2025-08-25

There has to be three priorities for the next council;

We have to protect Christchurch’s aquifers, we have to safeguard Christchurch’s drinking water.

We have to support our buses, our trains, we have to support public transport.

We have to increase flood protection funding.

It's been a good period in the campaign getting out and talking to the people of east Christchurch and what they think about the council and the election.

The water conversations are often in relation to chlorination and the work going on the Avon corridor, a hundred million dollar multi generational project connecting Brighton to the city in a natural pocket of native and introduced species up the Avon Otakaro. It's been great that environmental consents have been granted to the city in many of these projects.

Further north - the 1 million dollar biodiversity targeted rate has been partially spent into the regional estate - 10,000 hectares of land up the Waimakariri for flood protection that over time the region has invested more into plantings, native protection and biodiversity. We have a 40% increase to our regional park maintenance budget through this Councils long term plan and Tutehounuku Korako and I have begun the process of the development of a Kowhai Regional Park in Kaikoura.

We have had investments into Te Rauakaaka, our reserve at the opening to Brooklands lagoon. I have chaired the Avon Heathcote Estuary Trust as we have transitioned the Mother of All Clean ups project to the Community Waterways Partnership and built stronger relations with Te Ihutai Ahuwhenua Trust. I have also moved a policy regarding crown purchase of nutrient hotspot farms for quick land and water use change, through the New Zealand Labour Party, that has proceeded through our regional conference to the national policy council for review.

I was informed yesterday that the NZLP policy council have decided not to progress taking the remit to national conference, which is a decision I will seek to understand better to progress the nutrient issue in Labour.

There is a storm hanging over regional government in New Zealand with ongoing resource management reform led by Minister Bishop. The next council has to show calm, grace and sensibility headed into conversations with the government and has to do so in the best interests of Canterbury and Christchurch's ratepayers while putting the protection of our awa and environment into practise.