The Banks Peninsula Community Board on Monday approved the proposal to build the lookout and upgrade the current sealed parking area on the Christchurch City Council and Summit Road Society land. The new lookout will feature stone walls and native plantings.
The Summit Road Society has organised funding for the project, initially set at about $370,000, and construction is expected to start in February with the completion date set for April.
Along with the car park and lookout, the plan includes a flat area for a pou whenua and a plaque commemorating the work of Summit Road Society founder John Jameson.
Built in 1914 the Sign of the Bellbird is one of four rest houses built by conservationist and Member of Parliament Henry (Harry) George Ell, who was John Jameson’s grandfather.
“Discussion was happening before the earthquakes. The earthquakes derailed those discussions so it wasn’t until late 2018 that we started talking about it again.
“It’s the fulfilment of a long-held dream. This is a special place in the harbour where people will be able to go to enjoy the iconic view.”
Gray said the funding to get the project over the line had come from a number of different sources.
“Without that collaborative effort it wouldn’t have been possible.”
Remembering Polish settlers
A commemorative plaque to mark 150 years of Polish settlement in Canterbury is to be installed in the Sumner Road Gardens opposite the Lyttelton Police Station.
The plaque will sit on a boulder and be dedicated to the first Polish immigrants who arrived in Lyttelton on August 30, 1872.
The site was chosen as it provides a good view of the area where the settlers first arrived. A formal unveiling is planned for May next year.
