Give me: 50 Things we LOVE about New Brighton!

This week I've arranged a meeting with some inspirational folk from GapFiller to help us Brighton UP! There're a few spaces opening up in the mall that could do with being Renewed... I saw this picture on Keep QEII in the East's facebook page and thought that's exactly the kind of thought-provoking inspirational stuff we need right here in Brightown.

What do you love about your New Brighton?

Had my Say

Comment for Draft Annual Plan: Rebuilding QE2



Kia ora koutou,

Renew Brighton, an organisation that's committed to community-led recovery, would like to propose that all monies from the insurance payout for QE2 as a result of the earthquake damage suffered in the 2010-2012 period are reinvested in rebuilding QE2 in its existing site.

At the I Love New Brighton community event held in Rawhiti Domain in February, Renew Brighton asked the question â?oWhat would you like in your reNewed Brighton?â? . The answers were collected as 'wishes' and placed on the wishing tree. Of the 189 wishes placed on the tree, 69 referred to swimming pools and an astounding 44% of those specifically wished for QE2 to be rebuilt where it currently stands.

These wishes weren't prompted. It was a very natural, organic way of gauging what the community felt was important.

QE2 is an asset not only to the Greater Brighton community, but to the entire city of Christchurch. However, while many other communities have their own recreation and aquatic centres none had the history and significance of this.

Rebuilding QE2 in its current location would replace its historical significance with one of future significance. By Council rebuilding QE2 in its current location it proves that it is safe to rebuild on land that is zoned TC3. It would indicate to local residents, business and investors that Council is prepared to reinvest in and make a commitment to our community's future.

This simple decision- to rebuild QE2 in its current location, would contribute greatly to our recovery.

Nga mihi,
Rebecca May
Community Co-ordinator
Renew Brighton



What have you got to say- make your submission on the Draft Annual Plan ~ it's your city! Have your Say

Helping others to Help yourself: an Invitation to attend a Community Network Forum

Kia ora koutou,

Renew Brighton would like to invite you to attend a Community Network Forum at 430pm on Tuesday 24th April at St Faith's Lounge. Please come along, share a cup of tea and take part in planning a community-led Needs Analysis for Greater Brighton.

You'll also have the opportunity to meet and network with others within the community who are playing a part in planning for its recovery.

The agenda for the meeting will be:
Welcome
Update on progress (Planning, methodology etc)
Discussion: What do we want to learn? What do we need to learn?




Renewsletter:
This week there's so much information to share regarding our recovery, revitalisation and renewal that I'm obliged to use as many links as possible, sending you to other informative websites. Tragically, if you're printing this, the information will no longer be there. The internet is our friend, though, so forward this email to others, or simply encourage folks to subscribe themselves. I'll be breaking the information into three categories: Recovery, Revitalisation and Renewal.


Recovery:

Your home:
News has been grim regarding the shortage of rental accommodation in Christchurch. Two organisation's names have crossed my path in the past weeks,
Hotel Homes and Contract Accomodation, both providing opportunities to rent single rooms. Perhaps you could consider hosting a builder who's in town helping out on the rebuild- it may take the pressure off the system!

There's also the new temporary village that will be built in Rawhiti Domain. Temporary villages are a Government supported temporary accommodation option. This option is to assist householders (both homeowners and people in rented accommodation) whose homes are uninhabitable and need suitable rental accommodation while their house or land is repaired or rebuilt. To register please fill in an assessment form online.

Also in the news this week is talk about the possibility of a Rates Rebate. The Christchurch Rates Relief Group is petitioning Christchurch City Council for 100% rates relief for Christchurch citizens who are, for various reasons, unable to occupy their own homes as a result of the earthquakes. Visit their website to find out more, or go directly to their online petition.

Community Energy Action
Located on Beresford St, they can help you with
Insulation and your EQC claim/repairs
Taking advantage of earthquake repairs to make your home warmer
Staying warm in a quake damaged house or temporary rental property
How to get more information
Insulation and your EQC claim/repairs
If you have roof damage
If your property was flooded or affected by liquefaction
If you have floor, piles or foundation damage
If external walls were damaged


Your Environment:
Travelling
If you're anything like me, chances are you don't often leave the village, but when you do you find you're really unfamiliar with the roads with all the repairs under way. I counted six detours on a simple journey to the city the other week. If I have any chance of getting anywhere on time it would surely come as a result of visiting this great website first. Due to the ongoing changes to our city’s roads, Transport for Christchurch will be providing regular transport related news stories to ensure road users are well informed. This will provide road users with some of the information they need to help navigate around Christchurch. The website’s key feature is an interactive map which is updated with real time travel speed information and road closures.

