Rebuild momentum needs to be kept up
It’s a job well done. O¯ ta¯ karo has notched up its first significant milestone of 2018, with the official reopening of Victoria Square.
After so much rancour, central Christchurch’s beloved front lawn is looking resplendent, and the thoughtfully crafted addition of the Ma¯ ori design elements enriches Victoria Square’s shared backstory immeasurably. Bravo to all concerned.
The square’s reinstatement is helping deliver a big shot of positivity for our urban verve, alongside the Lantern Festival’s illuminated ribbon of brilliance, festooning the Avon River.
I’d add to that, Gap Filler’s smash-hit on the corner of Madras and Armagh streets. I’ve been meaning to acknowledge the runaway success of their City Putt mini-golf course all summer, because every time I cruise by, it’s packed with punters. I’m not typically a big fan of the temporary and transitional, but City Putt is a startling exception.
O¯ ta¯ karo has granted City Putt a four year lease, before the landbankers at Fletcher are actually required to start building some east frame houses on the site.
As the city’s incremental progress continues, I thought it would be timely to approach the new chief executive of the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce, Leeann Watson, to weigh in on the state of the city and on some topical issues.
With 20 years of experience at the Chamber of Commerce, she looms as a fresh, influential and straight-shooting voice in the city’s discourse, after succeeding Peter Townsend at the helm.
So how upbeat is she about the state of the rebuild and the performance of the relevant public agencies?
‘‘We are seeing some real momentum now – key projects are being completed. But we must continue to hold those accountable for ensuring we continue the rebuild of our city at the pace needed to maximise the opportunities ahead,’’ she says.
Where possible, Watson is particularly eager ‘‘to look for ways to accelerate the completion of anchor projects such as the convention centre’’.
Christchurch’s hospitality trade is bracing itself for yet another potentially costly and time-consuming stoush with the city council, given its grand designs on thrashing out a new Local Alcohol Policy (LAP).
Does the Chamber of Commerce think Christchurch needs to develop an LAP? Absolutely not.
‘‘We believe the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act provides an appropriate level of control, which has proved good enough for other major centres. But we do believe the existing powers that are available to police and licensing authorities should be strongly used and enforced,’’ Watson says.
Hopefully, the full council will come to its senses and reject the recommendation for pursuing an LAP – and what could become another multi-million dollar fiasco.
Fiscal restraint on civic fripperies is critical, particularly given the haemorrhaging rates track being projected by the city council.
The extra $1.4 million funding bid now being sought by ChristchurchNZ, when added to the proposed annual rates increase of 5.72 per cent, balloons the total hike to over 6 per cent.
It’s patently intolerable, particularly when perception reigns supreme that core services are being neglected.
No doubt the Chamber of Commerce will make a formal submission on the council’s draft Long Term Plan, but Watson has some clear advice, urging ‘‘new thinking around service delivery, funding mechanisms and priorities’’.
She asserts ‘‘ensuring the city has appropriate levels of service, infrastructure and amenities is imperative if we are to retain our quality of life and competitiveness’’.
‘‘Ongoing delays on fixing our roads, extending work programmes and having suboptimal levels of service is not an option.’’
Watson adds that ‘‘it’s also important that the council look at their overall operating costs and ask themselves if they’re the best organisation to deliver all the services they do’’.
‘‘The chamber wants the council to be creative about raising capital for infrastructure development. Raising rates is only one option.’’
And she reaffirms the chamber’s position remains that the council should ‘‘consider a capital release programme via partial asset sales versus increasing debt’’.
She argues that partial asset sales would not only provide additional capital, but also add value to the asset through potentially securing new talent and technology.
The Lianne Dalziel-led council is loath to even broach this issue again, but it should. Needs must.
Pragmatic and courageous leadership needs to trump ideological pig-headedness.