‘The new Lyttelton’: Go button pushed on New Brighton Mall’s $4.2m upgrade

Wednesday, 8 April 2026

New Brighton Mall’s long-awaited $4.2 million upgrade has been given the green light as the final touches are put in its landscaping plan.

The Waitai Coastal-Burwood-Linwood Community Board voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve Brighton Mall Upgrade Landscape Plan, which has been in the works since the 2015 New Brighton Centre Masterplan.

The upgrades include changing the proposed pedestrian mall into a shared space that includes bicycles, scooters, and skateboards; allowing deliveries to businesses between 5am and 11am; displaying Māori art; and removing two Phoenix Palm Trees. The trees will be relocated if they remain viable.

Christchurch City Councillor Celeste Donovan said work was expected to begin later in the year, and be completed during winter - in time for the seaside suburb to enjoy the new mall the following summer.

Donovan said there had been “a lot of hype” about the coastal town’s revitalisation for the last 50 years.

Words were becoming reality through the residential and commercial developments, the opening of the community’s $2.5m Village Green, and the council’s commitment to the upgrade, she said.

“This is the new Lyttelton,” she said.

“New Brighton Mall is a place that holds a special place in people’s hearts. People have really strong attachments to New Brighton as a destination and the mall is a key part of that.”

Community board member Alex Hewison, who seconded the plan’s approval, said pulling the trigger on the upgrade was “a huge milestone” for east Christchurch.

Hewison said it had been almost 50 years since New Brighton lost its monopoly on Saturday trading.

“Walking through that mall, already you can see it’s already a different apace.”

Martini Investments, owned by residential investor Liz Harris and her sons Robbie and Chris, snatched up about 8000m² of land and buildings in the mall in recent years.

Robbie Harris said the investment firm was working with the council, Christchurch NZ, and others to bring life back to the village, which the mall upgrade would only help.

He said the beach increased the value of the community, but the mall had pulled that back due to its decay, but that stigma was changing with investment.

Lin Klenner, who stepped down as chair of the Greater New Brighton Charitable Trust after the Village Green was completed in December, said the mall development was “brilliant” and “long overdue”.

“We in Brighton will have the best mall with the village green and the mall upgrade and the buzz over there is just incredible.”