Opinion: If Christchurch becoming a supercity is the answer, what is the problem?

With three months to go until the Canterbury region elects a whopping 11 mayors and fills 121 seats around our council tables, one of the propositions that emerges from time to time is whether it might be time to amalgamate – and to form a “supercity”. Auckland did it, so why can’t we?

This time the proposition is back, and it is back with gusto. The significant development and urban sprawl occurring in the satellite towns surrounding Christchurch has left a lot of us within the community thinking about what that might look like in the future, and what changes to governance arrangements might be required to achieve the best outcome for the region.

It could very well be that in my lifetime the noticeable delineation between Lincoln, Rolleston and Christchurch – stretches of green with the occasional cow – no longer exists. Our population centres are inching closer and closer together, and that poses challenges for urban planners, for developers, and for the effective governance of distinct local authorities with their own individual needs, that may very soon all become one.

Congested roads, the capabilities of core infrastructure, the design of public transport networks and questions of who should be paying for what are already coming to the fore, and if there was any better time to debate the merits or otherwise of a supercity, it is right now – but before we do that, the first step is to take a step back, and ask what problem are we actually trying to solve?

Is it because we want to follow others who have gone down this road, is it because we need better integrated planning, or is it an attempt to cut down on the public service? Everyone you ask will have a different opinion and it’s challenging to form a view one way or the other.  

Within the business community, there are mixed feelings. It doesn’t necessarily matter who you ask, it’s where you ask that the battle lines becomes clear, and it’s largely due to the sentiment towards each local authority. We have a number of councils in the region that are highly engaged. They understand the needs of their community, have a strong identity and take considerable steps to make things as easy as possible to live, to work, and to do business.

On the other hand, we get feedback that a lack of understanding or willing to understand the needs of the business community is very prevalent.

If amalgamation were to occur with Christchurch City Council, Selwyn District Council and the Waimakariri District Council, for example, some of those districts will be drawing the short straw and taking a giant leap backwards, getting gobbled up and losing their independence.

Smaller councils with a finger on the pulse of their communities tend to perform best. Why would we want to compromise this? If anything, we should be empowering them to do more – and giving them the means to achieve it. Centralisation in any interpretation of the word takes away trust and responsibility from local communities. Sometimes it’s necessary – if the smaller councils are not performing, then yes, but what happens when by and large, they are?

That being said, there is a growing case for more collaboration and planning across the region. As the city and its’ surrounds grow closer and closer, a streamline of processes, an alignment of bylaws and regulations, and a clear, collective and coherent plan for the future of the region becomes more and more important, and critical for our success.

That does not necessarily require amalgamation, it requires good planning and better communication across the region. Credit where credit is due, that is already happening, but perhaps not the extent it could be.

The next step is to drill down into what specifically the Canterbury region needs and whether, actually, local government can, or should, deliver it. If they can and are the best entity to deliver, what mechanisms need to be put in place to make it happen, and if they can’t or if it’s unsatisfactory, what is the alternative option.

The problems with local government are abundantly clear. Businesses, who we recently surveyed on their perceptions of their local authority, are unhappy. We know from satisfaction surveys that the public perception of some local authorities, are doing downhill.

For the business community, the lethargic approach to the consenting process and the lack of focus on delivering high quality public infrastructure – be it roads, water, art galleries – remain the two biggest issues. Will a supercity fix this? We’re not so sure – because for all the commentary in recent weeks, it’s still not clear what problem it will solve.