Editor’s perspective: Working together

For the last decade, New Brighton’s retail centre has been Christchurch’s poor relation, a far cry from its heyday as a popular beach destination.

Earthquake damage, land banking, and a lack of community consensus have all contributed to what was once a thriving seaside settlement deteriorating into a ramshackle collection of businesses with no holistic identity.

Hopefully that is about to change, with the latest plans being aired for a $2.3 million mall revamp. I say ‘hopefully’ because proposals have been put forward before, and not gone ahead, mainly because of land banking, and those involved not being able to agree on key aspects.

I am proud to say that I live in New Brighton, in ‘The Hood’, and, like many others there, I believe it has a bright future as a vibrant seaside destination.

A dedicated team of locals is trying to move forward with the new plans, and this is where community consensus is vitally important. The time for New Brighton’s community to band together for the greater good is now. Without that happening, there can be no real progress.
Think about the big picture, and about the economic gains for the township, if nothing else.

On another note, ANZAC Day has just been commemmorated, and it was gratifying to see so many turn out to mark the sacrifices made by previous generations. Young and old alike made the pilgrimage to local war memorials throughout greater Christchurch, in memory of family members past and present, helping to ensure that we never forget what they did for us.