Harrison McEvoy for Papanui Community Board

An election sign featuring Simon Britten and Harrison McEvoy, campaigning for Council and Community Board respectively with The People's Choice in Papanui Ward in Ōtautahi Christchurch.

Ōtautahi friends, do you have room on your fence for my face? I'm campaigning for Council in Papanui Ward, and am in need of some sites for election signs, especially in the Redwood/Papanui area. Thanks to those who have already offered! Reposts appreciated too :)

I’m running to be your local representative if you live in Papanui, Northcote, Redwood, Casebrook, or St Albans.

In October, I'm asking for you to vote for me and all other People's Choice candidates when your ballot comes. I'm local, connected, and committed to serving you as your representative.

I'm very happy to confirm that I am running for Community Board in Papanui this year.

Read more: foamerman.substack.com/p/why-im-sta...

I'm proud to be standing as part of The People's Choice in Christchurch Local Government ticket, alongside Simon Britten @thinkpapanui.bsky.social

Abuse in Politics is getting worse. Christchurch has a serious problem.

Read here: foamerman.substack.com/p/christchur...

Woolworths is applying for a resource consent on Madras Street. Here are some thoughts I want to share about it.

The St Albans Residents Association is hosting a series of public information meetings starting tonight (9th April) - 7-8:30pm.

Read here: foamerman.substack.com/p/what-to-do...

Local Government cops a lot of flack thanks to Central Government changing its rules. What kind of issues has that created here in Christchurch?

Read here: foamerman.substack.com/p/local-poli...

Christchurch City Council is split into several smaller authorities called Community Boards. Who are they and what do they control?

Read here: foamerman.substack.com/p/local-poli...

Its on the list 😂

Ever wondered who sits at the Council table, and what they stand for? Allow me to shine a little bit of light on that for you.

1 Mayor, 16 Councillors, and what I hope is a fairly balanced take on all of them.

Read here: foamerman.substack.com/p/local-poli...

Local politics is a rewarding space to work in, but can often be an absolute headscratcher to understand. Over the next few weeks, I'm going to hold your hand through the plays and the players of local government; and what it all means.

Read now: foamerman.substack.com/p/local-poli...

Razed to dust, this is what Israel's apocalyptic erasure of Northern Gaza looks like. Palestinians are "returning" to nuclear-scale desolation.

Imagine a city where people can move freely by any way possible and where traffic is a thing of the past.

That requires a revolution for our transport infrastructure. Here’s my take on what that needs to look like

Read more: foamerman.substack.com/p/revolution...

This year, I started writing. This one is a quick recap and thank you to the people who have supported this, and an idea of where I plan to go next.

Read more: foamerman.substack.com/p/a-year-in-...

Antigua St bridge cycle counter hit 500,000 riders this year earlier today! Awesome sight to see and shows just how popular cycling is.

TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT ON DRINKING WATER WHICH COUNCILLORS VOTED AGAINST NITRATE TESTING? Last month, some Environment Canterbury Councillors voted against region-wide water nitrate testing events in Canterbury that would improve awareness regarding water quality. The motion passed, but it was too close for comfort. Lists councillors who voted for : For Greg Brynes (Christchurch Central) Grant Edge (North Canterbury) Peter Scott (South Canterbury) Tutehounuku ‘Nuk’ Korako (Ngāi Tahu) Craig Pauling (Christchurch West) Vicky Southwarth (Christchurch South) Paul Dietsche (Christchurch South) Genevieve Robinson (Christchurch Central) Voted against Against Claire McKay (North Canterbury) David East (Christchurch North East) John Sunckell (Mid Canterbury) Deon Swiggs (Christchurch West) Ian McKenzie (Mid Canterbury) Nick Ward (South Canterbury) Joe Davies (Christchurch North East) Councillors were asked to vote on a motion to request a report from ECan staff on running region-wide nitrate testing for private well owners. The motion passed with a slim majority, but another vote will be needed once the report is returned to council and water testing events can commence. TXT "WATER" TO 963 TO SEND AN EMAIL TO ALL COUNCILLORS TELLING THEM THEY MUST HOLD THE LINE TO PROTECT DRINKING WATER IN CANTERBURY.

Published in newspapers across the Canterbury region today.

Following the launch of a program aimed at incentivizing office to residential conversion projects in Downtown Boston by streamlining permitting & offering tax incentives, The City of Boston has received applications to convert 18 office buildings totaling 611,000sf of space into 690 apartments.

However, Wellington mayor Tory Whanau said the new information clearly showed that members of Vision for Wellington had lobbied the Government around intervention, "despite previously denying this was the case". She took a swipe at the hand several of the group had previously had in running the city. "It's important to remind them, and the Government, that they do not stand for or represent Wellington, and are partially responsible for some of the historical issues Wellington now faces.

It's rare you get such a clear illustration of whose lives have value in America and whose don't

Do we know if the $900 million includes the break costs for the ferries currently under construction? If not, expect more costs on top!

Bike city Copenhagen Life in Copenhagen is lived in the saddle of a bicycle. Everybody does it. Bike that is. In Copenhagen we bike whether there is sun, rain or snow. We bike to work, to school, to bring the kids to kind...

While Copenhagen brags about being the best bike city in the world, here in Christchurch the Copenhagen Bakery fought tooth and nail to prevent a cycleway for the sake of a few car parks. www.visitcopenhagen.com/biking

The continued delays to the Wheels to Wings cycleways deprive the residents of the Papanui and Harewood wards of safer active transport.

This is simply an unacceptable result.

Christchurch had New Zealand's first public railway. 161 years later, we have no Commuter Rail services. How can we fix this injustice?

Read more: foamerman.substack.com/p/relearning...

#transport #christchurch #urbanism

List of Brent’s 4 Starter Packs

If you’re interested in cities and how to make them better, scroll to my “Starter Packs” section & explore 4 Packs I’ve created:

- Urbanism & City-Building
- Better Transportation & Mobility
- Canadian Urbanism
- Smart Cities & Climate Action

Please help share them, especially with NEW audiences!

Time to go to work again

If it does turn out that the advice given wasn't correct or really doesn't add up, two Councillors will have wrongly and unfairly been deprived of their elected right to partake in this debate.

We elect them for that purpose. 9/9

One can't guarantee which way each Councillor would have voted, but their voices for their communities should have been heard either way.

This appears to be quite a departure from standard operations, and a rather absurd/risky precedent to set.

We will see what information comes to light 8/🧵

I already have an LGOIMA request in to see the official advice from both CCC staff and the Office of the Auditor General, but I suspect it will be blocked on privacy grounds.

Which leaves a lot of opaque space and a lot of unanswerable questions around this process. 7/🧵

This is a weird and unusual precedent, and one I'm thoroughly unhappy with. We elect our members to be around the table. They are capable of managing their COIs based on official advice.

There is no way that the COIs listed completely disqualified two Councillors from every agenda item. 6/🧵

Cr Peters acknowledged that he possessed COIs and still partook.

In the words of Mayor Phil Mauger, if he had to recuse himself completely every time a COI arose, he would hardly ever vote. 5/🧵

Are we then led to believe that Crs Donovan and Gough's COIs are so egregious that they could not possibly vote at all on any part of the agenda?

If property ownership or being the recipient of a trust are disqualifying factors, we would have no Councillors able to vote on this matter. 4/🧵