Thank you for the invitation to speak with you today.

I’d like to start by acknowledging your President Nigel Babbage.

Next month we mark 9 years since the Feb 22nd quake. 

Last year I said to you “we will never forget the experience, nor will we ever stop remembering those who were lost, however we have come to point where that experience no longer defines who we are as a city”. And then we had the terrorist attack of March 15, something I still can’t believe actually happened here.  There is no question that this attack added another layer of trauma, but at the same time it provoked the most extraordinary response where people came together and reached out to communities they may not have known so well. We refused to be defined by the terrorist attack, but by the response which was based on unity and compassion.

It has reminded us all that communities lie at the heart of how we respond and recover no matter the nature of the challenge we have had to confront.

I have been asked to reflect on the new Council’s vision for Christchurch and what I see as the opportunities, challenges and the future ahead of us in the next three year term and beyond.

We have many opportunities.

• SI’s largest, NZ’s second largest city
• New, safe and resilient infrastructure
• Four tertiary and strong research institutions
• Strong manufacturing, technology and knowledge services
• Strong partnership with Ngāi Tahu
• Destination and Gateway to the region, SI and Antarctica
• Capacity to grow and have affordable housing

We are in a unique position – serves as a counterbalance to the capacity constraints faced in other urban centres
 
I had a slide last year with the different projects that were coming to fruition. I’ve just picked up the big three for this term – the Convention Centre Oct 2020.

Lyttelton Cruise Berth Nov 2020 and Metro Sports Q1 2022.  Both the Convention Centre and the Cruise Berth are major projects with regional benefits. And the Metro Sports Facility which will be the source of major revenue for the city.

The scale of the facilities for a city our size really set us apart, and create a unique offering in New Zealand in terms of lifestyle and opportunity.
 
We also need to acknowledge the Challenges, if we are to prepare for uncertainties that lie ahead.

Canterbury’s regional GDP growth has been slowing.

And we are transitioning away from the growth stimulus of a rebuild economy.

The Christchurch economy still faces many pre-earthquake challenges. While we have seen the wage gap with the rest of NZ narrowing, several important Christchurch industries continue to lag national industry wage averages. Christchurch and New Zealand’s economies are dominated by small and medium size enterprises and the challenge here is to continue stimulating this sector. 

Currently, the investment case for new commercial property is struggling to attract new capital, constraining the city’s capacity to achieve pre-quake land utilisation in the central city. Without a significant increase in demand for new commercial and residential property and the new hospitality and retail offerings, the continued regeneration of the city could stall. The transition away from high construction volumes will see softening economic and employment growth in the short-term.

Our central city has not recovered fully post-quake with employment and population well below pre-quake levels and some newly opened retail and hospitality developments struggling to attract sufficient trade. However, the rebuilt city centre positions Christchurch as city for 21st century living with high quality experiences, public spaces, commercial and residential infrastructure.

At the present time, Christchurch appears to have achieved the critical mass of economic activity necessary for Christchurch residents to return to the CBD for retail, entertainment and leisure purposes. In order to maintain this momentum, Christchurch needs to continue to stimulate economic development of the central city. This is particularly pertinent outside of the main season due to seasonal character of the central city’s economic activity.

The interplay of an aging population and disruptive technology will have a significant impact on our workforce which could unlock new opportunities. Christchurch will need to attract, retain and develop talented people who can drive the city’s future prosperity.
 
Ōtautahi – Christchurch is a city of opportunity for all open to new ideas, new people and new ways of doing things – a city where anything is possible.

It is this sense of possibility which has captured the imagination of those who are willing to do things differently.  And at the same time we are committed to developing resilience in the 21st Century
Given our experiences we need to be resilient in the broadest sense of the word – having the capacity to thrive in the face of diversity.

Our strategic priorities:
Enabling active & connected communities
Meeting climate change challenge
Ensuring a high-quality drinking water supply
Accelerating city momentum
Ensuring rates are affordable and sustainable

To current strengths of Christchurch and Canterbury, matched to global opportunities.

Identified Supernodes
ChristchurchNZ is the city’s economic development and city profile agency charged with igniting bold ambition in the city and the region, generating excitement, connecting changemakers, stimulating economic activity and attracting visitors to Ōtautahi Christchurch.

They provide targeted initiatives to support innovation and business growth while promoting our city nationally and internationally. They aim to ensure our reputation grows as a vibrant and exciting city surrounded by mountains and beaches - a place where our people experiment and test new ideas and innovate in business, technology and society. The city economy’s historical dependence on being a service centre for the region, and the vulnerability of traditional industries in agriculture, tourism and manufacturing to long-term disruption, means transformation of the city’s economy towards high-value export-orientated activity is necessary to reach the prosperity ambitions for the city and ensure Christchurch is nationally and globally relevant.

ChristchurchNZ has been leading a co-created piece of work across the city with industry, iwi, local and central government and tertiaries to define focus sector areas to support this transformation. 

