Management of about 6,000 red zone properties has been transferred from Government department Land Information New Zealand to Christchurch City Council.

The council is now responsible for managing “Crown-owned residential red zone land in flatland areas – Brooklands, Southshore, South New Brighton and the Avon River Corridor” according a statement from LINZ.

LINZ will still manage the Port Hills red zone.

For Christchurch residents, this means council is now the contact for red zone flatlands maintenance, plant and animal pest management, security, traffic management, land access and permanent land use.

There’s no word on how much the management of the red zone areas will cost rate payers.

Community representatives on a council-led Red Zones Transformative Land Use Group will make recommendations on possible initiatives, ideas, and activities to help temporarily transform the city’s red zone land. 

The group will also make funding decisions for short-term, transitional projects, which could be one-off events or projects that last up to five years.