Podcast appearances and mentions of phil mauger

Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger joined John MacDonald this morning for their regular catch up. In the wake of Raf Manji's comments about capping rate increases, how does the Mayor feel about its achievability? ECAN is making a case for a passenger rail in Canterbury – is it a good move? And is selling off Lichfield Street car park a wise decision? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Supercars will officially race in a Kiwi double-header in New Zealand from 2026-2028. Ruapuna raceway in Christchurch will host a supercars championship each year, with it expected to continue after 2028. Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger talks to Heather du Plessis-Allan about the announcement. LISTEN ABOVE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's consultation on speed limits around Christchurch's Te Kaha stadium - once again. New Government rules are forcing the City Council to ask for public feedback for a second time. A 30 kilometre-an-hour limit was approved for multiple surrounding streets but can no longer be implemented because of the changes. Mayor Phil Mauger told Canterbury mornings although this feels like over-consulting, this needs to be right to ensure public safety. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Banks Peninsula's State of Emergency remains in effect, with warning of more severe weather on its way for much of the country. The emergency was declared a week ago during record rain and flooding. Orange warnings have now been issued for more heavy rain for several parts of both islands, heading from south to north over the next two days. Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger told Canterbury Mornings the State of Emergency will be reviewed again at 4pm. He says they worry rain tomorrow may impact existing slips and could make things a bit messy. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John MacDonald was joined today by Mayor Phil Mauger. They discussed the potential for Christchurch to be home to the delayed Erebus Disaster memorial – is Christchurch an appropriate home? The central city has been overrun by birds and their droppings, does the Council have a plan to deal with the mess? And what measures will the council take regarding the new build's in the city's east, given the recent findings that houses may sink in some areas? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch's Mayor says he was shocked by the $400 thousand bill to restore Cathedral Square's Chalice. The City Council's investigating ways to reduce the cost for work, including a complete re-paint and corrosion repairs. It's the first maintenance work to the Chalice since installation in 2001. Phil Mauger told John MacDonald options include touching up the Chalice leaves but leaving the actual structure as-is. “The person that we're dealing with, we're working with them to see if we can lower it down.” “It is far too much.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I am so glad that I'm not a member of the local rainbow community. Because if I was, I would be despairing at the weasel words the Christchurch mayor and the city council are trotting out about the Destiny Church's despicable disruption of the pride month opening event in Christchurch on Saturday. And it just tells me that people are either scared of taking on the Destiny Church or they somehow think their hatred is okay. So what happened at the weekend is the annual “walk for support” for LGBTQIA+ people wound up at the Bridge of Remembrance, and these muppets from the Destiny Church were there protesting against them. They were carrying signs saying things about puberty blockers and child abuse and telling the people there to “repent”. They also had a speaker system there, which they shouldn't have. But no one did anything about it. Which is why a local rainbow campaigner is saying that the city council should apologise for not shutting down this illegal protest driven by nothing more than hatred. And I agree. But I don't think that's going to be coming anytime soon, considering the weasel words being trotted out by mayor Phil Mauger and the council's chief executive. Phil Mauger is saying that everyone has the right to protest but it was “not polite” of the Destiny Church to set up their loudspeakers right beside the event. He says it was “quite disappointing”, but he's pleased things didn't get out of control like they did when the Destiny Church went awol at that pride event in Auckland the other week. So that's the mayor. But it gets even worse with what the council's chief executive is saying. Mary Richardson says: “We have to respect other people's democratic right to protest, even if we don't agree with their views.” And the strongest action the council took was to send out a noise control officer - who found that there weren't any noise limit breaches. Do me a favour. That's not all. There's some classic passing-of-the-buck going on, with the council saying that it's the job of the police to deal with public disturbances and the police saying permission to set-up loudspeakers is the job of the council and so the council has to deal with it, which is why the noise control officer was sent out. But could you get a more lame response if you tried? But remember that this isn't the first time that the Christchurch City Council has turned a blind eye to the Destiny Church. You'll remember how it waived $50,000 in fines that it had sent the church for the disruption caused by its anti-vax mandate protests during covid. That was all to do with Destiny Church not following the rules, not working with the council so it could make sure that traffic management was sorted. But the council ripped those tickets up. Derek Tait from Destiny had a cup of tea with former mayor Lianne Dalziell and all was forgiven. And it's doing the exact same thing with these weasel words about the Destiny crew's behaviour on Saturday. This is the council, let me remind you, that was all in favour of putting a rainbow crossing somewhere in town. Which, when it comes down to it, doesn't take much fortitude. Yes, paint the crossing. I'm all for it. But, when it comes down to it, painting a road crossing is nothing like staring down those clowns from the Destiny Church and telling them that their messages of hatred are not welcome. And telling them that we've had a gutsful of them not giving a damn about the rules. Rules that you and I would be expected to follow. And, if