The Board has been busy over the last part of this year in its governance role, reviewing the reports staff have presented on the following matters, and coming to decisions as summarised at a high level below (the detail being found in their meeting minutes, which are available on the Council's agendas and minutes website):

Strengthening Communities Fund

The Board approved grants from its 2024-25 Strengthening Communities Fund to:

• Pūharakekenui Styx Living Laboratory Trust towards the Styx Living Laboratory Trust Education Work Programme Initiative
• Avebury House Community Trust towards Avebury House Community Centre
• Avon Ōtākaro Network Inc. owards the Activating Communities to Action project
• Bowls Papanui Inc. towards the Greens Maintenance expense of the Bowls Papanui Expenses 2024/25 project
• Christchurch Fellowship of Song Dance & Drama Inc. Society towards the Venue Hire expense for the Community Arts and Performance Programme
• Community Focus Trust towards the Community Development Project
• Delta Community Support Trust towards the Community Development Service Programme
• Drug-ARM Christchurch towards the Art-East project
• Harewood Hockey Club Inc. towards the Turf Fees for Junior and Youth Hockey project
• Harmony Community Trust towards the Youth Workers at Ao Tawhiti Unlimited Discovery School project
• Marist Albion Rugby Club Inc. towards the Club Administration and Operation Expenses
• Nor'west Brass Inc. towards the running a community brass band with a focus on training project
• Papanui Leagues Club Inc. towards the 2024/25 Community Facility project
• Papanui Redwood Association Football Club Inc. towards the Volunteer Recognition/Development and Rent/Venue expense of the Club Activities project
• Potters Community Welfare Charitable Trust towards the Northcote/Redwood Neighbourhood Link Drop In project
• Richmond Community Garden Trust towards the Riverlution Eco Park project
• Richmond Residents and Business Association (We are Richmond) towards the Community Capacity Builder project
• Shirley Rugby League Football Club Inc. towards Operational Cost
• Shirley Tennis Club Inc. towards the Tennis Rackets expense of the Pre-season school coaching programme and recruitment drive project
• Sockburn Park Amateur Swimming Club Inc. towards the Swimming and Water Safety Lessons project
• The Green Lab towards the Community co design landscaping and workshops project
• Waimairi Tennis Club Inc. towards the Junior Tennis Programme project
• Papanui Returned and Services Association Inc. towards the Annual ANZAC Day Service and Street Parade 2025 and 2026 project
• Albion Softball Club Inc. towards the Softball Equipment project
• Avon Loop Planning Association towards Administration of Community Cottage and events/activities project
• Avon Sequence Dancers to promote sequence dancing as a social activity for older people in the area project
• Bishopdale Table Tennis Club towards the Bishopdale Table Tennis project
• Edgeware Tennis Club Inc. towards essential equipment
• Mairehau Library Inc. towards the purchase of new library books and advertising the library to the community project
• Marist Albion Netball Club Inc. towards the Club Administrator
• Morrison Avenue Bowling Club Inc. towards the Green's Maintenance project
• New Direction (Ch-Ch) Charitable Trust towards the Boxing Day Community Event project
• New Zealand Chinese Association Canterbury Inc. towards the Volunteer training project
• St Albans School toward their Traffic Wardens project
• The Old Boys’ Te Kura Tennis Club Inc. towards the Tennis Equipment project
• Te Puna Wai O Waipapa – Hagley College to support their adult learning project

Board Projects

The Board approved funding for its following projects:

