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Find out how you can participate in the democratic process of your local council – the Christchurch City Council.
See also: our Governance Statement to find out how the Christchurch City Council works and how it involves the public in decision-making.
Who in the Council do I contact to help with local community or city wide issues?
There are a number of options available for raising community or council specific issues. Council staff can provide information regarding your Councillors, Community Board members, local residents' groups, community groups, community centres, and the local community in general. The Christchurch City Council customer call centre can be contacted 24 hours a day by phone on 941 8999, or you can go to your local service centre for assistance with any general enquiries or requests for service.
You can also raise an issue or concern directly with one of your Community Board members or local Councillors. Contact details for Councillors are available on the Council website at www.ccc.govt.nz/council/members, and for Community Board members at www.ccc.govt.nz/Council/CommunityBoards. They are also available from service centres or the customer call centre on 941 8999.
What’s the difference between the Council and the Community Boards?
The Christchurch City Council is made up of the Mayor, 12 Councillors representing six wards in the city, and one Councillor representing the Banks Peninsula ward. The Council meets twice a month and considers issues that affect the whole city.
Christchurch has eight Community Boards. Each Board has five elected members and two Councillors appointed by the Council (with the exception of the two Banks Peninsula community boards, which have only one Councillor appointed by the Council).
Community Boards represent, and act as advocates for, the interests of their communities. They advise the Council on local needs, community views, and Council proposals affecting their wards. They are also able to make decisions on some projects at a local level. On other issues, they make recommendations to the Council.
Some examples of matters that are considered by Community Boards include:
- Proposed developments or activities on parks, reserves and waterways
- Implementation and oversight of local capital work projects
- Bus stops and shelters
- Objections relating to vehicle crossings
- Naming of roads, streets and parks
- Allocating funding to projects that benefit their local community.
Can I go to a Council Meeting or Community Board meeting?
The public are welcome to attend Council and Community Board meetings. The Council meets twice a month, at 9.30am on the second and fourth Thursday of the month. The Council meets in the Council Chambers on the ground floor of the Civic Offices at 163 Tuam Street. A schedule of Council meetings is available on the Council website at www.ccc.govt.nz/Council/Members/Meetings.
Community Boards meet either fortnightly or once a month. A schedule of Community Board meetings is also available on the Council website at www.ccc.govt.nz/Council/CommunityBoards/Meetings, or from the customer call centre or service centres.
Agendas for the Council and Community Boards are available two clear working days before a meeting and may be found on the Council’s website at www.ccc.govt.nz/council/Agendas, or at the Civic Offices, service centres or public libraries.
In some circumstances the public and press can be excluded from parts of public meetings. The reasons for these exclusions are governed by legislation.
How can I have my say at a meeting?
If you feel strongly about an issue and want to tell the Council or your Community Board about it, you can seek to present information at a Council or Community Board meeting.
It is best to raise a local issue - for example, one that relates to your street, community or neighbourhood - with your local Community Board in the first instance. Community Boards can forward issues to the Council if necessary.
A request to speak to your Community Board must be lodged with the Community Board Adviser no later than six working days before the Board’s meeting. Requests have to be approved by the Community Board Chairperson.
Deputations to Council will generally only be received if they relate to an item on the Council meeting agenda. People who wish to make a deputation to the Council should contact the Council Secretary at least one day before the meeting.
When you are given permission to speak about an issue, it is called a “deputation by appointment”. People are encouraged to keep the presentations as brief as possible, to allow plenty of time for questions from Community Board members or Councillors. Council staff will provide you with more information on meeting protocol, speaking times and presentation equipment if your request to speak has been granted.
How do I present a petition to the Council or a Community Board?
A petition of fewer than 50 words (not including signatories) can be presented directly by petitioners or by a Councillor or Community Board member on their behalf. Whoever presents the petition will read it out along with a statement from the petitioners and advise the number of signatures.
How do I find a Council or Community Board decision?
You can find decisions made by the Council or Community Boards in reports on their meetings, which can be found at www.ccc.govt.nz/Council/Agendas, and within the agendas for the subsequent Council or Community Board meeting.
Are there other ways that I can have input to the Council’s decision-making?
Participating in the Council’s planning and consultation processes gives you an opportunity to have your say. The Council regularly seeks community input on a range of issues, including for example draft policies, local capital works projects, and the Council’s 10 year community plan.
There are several ways to make a submission. You can fill out a submission form and post it to the Council, or fill out a form on-line on the Council’s website, or email your submission to the appropriate email address as advertised. All information for making a submission is available on the Council’s Have Your Say website at www.ccc.govt.nz/haveyoursay.
You can also obtain a hard copy of any of the relevant documents from any Christchurch City Council library or service centre, or by calling the customer call centre on 941 8999 to request that the information is sent to you.
If public hearings are to be held on an issue, you can indicate in your submission that you want to discuss your submission at a public hearing. Council staff will then contact you to arrange a time for you to meet with the Council hearings panel.
You can also comment on other city wide issues by clicking on the web link to "Council Projects in your Area" at www.ccc.govt.nz/projectnotices. Here you can search for current council projects and consultations/plans and read information on these or choose to "Have Your Say". An online form is provided for submissions.
A separate brochure is available on how you can participate in formal hearings held under the Resource Management Act. For a copy contact the customer call centre on 941 8999 or go to the Council’s website at www.ccc.govt.nz/planning/pamphlets
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