Podcasts about Christchurch City Council

What part of no does the Christchurch City Council not understand? Because, despite us knowing what the answer would be, councillors yesterday voted in favour of putting another $15 million into the Anglican Cathedral reinstatement project, providing the government came to the party. And, wouldn't you know it - within just a few hours of the vote happening - Finance Minister Nicola Willis was already pouring cold water on the idea. Saying the government has already contributed $25 million to the cathedral and there won't be any more. She said there are many pressing infrastructure needs and the cathedral isn't one of them. She'll get no argument from me on that one. Not that anyone should be surprised. Because she said the exact same thing last year when the people involved in the reinstatement went knocking on the door asking the government to come to their rescue. Which she reminded us of last night. Saying: “In declining the cathedral's funding ask, we noted that the requested amount represented a significant contribution for a building that would not be owned by the public, and where public use could be limited due to the cathedral being a private, religious space.” Which was a polite way of telling the cathedral people, and now the council too, that it was no the first time, it's no this time and don't bother asking a third time. Because, as far as she's concerned, it is end of story. And fair enough, too. Because it would be obscene, given the state of the country's finances and the state of our infrastructure, for more taxpayer money to go into it. I even think it's obscene that the City Council thought it was ok to ask for it. How more tone deaf could it be? It's end of story too as far as Labour is concerned. Chris Hipkins has previously said that he doesn't think more taxpayer money should go into the cathedral. And local Labour MP Tracey McLellan said the same thing last night. Winston Peters, though, has already pledged $15 million if he's in the next government. But I can't imagine that being one of his non-negotiables in any coalition talks. So I think the cathedral can kiss goodbye to any money coming from any government. In case you need it, let me remind you of the numbers. The reinstatement project is $90 million short. They've asked for a total of between $40 million and $45 million from ratepayers and taxpayers. And, so far, somewhere around $90 million has been spent. More numbers for you: when the vote was taken yesterday, 11 councillors and Mayor Phil Mauger voted in favour. Three were against and two abstained. And there were emotional scenes around the council table, apparently. One report I've seen says Councillor Melanie Coker was fighting back tears. Saying she was torn about spending the council's surplus, because of the other things it could be spent on, but said the cathedral is the heart of the city. She said: “We had an earthquake and it kept us out of the city. It was like a break-up with the city that we knew and we never got it back again, so we need to heal our broken heart.” Councillor Andrei Moore was very anti. He told the meeting that he'd done a survey and, of the 1,200 who took part, 91 percent were opposed to the council funding the cathedral. He said he wasn't prepared to ignore what the people had said and, if he did, he would be breaching their trust. He said: “I don't think we are doing the right thing.” Never a truer word said. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch City Council is debating a major rewrite of the central city's noise rules after live music venue owners warned they were liable to be exposed to noise complaints. Some bars are limited to 45 decibels, which is about the same as the hum of a refrigerator. But with the City's new stadium, venues say they need less restrictions to make the most of the buzz. City Councillor Andrei Moore is campaigning for the removal of these noise limits, and he told Matt and Tyler that these restrictions are, 'a number of years behind.' LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch City Council is moving ahead with plans to clamp down on short term accommodation, and we meet Wallace the rescue dog.

