The Influencers

I really enjoyed getting out and about promoting the Neighbours Aotearoa campaign last month. The theme was Let’s Celebrate, encouraging us all to reach out to neighbours, and strengthen community connections. I love nothing more than meeting the people doing great things in the community and hearing their stories. They all help make […]

What a summer we just had in Ōtautahi Christchurch. From the revitalised World Buskers Festival to Crankworx and Electric Avenue, the city was buzzing with energy. More than 70,000 people packed into North Hagley Park over two days for the annual summer festival, Electric Avenue, in February. Featuring international acts such as Chase […]

The Public Works Act will undergo its most significant reform in nearly 50-years to help unleash an infrastructure boom. The bill will go to Parliament around the middle of 2025. The reforms aim to remove barriers to make it faster and more affordable to build the homes Kiwis need. The changes will also […]

Canterbury is the place to be right now. After more than a decade of rebuild activity, we’re stepping into a new chapter, one that cements our place as Aotearoa’s second city and a key driver of New Zealand’s economic future. With local government elections taking place in October, now is the time to […]

It’s fantastic to see the positive impact international conferences are having on our city. This is reflected in feedback from delegates, local businesses, and results from ChristchurchNZ’s Conference Legacy Project. In 2024, Te Pae Christchurch welcomed more than 80,000 visitors to over 220 events, and the pipeline looks strong. Our thriving business events […]

The role of Mayor brings many highlights. One of my favourites is our Citizenship Ceremony. Every month I, or the Deputy Mayor, have the privilege of welcoming around 300 new citizens. Since I’ve been Mayor, I have officiated at 21 ceremonies, welcoming 6266 new citizens, and giving a native tree to every family […]

A deep and prolonged downturn in property values is still helping buyers. The downturn since 2021 has given buyers increased pricing power. Nationally, values have fallen by nearly 18% from their post-Covid peak. Roughly three years on from that peak, the largest declines in values among the main centres have been seen in […]

New Zealand loves to regulate but it doesn’t always get it right and mistakes are costly. We broadly agree with the sentiment in the proposed Regulatory Standards Bill discussion document, although it sure needs improvement. We agree with the sentiment in the document that bad regulation can stifle innovation and give rise to […]

Several upcoming changes to New Zealand employment law may benefit both employers and employees in the long run. Probably the most hotly debated change is the introduction of an income threshold for employees claiming personal grievances for unjustified dismissal. The change means employees earning above $180,000 per annum will be unable to raise […]

Despite the challenges, 2024 was nothing short of transformative for Ōtautahi Christchurch. As the CEO of ChristchurchNZ, I have a unique view of the dynamic changes happening in our city, and I couldn’t be prouder of what we have achieved. Over the past year, the city supported more than 745 businesses and worked […]