Chch Council supports Banks Peninsula district’s inclusion in city

23 April 2004

Christchurch City Council will ask the Local Government Commission (LGC) to support a call by Banks Peninsula voters for their district to be abolished and become part of Christchurch City.

At its monthly meeting on Thursday (22 April), the CCC voted to support the abolition/inclusion scheme. It’s submission will urge the LGC to consider making the peninsula district a seventh ward of the city, with a single community board. It supports the area electing seven community board members and one councillor, who would be appointed to sit on the board.

The submission will say the CCC is willing to give the community board the same delegations as it gives its existing boards and that current service levels in the district would be maintained for at least five years. As well, it believes the councils and that of neighbouring Selwyn district need to discuss some changes to their boundaries.

Peter Mitchell, the CCC’s general manager of regulation and democracy services, says the change, if it is supported by the LGC, is unlikely to happen this year.

“It’s not going to be completed before the local body elections on 9 October,” Mr Mitchell says. “Christchurch and Banks Peninsula will both be electing new councils in October and, once the commission has made its decisions, those two organisations will work through the issue.”

• Anyone interested in the issue has until 30 April to let the LGC know their opinion. Information about the proposal and how people can make a submission is available on the LGC website, at www.lgc.govt.nz

Top of Page ~ Media Release index