Why do councils bother with public consultation when, it seems, they don't even listen to what people have to say? I'm asking that after the announcement by the Christchurch City Council that it wants to put another $15 million into the reinstatement of the Anglican Cathedral. That's on top of the $10 million the council has already committed to the project. I'm asking because, even though only a minuscule amount of people have told the council that it should, it wants to do it anyway. Back in February, the council launched a public consultation process to find out whether people thought it should give more money to the cathedral or not. Only 14 percent of the people who took part said it should, which equates to less than 200 people. Nevertheless, the council wants to go ahead with it anyway. To be slightly fair to the council, it only wants to give the cathedral project half the amount it was asking for. You'll remember too that the cathedral reinstatement people said they wouldn't be looking elsewhere for money until the council coughed up. Which, as I said at the time, was very arrogant. So they haven't got exactly what they were after, but it looks like they're going to get another $15 million. The problem with public consultation, of course, is that a lot of people just don't bother. Either because they don't have the time or inclination, or they just don't have faith that they'll be listened to. And I know that, even when you run a consultation process, not everyone's going to be happy with the outcome, because everyone has different opinions on things. That said, though, how the Christchurch City Council can even think that 14 percent is some sort of ringing endorsement for more ratepayer money being spent on the cathedral, I'll never know. Handing out another $15 million makes a mockery of this consultation process. The council will probably try and defend itself, pointing out that this $15 million will only go to the cathedral if they can manage to get money from elsewhere too. The council will also point out that it will only hand over the money if the church sells some of its property to put more money into it itself. And it might even say something about 14 percent explicitly supporting it and another 51 percent not having an opinion either way. But that still leaves the 35 percent who said they were explicitly opposed to more council money going into the cathedral. A final decision is expected on 26 May, but the fact the council is even considering it tells me that it shouldn't have even bothered asking what people think. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I have my reservations about the Government's new fast-track laws, because it encourages that whole “do something for the sake of doing something” mentality. And my reservations are only being amplified with this news that Christchurch City Council staff want to use the fast-track legislation to get on with the job of rezoning the land where the old temporary stadium is, in Addington, so it can be sold to developers. It's not the legislation itself that I'm concerned about today. I'm concerned that the city council hasn't thought this through enough. Because, even though I love One New Zealand Stadium just as much as the next person, I think it would be a mistake to put all our eggs in one basket. And I can see a time when we might actually regret deciding to do away with the facility at Addington.Because, even though the Crusaders match at the stadium tonight is another sell-out, which is brilliant, it's not always going to be the case. So wouldn't it make sense for us to keep the grounds at Addington? I'm coming around to thinking that it would.So, what's happened is council staff are recommending to councillors that they ask Resource Management Minister Chris Bishop to fast-track a change to the land's zoning. That would let the site be used for things like retail and housing. I gather it would also allow car parking and parks of some sort. If city councillors agree with council staff and do go to Chris Bishop, and he agrees to use the fast-track legislation, that would mean most of us would be excluded from the process. Things would happen much quicker, six months compared to two years, but only those affected by the change would get to have a say. And you can bet that the definition of those directly affected would be pretty narrow. That's why I think that, before the council runs off to Chris Bishop and fast-tracks things so it can sell off the land, we need to calm the farm a bit and work out whether it is actually a good idea to get rid of it or not. And I'm not convinced that it is. When Newstalk ZB's Jason Pine was in town the other week for the Super Rugby Pacific Super Round, he was telling me that the temporary stadium is a brilliant venue for football, because of the shape of it, apparently.But also the capacity. In fact, he was saying that he would love to pick it up and move it to Wellington. That's how good he thinks it is. So why would we get rid of it? What's more, who has the council actually spoken to about this? I know the rugby league people would probably love to return there. What about Mainland Football? Maybe they'd like to see the Addington stadium kept on. See what I mean? There's been this assumption over the years that, because we've considered it to be the “temporary” stadium, it would go once the new one is up and running. And that seems to be what city council staff are thinking too, with this recommendation that they try to get things fast-tracked. There's no denying that flogging it off would bring in some coin for the council. It's got a rateable value of $6.6 million. But if it was rezoned for housing, it would be worth $26 million. Nevertheless, is that something we should even be doing? I don't think it is, until we have a much better understanding of whether there might actually be a need for a second, smaller stadium, and not just the shiny new one. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I heard Barry Soper say yesterday that, despite all the hard talk, the Government's so-called fast-tracking of local government amalgamation won't actually happen anytime soon. Certainly not before the election. Which is true. Because this is a big change the Government wants to see happen. But, in my mind, it can't happen soon enough. The fast-tracking bit is the councils being told that, if they don't come up with an amalgomation plan within three months, the government will do it for them. Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon is already pushing back. He's not excited about the idea. Saying his community has made it clear that it doesn't want change. Tell that to the Government, though. Which admits that it didn't campaign on local government reform at the last election but believes there is “broad support” for what it's planning to do. There's no doubt in my mind that having nearly 70 local councils in a country the size of New Zealand is crazy. So, of course, something has change. But what that change looks like, is what matters. And for me, there's only one option for us here in the greater Christchurch area. And maybe it will only happen of the Government forces the issue. Because I don't see people like Dan Gordon jumping on board of their own accord. But the only realistic option here is to do something I've been in favour of for quite a while now. A super-city. Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger is saying today that the Christchurch City Council has already said it's keen to take over the work Environment Canterbury does. So why not go the whole hog and join ECan, Christchurch City, Selwyn and Waimakariri together? It makes sense to me. It's being reported today that, to keep the government happy, Christchurch is going to have to amalgamate with at least one other council. How crazy would that be? Amalgamating with just one. Christchurch amalgamating with Selwyn, but not with Waimakariri. Crazy. But, every time a super-city is mentioned, some people are quick to point to Auckland as an argument against it. The Auckland super-city brought together seven city and district councils, and the regional council back in 2010. But a super city in the greater Christchurch area would be nowhere near the same scale. We're talking here about just three councils - Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri. Plus ECan, of course. Half of the people living in Selwyn still come into Christchurch every day for work and school, and they contribute nothing towards the cost of the running of the city. They're using the city's roads and so many of the other facilities that they pay nothing for. Not to mention the relatively small distance between Selwyn, Christchurch and Waimakariri. Which is why, for me, a greater Christchurch super city is a no brainer. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In part two, professional dog walkers in Christchurch have reported abuse and intimidation from members of the public. The Christchurch City Council has introduced a new bylaw focusing on dog control, but a lack of awareness about the bylaw could be fanning the flames, says professional dog walker Brett Cusiel. Then, the Greys have been growing avocados in New Zealand for 100 years. They've just won gold at the Outstanding Food Producer Awards for their Greenskin avocados. We learn the secrets from a member of the Grey family.