The focus areas seek to define areas within the economy where Canterbury has industry and education sector strengths, aligned with global growth opportunities. The Supernodes play to current strengths of Christchurch and Canterbury, matched to global opportunities. 

1. Aerospace and Future Transport
2. Health Tech & Well-being
3. Future Food, Fibre and Agri-tech
4. Hi-tech Services
​
They are now well advanced in building networks, activity, talent and business attraction of the back on this city-wide Supernode focus. These Supernodes will build the Christchurch economy for tomorrow. 

​Many of you will recall the large social housing complex – the iconic and award winning Brougham Village, which stood on this site from 1978 until it was demolished following the earthquakes.  With 89 units, it was one of the largest social housing complexes in the city.
 
As you will be aware, the City Council has long had a strong commitment to housing our most vulnerable residents and we are delighted to partner with the Otautahi Community Housing Trust on this exciting project.
 
Developments like this are a partnership and would not be possible without the involvement of the Government, the Trust, and the Council.  We thank the Minister and Government for the funding that allows the development to be financially sustainable.
 
Since 2016 Council has been capitalising the Trust through transfer of land and other assets and we thank the Trust for its vision of returning housing for our most disadvantaged to this site.
 
The Council has also provided a $30 million development loan to the Trust to facilitate the development of new social housing at this and other sites.
 
Our partnership, and the support of the Government, means that the loan can be made at no cost to ratepayers.
 
This development is a wonderful investment for our community and will make a significant contribution to increasing the amount of social housing in our city.
 
The Council is committed to continuing to work with the Government and community housing providers such as the Otautahi Community Housing Trust to increase the supply of social housing in Christchurch.  We know that improving public housing is a priority of this Government, and Christchurch is ready, willing and able to work with it to deliver results. 
 
Minister, Christchurch has the need for additional public housing.  The Council has land where this can be built, and we have demonstrated our willingness to facilitate developments by community housing providers.  We look forward to working with you, the Ministry and the Trust on this.
 

​Dà jiā wan shang hǎo, good evening everyone, it’s my pleasure to be here tonight and wish you all a Happy New Year, xīn nián kuài lè!
 
Acknowledge my colleague Cr Jimmy Chen, Consul General Wang, Wendy Zhang, President of the Christchurch Zhonghua Chinese Society, and all you gathered here tonight for this celebration of the Spring Festival.
 
What a great way to celebrate the New Year, with our young people sharing their talent on the stage at the magnificent Isaac Theatre Royal.
 
Tonight, we welcome the Year of the Rat. I was born in the Year of the Rat so it’s a special year for me.
 
May I wish you all the very best for the upcoming year, may it be one of good health, peace, prosperity and success.
Gōng xǐ fā cái! Xiè xie da jia

Acknowledge:
-       John Garside and Darin Sheridan from Colgate (major sponsor)
-       The team at Athletics New Zealand led by Peter Pfitzinger and Courtney MacDonald.
-       The Local Organising Committee, Chair Martin Scott and the rest of the team Sue Leadbeater, Kara Marino, Shona Brown, Jacqui Restieaux, Liz Keenan and Ian Thomas

On behalf of the city I would like to welcome you all to Christchurch and Nga Puna Wai for the 42nd year of the South Island Colgate Games.

It’s very exciting to have the games back in Christchurch after 12 years away, with over 1000 seven to 14 year olds from around New Zealand and Australia participating in this event at, for the first time, this wonderful facility.

This is a really important sporting event, as it showcases some of the most promising up and coming young athletes.  It will also be a great opportunity for you to meet new people and make long lasting friendships.

I hope you also get to see some of the city. The Margaret Mahy playground and Turanga, our new library, are both great places to visit and have fun.  

I could wish you the best of luck in your competitions, but I’m sure you know that luck has very little to do with success - it’s your passion, drive and commitment – that’s what makes the difference.

But wait there’s more:
I am extremely excited and pleased to use today’s event to formally announce that the Christchurch City Council has partnered with Athletics New Zealand to build a new Indoor Training Facility here at Ngā Puna Wai.

This facility will provide a space that all users of Ngā Puna Wai can utilise for indoor training and will include an indoor throw facility specifically for Athletics.

This new facility is set to be complete by quarter 2 this year so that athletes can continue their training at Ngā Puna Wai through winter in the lead up to the Olympic Games in Tokyo

For those of you who dream of competing at the Olympics or Commonwealth Games, this facility as well as the other amazing facilities here at Ngā Puna Wai will provide a fantastic pathway for you to be able to train and compete alongside your national heroes.

I would like to thank Athletics New Zealand for their significant investment in this new facility and we look forward to partnering with you to bring this to life, not only for Christchurch, but also for all the athletes who will come here to train and to compete.  

​And on that fantastic announcement, can I again welcome you all here and wish you all the best!