we didn't, there'd be consequences. Not if you're the Destiny Church, though, it seems. So I'm with the pride campaigners who are saying today that the council could've and should've done a lot more on Saturday when the Destiny muppets turned up at this event. But the council didn't - and, for that, it should apologise. But that's not all. The mayor and his council need to condemn Destiny Church for their messages of hatred. If the strongest thing Phil Mauger can say is that “wasn't polite” of them to do what they did, then don't expect them to pull their heads in anytime soon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When the Government announced yesterday that it wants to have a binding referendum on a four-year parliamentary term here in New Zealand, I was all for it. I've been all for it for a while now. But I'm totally against the idea that we do the same with local councils. In fact, I'm so against it, that it could be enough to put me off voting in favour of a four-year parliamentary term. That's how strongly I feel about it. Four-year local government terms is something the outfit representing most councils, Local Government New Zealand, has been wanting for a while now. Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger has jumped on the bandwagon too. He also thinks that a four-year term would be great for councils. He might feel that way, and Local Government New Zealand might feel that way, but it's the last thing we want for our local councils. There are a couple of reasons why I'm comfortable with central government getting a four-year term. First and foremost, I don't think three years is enough time for governments to get stuff done. The other reason why I'm good with central governments getting an extra year in power is that governments, generally, are pretty functional. That's because if you're in government, you have to toe the party line. I know David Seymour and Winston Peters test that a bit, but that's MMP and it's what coalition governments are all about. But generally, governments keep it together and stick together for the full term. Councils though – completely different story. Just the other day we had a councillor in Christchurch accusing the mayor of lacking leadership. We've got factions around that table, and I don't imagine other councils are any different. Why on earth would you want to drag that out for an extra year? How often do you hear Phil Mauger and his supporters lamenting the fact that he doesn't have enough like-minded councillors around the table with him and how that impedes him from making any meaningful change? You hear it all the time. Why would you want to give that lot an extra year? The answer is you wouldn't. With central government ministers, for example, if they do a hopeless job they either lose their portfolios or they resign. A mayor can't do that. A mayor of any council is stuck with whoever we vote and put into council alongside them. Wellington is another brilliant example of a dysfunctional council. Why would people there want to lumber their city with that line-up for another year? They wouldn't. Aside from the fact that most councillors in most councils find it hard to get on with each other, the other thing that makes local government in less need of a four-year term than central government, is that councils are actually much better than central government when it comes to long-term planning. Not to get too bogged down in council-speak, but councils have these 10-year plans. Governments don't. With councils, you don't have the holus-bolus cancelling of stuff that you can get when there's a change of government, either. At the council, there's a plan in place and after an election you just have a new lot overseeing it. So this argument that councils need more time to get stuff done doesn't wash with me. Unlike governments. Which do. Because governments come in and change policies and do things like cancel ferry contracts. The disruption can be huge. And they need more time, if anything, to clean up the mess they can create when they're first elected. So for me, the differences between central government and local government are huge and thinking they both need to four-year terms is nonsense. And as I say, if councils getting four-year terms is the by-product of central government getting four-year terms, then I'll be voting “no” in the referendum. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger joined John MacDonald live in studio for their regular catch up. Community members of Christchurch's red zone are outraged over their exclusion from a governance group overseeing the future development of the area – why have they been left out? The age-old question of who has the right to a quiet night has reared its head once again. Inner city noise limits are being reviewed, but if the bars came first, should residents have to deal? And Mauger has come under fire for voting against a roading plan around the new recreation centre – can he defend his thinking despite the project still going ahead? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let me give a shout out to Christchurch City Councillor Melanie Coker, who has told her council colleagues that what they are doing by not paying-off debt to keep the rates rise this year lower and then stinging us with an even bigger increase next year, is misleading. That's how she's describing this smoke and mirrors way councillors are trimming-back this year's rates increase with one thing in mind - getting votes. She says the council is showing “poor leadership, poor financial management and is misleading the public”. And she's bang on. They're being short-sighted. Reckless. And if any of the ones who voted for this try to tell you over the next few months that you should vote for them because they've done everything they can to keep rates and down and they'll do everything they can to keep them down again if you vote for them, call them out on these shenanigans. Because that's what it is. Which is being generous. Councillor Coker puts it better, when she says it's misleading. In fact, that's being generous too, because what it really is, is a sham. I'm not going to get bogged down in numbers because that's not what this is primarily about. When it comes down to it, this is about councillors trying to protect their backsides and get re-elected when the local body elections happen later in the year. But we need a few numbers for context. So the council was proposing a 9.93% increase. It was going to put that out