Selwyn Mayor Lydia Gliddon joined John MacDonald in the studio for the first of their regular catchups. They discussed some of the biggest issues for Selwyn ratepayers, including the potential cutting of council jobs to keep rates down, what she thinks of the 'Super-city' debate and if she thinks the Christchurch City Council missed a trick by not asking Selwyn to foot some of the bill for One NZ Stadium. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I've never had a problem with the chlorine that's been in Christchurch's water. Which is why I'm not at all upset at the news that it's going to be in the water forever. What's happened, is city councillors have been told that - even if they spent $1.5 billion on infrastructure upgrades over the next 20 years - the chlorine would most likely still be needed. That's because of all the hoops that have to be jumped through to get a chlorine exemption. On top of that, rates would have to go up to pay for ongoing maintenance. Nevertheless, i think the council needs to bite the bullet and spend the money. Because, for me, this isn't just about chlorine. But what i see potentially happening, is councillors using the chlorine bit as an out. As an excuse for not spending money on infrastructure upgrades. When that is the last thing, they should be doing. City Councillor Yani Johanson seems to be on the same page as me. He reckons that, despite the $1.5 billion price tag, it's still worth looking into and he wants the public to have a say. But Mayor Phil Mauger says it would be nothing other than a waste of money. He says: “it's all very well saying you can throw a shedload of money at every contractor in the country, digging up every road that we've got. But it's not worth it.” Phil's got some alternative ideas, which I'll get to. But what he's advocating for is a continuation of what pretty much every local body politician in this country has done and continues to do. Kicking cans down the road. They're experts at it. Whereas, what Christchurch should be doing is seeing this as a critical piece of infrastructure spending that is needed in New Zealand's second-largest city. Especially when you consider the alternatives ideas floating around. Instead of the big spend-up on new pipes, Phil Mauger reckons it would be better for the council to do things like buying filtration systems for people to have at home and setting-up chlorine-free water stations around town. Picture that. The council sending out filtration kits in the mail - the way it sent out those portable toilets after the earthquakes. And the council running water station around town where people could go to get chlorine-free water. Really? People bang on about the city needing to look less like a disaster zone. What do you think the council distributing filtering systems and running water pick-up points would look like? And, all the while, crossing its finger and hoping that the underground infrastructure doesn't pack a sad. It makes no sense. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More transparency is needed around the government's multi million dollar events attraction package, including how events are being chosen, according to the country's largest venue and event management company. The 40 million dollar government fund is not contestable. Selection is by invitation only. But fund details say events are considered for their capacity to attract large audiences and international visitors. Christchurch City Council controlled, Venues Otautahi boss Caroline Harvie-Teare spoke to Lisa Owen.

Finally, someone has come up with an idea for the Anglican Cathedral in Christchurch that makes a load of sense. It doesn't involve running to the Government cap-in-hand. And it doesn't involve asking ratepayers to fork out more money. Sound too good to be true? I know - if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. But I think this is an exception. And a brilliant exception, at that. So, what's happened, is business leader Humphry Rolleston has told the Christchurch City Council that what it should do, is sell its Enable broadband company to pay for the cathedral and get the square back to life again. Not only that - it could also pay for other heritage projects around town that are in desperate need of money. Before you go thinking that I've done some sort of U-turn and become a cheerleader for the cathedral, I haven't. But I think we just have to accept that about $100 million has been poured into it, and so we're stuck with it. It would be criminal to pull the thing down. Even though I think that the cathedral doesn't have the same level of community support that it used to have. Even though I don't buy into this notion that the cathedral was and, could again be, a tourist attraction. I still feel the same. But, despite all that, we have to decide if we want to be stuck with it in its current state forever or whether we want to look for a practical way forward. And this is a practical way forward. So the back-of-an-envelope numbers say that the council could sell the broadband company for somewhere around $1 billion. Which, Humphry Rolleston says, could be used to set up a trust, and the interest earned on that money could be used to pay for the cathedral and other heritage projects. These are the other three, as well as The Cathedral, that are short of cash. The Arts Centre, Canterbury Museum and the old Provincial Chambers. A few more numbers for you. Humphry Rolleston says the fund could be operating by Christmas - that's assuming that the council could sell its broadband company that soon - and could generate about $42 million a year. Which is around about the amount the Cathedral project needs. Humphry Rolleston says: “I think this is an elegant and simple financial solution that will enable us to restore the buildings without calling on direct rate-paying support.” Amen to that. Pun intended. And the reason why I think this is such a good idea, again, comes down to numbers. In the last financial year, the Enable broadband company paid out a $25 million dividend to the council. And that is expected to increase to $35 million a year in 2028. That's a 3.5 percent return on our money. Which is chickenfeed. Now, you consider what the return might be to the city if the cathedral, especially, was fixed up and the square able to be returned to its former glory? More than $25-to-$35 million. And you imagine all of that happening without more ratepayer money going into it. It is an absolute no-brainer, as far as I'm concerned. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Sarah Perriam-Lampp and Chris Wikira. First up, there is a stoush revving up on the motorcycle riding world. Riders say the increase in the cost of registration is unfair and they are putting their regos on hold. Then, housing minister Chris Bishop has lashed out at Christchurch City Council for rejecting a developer's heritage-inspired building design, saying it's 'nonsense'. Were they right to put a stop to the 'faux heritage' design?

