 'metro sports hub' in the central city.  In a city this size there just isn't the room for two top facilities like this so there is a lot of anxiety in this area about the fate of QEII.
 

Why is it such a big deal? I hear you all ask.  Won't a facility in the city be just as good, if not better?  Well, let me explain why I don't think so.  First, QEII has a long history and is of historic importance to sport in this city.  It was built for the 1974 Commonwealth games and since then has been a stand out facility for many different sports.  It is close to the beach and Bottle Lake forest and so has a natural connection with many of the outdoor pursuits in the city, playing a vital role in events like the triathlons and the annual city to surf run.  In summer it has been host to the Canterbury Wizards cricket team games and is the home base for the Tactix netball team. 

Second, QEII is more than just a 'sports facility' - it is a community hub.  All our school children learn to swim there and in an area so close to beaches that is crucial.  Having it closed since February has significantly impacted the swimming lessons of many children in the area, both as school groups and as individuals doing after school programmes.  Closing it down permanently will disadvantage all the children in the part of the city which most needs its kids to be safe and confident swimmers.  That's not to forget the gym, massage, exercise classes etc that were all utilised by many people.  On top of all that, many community groups have used the various meeting rooms for gathering and support.  In the part of the city that the metro hub is suggested for, this sort of community engagement is less likely given its proximity to commercial areas rather than residential ones. 

Third, QEII where it is has excellent parking, good bus services and is easily accessible via the ring road.  Contrary to the opinion of many, it isn't difficult to get to or a particularly arduous commute.  Anything on the ring road is very easily connected to in what is, after all, quite a small city.  By contrast, the metro hub is intended to be located in a very busy traffic area near to the (possibly too damaged to repair) AMI stadium which snarls traffic when it hosts events and so getting in there isn't going to be fun, especially during times when games are on at AMI.  Parking will necessarily be more limited on site just given the demand on land in the central city.  Rather than being more convenient, as many people expect, it is more likely to be far less convenient.
 

For many reasons, the loss of QEII to Northeast Christchurch would be devastating and if the new Metro Sports Hub goes ahead, any facility in this area will not be able to support the variety of interests that QEII always has.  I don't think resituating the main sports facility into the city will benefit Christchurch in any significant way and removing it from the North East will disadvantage the area significantly.  For this reason I plan to make my feelings heard on the draft central city plan (which can be read and commented on either at the roadshows or online) and I am fully supporting the 'keep QEII in the east' initiative.  They have a facebook page set up here with information and discussion, and there are petition forms to sign calling for the facility to remain in the Burwood Pegasus ward even if the current site is declared unusable.  These forms are in most local schools, some kindergartens, many business in both New Brighton and Parklands and most of the shops at the QEII shopping centre including the BP.  They will also have a table from 10-2 at the market in New Brighton on the 3^rd of September, and will be taking signatures outside Countdown New Brighton from 10-4  on the same day.  While the central city is, of course, of huge importance in the city's recovery, so is the health and wellbeing of all its suburbs.  Keeping QEII in the northeast signals confidence in this bright, cheerful and naturally beautiful area.  Please, take the time to read the draft plan*, consider what the implications of having this hub in the central city will be, and support our efforts to keep a community treasure local.


*apart from the issues I have with this Metro Sports thing I am actually very much in love with the draft plan.  It is well worth a read in its own right and not just as part of this project.