Image conflict predicted

Press, 18 March 1988, Page 10

Image conflict predicted

An observation tower would add to Christchurch’s progressive image but it could detract from its reputation as an English-style garden city, said the Canterbury Promotion Council’s chief executive, Mr Bruce Dunstan, at the tower hearing yesterday.

His submission, on the hearing’s eighth day, also suggested the council might |be reluctant to movei into a visitor information centre proposed for the tower’s base building. “The! availability of a high-rise observation tower is unlikely to have any effect on the number of international visitors to Christchurch,” Mr Dunstan said.

j “It is certain to attract the attention of international visitors once they are in Christchurch, and will undoubtedly be visited by many on their first visit. It is unlikely to cause increased length of stay. “It is more likely to be competing for time spent in Christchurch with other central-city attractions, activities and services.

j “The availability of a tower can be expected to increase the number of domestic visitors to

Christchurch, particularly in the (first year. “South!l Islanders with easy and inexpensive (aiccess to Christchurch can be expected to respond Ito the initial novielty,”) he said. I “North I Islanders are unlikely |1 to visit Christchurch because of an observation) tower, although it will) a|dd to the attractions and sense of discovery to be experienced from a | visit to Christchurch. j' ) “Length of stay is unlikely jto |be affected to a noticeable extent. It is, however, 1 certain that many domestic visitors will include a visit to the central city to look at and use! the observation tower; )

) "Apart from people who may wish to use the restaurant) or other services in the building, it is likely that the!- novelty of a visit for observing the) city from an elevated position will be ja once in three to five years event,” he said. The tower would hdd to the image of Christchurch as a progressive city with a variety of things )to see and do. But it could also detract • from the ) "English” and garden city image, ihe said. | He said the visitor information centre) pro-

posed for the tower building, and the need for it, had not been faithfully presented by the developers.

It had been said that Christchurch lacked such a centre, that it was difficult to find, and that it would be a feature of the tower proposal. “The Canterbury Information Centre has operated in its present form and location for years,” Mr Dunstan said. It was centrally located in a distinctive building, the old Municipal Building opposite Noahs Hotel. It now served 120,000 customers a year, a figure growing at a rate of about 10 per cent a year. “It is regarded by the New Zealand Tourist and Publicity Department and the New Zealand Tourist Industry Federation as one of the best regional visitor information centres in New Zealand. “The Promotion Council is not convinced that there is a commitment by the developers to provide adequate space for a visitor information centre in the proposed tower building at an affordable rent. The Promotion Council is satisfied with the present location of the Canterbury Information Centre,” Mr Dunstan said.