Christchurch’s Acting Mayor Andrew Turner is welcoming changes to the Local Government Act that reinforce the role of councils in promoting community wellbeing.

The Local Government (Community Well-being) Amendment Bill passed its third and final reading in Parliament last night, effectively reinstating the four aspects of community well-being – social, economic, environmental and cultural – into the Local Government Act.

There will be fewer Anzac Day services in the Riccarton area this year owing to changes following the March mosque tragedy.

This week we are heading into Easter, the main festival in the Christian calendar. Good Friday is on 19th April, with Easter Sunday following. Services in the Riccarton area include:

A response fund has been approved to support immediate and emerging needs in the community following the Mosque terror attack.

A poem written by Muslim Sirwan Mohamadi -- an Iranian refugee -- two days after the Christchurch mosque tragedies.

What more is there to be said?
When women and children are among the dead?
What is going through your head?
Now that 50 and more could be dead?

A large number of planned vigils and events around Canterbury and New Zealand are being held over the next few days in commemoration of the massacres on 15 March. The main events in Christchurch are:

• The March for Love (https://www.facebook.com/events/615538675578234/) will be held in North Hagley Park on Saturday 23 March at 10am. All public transport, including the Diamond Harbour ferry, will be free between 7am and 2pm.

• The Remember Those Who Lost Their Lives 15-3-19 (https://www.facebook.com/events/cathedral-square-christchurch/remember-those-who-lost-their-lives-15-3-19/441867649884886/) gathering will be held in North Hagley Park on Sunday 24 March between 5pm and 7pm. All public transport will be free from 2pm for this event.

The Christchurch City Council also advises the following:

• • Environment Canterbury has announced it will provide free public transport for anyone wishing to attend the two community-led gatherings mentioned above, arranged for this weekend. Bus service will run to their usual timetables and we’re advising people to allow extra time for their journey.
  • A condolence book has been set up on the ground floor of the central library, Tūranga, where people can leave messages of support and sympathy. Tūranga is open from 8am until 8pm on weekdays, and from 10am until 5pm at weekends.
  • The Great Hall at the Arts Centre of Christchurch in Worcester Boulevard is open as a place of reflection and gathering. All are welcome.