Free1 FREE
Christchurch’s THURSDAY MARCH 8 2012largest circulating free weekly paper
MAINLAND PRESS
proudlyCHRISTCHURCH Christchurch OWNED owned PROUDLY IDE INS E E S your
THURSDAY AUGUST 2 2012 !!!!!!!!UIVSTEBZ!NBSDI!9!3123
•• Library closure schoolsstudio Artist has hopesimpacts for Cashmere •• Selwyn St master plan adopted Community board decision ‘difficult’
local
Torturing Flower your hair in the cones in name of beauty Japan P3P15
Keeping Going youthful with country tomatoes P8 P16
GroundShow thriller breaking giveaway hatch P23 P22
Inspired city vision Back to basics - but don’t forget the suburbs Grow your own: New Zealand’s gardener of the year Jade Temepara showcases River outlook: garden her vegetable The site of the Digging the Future proposed new atconvention the Ellerslie International centre precinct,Flower bordering the Avon Show which opened River Park toThe the yesterday. northwest and Ashburton designer Cathedral Square created her garden to the southeast. Image: CERA with $100 to support a family of four. For more on Ellerslie see pages 2, 20 and 21. Photo: Gilbert Wealleans
Like the Olympic Games’ opening ceremony in London, details of the city redevelopment plan lit up our city on Monday – with many hailing it as visionary. The main dissenters were those who would prefer to see damaged houses, and their occupants, at the front of the queue for state assistance, not sports facilities and new hotels. If some of the effort put into Monday’s plan – which cost about $3 million to produce – had been put into applying a blowtorch to tardy insurance companies, then we may have a happier populace. However, the central business district (CBD) is the city’s beating heart and a plan laying out precincts of similar activities, height restrictions and green space is a wonderful tool to have as we move forward. We know where we are going, and businesses can now start planning their futures – they can try to be a part of the new, smaller CBD (down from 90 hectares to 40 hectares) or stay in the suburbs without the costs and additional red tape a move to the new city centre will inevitably entail. Canterbury’s economy has settled into its new routine after being forced to flee the central area, so there is no need to rush the move back into the city. The transition should be calculated and pragmatic. Any miscalculations and overspending will happen after the ministers and civil servants leading the cheering on Monday have left town, or left office, and any financial blowouts will be borne by Christchurch ratepayers for many years to come.
To be fair, Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee said the blueprint delivered this week was not a work plan – how the ideas will be delivered will come later. The Christchurch City Council and the private sector will be heavily involved in the process from now on and their need to protect ratepayers from excessive rates increases and the requirement to turn a profit may someinof the areas more with grandiose parts of the bluethose large sections of empty “Something that seems insignificant bemoderate very even print. example, it must be fun to design a covered important so I would encourage people in the Forhouses. stadium without any requirement consider it aim can “If someone calls the firetoservice we if will area to report anything suspicious.” possibly to turn profit.within Whensix theminutes city already hasare a new bea there so we still Overgrown vegetation and abandoned houses can’t fill, aanother weather-tight much part of bigger, eastern better Christchurch.” in the eastern suburbs provided fuel for stadium arson itvery stadium wait on the back for manywas years – Mr Graham said theburner fire service still attacks and Mr Graham said residents needed to should unless thecarrying rugby union wants to pick up the bill. into the out an ongoing investigation monitor vegetation growth. There arson is a lot of worth in the Christchurch CBD attacks in conjunction with the police. “People need to be aware that even if they but the is in the the scenes detail. of Wethe will watch “We aredevil analysing fires and don’t live in their house anymore if theyBlueprint, still to seewill how it evolves andinvestigation.” adapts to the the results contribute to the own the property they are responsiblewith forinterest realities of If real life over coming months.regarding the anyone hasthe any information keeping vegetation under control. or has noticed “If the property is owned by Cera then the Morearson on theattacks blueprint inside: Streetany Talksuspicious - P2, activity the Wainoni, Aranui or Avonside council will take care of the vegetation.” Reaction - P3 in , Editorial - P4, Property Owners’ contact theThe Christchurch central Mr Graham said the fire service still hadviews a areas - P5, please Plan details - P6, proposed new 363 7400. very active presence in the eastern suburbs, police onsports facilities - P7.
Let’s get the eastern arsonists Gina McKenzie
COMMUNITY action could help solve a spate of eastern suburbs arson attacks, according to Fire Service Christchurch area commander Jon Graham. The series of arson attacks over the past three weekends razed the landmark 52-year-old Leander Building at Kerrs Reach in Avonside Drive and damaged Aranui High School, Avondale Primary and Aranui Kids First Kindergarten. The attacks stepped up a notch at the weekend with seven fires lit in the early hours of Saturday morning in Aldershot and Portsmouth streets and Ben Rarere Avenue in Aranui. Four of the fires were lit at properties and at
two of the properties people were asleep inside their houses at the time. The residents escaped uninjured but the escalation in the arson attacks had alarmed Mr Graham. “We’re very concerned that these attacks are creeping into properties while residents are asleep. “It’s gone too far and needs to be stopped.” Mr Graham hoped Wainoni and Avonside residents would be able to provide further information. “People are our eyes and ears and even a small detail such as seeing an unfamiliar person in their street could provide a breakthrough.
Save up to $600 REfREsh on a new Fujitsu heat pump - march only
& RECOvER
100’s of fabfroricms to choose
DON’T MISS OUT!
PH 377 0034
R YEAar SIXYe Six rranty Wara nty War
LoVeD FUrnitUre
no job too big or small. insurance quotes available.
OR 0800 800 750 Normal lending criteria applies. Booking fee or annual account fee applies. Prices apply for unit purchased only
ACCREDITED INSTALLATION
www.dimockheatpumps.co.nz 9 0 9 Email: sales@dimockheatpumps.co.nz NEW LOCATION - 237 Brougham St (opp6/105 Sydenham Park) ChCh P. 371 7500 Christchurch Coleridge St, Sydenham, See our website for a full list of services www.qualityfurniture.co.nz K e i t h
h a r t s h o r n e
0 2 7 5
6 6 3
HALKETT GROVE
���� ���������������� ������������
TIT TITLES ARE EEXPECTED MARCH 2012 M
STAGE 2 NOW SELLIN
G
SECTIONS NOW SELLING Goulds Road, Rolleston
71 LOTS FROM 1031m2 TO 1679m2 PRICED FROM $199,000
LOVE THAT FARINGDON, ROLLESTON HAS ARRIVED! ���������
�� you will love your���� ������������� Why do we lifestyle ��������that ���believe � �� �� �� out here? � Simply Faringdon cuts straight to �������because the heart of what people really want: ������ More room �� �� �����for ��������� �������More More style life All ������ less money.
QR code generated on http://qrcode.littleidiot.be
������ ������ ������������
����������� ������� Introducing Faringdon, another winning living concept from Hughes Developments, the developers of Northwood, a company synonymous with building a better Christchurch.
HALKETT GROVE C a n t e r b u r y’s c l a s s i c q u a r t e r a c r e
Visit our information centre open Wed to Sun W E ST M E LTO N 12pm – 4pm, Goulds Road, Rolleston or call Bruce Harvey today on
0800 667 849 www.halkettgrove.co.nz www.faringdon.co.nz