• Youth Recreation Project
• Youth Development Fund
  
• Summer With Your Neighbours
  
• Community Liaison meetings
• Community Pride Garden Awards 2025
  

Grants from the Discretionary Response Fund

• The Board approved a number of grants from its Discretionary Response Fund to community groups, including to:
  • St Paul's Papanui Anglican Parish towards the replacement of community seating
  • Richmond Community Garden Trust towards the Riverlution Café
  • Canterbury Westland Kindergarten Assn (Kidsfirst) – Cotswold Ave towards the Outdoor Physical Play Equipment
  • Richmond Cricket Club towards the purchase of a cricket training net
  • Casebrook Intermediate School towards the Tōtaranui Kāhui Ako Cultural Festival
  • Marist Albion Rugby Club Inc towards alterations to club changing rooms at Edgar MacIntosh Park
  • Shirley Rugby League Football Club Inc towards the Junior Hawks Whānau Camp 2025
  • Papanui Leagues Club Inc towards a club's urgent repair
  • Community Focus Trust towards their Community Workshop Project
  • Kiwi Indians Theatre towards their 13 Baker Street Production Project
  • Together Diverse towards the extension of and the continued delivery of programmes

Resolving local parking and road safety concerns

• The Board approved staff recommendations to address safety concerns raised by Kidsfirst Kindergartens Richmond on North Avon Road around a short fall in available car parks for parents to use during pick-up and drop-off.
• The Board approved staff recommendations to to assist in addressing road safety concerns raised by St Albans Catholic School, advancing their request for a further two P3 time restricted parking spaces adjacent to their walkway access on Somme Street.
• The Board approved staff recommendations to assist in addressing road safety concerns raised by St Joseph’s Catholic School, by providing P120 time restricted parking on one side of Vagues Road between Main North Road and Nyoli Street, which includes the school’s frontage.
• The Board approved staff recommendations to install one P30 and two P120 time restricted parking spaces in response to a local business requesting restrictions be installed across three car parks on St Asaph Street to encourage turnover and provide space for both customers and business delivery vehicles to park for short periods throughout the day.
• The Board approved staff recommendations to assist in addressing road safety concerns raised about the availability of car parks for parents to use for pick-up and drop-off outside Kidsfirst kindergarten on Cornwall Street.
• The Board approved staff recommendations to mitigate the issues identified by a business in Madras Street (i.e. vehicles blocking the driveway and delivery vehicles reversing into the on-site carpark), approving a P5 loading zone for the space.
• The Board approved staff recommendations to install two new mobility car parks on the south side of Stevens Street in response to members of the Lancaster Park Project Control Group raising concerns about the lack of mobility car parks around Lancaster Park.
• The Board approved staff recommendations to implement no stopping restrictions on Virgil Place to improve road safety by allowing unimpeded emergency access and driveway access for residents.
• The Board approved staff recommendations to to assist in addressing safety concerns raised about on-street parking restricting visibility at the Beeston Place / Freebairn Street intersection, particularly at school drop off and pick up times.
• The Board approved staff recommended road safety improvements at the Westminster Street and Rutland Street intersection.

Merivale Papanui Cricket Club - new lease

The Board grant a new ground lease to Merivale Papanui Cricket Club.

Improvements for Cranford Street

The Board recommended (and the Council subsequently accepted) the option for peak-hour lanes on Cranford Street, between Innes Road and Berwick Street, to remain bus lanes. The Board accepted the staff recommendations in respect of the improvements to the road that were proposed across all options for the peak hour lanes.

The Board also added resolutions to:

• Request staff report back to the Board on safety/pedestrian fencing or other measures at the Westminster Street/Cranford Street and Berwick Street/Cranford Street intersections.
• Request staff to take necessary steps toward prioritising the implementation of the school speed zone at St Albans School.
• Note that signage for the bus lane needs improvement and enforcement needs resourcing.
• Note that the Board will advocate for red light cameras at the Westminster Street/Cranford Street and English Park pedestrian traffic signals.

Approving Road and Lane Names

The Board names in a variety of new developments inthe wards, including:

• Pepper Tree Lane
• Rosetta Street
• Winterfield Lane
• Pīpīwharauroa Lane
• Pihipihi Lane
  
• Kārearea Lane
  

Little Poland Park

The Board approved 'Little Poland Park' as the name of the reserve at 2 Burkett Street in Marshland following a request from the Polish Community to have a park name to recognise the 80^th anniversary of 733 Polish refugee children and their 102 guardians arriving in New Zealand during World War II.

The 80^th Anniversary was recognised with the grand opening of Little Poland Park last month as shown below.