for public consultation yesterday. But, at the last minute, councillor Sam Macdonald cooked up this idea that they could pay-off less debt and get the increase down to 7.5%. And what do you think happened? Enough of them around that council table thought “ooh, that's a good idea. That's a much easier sell when I'm out trying to get re-elected later in the year.” So when it went to the vote, that's what they decided. It was close, though. Nine voted in favour of it —including mayor Phil Mauger— and eight were against it. Which is going to mean several things. The increase this year will be lower but, at this point it looks like next year's increase will be over 10 percent%. What's more, it's going to contribute to the council's books being in worse shape than they were going to be by $12 million. Before yesterday, the budget was going to be unbalanced by $48 million. This smoke and mirrors stuff is part of the reason why the council's books will be unbalanced by $60 million. Going by the report I've read, councillor Kelly Barber takes the cake - saying this yesterday: "At the moment, our ratepayers are suffering. Next year is another year. Let's deal with the problem of next year, next year.” In that one statement, councillor Barber demonstrated perfectly the problem with politicians in this country. Central government. Local government. They're all the same. All they care about is the next election. And by saying “let's deal with the problem of next year, next year”, Kelly Barber has shown us that all he cares about is getting another three years around the council table. And when it comes to dealing with “next year, next year” and that rates increase is looking like being more than 10 percent, and the council's books are even more out of whack, it won't matter, because the election will be history. Deputy Mayor Pauline Cotter's another one. She says reducing rates artificially instead of paying off debt makes her uncomfortable, but "this is a good year to be easing financial pressure on people”. And she's hopeful the economy will improve next year. But is that really the approach to take when you're overseeing a $1.5 billion annual budget? Hoping things will get better. Of course it's not. It seems that in an election year, it's perfectly fine to not cut costs. It's perfectly fine to pay-off less debt. It's perfectly fine to kick high rates increases for touch and worry about them next year. It's also perfectly fine to put the books $12 million more in the red than they would have been. It's perfectly fine - if you're trying to win votes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John MacDonald was joined by Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger for a chat about the biggest issues concerning residents. Christchurch City Councillors have adopted their Draft Annual Plan. It now proposes a 7.58% overall rates increase, down from the originally-drafted 8.93%. They achieved this not by cost cutting, as well as paying off less debt, resulting in next year's rates increasing significantly. Is the Mayor doing the right thing, or is he just thinking of the next election? Does he support the proposed ‘user-pays' water system being introduced for ratepayers? And Mauger reflects on the response to the second big Port Hills fire now twelve months on from blaze. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger is in campaign mode after confirmation he's seeking a second term in October's elections. He'll battle Councillor Sara Templeton for the top job, the only other contender so far. In his first catch up of 2025, he discussed his motivations with John MacDonald, as well as thoughts on alcohol bylaws, changing speed limits, and the lack of GPs in the area. He's prepared to talk to the new Health Minister about Canterbury's GP shortage. Victoria University research has found half of family doctors in the region have no room for new patients. It's worse in south Canterbury, and 59% of GPs have closed their books. Phil Mauger told MacDonald he'll talk with Simeon Brown about potential solutions. He says there's more people in Christchurch than ever, meaning the load is greater on general practices. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's no surprise from the Christchurch Mayor that construction is booming in Canterbury. The region's councils consented about 6,500 homes in the year to November – a fifth of the country's new builds. The number of consents in Christchurch was also triple Wellington's. Phil Mauger told Ryan Bridge there's been a billion-dollars worth of new homes built in Christchurch – half being units, townhouses, or apartments. He says they're aiming for 20-thousand more people in the central city. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 23rd of January, Kiwibank CEO Steve Jurkovich tells Ryan Bridge the OCR and mortgage rates will continue to drop after yesterday's inflation number. We get expert analysis on Donald Trump's threat of tariffs and sanctions against Russia and Vladimir Putin unless a deal is done to end the war in Ukraine. Ryan finds out why Canterbury is leading the way in new home builds. And the second season of Netflix's The Night Agent drops today - Ryan speaks to the Kiwi star, Luciane Buchanan. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A firm answer from Christchurch's mayor on whether the Cathedral restoration levy should go into reducing a rates increase. Households have paid $6.52 each year since 2018. Halswell councillor Andrei Moore wants it used to help a reduce a 8.4% rates increase, while the rebuild is indefinitely paused. Mayor Phil Mauger told John MacDonald he believes the money should stay where it is. He says interest will accrue and be ready for when the Cathedral restoration continues. People can submit feedback on the draft annual plan in February. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch's mayor is keeping mum about seeking re-election. First time mayor Phil Mauger took the reins in 2022 after narrowly beating former health boss David Meates. City Councillor Sara Templeton has announced her bid for mayor a year out from local body elections. Mauger wouldn't confirm to John MacDonald whether he's decided to run. He says there's a lot going on, so he'll worry about it after Christmas. They also discussed his interview with Jack Tame on Q&A and if he really believes his comments about not breaking promises to ratepayers. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Judith Collins, Phil Mauger and Tom Middendorp.

