19 Dec 2018

Christchurch City Council has upgraded 38 of 140 well heads to date, meaning 25 per cent of the city's drinking water is currently chlorine free.

Well head upgrades have been completed at Burnside and Hills, with minor works still to be done at Farrington and Grampian. Work has also begun this week on well heads at Denton, Dunbars and Brooklands.

All water supply upgrade work will pause over the Christmas–New Year period and resume mid-January.

The Council will provide an indicative timeframe for the upgrading of all below-ground well heads – and dates for the removal of chlorine – in February 2019.

Council plans to widen Strand Lane 

The Council wants to acquire a small strip of land either side of Strand Lane so it can double the lane’s width and improve pedestrian connectivity between Hereford Street, Cathedral Square and the adjoining laneways.

The Council has asked its Chief Executive to investigate whether there are mechanisms under the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Act (GCRA) that would enable the widening of the lane to go ahead quickly. If the GCRA process cannot be used, it intends to declare the balance of the former public restroom site at 13 Cathedral Square surplus to operational requirements. 

Council would then enter into an agreement to purchase part of the adjacent Hilburn Holdings Ltd Property for widening the lane.  Council would also sell Hilburn Holdings Limited the balance of the former rest room site, subject to meeting its offer back obligations under the Public Works Act.

These obligations involve Council offering back the land, at market value, to the former owner or their successor.

The Council bought the land for the restrooms from George Sevicke Jones in 1931. Mr Jones has passed away and the eight successors named in his will are all charitable organisations.