SCMW September committee meeting ~ 24.09.2011

B. 27Sep11 update, September forum result:

The Sustainable Canterbury group Central City Plan recommendations so far:

1. Regarding the particular rail focus for the Greater Christchurch rebuild, Sustainable Canterbury stands with the vast majority of citizen submitters who seek to “change the draft Plan!” – by promoting immediate development of a commuter rail system from Rangiora, Kaiapoi, Rolleston and Lyttelton, with dual-line and station expansion as the top priorities for what will be spent on rail, enhancing the existing rail corridor and its use. Carriage design must accomodate the numerous bicycles, prams, wheelchairs and scooters? etc that are needed in the city centre to help realise: a. efficient movement in the uncluttered “slow core” of the new central city plan; and b. economic recovery, etc. by custom (e.g. easy health service access from outside Christchurch).

2. Transport mode-change hubs / stations are needed with decision ‘1’, to connect with buses and any new passenger light rail infrastructure (that should be further consulted on). Obvious hub locations might be Papanui, Addington, Hornby, Woolston, and Moorhouse Ave (latter as proposed by the NZ Institute of Architects).

3. A full feasibility study of what the best integrated public transport system would thereafter be for Christchurch – following expenditures ‘1’ and ‘2’ – needs to take place, as budgeted in the draft Plan. A main outcome from this study should be practical means for balancing public transport infrastructure development equally across all of Christchurch city, east to west and north to south. The need is actually greatest in the east, which must be prioritised for efficient transport solutions.

4. Should light rail emerge from that study – where all other options have been equally considered – the route we are favouring so far is not the overly-expensive CBD-Ilam line in the draft Plan, but that researched by Richard Worrall (yet with modification) using diesel+electric engines, heading off from the main northern rail line at Papanui, to travel Papanui Road past St Georges Hospital, Merivale, Victoria Street, Town Hall / Convention Centre, CBD slow core, Christchurch Hospital and Hagley Park, to Addington station hub and southwards. The Addington-to-city-centre leg of this efficient commuter rail plan is probably the appropriate line to start with. But commuter light rail may yet be excluded from Christchurch city – in favour of more economical technologies – depending on what comes out of proper study under expenditure ‘3’.

5. An inexpensive private motorcar ride-sharing IT support system to be implemented ASAP, such as Avego “Real-Time Ridesharing” in Kinsale & Dublin, Ireland, Washington & San Jose, USA, & Dalian, P. R. China, or GetThere.ie “Bus, Rail & Carsharing in Ireland” e.g.

6. Support for cycle and walk way plans in the draft, but adding enough off-street car-parking and fast bus-routes to secure the public transport corridors for the future; that is, support for the prior transport planning done under ECan aegis.

7. There does need to be some rapid transit between CBD, Riccarton (including Riccarton Bush), University of Canterbury and Lincoln. If the city is to develop its knowledge and cultural quotient, there must be stronger connections between the places of learning, business, music, art, museums and natural environment. This will be important if the universities are to be internationally regarded and attractive places for students to come to. And around these are the CRIs and Polytechs which together provide a lot of the intellectual grunt in the city and must be strengthened if a vibrant, knowledge-based city is to develop and prosper. Fast bus-routes for improved use of existing bus services should be created initially, and we must resolve any further inefficiencies around this.

Universities are potentially the power house of innovation and social/cultural stimulus. The city needs to embrace its centres of higher learning and a strong physical/transport link of some sort should be part of the plan. This applies to both Canterbury and Lincoln. Retreat from the present CBD to somewhere west, over the next century or so, depends, as with Rolleston previously, on a land bank purchased by govt to remove it from the speculators’ grasp.

Along with embracing the universities and CRIs a very strong demand needs to be registered with government that if CRIs are to be amalgamated, that the Christchurch region must not lose any more head offices, as happened recently with merger of Crop and Food with Hort Research (HO went to Auckland). If govt really believes in retaining critical mass, career paths and investment in the south, then this needs to be embedded in CERA/govt policy. Indeed more govt agencies should be relocated to the south to balance the never-ending and growing subsidies to northern centres. Govt supported TV production, from which derives other film industry activity, should be re-established in the south. There needs to be a challenge to the notion that all our eggs should be directed to the auckland basket as THE international city of nz. This has never been accepted/adopted by the rest of nz. Auckland has enough momentum to determine and pay for its own destiny. The “super south” needs a fair redistribution of long term investment/commitment, not a short term hand-out, however large that might be. Our destiny is linked to rest of South Island and we should be pulling together in this – reconnecting passenger train services and supporting Invercargill and Dunedin as much as Canterbury – moving the centre of gravity south.

8. Preserve some of the ruins. Obsessive tidying of the city is further destruction of our heritage – which has now a new (EQ) layer. This is all to do with sustainability – having a vision for the future that stands on its history in some tangible way; retaining novelty, flair and boldness so we stand out from other places.

(9. … ?)

If people support this submission format, please speak up; or if you’d like it changed or added to at all – same.

If there is major contention with this broad proposal – which opens up the range of public transport options for better attention – we will need to meet at WEA, 59 Gloucester Street, at 3pm on Sunday 2 October, to sort the matters out.

What say ye?

Kia Ora ~ Rik

A. 24.09.2011 notice: 350.org Otautahi Moving-Planet.org/events/NZ/Christchurch/2727
mauriroawaitaha.wordpress.com/climate-change
~ 3pm to 5pm @ WEA this Saturday, 59 Gloucester Street in Christchurch: come help us plan our next public forum and topic. Follow-on from useful work done so far around sustainable land use, renewable fuel and public transport issues. Practical features: Avego “Real-Time Ridesharing” use in Canterbury / NZ ; Tram Power “privately owned British Company dedicated to the design, development and promotion of light rail technology that is Safe, Efficient, Reliable and Affordable” + Preston Tram Power + Citytram research ; Rising sea-level threat to Christchurch “The Christchurch City Council should be working to a one-metre estimate for sea-level rise, [climate scientist Jim Salinger] said. ‘It’s the opportunity for Christchurch in its rebuild. It should be looking at at least 1m. Some local bodies in Australia are using 1m’.. Sea levels had risen about 19cm last century, with the rate increasing over the final decade” The Press 22/09/2011. …
~ Sustainable Canterbury is lobbying to realise/shift Greater Christchurch’s ‘centre of economic gravity’ to the west, north and south, through an efficient commuter rail system strengthening use of main trunk infrastructure through Rangiora and Rolleston, with reintegration of Lyttelton port town, and perhaps taking light rail through the city centre from Papanui to Addington past Cathedral Square and Christchurch Hospital. We need abundant room for bicycle and mobility chair carriage in these railcars, to help mobilise the proposed slow, compact and green Christchurch city centre with economic revitalisation. Renewable diesel for this rail transport and its connecting bus network can also drive new, sustainable industry and employment for the region. Come add your ideas this Saturday. All welcome. ~ Kia Ora

Ref. Get on the right track with city rail The Press 12/09/2011

C. + late addition idea SkyCabs “Elevated Small Group Automated Rapid Transport (ESGART).. An Alternative Transport Strategy to dramatically reduce congestion and to save Auckland the $2 billion cost of congestion each year”.