The Mayor of Christchurch thinks the site of soon to be retired Apollo Projects Stadium should be sold on when it's returned to the council's ownership. Phil Mauger told Canterbury Mornings he believes the land is best suited for housing, stressing that any redevelopment should respect the site's past. "The common-sense use is for housing. Not massive intensive housing, just normal intensification. It'll need a bit of a green area in the middle, it needs to be done properly." They also discussed the departure of outgoing CEO Mary Richardson, the New Brighton Mall redevelopment, and if Christchurch roads need more cheaper cycleways. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch City Council staff are backing away from a controversial plan to pump millions of litres of sewage out to sea. Keiller MacDuff reports.

On Sunday the Christchurch City Council is holding a service to remember the 51 lives lost and the thousands more forever changed by the Christchurch mosque attack. Timothy Brown reports.

There is another plan in the works to revive Cathedral Square with the Council asking for the public's ideas later this year The Christchurch City Council has announced they have a budget of $28.5 million set aside to put a revitalisation plan in action. Mayor Phil Mauger told Canterbury Mornings that he would like to put some of the money into the Christ Church Cathedral to fix it instead of only funding the redevelopment of Cathedral Square. "Some of it could go to the Cathedral, they're crying out for it, let's not spend or waste 28 million dollars in the square when some of it could go towards the Cathedral." They also discussed his idea to fix East Christchurch's wastewater issues, Whether or not he backs the Dux de Lux rebuild to be paid with council rates, and his thoughts on potentially bringing the Santa Parade to central Christchurch. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mussel farmers are warning that plans to discharge partially treated sewage into the ocean to deal with Christchurch's Bromley stink, could wipe out aqua culture. The City Council's planning to dump 30% of partially treated wastewater into the ocean to ease pressure on the poorly operating treatment plant. Two thousand tonnes of green lipped mussels come from eight Aroma New Zealand farms in Banks Peninsula annually. Company director Ben Winters told Mike Hosking chlorine and sewage don't need to go to sea. He warns if plans go ahead, it could be a national disaster. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger's proposal to pump stinking sewage from the Bromley Plant into the ocean without being fully treated has other interested parties baffled that he didn't consult with them first. Residents who live in the city's eastern suburbs have been plagued the foul odour since fire damaged the facility in 2021. And this year, the Bromley Pong has got markedly worse and started wafting across other parts of the city. Canterbury Regional Council issued Christchurch City Council with an abatement notice last week due to the stench. Timothy Brown has more.