I don't know whether Mary Richardson is a martyr or a mug. But, I tell you what, the acting chief executive at Christchurch City Council has shown outstanding leadership, not just outstanding leadership - she's also shown outstanding political nous with this $100,000 pay cut. She demanded it because of the financial pressures the council and ratepayers are dealing with, which I believe has gone down very well with staff. Not just because of that, but also because, generally people at the council like her, which is quite an achievement for someone working in senior management anywhere. But there's going to be a sting in the tail for everyone working at the council and the rest of us who use council services that'll get to. Mary Richardson has been acting chief executive since former council boss Dawn Baxendale quit suddenly late last year, and all along she's made it clear that she's not interested in the job full-time and would only be there until the council appoints a new person. But they haven't been able to, thirty-seven people applied for the job. It came down to a shortlist of three but Councilors didn't think any of the candidates were what or who they wanted and so they went to Mary Richardson and said “How ‘bout it? Want the job.” Mayor Phil Mauger obviously did a good job because she agreed to take it on but has told the council she doesn't want to do a full five-year term and has agreed she'll stick around until June 2026. Her other provision was that she be paid $100,000 less than the money Dawn Baxendale was on. I reckon most people in her position would milk it for what they could, I'll be honest, I would. If I was Mary Richardson and I had Phil Mauger come to me saying they bombed-out in the recruitment process and would you please take the job, I'd be saying “I'll do it - but I want to be paid at least as much as the last chief executive". In fact, I'd probably push my luck a bit because if you don't ask, you don't get. Not that Mary Richardson is denying herself too much, because she'll still be on a salary of $450,000 which is still a good wicket by anyone's means. But here's the sting in the tail I mentioned earlier and here's why I think she has shown outstanding leadership and outstanding political nous. It has been made very clear that local councils up and down the country are on notice from the Government to cut costs. Time-and-time again, the Prime Minister and the Local Government Minister have said councils need to look and learn from what's been happening in government departments and agencies. Councils need to do the same and live within their means. Mary Richardson has obviously heard that, then she's put a stake in the ground starting with what she herself gets paid as head honcho. It's not an act of goodwill, it's a statement of intent, a statement much more powerful than any new vision and mission statements that might have been trotted out by the 37 people who thought they should be chief executive. By insisting on a $100,000 pay cut, Mary Richardson has signalled a period of austerity at the Christchurch City Council. If she has any of her people coming to her between now and mid-2026 saying they want to pay their staff more, what do you think her attitude is going to be? When the chief executive takes a $100,000 pay cut, what does that say to the rest of the organization? It says forget about pay rises. When Mary Richardson has people saying they can't do things any differently or more cheaply because it's all been tried before - she has given herself license to demand that they try again. That's what happens when the person at the top takes a $100,000 pay cut. When someone says they need more staff - No sorry, that's what happens when the person at the top takes a $100,000 pay cut. When the person at the top takes a $100,000 pay cut explicitly because the council and ratepayers are under financial pressures, that makes it very clear that you and I can't just keep on demanding more of this and more of that from the council. So while Mary Richardson will be admired today and respected, inside and outside the city council for taking a significant pay cut, we need to see it for what it really is .What it really is, is the beginning of significant belt-tightening at the Christchurch City Council.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch's Mayor isn't swayed either way on a clash between city hospitality and food trucks. The Arts Centre Trust is applying for up to 33 food trucks to operate on the site. The Central Business Association says that's unfair, given businesses subsidise the centre and commercial rates are higher than residential. Mayor Phil Mauger told John MacDonald he sees both sides. He says with the museum closed the Centre will want to get money, but 7 days a week is a big shift. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It is time for Christchurch to get real.  To get real and accept that we will never host the Commonwealth Games. Never host them on our own, and not even bother trying to be part of any national bid to host them in the future.  I've never shared Mayor Phil Mauger's dream of getting the Games here again. His idea is based purely and simply on his rose-tinted memories of the ‘74 games here in Christchurch.  But that was a different time, and I imagine he's not enjoying reading this new report that has just been delivered by the city council's tourism and economic development agency, ChristchurchNZ.  