A group that has long advocated for community use of earthquake-damaged red-zoned land in Christchurch says it would be concerned by any moves to sell off parcels for housing.
Christchurch City Council's newly-established Ōtākaro Avon River corridor regeneration committee has put out a request for information to gauge interest from housing providers on some edges of the red zone.
The process covers all previously approved edge housing areas identified within the Ōtākaro Avon River corridor regeneration plan.
Edge housing areas cover 12ha, approximately 2% of the 602ha of corridor land.
The committee said the edge housing could be suitable for limited residential development designed to front open spaces and improve integration between existing neighbourhoods and the regenerated corridor.
The Avon Ōtakaro Network helped to create a number of initiatives designed to encourage people back to the red zone since 2011, including a shared cycle and walking path.
Manager Hayley Guglietta said she was concerned that big housing developers might argue they could not do anything unless they owned the land, creating sales pressure.
"No one ever wanted the land to be sold off - it was designed to be kept as one parcel - but allowing land uses to be able to trial and look at land uses that are different to how we do it now."
Guglietta said many people who had homes in the red-zone left because they felt they had no other option.
"For them to them to turn around and rebuild on it in that way is really unfair on those people."
Committee chairman Nuk Korako said red zone land sales were currently not being considered.
"The idea is that housing facing on to the corridor improves safety and integration with those surrounding neighbourhoods on that edge, so whether that housing eventually involves sale, long-term lease or partnership, that's a separate decision, that hasn't been made."
Guglietta said the group welcomed innovative ideas for the area, such as tiny houses, and were hoping to gather feedback at a public meeting in Richmond on June 4.
This story was first published on rnz.co.nz |  |