Can you believe the Christchurch City Council is even entertaining the idea of pouring partially-treated wastewater into the sea to try and reduce the stench from the burnt-out wastewater treatment plant at Bromley? Don't get me wrong, I think it's shameful that the council has dropped the ball on this one in such a spectacular fashion. And don't for a minute think that my empathy for the people living with that smell night and day is anything less than what it has been. But this is a ridiculous idea cooked-up by mayor Phil Mauger. As Christchurch East MP Reuben Davidson is saying, there's a fair amount of hope but not a lot of evidence that this plan would work and not cause harm to the environment. He's right. The council is in panic mode and Phil Mauger is clutching at straws. A bit of background. Last week, Environment Canterbury told the city council it hadn't done enough to sort out the awful smell coming from the plant and said it had to come up with a plan within two weeks. Hence, this idea of sending partially-treated wastewater out to sea to take the strain off the treatment plant. The council also wants to add chlorine to ensure bacteria levels are what it thinks will be safe before it reaches the ocean. Since the big fire in November 2021, the ponds at the plant have been overloaded and aren't in great shape. And, when we had all that rain the other week, things went next level and the smell was probably as bad as it's ever been. Phil Mauger is saying today: “We can't sit back and expect conditions to improve on their own. Anyone who lives nearby knows the odour issues have become more intense, and we've been looking at all ways to help alleviate the stench.” Yeah, but this isn't how you should be doing it Phil. E-Can says it's surprised and concerned. My hope is that it will tell the city council to go back to the drawing board. Because why would we do something that could add to the water pollution problems we've already got? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch City Council's Infrastructure General Manager Brent Smith. He spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Christchurch City Councillor Yani Johanson thinks we should all pay a special levy when we buy tickets for all events at Christchurch's new One New Zealand Stadium. And he won't be getting any argument from me. Yani can't believe the news today that a levy is only going to be charged on tickets for concerts by international artists. He says it is “inconceivable” the levy won't be charged for all events, including rugby matches and everything else that happens there, because he reckons it's only fair that all people who use the stadium help pay for its upkeep. No international acts have been announced yet but, apparently, there are going to be some announcements in the next few weeks. And when the tickets go on sale, the council's events company - Venues Ōtautahi - which is going to be running the stadium, is going to add a $5 levy to the ticket price. The money from the levy is going to be used to pay for the extra toilets and extra food and drink facilities that are going to be needed when they have these big concerts. So it sounds as if we might be queuing up for portaloos even though it's a new flash harry facility. The point Councillor Yani Johanson is making, is that anyone who wants to go to any event at the stadium should make the same contribution towards the running of the place. He says: “A lot of these people buy expensive tickets to these events and are subsidised by the ratepayers in Linwood, Bromley and Aranui. I don't think that is fair.” But the head of Venues Ōtautahi, Caroline Harvie-Teare, says it wouldn't be fair or right to charge a levy for all events. Her thinking is that if you or I are buying tickets to see the likes of Bruce Springsteen or Pink or the Rolling Stones, we're not going to give two-hoots about a $5 levy on top of the ticket price. But she says it would be a different story for some of the smaller-scale, community-type events that are also going to be held at the stadium. She says a levy on those types of events could put some people off and so they would be less viable. But what I would say to that, is that the stadium is not a charity and if events can't pay their way, then maybe they need to be held somewhere else. What's more, do you really think a $5 levy would put people off buying tickets to see the All Blacks or the Crusaders? Of course not. Do you think a $5 levy would put people off buying tickets to see the rugby league world cup double-header in October? Or the Black Ferns when they play here? So, of course, this levy should be added to the ticket prices for every event. Yani Johanson is spot on. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Concerns have been raised over a new app that was originally designed to help Christchurch ratepayers - but hasn't lived up to its promise. Christchurch City Council staff have so far spent $6.2 million developing a one-stop-shop app that is actually little more than a new website, prompting outrage and worries from the Council. Christchurch City Councillor Sam MacDonald says the appointed IT experts are working through the issue to try and solve it. "We were a bit surprised when they came to us saying - no, no it'll be a web version. Which, as you know, a lot of people don't use. We need to make it as easy for people as possible." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bromley Residents have been left frustrated after a heated meeting with Christchurch City Council officials about the stench coming from a nearby wastewater treatment plant. Bromley resident Georgia Cooper spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Talk about déjà vu. The smell from the burnt-out wastewater treatment plant at Bromley has been a shocker this week and people have had a gutsful. City councillor Yani Johanson says making people wait for another three years is totally unacceptable and the council needs to get it sorted sooner. I think it's ridiculous that it has taken over four years for the problem to still exist. I agree that it should be fixed sooner. But I don't have any hope of that happening. Because the council has cocked this up from the outset and seems incapable of doing it any faster. Which tells me that it has learnt next to nothing. Remember it did the big mea culpa and admitted that, at the very least, it could have communicated better with people living in the area? And how it was going to do a better job blah blah blah. Right from the start, the council had this “we know best” attitude and was very dismissive of people's concerns. And it's still at it. It's doing a very good job of explaining why it's so bad this week - that the recent heavy rain seems to be behind it. Which is all very well. But, as I've said many times, people don't care what you know - until they know that you care. And I don't see the council showing too much care. Did you see the council guy on the news last night go all sheep-ish when he was asked about compo or support for people living with the stench? But it's not just Bromley that's affected. I was in Mairehau yesterday and the smell was really bad. But I'm not living with it all the time. Unlike Gaylene Ratima. She lives in Bromley and she woke up at 4 o'clock the other morning thinking the dog had done something on the carpet. She soon realised that the rotten egg smell had nothing to do with the dog and that it was coming from outside the house. It was the stench from the wastewater treatment plant seeping-in through the windows and doors - which were all closed. Imagine what that must be like. In fact, she reckons the smell this week is worse than it was after the treatment plant fire back in November 2021. Which is why councillor Yani Johanson is saying today that making people wait for another three years for the smell problem to be fixed is totally unacceptable and the council needs to get it sorted sooner. As he points out - the way things are going, it's going to take longer than it took to build the new One New Zealand stadium. The fire was in November 2021 - over four years ago - and the council's going to take another three years to fix it. Totally unacceptable.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Phil Goff agrees with the Christchurch City Council's response to a Government proposal of capping rates to no more than 2 to 4 percent per year. Goff says the Government is not performing in lowering the cost of living, but a rates cap is not the right answer. The former Mayor of Auckland told John MacDonald the Government sees local councils as an "easy target". Christchurch City Council has responded to the Government's proposal, saying that while they support a prudent approach to managing rates, the cap as currently designed is “unrealistic and unworkable”. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hats off to the Christchurch City Council. Which is telling the Government today that its idea of forcing a cap on council rates increases is “unrealistic and unworkable”. Which is a polite way of saying “rates caps are a daft idea, so just drop it right now”. And that's what I think too. I've always thought it's a daft idea to force local councils around the country to increase rates by no more than 2 to 4 percent each year. It sounds brilliant, but it's never going to work. The Christchurch council says even at the upper range of a 4 percent cap, it would be forced to cut costs by up to $120 million a year. Which confirms to me that the Government either has no idea or no interest in the financial realities local councils are dealing with. Christchurch city council says rates caps would force cuts to essential services, lead to a decay in assets, delay investment in critical infrastructure, and reduce the council's ability to repay debt. Not only that. It says they would drive up fees and charges. Which the Government isn't being totally upfront about. Because, just before Christmas, a Cabinet paper was quietly published which shows we're only being told part of the story. In the paper, the local government minister says the rates caps are intended to “incentivise greater use of user charges, which have declined in recent years”. Which is what the Christchurch city council is warning us about today.If councils are forced to limit annual rates increases to somewhere between 2 and 4 percent, we'll just end up paying more in other ways. How do you feel about higher parking fees? Higher dump fees. Paying more to use your council pool. Higher consent charges. Life won't be cheaper, it will be more expensive. I've always known that this idea isn't actually going to deliver us any benefits. This cabinet paper and the people who actually know a thing or two about how councils work - Christchurch city council staff and councillors - are proof. No matter how much you might think your local council needs to rein-in the spending, this idea of rates caps won't make one bit of difference. