Christchurch City Council
The Christchurch City Council provides local services and facilities, such as public transport, rubbish and recycling, libraries, parks, and recreation facilities. It also makes decisions about building and planning, local regulations, and infrastructure, such as water supply and sewerage. The council is made up of 16 councillors and the mayor. Councillors are elected to represent wards (areas in the city). one councillor will be elected from the Riccarton ward. This is a first past the post (FPP) election, so you vote by ticking the name of your preferred candidate on your ballot paper. Compare the candidates and their policies to decide who to vote for in the Christchurch City Council election.
Christchurch City Council candidates
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Mark Chirnside
Why I'm standing
I want to repair the broken relationship between Christchurch's people and its council by injecting youth, energy and a different perspective. Turnout in local body elections is abhorrently low at just around 40%. Fixing this must be a priority because no council elected by fewer than half of its people is legitimate and without that legitimacy we cannot begin to solve any of the problems facing us.
About me
I've been running a local business here in Riccarton for the better part of the last decade, and I truly love this community. I have a long history of bringing our people together to achieve exciting and unlikely things, and I'm always humbled by what we can achieve when the right talents are introduced to each other. I do not want to be a politician and have no personal aspirations. This is about my home.
My priorities
- Reconnect people to their local body by taking urgent actions to increase participation and turnout.
- Introduce mechanisms to make council tangibly accountable for its promises with no more empty targets.
- Expand public transport options to reduce congestion and enable more people to enjoy more of the city.
Get across the policies, candidates and parties
Don’t know who to vote for? Policy.nz is the complete guide to the 2025 local elections. Compare the candidates and policies to see where you stand.
Mayor
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