To sum it up, the report says: We don't know what it would cost to host the Games in Christchurch —but it would be a truckload. And there are other events we should be trying to get here instead— which would be cheaper and have much more of an economic impact.  All this has ever been, is a pipedream of mayor Phil Mauger's. And good on ChristchurchNZ for coming to the conclusion that it has: that we need to move on.   The reason, by the way, that I think we need to ditch the Games outright —as in hosting them ourselves and hosting them with other cities around the country— is because I think the Commonwealth Games will be history sooner rather than later.  And I'm more than prepared to listen to the experts, which is what I'm hoping the council will do.  It's also what I need to do if ChristchurchNZ tells me that this idea I've got of getting Oasis over here to be the first band to perform at the new stadium when it opens in 2026 is a dud.  For me, I probably just want to re-live my 20s. And Phil Mauger wants to re-live the time when he was a kid and watched the QE2 stadium being built across the road from his place, and his youthful memories of that golden age in Christchurch's history.  But we all have to move on.  We also have to remember that Christchurch was left with a lot of debt after the ‘74 games, which wasn't cleared until the Government chipped in with some money ahead of the 1990 Games in Auckland. Because that would've been a bad look if it hadn't.  So ‘74 wasn't everything it's cracked up to be. Just like the Commonwealth Games aren't what some people still crack them up to be.   Especially when we now know that there are other events that could cost way less and deliver more bang for buck.  An example ChristchurchNZ talks about in its report is the opportunity for Christchurch to host the International Masters Games in 2030. They say this is a ‘live' opportunity for us to host an international multi-sport, multi-day event - which could pump nearly $12 million into the local economy over a 10-day period.  This is the stuff we need to focus on getting here. Not other nonsense, like the Commonwealth Games. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A report into the viability of Christchurch hosting the Commonwealth Games took 14 hours to write, after it was requested in January.  The report, commissioned by Mayor Phil Mauger, from Council and Christchurch NZ recommended Christchurch avoid holding a standalone event.  Newstalk ZB has revealed it cost just over $1000 for staff time.  Mauger told John MacDonald the report was a big job for Christchurch NZ, which didn't need rushing.  He says the city wasn't trying to host the Games sometime in the next year, so they just fitted it when they could.  Mauger joined John MacDonald in studio for their regular catchup, giving his thoughts on the Games' report, high rises in the CBD, and his request the Government does more to address the pokie machine harm in Christchurch.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John MacDonald was joined in studio by Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger for their regular catch up.  What did he make of the Prime Minister's comments on council spending? The work on the Christ Church Cathedral has been indefinitely paused, will it receive any more ratepayer money? And, does he support the idea of LIV Golf making its way to Christchurch?   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Pines are one of the most flammable plants on the planet.”  That's a quote from a plant ecologist at Victoria University, Dr Nicola Day.  And it's why some Christchurch councils went to the Government wanting a change to the forestry rules, to try and stop pine forests being re-planted on the Port Hills after the big fire earlier this year.  The second big fire on the Port Hills in less than 10 years. And the Government has said no. Which I get. It's saying to the councils that it's not prepared to change the forestry rules just to suit Christchurch. So I get that.  But, at the same time, it's nuts that more can't be done to try and make sure we don't have another big fire in another seven years.  So, what happened is Christchurch and Selwyn mayors Phil Mauger and Sam Broughton, acting Environment Canterbury chair Craig Pauling and another ECAN councillor, wrote a letter to the Minister of Forestry Todd McClay.  And they pointed-out to him that, after the first fire in 2017, there was no way they could stop pines being re-planted. Which meant, of course, that when the second fire broke out on Valentine's Day this year the pines were back again and, bingo, we know where things went from there.  And within days there were Port Hills residents coming out and saying how crazy it was that the pines had been re-planted after the 2017 fire and asking, you know, when will we learn?  Since then, the councils have gone as far as they can go - and there are some changes proposed to what's known as the Canterbury Regional Policy Statement.   But the forestry rules, as they stand, get in the way of anything further. Because they allow anyone who has existing rights to have a forestry plantation on the Port Hills to replace it like-for-like if it's damaged or destroyed by fire.  The adventure park is a case in point. After 2017, the pines were re-planted there because the landowner had an existing right to plant them. There was nothing that could be done to stop that. This is what these local councils are trying to change. But the Government has said no.  