Lincoln University was commissioned by the Avon-Otakaro Network (AvON) to estimate the value of the benefits of a ‘recreation reserve’ or ‘river park’ in the Avon River Residential Red Zone (ARRRZ). This research has demonstrated significant public desire and support for the development of a recreation reserve in the Avon River Residential Red Zone. Support is strongest for a unique natural environment with native fauna and flora, healthy wetlands and rivers, and recreational opportunities that align with this vision, such as walking, cycling and water-based sporting and leisure activities. The research also showed support for a reserve that promotes and enables community interaction and wellbeing, and is evident in respondents’ desires for community gardens, regular festivals and markets, and the physical linking of the CBD with eastern suburbs through a green corridor. There is less support for children’s playgrounds, sports fields or open grassed areas, all of which could be considered as more typical of an urban park development. Benefits (willing to pay) to Christchurch residents (excluding tourists) of a recreation reserve could be as high as $35 million each year. Savings to public health costs could be as high as $50.3 million each year. The incorporation or restoration of various ecosystems services, including water quality improvements, flood mitigation and storm water management could yield a further $8.8 million ($19, 600) per hectare/year at 450 ha). Combined annual benefits of a recreational reserve in the ARRRZ are approximately $94.1 million per annum but this figure does not include potentially significant benefits from, for example, tourism, property equity gains in areas adjacent to the reserve, or the effects of economic rejuvenation in the East. Although we were not able to provide costing estimates for park attributes, this study does make available the value of benefits, which can be used as a guide to the scope of expenditure on development of each park attribute.
Ducks still swimming in the Avon River, where most of the surrounding land is badly damaged.
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Earthquake damage in central Christchurch after a 6.3 earthquake. Avon River".
Workers preparing materials for a new bridge over the Avon from University Drive to the Recreation Centre.
Workers preparing materials for a new bridge over the Avon from University Drive to the Recreation Centre.
A view over the Avon River looking towards the opposite bank, which has slumped towards the river.
Workers preparing materials for a new bridge over the Avon from University Drive to the Recreation Centre.
A PDF copy of pages 54-55 of the book Christchurch: The Transitional City Pt IV. The pages document the transitional project 'River of Flowers - Te Waitohi Maumahara'. Page 54 photographs: Healthy Chch. Page 55 photograph: Mike Moss.
A photograph of Robin Duff standing on the porch of his house at 386 Oxford Terrace. There is a sign in the window to his left depicting a bulldozer with a line through it. The photographer comments, "Avon Loop resident Donna Allfrey made this sign for Duff".
A photograph of Robin Duff standing on the porch of his house at 386 Oxford Terrace. There is a sign in the window to his left depicting a bulldozer with a line through it. The photographer comments, "Avon Loop resident Donna Allfrey made this sign for Duff".
A photograph of rhubarb growing in the garden of the Locke family's property at 392 Oxford Terrace. The photographer comments, "The rhubarb was planted by Elsie Locke and was famous in the Avon Loop. It survived despite being untended and I took some and planted it in my own garden".
The damaged Snell Place footbridge. A crack is visible at the apex of the span. The photographer comments, "Before the Christchurch earthquakes this bridge used to be just just 9 feet at high tide above the River Avon. Now with the ends pushed together it has probably moved up another 9 feet".
A photograph of Robin Duff standing on the porch of his house at 386 Oxford Terrace. There is a sign in the window to his left depicting a bulldozer with a line through it. The photographer comments, "Avon Loop resident Donna Allfrey made this sign for Duff".
A couple of Christchurch men are collecting letterboxes from the city's red-zoned suburbs, to create sculptures to tell the stories of the homes which have been demolished since the February 2011 earthquake. One of the men is Evan Smith - who co-chairs a group called the Avon-Otakaro Network. It's working toward creating a riverside park along the Avon, where the houses once stood.
The Ōtakaro-Avon and Ōpāwaho-Heathcote in Christchurch are some of the most polluted in the region. While the Avon has received a lot of attention since the Canterbury Earthquakes with $100 million going into a new promenade and cleaning up its water quality, it's a different story for the Heathcote River where raw sewage and industrial chemicals are still regularly found. Niva Chittock reports.
