Christchurch City Council supporting cultural diversity
In Council's work
The Council consult local iwi and hapu and other community groups when conducting projects affecting the local environment such as water; waste; parks and waterways; beaches; street maintenance; and parking.
In business
Information on starting a business and health and safety is provided with translated guides to assist migrants in understanding New Zealand's regulations on food safety and hygiene standards.
We have numerous pamphlets and licence applications available for business owners through our business section of this website.
Further info: Cultural diversity
Christchurch City Council and Environment Canterbury
Maintaining the purest water in the world
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- Freshwater is conserved and pollutant-free
Christchurch people enjoy some of the freshest and purest water in the world. Christchurch water is naturally filtered through the gravel beds and sand laid down by glaciers and rivers during the formation of the Canterbury Plains. This means that the water doesn’t need to be filtered to remove bacteria or other matter and comes from the ground clear, refreshing and ready-to-drink.
Christchurch City Council works with Environment Canterbury (ECAN) to ensure that clean clear water can continue to be enjoyed by Christchurch people.
ECAN’s regional plan places a high priority on maintaining an untreated Christchurch water supply. Water abstraction levels are managed so enough water stays within the system to ensure Christchurch has water to meet its needs.
Christchurch City Council has a number of initiatives that ensure the City’s water is well used. Water loss reduction work checks and reduces leaks from the system. In dollar terms, water stopped from leaking from the system in 2006 saved the City $58,000 in pumping costs. The Waterwise programme promotes water conservation. Each year the programme focuses on a different area of water conservation.
The backflow prevention programme undertaken by CCC with all commercial and industrial users ensures the aquifer system is protected from contaminated flows entering the aquifer sources from factories, sewers and other sources of potential contamination.
Further info: Water
Christchurch City Council and volunteers
Many hands making parks fun
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- Plantings expand in and around Christchurch City.
- Streams and waterways are clean.
- Ecological heritage sites are retained.
Christchurch enjoys an astonishing range of natural areas. Within half an hour’s drive from Cathedral Square you can discover beaches, wetlands, forests, or grasslands.
The Christchurch City Council works in conjunction with other organisations and the community to protect and enhance our environment and provide facilities for recreation. The re-establishment of natural areas is ongoing. Restored areas provide important habitat and food sources for our native wildlife.
This is a short summary of the places available to Christchurch people and some of the things the community is doing to restore and enhance them:
Beaches and coastal areas:
The coastline of Christchurch has much to offer for both recreational activities and for wildlife. The Christchurch shoreline has many geographical features, and each area provides a unique niche for wildlife and specialised coastal plants. It is a dynamic, ever changing environment with much to see, do and treasure.
Coast Care is a programme run by the Christchurch City Council to protect the coastal area from the Waimakariri River to Godley Head. Staff work with interested people including: residents, schools, beach visitors and conservationists. Activities include: protecting the coast; stabilising the dunes; growing native plants; building tracks, carparks and picnic areas; encouraging learning and research. One group is the Avon-Heathcote Estuary Ihutai Trust, you can read more about their work below.
Grasslands:
The dry plains grasslands at McLeans Island are a large area of land south of the Waimakariri River and north-west of Christchurch International Airport. The grasslands are significant for their ecological and landscape values, representing prehuman grasslands, shrublands and woodlands of the Canterbury Plains.
Most of the grasslands are currently under development and not open to the public. There are long-term plans however, to provide recreational areas for picnicking and walking.
Regional (Metropolitan) Parks:
Christchurch has numerous regional parks that offer recreation opportunities in natural settings these include: Bottle Lake Forest Park, The Groynes; Halswell Quarry; Spencer Park, Brooklands Lagoon and Seafield Park, Porthill Reserves and Styx Mill Conservation Reserve.
Halswell Quarry Park Group and ‘Guardians of the Styx’ Charitable Trust work to protect and enhance their respective parks.
Port Hills:
The Port Hills are one of the best-loved landscapes of Christchurch. The tussock grasslands and rugged rock out-crops contrast with the flatness of the Canterbury Plains. Remnants of podacarp forest are reminders of the past. People enjoy the Port Hills in many different ways, from scenic drives to picnic lookouts. Walking, running, mountain biking and road biking are all very popular. Botanists explore the crater rim forests, rock climbers dangle down the sheer volcanic bluffs, and paragliders soar high over the tussock slopes.
Many organisations have an active interest in the Port Hills including the Christchurch City Council, Department of Conservation, Ngai Tahu, Ngati wheke, Ngai Tahuriri, the Summit Road Protection Authority, Summit Road Society, Selwyn District Council, Environment Canterbury, Mt Vernon Trust, John Britten Trust, and Godley Head Trust. These groups work in different ways to protect and enhance the Port Hills for their recreation, environmental, cultural and landscape values. For example, many voluntary hours are given building and clearing tracks, controlling pest species, planting and releasing indigenous species.
Waterways:
Christchurch is fortunate to have a range of waterways and wetlands. The three larger rivers, the Avon, Heathcote and Styx are fed by a 400km network of open waterways ranging from natural flowing streams to concrete and timber lined channels and summer dry watercourses.
Waterways are amongst the city's most important assets. Our rivers, streams and wetlands contain entire communities of native plants, birds, insects and fish and are important places for recreation and enjoyment.
Wetlands:
Christchurch has several intensively managed wetlands including: Bexley Wetland; Horseshoe Lake Reserve and Travis Wetland Nature Heritage Park. The wetlands in Christchurch offer a number of easy walkways and viewing areas, with opportunities to see many bird species and plant communities.
Residents and interest groups not only help protect these valuable areas they also contribute to decision-making, planting, maintenance and education.
Further info: Parks
Avon Heathcote Estuary Ihutai Trust
Working with local government to improve the environment
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- Freshwater is conserved and pollutant-free.
- Streams and waterways are clean.
- Ecological heritage sites are retained.
- We develop solutions for minimising our impact on the environment.
The Avon Heathcote Estuary Ihutai Trust is a not-for-profit organisation formed with public support in 2002 and with representation from Christchurch City Council, Environment Canterbury and Ngai Tuahuriri. Its vision is: "Communities working together for: clean water, open space, safe recreation and healthy ecosystems that we can all enjoy and respect."
Amongst other things it aims to: "pursue for the Avon-Heathcote Estuary/Ihutai ('the Estuary') the preservation of its natural and historic resources to maintain their intrinsic values, and to seek the protection of these resources, including restoration and enhancement, for their appreciation and recreational enjoyment by present and future generations."
The Trust was responsible for the drafting of a non-statutory management plan for the estuary. The Plan is a written record of the vision and values expressed by those interested in and passionate about the Estuary. It also documents the many actions necessary for achieving the vision.
The Trust has identified that an important change will occur in the Estuary when wastewater currently pumped into it is instead discharged directly into the ocean. When this happens it will be important to measure the pre and post conditions so we can learn as a city and as a nation the effects of waste on estuarine environments.
Once waste is removed from the Estuary other impacts on the Avon and Heathcote rivers are likely to be more obvious. In removing the wastewater from the Estuary the council has chosen to address the highest impact challenge first and realise there will be other challenges to be solved in the future.
Further info: Avon-Heathcote Estuary Ihutai Trust