When the fire was happening back in February, a director of McVicar Timber Group —which owns the land where the adventure park is— was quoted in media reports saying that planting native trees costs 10-times more than planting pine trees.   He also said that he didn't think native trees would survive in the Port Hills because the area is dry and rocky.  At the time, there weren't many —if any— Port Hills residents agreeing with him.  Such as Hannah Miller, who said: “Seven years ago was the perfect opportunity to re-plant in natives. I'm no expert on fires, but we've seen what burns in the Port Hills and what doesn't burn, and the native vegetation does a pretty damn good job of stopping it.”  She went on to say: “What on earth are we doing planting pines right up there? That's utterly ridiculous.”  And I'm not going to argue with that. Because it was utterly ridiculous that pines were allowed to be re-planted after the 2017 fire and it's utterly ridiculous that the forestry rules —as they stand at the moment— allow the same mistake to be made again.  But the Government has said “no”. So where do we go with this now?  If the councils here in Christchurch have had no joy with the Minister of Forestry, they need to be contacting his Cabinet colleague Simon Watts - who is the Climate Change Minister.  Because climate change —and more extreme weather— are part of the picture here.  Just over two weeks ago, Simon Watts released the Government's five-point climate strategy. And one of those five points - under the heading “Nature-based solutions to address climate change” says the Government wants homes and communities better protected against climate change through restored habitats and ecosystems. It also wants more native forests.  So that's where I think these councils should go next.  I can see why the Government doesn't want to tinker with the forestry rules just because of what we've been through here in Christchurch with two big fires on the Port Hills in seven years. But something has to be done to try and make sure we don't have to go through the same thing all over again. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger joined John MacDonald for their regular catchup.  The Mayor gives his thoughts on whether Orana Wildlife Park is in trouble, and how he feels about the council funding for it now.  And, what is the cost to council for the use of road cones in Christchurch? And will he be standing for Mayor in next year's local elections?  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger joined John MacDonald for their regular catchup.  The Mayor is currently in the midst of long term plan discussions, and gave his thoughts on the rates residents can expect, funding for the Arts Centre, and Orana Park.  And, the Government is looking to make it so Māori wards are up for a vote, what are Mauger's thoughts? Does he think the bill is needed?  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Back again for his regular interview, Christchurch's Mayor Phil Mauger joined John MacDonald in studio on Canterbury Mornings.   They dug into the funding issues plaguing Christchurch including updates on the Arts Centre and Cathedral and got the mayor's thoughts on the Waimakariri and Selwyn Councils' refusal to contribute to the new stadium.  Plus, are the new East Christchurch liaison staff going to be money well spent in improving things for the community?  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Full steam ahead with plans to re-build Christchurch's Catholic Cathedral on the same site as before. Following a survey, the Catholic Diocese has selected their 160-year-old Barbados Street site as the cathedral's future location. The former cathedral stood there before being demolished following earthquake damage. Mayor Phil Mauger told Mike Hosking the city may see a Catholic Cathedral before an Anglican one. “The Anglican Cathedral is practically building a new church within an old one. This will be built from new, but it will be a lot cheaper and may be able to get it finished a bit quicker.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger joined Piney to discuss the future of SailGP being held in Christchurch again following this weekend's events.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a big weekend for the Garden City.  Auckland's loss is Christchurch's gain when SailGP returns for a second year in a row while the Warriors play in the city tonight.  The events are reportedly bringing in four million dollars of revenue to the city.  Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger told Mike Hosking it will sell Christchurch and New Zealand to the world.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over 100 firefighters, 12 helicopters and two fixed-wing planes are working to fight the raging fire in Christchurch's Port Hills. The fire was reported at 2.45pm yesterday on Worsleys Rd and had spread over an area of 100 hectares by the evening. Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger says rubberneckers seem to have heeded the message to stay away. "We've had FENZ-led meetings at the community centre, which is our evacuation hall. And they're commending the public of Christchurch and Selwyn for being so good and listening, which is music to my ears."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch is in for a scorcher today, with 28 degrees and wind from mid-morning as the Port Hills fire continues to burn.  