THE LAST DEMOLITION

build The final curtain

The last demolition in Christchurch’s red zone has come crashing down, ending a massive 10-year clearance programme.

Before demolition

During the past decade, the Crown and insurers have carried out more than 7500 demolitions and clearances across about 800ha of red zone land stretching from Waimakariri to Christchurch’s Port Hills.

Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) has led the demolition and clearance programme since December 2015 when it inherited responsibility from the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority.

“The scale and complexity of this work is unlike anything else in New Zealand, and reaching the end of the programme marks a signifi cant milestone in the regeneration of greater Christchurch,” says Matt Bradley, LINZ Manager of Project and Hazard Management Delivery.

Many of the most complex demolitions were completed in the Port Hills where properties often teetered near cli edges or were on steep sections, requiring innovative leading-edge clearance techniques.

The fi nal demolition was a large house constructed of concrete and polystyrene, perched above Governors Bay on Banks Peninsula.

About 225 cubic metres of the property’s concrete waste – the equivalent of three 40-foot shipping containers – is being diverted from landfi ll for roading fi ll and other uses. Wooden fl oorboards are being chipped and donated to the community for such things as gardening.

Mr Bradley says about 70 percent of the building’s demolition waste is being recycled.

The demolition started in July and is expected to be complete by the end of October.

LEEANN WATSON CANTERBURY EMPLOYERS’ CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | CHIEF EXECUTIVE Fun in the sun – with a jab

I love spring, with all the promise of warm sunny days, catching up with friends and whānau – not to mention lazy days watching the cricket! But this year, Covid-19 has thrown a spanner in the works and as I write, we are stuck in a lingering level 2 limbo.

The fast-moving Delta strain has been one step ahead of our lockdowns, contact tracing, and social restrictions. That’s where vaccines come in. Instead of chasing elimination, the more e ective long-term solution is a highly vaccinated population. Vaccinations have been shown to be e ective, such as in the United Kingdom where case numbers, hospitalisations and deaths are down.

The overseas outbreaks are proof the virus will be di cult to eliminate entirely, and there will always be a risk of Covid.

Much of the global population is expected to catch the virus multiple times over their lifetimes, however after most of us are vaccinated, it will become another virus that we will learn to manage – just as we do with infl uenza.

We all have a role to play in getting vaccinated and supporting others to do so too. My challenge to all of you is to work together to ensure that Canterbury has the highest and most equitably vaccinated population in Aotearoa New Zealand. Come on Red and Black – let’s get the vax! number of start-ups from Ngāi Tahu in recent years.

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We are passionate about helping business and notfor-profi ts to survive and thrive, and the mentoring network is at the very heart of this. If you think a mentor would help you, or if you are keen to be a mentor, please talk to our team or visit businessmentors.org.nz.

JOANNA NORRIS CHRISTCHURCHNZ CEO Helping business boom

Every business should have a mentor. Operating a business is no easy task, let alone doing it through a pandemic. Having an experienced, independent mentor to listen and guide you through some of the challenges can make all the di erence.

Mentors provide confi dential, one-on-one assistance for small business owners, who are trading, want to grow or need help to solve a specifi c challenge. Mentors can also help to reduce the stress and loneliness faced by many business leaders.

Business Mentors New Zealand operates out of ChristchurchNZ and is an integral part of the Regional Business Partners Programme, connecting businesses with the right advice, people and resources.

Support is given to all businesses, across all sectors and all stages, including specifi c advice tailored to Māori businesses and it’s been great to see growth in the

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JOHN BRIDGMAN ŌTĀKARO LIMITED | CHIEF EXECUTIVE Central city development

We’ve seen a signifi cant surge in demand for apartment-style living in central Christchurch over the past year. Covid, Christchurch’s comparative a ordability and the everincreasing vibrancy of the central city are all infl uencing the desires of home buyers.

To help the city meet this demand and get more people living centrally as soon as possible, we’re putting two large blocks of land on Manchester Street up for sale and want to hear from developers who can deliver higher-density housing.

These land parcels sit alongside Fletcher Living’s One Central development, where 250 homes have now been sold, some before construction has even been fi nished. With no end to the demand in sight, Fletcher Living expects to begin building the next tranche of 101 homes soon.

By opening up the land parcels between Lichfi eld and Cashel Streets, and Hereford and Worcester Streets for other developers to deliver apartments we hope to speed up the arrival of more homes and more residents in the central city, which will be a shot in the arm for the local economy.

If successful, we also have the option of taking a third block of land to the market. So, the opportunity to deliver homes on this scale so close to the heart of one of New Zealand’s major centres is unlikely to be seen again.

LIANNE DALZIEL

CHRISTCHURCH CITY COUNCIL | MAYOR A blooming good idea

I always think it creates a sense of wellbeing when spring is in the air and the cherry blossoms and kowhai are fl owering. When I read the spring fl owers story on the ChristchurchNZ website and discovered that ‘Hanami’ is a Japanese word that translates to ‘fl ower watching’, I realised how universal that experience is.

