Revamped square plan still awaited

Regenerate Christchurch is yet to brief the city council and Crown on its plan for a revamped Cathedral Square, prompting a hurry up from rebuild minister Megan Woods.

Woods, the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Minister, says the city rebuild needs ‘‘greater momentum’’, including in Cathedral Square.

Thursday marks seven years since the February 2011 Canterbury earthquake and Christchurch is still without a plan to redevelop the central city square.

Regenerate Christchurch previously indicated its strategy to redevelop the space was likely to be ready by late October. It was not.

The organisation, which is jointly owned by the Crown and council, had hoped to put recommendations in the draft strategy to the council and Woods before Christmas, but this was also delayed.

This week, Regenerate Christchurch chief executive Ivan Iafeta said the organisation was yet to put the recommendations to its shareholders.

‘‘We intend to provide the draft Cathedral Square and surrounds regeneration strategy to the Minister of Greater Christchurch Regeneration,

''... we need greater momentum in the central city and that does include Cathedral Square." Rebuild minister Megan Woods

the mayor and council during this first quarter of 2018,’’ he said.

Woods said she had told Regenerate ‘‘that I do want to see that momentum pick up in the central city’’.

‘‘It will come as no surprise to anyone that I maintain we need greater momentum in the central city and that does include Cathedral Square,’’ she said.

‘‘I also think that the Government had a role to play in this – making a plan around Cathedral Square while there wasn’t resolution of the [quake-damaged Christ Church] Cathedral was always going to be a very difficult ask.’’

Woods said she would discuss the cause of the delay with Regenerate Christchurch.

‘‘I think we do have to see that the heart of our city is in good shape and that is absolutely critical to us getting life back into the central city.’’

Woods said she ‘‘wanted to see the plan’’ for Cathedral Square when asked what she meant by picking up momentum.

‘‘That’s absolutely critical, but the second part of that, that I want to have the confidence in, is the implementation plan around that.

‘‘One of the things that I think we’ve seen slip in Christchurch for the last seven years is that we’ve been promised stuff and it hasn’t been delivered and timelines slip and slip and slip.

‘‘One of the things I’ve discussed with the new chair of Regenerate Christchurch is how it is that we can actually get some more action and implementation,’’ she said.

Iafeta previously said Regenerate needed to do more work with heritage representatives and Nga¯ i Tu¯ a¯ huriri as it revised the draft square strategy.

‘‘The draft regeneration strategy is our independent advice to the minister and council,’’ he said this week.

‘‘It remains a draft strategy until we provide our advice to them. In the meantime, we’re continuing to work with council staff to consider delivery-related matters, such as designs, costs.’’

The regeneration strategy was initially meant to be finished by June last year, but rebuild officials said they needed more time to consult with property owners and the public.