Keyes Road wastewater project, one side of road closed
This is a major project of wastewater mains replacement, likely to take six months to complete, starting on Monday, April 2 on Keyes Road, New Brighton. Fulton Hogan, as part of the Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team (SCIRT) is re-laying the main gravity pipe and laterals (side pipes) to property boundaries.
The existing wastewater pipe suffered multiple breaks in the earthquakes. It will be replaced with a more resilient plastic PVC pipe, more than a kilometre long, along Keyes Road to Bowhill Road. The wastewater mains on Gresham Terrace as well as parts of Dennitt, Sinclair and Rawson Streets will also be replaced following the Keyes Road work. Residents are urged to keep children and pets a safe distance away from the work. Traffic will also be affected as the southbound lane of Keyes Road from Bowhill Road to Rawhiti Domain will be closed. Access to streets off Keyes Road will be from Baker Street and New Brighton Road.
Traffic management will be in place on Keyes Road and drivers are urged to stick to the 30kph speed limit for the safety of workers and other road users. The Metrostar bus will run down Baker Street instead of Keyes Road.
If you have any questions about this work, contact Fulton Hogan on 0800 277 3434 (Monday to Friday) or email rebuildinfo@fultonhogan.com. Fulton Hogan and SCIRT understand this is a significant disruption for many people and appreciate everyone's patience while this important piece of work is done.

Public seminar on the Earthquake effects on rivers and the estuary in Christchurch
Learn what research has been done, what are we finding out and what happens next. This seminar will feature presentations from a number of entities including: Waterways Centre for Freshwater Management (University of Canterbury and Lincoln University), Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR), National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Environment Canterbury and Christchurch City Council.
Thursday 26 April 2012 from 9.00am - 5.00pm. Lincoln Events Centre, Meijer Drive, Lincoln.
Free. Sponsored by ESR. RSVP to: wendy.donald@ecan.govt.nz by 18 April.

Your Wellbeing:
Next De-Stress Course 19 - 22 April -Two evenings and the weekend)

Registrations essential - Free call: 0508 Artofliving 0508 2786 354 canterbury@artoflioving.org.nz www.artofliving.org


Revitalisation

Draft Annual Plan 2012/13
The Council's Draft Annual Plan for 2012/13 and proposals for 10 Major Community Facilities will be released for public consultation for four weeks, from 20 April 2012 to 21 May 2012. You can read the media release about the Draft Annual Plan being adopted on 11 April 2012 here.
This is particularly important to us as they're discussing QE II and Centennial Pool – developing the first stage of a multi-sport hub in the Central City and building a community leisure facility and athletic track on the QE II site or another site in the east.
Residents will be able to find out more about what’s in the plan during April and May. A summary booklet will be sent to all homes on the opening weekend of consultation and it will also be available online. Open Days will also be held over the weekend of 28, 29 and 30 April so residents can come along, talk to senior Council staff and find out more about the plan. Community Drop-in Sessions will be held in May in all of the city’s eight Community Board wards.
Council says

“The best thing we can do now is listen. I urge our residents to look at this draft set of accounts and write to us with their thoughts. So, Christchurch, it’s now in your hands – we are laying the framework for the future of this city and we want to hear from you.”

Folks: I'm going to introduce you to the idea of Having your Say. In this instance, write to the council: info@ccc.govt.nz let them know how important QE2 is to us as a community, that we need it rebuilt right where it is. We live in a democracy and this is your opportunity to exercise your democratic right.

The Christchurch City Council has also approved the development of master plans to support the recovery and rebuild of New Brighton and Edgeware’s suburban shopping centres. The process will be a collaborative effort involving the Council, Community Boards, local residents and stakeholders for each centre. Stakeholders include business operators, building and land owners, central and regional government agencies, residents, community groups and any other organisations that have a stake in the local community for each centre. Rest assured that Renew Brighton is very interested in this process and, as per our goal, we will continue to be instrumental in leading the development of a community led recovery and revitalisation plan for Greater Brighton.


Renewal:

Design
If you're a fan of design, planning or development why not sign up to The City 2.0 The City 2.0 is a unique platform created by the TED Prize to allow citizens anywhere to participate in the creation of their City 2.0.

South Brighton trees:
The felling of the trees has stalled and has not progressed as quickly as first envisaged, for a number of reasons. The area south of the motor camp, adjacent to Jellicoe Marsh, was felled last year and is the only area ready for restoration planting. Council have some funding from Auckland Council to do this and are organising a community planting day for 10 June, 10am-1pm, followed by a sausage sizzle. Further information will be circulated about this soon. The proposed planting is consistent with the existing management plan which was developed in consultation with the community.
Future planting of the remainder of the reserves is unknown at this stage. Conditions throughout the reserves have changed with different land, water and saline levels to what was there pre-earthquake. The restoration planting south of the motor camp will provide a good opportunity to test which plants do well in the new conditions. Meantime, there are a number of other issues that we are working through regarding flood protection, drainage etc that will impact on the reserves.
The June planting day will be a very positive step towards restoration of the reserves in the short term. Recovery of the remainder of the reserves will be a long term project and subject to funding approval through Council's Long Term Plan.


