The decision on what to do with Christchurch's earthquake damaged red zone is one step closer, with the end of the public consultation period on the plan for the area.
Annie Edmonds (left), Jo Gibbs and dog Lucy are making use of Christchurch's red zone for dog walking. Photo: RNZ / Rachel Graham
Over the last month Christchurch people have been asked to comment on a draft land use plan for the 602 hectares of land, which was deemed inhabitable after the Canterbury earthquakes.
Now those pitching ideas want the authorities to get on with the next step, so they can have some certainty about whether their projects can go ahead.
One of those groups is the Eden Project in the United Kingdom, which each year attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to its gardens within huge geodesic domes in Cornwall, and it thinks the red zone would be ideal for some kind of New Zealand version.
The land use plan released by Regenerate Christchurch doesn't specifically mention the Eden Project, but Eden Project New Zealand trustee David Simmons said they were heartened by the fact that the area they were interested in, by the Avon Loop, was suggested as a site for an eco tourism project.
Mr Simmons said he was frustrated at the slow process to make decisions about the red zone. In October last year head of the Eden Project UK and International David Harland said he hoped to have a decision within six months.
He said Eden Project UK had a global internationalisation project, and wanted to build one Eden on every continent in the world.
"We have some residual fear that some other part of New Zealand or dare I say some part of Australia, may put their hand up and snaffle their interest," Mr Simmons said.
The Eden Project is at least better off than the proposal for a custom built lake for water sports, such as rowing and dragonboat racing, which was left off the Regenerate Christchurch plan all together.
Eden Project visitors inside one of giant geodesic domes in Cornwall. Photo: 123RF
East Lake Trust chair David Goodman said they still had a small hope that the 10,000 signature petition, and the submissions from supporters will see the project reinserted into the plan.
"There is potential to see rowing as an elitist sport, which of course its not," said Mr Goodman.
"There is a small element who decided very long ago that they don't want it, and they are very active on social media. They are very influential. They have managed to convince Regenerate Christchurch that the people of the east don't want this, which seems at odds with our 10,000 people petition which was largely taken from people in the east."
One project which is going ahead is the creation of a green spine through the red zone - an open public space of restored native habitat along with some community and commercial facilities along the river from the central city to New Brighton in the east.
The recent consultation has been to determine what people want to see in that green spine and the rest of the red zone with proposals such as a gondola along the river, stormwater treatment areas, or an information centre about the communities that were there before the earthquakes.
Red zone plans will revitalise eastern suburbs
The manager of the New Brighton Business and Landowners Association, Paul Lonsdale, said the future use of the red zone, which he prefers to refer to as the green zone, would have a massive impact on the revitalisation of the eastern suburbs, and in particular on New Brighton.
He said he loved the idea of a gondola or light rail transporting people through the red zone.
"I think if you look into the future, the ability to be able to stop in and hop back on and progress towards the sea is a great idea. I think it will add value right through the area, right out to New Brighton."
Initial plans for large scale housing in the red zone, or in nearby parks with a swap for land in the red zone, have been dropped but there are still are proposals for small scale experimental housing - such as relocatable or floating homes.
Associate Professor of Environmental Planning and Urban Design at the University of California, Berkley, Kristina Hill, last year she spoke at a event on bold ideas for the red zone, which was organised by Regenerate Christchurch, the Christchurch City Council and Te Pūtahi - Christchurch centre for architecture and city-making.
She said it was important for coastal cities, particularly those dealing with issues of flooding, sea level rise and in seismically active areas, to consider experimental housing such as floating structures, and she hoped Christchurch would seize the opportunity.
"If you're going to have housing in areas with a high water table and with seismic activity then it makes a lot of sense to have a floating foundation, and that actually is potentially cheaper than doing the kind of foundations one has to build to be ready for a seismic event."
The submission period ended on Saturday, and Regenerate Christchurch will drafting a final plan which will be presented to the Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Megan Woods, who is expected to sign off a plan by the end of the year.
