Blog Archives

The opening of The Piano

16/9/2016

E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e rau rangatira mā
Tēnei te mihi ki a koutou i runga i te kaupapa o te rā
Tēnā koutou Tēnā koutou Tēnā koutou katoa

Minister Nicky Wagner
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen
It gives me very great pleasure to be here this afternoon.
Two weeks ago when the WORD Writers & Readers Festival was on I spent almost my entire weekend here at the Piano.
I think in that one weekend this beautiful facility confirmed for me it was already living up to its claim to be a world class facility for New Zealand and a home for music and the arts in Canterbury.

Opening of the Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce

16/9/2016

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen
I had an opportunity a few weeks ago for a sneak preview of this building.

But it is wonderful to be here today to formally celebrate the return of the Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce to our city – back where it belongs, back in the centre of town where it has served the city for so many years.

The Chamber has worked so hard over the past six years to support that business community and to ensure they could continue to operate. Setting up Recover Canterbury with CDC was hugely beneficial – and the Government’s decisions to fund staff wages for businesses displaced by the earthquakes for 6 weeks while they sorted things out and to enable exporters to travel to reassure nervous markets – they were gold.

There’s been a huge journey to get here. I would imagine that commuting each day to his living room probably saved a lot of time for Peter but it can’t have been easy – not just working from home but having everyone working from your home.

Then of course, what was actually a large tent over in Addington, then back into town to temporary premises and now finally home again to Kilmore Street.

The challenges have been enormous and I would like to pay tribute to the dedication of the Chamber team during this time.

Their work over the past 6 years mirrors the Chamber’s long and distinguished history of service to our city.

It was founded in Lyttelton in 1859, 157 years ago, and then moved over the hills to Christchurch in 1862.

And ever since its founding, the Chamber has been an active participant in many of the historic events of our city.
I mention this because Christchurch is New Zealand’s oldest city – founded by royal charter back in 1856.

Now we are becoming New Zealand’s newest city as well.

It’s an exciting time to be moving back to the heart of the City. Congratulations to you Peter, your Board and your\ entire team. Well done.

The Changeover welcome

15/9/2016

It is an honour and a privilege to welcome to Christchurch, the cast and crew of The Changeover: Producer, Emma Slade and Director Stuart McKenzie, Miranda Harcourt and all the cast, Tim Spall and his wife Shayne, Nick Galitzine, from the UK and our own Erena James and her parents Jackie and Kev and Benji, who at 5yrs is the youngest member of the cast, and His Mum Cath.
It was only a matter of weeks ago when I learned of the possibility of the Changeover being filmed here, and here we are today.
When Miranda said that the city itself was a pivotal character I wanted us to be associated in any way that we could.
As you will see we have had a few challenges recently but we wanted to ensure that you knew that our welcome was heartfelt.
We pride ourselves on being a great host city. When we hosted the Commonwealth Games many years ago, the athletes dubbed them the Friendly Games.
I knew Margaret Mahy and I can assure you that her character was as captivating as are her words on the page. She was a glorious woman, full of colour and joy. Her ability to connect across generations was amazing.
She would be over the moon that The Changeover was being filmed in her hometown.
You will see from the Margaret Mahy Playground that her name lives on in the city – not only in our libraries and bookstores.
I confess that I haven’t read the Changeover - yet. So I went looking for a quote and found this review in amongst thousands that litter the internet.
Do I still love this book now? Yes. It's scary, sensual (in a non-graphic way), smart, magical, empowering and in many other ways fabulous. Plus it's set in New Zealand, which as a kid growing up in one of the landlocked parts of the US, that seemed kind of magical in and of itself.
Anyway, I still vividly recall certain scenes, and the wonder of reading those scenes is still there for me as an adult.

Here's a quote from one of those scenes. I'm not sure if it's my favourite, but it's a good representation of the heroine, Laura Chant, and her ally, Sorry (Sorenson Carlisle) as she makes an object of power under the supervision of the witch Winter (Sorry's mother):

"Stamp, your name is to be Laura. I'm sharing my name with you. I'm putting my power into you and you must do my work. Don't listen to anyone but me." She thought for what seemed like a long time, though it was really only a single second, and in that time, oddly enough, the picture of the old, whistling kettle at home came into her mind. "You are to be my command laid on my enemy. You'll make a hole in him through which he'll drip away until he runs dry. As he drips out darkness, we'll smile together, me outside, you inside. We'll " (she found her voice rising higher and growing a little hysterical) " ... we'll crush him between our smiles." She looked up at the reflected witches and said nervously, "Is that enough?"

