Measures of Success:
Decrease in the amount of derelict buildings in commercial centres of Brighton suburbs.
Progress to date:
September 2024
Derelict premises
- The Community Board were successful in advocating for the City Vacant Differential rate to be extended to New Brighton as part of the Long Term Plan 2024-34, adopted on the 27 June. Land and property owners in the area zoned Commerical Core in the District Plan within 150m either side of Brighton Mall and within 500m west of Marine Parade are now subject to higher rates if the site is vacant and where there is no active or consented use being made of the land.
Life in Vacant Spaces have been engaged to undertake an arts project in the area for the Oram Avenue empty site and some of the Pierside vacant site windows.
March 2024
ChristchurchNZ have been working in the area to influence landowners to care for and invest in their properties with limited success. They continue to make this a priority and update Community Governance staff on any movement.
Measures of success:
New ideas for local events and activations are funded.
Progress to date:
September 2024
Local events delivered with the support of Board Funding since the last update:
House of Hoopz Street Ball League Finals – New Brighton Amphitheatre
March 2024
Family Fun Night 2023 – Youth Alive Trust
New Brighton Community Gardens Annual Fate
Rockband EOY bash 2023 – Youth Alive Trust
Santa Parade - New Brighton Project
Community Carols - Youth Alive Trust
I love Brighton & Parklands @ Play – Board projects
50th Anniversary of the 1974 CommonWealth Games Exhibition – New Brighton Museum
New Brighton Soup - Driftwood Council of Brighton
House of Hoopz – Youth and Cultural Development
September 2023
The Board supported seven groups through Strengthening Community Funding with projects to support engagement with youth in the Brighton/Parklands area.
The Waitai Community Board allocated $6,000 to deliver I Love Brighton, an event aimed at celebrating the coastal Brighton area and brining all of the local group ad organisations together.
Through the Koru Fund the Waitai Community Board also supported a community BBQ at Point Break Backpackers, delivered by New Brighton Union Church as a meet and greet to engage with the residents and start a kōrero about what support they might require to help lead healthier and fulfilling lives.
Measures of success:
Wrap-around social services are provided for emergency and alternative housing in the area.
Progress to date:
September 2024
Relationships with other Government Agencies The New Brighton Well-Being Hui continues to meet bi-monthly and has steadily grown in numbers. Representatives from NZ Police, Kāinga Ora, ECan, local MPs, local Councillors, Ara Poutama Aotearoa Department of Corrections, Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora Ministry of Social Development regularly attend these hui.
September 2023
The Well-Being hui continues to be held bi-monthly, hosted by New Brighton Union Church. This is attended by local services and representatives from Government agencies such as Kāinga Ora, NZ Police, Te Tumu Waiora (New Brighton Medical Centre), Ara Poutama Aotearoa (Department of Corrections) and Ministry for Social Development who provide context of the mahi going on behind the scenes in providing transitional and emergency housing, re-introducing offenders into society and working with tangata with mental health issues. The hui is also attended by many of the local community groups who have an interest in helping to make New Brighton safer. The Well-Being hui are proving invaluable to creating connections between local stakeholders and government agencies and generating a greater understanding, and therefore reassurance of the mahi being undertaken to address social issues.
Progress to date:
March 2024
The Community Board successfully put forward a funding application to the Better Off Fund to secure $30,000 towards the Watai Youth Board (Rangatahi Changemakers) Project. This will support the establishment of a Local Youth Board known as Changemakers, giving a platform for young people across the east to voice and share their concerns and views on issues facing their communities. Within the allocated funding there is budget to enable the Changemakers to allocate or spend funds on project/events that meet the objectives of their Changemaker Plan or the Waitai Community Board Plan. The group will provide ongoing advice to the Community Board where required ensuing a youth perspective is heard and considered during the decision-making process.
Governance staff have continued to hold quarterly ELEVATE network hui which brings together over twenty representatives from a range of organisations from the youth sector and those who provide opportunities for youth engagement and activities.
Staff have worked with Youth and Cultural Development (YCD) to develop a series of 3v3 Streetball events across the city. Four of these events were held in the Waitai Community Board area; Linwood, Aranui and Woolston culminating in the final held in New Brighton. The Hoopz series is aimed at giving rangatahi who have never had a chance to join a team or play competitively a chance to compete in a tournament and test their skills against other players their age. The partners involved have reported back how much raw talent they've seen in the players showing up to each one who have never had any coaching or formal playing experience.
YCD also deliver the FRESH Pool Parties regularly at Te Pou Toetoe activating not only the pool but the spaces outside the facility and Linwood Park. After the success of their first pool party at He Puna Taimoana for Matariki last year YCD are commitment to making this an annual event. Staff are also currently working with YCD to pilot a pool party a Taiora in the coming months.
