Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor shines, grows since quake

In the wake of the 15th anniversary of the 22 February earthquakes, we’re taking a look at different Council aspects of the rebuild, and how far we’ve come. Next up, the residential red zone's Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor (OARC).

The Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor, like much of the city, has undergone an evolution from disaster response to long-term regeneration, but its difference is in its key themes of community advocacy and ambitious urban planning.

Many will remember the red zone stickers and cordon surrounding parts of the city that are now public parks and green spaces. Soon after the earthquakes, significant areas became residential red zones because the land was too damaged, unstable or costly to remediate for rebuilding.

In June of 2011, the Crown began offering voluntary buyouts to homeowners of over 7000 properties in these areas.

And in December that year the Avon Ōtākaro Network was established, a grassroots movement led by Hayley Guglietta, Evan Smith, Peter Beck and others, which called for no residential properties on red zone land. The group was instrumental in community action and shaping what the space has become today.

By the middle of 2012, a petition they created had gained more than 18,000 signatures and was headed to Parliament. Community input subsequently shaped transitional land-use conversations and fed into regeneration planning processes.

In early 2016, public exhibitions, community submissions and technical analysis informed the draft Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor Regeneration Plan.

Around this time, the Christchurch Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) was wound down, and management for Crown-owned red zone land transferred to Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) for management, and Regenerate Christchurch for planning.

In August 2019, the Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Megan Woods, formally approved the Regeneration Plan, which provided a vision and objectives for the area’s short, medium and long-term transformation.

Key elements included an 11km ‘green spine’ of pathways and cycleways connecting the central city to New Brighton, extensive ecological restoration, recreational assets and community spaces. Over the next few years, there was another transfer of ownership, this time to Christchurch City Council.  This process concluded in 2023.

Since the transferral of ownership to the Council, a set of regeneration projects has begun reshaping the former red zone.

• The City to Sea Pathway: A shared walking and cycling route from the eastern end of Oxford Street, in the central city, through to New Brighton is under construction, which includes lighting, nature play, signage and associated native planting.
  
  
• Bridges and connectivity: New pedestrian bridges at Medway Street, Snell Place, Dallington Terrace and Avondale enhance access across the Ōtākaro Avon River and connect communities along the main City to Sea Pathway Route.  A smaller walking bridge was also added at Brooker Avenue replacing connection on the 360 Trail.
  
  
• Avon Park redevelopment: An upgrade to Avon Park includes long-term stopbanks, ecological restoration, a nature play space, pump track, trails, sports and picnic facilities, and part of the City to Sea Pathway.
  
  
• Dallington Landing: The first of eight landings envisaged by the Regeneration Plan, ‘Dallington Landing’ at Gayhurst Road. In addition, ecological restoration has seen projects around lakes and neighbouring wetlands to support natural regeneration, enhance biodiversity and expand public recreational spaces.

Tens of thousands of native plants have been installed, volunteers and community groups have participated in planting days, and transitional uses have been activated under policies that invite temporary and long-term community-led activities.

The community has taken to the space with great gusto. Current initiatives include the thriving Richmond Community Garden, which now encompasses three acres of red zone land, sporting a communal garden, café and community space where events are held.

Looking ahead

With the red zone now fully in the hands of the Council, the OARC is progressing from earthquake scar to a connected green corridor, active transport networks and resilient public spaces.

In Bexley, we will be building long term stopbanks alongside State Highway 74 and Pages Road and open the remaining Bexley red zone area to become an estuarine wetland, which should greatly increase bird and aquatic life in the area.

The project will include a shared path on top of the stopbank, linking Pages Road and Bridge St.

At Lake Kate Sheppard, expect to see significant areas of wetland restoration and play facilities, including an expansion of Bower Park, walking cycling connections between New Brighton Road and QEII.

Next on the radar are Southshore and the Port Hills, which are not directly part of the Corridor, but are still vital pieces of the residential red zone.

A Southshore resource consent application was recently approved, allowing a long-awaited project to build erosion and flood protection structures along Te Ihutai/Avon-Heathcote Estuary edge in Southshore and South New Brighton.

And in the Port Hills, a 10-year programme to revegetate red-zoned properties in the Port Hills aims to transform the area and restore its unique biodiversity. More than 200 red-zone properties in Sumner, Clifton, Redcliffs, Ferrymead, Heathcote Valley and Governors Bay will be planted under the programme, as well as land in Brooklands and Southshore.

Expect to hear more about these places when it comes to stopbanks, stormwater, parks restoration projects, and the Kerrs hub project.