"Quite enough," Winter said, and behind the fine lace of her age, Laura saw a reflection of Sorry's wariness.

"Terrific!" exclaimed Sorry. "Chant, can I be on your side? I'd hate to be your enemy."
What a wonderful teaser.
In Maori you are welcomed not only once, but twice and then three times.
No reira tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutoa katoa.

RESILIENCE PLAN RELEASE EVENT

13/9/2016

4pm Tuesday 13 September CCC Function Room
E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā rau rangatira mā
Tēnei te mihi ki a koutou i runga i te kaupapa o te rā nei
Tēnā koutou katoa

Tā Mark Solomon, Kaiwhakahaere Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu
Mayor Kelvin Coe
Mayor David Ayers
Dame Margaret Bazley
Sam Kernaghan, 100RC Associate Director Asia Pacific
Chief Resilience Officers from the 100RC Network from Wellington, Melbourne and Sydney
Dr Te Maire Tau
Representatives of Kaiapoi, Rangiora and Selwyn Districts
Representatives of the community,
Distinguished guests, ladies & gentlemen

Welcome to you all.
I asked that we start with the Christchurch Story which has been put together by the airport company based on Share An Idea from 2011 and 50 recent interviews.
It reflects what we feel about our city – a city with opportunity – to grow, to connect and to find balance.
This speaks equally to the Greater Christchurch area which includes Selwyn and Waimakiriri Districts.
It seemed a fitting way to introduce the launch of Resilient Greater Christchurch.
The Greater Christchurch partnership was established several years before the earthquakes struck.
The vision was:
By the year 2041, we will have a vibrant inner city and suburban centres surrounded by thriving rural communities and towns, connected by efficient and sustainable infrastructure.
There will be a wealth of public spaces ranging from bustling inner city streets to expansive open spaces and parks, which embrace natural systems, landscapes and heritage.
Innovative businesses will be welcomed and can thrive, supported by a wide range of attractive facilities and opportunities.
Prosperous communities will enjoy a variety of lifestyles in good health and safety, enriched by the diversity of cultures and the beautiful environment of Greater Christchurch.”
The vision has not only survived our experience; it has been enhanced.
Today is a milestone for the Greater Christchurch Partnership.
Just before being elected as Mayor in 2013 I discovered that the Rockefeller Foundation had decided to celebrate their centenary by devoting their energy and financial support to building a network of resilient cities around the world.
I had already worked out that building resilience was the solution that I had been looking for in the light of our experience. We can confidently face an unknown future from the perspective of disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and sustainable development when we build resilience.
I knew it wasn’t going to be easy to enthuse Christchurch to embrace resilience, because we collectively groan when someone comes and tells us that we are resilient, when they mean stoic. Which is of course an admirable Cantabrian trait. But it doesn’t mean resilience.
The true meaning of resilience is what’s vital to preparing for an uncertain future – it’s the capacity of individuals, communities and systems to survive, adapt, grow and even transform in the face of stress and shocks and even transform when conditions require it. Building resilience is about making people, communities and systems better prepared to withstand catastrophic events – both natural and manmade – and be able to bounce back more quickly and emerge stronger from these shocks and stresses.
The capacity for adaptive management and the ability to co-create the new normal as I call it is another element of building resilience.
That is why community engagement lies at the heart of the matter. I remember Professor Gluckman, the Prime Minister’s Chief Scientist, making this point early on in the piece. He said:
“It follows that, from the psychosocial perspective, those involved in directing the recovery should create governance structures that understand and actively include community participation and enhance individual and community resilience. Such approaches will be most likely to be effective in re-establishing coping and functioning communities.”
The deadline for applying for the 100 Resilient Cities Network was before the elections in 2013 but the Mayor, Sir Bob Parker, readily helped ensure Christchurch could submit an expression of interest. After I was elected one of my first tasks was to sign the official application to the Rockefeller Foundation. And here we are.
The Resilient Greater Christchurch Plan sets up our city and surrounding districts to be forward looking and prepared for the challenges of the future, whatever they may be.
It will enable our communities to be more resilient and to play an active role in their recovery and regeneration.
This plan sets out four key goals, and wrapped around them are two guiding principles.
The first of these is achieving a meaningful Treaty partnership with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and the Papatipu Rūnanga.
The second key principles speaks to the importance of consistency and collaboration across tiers of government. We cannot afford to have silos within and between agencies be they central or local government and the wider community.
Regenerate Christchurch is a new collaborative model that has community engagement embedded in its DNA and that creates real optimism for the future.
Our resilience plan describes how we can build resilience through four goals, each with related programmes and actions.

