Community groups will be making a presentation to Council.   On Thursday 27 October, the Draft Lyttelton Master Plan will be submitted to the Christchurch City Council for consideration.   Representatives from the Lyttelton Harbour Information Centre, the Lyttelton Harbour Business Association, Lyttelton Community Association and Project Lyttelton will be attending this Christchurch City Council meeting, requesting that the way forward is:

Point One:  Engage in a Partnership Process

The Lyttelton community asks that the Christchurch City Council adopts a partnership process for the Lyttelton area.  Lyttelton is a resourceful group of residents who are educated, highly skilled, passionate and willing to be actively involved in any redevelopment of Lyttelton.

The Consultative Process:  The Christchurch City Council currently works with the community using a Consultative Process.  A brief is drawn up by the Council and this sets the scene for the outcomes.  The consultative approach, in this case, relies on the Council to contract an independent consultant to ask the Community what they would like to see, or change.  The consultants take these comments and make recommendations to the Council, and the Council then decides what ideas will, or will not be supported.

There are several weaknesses in this method.  The main issue being that the community and council are separated at the beginning of the process. Another issue is that consultants hired are not from the local community, and therefore lack the depth of knowledge required in developing a plan that truly reflects the wishes of the community.

The Partnership Process: Adopting a Partnership Process requires the Christchurch City Council to adopt a new way of thinking; or an innovative approach to township plans.  The Partnership Process is a community driven process.  Residents and community groups work closely with the Community Board by discussing the way forward together; solving problems along the way; and reaching a consensus.

The Community Board knows what the budget is and the planning guidelines. Lyttelton residents are experts in how we socialise; what is important to the region; where to find information; and who can undertake the workload to deliver the vision.  Working together uses the expertise of council and residents, to create community ownership of future planning.

The weakness in this method is that it requires the Council to evolve their thought processes, and with any large corporation there is always resistance to change.

Point Two: Focus on Recovery Priorities

Priority needs to be given to business recovery; getting people back in their homes; and repairing infrastructure.

If the acceptance of the Draft Lyttelton Master Plan and subsequent submission and hearing phase in anyway slows down these recovery priorities; then a decoupling of the Draft Lyttelton Master Plan should be considered.  Extract the items of priority; and revisit the remaining ideas through a partnership process between the community; the Community Board; and the Lyttelton Port Company.

What is urgent?  What can we afford?  And, what resources and finances need to be directed to:

• Cutting the red tape process of over regulated bureaucracy to get businesses open;
• Creating a regulatory framework, including making changes to the District Plan as necessary, which will allow for appropriate and timely rebuilding;
• The redevelopment of London Street, including consideration of parking issues and  appropriate parking solutions for the town centre; London Street building scale, form and height, etc;
• Getting residents back in their homes;
• Providing a safe environment, by taking action on rock fall and subsidence issues;
• Repairing damaged infrastructure such as retaining walls; storm water flows and drains;
• Opening the road network including Evans Pass to assist residents, travellers, freight movement, and to prevent Lyttelton from being cut off, again.

Point Three: Let the People Speak

• The consultation period is extended to four weeks.  The Draft Lyttelton Master Plan document, at 98 pages long, is a huge and complex document to work through.  Many people will struggle with a document like this.
• The beginning of the consultation period should start with a "Drop in Road Show" organised and paid for by the Christchurch City Council, similar to the one for the Central City that was held in the Recreation Centre on 3rd September, with enlarged maps and text for the most important sections of the Master Plan, and Council staff on hand to explain the document as well as encourage submissions.
• Following submissions and any further changes to the Draft Master Plan as a result of community consultation, the revised version is to be brought back to the community and Community Board PRIOR to being presented to the Council for adoption.  This is an important step missing in the Council process after Stage 5, as outlined on Page 20 of the Draft Lyttelton Master Plan document.  The current Stage 5 process shows the Draft Lyttelton Master Plan going out for consultation, then straight to the Council for adoption.
• Request that submissions also be heard by the wider community.  It is acknowledged that hearings are reserved for statutory documents, and as the Draft Lyttelton Master Plan is not a statutory document, hearings are not required.  Residents of Lyttelton believe that if it is good enough for submissions to the Central City Plan to be heard, then the same process should democratically apply to the Lyttelton Plan.
• The collective network welcomes and thoroughly supports the Lyttelton Mt Herbert Community Board initiative of forming a Lyttelton Urban Design Advisory Committee to incorporate three consultants and two community representatives; to create a balance  between local ideal and council process.

Point Four:  Return of the Inner Harbour