Council offers rebate for fun fences

JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON/FAIRFAX NZ

INCENTIVE: At this stage, only developers in the central city will be eligible for the rebate for creative fences.

Central city developers who give their construction site fences a wow factor now stand to gain financially.

The city council has agreed to rebate up to 100 per cent of the temporary use of legal road fees it charges developers when their fences encroach on public footpaths and roads if they take steps to improve their appearance by adding art work or other features.

The council initially was only intending to offer a rebate of up to 50 per cent but councillors decided there would be more incentive for developers to tart up their fences if a 100 per cent rebate was on offer.

The move could potentially cost the council around $200,000 a year in lost revenue but the council's chief operating officer Jane Parfitt said the potential benefits outweighed the loss of the income.

Only developers in the central city will be eligible for the rebate at this stage but councillors have asked staff to report back on the implications of applying the rebate to developments throughout the city.

Cr Jamie Gough lead the push to increase the rebate to 100 per cent, saying the council should be doing all it could to make it easier for developers in the city.

If it wanted to encourage developers to ditch their "cheap and dirty fencing'' for fencing that was more visually appealing, it needed to offer a strong incentive.

Cr Yani Johanson said the rebate should also apply to developers outside of the central city as it was important that construction sites throughout Christchurch were made as attractive as possible.

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Council offers rebate for fun fences