I have already commented on my being delighted that the Greater Christchurch 2050 consultation has been conducted way better than last time. Here’s a couple of additional items, one a comment and the other notice of a public meeting.
Thoughts of Bebe Frayle:
I received these thoughts from Bebe Frayle, a Community Board member from Coastal Community Board. Bebe comes from a section of our City which has been consulted to death, and where they still feel pretty raw about what has happened to their part of the City. Here’s her thoughts on the consultation:
I’m someone who usually loves a good engagement – I regularly write submissions to Council on things I care about. But I’ve been reluctant to wade into the Christchurch 2050 consultation recently put out by the Greater Christchurch Partnership (GCP).
It feels to me like well-meaning but disingenuous box-ticking. Why would I think that?
Firstly, because I have 38 days to provide my feedback. Which would be fine if all I wanted to do is complete a quick survey and be done with it. But we are encouraged to get out into our communities and gather feedback.
As the Chair of my local Resident’s Association and a member of a Community Board, I would like to be able to do this. But 38 days isn’t enough time to plan and hold high-quality community engagement events. Good engagement that reaches the quiet folk who need time to think and respond takes time. Months, not weeks.
To its credit, the GCP has provided some good resources to assist with community engagement. I can download a toolkit from its website that includes a facilitator guide, worksheets and an overview presentation.
I just need more time to deliver them.
Then there is the issue of the survey – “a few quick questions”. It attempts to distil huge questions around the future of population, technology, climate change, sustainability, liveability, housing, social cohesion into two sets of 30 questions. I must select a top 10 of things that are important to me, and issues that worry me. Then I get to prioritise my top five for each. It’s a very blunt tool. The issues facing us in the next 30 years are multiple and interconnected.
I can’t choose to promote some and ignore others. They are all going to pile on – they are all equally urgent.
We need deep, regular, informed conversations about the issues, so we are well prepared as a city for what is coming. I’m not convinced this engagement is the right way to start. The same people who always answer these things will submit their ideas. And the people who will be deeply impacted by things like climate change and housing unaffordability are too busy trying to hold down a job and pay rent to find a survey on a website and complete it. We must do more to understand what the future looks like for these people.
Not to mention that there is a weariness and a wariness about ‘engagement’ in Christchurch. Engagement got us from Share an Idea to the Blueprint monstrosity. I’m reluctant to engage when it’s on these terms.
Workshop toolkit:
A workshop for people to discuss Greater Christchurch 2050:
UPDATE re the Greater Christchurch Workshop for Third Sector Voices*
Mō tātou ā mō kā uri ā muri ake nei For us and our children after us Ngāi Tahu whakataukī
The Greater Christchurch Partnership (GCP) is working together on a new vision and plan for Greater Christchurch which is focused on ensuring intergenerational wellbeing. They have recently confirmed that we will be informed about the latest updates at our Workshop to help shape the new vision and plan:
Thursday 26 November Oxford Terrace Baptist Church
12.30pm – lunch 1-3pm – workshop
For catering purposes: RSVP: to tsovoices@gmail.com
This Greater Christchurch 2050 One Voice Te Reo Kotahi workshop will provide an opportunity to
- receive and respond to the conclusions to date from the feedback from the community surveys and conversations to date – including the community engagement and the three stakeholder workshops (Our Environment, Our Society and Our Economy)
- discuss how local partners (across the Third Sector, local government and other organisations) can work collectively to support intergenerational wellbeing.
This opportunity will be supported by Anna Elphick, the Greater Christchurch 2050 Strategic Framework Lead who will ensure the output from it will inform the development of the recommended strategic outcomes and outline plan which will be considered by the Leadership Workshop on the 11 December.
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