Through their Strengthening Communities 2023-24 Fund the Community Board have supported the following organisations to run youth drop-in sessions, activations and engagement projects across the ward area:
- Crossroads Youth
- Kāwai Rangatahi
- Youth Town
- La Vida Youth Trust
- Queenspark Community Trust
- Youth Alive Trust
- Positive Directions Trust
- Legacy Youth
- Aranui Bike Fix Up
- Linwood Avenue Union Church
- Te Kupenga o Aranui
- ACTIS
- Eastern sports
- Sustain Brighton
- Christchurch Methodist Mission
September 2023
Weekly youth drop-in programmes provided in the area including – Youth Alive Trust and Parklands Parkview Lounge drop-in, Eastern Sports – youth drop-in at canopy and La Vida Youth drop-in programme for youth.
The Waitai Community Board supported a number of events as part of ELEVATE, Youth Week 2023 in the East. Through the Koru Fund the Community Board were able to support 6 groups to deliver 5 different events for rangatahi across the Coastal ward area as part of Waitai.
Progress to date:
September 2024
New Brighton Safety Panel
An inaugural hui was held on 20 September 2024. This panel included local MP, Counsellor and Community Board Members, New Brighton Project, Christchurch Methodist Mission and a representative from MSD and the business community. These were the original stakeholder involved in the New Brighton Guardians Project before it was handed over to Positive Directions Trust for delivery. Now this the Guardians project has concluded, the intention of the Safety Panel is for the key stakeholders to share information and discuss specific issues around the anti-social behaviour, breaches of the no-alcohol bylaw in place and intimidation regularly occurring in the New Brighton Mall and seafront.March 2024
Organised and hosted by the staff of Christchurch Methodist Mission at New Brighton Union Church the monthly Well-Being hui continue to be well attended and brings together representatives from a range of community organisations, Government Agencies, Community Board Members and Council staff. This hui has been instrumental in generating connections between several key organisations and sharing key information around the new housing in New Brighton and particularly the Kāinga Ora developments.
Measures of success:
A community-led group advocating for the mall, such as a business, or joint business and resident’s association is established and meeting regularly.
Progress to date:
September 2024
Community-Led Group The Better for Brighton (Mall Upgrade) group was established in March 2024 to work together to coordinate, provide oversight and give strategic advice across the delivery of investment projects at the eastern end of New Brighton Mall in the commercial core. The group consists of staff from ŌtautahiNZ, the local Councilor for the Coastal Ward, Harris Development Limited, representatives from the Community Leadership Group, and a transport representative from Council. The group meets regularly to provide a forum for a coordinated approach to the Brighton Mall upgrade, Oram Avenue extension and the Village Green Project working with CEAT.
March 2024
Organised and hosted by the staff of Christchurch Methodist Mission at New Brighton Union Church the monthly Well-Being hui continue to be well attended and brings together representatives from a range of community organisations, Government Agencies, Community Board Members and Council staff. This hui has been instrumental in generating connections between several key organisations and sharing key information around the new housing in New Brighton and particularly the Kāinga Ora developments.
Progress to date:
September 2024
Safety Initiatives in New Brighton commercial core
After receiving a grant of $500 from the Waitai Community Board's Koru Fund in April 2024 to get the initiative started, Growing New Brighton aims to bring the pedestrianised New Brighton Mall road back to life. After an initial revamp and tidying up of the existing planters, the volunteers have been keeping up with the seasons, adding more edibles to the planters for the community to share.
March 2024
The Guardians have completed their 30 weeks that the budget covered. The partners involved, Positive Directions Trust (as deliverers), New Brighton Project and Christchurch City Council are now planning for the next steps.
ŌtautahiNZ have agreed to fund a review of the project so that the feedback can be collected and analysed with recommendations for the next steps.
September 2023
$60,000 in funding was secured through the Capital Endowment Fund to re-establish the New Brighton Guardians. The project involved 2 guardians/ambassadors 'patrolling' in a community support capacity to help create a safe zone for the community to go about their business with the knowledge that support was on hand. The Guardians will be located predominantly around the mall area every Thursday to Sunday from 11am to 6pm offering support and local information to the community. Positive Directions Trust (PDT) who are delivering the project will also have a mobile unit (mobile home) stationed at various places too for the Guardians to have a central location. The project is currently in the first phase, recruiting, training and raising awareness of the Guardians. The Trust aim to have the Guardians on the streets for the start of October. The New Brighton Project are also partners in this venture and will be liaising with PDT, to report back to stakeholders on any outcomes and provide information on the 'hot spots' in New Brighton where the Guardians can have the greatest impact.