More than 130 firefighters, two helicopters and two fixed wing aircraft are on the scene this morning, replacing overnight crews.  Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger told Mike Hosking that eighty properties in the area had been evacuated.  He said that all the emergency services are together at the Justice Precinct Centre, calling it an “extremely good asset.  The fire looks worse at night time, Mauger told Hosking, as the darkness accentuates the flames burning.  The fire is happening in the same area as the last blaze which happened almost seven years ago to the day.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's hope the Commonwealth Games could return to Christchurch fifty years on from the 1974 event. Mayor Phil Mauger has recommended the city host the 2030 Games, and Christchurch city councillors voted to run a viability report. Mauger hopes an event of this scale will help turn Christchurch into the sporting and events capital of New Zealand. "We have all these fantastic new facilities, and I want to showcase our facilities to the world. We will, however, have to share the load across the country." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger has reached out to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. In a letter written to the President of the global network Mayors For Peace, Mauger said he recognises a state's obligation to defend itself from aggression, but condemned the massacre of innocents. Christchurch City Councillor Yani Johanson says the Mayors For Peace has an extensive global reach and could work together to address the ongoing conflict. "All of us are seeing what is very a disturbing and horrific humanitarian situation in Gaza, and we've also seen the extraordinary loss of innocent civilian lives- I think it's important to do what we can." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Christchurch mayor says the council is looking down the barrel of an 18 percent rates increase if it does not make some major cost savings. The City Council is working on its ten-year-plan, and mayor Phil Mauger says the plan has started out with a proposed 18 percent rates increase. Many councils around the country are also facing cost pressures. Selwyn mayor and Local Government New Zealand president Sam Broughton spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Christchurch's mayor Phil Mauger swore he'd never sell the city's council-owned assets, but a new report suggests it might be needed. When asked about the port, the airport, the broadband company, the electricity lines company, Mr Mauger promised none would be sold under his watch. That was pre-election - when asked more recently, he could not rule it out. The public would have a say before anything is sold

Christchurch's mayor has expressed frustration upon hearing chlorine will be forced into the city's water supply. Government water regulator Taumata Arowai has advised it's declining the council's first chlorine exemption applications. The remaining 20 percent of the Christchurch and Banks Peninsula water supply is now required to be chlorinated, which will take a number of weeks. Mayor Phil Mauger is disappointed for the people of Christchurch, especially for the council members who worked hard to apply for an exemption. "I feel in my heart of hearts they were never going to give exemptions. I feel that we were led up the garden path over a period of years." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Cas Carter from Cas Carter Communications and Ben Thomas from Ben Thomas PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day: Christchurch have had their application to be exempt from water chlorination, forcing chlorine into the rest of their water supply. Was mayor Phil Mauger right to be disappointed, or do they need to accept this? The Government has announced a review into building regulations for high density buildings following yesterday's tragedy in Wellington. Do sprinklers need to be included in building codes and retrofitted in building to avoid similar tragedies? A teenage girl is in hospital with serious injuries, after being shot in a road rage encounter last night in Sandringham. How scary is this? How have we let crime get to this point? LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger has accused council staff of 'running amok' after a new cycleway was built on Park Tce. Phil Mauger and several Christchurch City Councillors are up in arms after council transport staff approved this cycleway under the guise of temporary traffic management. Fendalton Ward Councillor James Gough says council staff had submitted new safety enhancements on Rolleston Ave and claimed further developments would return to council for a 'full decision'. "The council staff essentially said to that- yep, we're including it in here just for your information, it's an FYI. These are going to come back to you to make a decision on. And I said- well, it's quite controversial, I think it would be worthwhile to have a workshop around that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does leadership look like in a disaster? David compares Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown's leadership this week with how Bob Parker and Lianne Dalziel coped with the Christchurch earthquakes and terror attacks. He looks at how current Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger's council is faring and whether reality meets the rhetoric and what's happened to the city's Metro Sports facility, one of the anchor projects in the rebuild.

