Lyttelton Forum is an independent forum, for an independent voice.  In the aftermath of earthquake recovery there is a term that we can expect to hear a lot in the coming months, even years — “build back better”.

The founding principles of “build back better” include:

With a central government led response [CERA] there is a danger that the Lyttelton Community may struggle to influence how the town and local region will be redeveloped.  The redevelopment process for Lyttelton and the Harbour will deliver considerable challenges – one of which is the need to rebuild quickly, and another is the difficulty of creating a consensus about how best to rebuild.

When rebuilding Lyttelton, calling on local experience and knowledge from the community will be valuable in guiding reconstruction efforts - particularly with fostering a bottom up, rather than top down approach.  A proactive community approach will deliver results in terms of offering a clear vision for the future; an opportunity to work creatively together; delivering that vision to central government; and all the while making the most of the transitional phase.

Adopting a grass-roots community approach involves:

But most of all, Lyttelton residents could look to adopt an approach that reflects vision, analysis and action through a process that encourages transparency and open discussion – hence the creation of the Lyttelton Forum.

It is hoped that those who chose to get involved in the discussions on the Lyttelton Forum will draw inspiration from as many sources as possible for Lyttelton to “build back better”. Granted there is still a long way to go until our earthquake affected region is fully recovered, but as a community we still have control of our destiny – but only if we can give ourselves a voice.

Let your voice be heard - you don’t even have to use your real name! Register your preferred user name details at www.lytteltonforum.org.nz; wait for your user details to be confirmed; then start a discussion - any discussion!  Or post the forum your thoughts to Lyttelton Forum, PO Box 94, Lyttelton 8814.

The Lyttelton Forum has been created by Lyttelton residents who share a passion for Lyttelton and believe in the freedom of speech by creating an environment where no topic is off limit.   Consequently, the Lyttelton Forum is not associated with any community group; local council body or government department.  Your opinion will not be filtered or censored.