The Influencers

In the regeneration of Ōtautahi Christchurch over the last 13 years, our city has undergone a remarkable transformation guided by purpose, sustainability, resilience, and innovation. With our accessible contemporary design and eco-friendly buildings, it’s great to see Christchurch is now a leading example of a sustainable urban city which stands out as an […]

New Brighton is ready for a renaissance – in fact, it’s taking shape as you read this. We all know the story of New Brighton, a once thriving seaside town and home to New Brighton Mall – the only retail centre in Christchurch where Saturday trading was permitted. The introduction of seven-day trading […]

Christchurch is fortunate to be in a strong position right now with more and more people looking to settle here. They’re attracted by our stunning natural environment, quality affordable housing, and incredible assets like Tūranga, Taiora QEII, and the restored Town Hall. All of these have been driven by massive investment over the […]

I have a strong belief that the term ‘Community Wellbeing’ is going to become common currency in 2024, especially here in Canterbury, Waitaha. At Te Papa Hauora Health Precinct, we exist to promote health research, education, workforce development, innovation and health innovation, with the ultimate goal of improving community wellbeing. In this context, […]

It has been fantastic to see the influx of visitors around our city over summer. Our city is now welcoming a wide variety of visitors, including cruise ship passengers, leisure travellers and those visiting for business. In recent weeks, it has been great to see the support for our “Taste of Te Pae” […]

It’s February already, and we are straight back into it. February is when our council puts together our draft Long Term Plan (LTP)—the city’s budget for the next 10 years. This plan proposes council’s priorities for the next decade. We, all 17 members of council, have been working hard to strike the right […]

Christchurch businesses are embracing some exciting opportunities this year. Tāwhaki, the innovative indigenous-led aerospace venture on Kaitorete Spit, officially opened the Tāwhaki National Aerospace Centre earlier this month. This major development is home to a new 1km-long long runway and supporting infrastructure. This local testing, flight and launch facility will accelerate the fast-growing […]

I hope that you had an enjoyable summer, and the new year has started well for you. I would like to take the opportunity to outline Business Canterbury’s advocacy priorities for what is going to be another big year for local businesses. As we start 2024, Business Canterbury is focused on ensuring the […]

In my last column, we announced that our name was changing from Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce to Business Canterbury. Since then, we have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from our members and business community about how our new name better reflects what we do and who we support. On behalf of Business Canterbury, […]

I hope you have had a chance to relax and unwind over the summer break. The weather finally came good, and Chrissy and I enjoyed plenty of time on the water with the kids and grandkids, fishing and swimming, as well as spending some quality fun time over the hill in Akaroa. It […]