The Christchurch City Council is pushing ahead with the first step towards partially selling its blue chip assets, a complaint about Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger's election campaigning has been passed on to police, and staff shortages have forced the closure of an in-patient mental health unit Hillmorton Hospital.

Three mayors have proposed their own changes to the contentious Three Waters scheme. The mayors of Auckland, Christchurch and Waimakariri say their plan would end the divisive, nationwide argument on the policy. The new proposal would maintain the new water regulator, but keep local ownership, control and accountability. Auckland's mayor, Wayne Brown, says he's told Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta about the plan.

The National Party says Wayne Brown and his team have come up with much better plan for the country's three waters and it spells the end of the Government's unpopular proposal. Auckland mayor Wayne Brown, along with Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger and Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon say their new plan - unlike three waters - will build consensus across the country.  The new proposal would maintain key aspects of three waters, including the new water regulator, Taumata Arowai, while maintaining local ownership and allowing for what the mayors describe as meaningful roles for mana whenua. National Party local government spokesperson Simon Watts spoke to Māni Dunlop.   

Auckland mayor Wayne Brown, along with Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger and Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon say their new plan - unlike three waters - will build consensus across the country.  The new proposal would maintain key aspects of three waters, including the new water regulator, Taumata Arowai, while maintaining local ownership and allowing for what the mayors describe as meaningful roles for mana whenua. Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon spoke to Māni Dunlop.  

An alternative plan to the Three Waters legislation is expected to garner widespread support from councils. The Government has confirmed it will look at the latest proposals from the mayors of  Auckland, Christchurch and Waimakariri. Wayne Brown,  Phil Mauger, and Dan Gordon say their version keeps the idea of having a water regulator, but leaves ownership, control and accountability in local hands. Timaru mayor Nigel Bowen says it's important to have two big cities backing an alternative, and he's expecting a lot of councils will get on board. The Government has already said it's listening and is open to making refinements. Waimakariri District Mayor Dan Gordon joined Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVE    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another centre where transport was a core issue of the local election is Christchurch, where Phil Mauger beat former DHB boss David Meates to the mayoralty, by roughly 3000 votes. The former councillor and construction company owner plans to "soften" the city's draft transport strategy, which aims to slash carbon emissions. Phil Mauger spoke to Kim Hill.

One-term councillor Phil Mauger has scored the top position as the new mayor of Christchurch. He will be joined by seven new councillors and nine returning councillors. Mauger told Mike Hosking he wants to get the brand new council together to get things done. He says he'd like to do two terms, as it's hard to get much done in one. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two candidates top the polls for Christchurch mayoral candidates - Phil Mauger and David Meates. Current councillor Mauger is ahead, with a Kantar poll this month showing he was preferred by 58 percent of the voter base. Meates was at 26 percent, but with 38 percent of respondents unsure, there is the opportunity to win a majority over to his side. The key issues for the region are national housing density rules, three waters reform, fluoridation and the new Christchurch stadium. The pair spoke to Corin Dann.

Nine to Noon continues to look at who's in the running to head up our biggest cities after local elections in October, with a focus today on the 11 candidates vying to be mayor of Christchurch. Three-term mayor Lianne Dalziel announced last July she'd be stepping down as mayor, having overseen nearly a decade's worth of the city's rebuild following the devastating earthquakes. The two major contenders for the role are Burwood city councillor Phil Mauger and former Canterbury District Health Board chief executive David Meates. Other contenders include the city's Wizard, a coffee boss, pro-gun pastor and a candidate who's stood in every election since 1971. For more, Kathryn is joined by David Williams, the South Island correspondent for Newsroom.co.nz.

Christchurch City Council will vote on whether to move ahead with plans for a controversial stadium today. A fixed price of $683 million has been set by project contractors who say they are confident it will stay within this budget. Mayoral candidates Phil Mauger and David Meates have differing opinions.

The clock is running down for anyone wanting to have their say on whether the proposed Christchurch stadium should go ahead or not. The city council kicked the hefty decision back to ratepayers for submissions after a $150 million blowout was revealed earlier this month - meaning the total cost could run close to $700 million. It's a debate that's split locals. Some businesses need the stadium to breathe life into town and attract top sports matches and concerts, but others reckon enough already and question where the extra dosh is coming from. Mayoral candidate David Meates wants to hit pause on the project, while contending mayoral candidate Phil Mauger is keen to convert the dream to a reality.