Widening of Heathcote River put on hold

Press, 24 September 1988, Page 18

Widening of Heathcote River put on hold

A bid to stop widening of the Heathcote River near Hansen Park in Opawa has been put in iimbo while the Christchurch City Council seeks a report on a modified Christchurch Drainage Board scheme for the river. The chairman of the council’s parks committee, Cr Clive Cotton, called for a detailed investigation of the board’s preferred $l.B million scheme for the river. The council has previously supported the dearest option before the board, a $3.2 million scheme. The council will now

put on hold its plan to seek a halt on all widening in the river between the Armstrong Avenue pedestrian bridge and the residential properties in Butler Street until it has more information on options for the river. It will consult neighbourhood groups on its policies about flood control. The river-widening issue came up again when submissions were made on the Hansen Park management plan. The inclusion of new policy in that plan will wait for the report. The report will go to the town-planning, parks

and recreation, and works and traffic committees. Ethnic council The council’s grants committee had no money for the newly formed Ethnic Council, said Cr Cotton. The council would have to come up with a grant from its budget to go with the letter of welcome it proposed sending to the council, he said. “I am sure there is something left in the Community Services vote for community groups,” said the Mayor of Christchurch, Sir Hamish Hay.