Independent Citizens names its Riccarton-Wigram team As the countdown begins to October’s local body elections, Independent Citizens has named its team to contest the Riccarton-Wigram ward. The seven-member team consists of two standing council members, Helen Broughton and Bob Shearing and five community board candidates, current board members Beth Dunn and Peter Laloli and candidates, Andrew Tomlin, Sam Johnson, and Kamal Ghose. New Christchurch Civic Building It’s not long to go now before the new Civic Building is completed. Defect and quality assurance inspections have begun and testing continues on the new tri-generation plant. July sees the fit out of the new on-site café, The Kitchen, as well as the installation of new furniture and technology for the Council Chambers. Work is nearly finished on the Worcester Boulevard ramp, where the water feature has been installed and the trees planted. Christchurch Tram Extension July sees the start of new paving and street enhancements and laying of tram tracks through High Street as part of the Central city tram extension. The extension work will also continue along Oxford Terrace in two parts which will allow continued access to the Clarendon towers car parking building and the council to complete the upgrade of the storm water system at the Hereford St and Oxford Terrace intersection. The design has been finalised for the area behind Cathedral Square and the project team has been in contact with the hotels and other businesses in the vicinity to discuss the plans. Roads of National Significance Work is well underway on stage one of the Southern Motorway. Earthworks have begun at Brougham Street for the four laning through to Curletts Road and construction has begun for the new section of motorway that will run from Curletts Road, parallel with Wigram Road. Investigations are underway for stage two – from Halswell Road to Waterholes Road – and about to begin for stage three – the four laning of State Highway 1 from Weedons Road to Waterholes Road. Bus Priority Bus priority lanes in the city are in full swing with the Queenspark Corridor now open. Colombo Street is open from Cashmere Road to Milton Street. Brougham to Milton Streets will open in July. The Sydenham section will open when weather allows for the green paint to be applied. The other corridors are scheduled for work in the next financial year. | Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna O WaiwhetuA new exhibition opened this month, Taryn Simon: An American index of the hidden and unfamiliar. Inspired by rumours of weapons of mass destruction and secret sites in Iraq, Taryn Simon decided to address secret sites in her own country. The exhibition includes photographs of hidden places and things within America's borders. Goncharova and Larionov: L’Art Décoratif Théâtral Moderne (an exhibition of stage and costume designs published in Paris in 1919 by the Russian avant garde artists) continues, along with An Idyllic Country: Pastoral Landscapes from the Collection (a collection of paintings, watercolours and prints spanning several centuries) Andrew Drummond: Observation / Action / Reflection (engaging and dynamic large-scale mixed-media works that explore themes relating to the land and the human body, machines and movement), Blue Planet (the blue-themed children’s exhibition), and Brought to Light: A New View of the Collection. Our City O-Tautahi Matariki – Pū Harakeke opened this month This mixed media exhibition continues the journey of Ōtautahi artists from Kohinga Toi, who share their experiences of Matariki in relation to whanau. Raranga (weaving), paintings and carving convey the nuances of whanau and Matariki. Rugby World Cup 2011Rugby World Cup 2011 preparations are well underway in Canterbury. Around 550 people jumped at the opportunity to get up close to the Webb Ellis Trophy when the Cup came to Christchurch in late May. Then, in mid-June, locals had the chance to find out more about becoming a RWC 2011 volunteer when two well-attended public forums were held in the city. Online applications for volunteers are now open. If you are having problems signing up, the libraries are involved to help people who don’t have computers in their homes. On an operational front, the city appointed Anne Hindson, who has a wealth of experience in event management as the region’s new Rugby World Cup Manager. Good progress has also been made on preparations for the Cathedral Square Fan Zone and other entertainment areas and events around the city. The Rugby Road concept, aimed at encouraging people to walk to matches from Cathedral Square, will be trialled at the upcoming Bledisloe match in August. The full traffic management plan will be operational and rugby-goers will be encouraged to walk the route with entertainment and prizes on offer. More news... |
