Red zone governance should reflect the community it was born from
Tuesday, 10 March 2026
Hayley Guglietta is spokesperson for the Avon Ōtākaro Network.
OPINION: Last week the Christchurch City Council confirmed the governance structure for the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor, the former residential red zone stretching from the central city to the estuary.
On paper it may appear to be a technical decision - a six-page document outlining the terms of reference for a new committee made up of three councillors and three representatives from Ngāi Tūāhuriri.
But for those who have worked on this project for nearly 15 years, the decision carries a deeper significance.
It raises an important question: will the community that helped create the vision for this land continue to have a voice in shaping its future?
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The Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor did not begin as a council initiative. It began in the aftermath of the 2011 earthquakes, when thousands of residents were told their homes would be removed from the land along the Avon River.
In the weeks that followed, something remarkable happened. Instead of simply accepting the loss of these neighbourhoods, community members began asking what the land could become.
In the winter of 2011 a small group met in the snow to discuss an idea: what if the red-zoned land became a vast ecological and recreational corridor for the whole city?
That idea grew quickly. In 2012 a petition signed by more than 18,500 people was presented to Parliament calling for the land to become a park and nature reserve. Over the following years scientists, planners, environmental groups, community organisations and thousands of volunteers contributed ideas and energy to develop the vision.
Eventually that vision became the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor Regeneration Plan, one of New Zealand's most ambitious urban regeneration projects.
Importantly, community participation was embedded in the governance structures guiding this work. Committees such as Te Tira Kāhikuhiku included community representatives alongside council and iwi members. The more recent co-governance establishment committee also included community voices.
This reflected a simple reality: the red zone is not just another council park development. It is land with a unique history and a powerful emotional legacy. Thousands of families once lived there. Thousands more have invested years of voluntary work helping restore it.
Community representation acknowledged that history.
Many former red-zone residents are now scattered across Christchurch and beyond. They no longer share a suburb or a ward councillor. A community voice in governance has been one of the few ways their experiences and aspirations have remained connected to decision-making.
Last week some of us asked the council to reconsider a community representative for the new governance committee.
Our suggestion was simple: replace the proposed deputy mayor seat with an independent community representative. Not to replace council or iwi representation, but to sit alongside them.
The request was not about personalities or positions. It was about balance.
The corridor we see emerging today - the planting, the walkways, the restoration projects, the community initiatives - has been shaped by a partnership between the Crown, the council, Ngāi Tūāhuriri and the wider community.
Each of these partners has played an essential role.Strong governance should reflect that partnership.
Community groups continue to invest thousands of hours in ecological restoration, food resilience initiatives, education programmes and place-making projects along the corridor. They bring deep institutional memory and practical experience of working on the land.
Having a community voice at the governance table helps ensure that decisions are informed by that knowledge. It also strengthens public trust in the long-term stewardship of the corridor.
The Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor is one of the most significant regeneration projects Christchurch will undertake in our lifetime. Its success will depend not only on infrastructure and investment, but on whether people across the city continue to feel a sense of shared ownership in what is being created there.
Community representation has always been part of that story.
As the corridor enters its next phase, we remain committed to ensuring that the people’s voices are heard and that governance reflects the true partnership that built this place - council, iwi and community working together.
After all, the red zone’s future began with a community idea. It would be a shame if the community voice that helped create it was no longer part of guiding where it goes next.