Details about the lives of Christchurch town-house dwellers are wanted by the Christchurch City Council.

And, as an inducement to get a good response, the Environmental Policy and Planning unit is offering a lucky draw prize.

All completed surveys will go into a draw for a dinner for two at the Christchurch Casino or one of 10 family passes to a council swimming pool complex.

The survey, designed in consultation with the statistics department of the University of Canterbury, is being made as part of the city planning process. "We need to find out why people have chosen to live in new town houses and whether they are satisfied with them," says planner Vicki Newbury.

Information gathered will be used in the development of housing policies and will be vital for assisting the council to provide for the future growth of Christchurch.

About 5000 people will receive the survey and it will embrace those who have moved into townhouses as in-fill developments since January 1994.

Ms Newbury says in-fill housing development occurs within an existing suburb of older houses when one or more townhouses are built behind, in front, or beside, the older houses.

It also includes the development of two or more townhouses on the site of a demolished older house.

In-fill houses are built on cross-lease sections or freehold sections smaller than 500 square metres.

The survey, which will be sent out from September 6, is confidential, Ms Newbury says.

Householders have a month to complete the survey.

The results will feed into future council housing and growth policies and the survey responses will be statistically analysed and a report should be available to the public by the end of the year.

Questions will cover the most and least liked features of townhouses, where householders used to live, the number of houses on site, the size of the townhouses, why did householders move into townhouses, and the number of residents in each house.

Ms Newbury says she is hoping for a good response to help with future planning.