Council updates  |  28 Oct 2022

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Mayor Phil Mauger has unveiled a new governance structure that will ensure Christchurch City Council business is carried out efficiently and effectively.

“I want us to be efficient in our decision-making so that we also have time to spend in our communities,’’ says Mayor Mauger.

“I’ve got a great group of Councillors who are very capable and come to the table with a great range of skills and experience. I want them all to play a role in the important decision-making that we’re going to face but I also want them to be out and about in the communities they serve.’’

Mayor Mauger is bringing a report to the first ordinary meeting of the new Council on Wednesday that outlines his plan to reduce the number of Committees the Council has. Under his new governance structure there will only be two Committees of the Whole, compared with four in the previous term of the Council.

There will also be fewer other Committees.

“I think we can manage Council business more effectively and efficiently with fewer Committees and fewer meetings,’’ Mayor Mauger says. “If later down the track the workload changes, we can always add more committees or tweak the structure.

“I am keeping the two co-governance committees that were set up under the previous Council because it is very important to me that we continue to build on our relationship with mana whenua. My predecessor Lianne Dalziel will continue to co-chair, along with Te Maire Tau, the OARC Co-governance Establishment Committee, which I’m really pleased about because she has a real passion for seeing that area become a legacy for future generations.’’

The Mayor has also decided to empower Councillors to take the lead in their own portfolio areas.

“I have met individually with all of Councillors and some of them have very strong interests in particular issues or in building stronger relationship with sectors of our community. I want those Councillors to champion those interests and to help us get things done,’’ the Mayor says.

He has appointed Cr Aaron Keown to lead the accessibility portfolio, Cr James Gough to lead the central city revitalisation portfolio, Cr Sara Templeton to lead the climate change portfolio and Cr Tyla Harrison-Hunt to lead the multi-cultural and youth portfolios.

Read the report on the Mayor’s new governance structure.