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A couple of advisors at the Christchurch City Council have ripped into the Government's plan for regional councils and have said to councillors that they reckon there's a better way. Or more correctly, two better potential ways. Instead of having local mayors run regional councils for two years and, during that time, work out how they're going to get by without a regional council. At a briefing meeting yesterday, two principal policy advisors put two options on the table for councillors to think about. Option 1: Amalgamate the Christchurch, Selwyn, and Waimakariri councils to create a new super city. Which I've been a fan of for quite some time now. And Option 2: Keep all three councils and have the city council take over ECAN's regional council functions. The reason these two council advisors have put these two options up for discussion is that they think having local mayors run ECAN for two years and work out a new structure for local government is a “weak” idea, which wouldn't do any favours for Christchurch ratepayers. And I get what they're saying, because as soon as you get three mayors around the table, they're just going to be interested in what's in it for them, aren't they? Which is the same approach these policy advisors are taking. They're on the city council pay roll and so they have to think about what's best for Christchurch city. And I like their idea of a supercity. But every time a supercity is mentioned, some people are quick to point to Auckland as an argument against it. The Auckland supercity brought together seven city and district councils and the regional council back in 2010. But a supercity in the greater Christchurch area would be nowhere near the same scale. We're talking here about just three councils: Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri. We've done amalgamation before on a much smaller scale. Back in 2006, Banks Peninsula Council amalgamated with Christchurch city. The issue then was that Banks Peninsula didn't have a big enough population to get the rates it needed to operate properly. Selwyn and Waimakariri don't have that problem – they've grown massively since the earthquakes. Selwyn, especially. But half of the people living in Selwyn come into Christchurch every day for work and school, and they contribute nothing towards the cost of the running of the city. They're using the city's roads and so many of the other facilities that they pay nothing for. Add to that the relatively small distance between Selwyn, Christchurch and Waimakariri, and amalgamation is a no-brainer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch City Council's been selected to act as a one-stop consenting authority for large-scale supermarket developments. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says it's the latest step in the Government plan to make New Zealand attractive for new operators. She says developers previously had to navigate up to 66 different councils, processes and responses. Willis says the aim is to boost competition in a sector dominated by Foodstuffs and Woolworths by letting new entrants deal with just one authority. Business Canterbury CEO Leeann Watson told John MacDonald that the intention of having a one-stop shop regardless of the number of sites you're operating on is sound. She says that they've heard from businesses who operate across multiple sites that there's a real inconsistency across the local authorities, which can be incredibly painful to deal with. But, Watson says, whether or not this plan creates the right incentives is still yet to be seen. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you voted in this year's local body elections, congratulations. You can consider yourself a member of a very exclusive club. Because, this year, voter turnout around the country was the lowest it's been in 36 years. Which is pitiful. So pitiful that I don't even think my idea of having just one main voting day - like we have for central government elections - would make much of a difference. In fact, I think there's only one way to fix it. Something which has already been tried somewhere else with immediate results. Because something needs to be done. Because local councils matter. They have far more influence on our daily lives than central government ever will. Our councils are responsible for the roads we drive on everyday. They're responsible for getting the rubbish collected and getting water services to our houses and making sure the sewers work properly. They run our libraries. All sorts of things that we use and rely on every day. Our councils are the majority owners of key infrastructure services. Christchurch City Council, for example, has the airport, the Port at Lyttelton, the Orion electricity lines company and others. Not worth taking an interest in who is leading these outfits? Or having an influence in who is leading these outfits? Sixty-eight percent of us don't think so. Talk about apathy. Andrew Geddis - who is a political scientist at the University of Otago - reckons that one of the main reasons for the low turnout is that the voting period is just way too long. And people just forget about the voting papers sitting on the kitchen bench. He also points out the benefit of having one main voting day - like we do in the central government elections. I used to think the same. But I see only one solution. Which is something people talk about in relation to central government elections. But I think we need it for local government too. Compulsory voting. Because, after this pitiful turnout in this year's elections, we need a kick up the jacksy - and making it compulsory to vote is the only way to achieve that. In Australia, compulsory voting in federal elections was introduced in 1924 and, since then, voter turnout has never fallen below 90 percent. More relevant, though, is what they've done in Tasmania. Three years ago, Tasmania made voting in local government elections compulsory, as well. And just like compulsory voting in federal elections sorted out the low participation problem, the same thing happened in Tasmania with their local body elections. In just one election, voter turnout increased by 44.6 percent. Councils in Tasmania have four-year terms - so the 2022 turnout is the most recent example. But it shows you, doesn‘t it, how compulsory voting in local body elections works. And how it could work just as well here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 80 On November 18, 1947, a fire tore through Ballantynes department store in Christchurch, New Zealand, killing 41 people and changing the nation forever. It remains New Zealand's deadliest fire disaster — and one that exposed shocking negligence. In this episode, we retrace the events leading up to the blaze, the chaos of the evacuation, and the devastating aftermath. We'll look at how overcrowding, building construction, and a lack of fire protection systems turned a busy shopping day into tragedy, and how the disaster forced long-overdue changes to fire safety and labor laws. Ballantynes wasn't just a tragedy — it was a turning point. But it also raises a haunting question: why do we keep having to relearn the same lessons, decades later? Listener discretion is advised. Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated  The Crime to Burn Patreon - The Cult of Steve - is LIVE NOW! Go join and get all the unhinged you can handle. Click here to be sanctified.  Get your Crime to Burn Merch! https://crimetoburn.myspreadshop.com Please follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube for the latest news on this case. You can email us at crimetoburn@gmail.com We welcome any constructive feedback and would greatly appreciate a 5 star rating and review.  If you need a way to keep your canine contained, you can also support the show by purchasing a Pawious wireless dog fence using our affiliate link and use the code "crimetoburn" at checkout to receive 10% off. Pawious, because our dog Winston needed a radius, not a rap sheet.  Sources: Staff Told Not To Evacuate: The Ballantynes Fire — Fascinating Horror (YouTube, July 16, 2024). Watch here A Tragic Series of Events | Ballantynes Fire | A Short Documentary — Retelling (YouTube, October 24, 2021). Watch here Ablaze — Screentime New Zealand (YouTube, January 18, 2025). Watch here Royal Commission to Inquire into and Report upon Matters concerning the Fire at the Premises of Messrs. J. Ballantyne and Company, Limited, City of Christchurch, on the 18th day of November, 1947. (1948). Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives of New Zealand (H–47). By Authority: E. V. Paul, Government Printer, Wellington https://gg.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2021-06/RC%20100%20Ballantynes%20Fire.pdf Christchurch City Libraries. Ballantynes' Fire. Christchurch City Council. Accessed 28 Sept. 2025. https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/ballantynes-fire/

