‘Big isn’t always best’: The People’s Choice rejects Christchurch super city model

Friday, 5 June 2026

The left-leaning People’s Choice political grouping is against Christchurch amalgamating with Selwyn and Waimakairi.

Christchurch’s left-leaning political grouping is opposing moves to create a super city with Selwyn and Waimakariri.

The People’s Choice, which has seven out of 16 councillors on the Christchurch City Council, says “big isn’t always best”, and decisions need to be kept close to the people they affect.

“It’s hard enough bringing together Addington and Avonhead at times. We struggle to see how an amalgamated super city model could do justice to Arthur's Pass as well,” councillor Pauline Cotter said.

Speaking on behalf of all seven People’s Choice councillors, Cotter said the group was also concerned about the future of the city’s assets like Lyttelton Port, Christchurch Airport and electricity lines company Orion under a super city model.

“Our ratepayers in Christchurch have built up assets over the decades … we want to make sure any future unitary authority will respect that and not sell off those intergenerational assets the way the Auckland super city has.”

The Government is forcing a fast-tracked amalgamation of local government. In May it gave councils across New Zealand just three months, until August 9, to lodge merger proposals.

Christchurch city councillor Pauline Cotter says the Government’s 90-day window is unrealistic.

If councils fail to come up with their own plans, the Government has warned it will do so for them.

Cotter said the Government’s 90-day window was “unrealistic”, compromised meaningful public engagement, and risked achieving suboptimal, poorly executed council structures.

“The details aren’t there yet either. This is governance by press release – and a rushed press release at that.”

Earlier this week Cotter’s right-leaning council colleague Sam MacDonald said he supported amalgamating with Selwyn and Waimakariri, and if those districts refused to merge then their residents should be tolled to enter Christchurch.

Waimakariri MP Matt Doocey labelled the comments “Trumpian”, while Selwyn councillor Samuel Wilshire said Christchurch “would be hungry, sober and naked” if they did not have Selwyn and Waimakariri.

Christchurch City Council, Selwyn and Waimakariri councils are consulting with the public before deciding on a preferred plan.

Cotter also weighed in, criticising MacDonald’s comments.

“Communities across Canterbury deserve principled, robust conversations – not cheap shots at our neighbours and empty posturing about toll booths on the Waimakariri Bridge.”

Cotter said the city needed to genuinely listen to its neighbours and not try to “strong-arm” them.

“We can’t pretend that shotgun marriages are the best way forward – we need real consensus based on delivering for all our communities.”

She said they should think about new ways of co-operating between councils.

“We don’t need to be one entity to work together on transport, water quality and environmental issues, and this is a golden opportunity to set up dedicated, modern collaborative structures without major overheads.”

Cotter said it was too early to say what those structures could look like. That would require genuine collaboration and discussion with neighbours to achieve the best way forward, she said.

Christchurch City Council and Selwyn and Waimakariri councils are consulting with the public before deciding on a preferred plan, but the Government will have the final say.

Selwyn is surveying its residents from Friday, asking people whether they want to combine with neighbouring Canterbury councils, take on the functions currently delivered by Environment Canterbury (ECan), both, or neither.

Mayor Lydia Gliddon said: “These changes will affect how local decisions are made and how services are delivered in Selwyn. We need to know what matters most to the community.”

On the West Coast, a regional working group has been set up, bringing together representatives from councils to support a co-ordinated response.

Options open for consideration include having a single West Coast unitary authority, and a Grey-Westland unitary authority with a separate Buller arrangement.

A website has been created to provide information, and community discussions will be held across Buller, Grey and Westland districts during this month and next.

Christchurch city councillors heard earlier this week that the Government wants Canterbury, which stretches from north of Kaikōura to the Waitaki River in the south, to have no more than three unitary councils.

A unitary council encompasses the functions of ECan.

Christchurch’s People’s Choice councillors are: Cotter, Melanie Coker, Tyrone Fields, Tyla Harrison-Hunt, Nathaniel Herz Jardine, Yani Johanson and Jake McLellan.