Better streets & spaces  |  29 Sep 2020

A scheme that encourages the activation of vacant sites for short-to-medium term activities by providing a rates incentive to the owners will be extended.

Christchurch City Council’s Enliven Places Property Owner Rates Incentive provides a financial incentive to owners who allow their sites to be used for temporary activities while plans for permanent development are progressed.

The scheme aims to contribute to greater vibrancy, activation and regeneration in the central city and suburban areas to attract visitors and residents.

The Council’s Sustainability and Community Resilience Committee has approved the incentive being continued for a further year until June 2021, but a limit of $15,000 per site will be applied to all current and new sites.

Previously vacant sites that have benefited from the incentive include Cultivate Christchurch established at 156 Peterborough St in 2015 to support youth into employment, Cathedral Junction’s Imagination Station, which has now found a permanent home in Tūranga, and Common Ground, which is providing a community gathering place at 91 Estuary Rd, Southshore.  

A budget of $40,000 has been set aside for the incentive scheme in 2020/2021.

The value and ongoing focus of the incentive will be further reviewed as part of the Vacant Sites Strategy, which is part of the Central City Action Plan, and to align with the Council’s Long Term Plan.