Long-awaited Christchurch school of music at risk

Thursday, 12 March 2026

A Christchurch music institution is at risk of losing a long awaited project due to what appears to be an oversight by the city council.

The Christchurch School of Music needs public funding to build its music education centre - $4 million, plus land - but to get it, the council has to put it in its budget.

Council staff told CSM and elected members last year a crucial funding bid would go in the 2026/27 draft annual plan, but it didn’t happen.

In an email to the music school in October, seen by The Press, the council’s head of facilities said councillors expressed support for the idea, though could not immediately commit to funding.

“Then the [draft] annual plan came out, and we weren’t in it,” says CSM vice president Robyn Nuthall, who is concerned the organisation’s dream of its first purpose-built facility in 70 years could crumble as a result.

The organisation - which has 1000 enrolled pupils - had approached Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger directly about the proposal, but he did not respond, Nuthall said.

Without public funding, she said there was a real risk private donors would walk away.

More than three and a half years have passed since CSM and the council announced the centre would be built in the Performing Arts Precinct, on Armagh St beside the Piano and Court Theatre. Nuthall was not convinced the idea would survive another year of limbo.

Donors were prepared to pledge generously, but not without the council’s backing, and she was concerned they would walk away. CSM had already cut its budget from $15m in 2022 to $12m, and halved the number of classrooms to 14.

CSM, one of largest institutes of its kind in the country, has been teaching and storing instruments across the city for decades. They used school halls and had an industrial unit so crammed “instruments [are] coming up the wall”, Nuthall said.

“Our largest orchestra is the size of six cricket teams and will probably grow. We’ve got four orchestras, jazz bands, rock bands … it’s extremely diverse,” she said.

“This is a real success story for the city, and the city council would be wise to add to the vibrancy of the city, using our superpower [the size of CSM].”

The Press has seen emails sent to CSM in October, and to central city councillor Jake McLellan in September, in which staff said the school’s funding proposal would be considered during the annual plan process.

McLellan was told there would be more discussions with councillors after the local elections, but he did not know what happened next. He has asked staff to explain.

Despite the omission, McLellan thought CSM still had “a good shot” at funding if they made a submission to the annual plan.

“It’s not too late … this is a democracy and we listen to public feedback,” he said.

Cr Sam MacDonald has also asked staff what happened to the proposal. Like McLellan, he thought CSM’s vision was a good idea, but was more reluctant to commit to the funds.

“It’s a huge amount of ratepayers money,” he said.

Nuthall said CSM were working hard to raise funds privately, and had important donors waiting in the wings, but without a financial contribution from council their patrons could lose faith.

She said they had resource consent and were not far off a final detailed design, so were “absolutely ready” to start work.

The city council was unable to tell The Press what happened to the proposal in time for deadline. Mauger was also asked why he did not respond to the letter.