I look forward to meeting you and chatting over a cuppa on Tuesday the 24th, 430pm @ St Faiths (Hawke St, New Brighton).



Nga mihi,
Rebecca May

Five Ways to Wellbeing

Howey's Hydro Baths

Yes, I would like Saltwater Pools in Brighton. Oh yes. But, before we jump in that deep end, what we really need is to assess what the community's needs are. For example, is it a hot saltwater pool that we're after? Covered? 25-30m? And where do we position that kind of complex? Logically, to support the local business district we'd put it nearby; there appears to be ample land available. But why not consider Rawhiti Domain? Zoned for sport and recreation with a building housing many sporting groups already planned, perhaps a small alteration could be made to accommodate this new concept.

But, it's not new though, it it? Howey's Hydro Baths, both hot and cold, claimed curative powers and hope for the hopeless. Perhaps the very idea that New Brighton Spells New Health (as claimed in a footnote in New Brighton, Canterbury's Playground) may restore hope to a community that many have previously dubbed hopeless and health to a city with a broken heart.

Salt Water Works Wonders

And as much as I really fancy a swim, is this a priority?

Regardless, a rather generous local business person has offered to contribute $100,000 towards building a saltwater pool in New Brighton!

Anna Price, writer at Christchurch Mail, wants to hear what you've got to say about it~ email her anna.price@themail.com and tell her what you think in 200 words or less.

town centres

Being Part of the Planning Process

We live in a democracy; some might doubt whether or not it's a good example of one, but one it is. Our governments, local and central, are elected by us and represent us. Nationally we have the right of referendum: a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of direct democracy.
Locally decisions are made at Council but are usually after a consultation period. Are you familiar with the Council's Have Your Say ? The Have Your Say web site shows you up to date information about what the Council is consulting on. Each project listed has an online form for people to use to let the Council know what you think about a proposal. Is this another example of direct democracy?
This week Council will be holding public meetings where we'll have the right to comment on the Draft Annual Plan. Indeed, the document recommends by way of Legal Requirement

12. It is recommended that the Council consult with its community in respect of decisions about a number of Council-owned facilities that have suffered extensive earthquake damage. Included in the documents attached to this report are Statements of Proposal for distribution and consultation by way of a special consultative procedure.

Do you know what to do? Write. Pick up a pen and paper and write to your Councillors. Their addresses are easy- name.surname@ccc.govt.nz

So, there's the Draft Annual Plan, but recently (5th April) Council approved master plans for New Brighton and Edgeware.

The Christchurch City Council has approved the development of master plans to support the recovery and rebuild of New Brighton and Edgeware’s suburban shopping centres.

This, folks, is where we stand up, united and say: We're happy you've approved the development of a Master Plan. As a community we require a lengthy consultation period: in order for this recovery and revitalisation plan to be a success it must be community driven.

E raka te maui, e raka te katau.
A community can use all the skills of its people.

Let's work together to Renew Brighton

The Value of a Volunteer

Today was my first day back in school for a long time. A very long time.

You know in maths or economics class way back when we were in school when we were supposed to be paying attention rather than steering out the window? The teacher was talking about fractions or GDP and on both days I was wondering 'What's the point of this lesson?'.

Today I realised the point.

GDP stands for Gross Domestic Profit and New Zealand's Not For Profit sector contributes $7billion dollars towards it annually. Once volunteer labour is added this represents about 5%of GDP and volunteers themselves make up two thirds of the workforce.

Underestimated? I think so.

While it's often easy to underappreciate the contributions a volunteer can make towards the value of a not-for-profit organisation, it seems I've been underestimating their value in the dollar sense as well. When only 10% of NFP organisations actually have paid staff this is of huge significance to not just our industry, but to Aotearoa, New Zealand.

New Zealand is obviously a very kind hearted nation, as studies have shown that this trend is not repeated world wide. In comparison with the international NGO Sector, New Zealand has proportionally the seventh largest nonprofit sector workforce in the world ahead of the United States and Australia in terms of relative size. And, something else to be proud of is that there is significantly more funding coming from private philanthropy than in other industrialised countries.

Kiwis, eh? You can all pat yourselves on the back for being such a lovely lot. Ka pai.