Three programmes of work from across the city and Banks Peninsula are part of the Christchurch City Council’s application for the first stage of the Government’s Better Off support funding package.

The Government created the Three Waters Better Off pool to recognise the impact on councils from shifting assets and service delivery from councils to Water Service Entities. 

Funding package background

Christchurch City Council has been allocated $30.61 million in Tranche 1 and is required to submit an application to Te Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs confirming the projects proposed for funding. A further $91.82 million is allocated in Tranche 2 in 2024.

Better Off support funding will be used to contribute to our community’s wellbeing by prioritising things that communities have told us are important.

These include:

  • More trees and enhancing biodiversity.
  • Safer neighbourhoods.
  • Local community facilities.
  • Responding to climate change through adaptation planning and encouraging active travel.

Read more on Newsline(external link).

List of projects

The projects proposed to be put forward for funding have been grouped into three programmes of work. Common outcomes of building climate resilience and increasing community wellbeing are shared across each of the programmes, which are:

  • Community place-making and wellbeing.
  • Pathways to partnership.
  • Environment and climate resilience.

Programme 1: Community place-making and wellbeing

Enhances local places and green space - more trees, increased city safety on the street.

Projects Description Indicative cost over 5 years
Trees and biodiversity

Significantly increasing the tree canopy in our community parks and open space, including more trees in areas where there is low canopy coverage, and in our regional parks.

Support local carbon offsetting opportunities through the regeneration of indigenous forests on Banks Peninsula.

Increase restoration and planting and pest control programmes.

 $6.9 million
City safety

Work in partnership with government and community agencies and local businesses, to collaborate on community safety and crime prevention initiatives.

 $2.08 million
Beckenham Library,  Customer Service Hub,  Community Hub

Additional budget for earthquake-damaged Beckenham Customer Service Hub to be rebuilt, as a sustainable building which continues to be a very well-used suburban library, service centre, learning centre and a vital gathering place.

 $9.0 million
Removing barriers to participation One-year trial to work in partnership with relevant organisations to reduce the barriers to participation in swimming. $200,000
 Total programme cost over 5 years $18.18 million

 
Programme 2: Pathway to partnership

Strengthens Council’s commitment to work in partnership with Nga Papatipu Rūnanga and the community on matters of shared interest and priority.

Projects Description Indicative cost over 5 years
Papatipu Rūnanga priority projects

Projects that are priorities for mana whenua, provide greater protection of whenua or wai, contribute to our partnership commitment and benefit the wider community, such as:

  • improvements to roading near sites of significance.
  • small community facilities.
  • projects to enhance the quality of waterways.
  • development of a Kāinga Nohoanga Strategy (Greater Christchurch Partnership contribution).
 $3.1 million
Community partnerships

Partner with organisations and groups to support local initiatives, projects and activities through additional Community Board funding ($500K per urban Board, $300K for Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū Banks Peninsula to be spent over triennial), including a focus on local actions to increase climate resilience, and improving wellbeing.

Make available discretionary funding to support the operation or future development of metropolitan facilities or activities that attract the wider community, including the Multicultural  Recreation and Community Centre.

 $4.63 million
 Total programme cost over 5 years $7.73 million

 
Programme 3: Environment and climate resilience

Prepares our community for the impacts of climate change and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and enables removal of an unused marina.

Projects Description Indicative cost over 5 years
Active travel and safer neighbourhoods surrounding schools

Fast track travel planning to all 145 schools and to targeted neighbourhoods to complement reduced speed changes.

Deliver a wider community behaviour change programme, based on the successful Grab a Way pilot, to encourage and enable more sustainable travel choices.

As well as a marketing campaign, this will include partnering with Waka Kotahi and local businesses in a cost share model to incentivise the use of active travel (based on $1 Council +$1 Partner + $2 retailer).

 $2.0 million
Community adaptation planning

Additional resourcing to increase the pace of the Council’s adaptation programme by helping communities facing impacts from climate change to plan for the future and make decisions.

Support adaptation planning to enable communities to plan and respond to climate hazards, and access technical information.

This could include making available contestable grants for small rural communities, particularly papakāinga areas, to manage climate impacts in sustainable ways and build resilience in advance of sea level rise impacts (in alignment with the Council’s adaptation planning policies).

 $1.65 million
Installing a heat recovery system at the Matatiki Hornby Centre

Heat public swimming pools in the new Matatiki Hornby Centre using waste heat from a neighbouring cool store facility.

Each year, this will save approximately $50,000 in heating costs and reduce expected GHG emissions by 40 tonnes.

 $450,000
Magazine Bay

Removal of remnants of the old wharf at Magazine Bay which could become a navigational hazard.

The structure is deteriorating and breaking up, washing up on nearby shores, and causing environmental hazards. 

 $600,000
 Total programme cost over 5 years $4.70 million