Avon River/Ōtākaro catchment

The Avon River/Ōtākaro winds its way through Christchurch from its spring source in Avonhead to the Avon-Heathcote Estuary/Ihutai. You can find more information about the river's water quality and health in Christchurch City Council's Waterway Health Report Card.

Addington Brook catchment

Addington Brook is an important waterway that winds its way through South Christchurch. Much of its journey is through the extensive stormwater network of underground pipes in the catchment until it emerges through Hagley Park before joining the Ōtākaro/Avon River in the Botanical Gardens.

We helped create this Living Catchment Management Plan (PDF File, 1.63MB) to protect and improve the health of the brook. This plan is a useful resource for anyone interested in helping improve the health of this catchment.

The Addington Brook Storyboard is a publicly accessible one-stop shop, housing all the knowledge we have gained about the catchment to date. It also provides a space to share information about in the catchment and future plans. It is an ever-evolving space and further content will be added as we learn more.

Avon/Ōtākaro in-river litter collection project

Avon Ōtākaro Network has joined forces with Healthy Rivers NZ, Without Waste, and the Riverlution Eco Hub to clean up the rubbish out of the Ōtākaro Avon River. Made possible with support from Christchurch City Council, Environment Canterbury and the Christchurch West Melton Zone Committee.

The project is not just about pulling the rubbish from the river, it is also about engaging with local schools, community groups, and other organisations to come along and sort, weigh, and catalogue the rubbish to build a good picture of where it is coming from and if they are making an impact.

The litter collection project will educate people about the idea that the rubbish on the street ends up in our stormwater, and the data they collect will help to inform where further action is required.

Since October 2022 they have had 18 sessions in the river collecting almost 2 tonnes of rubbish and diverting as much as possible from landfill. They will be using some of the rubbish to create a large art piece to be unveiled at the 2023 World Rivers Day event.

If your organisation can support this initiative with sponsorship get in touch with their Network Manager Hayley Guglietta at hayley@guglietta.co.nz or 029 9827180.