Three crucial funding calls await Christchurch’s new city council

Tuesday, 28 October 2025

The new Christchurch City Council will need to consider whether to put more money into Christ Church Cathedral, among other things.

Putting additional ratepayers’ money into Canterbury Museum and the Christ Church Cathedral will be considered by the new city council in the coming weeks.

These are just some of the issues facing the newly elected Christchurch City Council, which will be sworn in on Thursday, following the recent local body election.

Sixteen councillors and mayor Phil Mauger will have to start work almost immediately on next year’s budget and the search for a new chief executive is likely to start soon too.

The council has already signalled a projected rates increase of more than 10% for the 2026-27 year and this is without any additional money potentially going to the museum or the cathedral.

A new downsized plan to restore the cathedral was announced in September and while the $90 million plan halves the financial shortfall, another $40m to $45m is still needed.

Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Ltd (CCRL), the charitable company managing the rebuild, is again going cap in hand to ratepayers, taxpayers and private interests, to raise the additional money.

The council agreed in 2017 to contribute $10m toward the project through a ratepayer levy. Some $8m was collected before the council decided in June to pause the levy.

The council could decide to consult residents on the issue as part of its annual plan.

An unscientific reader poll on thepress.co.nz found 52% did not want the council to spend more ratepayer money on the cathedral. Some 41% supported the move and 7% wanted more information.

However, the cathedral is not the only project seeking more ratepayer money.

Canterbury Museum asked the council earlier this year for another $21m as the cost of its redevelopment project rose from $205m to $247m, increasing its shortfall from $44.6m to $86.6m.

The newly elected Christchurch City Council has some tough decisions coming up. Back, from left: Celeste Donovan, Yani Johanson, Tyrone Fields, Melanie Coker, Sam MacDonald, Mark Peters, David Cartwright, Aaron Keown, Jake McLellan. Front, from left: Tyla Harrison-Hunt, Tim Scandrett, Pauline Cotter, Phil Mauger, Victoria Henstock, Nathaniel Herz Jardine, Kelly Barber. Councillor Andrei Moore is not pictured.

At the time, the council decided to consult the community before the end of the year, but this has yet to happen.

A council spokesperson said funding for Canterbury Museum, Christ Church Cathedral and Canterbury Provincial Chambers would be considered by the new council in the coming weeks.

“This may result in consulting on additional funding options in the annual plan.”

The new council will start developing the 2026-27 annual plan almost immediately, so staff can develop a draft, which is usually released for public consultation in late February.

While the Government is considering capping rates increases, it is unlikely to come into force before next year’s annual plan.

However, the first big decision facing Mauger is picking his deputy.

Pauline Cotter held the role last term, and it is understood she wants the job again, but after the election, Mauger said he was considering other options.

Council chief executive Mary Richardson said the mayor had powers under the Local Government Act to appoint the deputy mayor. Councillors do not vote on the issue.

Richardson’s contract as chief executive expires on June 30, 2026, so another issue the new council will have to tackle is finding her replacement.

She was appointed to the position in October 2024 after councillors chose not to employ any of the almost 40 people who applied for the position.

Richardson had previously been doing the job since the former chief executive Dawn Baxendale left abruptly in late 2023.