Potential for ‘market town’ in Canterbury
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Kaiapoi has the potential to become a ‘‘market town’’, a local business leader says.
The company behind the Christchurch Night Market at Hornby Mall has applied for a resource consent to establish and operate a night market in Kaiapoi.
Now, the Kaiapoi Promotions Association (KPA) hopes to see more markets in the future.
‘‘It is great that it is kicking off, we wish them every success,’’ acting chairperson Martin Pinkham said.
‘‘We always saw Kaiapoi as a market town and the retailers need something which draws people to the town.
‘‘The Lyttelton Farmers Market is great for Lyttelton and we would like to see something like that set up in Kaiapoi.
‘‘In the United Kingdom, the markets are big in towns of similar size to Kaiapoi.’’
Pinkham said KPA had made submissions to the Waimakariri District Council’s annual plan for several years advocating for a permanent site to be found to hold markets.
‘‘We would like to have a site which is easily accessible for people and could be used during the week.’’
The Kaiapoi Town Centre Development Plan, which was adopted in 2018, proposed a village green or market site, but a permanent site had yet to be found.
The weekly Kaiapoi Farmers’ Market is held on Saturday mornings on Charles St, opposite Kaiapoi New World, but the site is far from ideal, Pinkham said.
The annual Blackwells Fire and Ice Festival is held the Kaiapoi Club car park on Raven Quay on a Saturday evening to coincide with the Kaiapoi Art Expo in July.
Enterprise North Canterbury general manager Heather Warwick said Kaiapoi was becoming ‘‘a place of opportunities’’.
Projects such as a night market and the New Zealand Motorhome and Caravan Association’s park in the former red zone were helping to grow the town as a visitor attraction, she said.
The Waimakariri District Council granted a one-year licence to Market Investment Ltd in April to run a weekly night market in the Kaiapoi park and ride car park, next to New World.
Council staff will review the licence after six months to assess its impact on Kaiapoi’s existing hospitality businesses.
A resource consent application has since been received for a night market to be held on a Saturday or Sunday evening between 5pm and 10pm.
It is anticipated there would be up to 72 stalls, including mostly food trucks and stalls and some retail.
Live music would be played during the market.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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Proposed Canterbury landfill faces huge opposition
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
More than 500 submissions have been received in response to a proposed managed fill landfill in North Canterbury.
Christchurch-based Protranz International Ltd has applied to Environment Canterbury and the Waimakariri District Council for resource consents to establish and operate a quarry and landfill operation at White Rock.
Waimakariri District Council planning manager Wendy Harris said the applicant was up against ‘‘probably the most organised local group I’ve ever seen’’.
‘‘They organised a protest march, they’ve got signs all around and they’ve got a website and a Facebook page.’’
She said the 548 submissions was more than the 421 submissions to the draft Waimakariri District Plan, which was notified in 2021.
A proposed housing development at Ohoka, near Rangiora, in 2022 received 630 submissions.
While the details of the submissions have yet to be released, it is understood the majority are opposed.
Harris said planners from the two councils will plan joint hearings early next year.
More than 100 people marched from Southbrook in Rangiora to the Waimakariri District Council lawn in High St in September to express their opposition.
Organiser Mike McCaleb said residents are concerned about the potential environmental damage to the Karetu River, which feeds into the Okuku River, and then the Ashley/Rakahuri River.
He said he was surprised there were not more submissions but said he was aware of several people who had issues with Environment Canterbury’s website timing out.
‘‘It will be interesting to see the details of the submissions.’’
Protranz is seeking to restore the Whiterock Quarry, at 150 and 174 Quarry Rd, North Loburn, to near its previous landform, by filling it with managed fill, building and demolition waste and contaminated soil material, including asbestos.
The company bought Whiterock Quarry in 2022 with plans to fill it with soils and inert construction rubble removed from building and land development sites in Christchurch and North Canterbury, which are sent to Kate Valley Landfill.
‘‘Sending this stuff to Kate Valley adds a massive cost to developers, homeowners and community organisations who have dirt to move, and fills Kate Valley with material that can be better managed somewhere else,’’ Protranz founder Gerard Daldry said.
He said Protranz commissioned a wide range of testing including site investigations, technical assessments and design of the managed fill to support the resource consent applications.
The reports found environmental risks were ‘‘extremely low and able to be mitigated’’, Daldry said.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Poll: Do you think NZ should ban social media for youth?
The Australian Prime Minister has expressed plans to ban social media use for children.
This would make it illegal for under 16-year-olds to have accounts on platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X.
Social media platforms would be tasked with ensuring children have no access (under-age children and their parents wouldn’t be penalised for breaching the age limit)
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