So, with the city literally blooming, how about treating yourself to a ‘staycation’. I have friends who book themselves into a boutique hotel for the weekend and explore the city as visitors would. They tell me it is very refreshing, and it’s good for local businesses too.

The Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū had to cancel the opening nights of a couple of great exhibitions, however they are very much open, and they are well worth seeing.

Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the founding of Flying Nun Records in Ōtautahi Christchurch, Hellzapoppin’! brings together original artwork and design, fi lm, record covers, posters and photography from some of New Zealand’s favourite bands.

And there are two monumental contemporary ngatu tā’uli (blackened tapa) by local Tongan artist Kulimoe’anga Stone Maka. The stories of two queens – Queen Sālote and Queen Elizabeth II – come to life in the context of a migration story.

There are usually volunteer guides, who help bring these and other stories to life. Sadly, however they are on hold until we are back to Level 1, which can’t come soon enough.

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Restoring history

Christchurch has lost many of its iconic heritage buildings through earthquake damage, so it is particularly special to learn of one that is to be repaired and restored.

The building in question is the old municipal chambers on the corner of Worcester Boulevard and Oxford Terrace, one of Christchurch’s oldest public buildings. Built-in 1887 in the Queen Anne style, it is the only remaining building of its type in the city and has a Category-1 listing with Heritage New Zealand.

Development company Box 112, has leased the building from the City Council for the future. The restoration and strengthening, to which Christchurch ratepayers have contributed $10 million, is programmed to take two years. Responsibility for the work itself rests with Christchurch-based construction company T&A Construction, specialists in the structural strengthening, repair, and restoration of heritage buildings.

Aaron Walker of T&A Construction says his company is excited to be involved with this high-profi le project. “We spent quite a long time giving consultative assistance around the buildability, cost, and overall feasibility of the project. Now it is very satisfying to have actually started on the restoration work itself.”

Most of T&A Construction’s work is happening outside the public’s gaze as Aaron’s team has sheathed the entire building in white plastic to protect it against the elements and to allow work to continue regardless of the weather.

“We are strengthening the chambers from the inside out, and the external steel framing that has been propping the building up since the earthquakes will be one of the last things to be removed. There are also lots of beautiful decorative features in the chambers that we will carefully remove, restore and then reinstate as part of the restoration.”

T&A Construction in association with Box 112, has breathed new life back into a number of Christchurch’s treasured heritage buildings over the past few years, including the old Midland Club building (now home to Miro Cafe), the Public Trust o ces at 152 Oxford Terrace and several buildings in and around Welles St.

“Our next project is work on the former Municipal Electricity Department building on Armagh St. Built in 1933, this building is listed as a signifi cant building in the Christchurch District Plan. It is fantastic to know we have played a very signifi cant part in restoring all these buildings to their former glory.”

build Time for a spring upgrade

Spring cleaning can mean many di erent things. For some people, it really is as simple as cleaning surfaces in a house or garage that has been neglected for months. For other people, the word ‘spring’ signals something new.

Perhaps that something new might be the renewal of a tired-looking bathroom, laundry, or kitchen. It’s amazing what a di erence merely installing a new toilet can make. They do tend to have a use-by date. What is the water pressure like in your shower? “Terrible – it just dribbles”, you might reply.

Maxwell Plumbing can o er everything from installing that new toilet, or upgrading your hot water system to a complete renovation service from design to completion.

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Maxwell Plumbing will coordinate the work so it is carried out systematically, reducing the time the work takes to complete. “One quote and one bill make the job simple and e cient. We are a one-stop-shop to take the stress out of your renovations.”

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Site-specific build specialists

At Blair Ward Construction, they enjoy the fl ow of the construction process, the communication, and the collaboration that comes with building architecturally designed homes.

Blair from Blair Ward Construction was living and loving life on the hills above Sumner when a vacant section came up for sale next door. He could see this land had potential with its breathtaking views of Redcli s and Brighton and sheltered microclimate. The site was steep and challenging. All it needed was the right builder and architect to create something special.

Blair reached out to Yardley Architecture to design a modern architectural, functional family home.

Together they worked to fi nd site-specifi c solutions to get the most from the section and make every dollar count.

They were at the foundation stage when the house found its enthusiastic new owners. This provided the opportunity for everyone to work together to put the fi nal touches on the home.

“Blair has been wonderful to work with and his valued advice on materials and fi t out throughout the project has been appreciated. His attention to detail in every respect has been outstanding as has his workmanship,” say the owners.

For your dedicated building partner, call Blair on 021 929 489.

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A personalised service tailored to your project needs is important because no project is the same, and no two clients are the same. Blair Ward Construction believe understanding your unique requirements through great planning and communication is key to a successful project delivery. Specialising in architectural homes, hill builds and renovations, the small team of experienced, Registered Master Builders are focused on delivering functionality and value in your high-quality, high-performance dream home.

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