Main Road Master Plan

The Main Road Master Plan supports the recovery between Ferrymead Bridge and Marriner Street, Sumner.

The Main Road corridor along the Ihutai / Avon–Heathcote Estuary and the coastal margin between Ferrymead and Sumner suffered significant damage to infrastructure, community facilities and residential properties as a result of the earthquakes.

The vision is that the Main Road corridor is the thread that connects, and provides a common bond between, the discrete and distinct local communities of Christchurch’s eastern bays.

The process to identify stakeholders, key issues, community aspirations and develop the Main Road Master Plan began in April 2013. After technical expert workshops and community consultation, the master plan was endorsed by the Community Board before being adopted by the Council in November 2014.

Vision, goals and actions

The Main Road Master Plan contains a strategic vision that recognises the Main Road corridor’s connection, access, heritage, landscape, ecology, economic and community values.

The vision is supported by nine goals, which are to be delivered through twenty-five detailed implementation actions. These encourage Council, private sector, community and government-led decision-making to align and move forward together in a logical sequence.

The vision, goals and actions are described in detail in sections 5, 6 and 7 of the Main Road Master Plan [PDF, 4 MB].

Progress on implementation of actions

In the years following the adoption of the Main Road Master Plan, actions have been implemented where possible. The context for these continues to change and this has influenced decisions by the Council, other organisations and private individuals.

Progress on implementation of Main Road Master Plan actions can be viewed below, under the themes with which each action aligns.

Current projects

Movement (M)

  • (M7) Moncks Bay parking and bus stop enhancements: Work on Mulgan’s Car Park started in October 2023, in anticipation of the Coastal Pathway’s completion.

Natural environment (NE)

  • (NE2) Scott Park enhancements: The Council has completed the detailed design for Stages 1 and 2 of the proposed enhancements and prioritised Stage 1 for delivery. Originally funded for delivery in FY21/22, this awaits confirmation of necessary additional funding in the 2024-34 Long Term Plan.  More information(external link)(external link).

Completed actions

Community wellbeing, culture and heritage (CCH)

  • (CCH1) McCormacks Bay community hub: The Mt Pleasant Memorial Community Centre and Residents’ Association and Council delivered the Mt Pleasant Memorial Community Centre in 2016.
  • (CCH2) Te Ana o Hineraki/Moa Bone Point Cave and Te Rae Kura/Redcliffs Park: The Council erected a permanent fence around the cave entrance in 2017, as a safety precaution given the rock-fall risk, and relocated the footpath outside the fence in 2018. The latter included landscape plantings. Redesigning of the park’s frontage was discontinued in 2017 due to its swap with the Ministry of Education. This enabled the rebuilding of Te Raekura Redcliffs School, which opened in 2020 and will eventually see the former school site become a park. The Council completed associated Ministry-funded transport-related safety improvements, particularly for pedestrians, in 2019.
  • (CCH4) Redcliffs community resources: The Redcliffs Volunteer Library and Council delivered the Redcliffs Village Library rebuild in 2016.
  • (CCH5) Resilience plan: The Mt Pleasant Memorial Community Centre and Residents’ Association has formed a Resilience Plan and the Redcliffs Residents’ Association has formed a Response and Resilience Team, supported by Council funding, since 2014.
  • (CCH6) Moncks Cave protection and amenity enhancements: The Council scheduled the cave as a Wāhi Tapu/Wāhi Taonga in the Christchurch District Plan and completed physical setting improvements in 2017.

Economy and business (EB)

  • (EB1) Business association development: The Redcliffs Business Group has undertaken this action since 2014.

Movement (M)

  • (M1) Coastal Pathway: The Council and the Christchurch Coastal Pathway Group completed the Coastal Pathway in 2023.
  • (M3) Beachville Road streetscape enhancements: The Council completed these streetscape enhancements in 2020.
  • (M4) Mt Pleasant intersection enhancements: SCIRT completed these intersection enhancements in 2015.
  • (M5) Mt Pleasant bus shelter enhancements: SCIRT completed these bus shelter enhancements in 2015.
  • (M8) Redcliffs parking and traffic monitoring and review: The Council undertook monitoring as part of on-street parking provision changes by it in 2015 and 2018.
  • (M9) Route security: rockfall management and protection: Land Information NZ, on behalf of the Council and NZ Transport Agency, completed route security and rockfall remediation work at Peacocks Gallop and Moa Bone Cave Point in 2016, as part of the Sumner-Lyttelton Corridor re-opening programme.
  • (M10) Pedestrian crossings: The Council delivered these as part of road safety improvements required for the relocation of Redcliffs School and the Coastal Pathway.

Natural environment (NE)

  • (NE2) Scott Park enhancements: The Mt Pleasant Yacht Club completed a rebuild/repairs to its facility in 2017.

Transitional projects (TP)

  • (TP1) Transitional projects: The Council delivered transitional street furniture during the preparation of the Main Road Master Plan in 2013. 

Ongoing actions

Built environment (BE)

  • (BE1) Redcliffs comprehensive development opportunities: The Council has and continues to provide advice as requested since 2014.

Community wellbeing, culture and heritage (CCH)

  • (CCH3) Tangata whenua cultural interpretation: The Council integrates cultural references into projects, such as the Coastal Pathway, as they occur in accordance with a project-specific cultural design strategy developed by Matapopore during project development.

Economy and business (EB)

  • (EB2) Marketing strategy: The Redcliffs Business Group has delivered this since 2014.
  • (EB3) Events establishment and promotion The Redcliffs Business Group has delivered this since 2014.

Transitional projects (TP)

  • (TP1) Transitional projects: Further funding for other transitional initiatives is possible, such as from the Community Board’s Discretionary Response Fund.

Commenced actions

The following Main Road Master Plan actions have commenced and/or been completed in part to the extent noted:

Movement (M)

  • (M7) Moncks Bay parking and bus stop enhancements: See ‘Current projects’ above.
  • (M8) Redcliffs parking and traffic monitoring and review: See ‘Completed actions’ above. Further monitoring work is to be completed in conjunction with physical projects, such as the Redcliffs village centre streetscape enhancements. See (M2) under ‘Not yet commenced’ below.
  • (M10) Pedestrian crossings: The Council has been delivering pedestrian crossings as part of other actions since 2014. See 'Completed actions' above.

Natural environment (NE)

  • (NE1) Landscape palette: Coincides with work on project-specific cultural design strategies. See (CCH3) under ‘Ongoing actions’ above.
  • (NE2) Scott Park enhancements: See ‘Current projects’ above.
  • (NE3) Barnett Park landscape, amenity and car parking review: The community engaged a landscape architect to prepare a landscape plan for the park in 2018. To be completed as part of future park planning and funding.

Not yet commenced actions

Built environment (BE)

  • (BE2) View shafts: For private landowners to implement through careful consideration of building design and orientation when redeveloping.

Movement (M)

  • (M2) Redcliffs village centre streetscape enhancements: The Council’s 2021-2031 Long Term Plan anticipates funding for delivery from FY2030/31.
  • (M6) McCormacks Bay streetscape: The Council’s 2021-2031 Long Term Plan anticipates funding for delivery from FY2030/31.

Discontinued actions

Economy and business (EB)

  • (EB4) Re-establish supermarket: Foodstuffs re-established the supermarket in 2015 but has since closed it. Fletcher Residential Ltd obtained Resource Consent to redevelop the building into a ground floor level commercial unit and 22 first and second floor level residential units in 2023.