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Differences between the councils
City council functions include provision of services such as the public library (above) and residents’ cultural needs (below).
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Some people wonder why we have a regional council as well as the City Council.
Christchurch City Council, and other local and district councils, is responsible for general community well being and development in their own areas. This includes services such as roads, sewerage, drinking water and storm water and also community services, such as recreational and cultural facilities. Also it is responsible for environmental health and safety issues.
In Canterbury, the regional council (called Environment Canterbury) is responsible for good environmental management of the region’s natural resources such as air, land and water.
Another example of the division of functions of the two councils can be seen in the provision of transport services.
Environment Canterbury contracts bus operators to provide passenger services in urban areas. The City Council controls the location and maintenance of bus stops (including the central city BusXchange) and also owns one company that competes for Environment Canterbury passenger service contracts.
City Council staff and Environment Canterbury staff work together to encourage more people to use buses so that transport fuels and land can be used more efficiently and air quality can be improved.
City council functions
The essential functions of city and district councils are:
- Community well being and development, such as initiatives designed to reduce the social disparity between groups, and the provision of public housing.
- Environmental health and safety (including building control, emergency management, civil defence and environmental health matters), such as administering laws relating to public health.This includes food licensing, dangerous goods, building control consents (permits).
- Infrastructure (roads, transport, sewerage, water and storm water), plus in Christchurch kerbside recycling.
- Provision for recreational and cultural activities, such as in Christchurch festivals, a central library, 11 community libraries, a mobile library, a children’s library, and sporting activities.
- Resource management (including land use planning and development control).
In Christchurch, Canterbury Development Corporation, the Council’s economic arm, focuses on economic development and employment programmes.
Christchurch also has six community boards each covering two city ward areas.
Their primary objective is to ensure the interests of smaller groups within the overall community are represented. These Boards operate within the City Council and exercise powers delegated to them by the Council.
Regional Council functions
The essential functions of the regional council are:
- Resource management policy and plan provision, as well as consents administration relating to the use and development of (and particularly the effects of these on) natural and physical resources, land, air and water discharges and water allocation;
- Pest destruction and policy aspects of biosecurity.
- Flood control (stopbanks and other flood protection measures).
- Regional emergency management and civil defence.
- Regional land transport planning and co-ordination.
- Regional hazardous waste disposal.
- Harbour and inland waters administration for safety and navigation.
- Funding and management of passenger transport in urban areas.
How is it paid for?
Funding is from property-based rates, user-pay charges (e.g., consent fees, pest destruction charges, library fees), and government grants (e.g. from Transit New Zealand for passenger transport funding).
Council control
Members for City Council, district councils, community boards and Environment Canterbury are elected for three-year terms.
In general, Councillors set policy and staff implement it.The functions of all councils are set at present by central government but a review of the Local Government Act will lead to a greater empowerment of councils.
Related Information
Environment Canterbury
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