At 22, most are planning OEs or grad jobs. Xavier Dickason is running for Christchurch City Council. He spoke to Corin Dann

I wonder if the person who called me a tofu-eating, sandal-wearing, treehugger yesterday will have a bit of a re-think when they see what I've got to say about Environment Canterbury declaring a nitrate emergency. I'm with Federated Farmers, which is saying it's nothing more than a political stunt. But it's not just that, it's a very naive political stunt. Because show me one of these so-called “emergency” declarations that have done any good. What about the Christchurch City Council's climate emergency? Is that still a thing? Or have they quietly pulled the plug on that one? The other thing that makes ECan's stunt particularly naive is that it's the outfit still dishing out consents for more dairy farming in Canterbury. There are about 950,000 dairy cows in Canterbury and ECan is currently considering applications for another 10,000. I'll come back to Federated Farmers because they're not the only ones who aren't happy about this emergency declaration – some ECan councillors themselves are brassed off, as well. So what happened yesterday is one of ECan's outgoing councillors put forward the motion to declare the emergency and for ECan to “take a leadership role to urgently address the issue of groundwater pollution impacting drinking water sources and supplies”. Vicky Southworth is the councillor who put forward the motion at what was her very last ECan meeting. It was her last meeting, and it was the council's last meeting before next month's elections. The vote was close —9 in favour, 7 against— and some of the councillors who voted against it were pretty angry at yesterday's meeting. Nick Ward is one of them. He said it was “grandstanding”. Another councillor, John Sunckell, said he's spent 15 years trying to reduce nitrates, and “I just feel really pissed off with this little political stunt”. They both said nitrates levels are expected to decline over time and that rural communities had worked hard and collaboratively over decades to lower nitrates, and that “emergency” was the wrong word to use. Federated Farmers agrees. It's slamming the move, with its vice-president Colin Hurst describing it as a “shameless political stunt that won't help anyone”. If Councillor Southworth was so concerned about the nitrates, she wouldn't be leaving. She'd be putting herself forward for re-election, just like outgoing chairperson Craig Pauling. He voted in favour of the nitrate emergency, but he's moving on as well. Again, if he's so worried about it, then he'd be trying to get elected again too. Instead, they can walk away feeling all virtuous, thinking they've done something positive and have made a difference. Do me a favour. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A looming deadline hangs over a group of homeless people living on a church's grounds. Advocates said those living in a carpark at Holy Trinity Avonside in Christchurch have nowhere else to go. But the Christchurch City Council said it's not a camping ground and the church has two days to stop treating it as such.Timothy Brown reports.

