Ada’s election was remarkable in many ways. It was 1917 and New Zealanders were at war. Ada was uncompromising and outspoken in her condemnation of the war. But it is perhaps not the things that Ada was opposed to that saw her elected to Council, but the things she so vigorously campaigned for - votes for women, equal educational opportunities for girls and women, prison reform and improvements to the charitable aid system.Dr Megan Woods, representing women Members of Parliament, thank you for getting leave from Parliament to be with us today. Former Councillors Carole Evans, Dr Anna Crighton, Sue Wells, Sally Thompson and Claudia Reid. Present councillors, community board 
members and guests.

Thank you for gathering here today to celebrate the 100th anniversary of a significant 

milestone not only for our Council but for the women of Christchurch – the election of Ada Wells as the first woman to serve as a Councillor on the Christchurch City Council.
I would like to extend a special welcome to Bruce and Diana Carey who have joined us here today. Bruce is Ada’s grandson and we are delighted and honoured to have him here with us. I would also like to acknowledge their Son and his wife Richard and Toni Carey and their daughter who is Ada's great great granddaughter.

She was well known in Christchurch through her active leadership and participation in a number of national and community based organisations and she was tireless in her fight for women’s equality and economic independence.

Ada’s election was described in The Star on 5 May 1917 as “about the most solemn and important happening of the past week so far.” The same article also reported that “the news caused great perturbation amongst the rest of the councillors…and they were to be found gathered in little knots gloomily debating whether a lady member should be called a “councillor” or whether she would be referred to as “councilloress” or “councillorine.” Many of the “old brigade” feared that they would no longer be able to smoke in the chamber and regretted that they had offered themselves for re-election!

Since Ada’s historic election victory women have continued to serve as city councillors – some of us have even been elected to the mayoralty! Today we are also re-instating the Camellia Room in honour of all of the women who have been elected to Council. The Camellia Room at the previous Civic Offices in Tuam Street was the initiative of Dr Anna Crighton and we are delighted to see it revived. The portraits of the earliest seven female councillors have been installed in time for today’s commemoration and we will gradually to add others until we have a comprehensive gallery of the women of council once again.

Since Ada’s historic election victory women have continued to serve as city councillors – some of us have even been elected to the mayoralty! Today we are also re-instating the Camellia Room in honour of all of the women who have been elected to Council. The Camellia Room at the previous Civic Offices in Tuam Street was the initiative of Dr Anna Crighton and we are delighted to see it revived. The portraits of the earliest seven female councillors have been installed in time for today’s commemoration and we will gradually to add others until we have a comprehensive gallery of the women of council once again.

On the Kate Sheppard memorial, where Ada is depicted with other leaders of the
suffrage movement, the plaque acknowledges the “women of spirit” who campaigned for the vote. Ada was undoubtedly a woman of spirit, of courage, of compassion and commitment and we are proud to celebrate her contribution to public life in Christchurch and to be 
following in her footsteps in serving our communities.

Ada Wells died in Christchurch on 22 March 1933. So she missed the election of the first woman to Parliament by 6 months.  In her obituary it was said of her that:

​A cause might be despised, obscure, rejected, she not only helped it all the same, she helped it all the more, and in the dark and stormy days of unfounded truth she was always to the front.
A wonderful way to dedicate this Camelia room in her memory.

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​I'd like to acknowledge Alexandra Davids and all members of the Keep Christchurch Beautiful Trust. 

As Mayor I am the patron of a number of Trusts. There are very few duties associated with being a Patron, but when I am asked to say a few words, I really like to do so. I may have the honour of this role as patron, but it is you who I want to honour and pay tribute to for all that you do. 

Keeping Christchurch Beautiful has been a particular challenge over the last few years - nature did some real damage to properties and unrestrained, nature in the form of weeds does not make for a beautiful environment befitting our country's Garden City. 

Your aim is one that we should all sign up to - To encourage civic pride and the promotion of beautiful Christchurch. 

I love your beauty spot challenge. I was so inspired, when I went for a walk on Sunday, I took a rubbish bag and I cleaned up as I went. It was a great feeling. 

I remember seeing a FB post a couple of years ago that showed an overflowing bin - this was the Council's fault according to the post - no-one mentioned the mindless vandals who kept piling on the rubbish even though it was ending up on the ground. And yes I use the word vandals deliberately - they are no better than those who scratch windows and slash tyres - someone has to clean up after them and yes it costs money. 

Communities that refuse to turn a blind eye to people dumping their rubbish - who report and clean up - they will end up with a community they can be proud of. And it's not the council shirking its duty - it's the community taking back the power to define who they are. 

Thank you for what you do. It matters now more than ever that we Keep Christchurch Beautiful! 

I would like to begin by acknowledging Hon Nicky Wagner,
Local MP Hon Ruth Dyson, List MP Nuk Korako, Deputy Mayor –Andrew Turner and my fellow councillors – Raf Manji, Phil Clearwater, Tim Scandrett, Deon Swiggs.
Banks Peninsula Community Board chair – Christine Wilson and deputy, Pam Richardson.
Chair of the CCHL board Jeremy Smith and Lyttelton Port Company chair Trevor Burt.
A special welcome also, to Tony Petrie, Cruise NZ.
 
This is a very exciting day for our city. I'm going to cut to the chase...today I am very happy to announce a new $56 million cruise ship berth at Lyttelton.

This is great news for the city, the region and the country.

The cruise industry looks at the total package that is Destination New Zealand and there has been a glaring gap in the Destination South component of that and that is Lyttelton.

In saying that I want to pay tribute to Akaroa. This special part of the Peninsula that came into Christchurch's boundaries just over a decade ago, has carried a huge load so that we were not lost to the cruise industry and that tourists could still experience the magic of this special part of the world.

The pressure on Akaroa has been tremendous and, although I think it will always be a destination for the boutique cruise ships, today's announcement will come as an enormous relief.

The new berth here at Lyttelton will be the first custom built cruise ship facility for Christchurch and will be able to accommodate some of the largest cruise liners from around the world, including the  MS Oasis of the Seas which is 362 metres long, weighs 225,282 tonnes and carries around 5,400 people.

The development we are announcing here today will be even better than what we had before the earthquakes when cruise ships would berth at Cashin Quay 2.

In the year before the earthquakes, the 2009-10 season, 50 cruise ships visited Lyttelton - in the past year the number can be counted on one hand.

We have had to watch the rest of the country enjoy a tourism boom over the last 6 years. And although the valiant efforts of our Airport Company and CCT have really helped us keep our heads above water, we won't regain our share of that boom as of right.  This is an investment in our future.

This decision not only brings 150000 cruise passengers back into the city per year, it also puts our city back on the map in brochures and cruise publications as a must-see city - a destination in our own right.

Finally I would like to acknowledge the tremendous amount of work that has gone into both the cruise ship berth and the wider Lyttelton Port Recovery Plan. Thank you to the working party which was set up to investigate options for hosting cruise ships in Lyttelton.

As part of the process a business case was carried out to determine the value of the cruise ship industry to the city and the region. And as a result of that work the decision was made to fund the project through the Lyttelton Port Company.

The cruise ship berth represents a massive investment in the future of Christchurch and the wider region. Cruise ships bring both vibrancy and economic activity into the city so it is great that Christchurch will have a dedicated facility.

Bringing cruise ships back is another step forward to revitalise Christchurch and also Lyttelton. Once again, we have been able to improve facilities to future proof the city rather than just replacing what was there before.
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I've been repeating this quote. Never let a serious crisis go to waste - it's an opportunity to do things you didn't think you could do before. Out of every disaster comes opportunity and this is one hell of an opportunity.