We are connected communities living in adaptable places
We are a community that participates in shaping our future
We are prosperous by sustaining the vitality of the natural environment, fostering innovation and attracting people
We understand our risks to be better prepared for future challenges

There are many elements to achieving these goals but I think that you will see that all of them are about mutual actions. Resilience is not a top down exercise, but nor is it grassroots up alone. It has to be both.
I remember the local Canterbury Community Recovery Network had a motto – the wisdom of the community always exceeds the knowledge of the experts. I believe it should say – the wisdom of the community when combined with the knowledge of the experts always exceeds what one can offer without the other.
To achieve these resilience goals we need leaders – champions. And these are already embedded in our community as you will hear.
We are committing at least 10% of our budget to resilience – that’s not only about infrastructure – it’s about people. Resilient communities lie at the heart of resilient cities and our commitment is actually an investment in our people.
Resilience is a journey, not a destination.
Which is why I like quoting Judith Rodin the chair of the Rockefeller Foundation who ended her book the Resilience Dividend thus:
“There is no ultimate or end state of resilience. But, by working together to build resilience to the greatest degree possible, we can reduce our reliance on crisis as a driver of change and, instead, deliberately take the future into our own hands – for the well-being of our families, our communities, our cities, and indeed, the planet we all share.”
Isn’t that a hopeful and challenging way to introduce our plan. No-one needs to wait for a crisis to do that if we truly learn the lessons of the Christchurch experience.
Nō reira, Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa

15th Anniversary of the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks

11/9/2016

US Deputy Chief of Mission Candy Green
Fire Service Assistant Area Commander Crawford
Christchurch City Councillors Lonsdale and Johanson
Chair of the Shirley Papanui Community Board Mike Davidson
Members of the American Club
Men and women of the emergency services
I will never forget September 11, 2001 – I was in Parliament back then and asleep in my flat in Wellington when my husband Rob rang me – it must have been between 2 and in the morning – he told me to switch on my television set and he started talking me through what I was seeing but not capable of comprehending.
The first plane had struck the North Tower of the World Trade centre at 8.46am – just after quarter to one the following morning here in New Zealand – and the course of world history was changed forever.
Nearly 3000 people lost their lives that day and there would have been more, were it not for the bravery of passengers on board Flight 93.
Of those who died, just over 400 people were first responders, most of whom were New York City firefighters.
We remember all the acts of heroism associated with that day, but most of all we recall their courage and their willingness to give their lives in the service of the citizens of their city and their country.
In the aftermath of the attacks, thousands of volunteers rushed to New York to join the rescue and recovery efforts.
This spirit of compassion, of wanting to help, was something we saw in Christchurch after the earthquakes.
When the Fire Fighters' Games were held here in 2002, our city was deeply honoured to receive this unique memorial, gifted by the City of New York to honour all firefighters.
I found a quote from a New York firefighter, who said at the time "No matter where you are, whether it's New York, Australia, New Zealand, we're just a special breed of people. … it takes a lot to run in when everyone's running out!"
On this day, we remember all of those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, we honour all those who were prepared to run in and who made the ultimate sacrifice 15 years ago and we remember all those who protect and serve and have died in the line of duty.

Lease signing with Otautahi Community Housing Trust

7/9/2016

Welcome everyone – this is a significant event, a milestone in the long history of Christchurch’s commitment to social housing.

Our city’s involvement in social housing has a proud history, dating back to 1921 when eight houses were built on Council land in Huxley Street, Sydenham.

We were the first local authority in New Zealand to provide a purpose-built complex for elderly people, which was on Barnett Avenue, also in Sydenham.

