Presentation to the Greater Christchurch Partnership 27th October 2023 by Regional Councilor Joe Davies and Brendon Harré Introduction by Joe Davies Kia Ora tatou, Thank you for giving us the opportunity to speak to this committee today. Just before we begin, I’d like to note that while being a Regional Councilor representing North East…

What will happen in the future? Will Christchurch’s and Canterbury’s population stabalise into a steady-state form or will it continue to evolve and change? A review of historical changes and a discussion of some factors which will affect the future illustrates the possibilities. In the thirty years between 1991 and…

TL: DR 1. For most possible futures Christchurch’s proposed draft spatial strategy has insufficient housing developmental capacity. 2. There is an ‘all the eggs in the one basket’ risk that the positive benefits of the proposed mass rapid transit (MRT) growth corridor will not be actualised because insufficient transit is being planned…

The Right to the City is a concept and slogan that emphasises the idea that urban spaces should be inclusive, democratic, and accessible to all residents. The idea was first articulated by French philosopher Henri Lefebvre in his 1968 book Le Droit à la Ville. New Zealand is having…

— Deceit, Speculation, and Mistrust has long characterised New Zealand’s approach to land-use. — Many New Zealanders are surprised that affordable housing for all is an internationally agreed upon human right and their perceived right to speculate and make tax-free capital gains on real estate investment is not. In most aspects of society New Zealand acts in good faith but the way it has…

Cities are defined as ‘places where there is an absence of physical space between people’ (Edward Glaeser). The replacement of the Resource Management Act (RMA) has been announced and new legislation will soon go through parliament. The new Acts are too comprehensive for this paper to give a full overview…

If you are interested in regional development. If you believe in evidence-based policy making. Or if you worry about transport carbon emissions. If you are concerned about the lack of progress in improving the nation’s transport infrastructure. And if you believe that health care, manufacturing and construction workers deserve transport…

Georgism Restated — It is the taking by the community, for the use of the community, of that value which is the creation of the community — Henry George, Progress and Poverty (1879), Chapter 33 For someone like myself who didn’t grow up with homeless people living on the streets and knowing families…

Note the full report on New Zealand’s Rack-Rent Housing Crisis can be read here. Nice work Brendon. Just need to start building at the low price end and offering finance to purchase/rent to buy/or simply rent. My observations are that: 1. Rents are way too high (Christchurch rents are starting to soften…