Glow popularity gives council plenty to ponder
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
The future of Glow in the Park looks bright - but isn’t locked in yet.
The second year of the light festival in the Tinwald Domain attracted more than 17,000 people over two nights at the weekend, before rain washed out the third night on Sunday.
Even with one night scrapped, it meant crowd figures were well above the inaugural 2022 event, which had around 10,000 people over the three nights.
Despite the popularity of the event, there is no guarantee it returns in 2024, council chief executive Hamish Riach said.
“We’re currently gathering feedback from attendees, so we can make further improvements if Glow returns next year.
“We’re yet to confirm our event calendar for 2024, so we can’t promise that Glow will return at this stage.
“We’re absolutely delighted with the number of people who visited over the weekend and it’s clear from the very positive feedback we’ve received, that the event has strong community support."
Ashburton mayor Neil Brown hailed Glow as an excellent event, with the only snag being “it took a little while to get there... because it was so popular the roads were congested”.
“Perhaps we do need another bridge."
The inaugural Glow was held to celebrate EA Networks centenary and “it was so popular we thought why not do this again”, Brown said.
“We get sponsors on board which is good so it doesn’t cost the ratepayer much money at all and it is a free event.
“It is popular and we can probably build on it even more.”
The review into the event is already underway, with the public survey released to gather feedback before a council debrief will consider the future of the event, Riach said.
For the 2023 Glow, the council set aside $15,000 from its community event budget, he said, but the event “was largely made possible through the generous support of our event sponsors and volunteers”.
“We’re still tallying the final costs and income from the weekend, but we’re hopeful that the event will be delivered on or slightly under budget."
Poll: Pedestrian access is being extended to the Ōtakaro Avon River - good idea?
Pedestrian access from one of Christchurch’s favourite streets is being extended all the way to the Ōtakaro Avon River. This new 12m-wide pathway will give you a direct, easy route from the street to the river promenade ... perfect for a stroll, a coffee run, or just soaking up the riverside vibes.
We want to know: In your view, what makes a city people-friendly?
What else should our urban areas be doing to support better community connections?
Curious about the full plans? You can check them out here.
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92.3% Yes
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7.7% No
Poll: Should we be giving the green light to new mining projects? 💰🌲
The Environmental Protection Authority announced this week that a proposed mine in Central Otago (near Cromwell) is about to enter its fast-track assessment process. A final decision could come within six months, and if it’s approved, construction might start as early as mid-2026.
We want to know: Should mining projects like this move ahead?
Keen to dig deeper? Mike White has the scoop.
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53.4% Yes
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46.6% No
A riddle to start the festive season 🌲🎁🌟
I'm a fruit. If you take away my first letter, I'm a crime. If you take away my first two letters, I'm an animal. If you take away my first and last letter, I'm a form of music. What am I?
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!
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