And today, the Council is the second-largest landlord in New Zealand after Housing New Zealand with a portfolio of over two thousand social housing units.

Back in February 2014 we took a decision to consult the community on how we were best able to take our role in social housing forward.

This recognised that for some reason, local authorities are the only providers of social housing the government will not pay the income related rental subsidy – they will pay it to themselves and community housing providers but not to us.

The Government wants out of social housing; they’ve made that clear – we here in Christchurch are happy to step up and take over their role.

I personally believe we could provide a much more joined up integrated service if the city was able to share responsibility for all social housing tenants with the relevant local communities and we were able to provide security of tenure – building communities as opposed to houses.

Partnering with the Otautahi Community Housing Trust gives us the opportunity as a city to partner with a range of NGOs with expertise in much wider range of services than we provide. This is about ensuring tenants’ welfare and putting the social housing service on a better financial footing.

And it gives the Trust an opportunity to reach out to central government and invite them into the partnership, which would be better for all.

I’m attracted to the People's Project, Hamilton's multi-agency effort to end the complex and controversial business of homelessness in the city. It connects those who are sleeping rough with accommodation first and then provides the wrap-around support services they might need to restore independent living.

The signing of the lease to the Otautahi Community Housing Trust strengthens our city’s commitment to our most vulnerable community members continuing to have access to good-quality, affordable social housing.

And shows how much more we can achieve when we develop partnerships with our communities.

The Trust will ensure a stable future for tenants, while also acting as a catalyst for the building of new housing units in the city, and developing further partnerships which will enable our city’s commitment to housing, which started 95 years ago this year, to flourish for the decades to come.

And as I sign the lease can I acknowledge Carolyn Gallagher and her team – this isn’t just something we have to do, it is something we ought to do – it is in the best interests of our tenants today and those who come in the future. And you can be proud of the contribution you and your team have made.

INSTALLATION OF TIME CAPSULE - JOHN ROBERT GODLEY STATUE

6/9/2016

On August 6 1867, some 2000 people crammed into Cathedral Square to see the statue of John Robert Godley unveiled.

This was the original site of the statue, but it was moved in 1918 – to make way for a tram shelter and public toilets - and then returned here in 1933.

Those moves offered the opportunity to install a couple of time capsules, and, in March, after the February 2011 earthquake, a contractor discovered two items under the Godley statue plinth, one a small glass capsule and the other a large metal object.

Sir Bob is going to say a few words about those capsules as he was present at their opening.

The statue was reinstated last year, but we didn't have a ceremony, as we were awaiting the preparation for a new time capsule to be placed here. The intention is for it to be raised in 2067, the 200th anniversary of the unveiling of the statue.

So may I on this occasion acknowledge the project team that has worked on the reinstatement of the statue and those involved in the time capsule:

The structural engineers, Dunning Thornton
The conservator – Emily Fryer
The bronze workers who repaired & reassembled the statue - The Heavy Metal Company of Wellington
City Care and Mark Whyte – who looked after the plinth
And the Council staff who coordinated all of this (Jo Grigg, Maria Adamski, Jenny May)

The project also received a donation towards repairs from the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies of New Zealand, which I acknowledge with thanks.

So another piece of our colonial history has been restored and we are leaving some of our present for others to discover in the future.

I note that Godley died in 1861 - that's when Christchurch achieved its city status making it the first city in New Zealand - and as we can see around us, New Zealand's oldest city is becoming New Zealand's newest city.

Occasions like today allow us to reflect on our past while imagining what the future holds.

Thank you for everyone who has helped make this happen.

The opening of The Piano

Opening of the Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce

The Changeover welcome

RESILIENCE PLAN RELEASE EVENT

15th Anniversary of the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks

Lease signing with Otautahi Community Housing Trust

INSTALLATION OF TIME CAPSULE - JOHN ROBERT GODLEY STATUE

Speeches

Social Media

The opening of The Piano

Opening of the Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce

The Changeover welcome ﻿

RESILIENCE PLAN RELEASE EVENT

15th Anniversary of the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks

Lease signing with Otautahi Community Housing Trust

INSTALLATION OF TIME CAPSULE - JOHN ROBERT GODLEY STATUE

Speeches

Social Media

The Changeover welcome