It’s time for Christchurch to stand tall, as a city, and as a city of people that know how to achieve.

Some of us have always had an educated hunch that Christchurch is an incredibly successful city when it comes to getting things done.

That’s always been one of the strongest reasons why I have felt so delighted to be able to serve as Mayor of this city.

At this delicate stage in the collective fortunes of the world community I believe we have to stand tall as a city and move on from the false pride and modesty of the past.

We have a body of achievements and awards that most cities, anywhere, can only dream about.

A few years back our combined efforts as a people and as a Council came together to win us the award of the Best Garden City in the World.

Simply the best. Top of the charts. Better than the rest.

It was a stunning achievement for a very small city by world standards that believe to this day we have never really fully saluted.

In the very recent past Christchurch City was awarded a credit upgrade from Standard and Poors as a tribute to our prudent and skilled management of our city finances.

We went from AA to AA+.

With that upgrade we became the highest rated local government in New Zealand.

Again, simply the best.

Virtually in the same week we won an award for our after school programmes for children.

Proof again that while we are a financially sound city, we are also a city with an active, involved heart.

We are also the hub of the new electronics industry in New Zealand. Just over half of our total electronics and computer-related industries are based here in Christchurch.

They choose to stay or locate here because this city offers one of the very best lifestyle packages available anywhere in the world. We are anything but a backwater in global terms.

Perhaps the best way to see our city is through the eyes of former tourists I meet at our naturalisation ceremonies. These are people who originally came just to visit. Who were so enthralled by our quality of life that they decided instead to stay.

In fact I find they seem to be able to see how great this city is much more easily than many of us longer term residents.

I’m hoping that with our latest honour, our selection as the "Best Run City In the World" we may have finally reached a critical mass of achievement.

The time to stand tall as a city is well overdue. Get used to the idea because it is not one I am prepared any longer to have put to one side.

We have ample grounds for pride. It is time we started to show it.

Christchurch is a city that has shown a consistent trend toward major achievement.We need to build on this base to provide an even better future for ourselves, our children and their children. It is simply time that as a city we stood tall.