The People's Choice in Christchurch Local Government

16/07/2026

What do you think of plans for amalgamation?

Christchurch is edging closer to becoming a unitary authority, with mayor Phil Mauger saying the only remaining question is how far the city’s boundaries should extend.

20/06/2026

Keep our Strategic Assets - a key policy of The Peoples Choice

15/06/2026

Bigger is not necessarily better. Have your say

Christchurch City Council is exploring options for the reorganisation of Canterbury councils, after the Government asked for proposals to simplify local government.

14/06/2026

ECan past and present. Jenny Hughey and Andrea Davis

07/06/2026

Community Board reports to CCC. Thx Simon and Sunita

One Wednesday Dr. Sunita Gautam Community Board Member-Central Ward and I gave our monthly presentation to the Council, with an update on our Board's activities, and a round-up of recent events around our community. I'll add a comment with a link to our presentation 👇

05/06/2026

Bigger is not always better

Big isn't always best.

The Government’s 90-day window for councils to develop and submit voluntary reorganisation plans is unrealistic. Attempting to rush massive structural amalgamations and unitary authority designs compromises meaningful public engagement and risks suboptimal, poorly executed council structures. The details aren’t there yet either. This is governance by press release – and a rushed press release at that.

Despite this, we need to participate otherwise decisions will be made in Wellington for us, without us.

Communities across Canterbury deserve principled, robust conversations – not cheap shots at our neighbours and empty posturing about toll booths on the Waimakariri Bridge.
We think that there are some key principles we must get right.

All of the proposed councils must be financially sustainable – not just the cities. That means districts can’t be severed of their commercial centres which are their social, employment, and service hubs. Leaving our neighbouring councils as sprawling sparsely populated districts with no ratings base and expensive roading networks is setting them up to fail.

We need to have local, responsive governance. In Christchurch, our community boards provide decision-making that’s accessible and locally accountable. We know that big isn’t always best and keeping decisions close to the people they affect is key to engaging our residents and communities.

It’s hard enough bringing together Addington and Avonhead at times. We struggle to see how an amalgamated super city model could do justice to Arthur's Pass as well. Rural areas deserve governance that’s focused on them – and urban areas need leadership that’s focused on driving strong cities and tackling the unique challenges of urban living.

But we should also think about new ways of co-operating between Councils. We don’t need to be one entity to work together on transport, water quality and environmental issues and this is a golden opportunity to set up dedicated, modern collaborative structures without major overheads.

The reality is we need to come to an agreement across Canterbury that ensures decisions about here are made here. We can’t pretend that sh***un marriages are the best way forward – we need real consensus based on delivering for all our communities. That means genuinely listening to our neighbours and not trying to strong-arm them.

We can’t run the risk of Ministers in Wellington taking our region, and the best city in New Zealand, in the wrong direction.

01/06/2026

Congratulations Jenny. Jenny was a People’s Choice councillor and an excellent chair of Environment Canterbury

Congratulations Jenny Hughey, former ECan Chair, for her well deserved ONZM.

She has given so much time to so many causes, always searching to see all people and the environment are respected and looked after.

Jenny encouraged me to stand for the community board back in 2013.

Thank you Jenny, you truly deserve this honour.

HUGHEY, Ms Jennifer Margaret (Jenny)
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit
For services to community law and governance.

Ms Jenny Hughey has supported community law around New Zealand in several governance leadership roles since 2006.

Ms Hughey served as national Co-Chair of Community Law Centres Aotearoa (CLCA) from 2018 to 2026, having been a national board member since 2011. Having joined during a period of financial constraint, she was key in developing a new funding basis, which was successfully adopted. Her subsequent leadership at CLCA has shaped the national strategy for community legal services and strengthened coordination amongst the 24 community law centres across New Zealand, to ensure free legal assistance remains available to those who need it most. Under her guidance, CLCA has built enduring partnerships with a range of groups across government, the legal profession, and the community, which has helped the organisation to deliver services that are culturally responsive and community driven. She was a board member of Marlborough Community Law and is currently Co-Chair of Community Law Canterbury, having joined the board in 2015. Her contributions have strengthened the governance of community law and advanced equitable access to justice nationally. In addition to her service to community law, Ms Hughey has provided her leadership and governance experience to local government, where she was elected to Canterbury Regional Council and was the elected Chairperson from 2019 to 2022.

01/02/2026

Can you smell it?

22/01/2026

the year begins