Last bit of Avon River precinct transferred to council

Tuesday, 19 December 2023

Ownership of a pedestrian bridge in central Christchurch has been transferred to the city council, meaning the entire Te Papa Ōtākaro/Avon River Precinct now belongs to the council.

The river precinct stretches from Christchurch Hospital to Fitzgerald Ave and includes the earthquake memorial, the city promenade, the Margaret Mahy Family Playground, and the Avon Loop, which was formerly a residential area.

The footbridge crosses the Avon between Colombo and Manchester streets.

“While the transfer of the bridge to the council marks the end of our work along the river, I look forward to seeing how the river corridor continues to evolve,” said Greg Wilson, director of programme delivery at Rau Paenga (formerly Ōtākaro Ltd).

The river precinct “makes our city a more vibrant and enjoyable place for people to spend time, and the bridge creates a connection locals and visitors can use when exploring our city”, city council interim chief executive Mary Richardson said.

“We look forward to continuing in our role as kaitiakitanga (guardian) of this important place,”

The 48,000m² precinct cost $120 million.

More than 500 trees, 45,000 plants and 34 artworks and installations were added to the central city.

The 32m-long bridge cost Ōtākaro $3.1m and opened in 2021. The crossing was initially going to be artistic statement but a simple design was selected instead to keep maintenance costs down.