Supporting communities  |  17 Oct 2019

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Tighter controls on tourist bus parking, more toilet facilities and “smart” public rubbish bins will all be in place for the busy upcoming cruise ship season in Akaroa.

With 90 cruise ship visits to the town this summer, the Christchurch City Council is working to ensure there are measures to manage the influx of passengers as well as other general tourists and visitors.

These include trialling new ways of handling traffic on cruise ship days. 

Under the trial, fewer tourist buses will wait in Beach Road to pick up or drop off ship passengers, mini buses will move to the Bruce slipway on quieter days to help reduce Akaroa Wharf congestion, and there will be greater enforcement of parking restrictions. 

Tour bus drivers will be encouraged to arrive in Akaroa closer to their pick-up times to help reduce waiting time and congestion.

Council staff will be in Akaroa to monitor the rollout of the plan, and make adjustments if necessary.

More toilet facilities and new “smart” rubbish bins will be in place by mid-November.  

A new public toilet block at Place de la Poste – behind the Akaroa Service Centre on Rue Jolie – will replace the old toilets. It will contain eight toilets, including two accessible toilets.

Six solar-powered Bigbelly rubbish bins will be operating at key spots around Akaroa.

A built-in compactor means the bins can swallow up to five times more rubbish than a standard waste bin. The bins utilise smart sensors to detect rubbish levels and alert maintenance staff when nearing capacity. Some will also have Wi-Fi capability that is free for public use within a 60-metre radius.

The Council will also step up parks maintenance during the summer.

Council Citizens and Community Principal Advisor Brent Smith says there has been a collaborative approach to supporting the busy cruise ship season in Akaroa.

“We’re working with the cruise lines, transport operators, businesses and other organisations such as NZ Police to improve the experience for locals and visitors in Akaroa during the cruise ship days,” Mr Smith says. 

“We’ve introduced measures to help manage high visitor numbers, and believe these multiple improvements will benefit everyone.”