Christchurch City Council welcomes Banks Peninsula proposal

29 April 2005

Christchurch City Deputy Mayor Carole Evans has welcomed a proposal from the Local Government Commission (LGC) for the abolition of Banks Peninsula District Council and the district’s inclusion within Christchurch City.

“The City Council’s broadly in favour of the proposal as outlined this morning and I look forward to seeing the process develop from here,” Cr Evans says. “I urge everyone with an interest in this to read the proposal and consider making a submission.”

The proposal – called a draft reorganisation scheme – is open for public comment until 30 June.  More information about it is available on the LGC website including instructions about making a submission

Commission chairman Grant Kirby announced the decision in Lyttelton this morning. He said that if, after this round of public submissions and hearings, a final reorganisation scheme is issued based on the proposal, then Banks Peninsula voters would have a poll to approve or reject it.

A simple majority of those voting in the poll would be needed for it to go ahead. If that happened, Mr Kirby said, the election for community board members and a city councillor to represent the peninsula would probably take place on 25 February next year.

Banks Peninsula District would cease to exist when the election of those new board members and councillor was confirmed, probably within a week of the 25 February election.

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