Community, Recreation and Culture Committee
Meeting Update

A meeting of Christchurch City Council’s Community, Recreation and Culture Committee was held today.

The Committee considered staff reports on the feasibility of a temporary repair to Centennial Pool, Mayoral travel in support of Civic and International Relations, the Communication Audit Report and a heritage grant.

Committee Chair Yani Johanson said it was good to welcome a number of deputations from members of the public who wished to speak about the reports being considered at today’s meeting.

“I am pleased that standing committees have been reintroduced – they allow Councillors to consider staff reports, hear from members of the public and discuss issues raised in an open forum, before a final decision is made by the full Council.”

Council committees make recommendations to the full Council for final decisions. A summary of today’s meeting is outlined below – the agenda can be found online at www.ccc.govt.nz

Centennial Pool
The Committee recommended the Council push ahead with a feasibility study to investigate temporary repairs/permanent repairs or rebuild of Centennial Pool, subject to staff seeking assurances around value for money and the scope of works. Staff were asked to report back with the findings within 10 weeks.

During the Annual Plan deliberations in June this year, the Mayor and Councillors requested a report on the feasibility and cost of a temporary repair to Centennial Pool while stage one of the proposed Central City Multi-sport Facility was under development. Staff reported back to the Committee today, requesting that it ask Council to confirm spending of $170,000 on stage one of the investigation

Stage one of the feasibility study will consider acceptable standards of repair, a safety audit of the facility to enable investigation, initial structural modelling, preliminary foundation design, site survey and preliminary estimates of construction costs if it finds repair is possible. Staff will then report back with the findings.

A deputation from representatives of the Save Centennial Pool group was heard by the Committee.

Sister Cities
The Committee considered a staff report on mayoral travel in support of Civic and International Relations and was evenly divided when voting on proposed amendments, so neither were carried. The staff report will now go to the full Council for consideration. It recommends the Mayor, accompanied by the Mayoress, visit each of Christchurch’s seven sister cities once every three year term. It proposes they visit the Asia/Pacific sister city partners in the coming year to thank them for their post-earthquake support and promote economic development.

The proposed travel would be funded from the annual mayoral travel budget of about $42,000. A report on mayoral visits to sister cities was on the council agenda in June this year but the debate was deferred to a future meeting after councillors requested more information.

Three deputations were heard from local volunteers representing Sister City Committees for Adelaide, Christchurch/China and Kurashiki.

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Communication Audit Report
The Committee received the independent Communications Audit Report and a staff report which included a series of recommendations in response to the issues outlined.

The Committee has recommended the full Council urgently hold a workshop to address the audit, its recommendations, staff recommendations and a series of recommendations tabled by the Committee Chairman. This workshop would be open to the public.

Cr Johanson says addressing the Communications Review/Audit is a top priority for the committee, and the urgent workshop will help get staff and elected members having a robust consideration of how to jointly respond to its findings. He also welcomed the move by the Committee to get the Council to adopt the “No Suprises” section into the recently approved Charter.

“The no surpises section is based on the findings of the Auditor General and puts forward some key principles of how Councillors and management can work better together".

A deputation was heard from Momentus Public Relations.

Heritage grant – Wards Brewery/Pomeroy’s
The Committee recommended to the Council a Heritage Incentive Grant of up to $48,924 be approved for work on 284-294 Kilmore Street (Pomeroy’s).

ENDS

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