Surveying starts in river red zone

Surveying has started on Crown-owned land in the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor, one of the final steps to prepare it for handover to Christchurch City Council.

Because the corridor area is so vast, Crown-owned land has been divided into 29 areas, with the first few now being surveyed by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ).

The land needs to be surveyed before it is transferred to the Council to amalgamate thousands of property titles, formally stop roads and legally define new boundaries. Once complete, the new fit-for-purpose lots will essentially be blank slates ready for activities anticipated in the 2019 Regeneration Plan.

Surveyors are now on the ground in the river corridor, with each area expected to take up to three months to complete.

“Last year we reviewed each title’s interest to see if anyone had rights to the land – for example an easement, a covenant or a mortgage,” says Lydia Bloy, LINZ Group Manager of Crown Property.

“This in itself was a huge piece of work – we reviewed almost 16,500 interests across the corridor which is three-and-a-half times larger than Hagley Park.”

LINZ then worked with the Council to divide the corridor into 29 areas and develop a scheme plan for each. Each scheme plan contains a number of sections which align with different land uses anticipated in the 2019 Regeneration Plan.

Before surveying begins, the Council approves each scheme plan to confirm the boundary of sections and redundant roads to be stopped.

“Because scheme plans are being approved progressively, the actual land transfer will happen in phases based on the Council’s priorities, including for land needed for ecological restoration,” says Ms Bloy.

“When the transfer of ownership happens, it’ll be a major milestone for the city’s regeneration. LINZ is handing over the land in a park-like state, and the survey work we’re doing now will ensure it can more easily be used for future activities.”