The ‘Dirty Dozen’: Derelict and vacant New Brighton sites to be named and shamed

Tuesday, 17 March 2026

New Brighton is about to get its own version of the city centre’s “Dirty 30” list of derelict or vacant commercial properties deemed to be holding back the suburb’s development.

Exactly how many properties will make the council-created list is not yet known, but local councillor Celeste Donovan thinks there will be around 12 on it – a Dirty Dozen.

The local business association has welcomed the move, and hopes it will force some land-banking landowners to either finally sell or refurbish their properties.

In 2017 Christchurch City Council developed a list of central city sites that were a barrier to the area’s regeneration.

Those sites were publicly named on the council’s website and staff worked with owners to ensure action was taken. Staff started by making direct contact with owners, and provided advisory and brokering support. As a last resort it was able to issue remediation and abatement notices.

Dubbed, the “Dirty 30”, the central city list now has only two properties left on it, while another 10 properties have a commitment to action.

At a recent meeting, the council asked staff to create a similar list for New Brighton. It will focus on the area bounded by Hawke St and Beresford St, east of the former school and Hardy St.

Esther Perriam, chairperson of Tide, New Brighton’s business association, said a Dirty 30-equivalent was something the association had wanted for a long time.

The association saw how it had worked in the central city and hoped it would have similar results in New Brighton.

“It seems to have worked in the central city, why can’t it work out here? It’s worth a try.”

Derelict or vacant properties have long held up the development of New Brighton’s commercial core.

Perriam said development was severely constrained in parts of the seaside suburb by landowners holding on to properties until the area regenerated. Some have owned the same properties since New Brighton was in its heyday, back in the 1970s and 80s, she said.

“Of course they want to see a return for their investment but sometimes they need to know when it’s time to cut their losses.”

She believed it was time for some of those landowners to consider if they were still passionate about the community or if it was time to sell their land or reduce rents so properties could be rejuvenated by others.

She said it was a “real chicken and egg situation” because while those landowners were holding on to their properties in the hope that New Brighton would bounce back, they were the barrier to it doing exactly that.

However, the area is gaining momentum, with more homes being built and fresh investment in the commercial area.

Visitor spending in the seaside suburb grew 12.4%, to $4.6 million, in the year to October 2025, compared to it remaining largely flat for Christchurch as a whole.

A village green opened in December, featuring a row of 14 colourful striped huts available for rent along a boardwalk, with a stage and large turf lawn.

Donovan said the council was constrained by the rules in terms of what enforcement action it could take, but the list would be helpful.

“It’s small, but it’s progress.”

It is not known when the list will be made public.

John Higgins, the council’s strategy, planning and regulatory services general manager, said he needed to check privacy issues before publishing a New Brighton list.