- The Avon-Ōtākaro Redzone is an 11 kilometer stretch of land along the Avon-Ōtākaro River in Christchurch. - This project focused on the creation of a publicly available biodiversity map of the AvonŌtākaro River Corridor, a project undertaken as part of the ecological restoration of the Christchurch redzone. - This project originated from the Christchurch 2010-2011 earthquake sequence which saw liquefaction damage along 11km of the Avon River. Under guidance from The Nature Lab & Ōtākaro Living Laboratory, and various other experts, the primary research objective was to map historical biodiversity, identify hotspots, and assess areas for potential revegetation. - The data collected came from historical black maps, current iNaturalist data, and soil classification information. - The findings show that, pre-colonialism, the area was composed of herbaceous areas, wetlands, native shrubland, and tussock land, with key plants such as river, fern, tutu, and cabbage trees. - The post-earthquake analysis shows a transition from a residential area to patchy grasslands and swampy areas. - The findings also showed a strong relationship between historic sites and soil classifications, providing knowledge for past and future vegetation patterns and spread. - This map will be a valuable resource for conservation efforts and public engagement as the area transitions into a blue-green corridor.
The footpath on Cambridge Terrace and areas bordering the Avon River have been badly damaged following the earthquakes.
The footpath on Cambridge Terrace and areas bordering the Avon River have been badly damaged following the earthquakes.
A PDF copy of pages 42-43 of the book Christchurch: The Transitional City Pt IV. The pages document the transitional project 'Oxford Terrace Temporary Streetscape and Interpretation'. Photo: Tim Church. With permission: Christchurch City Council.
A photograph of the house number spray-painted on the footpath in front of 390 Oxford Terrace. The photographer comments, "The numbers were spray-painted in front of all the properties in the Avon Loop in order to keep track of the property number after the mailboxes were lost or removed".
A photograph of the house number spray-painted on the footpath in front of 372 Oxford Terrace. The photographer comments, "The numbers were spray-painted in front of all the properties in the Avon Loop in order to keep track of the property number after the mailboxes were lost or removed".
A photograph of the house number spray-painted on the footpath in front of 396 Oxford Terrace. The photographer comments, "The numbers were spray-painted in front of all the properties in the Avon Loop in order to keep track of the property number after the mailboxes were lost or removed".
A photograph of the house number spray-painted on the footpath in front of the Locke family's property at 392 Oxford Terrace. The photographer comments, "The numbers were spray-painted in front of all the properties in the Avon Loop in order to keep track of the property number after the mailboxes were lost or removed".
A photograph of the house number spray-painted on the footpath in front of 398 Oxford Terrace. The photographer comments, "The numbers were spray-painted in front of all the properties in the Avon Loop in order to keep track of the property number after the mailboxes were lost or removed".
A photograph of the house number spray-painted on the footpath in front of 422 Oxford Terrace. The photographer comments, "The numbers were spray-painted in front of all the properties in the Avon Loop in order to keep track of the property number after the mailboxes were lost or removed".
The entrance to the West Avon building on Montreal Street. The photographer comments, "This very wonderful Art Deco heritage building in Christchurch had residents living in it until another visit from the building engineers re-re-checking for earthquake damage. Now it is fenced off and on the list for possible demolition".
A photograph of the house number spray-painted on the footpath in front of 424 Oxford Terrace. The photographer comments, "The numbers were spray-painted in front of all the properties in the Avon Loop in order to keep track of the property number after the mailboxes were lost or removed".
A photograph of the house number spray-painted on the footpath outside Robin Duff's property at 386 Oxford Terrace. The photographer comments, "The numbers were spray-painted in front of all the properties in the Avon Loop in order to keep track of the property number after the mailboxes were lost or removed".
A photograph of the house number spray-painted on the footpath in front of 388 Oxford Terrace. The photographer comments, "The numbers were spray-painted in front of all the properties in the Avon Loop in order to keep track of the property number after the mailboxes were lost or removed".
More repairs to the infrastructure as a result of the 2010 & 2011 earthquakes. Boat ramp at New Brighton. Avon River.