6 Oct 2017

Christchurch red zone options tabled

6:24 pm on 6 October 2017

The government agency responsible for Christchurch's red zone has released options for how the quake damaged land could be used in the future.

Regenerate Christchurch has not yet made any decision on what to do with the 602 hectare area that used to house 9000 people in the city's east.

But its 10 possible combinations of land use include having visitor attractions, ecological restoration areas, a lake for water sports and small scale housing.

Members of the public submitted 5000 ideas about what should be done with the land.

The agency's chief executive, Ivan Lafeta, said there would be further consultation before refining the ideas and creating a shortlist.

"If you look at the size and scale and the complexity of the area, as well as the opportunities and the inter-generational benefits that we're aiming to achieve this is something that you don't want to rush because you potentially compromise the outcome and you get the decisions wrong."

Christchurch Red Zone

Christchurch Red Zone Photo: Supplied / Chistchurch Dilemmas

Meanwhile, Regenerate Christchurch said it would use its special powers to speed up the return of Redcliffs School to its community.

The school was forced to relocate, and share the grounds of another school, after cliffs behind it collapsed during the 2011 earthquake.

Last month the city council approved a new site for the school at Red Cliffs park, in exchange for the old school site which will be turned into a park.

Ivan Iaveta said it would fast track the re-zoning of the current school site, and designating land at the park to allow the school to be built.

"There's a community there that want to have a school back, they've been waiting for some time. We think that the powers within the Act are required to be able to achieve that so the proposal that we're sending to our strategic partners basically asks them to support their use of the powers under the Regeneration Act to speed up the process."

The new school it set to open by mid-2019.

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