Priority Christchurch projects left out in the cold were not ‘Budget bids’, Minister says

Tuesday, 21 July 2026

South Island Minister James Meager says Christchurch’s priorities are issues for him to advocate for, not formal Budget bids.

Christchurch councillors and ministers are at odds over whether the city’s list of priorities amounted to a bid for Budget funding or simply issues for the South Island minister to champion.

The Christchurch City Council submitted five priorities earlier this year after South Island Minister James Meager asked councils to identify projects he could advocate for.

They included mass rapid transit, expansion of Lyttelton Port, local government reform, support for heritage buildings and national reserve status for Takapūneke.

Councillor Nathaniel Herz-Jardine said councillors expected the submission to be considered when the Government made spending decisions.

“If those priorities aren’t going to be in the Budget, then where are they going to be?” he said.

But Meager said the exercise was intended to help him advocate for councils and was separate from the formal Budget process.

The disagreement follows Finance Minister Nicola Willis saying last month that Christchurch had not asked for anything in the Budget. Canterbury did not have a project identified in the Budget’s wider $7 billion infrastructure package.

Meager said he asked every South Island council to identify priorities and met Canterbury mayors in December to explain the process.

Christchurch formally returned its completed template in March, he said.

Meager later met Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger and the mayors of Selwyn and Waimakariri to discuss their submissions.

After that meeting, Mauger sent Meager three further transport requests.

Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger later sent Meager three additional transport requests after the minister indicated funding might be available for smaller projects.

They included safety work at the Yaldhurst and Withells roads intersection, sealing Bayleys Rd to Tāwhaki, and improving industrial access from Dyers Rd.

The letter said Meager had indicated funding might be available for smaller, targeted projects.

The Christchurch City Council said Mauger understood the projects would be considered by the minister.

Herz-Jardine said councillors had not received the May letter, but he was not surprised the mayor had sought smaller roading improvements after being told funding might be available for minor projects.

He said those requests should not be treated as replacing the five priorities approved by the full council.

The original priorities included projects with wider regional consequences.

Mass rapid transit is intended to support housing and employment growth across Greater Christchurch, while the Lyttelton Port expansion would increase freight capacity for South Island exporters.

Christchurch city councillor Nathaniel Herz-Jardine says councillors expect their priorities to be considered when the Government makes spending decisions.

Herz-Jardine said the two sets of requests showed why Meager needed to meet the full council.

“This is exactly why we need to meet with Minister Meager face to face. I’m looking forward to it,” he said.

Meager said he had advocated for requests that matched the Government’s priorities, but none of the council submissions was a formal Budget bid.

“This work shouldn’t be confused with any Budget bids to Government, which go through a formal process.”

Meager said he had regular meetings with Mauger and had met several city councillors at community events, including the deputy mayor.

However, he confirmed he had not met the full council.

“I look forward to meeting with the entire Christchurch City Council to continue these discussions, when all diaries align,” he said.

The confusion reflects a wider problem in the relationship between councils and central government.

The Canterbury Mayoral Forum is trying to agree regional priorities through the regional deals process, while the Government’s Head Start reform programme is raising questions about which councils may exist to deliver them.