Mayoral candidate, Jim Anderton, says if he is elected he will move to restore the funding and powers of grass roots Community Boards. This will put more local decision making back into local hands by extending the funding over which Community Boards have authority.
Locally elected Boards are best positioned to reflect the priorities of their own communities. Christchurch received international recognition for its record in balancing "efficiency and democracy" when Vicki Buck and Gary Moore were mayors between 1993 and 2001. Community Boards were seen as a key feature of this recognition.
"Today, Board members have been sidelined, and are often excluded or barely consulted over some important elements of decisions about local issues like bus lanes or shopping centres," Jim Anderton said.
"Staff support for Community Boards has also been reduced so that reports and advice to Board members are either slow in coming or are not there at all.
"Community Boards are at the coal face of local government. We have to support and resource them to make sure they can meet the demands of their communities. Toothless boards will not have the respect of their communities and are of no use to anyone. Local people know their neighbourhoods best so we need to get more decisions away from the Council table and back into the hands of the people through their Community Boards.
"This policy is not about how much we spend – it is about getting the process right, and that means involving local people in local decision making.
"Community Boards have had their funding in real terms cut significantly, and are often ignored. I want to see the trust between the Council and Boards re-built so we can get on with servicing the people of our city together.
"Funding to the Urban Community Boards has been reduced from $400,180 from last year's budget to $362,644 this year. That's a cut of 9.4%. The funding allocation for each of the Urban Community Boards in 1999 was $380,000 which if inflation adjusted, would now be $530,000.
"I want to see those levels of funding re-instated. No additional Council funding would be required because there would simply be a transfer of funds for the same purposes but with priorities decided by local community representatives rather than the full Council. The full Council, as is reasonable, has the final say on major projects affecting the whole city of Christchurch. But if Community Boards have less money to administer, high priority local projects are less likely to be funded.
"The Local Government Commission in 2004 reduced the number of Christchurch City Councillors from 24 to 12 which should have made the role of Community Boards more, not less important. Community Boards, were then, and are now, happy to pick up the extra workload but they want the resources and the authority to do their job properly. They have been sorely let down by the Council in that regard.
"Christchurch Community Boards have traditionally had advisory or decision making powers over local issues like roads, parks, libraries, recreational facilities, community development programmes and other projects that directly affect the local community.







Judy is a current Community Board member for the Riccarton - Wigram ward. She is involved in a number of other organisations for youth, education and the wider community.

Islay lives in Linwood. She loves the area and wants to restore the community and environmental values that once had Christchurch residents proud to live here.

A board member for three years, Linda has a Community Service Award and is on Keep Christchurch Beautiful and Civil Defence. The environment and safe, happy communities are concerns for her.




Jasmin has strong experience working in the health sector. She is one of our youngest candidates and possesses a vibrant personality and a positive attitude.

Tracey is a dynamic, energetic woman with several years of community involvement. She is willing to stand up for the underdog and speak for those who cannot speak up for themselves.

Julie is a Correspondence School liaison teacher and has served as a deputy and acting principal at a local school. She wants to represent an area she has been part of for 40 years.

Karolin is an educator in the Human Rights Commission, a JP and a current community board member. Concerns are gaps between those who have and do not and the environment.




