The Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration is to seek public feedback on a proposal to make changes to the
Christchurch District Plan that would enable the relocation of Redcliffs School, in Christchurch.
Due to rock falls caused by the 2011 earthquake, the school is currently operating at a temporary location about three
kilometres from its original site. In March 2015, the government proposed the closure of the school based on future
rockfall causing interruption to the teaching programme. In June 2016, the government agreed to return Redcliffs School
to the area on the condition it be established on a different site.
Section 71 of the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Act can be used to implement changes to Christchurch City Council’s
district plan to speed up regeneration processes. In late January this year, Regenerate Christchurch recommended using
the legislation to enable the school to be relocated to Redcliffs Park and the original site converted to a park. The
Christchurch City Council agreed to the land swap after public consultation found nearly 80 percent of those who made
submissions supported the proposal.
Regenerate Christchurch Chief Executive Ivan Iafeta acknowledges many people in Redcliffs want to see the school return
to their community as soon as possible.
“The role of Regenerate Christchurch is to identify opportunities to regenerate particular areas, assess those
opportunities and put forward development proposals and advice for the government and Christchurch City Council to
consider.
“We know schools are core elements of communities and we acknowledge the Redcliffs community’s commitment to having a
school in its area again. We sought expert advice, which highlighted for us the complexities of the area’s natural
environment, particularly in relation to its coastal location. But we concluded that, on balance, the proposed location
would be appropriate given the Ministry of Education’s expectation that the new buildings would be in use for about 50
years and that the site would be designed to ensure it was a genuine long-term location for the school.
“At the end of January, we delivered our recommendation to the Minister that Section 71 of the Greater Christchurch
Regeneration Act be used to fast-track the school’s relocation. Public notification of the proposal provides an
opportunity for the Minister to receive and consider public feedback,” Mr Iafeta says.
The proposal will be publicly notified this weekend. Details about the process are available on the Department of Prime
Minister & Cabinet (DPMC) website.
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