City has 1710 unused acres

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33932, 27 August 1975, Page 16

City has 1710 unused acres

Only four large pockets of land within Christchurch City are available for residential and associated uses, according to a report presented to a meeting of the Canterbury Regional Planning Authority yesterday. The report, prepared by the Christchurch City Council, listed 1710 acres of land zoned either for residential or rural (deferred urban) zoning, and said that the main

blocks of undeveloped land were:—

The Port Hills, east of the Heathcote Bridge; land between Linwood Avenue and Ferry Road; land north of Breezes and Wainoni roads and south of the loop in the Avon River at Avondale: and the Travis Swamp, | north of New Brighton Road.

The report said that there was 615 acres of low-lying land that was subject to flooding, thus needing filling before subdivision. On the hills, there were 380 acres suitable for subdivision because of reasonable grades and access. There were 180 acres of undeveloped land capable of reasonably easy . development, and 200 acres, subdivided and under development. Steep land on the hills, with a poor aspect,and hard to road, was capable only of low-density development. Not included in the 1710 acres were 119 acres most of which was at Moncks Bay. It was unserviced and unlikely to be capable of development because of steep slopes. It was agreed. that the authority should discuss the report with the Minister of Works and Development (Mr Connelly) and the Minister of Housing (Mr Douglas). Other councils were asked to complete similar surveys of their districts.