Updated January 26 2012
Latest News
ECAN confirms there will be no changes to the DH Ferry service
On account of some talk in the area about the hours of the Diamond Harbour Ferry service being reduced, the Lyttelton Mt Herbert Community Board requested a briefing from Ecan who provided the following reassuring reply:
There are no plans to reduce the hours of operation, or indeed to make any changes to the Diamond Harbour Ferry service. In the last couple of days we have become aware there has been some talk amongst Ferry users about a reduction in the Ferry service, but we are not sure where this has come from. In any case there is no truth to the gossip.
The only upcoming changes to the Metro network at this point in time relate to the withdrawal of the two Airport commercial services (routes 10 and 29) by Red Bus. We are having to make changes to some of our contracted services to accommodate the withdrawal of these routes, but none of these changes affect any of the services to Lyttelton.
The Diamond Harbour Ferry is a contracted service. Since the earthquakes, the contract has been changed from a net contract to a gross contract. This means that Environment Canterbury pay Black Cat a fixed price to operate the service, and we receive all of the fares taken on the Ferry. This means that the revenue risk is now carried by Ecan rather than Black Cat.
Edward Wright
Operations Planner Passenger Services
Environment Canterbury
SPRIG signs advertising Sunday Music removed - Solved!
On Monday January 9 most of the SPRIG posters were taken down and removed.
It turns out that the culprit was CCC! It seems that the council contract Fulton Hogan to take down posters/signs that are considered dangerous or inappropriate for their location. Fulton Hogan have now located the removed signs and SPRIG are going to attempt to put them up again.
If your house is in a prominent position and you would like to put one up on your fence or verge Fiona O'Neill would love to hear from you - fiona_k4@hotmail.com or 329 4581 or 021 033 7157.
Stray dog
A large beige mastiff-type dog killed several chickens on Jan 8. Anyone seeing it is asked to report it to CCC Dog Control 941 8666. For further details contact Paula Smith 329 4445.
Diamond Harbour Country Store
The store is now under new management.
Open air fires now banned
Open air fires are banned in Christchurch City and its urban 'fire districts' from Saturday 17 December, until further notice.
Areas affected are Christchurch City, Brooklands, New Brighton, Sumner, Lyttelton, Governors Bay, Diamond Harbour, Little River and Akaroa, which are all urban fire districts within the Council's territory. Fire control in these urban areas is provided by the New Zealand Fire Service and the Council may impose fire bans, using the Urban Fire Safety Bylaw 2007.
A properly supervised gas barbecue or hangi is exempt from the ban, but there must be a hose nearby, which is connected to a water supply. Anyone lighting any other open fire (including burning solid fuel in a brazier) - or allowing a fire to be lit on their premises- may be fined up to $20,000.
Open fires in residential areas are already banned all year round by Environment Canterbury, unless a resource consent is obtained. This Christchurch City Council fire ban also captures non-residential properties in urban parts of Christchurch, as is usual over the summer months.
During winter, the Ecan Clean Air Winter Period fire ban prohibits the lighting of open fires by anybody in the Clean Air Zone, and applies from 1 May to 31 August.
For more information contact:
Fiona Mackenzie
Senior communications adviser
Christchurch City Council
Phone: 03 941 8674
Mobile: 027 505 4093
Email: fiona.mackenzie@ccc.govt.nz
Deconstruction of Godley House begins Tuesday December 13
Work will proceed from the top down and as there is a large amount of propping in the ground floor we are confident we will be able to retrieve quite a bit of heritage fabric (ceiling roses etc) but again safety will be the key factor.
Unfortunately, it is clear that people have been accessing behind the fence and there are a number of items that have been stolen (door handle and knobs off the front door). It is possible that they have also accessed inside and we are unsure as to how much has gone missing. The main building will be deconstructed first, leaving the rear portion to be checked by an engineer and if safe to allow the tenant to access their possessions.
The buildings will be deconstructed to foundation level for the archaeologists to carry out their work and at which time we will make a decision on their retention or not and how the site will be left.
Once this work is competed the site will be handed over to Greenspace parks to maintain.
Any questions please contact:
Maria Adamski
Parks Heritage Contract Manager
Transport and Greenspace Unit
(03) 941 5103
027 232 7594
maria.adamski@ccc.govt.nz
Lyttelton Recreation and Community Centre closed
The Lyttelton Recreation and Community Centre closed on Monday 5 December until further notice.
After completing a detailed engineering evaluation of the facility, engineers have recommended that the centre should close until more assessments are carried out. They have also recommended that the facility will need to be earthquake-strengthened.
The Centre consists of two adjoining buildings - a community centre built in 1963 and a recreation centre built in 1984.
Engineers conducted a Level Two Rapid Assessment of the building after the 22 February earthquake and it received a green sticker.
A Level Two Rapid Assessment is a visual inspection of the inside and outside of the building to identify any obvious structural damage. This latest assessment is a more detailed evaluation of the building, including an estimation of its capacity to withstand future earthquakes. It is part of an ongoing process being carried out by the Council to proactively ensure all its facilities undergo full engineering reviews after the earthquakes.
Christchurch City Council Community Services General Manager Michael Aitken says the Council is conscious that the closure will cause inconvenience for members of the community who use the facility or who have upcoming events booked.
"However, the safety of those using the facility is our priority and we must ensure they are not put at risk in the event of future earthquakes," he says.
Level 3 water restrictions begin October 8
- No one waters outdoors on Mondays.
- Residents with odd-numbered street addresses can water their gardens on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
- Residents with even-numbered street addresses can water their gardens on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
- Sprinklers, garden irrigation systems and unattended hoses are not permitted at any time.
- Car washing is permitted on the allocated day.
Full details...
For more information, see www.becomewaterwise.co.nz
New Bus Service: Lyttelton - Eastgate
Route 535 connects Lyttelton to Eastgate. The service will not continue through to the city as the, now
redundant, Route 35 used to do, but connections from Eastgate to the City will be available.