An extra half hour of The Panel with Wallace Chapman. To begin, he's joined by Nights host Emile Donovan for a preview of tonight's show. Then Wallace chats to Julie Villard, the eco design advisor at Christchurch City Council about everything heat pump! Tips and tricks and how to run your heat pump: if you have any questions text in 2101.

Christchurch City Council is looking to raise city noise limits from 60 to 65 decibels, making their CBD the loudest in the country. Central ward councillor Jake McLellan spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Banks Peninsula is still under a State of Emergency almost a week after heavy rain triggered widespread flooding and slips including an active slip on Lighthouse Road in Akaroa. Christchurch City Council controller Anne Colombus spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The Christchurch City Council is defending its decision to press ahead with long awaited sewage plant upgrades for the Banks Peninsula township of Akaroa. Adam Burns has more.

Councils and waste industry experts are calling for increased regulations for the disposal of used batteries following an escalation in fires. WasteMINZ, the Waste & Recycling Industry Forum, Auckland Council and Christchurch City Council have come together to request direct action to prevent batteries from being thrown out or included in kerbside recycling. WasteMINZ chief executive Nic Quilty says the organisation's website has a map of safe locations where people can dispose of their batteries and battery-powered products. "Most of the facilities are free of charge, some of them cost a little bit of money - but not much - and that's the best thing to do." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch City Council is continuing to push back against KiwiRail's multimillion dollar safety improvement requirement, which has forced the closure of a cycleway. The freight transport company says a crossing on the Heathcote Expressway needs $6.5 million in safety upgrades because of the cycleway That could take two years. Councillor Aaron Keown told Mike Hosking he assumes they're referring to the gate systems. He says it's odd given the path doesn't cross there but runs beside the rail line. Keown says Mayor Phil Mauger has written to the appropriate ministers. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A community leader in Christchurch is calling for the city to follow Auckland's lead in bringing in a ban of supermarket and bottle store alcohol sales after 9pm.Auckland's local alcohol policy was approved earlier this month by the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority, edging it a step closer to implementation, Anna Sargent reports.

In this Disaster Zone Podcast we will be talking about the significant challenges New Zealand and Christchurch faced in the aftermath of their 2010-2011 Earthquakes. The podcast guest is Brent Winder is a native New Zealander. He has had multiple roles in leadership ranging from ten years in the New Zealand Navy, to positions with Queens Town Lakes District Council and the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA). He was a founding staff member responsible for operations in the Christchurch Central Business District (CBD) red zone and supporting the largest and most complex demolition project in New Zealand's history. Additionally, he successfully managed widespread and large-scale demolition and land management – in a disaster recovery context. He has also led an expert recovery team to Kathmandu, Nepal post-2015 earthquakes, and he is a member of the deployable New Zealand Emergency Management Assistance Team (EMAT). Like many of us, he Played a regional role inthe Whole of Government emergency response in the COVID-19 Pandemic. In his current role he is lead emergency management for Christchurch City Council. You can contact him at Brenden.Winder@ccc.govt.nzCheck out more episodes and the Disaster Zone Blog: www.thereadinesslab.com/disaster-zoneBecome an insider with the The Readiness Lab Insider Subscription: https://www.thereadinesslab.com/the-eoc

Jean looks at Antarctica New Zealand's reworked plans for the Scott Base redevelopment and what it could mean for Timaru. 

The Christchurch City Council is considering options, including a bylaw, to address aggressive begging in the central city. Auckland and Wellington City Councils have bylaws in place that don't ban begging, but prohibit the aggression that sometimes goes with it Anna Sargent reports.

The Christchurch City Council had resurrected its fight for tougher alcohol controls in the city after bailing out of its previous almost million dollar attempt in 2017. 

A decade after the Christchurch City Council embarked on a failed million-dollar attempt to introduce a Local Alcohol Policy in the city, councillors have voted to give it another go. But the hospitality sector is already bristling at the idea before work even begins. Timothy Brown reports.

A series of dams to capture stormwater as it runs off the Port Hills are being constructed on farmland near Christchurch. It's the brainchild of Brent and Shirley Rawstron from Rossendale Wines, who are working with the Christchurch City Council to prevent flooding Early Valley.

Victoria Young looks at why The Warehouse chief executive Nick Grayston has quit effective immediately. New research shows just how much a company crisis can impact share prices. And, a fraying relationship between Christchurch City Council and CCHL, a company which controls more than $5b of its assets. Victoria Young is editor of BusinessDesk.

Christchurch City Councillors say they are listening to the public and have every intention of funding the cash-strapped Arts Centre, despite it being left out of the draft Long-Term Plan. Niva Chittock reports.

The Christchurch Council has confirmed a multimillion-dollar deal to save the future of its famous agriculture event, the A & P Show. Christchurch Councillor Sam MacDonald spoke to Morning Report.

The final year of former Christchurch City Council Chief Executive Dawn Baxendale's turbulent reign has come at a cost.